When the evening came, the sky started drizzling again. The night wind became even colder.
On a rainy day, it turned dark early.
Xiao Qi felt that sitting in an empty classroom at night would be even colder, so she put on a knitted sweater inside her coat.
She wondered if Mr. Yamamoto would still be wearing his unchanged outfit - trousers and shirt.
Xiao Qi went to class, bringing along a jar of pickled bamboo shoots again.
Although Mr. Yamamoto would give her skills every time as long as she listened carefully in class, Xiao Qi still wanted to give him something.
When Xiao Qi arrived in the classroom, there were even fewer people, perhaps because of the rain.
Walking to the classroom, her feet felt a little uncomfortable. Meng City didn't rain often, so she would inadvertently step into puddles along the way.
However, she was wearing boots with thicker soles, so they didn't get too wet, just a little uncomfortable.
After sitting for a while, she saw Mr. Yamamoto come in.
Sure enough, he was still wearing the same clothes and pants, but he had put on a very old-looking knitted jacket on the outside, very old, because she felt the yarn was hard.
His shoes were still leather shoes, shinier than usual from the rain.
Only then did Xiao Qi notice that Mr. Yamamoto's shoes were actually quite new.
Mr. Yamamoto came in right on time when the bell rang. He put down his teaching materials and books, and the bell rang immediately.
At this time, there were still very few people coming to class. Although there were usually few students, those who needed to retake the class would at least come in several. But today, it seemed like it was just Xiao Qi and a couple sitting in the last row who looked like a young couple, huddling together.
Also, they seemed to have intentionally turned off the lights at the back of the classroom, making it a little dark.
Even so, when class started, Mr. Yamamoto still meticulously called for them to stand up.
Recently, Xiao Qi had been progressing very quickly. With buffs in language sense and memory, plus her own hard work - basically using every spare fragment of time to study - her basic Japanese communication was very smooth now, apart from occasional obscure vocabulary.
Mr. Yamamoto taught the class steadily and methodically, which further consolidated Xiao Qi's foundation in Japanese. It was even better than when she first learned English.
But listening to Mr. Yamamoto's lecture today, it seemed a little different than usual. Usually he would follow the textbook, but today he talked loosely, like a general summary, and also like a statement of his own life.
Hmm, Mr. Yamamoto said he had a friend...
Generally speaking, when listening to this kind of thing, one would feel that this friend was probably you yourself.
The couple sitting at the back quietly stayed out of the teacher's lecture. Mainly all in Japanese, they couldn't understand anyway.
Xiao Qi basically understood it. Mr. Yamamoto said this friend of his had a very good family background when he was a child. He lived a sweet life in a villa with a pine tree at the door, and the pine tree was very big and lush.
In Japan, looking at the pine tree at one's door is a way of gauging their family background. If there is a huge pine tree at the door, it means the family background is very good, with heritage.
Later his friend's family declined, their business failed, his parents died in a car accident, and he almost dropped out of school. Relying on the financial support of an uncle who married into another family, he managed to finish college.
After graduating, this friend of his found a job and became a company employee. He worked very hard and made money to pay back double to that uncle. He also got married and started a family. But later he lost contact with the uncle.
He thought he would live a happy and plain life like this for the rest of his life. When retired, he could take a large sum of money to travel with his wife and daughter to places he didn't have time for before. Japanese company employees basically have lifetime employment, and their retirement benefits are also very generous. But unexpectedly, due to changes in the company, he was laid off and only got a severance payment.
As it turned out, this severance payment was actually embezzled by his wife, who also asked him for a divorce and took away their daughter, because that daughter was not actually his...his friend's.
Speaking to this point, Mr. Yamamoto choked up a little.
To be honest, Xiao Qi could not really empathize. After all, the story Mr. Yamamoto told spanned a large part of one's life, while Xiao Qi's life had just begun.
But she could feel Mr. Yamamoto's pain. His friend...was probably him.
The end of class bell rang on time, seemingly ending this lecture. Mr. Yamamoto did not say what happened to his friend afterwards.
The couple at the back packed up their bags and left hand in hand. On a rainy day like this, in the dark corner, the student union and discipline committee people would probably not suddenly jump out.
Today, Mr. Yamamoto did not pack up his teaching materials. Instead, he sat in his chair, looking a little exhausted.
Xiao Qi walked over and still handed over the can of bamboo shoots she had originally intended to give the teacher.
Mr. Yamamoto took it and said, "Xiao Qi, I'm leaving Huaguo. I'm sorry I can't continue being your teacher. You have studied very hard, and I hope you can always persevere."
Xiao Qi did not expect that this ordinary class would be Mr. Yamamoto's last lecture.
She had thought that it was just raining today, and Mr. Yamamoto might have more worries and sentiments, as rainy days always bring more melancholy, poetry and memories to sentimental people.
"Teacher, are you going back home? What are you going to do when you go back?" Xiao Qi had guessed that the "friend" Mr. Yamamoto talked about was probably himself. In his own words, even if he went back to Japan, he would be alone without family or work. At his age, it would be hard to find a good job in Japan, right?
"Yes, I'm going back to Japan. My uncle's health may not make it through this winter. I'm going back to accompany him," Mr. Yamamoto said. Then, as if suddenly recalling that in the story of his friend he mentioned an uncle, he showed a slightly embarrassed expression.
It was still a little gloomy, but also a little gentle.
He solemnly handed Xiao Qi a business card, made of very delicate wood, with an ancient building that looked like a temple painted on it.
"Xiao Qi, if you go to Japan, you can come find me here."
Xiao Qi took the business card with both hands and carefully put it away.
The two did not leave together. Xiao Qi left first.
Looking back, as usual, the lights in the classroom were still on, and an upright old man sat at the lectern.
Xiao Qi walked into the rainy night with an umbrella, with street lights along the roadside.
The familiar mechanical voice rang in her ears again.
"Host, you studied diligently, were positive in your attitude, took initiative to care for others, and brought hope of life to a desperate and disheartened old man, helping him walk out of the shackles of his past life. This has brought tremendous positive energy. System level unlocked, system upgraded to Level 9 Progressive System. Host will get 0.9 yuan for every step, capped at 30,000 steps daily."
Xiao Qi paused, then continued walking forward, avoiding the puddles on the road.
In the dead of night, Sheng Juanhua got up.
Kneading dough, boiling water, the big pot bubbled as the water boiled.
Su Youfu sat by the stove, stoking up a roaring fire.
Today they were going into town to celebrate her big uncle's birthday. Because they had handed in too little money, mother-in-law told them to make a basket of peach buns to bring into town.
Buns they made themselves didn't cost money, right, Li Fengjiao said righteously.
It was already very cold in Gumula Village in the autumn.
The couple both wore tattered padded jackets. The dining table was cleared, and Sheng Juanhua pinched out bun after bun, while Su Youfu cooperated to shape each kneaded bun into a peaked shape like a peach. Then Sheng Juanhua would dip the tip of each peaked bun into red flower decoction water, turning them into buns that looked just like real peaches with red tips.
The boiling water in the pot bubbled vigorously. Sheng Juanhua arranged the dipped buns in the steamer, spacing them out because they would squeeze together after steaming.
She filled up three whole layers. Making this many would definitely yield a large basket.
After arranging them, Su Youfu continued stoking the fire, while Sheng Juanhua leaned against a stool, letting out a big yawn.
Tears flowed out from the yawn. She was still very sleepy.
But she didn't go back to sleep. The couple were excited mentally, having slept late last night and gotten up early this morning, barely sleeping at all.
Thinking of what they were about to do, Sheng Juanhua felt exhilarated all the way down to her bones.
Su Youfu was the silent determined type once he made up his mind.
The two dared not chat more in the kitchen. Rural kitchens were open on all sides, so anything said could be heard outside.
Outside movements could also be heard from inside the house.
"You go sleep for a bit. I'll call you when the steaming is done," Su Youfu said, seeing his wife's constant yawning.
Sheng Juanhua shook her head: "I'll wash my face and tidy up my clothes and pants, then stay overnight at aunt Xiao Qi's place. I'll go to the back door to get some fresh vegetables, and when I get to the city, I'll first deliver the vegetables to the hospital. You can go directly to uncle's place."
