Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Journey and Accommodation

Nobuko Shiokawa got off at Kofu Station.Nagano was written on the note left at home, but the train entered Nagano very late and had no intended destination.Why don't you get off the bus at Kofu tonight and stay overnight, thinking about your future life.Another reason for getting off at Kofu was because there was a strange man in the first-class carriage, which greatly dampened her interest in the rare trip. Originally, the first-class carriage was very quiet.Although it is summer, the time is not forward or backward, so there are no young climbers.Probably because people don't want to travel in the heat, so there are few passengers.Nobuko was in the reserved seat compartment, and there were no other passengers around.So, before passing Hachioji Station, she was in a relaxed mood.

The man boarded the train from Shinjuku Station and initially sat near the door.There are a total of twelve or three passengers in this carriage, with scattered black heads protruding from the backs of the seats.The man changed to the seat opposite Nobuko after the train passed Tachikawa Station.He was holding a weekly magazine in his hand, and when he saw Nobuko, he stopped reading the magazine, but looked at the car windows on both sides with interested eyes. Nobuko didn't notice this at first, only realizing it as the train approached Hachioji Station.The man was forty-five or six years old, with gray hair and the appearance of a gentleman.When his eyes met Nobuko, Sansheng nodded as if fortunately.When he opened his thick lips, his thick thick eyebrows drooped suddenly, showing a kind face.

"It's so deserted on the train, it's boring!" the gentleman said to Nobuko. "It's too crowded and I can't bear it, and it's lonely when it's so empty. People's hearts are really hard to satisfy!" Smooth words, courteous face. "Where is madame going?" At this time Nobuko has not yet decided to get off at Kofu.Tickets can be bought at Kamisuwa.In desperation, she simply told the other party. "I'll get off there too," said the gentleman happily. "Stay well in Kami-Suwa tonight. Tomorrow, I will take the Chuo Line to Nagoya for business...Is that so? Madam is going to Kami-Suwa too!" He looked at the front and back of Nobuko's seat, but of course there was no one there.The gentleman is confirming whether Nobuko has any traveling companions. "It takes four hours to get to Kami-Suwa from here, how do you spend the time?"

Nobuko was bored.In order to sort out her graduation thesis, she packed as little clothes as possible and more books in her suitcase, and planned to read it on the train, but the man kept nagging.It seems that even if he takes out the book to read, he will not restrain himself. "Now is a good time to go to Kami-Suwa. In summer, people gather in the mountains, so it's quiet there. The Asama Onsen and Akakura in Matsumoto are very crowded, but Kami-Suwa is a blind spot. Ma'am How long are you going to live in Kamisuwa?" "not decided." "Ah, is it? Hey, that's great! It's the best way to travel without planning. And...alone?"

"Yes." How annoying!This book is impossible to read. "That's very chic. But, do you only meet when you're staying at the hotel?" I don't know how interesting!It was almost like sloppy intrusion into someone else's state of mind.The man first took out a cigarette and asked Nobuko to smoke it, but after being rejected, he took his travel bag from the luggage rack and took out a chocolate candy and handed it over. "How about it?" "Oh, thank you." Nobuko just looked at it. "I don't want to eat anything right now." "Why, it doesn't matter. Nothing to do anyway."

"Yes." Nobuko didn't reach out his hand. The man tried every means to pick up the conversation, but although Nobuko didn't answer, he talked about his personal affairs passionately.He said that he is the operator of a certain company and he is busy all year round.Other companies are suffering from poor performance, but their own company is thriving.And I often reflect that I should take a break from my busy schedule, travel and recuperate, and working hard all year round is harmful to my body.This is a man's way of showing off his own strength, and it is also a way to touch a woman's heart.

"Is Madam's husband also in business?" "..." "Oh, I guessed wrong... But, how can you ask your wife to travel alone? Can your husband rest assured?" "..." "Well, how should I put it? Today's women are different from the past, and they can fully enjoy their freedom." There was no response at all here, but he chatted endlessly.In the end, the man almost sat next to Nobuko.If I had been sitting in Kami-Suwa, I wondered what kind of trouble I would cause.Nobuko still has to think about her future life, so before arriving in Kofu, she began to prepare to get off the bus.

The man was amazed. "Madam, do you want to get off at Kofu?" "yes." "Kofu is not bad too! How about I get off here too!" He looked at the window of the slowing train, and at Nobuko's profile. The scope of housewives running away from home is also limited, which is different from men.If it is a man, he can go to the distant Hokkaido or to the southern Kyushu, and he doesn't care if he wanders outside for a month or two. Housewives, however, face obstacles.Nobuko felt this unavoidably when she left the note and boarded the train.I wanted to wander among the strange mountains and rivers in Nagano, throw away all the troubles, and the fresh air will fill the body and mind, wash away the muddy water of the past, and exchange for a clean spiritual world.

To be honest, she really didn't want to live in a hotel, so she found a dimly lit farmhouse to live in, and then wandered endlessly in the open fields.In a sense, it was a total erasure of myself from life in Tokyo.No, this is completely ignoring your own existence. However, when it comes to practice, it is very difficult.Traveling as an orphan is accompanied by endless troubles, even riding a car is not peaceful.If the strange man didn't talk to her, Nobuko would go straight to Kamisuwa, the time should be nine o'clock in the evening. When we arrived at Kofu Station, it was already time to light up the lights.This is the land for the first time, without knowing anything.She saw the posters posted on the wall of the station and learned that there was a hot spring area nearby.

"Yes. About ten minutes." After getting out of the station and taking a taxi, the driver introduced the time to go there. It is said that the urban area of ​​Kofu was burned down by the war, so there are no antique buildings.Looking around, there are mountains behind all the roofs, and the huge Mount Fuji is sunk in the twilight.Tangcun Hot Spring has opened up a block in the rice field, almost all of which are hot spring hotels.The driver introduced her to "Takiwa Hotel", but this is a Japanese-style hotel.Nobuko was led into the far side room, the living room was very spacious.Open the sliding windows on the verandah, and the mountains on the opposite side of the vast field become a microcosm.

"Go straight there, and you will reach Minnobu. The train to Shizuoka passes through that canyon." The waiter put the tea on the table, and then quietly came to Nobuko. This is a calm and steady middle-aged man. women. Above the dark shadows of the mountains lay a dark night sky.With the moon tonight, the outline of the peak is easily distinguishable from the sky.In the distant basin under the night, there are scattered lights in the world. "Is this your first time here, ma'am?" "Yes. It's also the first time I got off at Kofu." "Oh, is that right...the hot spring here is very good, you can fully enjoy it." She took Xinzi to the hot spring bath, walked to the middle of the corridor and turned left.White sand piled up in the atrium with twinkling lights, unknown grass and flowers spread their branches and leaves, and Nobuko stretched her limbs in the hot spring water.There was a sanxian sound in the distance, but the sound was not ear-piercing, instead it brought out the tranquility of the surroundings.The hot spring water is so clear that you can see your toes at the bottom of the pool. At this time, her husband Hongzhi may have gone to the woman's residence again.Even if he saw Xinzi's note, he would not be shocked too much. She seemed to see her husband's expression when he said "huh".Nobuko had never seen that woman, but she could imagine that she was Koji's lover in Osaka.Nobuko can sometimes find such traces from her husband who returns home, and that woman's habit seems to have not changed until now. The husband called the woman from Osaka to Jinwu Zangjiao, but Nobuko was unwilling and powerless to investigate.Will the couple be able to live like this?Xinzi suddenly decides to travel, but also eager to get rid of the status quo and seriously examine her future life. I don't know what the purpose of her husband Hongzhi is to lure Associate Professor Asano to meet him in Ginza.When Xinzi went out, he saw the gift box sent by Asano Tomaruzen, and Xinzi asked about it from the babysitter.Asano also looked distraught.It seems that the root cause is the gift box. Is the husband trying to use this as an excuse to force a divorce?Nobuko felt the air around her become tense suddenly, and her correspondence studies also became bleak. Associate Professor Asano received the strange letter two days after meeting with Nobuko.The author is a woman, and the sender is of course an unfamiliar name.It is also clearly stated in the content that the name of the sender is purely fictitious, and it is meaningless to inquire about it. "The teacher must know Nobuko Shiokawa..." This is the opening sentence.After reading this sentence, Asano seemed to have been hit in the head, and his eyes trembled. "Nobuko is a married woman who is studying by correspondence at L University where the teacher teaches. This is something the teacher knows and I don't need to explain it. I once saw the teacher and Nobuko dating in a Ginza teahouse for some reason, but I don't know. Don't worry about mentioning this to anyone." "What I want to say is that Nobuko Shiokawa left her home suddenly. It doesn't look like she ran away from home now, maybe she was traveling to solve her relationship problems. Nobuko left a message saying that she would travel to Nagano. The destination and time are different. Not stated. I think the direct reason for her trip is that her husband Hongzhi learned of the fact that the teacher was dating Nobuko. However, what I want to say is that there was a rift between them a long time ago. Even if Hongzhi heard Regarding the fact that Sensei and Nobuko are dating, there is no dispute between the two, so please rest assured." "As for why I talked too much about this to the teacher, it was because I realized that the teacher had deep affection for Nobuko Shiokawa. At the same time, I also knew that it was inconvenient for Nobuko to contact the teacher at present. Out of consideration for my own protection, I wrote the letter on the back of the envelope. The name of a certain woman is indicated, but this is purely fictitious and does not have any meaning of inquiry. But I want to emphasize that this is also out of kindness to the teacher and Nobuko Shiokawa, and there is no malice." "In addition, regarding Nobuko Shiokawa, if the teacher wants to get rid of the current loneliness, you can write a letter later and attach the method of contacting me. Right now, I just want to inform you about the movement of the person you love the most. To be on the safe side, I would like to Emphasize that if the teacher calls or writes to Yanchuan's family to inquire about this matter, it may lead to unnecessary disputes and put Xinzi in an embarrassing situation." "Nobuko only said that the destination of her trip was Nagano, and the teacher would feel vague and confused. To be honest, I don't know the details, so please bear with me." The signature is "Akiko Miki". Less than two hours after reading this letter, Asano Tadao hurriedly prepared his luggage, because he intuitively felt that this letter was not a joke.He didn't know the purpose of the person who wrote the letter, he didn't know whether the other party was a woman or a man, and he couldn't tell from the alias.But at least the handwriting is that of a woman.If she is a woman, what is her relationship with Nobuko Shiokawa?Literally speaking, she was very familiar with the Yanchuan couple, otherwise she would not have understood the situation so clearly. However, the analysis and research is a matter for the future. The problem is that Nobuko has traveled to Nagano now.A loyal husband can't sit idly by, he also has certain responsibilities to Nobuko, and wants to see Nobuko to confirm the truth.At this moment, the existence of the loyal husband's trusting husband suddenly became heavy and swelled. "Hey? Where are you going?" The preparation for the trip without warning made the mother feel puzzled. "The summer lectures are finally over. I want to go to the hot spring resort in Nagano to relax my muscles and bones." "Really?" The mother looked at her son inexplicably. "When was it decided?" "Now." Indeed, the son hadn't had any signs of it last night or this morning.If a loyal husband says he has planned for a long time, he has to make up lies when explaining the reason. "That doesn't matter...but where are you going in Nagano?" "I don't know. I don't want to make a plan this time, and just go wherever I go." "How many days?" "Come back in a week." The mother wanted to read the secret deep in his heart from his son's expression. "You go on a trip, why don't you ask Taizi to go?" "Don't mention Taizi anymore! Taizi is indeed a good girl, but I still can't get along!" "Huh? Then..." "Even if I compromise now, my married life will not be happy. Please, can mother talk to Yasuko about this." "This kind of thing, I can't say." "But if that's the case, Yasuko will be a widow for the rest of his life! Yasuko should be able to find someone better than me!" Tadao Asano left his mother and came to the hall. After leaving the courtyard gate, the summer is already westward.Looking up at the clear sky, he seemed to see Xinzi walking in the sky, and now he wanted to see Xinzi even more urgently. "Did you rest well last night?" In the morning, the waitress brought milk for Nobuko and greeted her kindly. The blinding sun shone on the backyard of the hotel, as if getting up was late, but it was only around eight o'clock.Because the waiter was older, Nobuko felt at ease.There was a serene smile on her face, and her demeanor was very steady, unlike a waiter in a hotel, it seemed like she had entered a relative's house and met an acquaintance. "Yes, I slept soundly." Nobuko also smiled.Indeed, I put aside all my troubles last night and slept soundly and peacefully.Seeing the bright sunshine this morning, I feel even more refreshed. All the previous depression has been washed away to Java Island.This is all a gift from the clear sky. "Is it particularly sultry last night? The weather in the basin is hot in summer and cold in winter." "It didn't feel too hot." "Are you going back to Tokyo today?" "No. I want to go elsewhere." "Oh? Go somewhere cooler?" "Not sure yet!" The waitress was silent, maybe she felt it would be presumptuous to ask further.I have been doing reception work for a long time, and my sensibility in this area is very keen.In fact, Nobuko really has no set destination. Although she has already arrived here, she feels that she has no idea when she considers that she will stay in a strange hotel next time.And it is the peak tourist season, and all the hotels in Nagano may be full of tourists.For a period of time after that, I should act lightly, and I should turn my brain into a vacuum, so that new ideas may emerge. Suddenly, she wanted to give up going to Nagano and go to Nagoya instead, to travel freely and freely, and she could go wherever she wanted at this time.So she took out the train timetable from the suitcase and stared blankly at the map in the book.The cobweb-like traffic lines extend in all directions, and there are strange station names along the way. Just looking at it makes people fascinated.However, when it comes to making up your mind, you still need courage. Just looking at the map is already daunting.Turning the timetable over and putting it down, Nobuko stepped on the clogs.The backyard of the hotel is very wide, with both pavilions and small pools. The water in the pools reflects the strong light of the morning sun and complements the remaining dew on the lawn. In an unexpected direction, Mt. Fuji appeared head-on.I am used to seeing miniature scenes from a distance, but now I feel an aggressive aura.The Mount Fuji seen here is one-third of the upper part standing on top of the surrounding mountains, rather than a whole with beautiful curves at the foot of the mountain. Therefore, without that sense of stability, only the image of a steep crater remains. This hotel is still a first-class hotel in Tangcun, and the building is more magnificent.The main building surrounds the courtyard in a semicircle and stretches to both sides. It has three floors and two floors, and there are bungalows on the edge.Although the structure is complex, it is patchwork. On the corridor of Nobuko's room, the figure of the maid appeared. Nobuko turned and went back to the room. The curtains in the adjacent room were still covered.There were laughter and laughter from the other side. Looking back, I saw a couple with their children taking pictures of each other. "Breakfast is ready." Nobuko asked for toast, and the waiter accompanied her during the meal. "Just now, a guest was looking at Madam!" the waiter said with a quiet smile. "He watched you walk from his room." "Not good!" Xinzi frowned. "I shouldn't be walking around the yard carelessly." "It was a male lodger." Xinzi felt even more disgusted. "No, don't worry." The waiter looked at Xinzi and said. "That gentleman is very elegant and steady, and he is alone." "..." "He came here two days ago, seems to be from Tokyo too, and stayed in the room all day." "Are you in charge of that room too?" "Yes, I am in charge of these five adjacent rooms. Because there are not many tourists here in summer... But, madam, that gentleman is definitely not looking maliciously." Either way, being stared at by men is not a pleasant thing to do. "Just when he was eating, I greeted him and saw his wife walking in the yard. He said, oh, there is a new guest. I have to say that he arrived last night." "Curiosity is very strong!" This is sarcasm. "My lady went around the pond to the pavilion, from where I can see Mount Fuji." "Yes!" "The guest has been watching and said, ah, it really looks like a painting!" "Is he a painter?" "Not sure, because he doesn't do anything in the room. Could it be, is he really a painter?" She followed up on Xinzi's words and asked. Asano Tadao boarded the express train bound for Matsumoto from Shinjuku at 17:15. Of course, he didn't know where Nobuko was now.Although I went to Nagano, I still feel like looking for a needle under the sea.However, thinking that he was heading in the same direction, he secretly looked forward to meeting Nobuko unexpectedly. He didn't know anything about the sender, Akiko Miki, let's say she was Nobuko's girlfriend.She probably wrote a letter to herself privately after hearing what Xinzi told her. People with this kind of character are common among female friends.If this is the case, Nobuko should already be aware of his existence.This judgment made Asano summon up a lot of courage.In the train, the young people going to climb the mountain laughed and laughed, and there were mountaineering backpacks on the luggage racks and in the aisles. "It's 9:51 in Matsumoto, get a good night's sleep, and go climbing at dawn!" The young people standing in the aisle discussed. Tadao was thinking that Nobuko Shiokawa left on this train two days ago, so it would be unreasonable to go to a hotel at nine or even ten o'clock in the evening.It is better to stay in the hotel when it is not dark, which is in line with the habit of women traveling alone.He looked through the train timetable and saw that the train Nobuko was taking arrived at Kamisuwa at 20:50.But if you don't arrive at the terminal but get off early, Kofu is the most suitable stop.The bus arrives at Kofu at nineteen thirty. Tadao Asano bought a ticket to Matsumoto for the time being, and he hoped to meet Nobuko lucky enough, even if he walked along the route Nobuko traveled to Nagano, it would be worthwhile.However, looking at the timetable and considering the woman's psychology of traveling alone, he guessed that the probability of Nobuko getting off at Kofu is extremely high, and she will do so in all likelihood.This inference made Zhongfu even more excited. He got off at Kofu.Of course, it is very difficult to track Nobuko's whereabouts here, let alone what clothes she is wearing.He stood in the station, staring blankly at the hotel accommodation guide hanging on the wall.This is not the first time he has come to Kofu, and he once stayed here for one night on his way home from an academic conference.It was not in Kofu City, but in a hot spring area a little further away, called Yucun. He still remembered the name of the hotel.At that time, I didn't have much cash with me, so I tried to find a cheap hotel to stay.However, Nobuko will definitely choose a first-class hotel. This is not only because Nobuko is particular about herself, but also because when a woman travels alone, staying in a first-class hotel feels the most secure. He came to the information desk of the station and asked to book a room in a first-class hotel in Tangcun, but he was turned down.Helpless, had to choose a lower hotel.In the taxi from Kofu to Tangcun, he has been watching the night scene outside the window.Although it is only a three-hour drive from Tokyo, I still feel strongly that I am on a journey.At this time, he felt a little sentimental in himself who was looking for Nobuko.The hotel was at the village entrance of Tangcun. He had soaked in the hot springs and had dinner, and it was nearly nine o'clock. "Are you going out?" asked the young waitress. "Yeah, I'm going around." He was about to change his kimono into a suit. "You can go out in a single kimono," said the waiter.This is to tell him that he doesn't need to change his suit specially.However, what Zhongfu thought about was what to do if he saw Nobuko, he didn't want to see Nobuko just like this.Moreover, Tangcun is definitely small.If he is in a good mood, he also wants to visit Kofu at night. There is only one street in Tangcun, with hotels on both sides. It is a bit deserted than the average hot spring street. There are not even the usual souvenir shops, and there are no other entertainment facilities. It feels like a lonely village in a paddy field.The loyal husband walked back and forth to the edge of the village, inadvertently looking at the lights of the hotels on both sides.However, he gradually lost confidence, feeling that he was looking for such a place, but Xinzi might have gone far away, and not seeing Xinzi made him extremely disturbed.He came to the taxi shop on the street, looking for a car to go to Kofu.This is a hot spring street, and there are constant passenger vehicles traveling between urban areas. When he came to the city of Kofu, he walked in the so-called bustling neighborhood, and looked at it with the eyes he was used to seeing in Tokyo, and it was still much more rustic here.However, there is always a tranquility that cannot be found in Tokyo.The faithful husband walked aimlessly, and suddenly saw a bookstore on the side of the street, and walked into the brightly lit store.He thought, if he could find two or three books he was interested in, he would buy them and stuff them in his luggage.Buying books in places other than Tokyo is also a very interesting thing.Faithful husband looked up at the bookshelves moving slowly under the fluorescent light, and the man standing there reading suddenly raised his head. "Oh!" The two yelled out at the same time. Koji Shiokawa was talking to clients in the bank's reception room, and he was off work in thirty minutes.At this time, the phone in the corner rang. "Hi!" Hong Zhi replied in a low voice.This is etiquette in front of guests. "I'm sorry to bother you during the reception." The switchboard operator recognized the executive's voice and said respectfully. "There's someone who said he must talk to you...it's Cheng Ze." It was Zhi Lizi's call, and Hong Zhi frowned. "Hey, is that you? I'm Zhilizi." "what." "Hot news! So I want to tell you quickly." "what." "Why aren't you interested... It's that university teacher who left home too." "What?" Hong Zhi couldn't help but tighten his grip on the phone. "Are you still worried after all? Hehehe." Zhi Lizi smiled. "Hey! I'm a little busy right now." "Ah, sorry! Let me cut the long story short. You wanted to know sooner, didn't you?" "..." "Just now, I called Asano's house. If he was at home, I wanted to laugh at him. But, it seems that his mother answered the call, saying that he just went on a trip." "..." "I asked him where he was going. He said he was going to Nagano." "..." "Hey! Can you hear me?" "what." "The answer is so vague." "..." "I asked him where he went to Nagano, and his mother said she didn't know." "yes?" "Really?! Did you just stand by and watch? That teacher finally chased your wife." "Strange! How did the teacher know her whereabouts?" "This! It's my little trick." "..." "You want to know the details, come to me tonight! I'll tell you all about it." "Not tonight. It's late and I have a job." "You're so calm. You're promising." "I'm busy right now..." "Then when are you coming?" "Or tomorrow, when you pass by for work." "No matter how late tonight, I'll be waiting for you." "I'm not sure." "Oh, isn't this going back to your own home? Where are you going?" "Let's talk about it tomorrow!" Hongzhi put down the phone that Zhi Lizi was still nagging on. "Excuse me." Koji Shiokawa returned to the guest.The guest was a gray-haired man of forty-five or six years old, with thick black eyebrows, thick lips, and drooping thick eyebrows, giving people a cheerful impression. "Where is it," said the guest with a radiant smile. "Sounds like something good is coming?" "No, nothing good!" Hong Zhi lowered his head and knocked the cigarette on the silver cigarette case a few times. "The executive is young and capable, Madam must be very strict, right?" "It's a pity. If it's like what you said, then I'm really lucky." The guest is a director of a company. "But can you lend me a little of your time? Please do me a favor." "I'm ashamed that you seem to be making fun of me." The guest smiled boldly, showing his snow-white teeth, and his thick black eyebrows drooped more and more. "Executive, how about enjoying the light and relaxing tonight? I'm really sorry for negotiating in such a heavy and rigid manner." "Oh? Thanks a lot!" "I can accompany you right now, but that would be too conspicuous. You and I are both people of status. Why don't I take my leave first and send a secretary to pick you up later." "Troubling you!" "The location... how about it's in Akasaka?" "Understood." "If the executive already has someone he likes, I can arrange it right away." "No, that kind of place is not for me. I never reach out. I know who I am." "You really know how to joke." This time the guest laughed silently. "When you are in the executive position, no matter what you do, it is not out of line." "Where are you, you are also aware of the banking business. Although it is insignificant, you don't dare to indulge in absurdity..." "You're right. You'll be all right with your self-love."