Chapter 214 New Year in Iwate: Going to the Beach (11)
December 28th is the day we agreed to go see the sea.
At nine o'clock in the morning, the trio, together with the elementary school student Xiaolian, took an old tram with only one car and left the basin where Mizawa Village was located.
When they reached the nearest town, they took a bus that took them to the beach.
The sky is blue and cloudless, and the bus is driving under such a sky.
"Archer, Archer, a huge car just drove past!" Xiaolian pulled Watanabe Toru's sleeve.
"Where?"
"there!"
"Ah, I can't see it anymore. Xiaolian, you should have reminded me earlier!"
"It doesn't matter. There will definitely be more later. We will call Archer then."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Yes!" Xiaolian nodded firmly, like a police officer who had received an undercover mission.
She let go of Toru Watanabe and leaned against the bus window again.
Behind them, Miki Kujo looked at the two of them as if they were fools.
"Watanabe, have you ever considered letting Xiaolian go to study in Tokyo?" asked Qingno Rin, who was also sitting behind the two of them.
Toru Watanabe looked at his sister beside him. She didn't hear what Kiyono Rin said and was staring out the window intently.
The tiny body was carrying the oversized kettle from yesterday, which contained hot water that her mother had filled for her.
"Her parents won't go to Tokyo. I'm only in the first year of high school, and they're worried about me. I plan to bring her to Tokyo in two years, when I go to college and Xiaolian is in the fourth grade," said Toru Watanabe.
"We can go to Shenghua Girls' School." Qingye Rin suggested.
Toru Watanabe only studied Tokyo's high schools for a period of time when he was going to college, and those were the ones with the highest deviation values, not to mention the elementary schools that had nothing to do with him.
"How's that school?" he asked.
Qingye Rin did not talk about the educational philosophy, did not introduce the history of the school, and did not say how advanced the facilities were. He just said lightly:
"My classmate Jiujo and I went to elementary school at Shenghua."
“I see.”
Toru Watanabe could imagine that the lecture hall of this school must be very spacious, made of wood, and of an incredibly high quality.
"Oh, by the way," he remembered something, "Will Xiaolian be bullied if she goes in?"
Before Qing Ye Lin could speak, Kujo Miki sneered and said:
"Your sister is my sister. Who dares to bully my sister? If anyone dares to touch me, I will make sure his whole family can't stay in Tokyo anymore."
"Archer, look! It's a taxi. This is the first time we've seen a taxi!"
Xiaolian and Kujo Miki spoke at the same time, but Watanabe Toru didn't pay attention to what Xiaolian said.
He waited until the taxi passed by before looking out the window.
"Taxi? Is it Clover's taxi? Where is it?"
Xiaolian puffed up her cheeks in dissatisfaction and shouted, "Ache, if you stare blankly all day, you'll be eaten by a wild boar!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Xiaolian, will you give me another chance? I don't want to be eaten by a wild boar."
"We really can't do anything about you." Xiaolian sighed like an adult, "Next time you must check it immediately, understand?"
"Yeah, sure."
Xiaolian continued to stare at the window, paying attention to every car passing by.
After a while, there were no buses or taxis to be seen, and the sea appeared.
Xiaolian opened her mouth wide, pressed her face against the car window, and stared at the sea in the distance with her twinkling eyes without blinking.
"This is the first time I see the sea." She said this after a long while.
"When summer comes, I'll take you to the beaches in Okinawa to surf," said Toru Watanabe.
"Surfing?!" Xiaolian looked at him in surprise. "I've seen it on TV. Can I stand up on the sea, too?"
"Of course you can. Xiaolian is the strongest first-grade student in the entire island country."
Xiaolian held her face in her hands and said admiringly, "The strongest first-grade student in the entire island country, you are amazing."
"Not only surfing, I will also take you to Disneyland, to see the castle, Snow White, Winnie the Pooh, to go rafting, and to watch fireworks at night..."
"I know!" Xiaolian suddenly spoke loudly.
"Hmm?" Watanabe Toru asked in confusion, "What does Xiaolian know?"
"Disneyland! Tokyo Disneyland is in Chiba Prefecture, just like the platypus is the only one in the family Platypus!"
"...I don't understand the connection between the two, but don't tell people from Chiba Prefecture that Disneyland is in Tokyo, okay?"
"Why?"
“Because Chiba Prefecture hates Tokyo, but wants to be like Tokyo.”
"Why?" He asked why twice, without any change in volume or tone.
"That's a good question." Watanabe Toru nodded in appreciation, "Once you figure this out, you can become the strongest elementary school student, not just a first grader."
"Really?!" Xiaolian excitedly grabbed Watanabe Toru's clothes, the water bottle on her body shook, and she lay on the seat.
"Of course..."
"It's fake." Kiyono Rin interrupted Watanabe Toru.
"R-san, Kiyono-san," Watanabe Toru turned around and looked at the two young ladies who had been listening to him and Xiaolian talking, "I'm trying to motivate Xiaolian to study."
Qing Ye Lin ignored him and said to Xiao Lian:
"If you want to become the best elementary school student in the island nation, you must study hard. You can't do it by stepping on your brother's butt."
"Really?" Xiaolian was shocked as if she heard it for the first time.
"Really." Qingye Rin answered without any hesitation.
This guy, if he has kids in the future, will definitely be the type of mother who will tell them that Santa Claus is fake.
The bus stopped at the station and an old lady got on. She looked at the four of us and then sat at the front seat with no interest.
The old lady sat down and the driver, wearing white gloves, stepped on the accelerator of the bus.
"Only by constantly working hard can you become the best first-grade student." After a pause, Qing Ye Lin continued, "Xiao Lian, do you know the four major fishing grounds in the world?"
Xiaolian shook her head: "I don't know."
"They are the Hokkaido fishing grounds of the island nation, the North Sea fishing grounds of the United Kingdom, the Newfoundland fishing grounds of Canada, and the Peruvian fishing grounds of Peru." Qing Ye Lin asked patiently, "Xiao Lian, do you remember it?"
"The Hokkaido fishing grounds of the island country, the United Kingdom..." Xiaolian stretched out her little hand and pressed down a finger each time she said one.
He repeated it without a pause.
"Xiao Lian, you are a little stronger than you were just now. You have learned a little more knowledge and are closer to being the strongest elementary school student."
Xiaolian's eyes lit up: "Really? I've been upgraded?"
"Of course, you didn't know about the four major fishing grounds just now, but now you know. Most elementary school students don't know this knowledge."
"I also feel that I have become stronger, and my experience points have increased a lot." Xiaolian held her face with both hands, immersed in self-indulgence.
Kiyono Rin glanced at Watanabe Toru.
'This is the correct way to encourage. Lying and cheating may seem to educate children, but in fact it will lead them astray.'
'You are right.'
Qing Ye Lin withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and said to Xiao Lian who was intoxicated: "Xiao Lian, do you know why I asked you about the four major fishing grounds?"
"Why?" Xiaolian asked.
"because……"
"That's enough." Kujo Miki, with her arms folded, interrupted impatiently, "We are here to see the sea, not to listen to your lectures."
"Do you have any opinions?" Qingye Rin put away his friendly expression and said with a cold face.
"When it's time to study, study hard. Don't spoil my fun when you're playing." Kujo Miki also had a cold face.
After that, she asked Xiaolian: "Xiaolian, are you serious when you study?"
"Serious." Xiaolian is not afraid or she is not old enough to care about Kujo Miki's cold face.
"If you study hard when you are studying, shouldn't you also relax when you are playing?"
"yes."
Qing Ye Lin was not happy and said dissatisfiedly: "You should study hard when you are studying, but you can't slack off when you are playing, just like reading a book to relax, you can't read it and remember nothing."
"Then your life must be really hard." Kujo Miki sneered.
"That's also why my grades are better than yours." Qingye Rin said calmly.
"It's not much better, especially when I'm busy with work. On the contrary, you can't completely relax even if you're ahead by a few points. Who's good and who's bad..." Kujo Miki looked at Xiaolian, "Tell me."
Xiaolian held her chin with her hand, thinking.
In Toru Watanabe's view, the argument between Kiyono Rin and Kujo Miki is more about the educational philosophy of the two mothers than about learning methods.
How could a first grader understand something like this?
Having said that, I didn't expect Kujo Miki to advocate the educational philosophy of "study when you should study, and play when you should play". On the contrary, Kiyono Rin tends to be a strict mother.
Toru Watanabe could even imagine her nagging at her children in the future.
However, Kiyono Rin's constant chatter... that clear and transparent voice, her gentle sarcasm, and her cute appearance, it doesn't matter even if she gets scolded, right?
Wait, this is what he thought. If it were Qingno Rin’s child, they would definitely not care about whether their mother’s voice was nice or whether she was pretty. They would only care about whether she was nagging or whether she scolded them.
When I think about it this way, it’s really pitiful to be Kiyono Rin’s child.
Just as Watanabe Toru was thinking this, Kiyono Rin's cold gaze shot over at him.
...So scary.
Why does she always know what he is thinking? !
This is not fun at all - if even he thinks this way, how miserable will Qingye Rin's future children have?
Poor, so pitiful.
"This kind of question is too difficult for a child." Watanabe Toru avoided Kiyono Rin's gaze.
"Arche, which sister should I listen to?" Xiaolian asked.
“…”
The two beautiful girls looked at him.
Watanabe Toru regretted that he should not have brought Xiaolian to see the sea.
He never thought that this could also put him in a Shura field?
"I think," Watanabe Toru considered his words carefully, "there is nothing absolutely right in this world. What you said makes sense."
"Choose one of the two." Kujo Miki said coldly.
Watanabe Toru looked at Kiyono Rin, she had no intention of helping, so she waited for his answer.
Watanabe Toru looked at Xiaolian, who had no idea her brother needed help, and waited for his answer.
He was sympathizing with Qingye Rin's child just now, but now he is the one who is pitiful?
"I think Meiji is right."
Although he thinks what Kujo Miki said is right, Watanabe Toru himself follows the learning method that Kiyono Rin mentioned.
But this is an educational philosophy, it's for children, so it's okay to be a little lenient.
"It seems like I lost today." Qingye Rin sighed.
Losing today means that yesterday's 'Can you let Toru Watanabe sit' won?
No one knew what she meant, and Watanabe Toru himself didn't know whether he could sit upright.
But these did not prevent Kujo Miki from staring at him, which was enough to freeze the warm current of the island nation.
"Sister Lin," Xiaolian said, "We want to know why you asked me about the four major fishing grounds."
Qingye Lin smiled gently: "Xiao Lian, do you still remember which four major fishing grounds are?"
Although only a short time had passed, Xiaolian only listened to it once. When she repeated it this time, she stumbled and forgot the British fishing grounds.
"Britain is the fishing ground of the North Sea. Don't be discouraged. Knowledge needs to be memorized repeatedly. Xiaolian is very impressive for remembering three things after listening to them once. Many people don't remember any of them after watching them once."
"Yeah." Xiaolian nodded somewhat disappointedly, feeling that this was more difficult than defeating her brother and stepping on his corpse.
"Try harder next time." After saying these words of comfort, Qingye Rin was about to explain why she mentioned the four major fishing grounds, but after opening her lips slightly, she changed her mind.
She smiled and looked at Watanabe Toru and Kujo Miki: "Would you two like to guess?"
"Isn't Iwate Prefecture also located at the intersection of the Chishima Cold Current and the Island Country Warm Current? Is this the kind of question that I try to come up with even when I'm relaxing?" Kujo Miki said with disdain.
Qingye Rin brushed her long hair off her shoulders.
This is the prelude to a quarrel!
"Ah, so that's how it is!" Watanabe Toru said, "As expected of you, Meiji. I never expected that I, the number one in the country, only know how to take exams."
"lie."
"This is not a lie, this is a lively atmosphere."
"Livelyn up the atmosphere? You are quite good at talking, it's just flattery."
Thanks to Kiyono Rin for not using bad words. The word flattery sounds much better than kissing up.
"Archer, Archer, what is the Thousand Islands Cold Current and the Island Country Warm Current?"
"Among the four major fishing grounds, the Hokkaido fishing ground was formed because of the Thousand Islands Cold Current and the Island Country Warm Current."
"Why?"
"That's because of the difference in seawater density..."
Toru Watanabe explained the reasons why the fishery was formed.
"The ocean current is so powerful, Archer, so powerful." Xiaolian held her face with her eyes shining.
"It's not a big deal. Everyone who has been to high school knows it."
“High school, so awesome!”
"…This has nothing to do with how good your high school is."
In the following time, Xiaolian learned about the formation of other fishing grounds, and finally asked Watanabe Tetsu what the ocean current was and why it was like this.
The children had endless questions, and Toru Watanabe answered them all.
Suddenly, Xiaolian felt lost and sat in her chair with her head down.
"Are you carsick?" Toru Watanabe observed her expression worriedly.
Xiaolian shook her head and said nothing.
"What's wrong?" Watanabe Toru slowed down his tone as he didn't look like he was feeling unwell.
After a moment of silence, Xiaolian said disappointedly: "I don't remember a lot of what Archer said."
"It doesn't matter if you don't remember or forget." Watanabe Toru touched her head, "Xiao Lian, you can ask me anytime. I, your brother, can answer you at any time."
"……Um."
Xiaolian still kept her head down, her short legs that couldn't reach the ground swaying slightly.
Qingye Rin looked at the two of them, a warm smile appearing at the corners of her beautiful lips.
Miki Kujo looked at Toru Watanabe, said nothing, and looked out the window.
We are almost at the beach.
