Chapter 13 Chapter Thirteen

The assistant to the head of the field section repeatedly told Changzi not to leak Hori Yi's indiscretions to the outside world, and went back after speaking.It seems that this is not only the opinion of the assistant of the field section chief, but also the instruction of the section chief. Masako didn't understand what kind of indiscretion Horizawa had committed in the work unit. Horizawa was proud of being highly regarded by the section chief during his lifetime.Every night when I came back late, I always said that I went to nightclubs and restaurants with the class leader.He thought that being valued by the head of the section would be the ladder to his fortune.

However, only a few days after Horizawa's death, the head of the section took a 180-degree turn, accusing him of "indiscretion" and so on.Changzi couldn't understand it. Masako recalled what journalist Morimoto told her when she went to the economic department last time, saying that the news of Horizawa's disappearance was provided by the section chief, who also pointed out that publishing this news would bring great benefits to the newspaper, etc. Wait. Why did the news of Daden Teden Horizawa's disappearance bring great benefits to the newspaper?The so-called benefit is nothing more than the effect of the layout of the newspaper.

Reporter Morimoto was quite indignant at the despicable behavior of the section chief, so he said this to Masako. What is its inside story?It's just unimaginable.The only clue is that when she was not at home, the house was burglarized, but there was no loss. When Horizawa came back, he reprimanded Masako with a sad face.He hides important things in his drawers and locks them.The lock was picked, and the contents inside were turned into a mess. Changzi asked her husband, what was missing?Horizawa kept shaking his head, in fact, he lost something important.Masako said that even if nothing was lost, it should be reported to the police.Horizawa was furious and stopped her.His attitude at that time was difficult to explain according to common sense.

Tiao Ze's "mistake" seems to be related to the burglary at home.Perhaps Horizawa lost important documents in the Economic Agency. But the question is why no one traced his responsibility when he was alive?And after he died, he was accused of "not picking up points" and so on.Besides, what important files can an ordinary employee keep? Now that there is such an abnormal atmosphere, Masako is even more convinced that Horizawa and Reiko are definitely not "dead in love". Horizawa and Reiko's "love death" is a personal matter.Horizawa's "mistakes" in the work unit were business affairs. How could these two problems of different nature be confused together.Maybe someone consciously mixed it up for ulterior motives.Masako considered that Mr. Takemura's actions seemed to have a purpose.Changzi decided to check it out.

This is not only for my own husband, but also for the sake of my sister who died unjustly. However, I can't do anything by myself.If you want to investigate the inside story of Section Chief Zhucun and Assistant Field Section Chief, it is inconvenient for me to go out and find out the secret behind-the-scenes situation. Masako thought of Jim. It wasn't her random whim, but it had existed in her consciousness for a long time, and she always felt that Yoshiki was standing behind Horizawa. She and Jim have only met twice, and Jim's image is always circling in Nan's mind.After this incident, it seemed to her that Jim was watching her from afar.

She remembered meeting Jim by chance on the stairs of the apartment. On the fourth floor of the apartment, a "number two" committed suicide suddenly.Horizawa decided to move afterward.At this moment, she intuited that the suicide on the fourth floor seemed to be related to Horizawa. Masako did not tell Horizawa that she had met Yoshiki.After the suicide on the fourth floor, it was Horizawa who offered to move. Masako vaguely recalled the scene when Horizawa and Yoshiki were together in the forest of Yamaxi, Kyushu.At that time, the two were close friends.Then, their relationship suddenly cooled.Changzi indifferently wondered whether the reason was his own.Not only that.There seems to be an inextricable bond between Horizawa and Yoshiki.

Even so, Masako felt that Jim was the only one who could be trusted now.Yoshiki may have the secret of Horizawa, and Yoshiki watched Horizawa's actions from the side. In order to find out the reason for Horizawa's "love death", she must go to see Jim, maybe he will have a good idea.Kikuko Ono once told her Yoshiki's address.She called once and Jim wasn't there. Masako decides to pay a surprise visit to Yoshiki's office, perhaps meeting him.If you call, the other party will say that he is not there. Changzi got on the tram, his heart was beating up and down. She was imagining how Jim would treat her when he saw her.However, she couldn't care less about it.She feels that Jim is the only person she can rely on at the moment.

Masako went to find Jimu's office according to the address written in the notebook. This area is full of small western-style buildings like wholesale shops.She asked people nearby where the Institute of East Asian Fiscal Studies was.People tilted their heads as if they hadn't heard of it. Changzi searched carefully.There are also some antique shops in the area.It was very easy to find the Institute of East Asian Finance, which was located above an antique shop, which shows the scale of the institute. Antique shop windows display Buddha statues, teacups, plates.Going up the narrow stairs is the Institute of East Asian Finance.

In the corridor there are shovels for reception.A girl in her twenties behind the glass door served as the messenger. "Mr. Jim has resigned." Changzi had nothing more to say. "when?" "It's been half a month!" the girl replied. "And where does he work now? Do you know?" "do not know." Masako stood there bewildered. Jimu quit his job, which made Changzi want to see him. Several figures were moving in the window, and some of them glanced at Changzi.After a while, a man in his mid-thirties came out from another door. "Did you inquire about Jimu-kun?"

"Yes." Masako bowed to him. "Jimu-san resigned two weeks ago." "I heard it just now. I didn't know anything about it before." "Excuse me, do you know Jimu?" "yes." Changzi didn't understand why this person took the initiative to talk to him?No matter what his purpose is.Anyway, he could catch him and learn about Jim. "I have something to ask Mr. Jim. I visited here for the first time today, and I was surprised when I heard that he had resigned. I didn't expect it." "yes?" The man looked Changzi up and down.

"Have you anything urgent to do?" he asked. "Yes, it's a matter of urgency. Can you get in touch with Mr. Jim here?" "No, we don't know his new address... Please sit down!" As soon as the man waved his hand, Masako sat down on a soft chair a little far away from him. "Jimu-jun's resignation was sudden, and we couldn't figure out why he resigned." "Didn't he give any reason?" "Yes. He only said that he had a personal situation, but he didn't give the real reason." "..." "After receiving this month's salary and severance allowance, he suddenly disappeared." "What's the matter?" "His behavior is too strange. Mr. Jimu receives much less salary than us, and his life is not well-off. Why did he suddenly resign?" "I'm sorry, are you and Jimu very close? Do you have any clues to find him?" The other party asked Changzi in turn. "No, I haven't seen him for a long time, and I don't know he resigned." "Yes. Mr. Jimu has a sharp mind and is a good young man. He is very mobile. It's a pity that the research institute lacks such a good man!" "May I ask, what kind of job does Mr. Jim hold here?" "Our financial research institute. Most people don't know much about it. Our job is to compile daily economic conditions into data for the reference of various companies. We also accept special commissions and conduct special investigations. Jimu is in charge of interviews, and he often visits various companies. , groups. He did a great job." "Is he also in and out of the official hall?" She wondered if Yoshiki had been in or out of the Economic Planning Agency where Horizawa worked. "Official office?" The man tilted his head: "Although he is not full-time, he sometimes helps with work." Changzi still wanted to ask more questions, but it was the first time he met the other party, so he had to be worried. "thanks." Masako thanked the man and descended the narrow stairs. She walked for a while, stopping at the window of a nearby antique store. Naturally, she has no interest in admiring antiques.She was thinking over and over what she had just heard.In front of you is the kettle from the Li Dynasty, the plates from the ancient Kutani, the wooden Buddha statues from the Kamakura period, and the long scrolls of Buddhist scriptures... ——Why did Jim resign? Half a month ago, it happened to be around the time Horizawa's body was found.Besides, his resignation was too sudden to be a mystery. Masako lost his target.Now that she had no choice but to act alone. Horizawa called Tokyo the night before he left Sakunami Onsen Aobaya.Changzi seemed to feel that the mystery was about to be solved.Horizawa was waiting for someone, and after calling, he decided to leave the hotel the next morning. Horizawa's phone call was to the "Takita" restaurant.Now Changzi wants to do everything possible to break into "Takita".A notice board at the entrance of "Takita" appeared in front of her eyes, and the shop was looking for maids. She gritted her teeth and decided to become a maid, so that she could see with her own eyes which guests often came here to eat and get clues from them. Changzi's family environment is relatively well-off.If my parents heard that I was going to pick up customers, I don't know how angry they would be.Especially the mother will surely turn pale with anger. However, in order to achieve the goal, only this means has to be adopted. She was always unable to make up her mind.It seemed that there was a force urging me to walk towards "Takita". In the evening, this area is very lively.The front of the restaurant was cleaned clean, and the front of the gate was sprinkled with water. Masako stood in front of the "Takita" gate, but couldn't muster the courage to go in.Walked up and down the nearby streets five or six times.People nearby looked at her strangely. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Changzi finally made up his mind.Gently push the door and go in?The person who came out to receive her was a girl in her twenties, staring at her bone-bone. "I heard that maids are being recruited here, so I want to give it a try." Changzi said timidly. "please wait." The little maid went in and shouted: "Sister! Sister!" After a while, a chubby woman about forty years old came out. "is it you?" The woman stared at Changzi's demeanor with wide eyes. "Yes. I came here after reading the notice at the door." Changzi replied with a flushed face. "Then, please come in!" The fat woman led her to a room with six mats next to the tent.The room is equipped with a dressing table and a wardrobe, which are polished and polished.The paintings on the partition are also very delicate. The fat woman introduced herself as the head maid here.So I asked about Changzi's household registration. The foreman heard that Changzi was a widow and lived alone in the apartment, and felt that the conditions were quite suitable, so he smiled. After the foreman sat down, not long after, another 34-year-old, slender woman came in.She sat down in front of Masako, and the head waiter called her "Mom"; she was "Takita's" old lady. Masako repeated what he had said to the foreman.The proprietress seems to have a good impression of Chang Yu.The man was fair-skinned, with a well-shaped face, and might have been a geisha in his youth. "It's tiring work," said the landlady. "From outsiders' perspective, it seems very easy to just serve guests, talk, and drink, but many people can't stand it, and they stop coming after they can't work for a while. Anyone who comes to work in a place like ours , each has its own difficulties, but there are also those that cannot be tolerated?" Masako replied, she knew it well, please rest assured. "As far as I can see..." The proprietress looked Masaoko up and down and said, "It seems that you are a lady from a better family. I welcome you here. But please make full mental preparations." Changzi sat there upright. "It's not that I'm scaring you, because you haven't done this kind of work before, so I have to say it first... Ah Jian!" The proprietress turned around and said to the foreman of the maid: "You need to point her out..." Then she turned her head and said to Changzi: "If you don't understand anything, you can ask Ah Jian. We have about twenty maids here. Maids, they are all good people. If you have difficulties, overcome them more, and if you have anything you can’t think of, you can come to me.” The old lady told Changzi to come to work tomorrow. When Masako walked out of "Takita", the sun had already set and the surroundings were gradually darkening.The street lamps made a deep impression on Changzi as if inserted into her heart. The next day, Masako went to work at "Takita".In the store, she changed her name to "Yae" to conceal the identity of her deceased husband.The store promised her that she could go home late at night, and she always came back by the last tram. On the first day, Masako went to work in her out-of-town kimono.The maid's foreman said that the dress was too good to be a maid, and asked her to order another kimono. At first, the store didn't let her accompany the customers.She is only assigned to serve as "delivering dishes", that is, bringing dishes from the kitchen to the guest door.To be a competent maid, one must go through the stage of "passing the dishes". "Chuancai" is busy back and forth under the orders of the guest maid and chef. As soon as I go to work in the morning, I immediately put on my overalls and help the chef wash and prepare dishes in the kitchen. Peel the taro skin, peel the shrimp skin, and wash it. This work is called "dotting".Then clean inside and out.The work was led by the old maid, but mainly by the newcomers.The maid who is younger than herself also instructs her to "do this!" and "do that!".When I got back to the apartment, I couldn't sleep as if I was falling apart.After working for a few days, I haven't seen any kind of guests from "Takita". Such a life cannot last.Try to achieve the goal without the mother noticing.But so far it seems unlikely.Because the work of "passing vegetables" has been done for at least half a year or a year.When can I go to the guest room to meet the guests? Changzi hesitated. Changzi went all out.There is no other way but to find the "object" in "Takita". She didn't have the courage to take the initiative to tell her mother.Wait for her mother to ask her before confessing to her. She thought: Although I can't go directly to the guest seat.After a while, after getting to know the maids well, you can ask them about the guests.These people are tight-lipped to the outside world, but they have no taboos on their own people. Masako learned that "Takita" is relatively famous among the restaurants in this area.Customers fill up every night.It is difficult to find a seat without reservation.Most of the visitors are regulars.There are very few individual tourists. Masako listened to Sanxian and folk songs, serving dishes back and forth in the corridor.Sometimes I pass by customers, because I can't see the other person's face clearly because I lower my head. "How? Can you learn anger?" When the proprietress met Masako, she often asked her this question. "I can learn to play, thank you." "That's good. After you get used to it, I'll let you be a guest. You're pretty and you know the rules." Changzi saw that the old lady was a good person. However, the foreman of the maids is a stubborn and stubborn person. The maids fawned over her.Changzi gradually understands that Ah Jian, the foreman of the maid, holds considerable power.Whoever offends her, she will immediately send him to a guest seat where there are not many guests, and the tip will naturally be less. There are five cooks in the kitchen, all young.They were rude, but they seemed to be all good people, and since Masako was a newbie, they went out of their way to take care of her. Masako could only hear the maids talking about the guests before and after get off work.They often use the first letter of their names when addressing guests: Mr. H, Mr. Y, and Mr. E. Only they know it, but Changzi is puzzled when he hears it, and he doesn't know who he is referring to. In addition, group reservations and reserved seats are written on the blackboard in the account room, and most of them are treats for companies in Nihonbashi and Kyobashi.All are formal dinners.It was difficult to find out the "object" Masako wanted to know. Masako thought that she had to get used to the work here as soon as possible, so that she could find the "object" that Horizawa was calling at Zukunin Onsen.For this she must befriend the old maid. Under the supervision of the foreman, the maids are divided into four groups, and each group has a group leader.Chang Zidang is in the "passing on" stage and has not yet been incorporated into the group. She wants to get close to A Bin, who is kinder to her. A Bin is nearly forty years old.Divorced twice, there is a child in high school at home. A Bin's status is second only to the foreman, he is very capable and careful. The four team leaders had disagreements with each other and were not very united.Three of them approached Ah Jian, the foreman, only Ah Bin did not buy Ah Jian's account, and all the guests liked Ah Bin. "How is it? Are you used to it?" The proprietress often asks Changzi.