Chapter 3 beautiful woman shaking a handkerchief

In retrospect, I had a lot of contacts with Shinichi Wada.He worked in Xianri Company for 35 years, and finally only won the company's perfect attendance award. Thirty-five years ago, he joined the company after graduating from a second-rate private university. He has not changed careers and has been diligent in his duties, so he has been admired by people.Not only that, but he did not move once during this period, and has been working from home, which is also unusual. His residence in I City, Kanagawa Prefecture is a quaint former residence inherited from his parents.An umbrella was needed to keep out the rain at home, and the wind kept blowing in through the cracks in the walls. It was a dilapidated house.But he didn't buy another new house, he still lived there as before.

There is a small courtyard in the courtyard, and it is an advantage that the house faces south.He Tada grew up in this home, went to school, got married and raised children.It can be said that he engraved his life history of the first half of his life in this family. After I got a job, because it was a long way to commute to the company, I planned to sell my old house several times and buy another private house near the company.But that was the only legacy of my parents, so I reluctantly lived there again. During this period, he was used to commuting like this.However, with the rapid development of construction in the city, the traffic routes have been expanded, and the average working time has been extended to one and a half hours one way.Now it seems that Wada's residence is not far away.

Nevertheless, Wada continued to work tirelessly for 35 years, from his suburban home to his company.Here, there is the conservative side of He Tada's character, and there are also reasons for his resolute temperament of not changing his mind and always clinging to the same thing.This is why people don't call him Xinyi, but "Ancient One". Because of this character, although he was not promoted in the company, he still has credit.He does not have the flash of new ideas and the spirit of pursuit of progress, but he has the stability of doing business in a down-to-earth manner, which has won the trust of the company's cadres, subordinates and younger generations.

Having said that, this trust has become an iron chain that tightly binds him to a company. Except for holidays, he gets up at 6:30 every day, leaves home at 7:30, arrives at Station I by bicycle at 7:48, transfers to the express train to work, and arrives at the company at 8:55.In the timetable, he always made no mistakes, never missed a minute. I have a little leisure time when I go home. It’s about 5:30 to 6:00 in the afternoon when I get off work, and it’s only 7:30 at the latest when I get home. I’ve never had anything like going for a drink on the way. 35 years of life like a machine.

He Tada often asks himself "Should we continue like this?"Is such a monotonous life repeated every day in a life that is only for a moment?In your life, has there ever been a behavior that can be called a challenge and an adventure? Speaking of the opposite sex, I only know my wife.Travel is nothing but ordinary travel for employees.There are so many infinite unknowns, beautiful women and diverse values ​​in the world, but I am like a well frog, self-blocked in a small world, and I will soon enter the old age, approaching the retirement age of the company.As the old saying goes, "sunsets and journeys are poor".The idea that this road is wrong has been churning in his heart recently.

But is there any other way of life?For Hetada who has come to this point, he can no longer choose another path. In the end, the current company is still the most suitable for his personality.It is also unthinkable to marry a woman other than the old wife with whom she has lived for many years. I have made the best choice, and if I am given another chance to change my life, it will be the same as my current life, and I will send my life away in the same way——I have realized myself with Tada. In addition to the company and home, there is another life circle for Hetada, and that is on the tram to and from get off work. For 35 years, more than 2 hours of commuting every day constituted an important part of his life.During this period, most of the scenery along the route changed.The wasteland has been turned into farmland, the fields have been built with houses, the mountains have been bulldozed, and the forests have been cut down to build high-rise houses.The wooden station building has also been transformed into a modern station building on the Shinkansen.

The old trams have become obsolete and have been replaced by newer trams with cooling and heating devices. In the past 35 years, what has not changed along this line can be said to be only Wada, and everything else has changed. When he was a student, there used to be a vast wilderness here, but now the appearance of the wilderness has been made unrecognizable by the giant hands of development.If the development continues at this rate, I am afraid that there will be no open space in the whole of Japan. It is an amazing developmental advance. However, if you look closely, it is still not uncommon to see things left over from the past along the route.The hills that have not been pushed away, the remaining forests, still stand bravely in their original posture in the face of the mighty waves of development.Although it is as precarious as a candle in the wind, it is still the original appearance that He Tada is familiar with.

Outside of nature, ancient houses, bridges, and other buildings still exist, although there are only a few of them.They have remained true to Tada's nearly 40 years of commuting (including his time at school), and it seemed to him a reunion of comrades who had survived a desperate battle against the tide of the times. comrades. But his comrades-in-arms in the world are gone.The man who had been on the same line for nearly 40 years was nowhere to be seen.Occasionally, I see a few familiar faces, and they are all people who have changed jobs or returned temporarily after relocation. Although the faces of the passengers often change, they can still remember the faces of the regular passengers when they take the same ride every day.The off-duty time is inconsistent, but the working time is fixed.It should be said that it is a sad habit of wage earners, and even the seats on the bus probably never change.

I don't know my name, address and work unit, but I only remember familiar faces.Now it seems that there will be no new progress in the mutual relationship. That is characteristic of people who work on private lines.The naturally formed group of private tram riders has not had a single encounter in the past 40 years.Is this the superiority or indifference of this line?In short, it reflects the interpersonal relationship in the big city. A year ago, Wada noticed a new female staff member.It was a woman in her mid-twenties with a pretty oval face and pretty features. She got into the car Hetada was taking from Station M.

At the terminal Xingang Station, she changed to a state-owned tram, left Wada, and walked towards the exit. Probably her job was in Shinjuku.This woman always stood at the door on the left side of the direction of travel after the train departed from station M. When the train passed not far ahead, she would wave a handkerchief; after shaking the handkerchief, she left the door and walked towards the middle of the tram.Hetada was very interested in this woman shaking her handkerchief, and she didn't know who she was shaking her handkerchief frequently at someone on the other side the moment she passed.

He Tada is watching.One morning, a light suddenly shot into his eyes from the outside of the car window.Suddenly, I didn't see where it came from, and felt as if a child was playing a joke by turning a mirror to the sun. The next morning, the woman got on the train again from the secondary station.Hetada stared out of the window more attentively than she did, and when the car passed by the side of a house, the woman waved her handkerchief, and at the same time the light shone on Hetada again. Although it was a split second, this time Wada saw where it came from, it was like the reflection of the mirror he played with when he was young.That house was his former "comrade in arms", and the house was a dilapidated ordinary house in front of the line, lying in loneliness and desolation. Hetada knew that it was an ancient house that had been dying before the construction of this line.The mirror is placed in his house.He Tada knows the people in his family, there is only one old woman living there.I used to live with an old man who looked like a master. I don't know when, but I can't see the old man anymore, maybe he died. About a year ago, the old woman was no longer seen.But the windows of the house are often open, and the breath of life is wafting. It is presumed that it is not uninhabited.If so, perhaps the old woman was ill in bed at that time.The woman shaking the handkerchief may live near the old woman's house and take care of the old woman during her spare time at work.The well-meaning woman shaking her handkerchief from the tram on her way to work until the lonely old woman waits for her to return may be a signal for both parties.These, the old woman lying in the room, can't you see it from the reflection in the mirror? I don't know if I can see the handkerchief waving from the window of the passing train in an instant, but as long as the old woman sees the train passing by, she may be able to endure a day of loneliness with peace of mind. It was 40 years ago that Hetada met the old woman of that family for the first time.At that time, the old woman had begun to show her old appearance. If she was lying on the bed now, she would probably be quite old. Having said that, it took about a year for the handkerchief woman to appear.What is the relationship between the old woman and the woman shaking the handkerchief? It has been more than 40 years, and it has just appeared in the past year. I am afraid it is not the daughter-in-law and granddaughter.If it is a strange voluntary caregiver, what an admirable woman these days. Kazuta grew fond of the woman shaking the handkerchief, and envied the old woman who had a woman shaking her handkerchief every morning. On April 1st, He Tada arrived at the M station in the seat of the tram he often took.But the woman waving the handkerchief did not come in a vehicle today, and according to the practice so far, it is not expected that she will travel in another vehicle. And Tada was disappointed.Meeting this woman (albeit one-sidedly) has become a secret pleasure for him, and it is only when he meets this woman that he feels that his day has begun.I didn't come today, as if something important was missing in my heart. However, his disappointment was replaced by consternation.When he came to the old woman's house where the woman was waving her handkerchief, he closed his eyes in astonishment.The house is gone!No, to be precise, it was burnt out, and white smoke was still rising from the ruins.The Fire Palace and officers can be seen examining the scene of the fire for traces. When I came back yesterday, the house still existed as before, but from last night to this morning, it was destroyed in the fire.Probably not long after the fire was put out, the white smoke was still spouting and scattering. In the astonishment of He Tada, the tram passed by suddenly.He lost another "old comrade-in-arms", and this "comrade-in-arms" did not even have a home.What happened to the bedridden old woman in that house?Was he rescued safely, or did he share the same fate with his family and suffered a catastrophe? For the whole day that day, He Tada hardly did anything.He who was next to the window seemed to be doing something, but in fact he was doing nothing. ——Arson and murder, the sick old woman was killed—— After a bedridden old woman in M ​​city in Tokyo was strangled to death, her house was also burned.It was judged that it was a criminal act aimed at robbing the old woman's savings. For this brutal and inhuman crime, the police showed anger and were determined to catch the murderer. The murdered person was Jujunoji, who lived at No. 1-15 Tramendachi, M City, Tokyo.She broke her lower back two years ago and has been bedridden ever since, with neighbors who live nearby taking turns caring for her.I was very energetic last night. The neighbor housewife brought egg soup. She also said it was delicious and asked for another bowl. Twelve years ago, Noji's husband, Mr. Kozo, died of a heart attack, and she lived alone on a pension. Recently, due to the rotten house and severe rain leakage, the Welfare Department in the city advised her to go to Minsheng Hospital for hospitalization. She also said that she did not want to leave the house left by her husband, and would rather persevere tenaciously. The fire started at about 4:00 p.m. on April 1. When the neighbors found out, the fire was already so fierce that no one could approach it. At around 5:00 p.m., a fire truck came to extinguish the fire and found Noji's charred body.The inspection proved that there were rope marks on Yeji's neck.It is presumed that after the murderer strangled Noji to death, in order to eliminate the traces of the crime, he set fire to her house.The police judged that it was done by someone familiar with the field, and immediately dispatched to the direction of formal detection... Wada, who was reading the evening paper that day, was taken aback.This news is all about his "comrades in arms" report.It was robbers who set fire to the house, and to seize the savings of the helpless old woman.What a vicious person this is!Although it is someone else's business, He Tada is still angry. Since it is presumed to be done by someone familiar, it is only a matter of time before the murderer is arrested.Although such a bad person is only a minority in society, I hope to catch him one day sooner. Thinking of the criminal behavior of people who knew the old woman well, the image of a woman waving a handkerchief to the old woman's house emerged in his consciousness.How could this be so, He Tada dismissed his association again. That beautiful woman with a kind heart would not commit such a crime.She didn't know how much money the old woman had saved, and the woman certainly showed signs of living a prosperous life.She was wearing elegant clothes and makeup, and she was constantly exuding a delicate fragrance around her.She is an elegant woman. Just because she didn't show up for a day, she couldn't be considered to have committed a heinous crime.He Tada was ashamed of his association, thinking it was a serious insult to this woman. However, the figure of this woman did not appear the next day, and she has not been seen since then.The figure of this woman who had lived up to Watada's expectations suddenly disappeared without a trace after she was burned from the old woman's house (accurately, from the same day). This made Hetada break the association he had just established, and he couldn't consider the woman who disappeared the next day after the fire as a purely accidental reason. From March to April is the period of transfer, and Hetada is considering the possibility of where to transfer.Indulging in consideration of this possibility distracted him from his ominous associations. ——The suspect who killed the old woman by arson was arrested! On April 1, after Noji was murdered in the city of M in Tokyo, the M Bureau that investigated the arson incident arrested the unemployed at 18-13 Tomioka Nitta in the same city on suspicion of robbery and murder on the 10th of the same month. Shigeyuki Takimoto. Facing the interrogation by the police, Takimoto confessed: "Because of the distress of demanding debts, I wanted to save some money. At this time, I heard from the foreign affairs officer of the life insurance company that there was a Mr. Noji who lived alone and had a deposit. So he sneaked into his house to steal the gold. "At 4 p.m. on April 1st, Jing sneaked into Yeji's house. Yeji was dead, and he didn't have any money. It might have been taken away by someone who arrived first. I set it on fire in a fit of anger. Then ran away." The police believed that Takimoto's confession was a false confession for escaping the crime, and launched a further investigation—— Ten days later, Wada, who read the newspaper's news notes, breathed a sigh of relief and felt that the case had a clue, but his association was wrong.The woman waving the handkerchief must have been absent for some other reason. For a year or so, the woman waving a handkerchief from the car window added color to his monotonous attendance and warmed his heart.Now he and Tada imagined the appearance of the woman waving the handkerchief on some other route. Half a year later, Wada retired.The company asked him to spend his old age as a entrustment (entrustment: an informal employee of the company), but He Tada declined.He used his hobbies and expertise to start making handmade furniture for sale.Due to the favorable market evaluation, the orders have continued.Recently, foreigners have come to place orders, and calls for not being monopolized by mass-produced furniture manufacturers have also become louder.In particular, his handmade stereo tape recorder and radio case, people like its simple beauty, the sales have been very good. He Tada plans to spend the rest of his life freely while making his own furniture by hand.Fortunately, the children have already married, and the old wife and two can spend their old age in peace without restraint.It still takes 3 years of hard work to be entrusted. Instead of relying on the company's favor and living under its roof for another 3 years, it is better to live as you like in the free wilderness. "Watada is very happy to retire!" Some people said when they went out for a walk. "That's right, I still want to put on a sad face." "It's better with Mr. Tada, we can earn money after retirement. If we retire, we will be living on the streets the next day." A colleague who knows Hetada's actual interests said, "From now on, we will start to start a side business to make money." "It's too late. That with Mr. Tada is not a side job, but a hobby." "Interest requires talent." "Yes, we also want to have that kind of talent." "If he has that kind of talent, Xiao Bi will work in such a company until he retires." "Did you mistake your occupation with Tada-san?" "Our company has lost a living dictionary. It's so sad." "It's been a new record if I have worked without wavering for 35 years." "It's Mr. Wada, you don't have to be a monk after retirement." Colleagues praised and said goodbye over and over again.They are very envious of Wada's "well-off retirement". Speaking of the 35 years after graduating from university, I have already gone through half of my life journey. This should be the period with the most fruits and the most flourishing.It is equivalent to a person dedicating all his energy to the company. Even if he flies to the wilderness of freedom after retirement, he will not be able to yearn for the infinite possibilities of his youth. That is "limited freedom", determined by time and direction.Therefore, there can no longer be such loose and indulgent behavior as in youth. Retirement is the termination of 35 years of attendance.For wage earners, attendance is a waste of time and energy, and nothing more.At the same time as the attendance circle expands, they increase consumption, promote fatigue, and life time is also restricted and oppressed. After He Tada retired, he realized that attendance is the shackles of his life. Not only does attendance itself take time, but he must also prepare for a business trip to a company in a distant place.Before going to work, the spirit is always tense.No wonder some people say "worried Monday", when in fact Sunday afternoon becomes a worry. The preparation time before going to work can be said to be the quasi-duty time, and the tension at this time can also be said to be the quasi-duty time. If you retire, this kind of consumption and oppression will be eliminated at once.Doing things in one's own home is nothing more than "one point of attendance" at best.There is absolutely no need to prepare for going out, and even the beard can be shaved once a week. However, it is also true that attendance, which requires a lot of blood and sweat from wage earners, is at the same time an important component of their lives.Wada, who resigned from the company, missed the attendance he hated so much.In the morning, when I opened my eyes, I thought that I would no longer go to work. Together with the sense of freedom, I felt an unspeakable loneliness. Now, a person like He Tada, who is out of work, probably doesn't feel a little bit of freedom, but just feels that loneliness is biting his chest. 35 years of wage income living, so that his habit has been deeply rooted in his bones. He Tada has retired for half a month. Although he lives a comfortable life at home, he finally can't bear the loneliness of staying at home.According to the habit he had followed for 35 years, he went out of the house regularly, pretending to his wife to go for a walk, but actually took the attendance tram and left. It was only a half-month gap, but it was no longer the attendance tram that Hetada was familiar with.In the tram, he is no longer an attendant, he rides the tram as an "outsider".The common feature of the attendees is that they aim at the workplace without looking aside, and they are very concentrated all the way.However, in Wada, there are no places that must be visited, and there are no people who must meet. He just rides the tram aimlessly with nostalgia for his working days. When I was working, I looked forward to the status of retirement, but once I got this status, I felt that I was ruthlessly thrown out of the world. When the car approached Station M, the image of the woman waving a handkerchief resurfaced in Wada's memory.The figure of this woman has always existed in his subconscious mind. He Tada seemed to remember something and got out of the car in a hurry.Those who continued to ride accounted for an overwhelming majority, and those who got off were very few.For those who work in the workplace in M ​​City, there is still plenty of time. After leaving the station, he walked towards the old woman's house.The fire site has been repaired and a prefabricated house has been erected.The woman waving the handkerchief must live around here. He Tada rang the electric bell at the door of the new house with a new name tag, and a middle-aged woman came out. "I'm sorry to bother you all of a sudden. I came to visit because I heard that Mr. Noji lives here." He Tada used the name of the old woman he knew from the newspaper as a means of knocking on the door. "Mr. Yeji? I don't know him!" The housewife replied coldly. "It's the old woman who used to live here!" "Oh, that old woman has been murdered, how abominable! My family has nothing to do with the old woman." "Do you know any relatives the old woman has?" "I don't seem to have any relatives. The house burned down, and the owner died. The landlord built this house, so I rented it out. Who are you from the old woman?" The housewife showed a curious look on her face. "It was someone who was taken care of by Mr. Noji's husband. Doesn't Mr. Noji have a girl or granddaughter in his twenties?" "Oh, if there is such a person, she will live here. I heard that she is a bedridden lonely old man. Haven't you read the newspaper?" "I didn't pay attention. I heard that there is a girl in her twenties who is taking care of her." "There are no such volunteers. Maybe you can ask the landlord." The housewife took the trouble to lead him to the landlord's house, but the landlord didn't know that there was such a girl. "Mr. Yeji lived alone in this dilapidated home. She advised her to go to Minsheng Hospital or nursing home several times, but she always said that she could not leave the home left by her husband, and stubbornly insisted on not going. Because of the dilapidated home , also has the right to live on the ground, so it can’t be destroyed casually. Difficult! It’s a trouble for a bedridden old man to die, and he ended up in such a fate. If he had listened to my advice, he would have been admitted to the hospital earlier, and he would not have caused such a miserable disaster. "The landlady showed a complaining tone to the old woman who didn't listen to his advice. "When Mr. Yeji is bedridden, who will take care of her?" "Then I don't know. We can't control our private life." The landlord escaped with the excuse of private life. The results of the investigation ended in vain, and the identity of the woman who waved the handkerchief remained unknown.He Tada's idea of ​​following this woman became indifferent and gave up.On the attendance tram, everyone is a stranger who is not related to each other anyway. Sotada works hard on furniture-making out of self-interest, and his finished products are highly regarded in the market.The TV station that heard the news made an extensive introduction to the society under the title "The Old Years when the Flowers of Interest Bloom", which made him even more famous. Big department stores also came to order, and he became a "popular furniture manufacturing expert". This is much busier than the wage-earning era, and the income has increased several times. "Are you old? It's just like my original job, I'm so busy!" He Tada said with a smile to his wife. For Hetada, the era of earning wages is over, he is doing what he is interested in, and his products are welcomed by the society. This is a fresh shock, and he is happy. "Everyone is vying to buy your products, it's not that your products are unpopular." This voice did not exist in the era of wages that did not pursue the production of individual products. He Tada feels that his life has been fulfilled since he quit the company.In fact, compared with the current life, the era of wage income is like a dead body. Even if it is not dead, it is just a kind of plant-like existence.Since resigning from the company, Hetada has changed from a plant to a human. As income increases, visitors of all stripes come.The first is the relationship with financial institutions such as banks and securities companies; then there are waiters for real estate such as apartments, villas, and land, car salesmen, and clients of gem shops, silk and satin shops, bedding shops, and various groups.There is an endless stream of visitors who are completely missed during the company's working hours.The reception of these people has reached the level of affecting labor. Unable to bear it, Hetada had no choice but to rent a nearby apartment as a place of work, so as not to deter people who came to contact and order. The monopoly department of a large department store in Tokyo that pays attention to Wada products, visits specially every day, and says that they want to make Wada products as exclusive products in their stores. The so-called monopoly products refer to the exclusive sale of Watada's products as department store products in the form of exclusive contracts. Norio Nakamori, the sales manager in charge of this business, came to visit enthusiastically and repeatedly persuaded Wada.He listed many benefits of the monopoly contract and promised to give sweetness of one kind or another. "After all, it was made out of personal interest, and it is not something that is worth selling in big department stores." He Tada said modestly. "But we still hope that Mr. can give you the opportunity to sell expensive products. If Mr.'s products are dedicated to our store, then the value of the products will be combined with the reputation that our store has won over the years, and we will achieve greater benefits. Concentrate on Mr. Our products, with the strong sales network of our store, will be even more popular.” "I can't make so many by myself." No matter how the demand increases, it is impossible to expand equipment and increase production. "It is beneficial to increase the existence value of products. If the products are monopolized by our store and no outside stores are allowed to intervene, then the actual value of the products will become more rare." Nakamori, the well-trained backbone of the department store, persuaded him cleverly.Packaging with the monopoly department's red label paper can improve the level and authority of the product, and with the backing of an old department store with history and tradition, he humbly asked for the conclusion of a monopoly contract, and he had no bad intentions. Indeed, just packaging a Watada product with a red label can greatly increase its value.However, he made a connection with the department store, which was purely a pastime in his later years, and then devoted himself to the business circle——He Tada felt a little hesitant about this. This hesitation prevented him from responding immediately to Nakamori's warm persuasion. For the character of Nakamori, there is another point of inadequacy.That is, Hetada's products are currently in fashion, are very popular, and can be turned upside down.But once it is out of fashion, no one will pay attention to it.He had such a hunch. Nakamori has sharp eyes, closed corners of the mouth, is a will-shaped appearance, has the masculine beauty that attracts women, and also has the agility like a sharp knife.People in the store nicknamed him "Razor Nakamori".In the memory of his boss, he is the person who walked the shortest distance on the road to prosperity. However, Wada, who has been eating cold meals in the company for many years, seems to be able to see behind Nakamori, followed by the numerous corpses he has injured so far. Should we comment on the credit for the cold rice era?He knows that behind the honor of outstanding people, there are many sacrifices of supporters.Wage earners have to climb over the corpses of their colleagues in order to get to the top. Nakamori participated in the pioneer mountaineering team when he was a student, and lost two fingertips of his index finger and middle finger due to frostbite. "It looks like I have a disability, but I kept my mouth shut. Now I can't use my fingers, and I can't hold the climbing rope anymore." Nakamori did not hide his disabled fingers when he said this, but he showed his disabled fingers. A look of remorse for not being careful.This is also one of the reasons why Hetada is stagnating.Obviously, Nakamori's goal is to make a show of grandstanding from now on.The sales department uses trademarks to classify products, and each department has the responsibility of selection, procurement, and sales, and the person who holds this power is the head of sales. It will be a major achievement of the sales manager if he manages exclusive products that cannot be followed by other stores. However, Wada, who finally proved that the flowers in his life are blooming, is unwilling to become a tool for Nakamori to do flowery business. "Sir, if it's appropriate, can't you give me an answer?" Nakamori finally got impatient.When he heard what he said to Tada, Nakamori realized that he was a razor after all, not an axe, and he couldn't cut down a big tree with a razor. If Nakamori is a capable person, he can't put these things on the surface.Just to show his shrewdness, but to expose his own ignorance.Nakamori was able to climb up now, perhaps because of his own luck.This type of character is easy to take advantage of any opportunity to fool people.Hetada, as a "lifetime employee", has realized this with years of experience and experience. Nakamori was eager for credit.Because the matter could not be resolved, he became anxious, so he brought out the reputation and authority of the monopoly department at once.People who face an individual job do not want to receive the opposite effect.People who work alone and do not belong to any organization have a physical aversion to the organization. Besides, Hetada has finally left the organization he belonged to for many years, and he knows the physiology and structure of the organization well, and he already feels disgusted by it.For him, the opponent he hates most now is the person who keeps claiming to be proud of the organization's reputation and authority. These persuasion did not have any impact on He Tada.Just knowing authority and strength made him feel disgusted with people who pretend to be powerful. "It's not that I'm dissatisfied. Even if I don't belong to the exclusive department of your store, there are people who come to buy my products." Resisting the persuasion, He Tada said softly. "It's the best time to sell. I don't know when the market will change. Consumers' pursuits are capricious. We cherish Mr.'s products and can sell them for a long time. It is good to shelter from the wind and rain under a big umbrella. " Nakamori's words made Watada more and more disgusted, and he looked at this liar. "The wind direction has changed? The wind and rain will blow in under any umbrella. Thank you for your kindness, let me work hard to meet the orderers alone." He Tada flatly refused, and Nakamori finally showed a dejected look. "I'm not discouraged yet, excuse me!" Nakamori slumped his shoulders and walked away. The next day, Wada got up late, and while having breakfast with his wife, he read the newspaper peacefully.This is the time to sit back and enjoy the happiness that is not available in the wage-earning era.When on the job, eating breakfast is also "quasi-attendance".I feel drowsy after breakfast, even if I sacrifice breakfast, I still want to sleep for an extra minute. He ran out of the house without eating or drinking, and poured milk into his still-awakened stomach at the small shop at the station.It was a common breakfast for wage earners.Compared with that kind of breakfast, I can sleep as long as I can now. During the time when almost all human beings are up and doing things in the world, I am eating breakfast leisurely and slowly. This can be called eating. Breakfast in the world is simply a blessing. Newspapers that used to be read in various postures on crowded trains can now be opened and read comfortably at home.Watada casually fixed his gaze on a corner of the social version: Pulley crash on road in rain ——Department store sales manager died on the spot At around 6:30 p.m. on XX, on the XX highway in the area of ​​City A in Kanagawa Prefecture, a car from Motowa Izumiichi, Komae City, Tokyo, was driving in front along the up lane.Norio Nakamori, the Sales Manager of the Western Goods Store in Sandao Street, Shinjuku District, Tokyo, drove a special vehicle that crossed the central marking line of the highway, and confronted the large tractor driven by the driver Mitsuhiro Takekawa, Shinmachi, Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture. Collide.Mr. Nakamori suffered severe injuries all over his body and died at the scene.According to the investigation of Department A, when Mr. Nakamori overtook the car in front, he collided with the left side guardrail, turned the steering wheel to the right in a hurry, and the wheel slipped on the rain-soaked road and had an accident.The scene showed traces of crossing the central marking line—— "Hey, it's terrible, Mr. Nakamori is dead!" Watada looked up from the newspaper and said to his wife. "Mr. Nakamori?" The woman seemed to be unable to remember. "The sales manager of the monopoly department, isn't he the one who comes every day!" "Oh, that person is Mr. Nakamori, why did he die?" Although she came here every day, the woman didn't seem to be impressed. "I made a mistake in driving and collided with a tractor. It looks like I'm going home." "Oh, it's too serious!" It was with great difficulty that the woman realized the seriousness of the situation. "It's amazing." He Tada stopped eating slowly. "It's not your fault, is it?" From the wife's point of view, it's someone else's business. "No, I don't know if it's my fault." In Watada's eyes, Nakamori's frustrated look flashed when he categorically refused yesterday. "What's wrong with you?" His wife's expression changed.After she heard Tada explain the whole story of what happened yesterday, she said, "You are overthinking, Mr. Nakamori was at fault for driving himself." "It must be disappointment, maybe I lost my mind while driving." "Even so, it's not your fault!" "But I'm worried. Who knew there was an accident on the way home." "Then, go to his funeral." "It should be done that way." He Tada was very unhappy, but remembering the enthusiasm that Nakamori had expressed before, he felt that he should express his condolences. We went to participate in Nakamori's vigil with Tada.A vigil was held at a monastery near Nakamori's home.The so-called vigil means that during the two hours from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., foreign guests mourn one after another, and after that, family members continue to add lamp oil and continue to burn incense sticks beside the coffin. 进去一看，足以显示中森生前声势的很多吊唁客人都集拢来了，年轻女客更多，大概是中森的部下。未进入灵堂前，在寺院里群集的人们，都对故人的突然逝世，显示了难以置信的神情。 “真可惜啊，中森先生若不是遇上这场奇祸，就要升任要职了。” 像是商店里的同事们彼此交谈着私语。那些话里，有对死者的惋惜，也有另外的议论。由于中森的死去，店内的势力结构将要发生变化，必定有人逢时浮了上来。 和多田以通达职员社会的经验推想着。 “听说中森部长喝酒了。” “那就是酒后开车了？” "yes." "What else?" “酒不是那么厉害吧。” “没有什么不称心的事吗？” “出事那天夜里，在回来的地方好像就喝了。” “在那儿被劝酒了吗？” “剃刀中森临终，还没尽兴哩。” “太太不年轻了吧？” “说是给介绍重要职务了呢？” “那么，部长太太不是就出不了头了吗？” “死了，老婆就被解放了。” “一点不能轻浮，优秀分子真难当啊。” “那个可就不知道了。中森部长有情人啊，不是和女店员胡搞了吗？” “那么说，店里的年轻女人不是来得满多吗？” “若是我死了，她们会来吗？” "Just wait and see." 这样一些私语声，送进和多田的耳中，缠住了他的心。如果中森喝了酒，那一定是在走出和多田家的归途中。如果中森因和多田毫无情面的拒绝而喝了酒，那就是终于忍受不住了。 果然，和多田成了事故的前因，他的胸膛咝咝啦啦地发出刺痛。这时，看见棺前有一个年轻的女人进前烧香。她穿着洋装丧服，看看侧脸，好像在自己记忆里还有印象似的。 女人烧完香，合掌祈祝冥福，暂时停立在那里，表现出不胜哀悼的样子。过了一会儿，女人才放下手，从棺前走开了。就在这瞬间，她把脸掉向和多田这边，和多田的记忆完全苏醒了。这就是那个摇手帕的女人！从M站上车、每天向野际家摇手帕的这个女人，现在做为中森则男的守夜吊客，烧香祭拜来了。 她和中森到底是什么关系？正在和多田惊异的时候，女人不知向谁行了一礼，快步走开了。和多田其后向死者亲属打听这个女人的来历，可谁也不知道。遗族们以为这个女人是商店的熟人。可探问商店的人，都不知道这个女人的来历。 和多田第二天参加告别葬仪，但摇手帕女人的身影却不见了。这个女人只在守夜时来吊唁了一次。 中森丧事结束后，摇手帕女人的问题，紧紧萦绕在和多田的心头，离不开了。这个女人，在野际被杀、房子被烧的当天，形影就消失了。 纵火犯被捕后，否认了杀人一事，目前正在审理中。 和多田觉得，这个女人的消失和野际的被害，不会是偶然的巧合。如果纵火犯的供述是真实的，那他的罪行就只有放火这一条，而杀了野际、夺了金款的真凶，却依然逍遥法外。就是把摇手帕的女人不看做真凶，也似乎没有办法弄清这个女人在这个事件中具有何种关系。如果真像报纸所说的，那么，事件的发生和这个女人的消失，就没有什么内在的联系了。 但是，如果把这个女人看做是事件的关联人物……那么，这个女人和有些非议的中森，互相间的关系又是怎样的呢？ 和多田的联想延伸着。他不知不觉地通过摇手帕的女人，将中森和野际联系起来了。正像锁链环环相扣一样，这个女人成了使野际和中森连接起来的纽环。 联想到此，和多田又有些侷促不安，或许这个判断出了大错误的想法又抬头了。 摇手帕的女人果真是向野际家摇手帕吗？还么和多田自己任意的主观猜想？ 把两者联系起来，是因为野际家中有穿衣镜的缘故，女人摇动手帕时，就会反射到镜面上来，过去曾解释为野际在卧床上看见了女人摇动的手帕，可那也许是老太婆为了排遣卧床寂寞而设置的东西，镜中可见的对象也不一定仅限摇手帕的女人哪。 M站发出的电车，从野除家一侧通过的时候，速度是相当快的，手帕进临近野际家附近时才摇动的。其间的距离有百米左右，至少在这段路程所容的视野里，所有人家都可以成为联络对象。 反过来说，能看见女人摇动手帕的人家，也都是可以收取到女人的信号的。 可是，如果这个女人摇手帕不是向着野际家，那是向谁摇动的呢？ 而且，那又意味着什么？和多田的疑团更加膨胀起来。 和多田再次外出到M市去了，这次是乘船去的。他的查访目前有一个线索。 M站前有一座房屋事务介绍所。仅仅租借一间房子的事务所门面上，满满张贴着租房和住公寓条件的说明书表。敲开门，屋子里摆着安放电话的办公桌和一套接待来客的桌椅设备。墙上端端正正地挂着住宅建筑交易协会都知事第XX号许可证的镜匾。 和多田拿出来一张人物照片，讯问主人在房屋介绍中有没有这样一个人。照片上的人就是中森则男。这是和多田提出无论如何要给一张遗照，才从中森家属那里得到的。 看到照片的主人有反应了。 “这个人嘛，在平顶阳台公寓曾和他有过交往。” “平顶阳台公寓在哪里？”和多田探出身子。 “从站前顺着电车线路走200米左右，再往上坡走，线路旁有一个出租的公寓。那是一座涂着橙色楼壁的四层楼房，到那儿一打听就知道了。” “这个人是什么时候住进那里的？”和多田再一次询问，对方微笑了。 “是二流公寓哟，不是作为生活基地住进去的。” "yes?" “很好呀！为了避免常住'情人旅馆'的麻烦，是作为与恋人幽会的场所，才定居下来的。” “这么说，是女人跟着一起来了？” “正好相反。” "on the contrary?" “是男人跟着女人来的。” “啊，是吗！可是为什么要找二流公寓呢？” “你难道不明白吗？有能保证个人秘密条件的，大概就是二流公寓了。” 和推测的一样，中森在M市和女人秘密建立了一个爱巢。中森的自宅和爱巢之间，有一条私营铁路联接着，哪边开来的快车都在这里停。没有多长的距离，乘车时间只需15分钟左右。 爱巢设在自宅的郊外，是有周密考虑的。设在都市中心，妻子发现的危险性大，而设在较远的地方，没有特别的事情，妻子发现的可能性就小了。 都内M市的土地同属东京所辖，可令人感到像与东京不相连的、突入神奈川县境去的散落地域。私营铁路穿过多摩川进入神奈川县以后，又呈现出向都内插进来的形状。因此，它远离东京圈的色彩是浓厚的。 和自宅的交通很方便，可因为这里是远离东京生活圈的土地，建立秘密的爱巢，是一个绝好的环境。 和多田又到平顶阳台公寓去了。这个公寓的房主，同时兼营当铺副业。来到一看，在线路旁、朝南坐落着一座西班牙风格的十分漂亮的洋楼。这个洋楼，从电车窗里就可以看到。各扇楼窗都挂着色彩鲜艳的窗帘。和多田不禁揣摩起住客的身份和他们的生活来了。 把楼窗闭上就可以隔断电车的噪音、真是能够保证生活舒适的所在啊。 多和田为了表明来历，出示了中森的照片。 “这个照片上的男人和一起来的女人，租过这里的房间吗？” “啊，这个人是福村先生的丈夫呀！是不是真的丈夫，当局不知道吗？”房主微微含笑。 “福村？” “就是福村多惠子，在N生命保险公工作的。” “知道这个福村先生现在在什么地方吗？” “到N生命保险公司一问不就知道了吗？我也是由这个女人介绍参加生命保险的。因为她突然辞职，向公司说明有后任接替，公司不必操心，就搬家走了。” “当了公司的外务员吗？” “不，说是当了新宿分公司的内勤了。到分红月和保险月还按定额发款呢。” “福村先生是在这里住过的吗？” “是啊，是她租下的嘛。”房主现出了惊讶的表情。 “不，我是说譬如在另外的地方有自己的生活基地、又把这里作为第二生活处所的情形。” “那是有的。我们这里如能把房祖按期如数交付，那么对个人秘密，是采取不干涉主义的。”在这里，私人秘密至上主义显示它的威力。 来到N生命保险新宿分公司，使他惊奇的是：这个分公司和专卖部的楼房，竟然比邻而居。 “噢，原来如此啊！”和多田开始明白了。工作单位是紧邻才使他们互相认识了；最大限度地利用这个“地利”，才使他们的私恋得以秘密进行。所谓“办公室的恋爱”就是这么平常呀！但“办公室的恋爱”，却成了一个高强度的盲点。 公司内恋爱，对于职员们来说，容易暴露。然而和其他公司的异性相恋，安全度却是高的，而且比与公司内异性的相恋，又远有新鲜感。 和多田再次对中森私恋的安全系数，感到叹服了。 在N生命保险新宿分公司，弄清了福村多惠子的最近消息。这个女人如今变成“银座老板娘”了。 据分公司说：XX年4月，她突然以健康上的理由辞职了。她非常有能力，一手掌握着诺大分公司数百名外务员的考勤，自己也订立了让外务员相形见绌的常聘合同。分公司经理开始是挽留，可她说常年握圆珠笔，手力劳损了，得了腱鞘炎，不能继续工作了，经理不得已才接受了她的辞职书。 不久，她在银座开了一个高级俱乐部，成了在那里全权管理的老板娘。不仅是新宿分公司，连整个生命保险公司都感到惊讶，有些人就开始怀疑她是否私吞了分公司的钱款。 为了这个缘故，新宿分公司在她退职后，受到本公司严格的会计检查，结果并没有查出任何疑点。 来到这里的和多田，怀疑明朗化了。福村多惠子退职的时候，正是野际被杀害不久；退职后没有多少时间，多惠子又在银座开设了俱乐部。她的开业资金是从哪里来的呀？ 占据银座土地的一角，花的绝不是小价钱，这又和野际的存款联系起来了。卧床不起的老太婆的遗产，以亿单位计，周围的邻居都为此相当吃惊。野际的存款成亿，并不是什么不可思议的事，也许她的丈夫早先就留给她巨额的遗产了。 黑星俱乐部在银座六道街。和多田踏进这样的场所还是第一次。35年的职员生活，充其量也不过是绳索的一环，照路的提灯而已。 橡木制成的厚重大门敞开着，显得很排场。小心翼翼地走进大门，里面完全是另一个天地。柔和的间接照明下，在穿着金银丝交织的夜礼服和华贵的会客服的女客身旁，有侍者站立。她们在纵情谈笑。这里对任何客人都热情相待，构成了一个有美女服务的舒适优美的世界。 “请！”穿着黑制服的侍者殷勤地打着招呼。 “请指名吧。” “嗯，想和老板娘会会面。”和多田开口说道。 “老板娘才送客出去，就会回来的。”和多田只坐在柜台旁，一个人无论如何也没有坐在专座里的胆量。店内面积有数十坪，入口右侧的棚架上，排列着名牌酒的瓶子200多个。沿着匚字形墙壁环列着沙发。五脚桌周围，有能移动的沙发。 根据来客的数目，可以自由地安排座席。天棚修建成圆顶蒙古包样式，周围贴挂着毛皮。墙壁和地板一样，都铺展着长毛的绒毯，统一现出茶褐色的情调。来客用手触摸墙壁，不知会做出何种联想。光源不知从何处正洒下来，在间接照明下，粉白的女人脸庞便映现出来。 年轻的女侍们穿着鲜亮的雪白服装，大概老板娘安排演出了吧。店里有数目可观的宾客，女侍们逢迎其间，真是很繁盛的情景啊。来客中，好像有电视、报纸上常见的面孔。 酒吧间女侍端出兑水的酒，他勉强地尝了一口，开始观察店内，耳边又响起了“多谢光临”的娇柔的声音。 向发声方向注视的和多田，意怔语滞了。细绫的和服上，绣着满是色彩斑斓、耀目炫神的碎细花纹；系着鲜艳明亮的名古屋腰带；丰盈的头发叠段式地高高梳起。这种服饰的情趣，正好和店里宁静的气氛相协调。从里面走出来一个现出精明干练神态的具有老板娘气派的女人。 她把头发十分用心地梳理成使自己的姿容同周围环境相协调的漂亮发型。 和多田很快认出这个女人就是摇手帕女人的“化形”。从那讲究的服装和巧妙的化妆中，清清楚楚地望见了摇手帕女人的风采。和多田为女人这化妆的华美，惊得哑口无言了。 然而，那原本只是个美貌而又平凡的女人，但出现在这里的这个女人，却是用金钱和技巧铸成的女性，是为了取悦男人而加意修饰的商品型的女性。 多惠子嫣然微笑着，可以看出那是经过训练的微笑。 “好像在哪里见过面哪？”女人歪着头，只是搭讪着，或许还没把和多田回忆起来。 “见过面的。” “那是在哪里呀？” “没想起来吗？” “也许是您来过这里吧。”多惠子用手指轻轻敲着额头，戴在指上的钻石戒指闪闪发光。 “提醒你吧，是在电车里。” “啊，那就是在我出勤的时候了。”女人有了反应。 “是啊，那时你总是从M站上车的。”和多田注视着女人的表情，留心察看着。 “那就是在同一线路上的出勤了。”女人似乎在翻弄着过去。 “我是从I市通勤的。” "yes?" “你在M站上车，总是站在车门旁摇手帕的啊。” “您连那样的小事都看见了？” “那是引人注目的呀！” “因为电车在我家门前通过，是向母亲摇手帕的。” “你的家是住在平顶阳台公寓吧？”和多田放出了第一只箭，在他的凝视面前，多惠子的表情暂时停滞了。在和多田眼中活跃的映象，不仅是突然凝止不动了，而且看出是在从生物到静物的转换。 “我的住处您知道了吗？可是现在已经不在那里住了。”多惠子抑制着自己的感情说。那是用意志力控制住的颤抖的声音。这个女人开始警惕起来。 "Know." “那么，到底为了什么？你是在I市住吧？” “在M市有个朋友，他时常在M市下车。” "yes?" “朋友是在专卖部工作的。” 多惠子的表情，明显地吃惊了。 “那么说，你工作单位是专卖部的紧邻了？” 正在追击的时候，一群客人进来了。这个女人像被解救了似的站起来，向客人浮出了做作的笑靥。 “啊，久违了。一定是让好朋友缠住，忘掉我们了，遗憾啊。”这样说着，就挽住了客人的手臂。这以后，多惠子再没有回到和多田席位这边来。 即使女老板不是有意躲避，坐在柜台旁的这个单个客人，也不能独自会见女老板了。 和多田又等了一会儿，把一个便条委托给侍者，让他交给女老板，就走出门去。便条上写着：“我想谈谈中森则男和野际先生的问题，倘若有兴趣，请到前面的吃茶店去，我等你到11时半。” 到这里以前，记得前面不远有一个吃茶店。他想很大可能是不来赴约，所以做了思想准备。 这是从好奇心开始的事，也可说是利用晚年的余暇吧。 多半不会来了。但11时刚过，多惠子离开了店门。 “对不起，现在店里正好有点空闲，就离开了。”多惠子摸着稍微发红的面颊说。好像喝了点酒，脸更显得红艳艳的。 “这里很乱，换个地方吧。”女人调匀着呼吸说。 “你的店里方便吗？” “方便。替补老板是可靠的，再说，也忙过去了。” “忙都在什么时候？” “那是每天都不同的。9点钟有来的，关门前也有来的，忙的时候一般都在午后2时左右。” “这么说，也许这以后又要忙起来吧。” “今天晚上不会忙了。” “怎么知道的呀？” “有这种迹象。尽管感觉有时出错，可是现在就合适啊。”这个女人想与和多田谈话，比对店里的生意更关心。 “那么，就请到店里去吧。”和多田在安静场所，直视着多惠子的脸。如果没有这样的机会，成不了一对一谈话的对手。 “你怀疑我了吧，我是讨厌被人怀疑的。”多惠子把视线反射过来，“怀疑什么了？” “不要装不知道了，你到我这里就是抱着怀疑来的。不然的话，也不会把野际先生和我扯在一起了。” “和野际先生是什么关系呀？” “野际先生的丈夫，是我父亲小学时代的同学。因为有这个家缘，野际先生卧床不起的时候，我便经常去探望她。” “从野际先生被杀害那天起，你就不乘电车了。公司嘛，几乎也是同时辞职的。然后就搬到平顶阳台公窩去了。” “啊，看来还是因为这件事情怀疑的呀？” “实在冒昧了，我只是对这件事情怀有兴趣罢了。” “兴趣呀，怀疑呀，都是同样的东西。实在告诉你，野际先生是有托于我的。” “有托？” “这样卧床不起，实在没法生活下去了，不如早死到丈夫跟前去的好。要求我狠狠心把她杀掉。这是以前就托付给我的。还说如能照她所期望那样做了，就把丈夫的遗产全部送给我，并且让我看了巨额存款。” “那就杀掉了吗？” “哪能呢！”女人嘴角泛出微笑。 “绝不能考虑那种事情。因为她一直这样考虑，就劝她进养老院或民生医院去。可是，野际先生却说，要让她去那种地方，宁可死掉算了。” “野际先生被杀害，实现了她所期望的结局。但是那个纵火犯现在否认有杀害的事实。” “杀害野际先生的，是中森！”多惠子以不介意的口吻说。突然提出来核心问题，和多田一时不能应付了。 “由于我和中森的工作单位是紧邻，结识后终于相爱了，但我并不了解中森只是单纯把我当做发泄的工具。经公司董事介绍结婚后，他便露出轻薄气，爱情不专一。在他不去商店的时候，我曾格外警惕着。为了和他安全相会，才借住在平顶阳台公寓的。这之前，因为常去探望野际先生，所以M市的情况也了解。 “中森和我结婚以后，沉迷到赌博中去，偷用了公司的公款。如不赶快补上亏空，就要暴露出来，会被公司穷追到底的。”我虽帮忙做了通融，但也是杯水车薪，无济于事。这期间，我偶尔泄露了野际先生所谈的话，不料引起了他杀人抢劫的念头。 “3月31日夜里，到这里和我相聚的他，午后1点就来了，表情很可疑。问他有什么事，他坦白地说把野际杀了，总之，让她像期求的那样死去，就可以接受作为谢礼的遗产了。 “做那种事不觉得亏心吗？我责备了他，他说只要你守口如瓶，谁都不会知道。老太婆早晚得死。死了，遗产就属于国家的了。本人期求早死，让她像所期望的那样死去，就能接受她的礼款了。这并不是做坏事，还可用这笔遗产还清债务。你不说出去，各方面都会安静无事的，如果这事使我陷于被捕的境地，我们的关系就会公开化，对于你任何好处也没有哇。他要我答应他什么都不说，甚至双手扶地向我恳求。 “对于他的极端自私，我惊得哑口无言，但那夜未明又有人进去放了火，遇到这种偶然的幸运，纵火人就把中森的罪行全部给掩盖了。 “那夜，我和中森最后分手了，也厌倦了和中森那种不可信的爱情，更没有