Chapter 22 fourth quarter

After nightfall that day, when Maoqi went to the stall by the Fugang Bridge, the boss nodded silently to Maoqi as usual. "Here's the hot wine first." The boss nodded to the old man Zhuzhu who was selling alcohol.Zhuzhu filled the wine bottle with wine, and then put the wine bottle into the boiling water in the iron pot on the big charcoal stove.The elderly Isuke just recovered from his illness.Mao Qi was worried that his body would not be able to stand the cold, but the old man was wearing a thick padded jacket, his cheeks were covered with a towel, and the chair was covered with fur. He squatted in front of the blazing charcoal stove, his face flushed.

There are no guests tonight.There was no one on the three benches juxtaposed, only the charcoal stove on the side of the road for guests to warm up glowed bright red. "I'm free tonight." The boss smiled at Mao Qi. "Because it was too cold. It turned out that I was all alone." "Please." The boss smiled. Plates were served with hot wine.Salmon cubes are served on a plate with mashed radish on the side. Mochi stared at the boss.Serving up salted salmon is no surprise in this season, but…. The boss also looked at Mao Qi and said: "Although it's just a light salty taste, the fish is thick and tastes good."

"Well, it looks delicious." "Boss, have you gone to Hanoi House for this matter?" Mao Qi stopped in mid-air holding her chopsticks—not frozen because of the cold—and looked up at the boss. "how do you know?" "The kid from Miyoshiya Ridao told me. I went to see the kid today." Mao Qi didn't have time to think about it, and blurted out: "Ah, I saw you." "Really? I also saw the boss, followed a young man, is it his subordinate?" It turned out that he had already seen through it.Mao Qi and the others are obviously not laymen, but the boss has noticed it, which shows that this man is not a simple stall owner.

Mao Qi smiled bitterly. "Yeah. His name is Xiji." "Mr. Xiji hasn't visited our stall yet." "I did tell you. There is another subordinate named Quan San. Xiji doesn't drink, and Quan San is a drunkard. I'll bring them here another day." Mao Qi drank the scalding wine one day, closed his eyes, felt the wine gradually seeping into his body, and then said: "Boss, why did you go to see Ridao? Why did you mention me and Hanoi House?" The boss calmly said as if he was beating egg juice: "Because Rido said that the daughter named Ali in Hanoi House died, but that's not true."

"what?" The boss looked straight at Mao Qi and nodded, "The girl named Ali is still alive, and she came here last night." Mao Qi was dumbfounded and speechless. "I heard that Miss Ali ran away from Hanoi House in the middle of this month." "……um, yes." "It was about two or three days after she ran away that she came to my place for the first time. When she came here that night, it was earlier than now." "You know her?" "No, it's Mr. Inosuke." The boss turned to look at the old man, and Inosuke nodded his head wrapped in a towel.

"I heard that Hanoi House also wholesales wine to peddlers. Mr. Inosuke knew Ms. Ali before. On the morning she ran away, Mr. Inosuke bought wine at Hanoi House and met Ms. Ali. Because of the two That's why Ms. Ali came here, and she came to ask Mr. Zhuzhu about the situation." "what's the situation……" "Probably because she was worried about what would happen to Hanoi House after she ran out. She said that if there was too much trouble, she planned to go back and apologize to everyone before resigning." "and then?" "I told Mr. Inosuke that there should be no need to worry. It would be better for her and Kawachiya to leave without saying goodbye."

The boss poured the beaten egg juice into the big bowl. "Miss Ali seems to be in Akasaka at the moment. I heard that she has a distant relative who opened a teahouse near Sanno Shrine, and I asked her to help her before. Miss Ali is a good person, but a little depressed. Besides, she hasn't completely given up, so sometimes will come here." "What's going on?" Mao Qi asked. "I don't understand at all. All I know is that Ali seems to love Kawachiya's son-in-law Matsutaro very much..." The boss nodded.He lifted the lid of the big pot, and the snow-white hot air rushed out immediately, hiding him behind the smoke.

"She didn't tell us the details. It's just that she once said that she always felt very depressed and suddenly didn't want to stay in Hanoi House anymore." "Depressed?" "Yes. Miss Ali seemed to think that even if she couldn't get married with Matsutaro, she could help Matsutaro as long as she stayed in Hanoi House. In other words, she had already fallen in love to this extent. She probably told herself that, even if it was hard I have to hold on to my scalp, as long as I can live in Kawachiya and beside Matsutaro." Moshichi recalled the conversation with Matsutaro, and also recalled the questions that emerged in his heart at that time.

Why hasn't Ali quit his job at Hanoi House until now? "But," continued the boss. "It is said that a few days ago, because of a salted salmon that might have been picked up by a cat, she saw Matsutaro go into a corner nervously, saying that she couldn't explain it, and she couldn't manage the servants well because she didn't have weight. She suddenly felt, ah, this People have become irrelevant to themselves. As a result, the heart that originally planned to serve him silently for the rest of his life suddenly shrank, so he left the house in Hanoi desperately."

Mao Qi thought about what the boss said carefully, and felt that she understood a little bit. The Matsutaro Moshichi sees is a timid and unconfident Matsutaro who is about to be overwhelmed by the shop, but who is naturally infatuated with the shop; he is wary of the shopkeeper and always cares about how the people below him think of him Matsutaro. This Matsutaro may not be the buddy manager Matsutaro that Ali fell in love with at the time.he's changed.Ali sensed this, through a salt salmon; sensed that he had changed, and sensed that their positions had changed. No, maybe she had been vaguely aware of it before, but it was only at that time that this feeling emerged suddenly, which made Ali escape from the house in Hanoi.

(Ali gave up on me...) No, it shouldn't be giving up.Ali persuaded himself in this way at first, no matter what form, as long as he can stay by Matsutaro's side, he is happy.However, Ali is a smart girl. After a month or two gradually passed, she probably began to wake up slowly. This is actually very abnormal. Although this relationship looks beautiful, she also knows how much it will hurt herself. heart of. Ali has been waiting in his heart for the time to leave, waiting for the moment to sever relations with Matsutaro.No matter how small it is, as long as it can refute the love in Ali's heart. "In this case, it's better for Ms. Ali not to go back to Hanoi House. Mr. Inosuke and I both think it's better for her to pretend she doesn't know anything." "I think so too." Mao Qi nodded. "Nevertheless, Miss Ali will come here. If she doesn't even come here, it means she has forgotten Matsutaro." The boss stood in front of the pot, and the heat was rising slowly, as if he was cooking something. "Boss, are you going to tell Ridao about this?" "No." The boss shook his head. "I just told him that Miss Ali is still alive, and it's best not to say that she jumped into the river to die." "On this point, how does Ridao justify?" The child in white attire with a stern face appeared in Mao Qi's mind.The boss smiled and said: "When he was talking about the vision, someone next to him thought that Ali was dead... He said that he felt that someone was worried that Ali had jumped into the river and died, while the other person was looking forward to how good it would be if he died." Moshichi wanted to laugh, but couldn't, Matsutaro's worried expression and another person, Matsutaro's wife, Kawachiya's only daughter—though Moshichi had never seen her, seemed to be there in her mind. (The lady is very quiet.) However, regarding the man who is about to become her husband-in-law, and the daughter-in-law who has a good relationship with that man, and that daughter-in-law wants to stay in Hanoi House, no matter how peaceful she is, it is impossible for her to never think or consider this matter. problem. "I feel cold. Another bottle of hot wine." The three people in front of the stall fell silent, letting the heat rise to their bodies.After a while, the boss put the newly ordered bottle of wine in front of Maoqi, and said: "Kids can't be made to do that." This refers to the Ridao, of course. "I think so too." Mo Qi said. "If it's for Ridao's sake... no, it should be said for Changsuke's sake." "If it's really good, I want him to see it too." The boss said with a smile. At this moment, Mao Qi felt her heart beating slightly. Although he is a mysterious boss, Moshichi is most concerned about the relationship between him and Kajiya Katsuzo.At the time when the persimmons were fruiting, Moshichi saw Kajiya Katsuzo hiding in the dark near the stall, staring at the vendor owner and shouting, "Blood is dirty." . Is Kajiya Katsuzo related to this boss by blood?Judging from their age and appearance, maybe they are brothers, right? However, Maoqi still didn't find a chance to speak.He always felt that if he asked directly, the other party might also directly say no, and the matter would be over. Boss——Mao Qi thought—is there anything you want Ridao to see?why are you hereWhat exactly are you asking? The boss lifted the lid of the pot, took out a large bowl in the heat, and placed it in front of Maoqi. "Steamed Oda rolls." "what is this?" "Add udon noodles to steamed eggs. I think it's good for warming up." Mao Qi gratefully took over the big bowl.The smell of soup makes the nose itchy. While eating the hot Oda rolls, a gust of cold wind blows over. "This year is almost over," said the boss. "Hope the cold wind will blow away the past and everything, so we can welcome the new year." Mao Qi looked up at the boss, and the boss looked up at the night sky.At this moment, Mao Qi felt that the boss's eyes vaguely revealed the years that were blown to nowhere by the cold wind-this past that only the boss knew. Still, it's better not to ask now.One day, there will be a suitable time, or something suitable to ask. "The moon is so bright and bright that it's scary," said the boss. Moshichi also looked up at the night sky.As if a hole had been torn in the center, the moon that was thrown into the sky and hung there was shining brightly.The shape of the waning moon, that lonely light. Ali's heart may be like this waning moon now - Mao Qi suddenly thought so.