Chapter 9 Chapter nine

"So it's a blender?!..." Inubo Satomi and I couldn't help shouting, "Those glass shards?" "Yes, that's right. People nowadays don't think there is anything weird about a household blender, but there were still many people in that era who had never seen such a luxury. However, Mr. Mitarai The family was very rich, so he knew. At that time, in that small town, the only people who knew about home blenders were Nakai, who opened an electrical appliance store, and wealthy families like Mitarai Sanitary Ware." Said Tachibana Riko. "That's it, but that kind of thing, how could it be with a bar..."

"Because there is a bar in my house, Nakai wanted to sell the product, so he brought the blender to demonstrate to my father. I think it should be noon that day, he brought the machine to the store, and my father was having lunch, so Nakai said While eating with his father, he stirred apples or other things together to make juice for his father to taste. In the middle of his father leaving his seat, he took the opportunity to mix the water in the vase with lily of the valley together with the lily of the valley. Puree in a blender." "Water in the vase?!..." Inubo Satomi and I asked in unison, "Why?"

"Yes, I didn't know it before, and of course my mother too. She died without knowing the truth, because I didn't tell her." Jiang Lizi shook her head with a smile and said, "After I did this job, I finally understood it, and it was only recently. After forty-three years, I finally understood the truth. The lily of the valley plant contains three special substances mainly 'lily of the valley glycosides'." "Lily of the valley toxin?" I and Inubo Satomi exclaimed in unison. "Yes, the main branch is in the roots and stems, as well as in the leaves and petals. There is a compound called 'cardiac glycoside', which is a cardiotonic agent when used medically."

"Cardiotonic glycosides, cardiotonic..." "Yes, cardiotonic glycoside is a drug for heart disease, and it has the effect of strengthening myocardial contraction." "To the myocardium..." I muttered. "That's right. However, you need to control the dosage. If you take a large amount at one time, it may cause cardiac shock or even cardiac arrest." "Ah!..." Inubo Satomi exclaimed in shock, but I was speechless. "Symptoms vary from person to person, so it is difficult to judge the dosage. Moreover, once this toxin is taken in excess, although it may cause a rapid heartbeat, it may not necessarily cause heart paralysis, but at least there is a possibility of it. Based on my father's experience According to the circumstances, it should have happened while driving."

"It turned out to be like this..." I was shocked.The riddle of forty-three years ago has finally been solved. There is actually such a poison in this world. "My mother said that my father was a heavy smoker, so I think his heart is also relatively weak." "In other words, Mitarai knows that lily of the valley is poisonous..." "Yes, he knows. What I didn't know until I was in my forties, he knew when he was five years old." Jiang Lizi clicked her tongue in disbelief and nodded, "So, when he saw the scene at that time, he knew Immediately, he had a flash of inspiration, he was looking for lily of the valley, and asked his mother to help him look at the water in the vase."

"How did he know..." I asked.But Jujiang Lizi suddenly fell silent for some reason. "Then, what are the shards of glass scattered all over the floor...?" Satomi continued to ask. "That, that's what I thought. At lunch, my father ate canned food and bread, and drank the juice made by Nakai. He should have left the store before one o'clock. He was going out to buy things for the opening in the afternoon. Zhongjing went out with his father and returned to his electric appliance store. But I think he left the mixer in the bar and didn’t bring it back.” Jiang Lizi said generously, “About this issue, I think it’s probably because my father I want my mother to look at the machine, and I have to discuss with her whether to buy it, so I let him stay in the store and use it. My father is a kind of soft-hearted man, and he can't make any decisions by himself, so... "

When Jiang Lizi said this, he suddenly hesitated.Inubo Satomi and I watched her together, waiting for her to continue. "I think that's probably the case. If Nakai only showed it to his father, he would definitely say that. And Nakai wants to make a business, so he won't object. "I think Nakai at this time was probably just thinking 'ah, there's nothing wrong with this'. Because for him, it was because of my mother that he killed my father. Or, out of goodwill, Maybe he didn't want his father to die, but he just wanted him to stay in the hospital for a while, so that no one would stop them when they eloped. Besides, what if his father had a strong heart? Nothing happened, so it's better to leave the mixer there in order to return to the bar as if nothing happened.

"However, when Nakai went back to the electronics store and was doing things, he felt more and more uneasy. He began to fear that if the worst happened, then, the blender stained with lily of the valley poison would be placed on the bar like that. It's really bad. I guess he just rinsed it roughly after using the machine, but there are still residues of juice on the glass. If during this period of time, father Yinzao died like that, the cause of death is suspicious, the police must There will be an investigation, maybe going straight to the bar and inspecting the store. If it gets to that point, it's going to be a bad thing if the mixer is there. I'm afraid that's what he thinks.

"So, Zhongjing wanted to sneak out again when the people in the store were not paying attention, and get the mixer back before my mother came home. In order not to make the situation complicated, it is best to have it at two o'clock in the afternoon. Before I got home, I got everything done. However, because the electrical store was very busy, I couldn't attract other people's attention. When I finally got the chance, it was already around 1:40. Time was tight , so, I figured I'd run to 'Bell' in the rain, and walk into the bar..." "But how did he get in? The door should be locked, right?" Satomi asked curiously.

"There is a spare key for the back door, which has always been placed under the trash can. It is an emergency when the husband and wife forget to bring the key. Nakai has a physical relationship with his mother. It seems that his mother told him about this matter. Said Maybe it was at work, but I suddenly remembered this, so I decided to take the blender back. "However, when he walked into the house and wanted to take the mixer away, he was anxious because of time constraints. In addition, it was raining and his hands were too wet. As a result, he slipped and the mixer fell to the ground. The floor of the store The walls were covered with thin stone, and the glass part of the blender was shattered and splashed everywhere.

"It was close to two o'clock at that time, and my mother would go home soon. Only my mother was fine, but there were still people from the winery to deliver the goods. Let's not talk about what my mother thinks. If someone from the winery sees this I don’t know what kind of association it will have. The glass part of the blender is all broken. Looking at the situation, it’s too late to clean up all the pieces. It takes about ten minutes to clean everything up. "At this moment, Nakai suddenly had an idea. He quickly picked up the bottom of the mixer with the knife attached, and then swept all the transparent glasses on the bar to the floor, and then ran out." "Ah, that's it!" I almost yelled.Satomi also opened her eyes wide, "So that's what happened!..." "You only need the same type of transparent glass as the blender, and you don't need colored cups. In the era when few people had seen a blender, as long as there were all transparent glass shards, it could be easily covered up. Even if people find that the shards are different , and definitely wouldn’t know what it is.” Jiang Lizi nodded with a smile, “Actually, this method was really successful, if it wasn’t for the Mitarai kid who came. After the police collected the glass shards, they didn’t check them. , directly handed over to the waste recycling station.” "So that's what happened, I finally understand." I nodded. "Really, I finally figured it out!" Inubo Satomi also nodded happily. "Then, Nakai, who originally thought everything would be fine, brought money to Mrs. Chieko, but was rejected by Chieko, your mother, so it turned into a hijacking incident." I speculated. "Yes, I handed the note that Mitarai gave me to my mother, and hid in the dark and watched it secretly. Mom opened the note and stared at it. Mom asked who gave it to me, But I thought about it before and didn't tell her who I got it from, because I thought she wouldn't take it seriously if a child wrote it. "Looking at the note, my mother's face changed. I asked her later, and she said that Nakai's name was written on it, saying that he killed Suzuki Otozo. My mother was distracted and never asked who gave it to me. I don’t need to say the note, it was given to me by Mitarai Kai.” Jiang Lizi murmured, raising her head and recalling the thrilling encounters back then. "My mother was hijacked by Nakai to the second floor, and she heard about those things from Mitarai, but until she died, she didn't know that Mitarai had seen through everything long ago, and she didn't know that lily of the valley was poisonous." Jiang Lizi smiled wryly again and again. Shaking her head, "Thanks to the note, my mother became wary of Zhongjing. However, even if that wasn't the case, I don't think she would have eloped with Zhongjing. It's just that after getting the note, she refused even more firmly." Nakai. "On the other hand, Mitarai's child heard that Nakai disappeared from his store, and immediately thought that he might have gone to find my mother. Because of that note, my mother refused to follow him. If she was rejected, she would have killed her." Nakai, who lived alone, might give up on himself, might hurt his mother, or forcibly kidnap her. That's why Mitarai came to my house in a hurry and blew the air out of Nakai's car tire. That's how it happened. " Listening to Jiang Lizi's explanation, I sighed deeply.Because it is obvious that Mitarai's insight and reasoning ability have been fully developed as early as the age of five. "Mitarai-san is really amazing!..." Inubo Satomi said, smacking her lips. "Most people would probably think, can a kindergarten kid's mind be so good?... This kind of thing is not forced for him at all, but this is not to say 'because he is a genius', but at that time, he It just so happens that I have seen high-end electrical appliances like a blender in my daily life. He has one at home, so even a child knows what it is. And there is... Lily of the Valley." Jiang Lizi said. "That's right, there's also the lily of the valley, which I don't understand. The lily of the valley contains ingredients similar to poison, and it's impossible for ordinary people to understand it?" I asked curiously, "Even if you are a pharmacist, It’s also because of this job that I know, right? … Where does Nakai, who runs an electrical shop in a small street, get this kind of expertise?” "That's right. That's poison knowledge that even the police don't know. It's a very professional field. Why does Mr. Nakai know?" Inubo Satomi also opened her eyes wide and asked curiously. "Because I used to be a literary youth, that person..." After Jiang Lizi finished speaking, she looked out the window and smiled. "But, Mitarai-san knows too." Inubo Satomi said puzzledly, "If he is now, I can understand, but when he was still in kindergarten, he knew this kind of thing, there must be some reason." Jiang Lizi should have heard what Inubo Satomi said, but she just kept silent. "I always feel that there should be an explanation for this problem." I also said. I began to unconsciously try to catch her words.Jiang Lizi's side face was facing us, and she remained silent.Obviously, she still has something to hide from us. "Mrs. Eriko, what's the matter?" I asked her straightforwardly. Jiang Lizi was silent for a moment, and finally spoke. "The explanation of this problem is very simple. The two of them learned this knowledge from the same place." Jiang Lizi only said this, and fell silent again.We waited quietly.Compared with forty-three years, waiting for a few minutes is nothing? Finally, she spoke again. "After such a long time, my hatred for Zhongjing has gradually faded. Looking back on my father's kind, gentle, and somewhat cowardly smile, I can let go of it. His death can also be compared with Zhongjing. The existence of this person has been gradually distinguished." Jiang Lizi suddenly said with emotion, "This is probably the so-called power of time. As I grow older, it is instead the disputes with my mother and those unbearable disagreements. It's becoming more and more alive." When Jiang Lizi was talking, she was still facing out the window. Looking at her bitter expression, I couldn't help guessing: What kind of story would I hear next, and I couldn't help but hold my breath.Outside the window, the sun was slanting to the west, and the lovers walking through the shopping street hugged each other tightly because of the cold. However, Jiang Lizi didn't look at them. Jiang Lizi stopped talking, and the time passed slowly and continuously, but she never spoke. I looked away in a daze.The inside story behind the incident exceeded my expectations, and my brain felt numb for a while.And Inubo Satomi, who was beside me, seemed a little nervous for some reason.Why is this?I do not understand. "I..." Jiang Lizi's slurred voice sounded, and because the voice was a little strange, I couldn't help but look at her face.This look surprised me.Her lips trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks. "I didn't want to say it. Just thinking about it makes me shake with anger. Every time I think about it, I feel like I'm going crazy with anger. No matter how long it takes, this feeling will not change. Just thinking about it Father's tenderness... No, it should be said that whenever this happens, I can only think of the good side." Jiang Lizi said distressedly, "Maybe I have various dissatisfaction with my mother, but in my opinion Come on, there are no complaints or anything. He never scolded me, always smiled gently, or hugged me with some embarrassment, all these things are in his memory..." Speaking of which, Jiang Lizi slowly and carefully took out a handkerchief from the pocket of her white coat, and wiped the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry. I can't forgive that person no matter what. He puts on airs, is arrogant and rude, and seems to think that only he is the embodiment of justice and morality." Jiang Lizi said angrily, "That person's heart is cold, and he treats the so-called high society, and The so-called demeanor of a famous family hangs on the forehead, condescending and contemptuous of others, it is really the worst in the world! Because my father is in the romantic business, he is considered a trivial person and looks down on him. I will never forgive him, and I will not be angry. won't disappear." "Who exactly are you talking about?" I asked in shock. "Chairman. That's Mitarai Kei-kun's aunt." As she spoke, Jiang Lizi's shoulders trembled. "Auntie..." Satomi also held her breath. "There's no evidence for what I'm going to say next, but I'm pretty sure." Jiang Lizi suddenly said in a serious and affirmative tone, "That person is an expert in botany, and of course the lily of the valley contains lily of the valley glycosides. It's very clear." "Ah!..." I yelled, "So it's Aunt Mitarai?!..." "Nakai and the director's house often come and go, just like relatives. Auntie of Mitarai likes new things, so once a new type of electrical appliance comes out, she will buy it immediately. This is also to attract female students to come to her home. One of the reasons. It is precisely because of this that Mitarai Kei-kun and Nakai became familiar. "It's the same on the university campus. As long as the school's electrical appliances are handled by Nakai's shop, he will be responsible to the end. Nakai is obedient to the chairman. It must be through such contacts that Nakai learned about bells Lan poisonous knowledge. I am afraid that the chairman told him in detail over and over again. The chairman is very proud of the flower beds on the campus, so it should be seen by Nakai, so that Nakai can do it That sort of thing." "Ah, so is Mitaraiji..." "Probably so." Jiang Lizi nodded, "I think Mitaraijie only learned about it from her auntie after hearing about it. That's why a kindergarten kid understands these weird things." "But that aunt, how do you do it..." I asked in disbelief. "The chairman really hates that on the way to the university, that is, on the way to and from school for his students, there is an immoral small bar like my house, always thinking of driving us out early. In the heart of that person, near the university It's like a subsidiary territory under her jurisdiction." Jiang Lizi said with a wry smile, "I think her feeling is probably: 'Bastard, how can there be such an unclean place on the street of my own house?' If something goes wrong and my family moves out overnight, it will be a great thing for her." "Trouble?..." I opened my eyes wide in surprise. "That's right. So she went and counted the lilies, bluebells, and agarwoods, so I couldn't get them back, but only the lilies of the valley were left. That was all on purpose. That way, I could only pick lilies of the valley I took it home. This is the most unforgivable thing I can do. It was too cunning and took advantage of me when I was a little girl." "So that's how it is, that's why we counted the flowers..." "My family took the character from the surname 'Suzuki' and named the bar 'Bing', so my parents hoped that the flower decorations in the store would use bellflowers, lily of the valley and the like, and that person knew this very well." Jiang Lizi With a sneer, "In the end, the bar counter of my bar was full of lilies of the valley. The preparations are ready. As long as Zhongjing has that kind of thought, the plan may be implemented at any time. Everything is within the expectations of the director." "Oh..." I was so impressed, I wanted to say, "As expected of Mitarai's blood relatives". "The director is a very smart person. Nakai was used." Jiang Lizi said angrily, "He had that kind of relationship with my mother. When my father became an eyesore, he thought of hearing from the chairman. about the poisonous lily of the valley." "It's amazing!..." Satomi Inubo sighed. "The plan was carried out perfectly. My father passed away, and so did Nakai. My mother was alone, so there was no way to support the bar. However, because she was unexpectedly popular, it lasted for another year, but, In the end, I moved to Motomachi. Then the chairman immediately started to invite people to open a bookstore in the place where my house used to be, and it seems to have given financial assistance.” "Huh?..." I nodded. "She's really capable, it's jaw-dropping." Jiang Lizi praised against her will. "The affiliated territory of the Women's University..." "That's right, from the beginning to the end, it has become the noble and clean place that the chairman wants." "It's amazing." I nodded. "Because she used to be an aristocrat, she still thought that the affairs of the common people, no matter what, must be under her control." Jiang Lizi sneered, "However, using such dirty methods is not moral at all! No Do you find it ridiculous?!..." "Yes!..." Satomi was also indignant. "This is putting the cart before the horse. Although my father runs a small bar, he is not an ant. After knowing all this, I feel very painful. I don't know what to say, and I have no place to say it. Because at that time, the chairman had passed away gone." "I see." "Now there are many izakayas near our school!..." Satomi said, "There are also karaoke and mahjong parlors!" "Yes, I think that's the normal, natural state." "This matter, Mitarai Kai, he...?" I asked. "That person, I think he knew it. However, Bi Jing was still a child in kindergarten at the time. He might not have realized it at first, but later he gradually realized who was secretly manipulating all this. I think , That must have been a blow to him, so he kept silent about it. No matter what Ma Yechuan inspector asked, he would not say anything." Jiang Lizi shook his head and sighed, "But this kind of thing, let's just talk about it. It's useless, isn't it? Even if you report on the director, there is no way to collect evidence if Nakai is dead. Moreover, she is the director of a prestigious school, and public opinion will be very chaotic, which will also cause trouble for the students. As a celebrity school The fathers and brothers of the students are not happy to see the chaos. Moreover, for Mr. Mitarai, the chairman has the grace of nurturing. Besides, even if Nakai is still alive, and he is willing to testify, but because it is a probability I don’t think the chairman should be held responsible for the crime. Just talking about lily of the valley toxins is nothing more than gossip, and there is no criminal responsibility at all, because she herself did not intervene at all.” "It's a complete crime," I said with great emotion. "Yes, this is a real and complete crime." Jiang Lizi said indignantly. I felt as though I had seen some of the elements that make up Mitarai Kei's complex outlook on life. "Later, I thought, no wonder Mitarai is willing to abandon Japan. He gives people a feeling of 'I can't stay here any longer'." "That's right, it probably really hurt him." I nodded in affirmation. "No, he's much stronger. Although sometimes he looks lonely, he's always full of energy. He's not the kind of kid who lets others see his weaknesses. He's very cheerful, definitely not In the face of this level of things, I will easily lose. But, sometimes, I feel very painful. I feel that I have not understood his feelings. "When I was young, I really liked Mr. Mitarai very much. I always followed him wherever he went. My feelings at that time were actually a kind of belief. I always looked up to him wholeheartedly. Such a young child , but no matter what kind of troubles, he can solve for me; no matter what kind of questions, he can answer them all. I always keep my eyes open for the answers he gives. I never know anyone else like him Such a person. When I go to sleep at night, I will pray with my hands clasped like this, hoping to see Mitarai tomorrow. It’s true, that’s the only way I can sleep. I just trust him and rely on him. "However, at that time, I thought that only I was in pain, so I just wanted to save myself and followed his footsteps. It was not until recently that I gradually realized that maybe he was in more pain at that time. But I couldn't Doing anything for him, the thought of it is disgusting and painful." Tachibana Rika said, and suddenly she laughed triumphantly at the end. "Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha..." Listening to what Jiang Lizi said, I also thought about it quietly again, and felt that what she said was also very suitable for me.The current Mitarai, whether it's the eyes she looks at her surroundings or the way she treats women, makes people feel a strange indifference.The reasons for that, I can finally understand some of them now. However, I also seem to feel that there seems to be something hidden among these emotions, which cannot be detected by others, and only I can sense it. Mitarai in my childhood was slightly different from what I imagined.The way he broke away from that stage, and what Mitarai has obtained now, are all expressing something to me. But what should I learn from it? "I still respect Mr. Mitarai very much." Jiang Lizi said in a low voice, "That guy, he is my hope." Jiang Lizi said, with a longing smile on her face.