Chapter 68 Section VIII

I took a 40-minute tram ride to Master's shop 'Kawataya', near the station is the old street.Although it is also in Tokyo, it is like a tourist attraction for me.According to the address and map, I walked on an unfamiliar street and finally saw a wagashi shop full of nostalgia. There is a pile of salt at the door, and beside it are hand water bowls and small benches made of bamboo.A very stylish store.With that in mind, I opened the sliding glass door. "Ah, it turned out to be stuffing." Master suddenly stepped forward to greet me, and I was speechless for a moment.I guessed that he would be there, but I didn't expect him to greet the guests in the store himself.

"New, Happy New Year." "I also wish you happiness. I'm so happy that you still come to see me in such a cold weather. Are you here to buy wagashi today? Or do you plan to come to work with me?" "Of course I came to buy wagashi." "Why? What a pity." Master muttered, pointing to the raw fruits displayed in the display cabinet. "Although the long-selling fruits are delicious, of course we must try the top-growing fruits for the New Year. 'Unopened Red', 'Snow Bamboo', and 'Yongsong'. I strongly recommend 'Unopened Red'."

"Wow! So beautiful." The square red and white Lianqie of "unopened red" is folded like a package, and the inner white is faintly revealed in the red, which is very pleasing to the eye. "What's the subject of this?" Not only is it difficult to judge from the appearance, but also the origin of this wagashi is unknown from the name, so I couldn't help but ask. "Plum blossom." "What? Plum blossom?" "Yes, it represents plum blossoms in bud." "It's like New Year's Eve." "Yeah, but I really like this name, the tube is not blooming red, 'unopened red', there is a kind of shyness of a girl who is about to bloom."

... Although this sentence feels like sexual harassment, but don't bother with him. "Zongzi, is it suitable for you?" "Ahaha." I could only smile dryly at him.Because I am that kind of person. It would be easier to live in this world if I could say to him like other girls, "Oh, I hate it!" "Then I want three 'Wei Kaihong', two each of 'Snow Bamboo' and 'Yong Song'." "Good." Seeing Master neatly folding the cardboard box, I reached into the pocket of my jeans, trying to take out the wallet, when my fingers touched something hard.

I remembered that the paper I wrote down the pattern yesterday was still in my pocket. "Ah, please—" I immediately put the paper on the counter.The master probably knows these things well. "Do you know what this pattern means?" "Ah?" After wrapping the wagashi, the master turned his head and looked at the paper carefully. "Biancoco, pine, hemp leaves, and scales—those are all right, what's the last?" "You don't know either?" "At least it's not a common pattern. Except for the last one, the others are common patterns branded on wagashi. Why do you have these patterns?"

I told him about the wonderful Tsuji. "...It's really amazing, but I don't think that Tsuji-san was bought from the market." "Why do you think so?" "Because what Tsujizhan pays attention to is not the taste, but the paper inside, so how can the important part be puzzling?" As a wagashi master, is it okay to say that "the focus is not on the taste"?Although I had this idea in my mind, I still thought about Master's words. You didn't buy it from the market, so you made it yourself?But what's the point of having a date-of-manufacture sticker on the bag?

(Do you think that if you make it yourself, others will not eat it...?) If so, the problem lies with the person who gave the Tsuji-san to the guest. "If the focus is on the signed paper inside, what's the point of that?" "Yeah, a wagashi master like me can make all kinds of wagashi that represent a certain meaning." Yes, the world of wagashi is full of analogies and metaphors.I thought of the 'Starry Night' that Master gave me last Christmas. (If you are a wagashi chef or pastry chef, you don’t have to worry about others not eating it, so you are a layman?)

I was standing in front of the counter thinking, when I heard the door slamming open, another customer came in.I paid the bill immediately and stepped aside so as not to disturb others. "Happy New Year, what are you looking for today?" "New year and new weather, of course, you have to eat Kawataya's Manakami. There are few places where you can buy crunchy Manakami during the New Year." "If it's the best selling soft party, it feels disrespectful to the new year." With a smile on my face, I listened to the brisk chat between the aunt and the master.This store should have many good customers.

"Speaking of the most middle cakes, recently there are many places that sell the kind of most middle cakes that people can make at home." "Oh, it's to separate the filling from the outer skin." "When there is really no other way, I can only make do with this method, but I still feel that something is missing, especially when squeezing the bean paste." Ooh, I can feel it.It’s fun and delicious to make your own mochi, but when you see the red bean paste stuffed in a plastic tube, it always feels like another kind of food. "However, that's kind of an invention. I usually eat fruit wrapped in leather and cheese."

As expected of Master, you are so creative.The aunt seemed to feel the same way, nodding her head vigorously. "Good idea, I will try it next time." "The key is to only add half of the filling. You can't go wrong with apricot and strawberry buns. It's especially good with whiskey." "Really? I'll try it for my husband next time, so I'll go first." The aunt happily greeted Master and walked out of the store. Master looked at me again and said: "Hi, I've kept you waiting." "Do you want to take care of the shop yourself?"

"It's also very depressing to be behind all day, and during the New Year, the working aunt is also on vacation." After finishing speaking, he carefully looked at my piece of paper again. "I thought about it - could this be a family crest?" "Family crest?" "Although I can't say for sure, but since the others are all Japanese-style patterns, I guess it is likely to be a family crest." I see.Hearing what the master said, it is indeed very similar.I nodded, and Master folded his hands and said: "However, there are so many types of family crests, it's hard to tell which one it is. Maybe it's a pattern I don't know." "But it could be a lead to an investigation." I bowed deeply, and Master also bowed to me with a smile. "Although I don't quite understand the situation, I really hope that this mystery can be solved." "Yes, thank you." "By the way, say hello to that guy for me." Master waved to me, and I bowed again before leaving the 'Kawada House'.