Tokyo, 1991: Starting as a bank clerk

Chapter 175 The Madam is Amazing! [Third Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets]

You have chosen branch three.

Bank deposits increased by 10 yen.

Current bank account balance: ¥1,581,200

In front of the Yayoi family mansion, the taxi braked suddenly and came to a smooth stop.

Kiryu Yaya took out two 1000 yen bills from his wallet and handed them to the driver.

The four people got off the bus one after another.

Mizuna Yayoi got out of the passenger seat, walked to the doorpost, and pressed the doorbell.

The butler opened the door: "Mina-sama, welcome back. Madam has prepared lunch."

"Thank you for your hard work, Grandpa Ito."

Yayoi Mizuna bowed slightly, then turned to the side and gestured for the three of them to proceed.

Butler Ito's gaze lingered on Kiryu Yaya for a moment, then he bowed slightly and stepped aside to make way.

"Please come in, gentlemen."

The four of them took off their shoes, put on the slippers they had worn that morning, and walked along the long corridor.

The aroma of kelp broth wafted through the air.

Kenta Sasaki took a deep breath and said in a low voice to Kishou Arima, "It smells wonderful."

Arima Kishou glanced at him and lowered his voice in return: "When you're in someone else's house, can you please not act like someone who's just started eating at a restaurant?"

"This is a sincere compliment."

"You can praise it after you've tasted it."

"Can't you just let me say something in a straight voice?"

"cannot."

The two followed Kiryu Yaya and Yayoi Mizuna through the corridor to another room next to the living room from that morning.

The dining room is smaller than the living room, about twelve tatami mats in size, covered with dark green tatami mats, and has a dark brown rectangular low table in the center.

The tableware and some dishes were already set on the table.

Five dark black lacquer bowls, five pairs of chopsticks, and five small plates were arranged neatly.

Not all the dishes had been served yet, but the few already on the table made Kenta Sasaki's eyes widen slightly.

Yuba sashimi.

Fresh yuba leaves from Sagano are folded into small fan shapes and placed in a celadon dish, accompanied by a small dish of soy sauce and a pinch of freshly grated wasabi.

Beijing-style pickled food.

The three colors of the lacquerware—sweet pea, sour stem, and firewood—were separated into three small earthenware dishes and placed on a rectangular lacquerware tray.

Kamo eggplant.

The eggplant is cut into thick, round slices, lightly fried in oil, and then simmered in dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. It is sprinkled with a little bit of kimono buds on the surface, giving it a translucent deep purple color.

And a pot of sea bream rice simmering on a low flame.

Yayoi Kazuko came out from the direction of the kitchen, carrying a tray with five teacups and a teapot on it.

She changed into a light blue kimono with a dark purple obi (sash), and her hair was still neatly pulled back as it had been that morning.

Seeing that the four people had already taken their seats, a gentle smile appeared on her lips.

"You're back? Please sit down. Yuba sashimi should be eaten while it's fresh."

Mizuna Yayoi led the three of them to sit down.

Kiryu Yaya sat by the window, with Yayoi Mizuna next to him, and Sasaki Kenta and Arima Kishou sitting opposite him.

Yayoi Kazuko knelt on the seat of honor, placing teacups one by one in front of each person. Then she picked up the teapot and poured a cup for Kiryu Yaya first.

"Kiryu-kun, have some tea to warm your stomach first."

"Thank you, Madam."

Kiryu Yaya picked up the teacup with both hands and bowed slightly.

Then she poured tea for Kenta Sasaki and Kishou Arima, and finally for Mizuna Yayoi.

This order is already a clear signal in Japanese family etiquette for entertaining guests.

Kenta Sasaki, holding his teacup, secretly glanced at Kishou Arima.

Arima Kishou drank his tea expressionlessly, without looking at him.

"Come on, Kiryu-kun, try this Yuba sashimi."

Yayoi Kazuko used serving chopsticks to pick up a plate of yuba and placed it on the small plate in front of Kiryu Yaya.

"It was delivered from Sagano this morning. The shop there starts making the yuba (soybean curd sheets) at four in the morning every day. You have to wait until a film forms on the surface of the first batch of soy milk before you can peel off this sheet."

Kiryu Yaya glanced down at the soup leaves in the dish.

It was indeed an extremely thin layer; you could see the pattern on the bottom of the celadon dish through it.

He picked up a piece, dipped it in soy sauce and wasabi, and put it in his mouth.

The taste is amazing.

The first taste is the unique sweetness of soy milk, followed by the salty and savory flavor of soy sauce and the slight spiciness of wasabi, and finally the slightly chewy texture of the tangye itself, which slowly melts in your mouth.

"It's delicious."

He put down his chopsticks and said something very seriously.

Yayoi Kazuko's eyes crinkled, her smile carrying a sense of satisfaction at being recognized.

"I'm glad you like it. Mizuna loved eating this when she was little, and she would always eat two plates of it. But when she went to middle school, she didn't eat it as much anymore, probably because she got tired of it."

"Mother----"

Mizuna Yayoi's ears turned slightly red, and she muttered something under her breath.

Ignoring her daughter's protest, Yayoi Kazuko used the serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of Kamo eggplant and placed it on Kiryu Yaya's plate.

"Try this one too."

"The eggplant was delivered this morning from a farm by the Kamo River. Kamo eggplants are at their most tender this season, with thin skin and thick flesh, and they are especially flavorful after stewing."

Kiryu thanked him and picked up the eggplant.

The eggplant has been stewed until it is very soft and tender; it can be easily separated with chopsticks.

He put it in his mouth, and the juice had completely seeped into the eggplant fibers. It was perfectly sweet and salty, and the fragrance of the budding fruit slowly spread on his tongue.

"Madam's cooking is superb."

Yayoi Kazuko's smile deepened.

She glanced at the teacup in front of Kiryu Yaya and saw that it was more than half empty, so she reached out and picked up the teapot to refill his cup.

Kenta Sasaki, sitting opposite him, witnessed the whole thing. Finally, he couldn't help but lower his voice and say to Kishou Arima, "Why does it seem like Auntie is especially nice to Kiryu?"

Arima Kishou was just picking up a piece of pickled food and putting it in his mouth when he heard this. He chewed it twice, swallowed it, then picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then spoke slowly.

"Because Kiryu-kun is the one among the three of us who deserves the most enthusiasm."

"7

Kenta Sasaki: "————"

He paused for two seconds, then took a deep breath.

"Your words are really hurtful."

"I'm just stating the facts."

"When you state the facts, can you please consider the feelings of the listener?"

"No. Because facts don't need to consider feelings."

Kenta Sasaki decided to give up any form of communication with Kishou Arima and turned to look at Yaya Kiryu.

Kiryu Yaya was looking down at his soup and seemed unaware of the conversation taking place.

Yayoi Mizuna sat beside her, her gaze shifting from her mother's face to Kiryu Yaya's face, and then back to her mother's face.

She felt that her mother was a little different today, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was different.

He was just too enthusiastic towards Kiryu-kun.

Lunch was drawing to a close.

The dishes on the table had been almost completely eaten, and only a thin layer of crispy rice remained at the bottom of the taiyaki rice pot.

Kiryu Yaya put down his chopsticks and got up to go to the restroom.

He was wearing those dark black casual pants today, with shallow pockets.

When I went hiking this morning, my wallet and keys were stuffed inside, and it was already quite bulging.

Just as he stood up, a black card slipped out and landed on the dark green tatami mat.

The card is facing up.