As night fell, the lanterns were first lit, and the colorful lights decorated the whole city in a dazzling manner. All kinds of billboards were hung on both sides of the street, and China characters could be seen everywhere. Although it was already midwinter, the cold did not affect the enthusiasm of the thousand-year-old city at all. The bustling crowd flowed in an endless stream, strolling slowly to the rhythm of the beautiful music. It was tense and comfortable.
When traveling to Japan, the beautiful women on the streets were definitely a beautiful scenery. There were fashionably dressed modern girls wearing sunglasses as they proudly walked forward. There were cute girls dressed in pure clothes with white teeth and bright eyes. They were eating ice cream in groups of three to five and playing around. It was a feast for the eyes. As Japan was close to the sea, the women's skin was generally fair and delicate, very pleasing to the eye. On the other hand, the women of Xijiang Province had been exposed to the northwest wind all year round, drank Yellow River water, and ate potatoes and corn. They were all big and fat, and there was no beauty in them at all.
Lu Yiwei suddenly fell in love with this city. It was not because of the beautiful women, but because he suddenly found the place where his soul belonged. Especially when he saw the sea, his heart was calm, and all his worries were thrown to the back of his mind as the rocking fishing boat gradually drifted away. If there was a day in the future, he hoped to stay in this city and feel the hustle and bustle of the city and the tranquility of the sea.
Seeing Lu Yiwei constantly looking around, Xu Lei smiled and said, "How is it? Do you like this city?"
Lu Yiwei smiled and nodded.
"Stay if you like it."
Lu Yiwei did not say anything, but let the damp cold wind hit his cheeks through the window.
When they arrived at Xinzhaiqiao, what surprised Lu Yiwei was that the streets were full of people speaking Chinese, and each of them was carrying big and small bags. If it was not for the different architectural styles, he would have thought that he was in China. His good mood immediately disappeared.
Lu Yiwei did not like lively places, especially crowded places, which made him feel suffocated. He pulled Xu Lei and said, "Let's go somewhere else."
"Why?" Xu Lei said doubtfully, "Your biggest regret is coming to Osaka but not Xinzhaiqiao."
Lu Yiwei waved his hand and said, "Do you think you're still young? Let's go somewhere quieter."
Xu Lei thought about it and said, "Alright then, I'll take you to a place."
The two of them arrived at a restaurant called Scarlet Ghost House in Daodun Ku. The restaurant was decorated with Japanese culture. Red lanterns hung at the entrance, and white paper was pasted on the wooden frames and windows. The waiters wore heavy makeup and traditional kimonos. It was as if they were in the golden age of the Tang Dynasty, talking to the ancients. When it came to respecting traditional culture, Japan did a very good job.
He came to a private room, took off his shoes, and sat on the floor. Xu Lei ordered in fluent Japanese, and Lu Yiwei listened attentively as if he was listening to the Bible. He suddenly understood a phrase, "West". He had not deliberately learned this phrase, but he often heard it on television in anti-Japanese TV dramas.
After ordering, Xu Lei smiled. "I'll let you try authentic Japanese food tonight. I'm just afraid that you might not be used to it, but it's pretty good."
Although he had never tried it before, he had seen it on television. It was nothing more than sashimi, octopus, scallops, and sushi. "It's nothing. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Let me ask you a question. Why is this restaurant called Scarlet Ghost House? "
Xu Lei said, "Scarlet Ghost in Japanese has a similar meaning to Mandarin. It's the opposite of Green Ghost, and it comes from folklore. But in Japanese, it's more of a character, implying greed. Naturally, this restaurant doesn't have this meaning, but it's a culture. "
Lu Yiwei was puzzled, so he asked, "Xu Lei, I noticed a problem. Japanese women are beautiful, but when they open their mouths, their beautiful image will instantly crumble. Why are their teeth so messy?"
Xu Lei smiled. "You're really observant. Indeed, it has something to do with the Japanese's eating habits. Think about it, they eat soft fish rice every day. Their diet is relatively simple, unlike us who eat all kinds of grains. Furthermore, experts have researched it and said that it has something to do with the locals not biting on bones. "
"Oh, I see."
"I'll bring you to see a geisha performance later, to let you truly experience Japanese traditional culture."
"Forget it. I don't have that convenient hobby."
"What are you thinking?" Xu Lei saw that Lu Yiwei was thinking about it, so he said, "Geishas have a high status in Japan, unlike our country, where they are of all trades. But geishas have already become a sunset industry in Japan, and there are fewer and fewer people in this industry. "
Lu Yiwei knew nothing about Japanese culture. Due to historical reasons, he had always resisted understanding this country's culture. Now that he thought about it, he found it laughable that he was ignorant. The world had entered an era of assimilation, and he was still immersed in the hatred of history.
"Didn't you want me to meet someone? Where is she?"
Xu Lei looked at his watch. "Soon. She should be here soon."
As he spoke, the wooden door opened, and a fashionably dressed beauty walked in. Lu Yiwei's eyes were glued to her. The beauty was very polite. She clasped her hands together and bowed to apologize. Then she obediently sat on the side.
Xu Lei introduced, "Yiwei, this is my college classmate. Her name is Rixi Maeda. You can call her Rixi. She runs her own company now."
Lu Yiwei was at a loss. If it was in China, he would shake hands, but he did not know Japanese etiquette, so he awkwardly asked Xu Lei for help. Unexpectedly, Rixi generously extended her hand and said in fluent Chinese, "Mr. Lu Yiwei, nice to meet you."
"Me too." Lu Yiwei's face suddenly turned red as his hand slid over hers.
Xu Lei saw this and said with a smile, "Yiwei, so you also have times when you are shy. Haha."
Rixi was more talkative. The topic naturally started from the culture of the two countries, and the conversation was quite harmonious. When they were deep in love, Lu Yiwei solemnly invited Rixi to visit China. Rixi generously agreed.
After dinner, the three of them went to the art hall and enjoyed a geisha performance with Japanese characteristics. Accompanied by the melodious flute, the geisha sang a Japanese folk song in a low voice. Her voice was mellow, and her dance was graceful. Although one couldn't understand what she was singing, the music was the same, and one could feel what the geisha wanted to express.
Coming out of the art hall, Lu Yiwei asked a question inexplicably, "Why do geisha paint their faces white?"
Xu Lei laughed and answered the question easily, "Because there were no electric lights in ancient times."
After sending Rixi off, they returned to the hotel. Lu Yiwei took a hot shower and lay comfortably on the spacious bed. His mind was filled with Rixi's figure. For some reason, he thought of Qiu Yingxue from Rixi and wondered how she was doing now.
Qiu Yingxue could be said to be a dream in Lu Yiwei's heart. She was like a goddess. Recalling the bits and pieces of the party school, just like Tuo Ya, he treasured them in his heart.
As he was reminiscing, someone knocked on the door. Lu Yiwei opened the door and saw Xu Lei in his pajamas. "I couldn't sleep, so I came to have a chat with you."
The two of them sat on the sofa. Lu Yiwei habitually took out a cigarette and handed it over. Xu Lei hesitated for a moment before taking the cigarette and smoking. From his posture and actions, he did not look like a newbie.
"Have you smoked before?"
Xu Lei lowered his head and flicked the cigarette ash. "I used to, but I quit when I came to Japan."
"Then don't smoke." Lu Yiwei took the cigarette from his hand and snuffed it. His actions had a kind of familial concern, even though he was not sure of the relationship between them.
"What do you think of Rixi?" Xu Lei suddenly asked.
Lu Yiwei should have thought of the relationship between the two. "She's pretty good."
Xu Lei was in a low mood. "She was my lover in university. I love her very much, and she loves me too. I wanted to stay in Japan after I graduated, marry her, and start a family. But my parents strongly rejected me. For my parents, I had to give up and return to China. They arranged for me to enter the Department of Commerce, and everything went according to their plan. All these years, I looked happy on the surface, but I was depressed on the inside. I wanted to give up everything, but I couldn't bear it when I thought of them. "
Xu Lei's experience was not an isolated case in China, but a common one. The traditional concept of raising children to prepare for old age was deeply ingrained in the minds of some high-ranking intellectuals and officials. But China had been a big family since ancient times, and everything was about family reunion. One could not overly blame one's parents for delaying one's future. Wasn't he the same? After graduating from university, his father suggested that he return to his hometown to develop his career. He wanted to keep his children by his side.
Lu Yiwei carefully asked, "What do you think now?"
Xu Lei shook his head helplessly. "I don't know, really. Sometimes I think about where my dream is, but it's getting more and more blurry, and I can't even see what's ahead. So be it, I can't resist. "
"Then you can totally bring Li Xi to China."
"No, my parents don't agree," Xu Lei said. "They are more traditional, and can't accept it. In their eyes, Fan Chunfang is the ideal daughter-in-law. You don't mind me saying this, right? "
Lu Yiwei said, "Maybe you know how Fan Chunfang and I got together?"
"I know." Xu Lei smiled helplessly. "And I also know that you have another woman in your heart, Xia Jinhe, right?"
"Sigh," Lu Yiwei sighed. "Let's not talk about the past, what's the point of bringing it up again. Everything should be looking forward, and living the present is the right thing to do. Even if you don't feel comfortable, what can you change? "
"Yes," Xu Lei said. "I've thought about it. If my parents urge me to get married again, I'll get married immediately. I have plenty of women around me."
"Why bother?" Lu Yiwei comforted him. "I think you and Li Xi are a good match. Talk to your parents later, I think they will definitely agree."
"Forget it, let's not talk about it anymore." Xu Lei stood up. "You should rest early too. We'll go back tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow? What about Shanteng? "
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