My new wife discovered my past

After listening to her husband Watanabe's words, Kiko felt that it made sense.

"Hmm...that's true." Jiko didn't think any more about it, and her attention was soon drawn to the dazzling array of food stalls around her.

She touched her still flat belly and said to Watanabe a little embarrassedly: "Tetsuya-kun, I seem... a little hungry.

"How about we eat something while we're walking around? I want to eat that takoyaki and some candy apples!"

"Okay, Yoriko." Watanabe nodded with a smile and led her to the nearest candy apple stand.

I haven't eaten anything since having dessert this afternoon. It's already 6:30 in the evening, so of course I feel hungry because I didn't have dinner.

However, when Watanabe took Noriko to the stall to buy food, small troubles arose.

Tetsuya Watanabe is tall and straight, standing out among the generally short men in the island country.

Not to mention his handsome, almost enchanting face, and Noriko Shimizu's gentle, beautiful face.

The appearance of such a perfect couple at the already crowded festival is just like fireflies in the dark night. No matter where they go, they will immediately attract the amazed, curious, inquiring and even slightly jealous gazes of countless passers-by and tourists.

Although behind them and not far away, there were several priestesses and maids who were wearing plain clothes or secretly, but had distinct temperaments and were always vigilant, guarding them secretly and trying to separate the overcrowded crowd, but those undisguised gazes that swept over like searchlights still made Noriko feel a little uncomfortable, and Watanabe Toru also felt that there were some safety risks.

Watanabe didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble or even disturb Noriko's mood for fun because of his outstanding appearance.

With this in mind, Watanabe first changed direction and went to a stall that specialized in selling various masks.

Standing in front of the stall, Toru Watanabe took a quick look and quickly selected two fox masks.

One is a fox mask with strange red patterns on the corners of the eyes, exuding a sense of mystery and evil. The other is a pure white fox mask with a few pink cherry blossom petals dotted on the corners of the eyes, which looks pure and elegant.

"Boss, I want these two fox masks." Watanabe bought them.

He first picked up the red fox mask and put it on his face naturally, covering most of his face, leaving only a pair of deep and sharp eyes and a perfectly shaped jaw.

Then, Watanabe picked up the white fox mask again, gently put it on Noriko, and carefully adjusted the tightness.

"This way you won't attract too much attention or stares." Watanabe's voice sounded dull through the mask.

There were a lot of people wearing masks at the summer festival, and they didn't care at all about the addition of Watanabe and Noriko.

Noriko looked through the reserved eye holes on the mask at the inquiring eyes around her, which had obviously decreased because they were wearing masks. She then looked at her husband who was also wearing a fox mask. She found it novel and interesting, and couldn't help laughing. She respectfully said to Watanabe:

"Yeah! This is much better! Tetsuya-kun is really awesome~~"

After putting on the masks, just as Watanabe expected, fewer people paid attention to them.

Although it can still be seen that Watanabe and Noriko have extraordinary figures and temperaments, making people feel that the two faces under the masks are handsome and beautiful, their outstanding appearance is covered by the masks, blocking the sight of most people, and that is enough.

At least it won't be like before, where I would become the focus of the crowd wherever I go and attract countless rude onlookers.

Watanabe and Noriko were finally able to relax a little and enjoy the upcoming festival.

After putting on the fox masks and blocking out most of the probing sights, Watanabe Tetsuya and Shimizu Noriko indeed felt much more relaxed.

"Tetsuya-kun, I want to eat that apple candy!" Kiko pointed to a stall not far away that was full of red, crystal clear apple candies. Even through the eye holes of the mask, one could see her excitement at the moment.

"Okay." Watanabe nodded with a smile, took her hand, and protected her through the slightly crowded crowd to the stall.

He bought two apple candies and bought a portion of octopus balls that Keiko had been talking about for a long time from the stall next door.

The two did not rush to find a place to sit down, but just like the most ordinary young couple, they walked, strolled, ate and chatted with snacks in their hands.

The night of the festival truly belongs to the young; the air is filled with the aroma of food and the excitement of hormones.

They didn't eat a lot. They just picked out the ones that interested them the most and wanted to try the most from the wide variety of snacks on the stalls. They bought only one portion of each and shared them, tasting only a little. They were more enjoying the fun of tasting and experiencing together.

After eating some snacks to fill their stomachs, the two of them held hands and took a leisurely walk along the specially opened festival trail on the river bank, which was illuminated by countless lanterns, to digest the food.

They walked and chatted, mostly with Noriko talking and Watanabe listening.

Noriko excitedly commented on which snack she had just eaten was more delicious, which stall had more interesting masks, and which game looked more fun...

Watanabe always had a gentle smile on his face, listening to Kiko patiently, agreeing from time to time, or gently putting his arm around Kiko's waist to protect her.

Occasionally, they would be attracted by the performances going on on the small stage temporarily built on the roadside and stop to watch for a while.

There were girls wearing traditional costumes and performing simple ritual dances; there were skilled Taiko drum performances that drew rounds of applause; and there were also some young bands passionately singing popular songs...

As they walked, Watanabe Toru suddenly took Noriko and turned into a relatively secluded path.

At the end of the path, there is a small square. In the center of the square stands an unusually tall, ancient camphor tree with lush branches and leaves.

This ancient camphor tree obviously has a special status in Amemonaka Town.

The thick trunks are tied with colorful shimenawa ropes, and the dense, canopy-like crown is hung with thousands of colorful paper slips and wooden ema with various wishes written on them. They sway and rustle in the wind, as if whispering the wishes of countless people.

Many tourists and local residents gathered around the tree. They were earnestly writing down their wishes on the special prayer boards provided by the shrine, and then reverently hanging them on the branches, clasping their hands together and praying silently.

"Shall we write one too?" Jiko looked at this "sacred tree" that carried countless wishes, her eyes full of longing.

"Okay." Watanabe naturally wouldn't refuse.

The two received two small wooden prayer tablets and pens from a smiling old woman next to the tree.

Without much thought, Toru Watanabe quickly wrote something on the prayer board, then walked to the tree and, with his height advantage, easily hung his prayer board on a relatively high and hidden branch in the tree canopy, ensuring that the words on it would not be easily seen by outsiders.

Noriko Shimizu took the pen and thought seriously for a while before she wrote down her wish on her prayer board stroke by stroke with great solemnity.

"May Tetsuya Watanabe, Noriko Watanabe and our soon-to-be-born baby live together happily, safely and healthily forever."

Noriko Watanabe was not afraid of being seen, so she wrote this wish very clearly. Tetsuya Watanabe and she carefully hung this wish board, which carried her simplest and most sincere wish, next to his own wish board, as if to make the two wishes closely dependent on each other.

"Tetsuya-kun~" Noriko looked up and looked at her husband Watanabe curiously through the eye holes of the fox mask:

"What wish did Tetsuya-kun make? Can you tell me?"

"Secret." Watanabe, wearing a mask, reached out and touched Noriko's head, with a hint of a mysterious smile in his tone.

"Hey, tell me! Tetsuya-kun is the best to me~!" Noriko kept pulling his arm and acting coquettishly.

"No, no, no~" Watanabe never gave in, and was completely unmoved by Kiko's coquettish offensive.

Seeing that Noriko wanted to ask more questions, Watanabe Toru lowered his head slightly, slightly lifted the two masks, accurately captured his wife's lips, and kissed her gently.

Watanabe successfully stopped all of Kiko's thoughts and questions with a kiss that tasted like apple candy.

Just as the two were enjoying this moment of warmth and sweetness and were preparing to stay under the sacred tree for a while longer to feel this unique atmosphere.

The cell phone in Tetsuya Watanabe's pocket suddenly vibrated.

He took out his cell phone and looked at the caller ID. It was Xing Jianyao.

Watanabe gestured to Noriko to wait and answered the phone.

“Brother Toru~” Hoshimi Haruka’s cold and crisp voice came from the other end of the phone: “Saotome, Sakuraba, and I have found a great place for you and Sister Noriko to watch the fireworks. The view is very good, and it is relatively quiet and undisturbed.

"I have already notified the priestesses who are accompanying you, and they will take you there directly later.

"Let's meet there for the fireworks show at 8:30."

"I understand. Thank you for your hard work, Xiaoyao." Watanabe said calmly.

After hanging up the phone, Watanabe Toru shared the good news with Noriko: "Xiaoyao said that they have helped us find a good place to watch the fireworks, and we can just go there later."

"That's great!" Jiko was also very happy to hear that.

Seeing that it was only a few minutes before seven o'clock and there was still half an hour before the fireworks show at Hidaka Shrine at 7:30, Watanabe decided to take Noriko somewhere else for a walk.

"Come on, I'll take Kiko to another fun place." Watanabe Tetsuya took Kiko's hand and slowly walked towards the river bank not far away.

Following the small stream of people, Watanabe, Noriko and the others soon arrived at a spot along the river that was specially used for setting off fireworks and had the widest view.

The river bank here is already crowded with people, mainly divided into two groups.

One group was a group of "campers" who had spread out their picnic mats on the grass by the river early in the morning and occupied advantageous terrain.

Most of them came as families, couples or friends, bringing various foods and drinks, ready to enjoy a leisurely picnic time while waiting for the fireworks feast to start later.

The entire lawn along the river was almost filled with picnic mats of all sizes, filled with laughter and the aroma of food.

Another group of people gathered near the water, holding various sky lanterns in their hands.

Under the protection of several accompanying priestesses, Watanabe and Noriko did not encounter much obstacles when passing through the crowd, nor were they in any danger.

The residents of the small town who had lived in Ameminaka Town for many years immediately recognized the unique hakama representing the Hidaka Shrine worn by the priestesses, and they all made way for them, not daring to be negligent or conflictive in the slightest.

Only some foreign tourists who didn't know what was going on would look at them a few more times out of curiosity. Perhaps, just like what happened at the snack stand before, they subconsciously thought that Watanabe and Noriko were some kind of "celestial dragons" with noble status who needed special guards when traveling.

Soon, Watanabe and Noriko arrived at the riverside area specially used for setting off sky lanterns.

Toru Watanabe and Noriko were standing in the area on the river bank that was specifically used for setting off sky lanterns. Many people who also wanted to set off sky lanterns had gathered around them.

The air was filled with the faint smell of burning paper and candles, as well as the murmurs of prayer and laughter.

Watanabe and Noriko didn't have to wait too long. An accompanying priestess swiftly brought an exquisitely made Kongming lantern and respectfully handed it to Watanabe Tetsuya.

The Kongming lantern is about half a person's height, with a frame made of light and tough bamboo strips and a thin layer of special paper that is not easy to ignite pasted on the outside.

At the base of the lamp, a small block of wax soaked in fuel is fixed.

Toru Watanabe took the Kongming lantern and smiled at Noriko.

The two of them opened the lampshade together, and Watanabe skillfully lit the wax at the bottom.

Soon, a warm flame rose inside the lampshade, illuminating the originally dim paper surface, and the air inside the lamp also expanded rapidly due to the heat.

"Okay, Kiko, let's release it together." Watanabe felt an increasingly obvious upward buoyancy coming from the Kongming lantern, so he said to Kiko.

"Yeah!" Jiko nodded vigorously, with anticipation glittering in her eyes.

They both let go of each other's hands.

The Kongming lantern that carried their silent wishes seemed to be given life. It swayed but firmly rose slowly into the deep night sky...

It joined hundreds of sky lanterns that were already floating in the night sky.

These lights of various sizes and shapes are like countless stars released into the sky...

Watanabe Tetsuya and Shimizu Noriko stood side by side, raised their heads together, and looked up at the flying sky lanterns through the eye holes of their fox masks.

Watching them turn into starlight, gradually moving farther and farther away, and finally blending into the deep night sky, it seems that they can really bring people's wishes to the distant residence of gods.

Ji Zi couldn't help but sigh softly, her eyes full of intoxication: "It's so beautiful..."

"Yeah, yes...very beautiful." Watanabe looked sideways at Noriko and agreed wholeheartedly. (End of this chapter)