Chapter 19 first quarter

Izutsu Heishiro felt very embarrassed. Heishiro is surrounded by a variety of dishes prepared with seasonal ingredients in autumn.Ade must have moved out all the utensils in the house, plates, saucers, lacquered bowls, all kinds, some even missing corners. Ade's stewed vegetable shop is closed today, and there is no fire in the stove.Xiao Heiji sat in front of the stove with his eyes wide open, looking at the rich dishes in front of him.Ade also gave him chopsticks and plates, but he didn't touch anything.I didn't expect him to be a greedy person. Heishiro, on the other hand, eats it from start to finish.The dishes are extremely delicious, which makes him eat more and more vigorously.

After eating for a while, it became difficult. "Master, is it delicious?" Ade said. Ade stood aside like the statue of Vajra Renwang in front of the temple, with his rolled up sleeves revealing his strong arms. When he called Heishiro who was passing by on the city tour just now, Ade's appearance was the same as usual.Heishiro has been busy with trivial matters these days, and it has been four days since he last visited Ade's braised vegetable shop.Hearing Ade's "Uncle, Uncle", he was naturally very happy.Even if he didn't call him, he still planned to eat a braised vegetable.

However, what was waiting there was Ade's extinguished pot and this table of good food. Heishiro and Ade are old acquaintances. They have been acquaintances since Ade was still living in the Iron Ping Courtyard in Fukagawa Kitamachi.Due to various reasons, Tieping Zayuan no longer exists, because as a landlord, Tsukiji Koiya—a merchant of sambal fins—demolished the courtyard and rebuilt it into a large house. And these "all kinds of reasons" have been deeply involved in Heishiro.Ade also went deep into it, but the direction was slightly different from that of Heishiro.The incident left a wound in their respective hearts, but the location of the wound was still slightly different.

Ade is the oldest tenant of Tie Ping Courtyard, and everyone relies on her as much as the manager.It has been almost a year since I moved my residence and the stewed vegetable shop that I depend on for a living to this Xinghei Zain near the Minami Tsuji Bridge at 3-chome in Yanagihara Town.During this year, Ade took care of everyone in this Xingbingwei Zayuan, and was highly relied on. Anyway, it was her nature. With Ade's helpful personality and her delicious braised vegetables, no matter where the shop is located, the business is equally prosperous.In this regard, Heishiro was as happy as it was his own business.It is a rare good thing under the sun that a hardworking person like Ade can get good rewards.

In Tie Ping Courtyard, Ade first bid farewell to her husband whom she had been married to for many years. Afterwards, although she was accompanied by a woman named Jiumi, it was only for a short time, and then she died for her, but now she is alone again.No matter how vigorous the spirit is, being alone is always accompanied by a trace of loneliness. In addition, Ade is not always alone, which makes him even more lonely. Therefore, since Ade moved to Xingbei Zain, Heishiro has hinted many times, advising her to take the opportunity to expand the business.Hire people, put your brains to work on your new business, and life will naturally be lively.

Yanagihara-cho 3-chome is closer to the outskirts of Fukagawa, the head office, than Fukagawa Kitamachi where Teiping Zain is located.Of course there are many merchants and shops, but if you walk around, you can see patches of vegetable gardens, landlord mansions and samurai residences scattered here.In Heishiro's opinion, Ade not only can use bowl-priced stewed vegetables to do business for ordinary people in the market, but also can try to sell outside cooking or lunch boxes to earn money for these big houses.With Ade's craftsmanship more than enough.Moreover, although Xingbingwei Courtyard is smaller than Tieping Courtyard and has fewer tenants, but because of this, the room in the outer courtyard that Ade rented is quite spacious, and it is necessary to install more stoves, provide food and accommodation, and hire a helper. Not a problem either.

Ade clearly couldn't understand Heishiro's hint, but he pretended to be puzzled—now I don't want to make any money, as long as I have enough to live on.As soon as Heishiro said that doing business is not only about money, Ade pretended to be stupid, "Oh, sir, what else can you explain?" Therefore, when Heishiro saw Ade calling him vigorously, while answering "Come here, what's the matter", he looked into the store and saw that the table was full of various dishes, he was really surprised and happy, thinking Ade finally came to his senses, and the hand holding the chopsticks moved briskly between the cups and plates, praising everything he ate, full of praise.

But after a while, Heishiro found that the more he praised, the uglier Ade's face became.It's not just the expression that changes.Heishiro praised one dish, and Ade clenched his fists; after eating two dishes, Ade sat on the empty wine barrel and muttered; when the four dishes were swept away, she finally stood up with her hands on her hips. Then, he asked ferociously, "Master, is it delicious?" "Well, it's delicious." Heishiro had no choice but to answer honestly.Adak came to Heishiro who was sitting on the mat, and looked down at him as if he wanted to overwhelm him.

"Everything is delicious, right?" "Yeah." Heishiro smiled, licking the tips of his chopsticks. "But your expression is rather frightening." Xiao Ping in front of the stove shrunk his neck for the first time, and must have been screaming "Wu Hei" in his heart. "What's the matter with you? Are you not satisfied with the dishes you cook? Everything is excellent, really delicious." "Is it so delicious?" "Of course, whether it's grilled, fried, or cold, they're all delicious, not inferior to Babaishan and Pingqing. This can definitely sell for money. I said, it's a pity that Ade's craftsmanship only sells braised vegetables, my eyesight It’s really good. No, it’s not the eyesight, it should be the tongue.”

Heishiro played lip service, but Ade didn't even smile.Not to mention laughing, she even turned her back to Heishiro, sighed "ah", and sat down heavily on the empty wine barrel where she was sitting before, her whole face was flushed. It seems that Ade is angry. Heishiro peeked sideways at Koheiji, and Koheiji looked at Heishiro in the same way.He is the middle follower of Heishiro, and he is loyal to Heishiro, but he is less courageous than Heishiro. If Ade loses control and makes a scene, he will definitely run to the street first, and then call for help.Xiaopingji's loyalty is such a law of loyalty.

"What? Ade, are you possessed by a monster?" Heishiro joked. "What exactly is going on?" Ade didn't answer, and even his face turned into Vajra Renwang. Ade is older than Heishiro, and he doesn't have much awe of Heishiro on weekdays, and he often speaks freely. Sometimes he seems to even forget that Heishiro is a public servant of the magistrate.However, Heishiro knew that he didn't need to put on the airs of an official. Ade had already weighed him with her own scale and treated him favorably, so he never took Ade's attitude to heart. ——Having said that, Ade's appearance is unusual. Ade opened his mouth and drooped both ends, staring back and forth at the dishes.Then, whiningly: "Stewed eggplant, fried small taro with thick miso, braised shiitake mushrooms and eggs with konjac." Talking and pointing at the same time. "The string of chicken meatballs that my uncle ate happily, is not made of ordinary chicken, but quail, quail. It has a special flavor, it is very unique! Then, the small fish is red leaf quarry, which can only be caught on the side of Lake Biwa. In autumn, the fins turn red, which is why they got this name. They were marinated and dried in Kyoto, and you can only buy them if you buy special ones. They are baked with sweet and salty sauce." Xiaoping gave a "woo hey" for the second time, and was very grateful. "It took a lot of work." "It takes effort and money." "It's amazing, Ade." Heishiro praised again. "When did you learn so many dishes?" "I said, sir..." Ade sighed deeply, and the redness on his face faded. "None of these were made by me." "Didn't you do it?" "Yes, it was bought elsewhere." Heishiro and Koheiji looked at each other. "This is really a big deal. Why did you invite us to the toothbrush festival on a whim?" "There are as many as three dishes using eggs alone." Xiao Pingci said.For him, neither quail nor rare quarry can compare to eggs, and eggs are the most luxurious. "Not a big deal at all." "Isn't it worth buying so much?" Heishiro waved at the pile of dishes. "There are at least twenty paths here, right? It must cost a lot of money..." Speaking of this, Heishiro suddenly had a thought. "You won the lottery, didn't you? Where? How much?" Ade shook his head. "I don't know how to buy lottery tickets. You know that too, don't you?" Indeed, Ade has always believed that people who want to make a fortune from the lottery are not good people. "Master, guess how much you paid for these?" "I can't guess." "All of this," Ade waved his chubby arms, "it's the same price as buying my whole pot of stewed vegetables." He thought Xiaoping would yell "Wuhe" next time, but he laughed. "Master, Sister Ade is trying to coax us." Heishiro didn't smile, because he found that Ade had dropped the corner of his mouth, looking like he was about to cry at any time. "If people sell it like this, I don't have to do business at all." Ade is not losing his temper, but blindly annoyed. Adelaide's competitor only moved into Xingbei Courtyard half a month ago.There are only four households in the outer courtyard of Xinghei Zain facing the main road, among which Ade is the farthest one, and the small restaurant is on the other side. The owner of the small restaurant is a woman named Ah Feng.The age is unknown, but it is obviously younger than Ade (that's pretending to be young-Ade said bitterly), and the dress is said to be very gorgeous. As soon as Heishiro left Ade's place, he stood and thought for a while, then walked to Xinghei's house.He wanted to hear what the manager had to say before meeting Ah Feng himself.The manager must know what's going on behind this tenant who has an astonishingly magnanimous business approach. Because that is the job of the manager.But regardless of his duties, Heishiro knew that Kohei was originally an old man who was very good at money.It sounds nice to be "fine", but in fact it should be called "greedy".In short, he is a mercenary old fox.He was in his seventies, small and thin, and always blinked timidly, but he must not be taken lightly because of this.Every time he blinked, the abacus in Xingbei's heart was ticking, and Heishiro could hear it in his ears. As soon as I went there, Xingbei was at home, saying he had a cold, wearing several clothes, and wrapped his neck.The strong smell of roasted onions filled the room, presumably it was stuffed around the neck.It's a really good way to warm your throat.Although summer onions are too hard to eat, they can be used as medicine. Xinghei has a wife named Ayuan, but in the past few years, he has a problem with his lower back, and even standing up alone has become a problem. Naturally, he cannot take care of housework, so Xinghei lives with his daughter and his wife.His daughter named Aqiu is completely different from her father, she is a good-tempered woman.Hearing the conversation between his father and Heishiro, he rushed over from the stove behind to say hello, took cushions and invited the guests to sit down, saying "I'm sorry for the mess in the room", and tidying up, very diligently. "You don't have to be busy, and it's not messy at all. Is Xiyi better?" Xiyi is Aqiu's husband, and he is an engraver who specializes in making double-paper plates. Heishiro has heard of him quite well.Kiichi was employed by Tsuruya, one of the best uesouji shops in Edo, in Tsuyucho. I heard that many uesouji authors asked him to engrave blocks by name. But Xi suffered from an incurable needle eye half a year ago.The affected part is just the lower right eyelid, and it grows and grows when it heals, and it grows again when it heals, and it has not been cured.Xiyi's skills are proficient, although this problem will not hinder his work, but it is always annoying. Heishiro heard about this from Ade.Ade, who loves to take care of others, really sympathizes with Xiyi and Aqiu, and asks around the shrines that are effective for eye diseases, looking for medicine that can cure needle eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry that even Mr. Izutsu is worrying about us." Ah Qiu was probably kneading the dough just now, his hands were spotted with white spots, and he bowed politely. "Thanks to you, it's much better these days. It would be great if it can be cured this time." Perhaps because of a cold and chills, Xinghei shrank his head and looked even colder than usual.Listening to her daughter's gracious response, she looked disdainful.This is also heard from Ade. It is said that Xinghewei is very opposed to his daughter marrying an engraver who painted double paper, so when Aqiu left home that year, it was as if he eloped with Xiyi.That was nearly twenty years ago. Besides Aqiu, Xinghei and Ayuan had two sons, but they both died young, and Aqiu was the only one they could rely on.So when his wife was bedridden and fortunately there was no one around Beibei, lonely and inconvenient, he finally reconciled with his daughter and asked her to come back—fortunately, Beibei was like this.But for Xiyi and Aqiu, the money Xiyi earns is enough for the two of them to live, and there is no need to forcefully move from Nihonbashi to the outskirts of Fukagawa.However, the couple still couldn't let go of their elderly parents, so they agreed to live together. It is said that Kiichi hated the time to go back and forth between Toyucho and Fukagawa. When he was busy with work, he would stay in the shop's workshop for several nights in a row.Even in the eyes of others, he and Aqiu are a loving couple, and they really don't want to be like this in their hearts, but he still endures the inconvenience for his parents.The daughter and son-in-law are obviously so filial and considerate, but Xinghei still shows his face at every turn.What a nerve-wracking old man, Heishiro smiled wryly to himself. "How is your mother?" "It's still the same." Ah Qiu smiled cheerfully. "Even though I'm lying down, I'm still very dexterous in sewing! My mother also said that it doesn't matter if my eyes are bad. I really want to change with Xiyi." It turned out that the mother-in-law was on Kiichi's side, but Xingbei showed displeasure at this sentence. "Master Izutsu is very busy, don't waste his time here. Also, you should serve tea immediately when guests come." Ah yes yes yes.Ah Qiu replied, and stood up with a pleasant face.Xiao Pingji, who was waiting behind Hei Shiro, said vigilantly, "I will help too." Although A Qiu refused, he followed to the stove. "I'm sorry to bother you while lying down with a cold to recuperate." Heishiro started the conversation, pulling the cushion under his buttocks. "I didn't lie down, I just felt a little chilly." Xingbei blinked and replied, maybe he was calculating something in his heart, Heishiro always felt that he blinked faster than usual. "A small restaurant newly opened in the outer courtyard..." Xinghei paused for a moment in blinking, and then began to blink again, feeling like "It's coming, I know it".Kohei was not a foolish manager, and he probably expected that sooner or later - not necessarily Heishiro - would come to visit him for this matter. "Business is really Shanghai-style, even I was surprised. Such a luxurious dish is sold at such a cheap price. I really don't know how the capital is worthwhile?" Kohei looked at Heishiro with small eyes, coughed repeatedly, and asked slowly: "Did you hear what Ade said?" "Yeah." Heishiro admitted frankly. "Ade was very upset and said that the business could not continue." "No wonder." "So, you also think there is something wrong with Ah Feng's approach?" "Of course. If I knew that woman's business is so messy, I would never let her step into this courtyard." Heishiro looked at Kohei's expression and thought of Kume's face.This woman Jiumi spent most of her life on prostitution, and it was Ade who helped her die in Tie Ping Zayuan. It's true that Kume is a whore, but she's unassuming and outspoken and cute.She lived in Xinghewei Zain for many years, but she never paid a penny of rent.In other words, it was Kohei who made a deal with Kume to let Kume live here for free. However, a few years ago, Kohei finally could not withstand the waves of time, and could no longer "buy" Kume.As a result, the transaction could not be established, and Kume moved to Tieping Zayuan.Kume was afraid that she would continue to live in Xingbei Zain, and every time she paid the rent, the manager would feel that she would lose face as a man, so she moved out of sympathy. This Kume is no longer alive, and the tablet is offered by Ade.Every month when the festival comes, Ade will murmur that according to her personality, King Yama will love her very much. Kume is nostalgic, but he has to put it aside for now.Heishiro thought: Xinghei would have a "record" in dealing with Kume.That being the case, did Xinghei also make some sort of deal with this woman, Afeng, so even though he asked her what kind of business she was going to do beforehand, knowing that disputes were inevitable, he still let her live in the courtyard?Logically, it's not impossible. But, at least from the face in front of him, Xinghei seemed to be genuinely angry. "I told that woman a long time ago, telling her that there is Ade's braised vegetable shop in the same outer courtyard, and I asked her to promise not to hinder each other's business, but..." "Have you persuaded me?" "Of course." Xinghei widened his eyes, then coughed again. "I said, according to her method, Ade will close the store, and no matter how you think about it, it's too strange to do business like this. In the end, the woman retorted, and she still answered her words." ——Manager, I think you know the world and the world best, but you are a layman when it comes to business.To do a good job in business, not only rely on profit and loss, but the most important thing is to make word of mouth first.I don't intend to keep doing this kind of business that is sure to lose money. I will only do it until everyone in this area knows that there is a small restaurant like Ah Feng. ——Besides, manager, it is unconscionable to sell cheap things expensively, but what is wrong with selling expensive things cheaply? ——My small restaurant attracts customers, and these customers will naturally patronize Sister Ade's shop next door. Sister Ade will never suffer.This point, she will soon understand. Heishiro stroked his chin and pulled out a missing beard. This woman is really strong.Moreover, what he said made sense. "She said she would definitely lose money?" "Yes, she said so." "Then, she should have enough money to lose money. It is only by this money that she can use the current method to do business." No matter how Shanghai-style the shop is, it is only a room in the outer courtyard at best, and it is newly opened. Whether it is a vegetable shop or a fish shop, let alone a quail shop, it is not appropriate to allow such a shop to pay on credit, and you have to pay for each purchase. now. "Is Ah Feng single?" "Yes, she said so herself." "do you have any kid?" "No." "Anyone hired?" "Two, both women. One of them is a child." "Are they really all hired?" "Well, it doesn't look like a family member, and they all call Ah Feng 'Madam Boss'." In this way, the salaries of the two were also paid by Ah Feng. "What about the rent?" "Ah?" Xinghei opened his eyes wide, and then blinked quickly. "According to her way of doing business, it is impossible to make money after thinking about it. In your eyes, it is natural to worry that Ah Feng will not be able to pay the monthly rent. Have you confirmed this?" Kohei buried his chin in his neck and coughed, but it was a dry cough. "How is it?" Heishiro asked. Xingbei reluctantly confessed: "...I asked her to pay for half a year in advance." "So that's it, plus a little red envelope, right?" Xingbei didn't make a sound, but it was tantamount to acquiescing.Heishiro smiled triumphantly. The administrator blinked his eyes, trying to figure out what to do in his heart.He must have been checking the calculations - he had indeed accepted the red envelope and thought he had gained something, but if Heishiro had to see such a sarcastic expression on his face and was greatly humiliated, was the "red envelope" worth enough? "Then, where did Ah Feng come from?" Heishiro's question made Xinghei stop blinking and twisted the corners of his mouth. "It's Xiyi." The name of the son-in-law appears in an unexpected place. "Xiyi?" "It was he who asked me to say that Ah Feng is a distinguished guest of Crane House, and he wanted to move for some reason, so he begged me for help." "And what about the letter of introduction?" That is the proof of identity when accepting tenants. "It's from Tsuruya." That's weird.It is not uncommon for merchants to provide convenience to customers, but Xiyi is not a fellow of Tsuruya, but an engraver invited.It is not uncommon for the engraver to be close to the author of the double-painted paper, but there should be little contact with the guests. Does Ah Qiu know about this?Heishiro thought to himself, then stood up.Depending on the situation, it's best to see what that woman Ah Feng looks like first. "Excuse me. It's not easy to recover from a cold during this period. You should take care of yourself." When Heishiro came outside, Xiao Heiji followed immediately.Heishiro carefully looked at the familiar round face in the middle. "No tea." "I think the uncle can't drink anymore." "Hmm. What did you say to Ah Qiu?" "I asked her, how is the business of Ah Feng's small restaurant here?" Well done. "That?" "It is said that it is well-known. However, Aqiu and the women in the courtyard feel sorry for Ade, and no one will buy it." "It's really loyal, Ade's fate is good." Heishiro wandered back to Xingbei Zayuan.Before passing Ade's house, I made a detour from behind, and then returned to Afeng's small restaurant. The door is ajar, it should not be out of business, but still preparing.At this time, noon has passed, and there is still some time before evening, whether it is early or late. The smell of cooking was carried from the door to the road.You can see the smoke from the barbecue, and you can also hear the chatter and laughter of the women inside. Heishiro ordered Xiaoping a few times, and he hid behind a nearby fire-fighting rain barrel.The first time Xiaoping saw that he was hiding, he poked his head into the door of the small restaurant and called, "Is anyone there?"Immediately, a young girl came out, but when Xiaoping asked about the proprietress here, she went in again and called a middle-aged woman with a petite figure and fair complexion.Her hair was combed in a small bun, and the hem of the rough-grained kimono was shortened, neat and chic.In Heishiro's eyes, that attire looked capable and diligent, but the slender ankles that were exposed from time to time were unique. "Oh, sir, you have worked hard. We are new here, please take care of us." Ah Feng saluted Xiao Pingci.His voice is slightly hoarse, but he speaks in a sophisticated and sophisticated way. "You don't have to be so formal. I want to ask, does your small restaurant also make lunch boxes?" Xiaoping tried his best to put on a majestic air.Ah Feng laughed happily, and agreed without hesitation, saying that he would do as many as he wanted. "Then, I may have to trouble you in the near future, so please do so then." "Thank you, sir!" Not only Ah Feng, but other women also sang together, full of vitality. As soon as Xiaoping came back, Heishiro left Xingbei Zain along the way he had come.Ah Feng is really a beautiful woman with undiminished charm, this is one of them.Although Xiyi is honest and loves his wife, having a hard-to-serve father-in-law is unavoidably tiresome, the second is.The two seem to be able to get together and not get together, of course it is good that they can't get together, but if one is not careful, it seems that they will get together again, which is really unsettling.