Chapter 5 chapter Five

Daisaku Tokiwa watched Uozu Kyota enter the office, saw his face was tanned by the snow, and he walked into the room with his head slightly lowered, took off his coat and hung it in the corner, and then nodded to his colleagues, as if He said, "Oh, hello, everyone." Then he walked to his desk and pushed the mail on the desk aside. All the colleagues did not greet him.Normally, everyone would say "Good job" and "Thanks for your hard work" to him, but Yujin's displeasure now made no one dare to talk to him. Uojin whispered two or three words to Shimizu who was sitting in front and left the table.Tokiwa knew that Uojin was coming to find him.

"I'm sorry, I've been absent from work for several days." Uozu walked up to Tokiwa and said. "Absent from work is a trivial matter. I'm really worried for you. Fortunately, you're fine, and you're finally back alive." "Oh, I'm so sorry." "When did you come back?" "Last night." "I see you are very tired." "Leaving my friend on the mountain and coming back, I can't bear it mentally." "That's understandable." Tokiwa said, "Sit down." After Uozu sat down, Tokiwa said: "Mountain climbing in winter is terrible. However, you all went there knowing that it was terrible, so there is nothing to say! The poor friend of yours who died. There must be someone like this. , it just so happened that it wasn't you, but your friend who got the bad lottery, that's the way it is. No, it can't be done, maybe you two will end together. And you can come back, this should be considered lucky. "

To be honest, Tokiwa Daisaku was angry with this young employee who always caused trouble for him and was good at climbing mountains, and wished to scold him severely, but Tokiwa restrained himself and wanted to save the scolding for a later time. How can you reprimand a person who just came back from the mountain after taking his life?Deep down in Toki Pan's heart, he still felt that this young man who was willing to risk his life to climb the rock wall without any profit was more promising than other employees. , there are still some merits. "Mountain climbing is scary. This time you caused an accident yourself, you should understand?"

Tokiwa originally said that with a sense of comfort.Upon hearing this, Yujin raised his head and said, "That's because the climbing rope broke." Listening to this tone, it seems that as long as the climbing rope is unbroken, mountain climbing is not terrible. "The climbing rope is broken?! Yes, I heard that the rope is broken, I know that, but can we blame the climbing rope?" "Of course not. But under the circumstances at the time, as long as the rope doesn't stop, there is always a way. I hate it!" Yujin looked very annoyed.Tokiwa could see from Yujin's eyes that his excitement was still there, so he changed his words and said, "Okay, okay. Anyway, the rope is broken. That's where your bad luck falls." Then he said, "I think you should Rest for two or three days."

"Forgive me for being rude, please give me another four or five days off... I also went to my friend's hometown to visit his mother and explain to her the whole process of the accident." "Well, where is his hometown?" "Yamagata Prefecture." "go ahead" "yes" "To deliver the funeral ceremony, and the train fare...it's not a small expense!" Tokipan called the servants and ordered to bring the loan slip, saying, "Because of the special circumstances... this is special care." He handed the slip to Yujin. "I'm sorry!" Yujin looked as if he was finally saved, glanced at Tokipan, quickly took out a pen from his pocket, and wrote "100,000 yuan" in the amount column.

Tokipan took out the stamps from the drawer, looked at the IOUs, and said, "There are so many!" He thought: I will take care of this guy, and you will have to make progress.Then he said, "Hey, I can only lend half of it at most." "Isn't that okay?" "One hundred thousand yuan is too much, do you really need so much?" "Necessary. There are solutions for train fare, miscellaneous expenses and so on. The 100,000 yuan is for his mother. I came back alive, but he died. What is it worth to give this little money. However, I It’s all out of pocket, and if my friend can improve my mood, his mother will be happy too.”

"Hmm..." Daisaku Tokiwa thought for a while, and then stamped the IOU with a bit of displeasure. "Take it." Then he added: "If you die too, the company will lose even more. Now you have come back alive. Okay, that's it...When do you want to go to Yamagata!" "Leave in a day or two. I originally planned to leave tonight, because it is really..." At this point, a voice came: "Brother Changpan!" It was Tokioka, the director of the Osaka head office, who was standing outside the office with his face facing the door. Tokiwa turned to Tokioka, and responded with the tone of a peer: "Oh!" Then he added in a polite tone: "Please come here."

In view of the fact that there are so many employees in front of him, Tokipan's reception like this is a great face for this senior cadre. "I invite you to drink tea and stay with me for ten minutes." As Shi Gang said, he straightened his thin body and still stood at the door.He didn't come in because he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get away at Tokiwa's table.Not only Tokioka like this, but also other big cadres.None of them dared to enter Tokiwa Daisaku's territory-the office of the Tokyo branch.Because they knew that Tokiwa was a dangerous person, and he might use his eloquent tongue to hurt the dignity of the senior officials at any time.

Tokiwa stood up, said to Uozu who was standing by the table, "Let's write a note for leave", and then slowly moved his fat body towards Tokioka. Tokiwa and Tokioka took the elevator down to the ground floor, walked out of the South Building, walked along the road, and walked into a bright coffee room on the ground floor of a nearby building. The two sat down at the table with the empty seat in the middle.Shi Gang asked the waitress for coffee, and couldn't wait to say: "This can't be done, you, the climbing rope incident in your place..." It was probably for this reason that Tokiwa came out.Tokiwa looked at Tokioka's face in surprise.

"What's it called? It's called Yujin. All in all, the death incident caused by this young man in Degao Mountain is a troublesome thing. He said that the climbing rope was broken. This kind of statement is not appropriate, you say Woolen cloth." Chang Pan remained silent.Hearing what the other party said, it was a bit inappropriate to think about it.Suki Sumi, the manager of Sakura Seisei Co., Ltd., which manufactures nylon climbing ropes, is also the major shareholder of this new East Asia trading company.In terms of capital relationship, the two companies are like brotherly companies.However, the staff of the Tokyo Branch of New East Asia Trading Co., Ltd. now say that the nylon climbing rope produced by Sakura Seiki Company broke during the climbing process, which is really annoying.

"The Sakura Rope Company seems to be very angry." Tokioka had a somewhat oppressive tone.This tone irritated Tokiwa. "If they want to be angry, let them be angry. Indeed, Sakura Rope Company may be regarded as a brother company, but we have to take care of them in everything, so how can we bear it. We are employees of New East Asia Company, not Sakura Employees of the rope-making company. Let the manager take care of this kind of thing." "No, the manager is also in a difficult situation." "It's better to make it difficult for him." "That can't be done." "Look at what you said, because the rope was broken, so he said it was broken, that's all, what can I do! I don't like that Sumura Rope Company at all. Not only this time, they are too meddlesome It's no business. What is it! The one called Shucang." Toki Pan said in his rough voice. "Okay, you, let's talk about Mr. Bai's problem separately." Tokioka went on to say: "In short, the Sakura Rope Company said that nylon climbing ropes will never break." "But it broke!" "You, who knows if it's really broken." Hearing what Shioka said, Tokiwa stared at him with wide eyes, and after a while he said "Ugh" and said, "No, the climbing rope is broken. Yuzu can't lie. I used it." He has known him for many years." Tokiwa said it categorically.After hearing this, Shi Gang was afraid that it would be even more difficult to offend Tokiwa again, so he said, "No, I didn't say that the young man lied. But no one saw it." "You said that no one saw it, and it is precisely when no one sees it that you don't lie, that's the real name of not lying. Yulu is such a person." Tokipan Daisaku asked the waitress for a glass of water, and drank it down, "Originally That's the way it is, Brother Tokioka!" Then he shot his eyes fiercely at the other party, as if the other party was just a prey.Tokiwa was thinking.Although Yujin's subordinate was causing him all kinds of troubles, no matter what, since they were all subordinates, he had to defend him. "Please don't confuse the head office with the branch office because the guys at the head office are liars. Indeed, the head office from the top to the bottom - oh, with the exception of you - is all lies Talking, tricks, and flattery live. They rely on this set of skills to become section chiefs, ministers, and big cadres. You see, the guys who are now cadres are all such types. They don’t tell the truth. Tell lies!" "Okay! You, what are you doing talking about the head office now." Tokioka interrupted the other party. "No, I'm just saying the head office is that kind of place. The head office is like that, the branch office isn't like that." "Understood. Although it is a branch, this is the kingdom where you hold absolute power." "Don't talk sweetly, you can speak well when you become a senior cadre." Daisaku Tokiwa didn't smile at all, "Anyway, the young man Uozu doesn't tell lies. Since he said the rope was broken, then the rope is broken. I think A broken rope is a good thing. Sakura Rope Co. should humbly admit this fact. In the future, we must strive to produce absolutely continuous rope. Why are you still angry? It is unreasonable! Uozu accidentally pointed out the shortcomings of his company's products , Sakura Rope Company should give him a bonus." "I really can't do anything about you!" Shifeng said impatiently, "Okay, I see. Even if the rope is broken, the rope won't break with a snap for no reason. There must be some kind of force in certain physical conditions. It must be broken under certain conditions, or it has undergone a chemical change." Daisaku Tokiwa echoed, "That's possible." "If you can understand this, I want to discuss something with you." "Go ahead." "Let me state first, I don't want you to call white black." "You want me to say that white is black, and I won't say it." "That's why I said I didn't mean that. Well, listen to me. Nylon climbing ropes are generally believed to be unbreakable. So they are used in all countries now, aren't they? But it broke!" "Well……" "Maybe there is something wrong with the use." "Well……" "It may also be that I was trampled on by cleats without knowing it the night before." "Well……" "Perhaps Jun is on a very sharp rock." "Well……" "Is there anything like this possible?" "That's possible." "I don't ask you to turn your head upside down. The rope is broken, and the reason for the break is unclear, so you have to check it carefully—I just hope Yujin will say so in the newspaper." "That means the reason for the break is not the rope itself, is it?" "That's not what it means. I want him to admit that there might be some mistakes in using it." "Well……" "Well, is it okay to say that?" "You mean he should write it and put it in the newspaper?" "It's okay to use the form of conversation. Just saying that the rope is broken like before, the Sakura Rope Company can't stand it. In that case, who will use nylon climbing ropes! Nylon climbing ropes are nothing special. The sales volume is very limited. However, the credit of Sakura Rope Co., Ltd. will plummet because of this, which will affect other products. I think you can do this. Anyway, you are still getting paid by the company.” "The salary is paid, but whether the amount is reasonable is another matter." "Look at you! Where did you go all of a sudden. Anyway, please tell that young man what you just said, will you?" "Well, for your sake, it's nothing to tell you." Tokiwa stood up and walked to the cashier with the telephone.He thought; I'm afraid this can't be called black and white. Daisaku Tokiwa picked up the phone, dialed into the company, and asked if Kyota Uozu was in.After a while, Yujin's voice came. "I'm going home, do you have any orders?" "No, I can't talk about any orders. I want to ask about the rope. Could it be on a particularly sharp rock corner?" "That's possible." "That is to say, it doesn't necessarily mean that the rope is not strong..." Yujin said anxiously: "No! The rope is not strong. The rock is sharp and it will break. How can there be such a climbing rope! The climbing rope is used for climbing mountains, and generally it will not break." "Well, this is also... Could it have been stepped on by cleats the night before?" "No. Beginners might, but Kosaka and I..." "Well, it won't, will it?" "Absolutely not!" "Then it will be difficult." Tokiwa continued, "Okay, then..." He hung up the phone.Back to Shigang and said: "Hey, no! He said that something that would break when hooked on a rock corner cannot be regarded as a climbing rope. Indeed, what he said is reasonable. If that kind of thing is also considered a climbing rope, Kogen Renji can also He's a great guy." Takane Renji is one of the senior staff of the head office.Tokipan continued: "According to his opinion, a fledgling person may step on a climbing rope with cleats, but an expert will never." "Hmm..." Shi Gang didn't say anything, but his brows were furrowed more and more tightly. "All in all, it's better to think about this issue. Otherwise, it will make a big fuss." These words were a bit frightening, and the tone stimulated Tokipan Dazai. "Big trouble? What do you think it will look like?" "Then I don't know!" "It's a big deal, let's talk about it when it's a big deal. Don't we have to be responsible for all the products of Xingcang Rope Company!" Tokiwa's voice suddenly became thicker, but Tokikaze, on the contrary, resumed his previous gentle tone. "Forget it, let's stop here. With your temper, you intend to embarrass the manager and make the manager angry." "Nothing." Chang Pan said so, but in his heart he felt that Shi Gang was right.He thought, instead of protecting the manager, he just wanted to protect the young mountain climber who was always causing trouble for him. After Tokiwa broke up with Taioka, he returned to the office and saw a man who looked like a journalist sitting at his desk waiting. The man saw Tokiwa, stood up, and took out his business card.The business card is marked with the Social Department of R Newspaper. "What's the matter?" Tokiwa asked first. "It's nothing else. I wanted to see Mr. Uozu who had an accident in former Hodaka Mountain. I heard that he just came home, so I wanted to ask you about it." The young journalist took out the cigarettes from the cigarette case. "You know about it from me, but I haven't experienced it!" said Tokiwa Daisaku. "That's true, but I just want to know what you know. I asked others, and they said that Mr. Uozu only reported the incident to you." "Yes, Uojin may have only told me about it. However, he didn't talk to me in detail. He borrowed money, wrote a leave note and went home. You can go to Uojin to ask." "Yes, yes. However, you don't need to find Mr. Uozu specifically, just ask about it." The reporter went on to say, "It must be that the climbing rope is broken? If it is really broken, there is something wrong. You know, Mountain climbers trust the climbing rope and entrust their lives to it!" "Well……" "How? Is the climbing rope broken?" Toki Pan glared at the other party, and said fiercely: "I don't know!" "Didn't Mr. Uozu say that? Was it broken or not?" "I said it, but I didn't listen to it." Tokiwa's answer was obviously deliberately making things difficult. "You didn't listen?" "I didn't listen to it. For you, I should have listened to it, but it's a pity!" Daisaku Tokiwa stood up, "If you want to know, go to Uozu. It doesn't take much time. It takes 30 minutes by car to get there .In thirty minutes, your story will be right. Readers want to know the right news." It seems that the young reporter understood what Tokiwa meant at this time, so he stood up with a wry smile and said, "That's how it is." After the reporter went out, Daisaku Tokiwa heard a female employee calling in the corner of the office: "It is said that it was disconnected, but that's what he said." Daisaku Tokiwa approached, patted the female staff member on the shoulder, and signaled with his eyes: Let me answer the call. "Please wait a moment." The female staff handed the microphone to Tokiwa. "Hey, hello, what's the matter?" Chang Pan asked. A man with a high-pitched voice came from the microphone: "I'm from the newspaper. I interrupted you during my busy schedule. It's about Mr. Uozu's incident..." This man was more polite than the young reporter just now.It seems that the thing to ask is the same. "Is the climbing rope really broken? Do you know?" "I know." Tokiwa replied. "You know. Oh, yes, then please..." From the words, it can be heard that the other party may be struggling to prepare paper and pencils. "Then please talk about it, what is the climbing rope..." "broken." "Broken?! Oh, but it is generally believed that climbing ropes will not be broken." "But it broke!" "What's the reason for that?" "I don't know. In short, it's broken: puchi, it's broken." "Ho." "..." "Is the rock corner too sharp?" "I don't know. Anyway, it's broken. It's definitely broken." "That's the problem. I don't think it will be broken for no reason." "No, it's broken! It's what he said himself, nothing could be more correct." At this point, Tokiwa Daisaku suddenly raised his voice: "He himself said that the rope was broken. If you want to know the details, just rely on the phone." No, I can’t rely on the phone, I’d better find Yujin..." "Oh." "It's better to go to Yujin, that's good!" Tokipan put the microphone on the sidelines, waving his arms from side to side as if doing gymnastics, and said, "Don't be lazy, you can't be lazy! Be honest about your work!" In the city of Tokiwa, the entire office fell silent.One or twenty staff members feel as if they have been beaten.Just then the phone on Tokiwa's desk rang.Tokiwa returned to his desk and picked up the microphone. "There is a person named Yatsushiro Minako who asked for the address of Mr. Uozu. Can you tell her?" This is the voice of the operator. "He's tired, I don't think you should tell her." "But she must know." Chang Pan thought for a while and said, "Let her come, I'll interview her on her behalf." When Yatsushiro Minako appeared at the door of the office, Tokiwa couldn't help being taken aback. He felt that the saying "the crane fell on the garbage" probably referred to the situation in front of him. Minako followed the female staff to Daisaku Tokiwa's large desk, put the coat she was holding in her right hand on the chair next to her, straightened her collar, and said, "It's our first time meeting, my name is Yatsushiro." She bowed respectfully. Tokiwa stood up, said "Oh" casually, and asked her to sit down.Minako sat down obediently, and said a little restrainedly: "I really want to meet Mr. Uozu." "Are you Uozu's friend? Or the one who died on the mountain..." "I knew Mr. Uozu, and Mr. Kosaka who died a long time ago." "Well, that means you want to know about the circumstances of the death, don't you? But Uozu is very tired now," said Tokiwa. "Can't you see him again some other day?" "But..." She was obviously dissatisfied. "I don't know what your relationship is, but I want Yujin to rest quietly for two or three days." After hearing this, the other party raised his head and said, "Well, it's okay to give him a call, right?" She was somewhat rigid. "What about the phone...?" He thought, he can't talk about the phone, and he is not allowed to make calls, so he said, "You can make calls, but please be brief." "Understood. Could you please give me the phone number?" Tokiwa asked the female clerk to give the visitor the telephone number of Uozu's apartment.Minako took out a small notebook from her handbag, wrote it down, and said, "I've bothered you during my busy schedule. I'll follow your instructions, and the call with Mr. Uozu won't be long." She stood up as she spoke.Probably due to his own psychological effects, Tokipan felt that her words were a bit sarcastic. After Yatsushiro Mina went out, Tokipan thought: I can't tell that Uozu knows such a beauty.Tokiwa has a dislike for beauties by nature, and it turned out to be the case. He always felt that it was a mistake to give out the phone number, and he felt disgusted. In the two days since he returned to Tokyo, Uozu closed the door of his apartment and never met anyone.Although there were a few visitors, he was dismissed by the apartment manager and his wife on the pretext of being sick.The visitors were all journalists and magazine reporters. There were also many phone calls, except for Ah Xin, Yujin ignored them all. Uojin avoided visitors, refused to answer the phone, and was determined to keep everything quiet until he told Xiaojun's mother what had happened.He really wanted to say to people: Please keep quiet until I meet Kosaka's mother and tell her about her son's death. Uozu spent all the two days in the apartment to record the details of going to Mount Hodaka with Kosaka this time.Based on the diary he had scribbled on the mountain, he recorded the daily events as accurately as possible.Including the conversation between the two, as long as I can recall it, I have written it.For Kosaka, for Xiao Jun's mother, this job must be done. At noon on the day I was going to Sakata, Ah Xin called.He went downstairs to the apartment management office, picked up the microphone, and the first sentence he heard was: "I am Axin." The name "Axin" has a unique charm from her own mouth.He thought: The name Ah Xin really fits well with the identity of Xiao Saka's younger sister.Her slender, half-grown figure resembled her brother's brunette, dapper features.It fits so well with "Xin", a name that can be used by both men and women. "All sorts of people here? I have them too, but I can't help them much. So I suppose they'll flock to you." "I pretended to be sick and didn't see them." "However, I think you'd better meet them, otherwise it will cause inexplicable misunderstandings, which is not good." This is worrying for him. "No, it's all right. I don't want to give a lot of nonsense until I see your mother. They're talking about whether the rope is broken, aren't they?" "It seems so." "But it broke, what can I do? About how the climbing rope broke, sooner or later I will reveal my feelings!" "But I don't know why. It's a nuisance to them to speculate while you're silent. You'd better see them, and clear them up one by one. Maybe that's better, don't you think?" "It's okay." Yujin didn't take those questions to heart at all, "Is the train leaving at nine o'clock tonight?" "Please wait for me at the train station ten or fifteen minutes before driving. It's a third-class car, but I bought a sleeper ticket." Ah Xin probably called to inform this matter. Uozu followed her instructions and arrived at the ticket office at Ueno Station 20 minutes before driving that night.When he arrived at the station, he realized that the train he was going to take was bound for Akita.As long as he hears or sees the name of the mountain, he will feel a burst of heartache, probably a little nervous. At Ueno Station, another thing that made him uncomfortable was seeing many men and women carrying skis and preparing to go to various ski resorts in Tohoku.As soon as his eyes come into contact with these climbing equipment such as skis, rucksacks or roller skates, he will immediately feel tender and old.If things go on like this, it will be even more amazing to see the snow-capped mountains from the car window.He thought: Fortunately, he took the night train instead of the daytime train.correct!Lie on your back on the bunk when you get in the car, and go to sleep immediately! "Mr. Yujin!" A voice suddenly came from beside him, interrupting Yujin's train of thought.He turned his head and saw Yadai Minako standing there.Her serious face was something she had never seen in the previous few meetings. "Oh, it's Mrs. Eighth!" "I called your apartment once, and they said you were sick and no one was seeing, so they didn't dare to come to visit. I called Mr. Kosaka's sister this morning, and she said you were going to leave by this train, so... sick Ok?" "It's nothing, it's not serious." "Probably exhausted." Then, her expression changed slightly, "It's a bad thing! This time..." Due to sadness, a shadow passed across her face. At this moment, Yujin realized that because he was busy with various trivial matters, he completely forgot about this woman.He felt that he might have made a grave mistake.He thought, for Kosaka Otohiko, maybe Yatsushiro Minako is the woman he has the deepest relationship with in this world. Yatsushiro Minako wanted to get rid of Kosaka's fault, Uozu helped her, and tried her best.Perhaps it was justifiable to separate her from Kosaka.However, now that Osaka Otohiko is dead, Uozu always feels that he seems to be meddling in his own business.A very cruel thing was done.This change in mood will also occur in Yatsushiro Minako's heart in different forms, otherwise how could Minako show such a serious expression. "Sir," Minako said as if holding her breath, "is the climbing rope broken, is it really broken?" She stared directly into Yujin's eyes.Yuzu was taken aback. The question of whether the climbing rope is really broken comes from Minazi, which has a completely different meaning from others.Uozu couldn't help staring into Minako's eyes. Before this, Uozu never imagined in his mind whether Osaka Otohiko would cut the climbing rope in order to ruin his own life.Now Minako wants to figure out this problem, which makes him realize that such a hypothesis can also be established. "You broke the rope yourself, didn't you?" Minazi asked him to affirm again without blinking her eyes. "It's okay, you don't need to worry." Yujin wanted to use this sentence to get rid of the other party's random thoughts.At the same time, he remembered the moment when the accident happened, he was holding the climbing pick tightly, and he didn't feel any external impact on his body.He felt that a small doubt that had arisen at that time came to his mind with a clearer concept now.But he still said in a firm tone: "The climbing rope is broken!" The reason why he was so sure was that for a split second he believed that a man like Kosaka would never commit suicide in that way. Kosaka Otohiko is a mountaineer, and since he is a mountaineer, how could he commit suicide at a critical moment while climbing a rock wall with his partner? What a thought!This situation is absolutely unthinkable. If this is done, it is tantamount to polluting the mountain and desecrating the sacred mountaineering.Any climber, as long as he has the title of mountaineer, he will not do such a stupid thing.Mountain climbers are willing to give up their lives on the mountain for the sake of the mountain, but they will never commit suicide for the messy human relationship in the world. "I'm depressed! If that's the case, what should I do?" Minako said.Minako might have said something more, but Yujin only heard this one sentence. "Kosaka is not like the others. He won't do the kind of thing you worry about. The rope must have broken." "That's fine." Minako's expression didn't change a bit because of this, "Mr. Kosaka's younger sister is here." Yujin followed Minazi's line of sight and found that Ah Xin was walking quickly through the crowd. "Let's stop here. There is absolutely nothing to worry about," Uozu said. Minazi nodded slightly, then raised her face and glanced at Yujin. She wanted to say something, but she didn't say it. Ah Xin came to the place where Yujin and Minazi were standing, and first said to Minazi, "Thank you for calling this morning and coming here to see us off in your busy schedule. I'm really sorry." Yujin said, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting, because I'm busy with a lot of things, so..." She blushed with excitement. It was almost time to drive, and the three of them walked into the platform together.Yujin put his and Axin's luggage into the sleeper car, and then returned to Minazi and Axin who were talking on the platform. "Please come to Sakata to play in the future, brother will be happy." "Well, I want to go. I'm not familiar with those places in the northeast. I'm afraid it's snowing a lot around Sakata at this time?" "Snow falls every day, but because it's by the sea, the snow isn't deep." So they talked. Seeing Yujin coming back to the platform, Ah Xin asked, "Is your luggage okay?" "Do not worry about it." "I'd better go to the carriage." Ah Xin was still worried, so she greeted Mei Nazi, went into the carriage by herself, and left them on the platform. "As soon as I talked to Kosaka's sister, I felt sad. She misunderstood my relationship with Kosaka. I really wanted to tell her the truth." When Minako said this, she looked very sad. "It's better not to talk about that." "Really? But I think she's looking at me differently." "There's nothing wrong with making her look differently." "But I feel as if I've done something bad, and kept it a secret." Then the car bell rang.Uojin still wanted to share his views on the issues just mentioned, but he had to say "OK, then" in a hurry, and got into the car. "In short, I don't agree with you telling it. No one knows about you and Xiaosaka except me and you. For Xiaosaka, for yourself, you shouldn't tell it. If you want to talk, it's your selfishness. Maybe you'll find peace of mind when you tell it, Leigh, but it's not welcome." The train moved on.Maybe Yujin's words were a bit tougher, Minazi's expression suddenly became sad, but she immediately turned around and raised her hand, probably Ah Xin opened the car window and poked her head out. When the train passed Hegang, the sky began to light up.Yujin got down from the bunk, walked to the passage, and looked out through the window.The train traveled on a plain covered with a thin layer of snow. He washed his face casually in the bathroom and came back.At this time, Ah Xin who was sleeping on the lower bunk opposite also woke up. "Are you asleep?" Yujin asked. "Slept well. Woke up about an hour ago. Couldn't sleep anymore. Went to wash my face and lay down." Hearing what she said, Yujin saw that his face really seemed to have been washed, it was clean, and the lipstick was thicker than yesterday. "We'll be there in less than an hour. I think my mother will pick me up at the station." Ah Xin said. At half past six, the train arrived at Sakata Station.Standing on the platform after getting off the train, I felt the morning air was extremely cold as it brushed against my cheeks.The people around the ticket office were crowded, so Yujin and Axin stood aside and left when there were fewer people. "Mother is here. Do you recognize her?" Hearing what Ah Xin said, Yujin looked towards the crowd at the ticket gate, looking for Xiaosaka's mother.The figure of a woman in her sixties looking this way quickly caught his eyes.The woman was accompanied by a rosy-cheeked girl in her twenties. "Is that the one? With a young girl." "Yes. The girl next to me is a maid. Since there are no children around, mother loves her as if she were her own child. Do you think mother is more like a brother than me?" Although Axin asked this question, Yujin couldn't tell whether Xiaosaka's mother looked like a son or a daughter from such a distance. As soon as he walked out of the ticket office, Kosaka's mother came over with a smiling face. "It's rare to come from a long way! I'll talk about it later, thank you first, I've made you worry more this time!" She said, nodding her head slightly.That expression didn't look like someone who came to pick up a person who reported his son's death.There must be sadness in the heart, but there is no sadness or pain on the face.Judging by her calm demeanor, she seems to be welcoming an ordinary visitor from afar. "Where's the car?" Ah Xin asked. "Here, wait there. Please!" Mother led the way to the parking lot.There was fine snow falling on the square in front of the station, but there was no snow on the ground. Yujin, Ah Xin, and mother got into the car one by one.The rosy-cheeked girl sat next to the driver. It is only five or six minutes away from the station to Kosaka’s house by car, at the foot of the ramp in Riheshan Park.Looking from the station area, the terrain there is quite high.It is said that that area is the quietest place near the mountains in Sakata City. Get out of the car at the door of the house.It was a rather grand mansion surrounded by black courtyard walls. It was hard to believe from the outside that only the mother and maids lived in it. "It's here. The old house in the country looks weird." Ah Xin's tone was like greeting in advance.She let her mother and the maid go in first, and then walked side by side with Yujin into the wall door like a guide. Opening the front door, there is a mud passage extending inside, Yujin followed Ah Xin and walked in along this passage.The passage turned to the left, and at the end of the bend was what looked like a kitchen. Suddenly, a sliding window in one of the rooms facing the passage opened, and Kosaka's mother poked her head out and said, "Please come in." "This house is so magnificent!" Yujin couldn't help but exclaimed.He stood on the dirt floor and looked up at the exposed beams on the ceiling.The thick and hard wood is used, which is not seen in the Tokyo area.At first glance, it looks like a mansion of aristocratic family.But the large mud field outside the house makes people feel cold. Uozu took off his shoes and walked into a room that looked like a dining room with a fireplace. Ah Xin who came in from the kitchen said, "There is a photo of my brother in the next room." That probably meant: This is Kosaka's hometown, please meet my brother when you get here. The mother of Yujin and Xiaoyu.The three of Ah Xin walked into the next room together.There is not enough light here, the interior is dark.等到眼睛适应后，才看到屋子角落里有个方台子，台上竖着一张放大的照片，照片上的小圾乙彦穿着登山服，手拿登山镐。照片前面的花瓶里插着两三朵蔷薇花。 一般是要设佛坛的，大概是因为小坂的尸体还没有找到，所以才这样摆设的吧。竖着的照片没有凄惨的气氛，不象是在纪念死者。 鱼津还记得小坂的这张照片，那是在大学三年级的夏天，两人一起攀登枪岳峰时拍摄的。是鱼津用小坂的照相机拍的。 “阿馨要我在您来的时候不要哭。其实，我一个人的时候也是不哭的。乙彦是凭着自己的爱好去做的。为了这个丢了生命，也是他心甘情愿的吧，真的，长期以来，承蒙您照顾了。我不知道听他叫过几千遍'鱼津、鱼津的'啦。”小圾的母亲说这话时的语气是爽朗的。 大家回到饭厅后，鱼津郑重其事地向小坂的母亲说了些吊唁的话，又把遇难前后的情况详细叙说了一遍。说话时，他尽量避免刺激母亲的情绪。小坂的母亲频频点头，待他讲完便说：“这孩子，中学时代就常常半开玩笑地说：'妈，我死也不死在炕头上。'现在这句话应验了。可是我这么想——男子汉嘛，应该凭自己的意志，爱干什么就干什么。反正人生只有一次。乙彦是干了自己喜欢干的事而丢失生命的，凭这一点，我想他是心满意足的。” 小坂的母亲终究难免热泪盈眶，可是说话语调还是那么清晰。坐在旁边的阿馨看到母亲老泪横流，便提醒她：“妈，别哭呀！” 母亲说：“我没哭。你看，我一点儿也没哭啊。眼泪要流出来，那有什么办法，它自己流出来的。”说着就笑起来了。然后笑着拿手绢擦了眼睛，“你们俩肚子饿了吧。”说完就站起来，好象是为了结束这个悲伤场面似的。她的动作是那么敏捷，不象六十来岁的人。 鱼津觉得阿馨说得对，她和小坂比较起来，母亲更象小坂，脸形一模一样，性格也象。也许阿馨象十年前去世的父亲，据说他是在本地一家银行当过经理的。她似乎比母亲和哥哥都更坚强，能够克制自己的感情，不让它流露出来。 吃过早饭后，鱼津想起了十万元奠仪，把它拿出来递到母女俩面前。 “您这是干什么呀！乙彦要吃一惊的。”母亲不肯收。可是不收的话，鱼津心里不好过。于是说：“那就这样吧，请您把这份奠仪充当挖掘乙彦遗体费用的一部分吧。反正为了乙彦，还得请您往山里跑几趟的。” “那不用操心，这样的旅费，要多少公司都会给的。” “别说大话啦，难道您身上背着银行！” “不，真的。我们的分公司经理是个通情达理的人。”鱼津说着，硬把奠仪塞给了小坂的母亲。 “好吧，您一定要这样。我就听您的，由我暂时保管吧。”母亲走进邻室，把它放到乙彦的像前。 下午，鱼津跟着阿馨来到屋后山风上的公园。和早上一样，外面仍然飘着羽绒般的小雪。 沿着屋前坡度不大的小道走上去，右边有石阶，石阶尽头就是小山顶。 “早春是宜人的，可是现在光有一个冷。”阿馨这么说。确实还冷。从公园可以了望到海港一带，可惜海面被迷茫的飞雪遮住了，不能远眺。 “还可以看到最上川的河口呐。” 阿馨把鱼津带到可以望到最上川河口的地方。可是那儿同样由于飞雪遮掩，视野展不开。在灰蒙蒙的天空下面。只能隐隐约约地看到一片似乎是河滩的地方。 由于海面上有风刮过来，这里很冷。丘陵上松树林立；背海那面的树干上沾满着白雪。 两个人从小山上斜穿过去，走进了日枝神社的庭院。刚才在公园里没看到一个人，此刻本地人叫它“山王”的这个神社里也不见人影。院子里有积雪。 两人踏着雪，朝楼门那边走去。 “这里是哥哥常来玩的地方。” 鱼津想，这里一定是小坂童年时每天来玩的地方。眼前仿佛出现了一个双目炯炯有神、动作异常敏捷的少年，在欢蹦乱跳。 正殿周围围着防雪的帘子，只露出正面的一部分来。 “我记得哥哥曾经验过那个狮子狗。他大概是为了这受到了惩罚吧。” 这个狮子狗身上现在也积满了雪。 “明天要是天晴了，我还要带您去看一个地方。” “不，我明天得回去了。”鱼津说。 “哎呀！您明天就走啊！” “要上班的，不能老呆在这里。” “您只住一夜，怎么办呢！您一走，我和妈妈一定会寂寞得哭出来的呀。求求您，再多住一个晚上，好吗？” 阿馨说这话的时候，表情是很认真的。鱼津也觉得要是自己一离开这里，她们母女俩可能真的会一下子感到寂寞的。 鱼津还是决定只在小坂家里住一夜，次日就乘下午的火车离开酒田。阿馨和她母亲都劝他：难得来，多宿一夜再走。可是住在失去了小坂的小坂家里，对鱼津来说是极为痛苦的，而且一想到自己已经见到小坂的母亲，尽了应尽的义务，事故发生以来积累的疲劳一下子都袭来，鱼津很想只剩下自己一个人。 鱼津打算先赴山形，在那里下车宿一夜，访问一下也和小坂很要好的大学时代的同学、现在高中执教的寺田。应该告诉他小坂的死讯，鱼津认为，这样做，故友也会高兴的。 出发的时候，阿馨和她母亲送他到火车站。阿馨说：“我打算过一个星期回东京去。回到东京再来向您道谢吧。” 鱼津来的时候，小坂的母亲没有流眼泪，可是现在送他回去时却哭了。 鱼津从车窗里探出头，她把身子凑近车窗说：“昨天早晨在月台上看见您和阿馨的时候，我真以为是乙彦和阿馨回来了。真的，我真有那样的感觉。现在您这么一走，我会一下子感到很寂寞的。” “妈，别难过，我还会带他一起来的。”阿馨从一旁说。 “我会常来的。”鱼津也说了。 鱼津心想：不知道是不是能常来。但现实的问题是，找到小坂尸体的时候是非来不可的，此外，总还得来慰问这个故友的母亲吧。 列车驶出站台，就看到一望无际的庄内平原上雪花在飞舞。绵延辽阔的平原，过了几个车站还望不到边。 驶近山边的时候，原先还只是绒毛般的细雪变成了湿漉漉的雪片，纷纷打在玻璃窗上。 过了狩州站以后，庄内平原逐渐变窄，原先在平原边上的雪山现在渐渐靠近了。不多一会儿，车窗左面出现了最上川的墨青色的河流。 过了下一个站，列车就行驶在最上川河岸上了。蒙盖着一层白雪、长着杂树的山岚呈现出一片银灰色。山脚下的墨青色的河水懒洋洋地流着，看不到一点波纹。 鱼津望着最上川河流，想着亡友小坂，心痛如绞，一股难以忍受的寂寞感涌上心头。发生事故以来已经过了十多天了。直到这时候他才痛感到这个事实，亲密的朋友——此刻他心底里的小坂已不再是登山运动员，也不再是遇难的同伴，而是单纯的朋友——小坂乙彦已经离开人世，这对他是多么悲拗的事。直到津谷站附近，列车驶离最上川之前，鱼津的视线始终没有离开过墨青色的河流。 一路上经过的几个小车站，几乎都让大雪埋掉了一半，而且在每个车站附近都能看到寒风中拉着雪橇的马匹。 离开酒田时，事先打了个电报，所以到山形站的时候，寺田已经等候在那里迎接他了。 “这次可遭罪了。小坂这家伙也真可怜，唉！这也是天命吧。所以嘛，我向来就不喜欢山。” 寺田是将近六尺身材的高个子。在剪票处一看到鱼津，就说出了这番只有知心朋友才说得出的贴心话。 “我看你是精疲力竭了吧。” “不，现在好了。不过，在来这里的一路上，我才第一次感到小坂这家伙真的已经不在人间了。” “好，先到旅馆吧，到那儿再谈。” 两人乘车到市中心的一家在本市也算数一数二的老旅馆去。街道上虽然没有雪，然而到底是北方城市，在暮霭沉沉的街巷中仍然飘着细细的雪花。 这天晚上，在旅馆的一个房间里，鱼津和离别了两年的大学时代的朋友喝了酒。 “小坂也是喜欢喝酒的。咱们喝酒，他也会为我们高兴的吧。” 寺田说着这些话，频频给鱼津斟酒。自从发生事故以来。今晚是第一次喝酒。在小坂家吃晚饭时，她们招待了酒，但鱼津不好意思，没碰过酒杯。 喝到桌上已有了三、四个空酒壶的时候，鱼津感到全身都醉了。一看寺田，尽管他说大话，吹嘘启己的酒量比以前大了，可是实际上早已满脸通红，嗓子也粗了。 “有个叫什么制绳公司的，说是要试验一下登山绳，看看会不会断。他妈的，不干好事！” 听到寺田这句话，鱼津把端到嘴边的酒杯放回到桌上，然后慢吞吞地问道：“报上登着这样的消息吗？” 寺田说：“你还没看过？登在今天的晨报上。是那家尼龙登山绳公司的经理或董事之类的家伙在说。尼龙登山绳绝对不会断，说它断了，恐怕有问题。还说要好好调查情况，必要的话就公开做试验，看看绳子会不会断。” “唔……”鱼津不由得这么哼了一声。 “要不要看看？这个旅馆总该有报纸的吧。”寺田要叫女招待。 鱼津赶紧说：“算了。回到东京再慢慢看吧。'”说完又“唔”了一声。自己一直在处理小坂的后事，还没能完全摆脱悲伤，就在这期间，事情已经在朝着自己根本预想不到的方向发展了。这种预兆早在下山时，从松本返回东京的火车里看到的报纸上，已经开始出现了。可是鱼津并不十分留意。与其说不留意，倒不如说小板的死亡给他的打击太大了，以致他来不及顾及其他事情。 “不过，”寺田一边给鱼津斟酒一边说；“他们说登山绳不会断，我想这样一来，你的处境就不妙了。登山绳不会断，反过来不就等于说，是你把登山绳割断的吗？” "you could put it that way." “可别掉以轻心啊！这次回到东京，你应该清楚，详尽地声明登山绳是怎么断的。” “当然要声明。” “要不然会产生各种各样的臆测。管它报纸，杂志都行，要尽快公开发表遇难经过。” “你放心吧。”鱼津简短地回答了寺田，然而脑子里想的却完全是别的事情。 登山绳是断了的。随便谁怎么说，这是不可改变的事实。问题是登山绳为什么会断。断裂的原因，要么从登山绳本身的性能上去找，要么从外来因素上去找。如果原因是外来的，那么造成这原因的只能是自己或小坂。 鱼津先讲出其中一个，加以否定：“我可没有割断它！” 鱼津忘了寺田就在自己眼前。 “那还用说吗！我并不认为是你割断的。” “你不会这样认为，可是社会上会认为既然登山绳是不会断的，那就是我割断的了。” “所以我说，你必须尽快提出你的论征。” “证明不是我割断的，是吗？”鱼津这时候的表情是悲戚的。“你是要我证明登山绳不是我割断的。我怎么可能去割断它呢？” 对此，寺田默然不语。于是鱼津就象要代替他回答似地说了：“想得救！想活命！所以我就把悬挂着朋友身体的登山绳割断了，难道是这样！是的，谁也没看见，看见我们的只有那披着大雪的悬崖！”鱼津发出了歇斯底里的笑声。接着又说：“寺田，你放心好了。我不会割它的。我只希望和小坂一起死，不会只想到一个人活命的。” “好啦，喝吧。我看你还是那么累，没恢复过来。” 寺田可能感到鱼津的言语异乎寻常，所以故意不去理睬他说些什么。 “不是我割断的，那就还剩下一个技术性的问题。就是说在登山绳的操作上有缺陷。比如说，自己无意中用防滑钉鞋踩了登山绳啦，或者做饭的炉火把登山绳烧焦啦，可是我和小坂是不会有这种差错的。要是谁这么假设，作为一个登山运动员的小坂，是死也不能瞑目的。” "I see!" “不是我割断的，登山绳在操作上也没有缺点，那么剩下的问题是……” 说到这里，鱼津把嘴闭上了。最后一种情况是不能在寺田面前说出口的，那就是：小坂为了自杀自己故意损伤登山绳。自杀的原因不能说没有。了解其中情况的，在这世界上只有自己和八代美那子。眼前，八代美那子不就有这种疑虑吗！ “可是……”鱼津只吐了这么个词。他虽把它说出声，其实，这是他独自在思考中自己对自己发出的。 可是，怎么也不能设想小坂会用那种方法自杀。我很理解小坂的为人，哪怕到了悲痛欲绝的地步，哪怕突如其来的自杀念头爆发，他也不会选择那种死法。他是登山运动员，怎么可能以此来玷污高山呢！ “登山绳是自已断的！它本身所具有的致命弱点，就在那时刻暴露出来了，尽管原因还不知道。也许套约登山绳的岩角有问题，或者可以假设尼龙登山绳对某种特定角度的岩石特别脆弱。”鱼津第一次这么有力地说出结论性的意见。“好，算了，一切都等回东京以后再说吧。不管怎么样，没有了小坂，实在寂寞。” 鱼津为寺田拿起酒壶。