Tokyo: Starting with taking on his wife's debts

The toothpaste tube containing the red toothbrush was still a bit damp, and most of the toothpaste inside had been used; it must have been Riko's.

The toothpaste tube containing the green toothbrush was completely dry, with some white residue still clinging to the walls. The toothpaste was intact and almost unused, suggesting it was used by the deceased, pitiful, and extremely shameless suicidal Hideaki.

The last two cotton towels draped over the table, one a pink one that was usually used, and the other a blue one, still had their tags on, suggesting they had only been used once or twice. They were probably also belonging to Xiuming, who attempted suicide.

"Put your hands behind your back," Xiuming splashed some water on her face, "Hey? Your face is so smooth and soft, it's so relaxing."

"Hey~ Stop pinching me."

Xiuming never used soap or facial cleanser, and Riko finally couldn't help but gasp.

Is this washing your face?

"What's wrong with pinching it? As your husband, can't I pinch it?" Xiuming applied facial cleanser. "Tilt your head back and wash your neck too. We'll kill it and eat it during the New Year."

Riko's legs went weak and she almost fell over. With a wronged expression, she said, "Please, don't scare me like that, it's so scary..."

"Do you really think I'm trying to scare you? If you don't behave, it won't just be a matter of scare." Xiuming pulled out a pink towel, folded it in half, and pressed it against her face, which was dripping with water, to absorb the droplets.

"I will obey."

"Good girl, look how sincere you are." Xiuming took her soft hand, carefully avoiding her injured finger, and washed it while tilting his head and leaning in to kiss her.

Riko's already flushed face turned even redder. Staring at his face, she swallowed hard, lowered her head, and whispered, "I... I didn't brush my teeth. Can I next time? I promise I will..."

"You dishonest woman, you won't have another chance."

Xiuming dried her hands with a towel, draped the towel over the drying rack, and casually tossed the blue towel and the toothpaste tube containing the green toothbrush into the trash can. "Let's go, I'm going downstairs to deliver the goods and collect the deposit."

Riko glanced at the trash can, then looked back at the shelf above the sink, and threw the blue bottle of men's face wash into the trash can as well.

"Hey? Why did you throw it away?"

Shouldn't it be thrown away?

“Those aren’t worth much, this is a Biotherm brand, it’s valuable.” Xiuming picked out the face wash again and put it back on the shelf. “Where’s your brand? Why are you using a free gift?”

"Ah... I'm done."

"I'll go downstairs and buy you a set. Such a tender face and such tender hands, I can't let them be ruined." Xiuming sneakily pinched her smooth cheek and pulled her out of the bathroom.

Riko shuddered, her eyes somewhat dazed, and was pulled along by him, whispering, "Let's buy it after we pay off the debt? Also... the water, electricity, gas bills and property management fees are due soon, and my bank account was frozen last month."

Because the property is jointly owned, there is also a repayment responsibility. I also learned last month that my husband's mortgage was overdue, but I pretended not to know because I was worried about putting too much pressure on him.

She quietly saved a little money through part-time jobs, but the money she earned was too little. The bank wouldn't normally bother deducting from her account, but because of the long overdue payment, and based on the principle of getting back every penny she could, they froze Riko's account.

To make ends meet, she can only use cash. She currently only has 50,000 yen on hand, while the utility bills (water, electricity, gas, and property management fees) add up to more than 40,000 yen. After paying these, she will even have difficulty affording food.

"Oh?" Hideaki took the tiger plush toy, gestured for Riko to follow him out, and then asked, "How many more days until the bill is due?"

"tomorrow."

"Ah... let's wait a bit! I'm sorry to have troubled you." Xiuming said, turning around as he opened the door.

"No, it's okay." Riko blushed slightly as she put on her beige trench coat.

"Your hand is injured, let me do it."

Xiuming snatched her trench coat and put it on her, gently tightening the white nylon belt around her waist to reveal her perfect waist and hip lines.

Taking advantage of her momentary daze, he placed his hands under her armpits, sliding them down her sides, over her ribs, past her waist, and down to her hips.

He exclaimed, "Look at that figure, it's amazing!"

"Ah~~" Riko shuddered and almost collapsed. She instinctively grabbed Hideaki's arm and whispered, "Please don't do this so suddenly, it's so embarrassing."

"Is it okay if I inform them in advance?"

Riko kept her head down and remained silent.

The two walked out of the room, and Xiuming pressed the elevator button.

The good thing about this building with few residents is that the elevator is super fast.

With a "ding," the elevator doors slowly opened.

Hideaki bent his right arm and gently nudged Riko's shoulder with his elbow as a gesture.

Riko instinctively took his arm.

After the elevator doors closed, Xiuming suddenly said, "Do the residents downstairs know you? Have they seen your husband? Isn't it too dangerous for us to go out like this in broad daylight?"

"No... I've never seen him, and I haven't spoken to them either..."

After all, it's a new neighborhood, and everyone bought at the peak of the housing market. Everyone was feeling frustrated and had nowhere to vent their anger, so they weren't in the mood for polite conversation.

Riko, however, couldn't continue speaking.

Xiuming's way of speaking feels like stabbing someone in the heart; it sounds like he's having an affair.

And then there was the time I asked her to introduce her husband, which I called "colluding with him." Looking back now, I feel so guilty, I feel like I'm about to explode.

"Oh, by the way, before you got home this morning, I received a call from the Kyoto Metropolitan Police Department. They may already suspect that your husband's body is your husband, but I managed to cover it up."

Riko rubbed her forehead, feeling a bit awkward, as if she were witnessing a conspiracy.

Xiuming continued, "The police might come to your door in the next few days, probably to confirm whether your husband is alive or dead. Although I look about 40 or 50 percent like your husband, there are still some risks involved. Do you know how to do makeup? Try to make yourself look like him."

"I know some."

Xiuming nodded and patted his hair. "For the haircut, just do it like the one in the ID photo. It looks pretty casual. When you get home, you can just trim it with scissors. After all, haircuts cost money..."

"Okay." Riko was almost numb.

"Also, if I keep my identity and no one claims your husband's body, he might be buried in a cemetery. Wouldn't that seem too pitiful? After all, he was an orphan."

Yes! It's quite pitiful... Riko froze, suddenly feeling a deep sense of guilt, even though she should be sad...

"What should I do? I'm a bad woman..."

Chapter 12 Sugita

As Riko spoke, she suddenly burst into tears.

At this moment, Hideaki finally realized that Riko had completely accepted the status of the husband he had insisted on, and was even subconsciously covering for him.

good news.

It seemed like it had really hurt her.

Instead of worrying about whether you're good or bad, think about what to eat for dinner... Idiot! You're practically broke, and you still have the energy to think about good or bad?

“Speaking of bad things, I just remembered something,” Xiuming glanced sideways at her tear-streaked eyelashes, and continued walking.

"Those two cartons of milk in the fridge are spoiled too. Are you even worse than the milk? If so, I'll just have to soak you in milk and eat you tonight."

Riko tightened her grip on Hideaki's arm, tilting her head slightly to meet Hideaki's ambiguous gaze.

Her face flushed red instantly, and she quickly lowered her head, lost in thought, and didn't say anything more.

As expected of a newly built apartment building, apart from the exorbitant prices and property management fees, the other amenities are at least superficially decent.

In the central park, all the fitness equipment, such as parallel bars, slides, and swings, are painted and shiny. Some of them still have their plastic protective film on, probably because there are not many people!

The red brick paths are also angular, and the cherry blossom trees, which are as thick as a forearm and were transplanted into the garden, are almost all in full bloom.

A breeze blows, and the fragrance of flowers fills the air; pink petals fill the field of vision and flutter everywhere.

The two strolled leisurely along the path lined with cherry blossom trees, their clothes and hair covered in petals.

Riko's head was level with Hideaki's shoulder, and she leaned against him with just a slight tilt of her head.

When Xiuming tilted her head and glanced over, her eyelashes trembled, and she immediately closed her eyes.

It took a few minutes to walk to the front gate.

Xiuming swung the tiger plush toy in his hand and pushed open the side door of the apartment.

A group of women, ranging in age from young to old, numbered about a dozen, and stood in a long queue at the supermarket entrance. Each of them carried a rag doll of a different design.

However, with just a quick scan, it was easy to see that none of them could compare to his cheat-like skills.

At the very front of the procession, a white sunshade was erected.

Inside the shed, there was a small table, and behind the table sat a woman in her thirties. Her long black hair was styled into a high bun, and she wore delicate light makeup. She was dressed in a rather high-waisted black kimono embroidered with silver thread patterns.

Everyone calls her Mrs. Sugita.

She was inspecting the handicrafts that each woman handed her, and against the backdrop of the women's hunched shoulders and obsequious manner, she really did resemble a stern, strong woman.

Behind her, on a small plastic stool, sat a bald, middle-aged man in a suit, holding a cup of instant coffee, his legs crossed and his shoes swinging as he drank.

Riko pointed to the bald man and whispered that she had never met Mrs. Sugita, only that Miyamoto was the one receiving the goods.

Hideaki peeked out a few more times and discovered that Mrs. Sugita would pay 300 to 600 yen for each qualified product she accepted. She even asked some skilled women if they wanted to work full-time at her factory.

Did Miyamoto secretly lower the price? Or did Sugita suddenly raise the price?

Judging from her demeanor, she seems quite capable... I guess she owns a pretty big factory...

Xiuming shoved the tiger plush toy into Riko's hands and whispered, "Don't say I made it, just say you made it. If she invites you to work full-time, you're not allowed to go."

Even a blind person could tell that this doll is exquisitely crafted and could be considered an artwork worthy of being nominated for intangible cultural heritage status.

If the maker of such a product is then carefully promoted and packaged, it will surely become famous.

As for not letting her go, it would be much better for her to open her own shop; she could work her whole life and still not pay off her debts.

Xiuming didn't want to be famous either.

Identity issues are a major obstacle. Although Xiuming, who attempted suicide, was an orphan, he had many acquaintances: classmates, colleagues, teachers, loan sharks... the list goes on.

It will be easily exposed if someone with ulterior motives investigates it.

If combined with Riko's situation, it might even be maliciously speculated that it was a case of adulterers conspiring to murder their husband.

Moreover, while using one's intelligence-golden finger to select and lock onto targets is a great test of luck and insight, it would be a waste to use it for manual labor.

It's better to just be a shopper, looking around and hoping for the best.

"How could I take your place... It wasn't me who did it..."

"When husband and wife are of one mind, they are inseparable; what is yours is mine, and what is mine can also be yours."

Riko hugged the doll tightly, her face flushed, still wanting to say something.