Chapter 313: Karuizawa in August (8)
After it was confirmed that lunch and dinner for this month would be prepared by the two wives, playing tennis with Toru Watanabe became a very comfortable thing.
The ball hit by Toru Watanabe was the kind that required a little effort to catch.
Let them fully enjoy the satisfaction and feel of hitting the ball back.
They played happily, with long and beautiful legs, and full of scheming for two and a half hours. At eleven o'clock, the five of them packed up their rackets and water bottles and returned to the villa.
"During the New Year, Shinsuke said that Watanabe-kun was an all-around genius. I didn't believe it at the time, but now I am slowly realizing it." Mrs. Kujo's face was rosy, and she praised with a feeling of relief after exercise.
"There is no such thing as an all-round genius. I am only good at reading, sports and music," said Toru Watanabe.
"That's great." Mrs. Kiyono said with a smile, "Let's go horseback riding some other day. I'll embarrass you then."
"Mother," Qing Yelin's temples were wet with sweat, and a strand of long hair was beautifully stuck to her fair face, "What Watanabe-san said, just treat it as a lie."
"Please be careful with your words, Kiyono-san. The honest image I have built up over the years is about to be destroyed by you."
"What do you think, Miki?" Mrs. Kujo put her shoulder to her daughter's.
"No matter how much I favor him, he can hardly be called an honest man." This girl who likes to hold grudges.
"I agree." Qingye Rin nodded.
"Can you two hold on a little? Don't act like you're making peace all of a sudden when you're bullying me."
"Why don't you be the bad guy for once, Watanabe-kun, and bully both of them at the same time." Mrs. Kiyono smiled happily and happily played with her delicate short hair.
"That's a good idea. For someone like me, they can only stand a chance of defeating me if they unite together."
"Who is the one who was kicked to the edge of the bed by me and crawled over to beg me pitifully?" There was a smile in Kujo Miki's tone.
"Who is it?" Toru Watanabe asked the flying bird.
"I don't know who it was, but after I glared at him, he just shrank there for a long time and couldn't say a word."
"Miji's story can be made half true and half false if you process it, but Kiyono-san's story..."
What a scary, cold look.
Toru Watanabe pretended nothing happened and whistled "Jingle Bells" leisurely.
"Hahaha." The ladies laughed happily.
Qingye Rin covered her mouth, and a smile appeared in her clear eyes.
Miki Kujo poked Toru Watanabe's butt with a racket.
Watanabe Toru jumped out of the way, holding the racket in a kendo stance, and shouted, "Come on!"
"You dare to fight back?" Kujo Miki chased after Watanabe Toru and beat him.
"I was wrong! I was wrong! I'm sorry!"
The cuckoo's call came , and unknown birds were jumping around on the green branches.
The forest was dyed magenta when Xiaolian came back on her bicycle, sweating profusely.
"We're back!"
She ran to the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water with great effort, and drank it down with her neck tilted back.
"Did you have fun today?" Toru Watanabe put down the book in his hand.
"We've been at the golf course." Xiaolian put down the water cup and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Golf course?" Watanabe Toru asked puzzledly.
"There's a very wide road over there, with fewer people than other places. Are you practicing cycling there?" Mrs. Kujo asked Xiaolian the last sentence.
"Yeah!" Xiaolian nodded obediently.
"Ah!" Mrs. Kiyono suddenly held her forehead in regret, and her posture was also very elegant. "I should go play golf, maybe I can beat Watanabe-kun."
"Then you might lose even more miserably." Qingye Rin said without raising his head.
"Watanabe-kun even knows how to play golf?" Mrs. Kiyono said with a hint of disbelief.
“He can learn on the spot.”
"I don't believe it." Mrs. Kiyono held her chin with her hand and said to Watanabe Toru, "Watanabe-kun, let's play golf tomorrow."
"The loser takes out the trash?"
"Watanabe-kun is so cruel! There are bats in Karuizawa at night." Mrs. Kiyono complained.
Xiaolian put the cup away and ran to the dining table.
Toru Watanabe pulled out the chair next to her and she crawled to sit on it.
"Archer, we have to be teachers tomorrow." She swung her short legs and looked up at Watanabe Toru.
"Haven't those people learned it yet?" Toru Watanabe helped her fix her bangs.
"Yeah." Xiaolian nodded first, and then said as if she had discovered a new world, "Archer, Archer, we saw an adult learning to ride a bicycle!"
"That brat Kaori must have laughed at those adults."
Xiaolian's eyes in surprise, "How did you know?"
"I have clairvoyance."
"It's amazing! Clairvoyance is amazing." Xiaolian held her face and said with an intoxicated look.
As Kiyono Rin turned the pages of the book, she raised her head and glanced at Watanabe Toru.
Watanabe Toru pretended not to see it.
"Oh, by the way," Xiaolian came back to her senses after being shocked by her clairvoyance, "Kaori-chan said that she is a freshman at Saint Girls' Elementary School."
"So we are classmates." Watanabe Toru nodded.
"Yeah." Xiaolian's emotions suddenly calmed down for some reason. "Next year, I won't be a freshman at Jianze Elementary School anymore. I'll be a sophomore at Shengnu Elementary School."
Toru Watanabe patted her head.
In the next few days, after morning classes with Kiyono Rin, Xiaolian pushed her children's bicycle and played with Kaori and other children.
I play every day and sweat all over, and even come back covered in dirt.
While having dinner, the other five people listened to her talk about what happened during the day.
Kaori was indeed familiar with every corner of Karuizawa, which forest had rhinoceros beetles, what kind of birds were singing, which stream had fireflies - even whether they were Genji fireflies or Heike fireflies, she knew all these clearly.
On August 5th, Hayami Kaoru, Ikki Aoi, and Horikita Mai took turns sending messages, saying that the wind band had successfully advanced.
"Even if I can't travel across the country, at least I have something to do this summer." This was Toru Watanabe's response.
The Kanto competition was on August 25th. After it was over, I got over my frustration and school started.
“We will definitely advance!”
A few days later, Xiaolian's parents received the letter and called.
That afternoon, Xiaolian stuffed more photos into the red mailbox.
The next day, Koshien also started.
Xiaolian ran out to play;
The two ladies were invited to another villa, and one of the ladies said she would give them some delicious red wine;
Kiyono Rin is reading a book on the terrace;
Toru Watanabe and Miki Kujo sat on the sofa and watched the opening ceremony.
The crowd was bustling and the heat waves distorted the air. Almost all the audience in the camera were wearing sun hats, umbrellas and other sun protection tools.
The baseball players who went on the field couldn't open their eyes because of the scorching sun.
It was a very hot summer.
When Kamikawa came out, following closely behind the girl holding the crow school emblem was Uchida, who had suffered from heatstroke in the regional finals, and then there were twenty or thirty people including Kunii Osamu.
The baseball uniforms and baseball caps are all printed with the crow school emblem, which looks unique.
The camera moved away from Kamikawa and Toru Watanabe turned off the TV.
"What should we do next ?" He put his hand on Kujo Miki's skirt.
Kujo Miki waved his hand away: "Go and take the canvas outside, and I will continue to teach you how to paint."
"Okay, Teacher Miki." Toru Watanabe stood up.
"Since there is a real teacher here, there is no need to play teacher and student with me, right?" Kujo Miki said sarcastically.
"You're not my sister either."
"By the way, my sister has some ready-made too."
"You'll always be my sister."
The studio had been used a few days ago and was filled with the smell of paint.
There is a floor-to-ceiling window inside, and outside the window is the beautiful natural scenery.
On this bright morning, in the sunlight shining through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the ornaments in the house reflected a thin layer of light.
Looking at all this, Toru Watanabe always felt that under a piece of white cloth, there was a phonograph from the past.
Miki Kujo came in and helped with paints, brushes, painting knives and other small tools.
Toru Watanabe holds heavy or bulky tools such as an easel, a painting stool, an umbrella, and a brush bucket.
The two of them were painting in front of the villa, while Kiyono Rin was reading a book on the terrace.
Kiyono Rin only glanced at them at the beginning - when they were setting up the easel - and the rest of the time she acted as if the two of them didn't exist.
The wind at nine o'clock in Karuizawa is cool and pleasant. I sit on the painting stool and bask in the warm sunshine.
The soft sunlight shines through the gaps between the leaves and gently onto the drawing board and Kiyono Rin's arm.
No matter how the outside world changes, blood, passion, failure, sweat - whether it is wind music or Koshien, they remain the same as always, simple, natural and happy.
The heat from Tokyo and Hyogo Prefecture does not reach Karuizawa Plateau.
Near noon, the two ladies came back with wine, and they had almost finished their painting.
"Miji's paintings can be exhibited in art galleries," Mrs. Kujo praised.
"That's it." Mrs. Kiyono felt proud for some reason, because her daughter was obviously the one on the terrace.
"Let me see Watanabe-kun's." Mrs. Kujo looked over and then laughed.
"Watanabe-kun." It can be heard that she is trying to control her breathing. "Have you let Xiaolin see this painting?"
"I am an abstract artist and don't care about appearance." Watanabe Toru rinsed his paintbrush in the brush wash bucket, as if he was applying seasoning to a barbecue.
"What do you value about Miki?" Mrs. Kujo asked again.
"The only exception is Miki. I like her incomparable beauty." Watanabe Toru tapped the paintbrush on the brush bucket, as if he was draining water from a mop.
"You are always right." Miki Kujo completed the final steps of the painting.
She stood up and stretched her graceful limbs that had been sitting for so long.
Watanabe Toru picked up a pen and wrote in the lower right corner of her painting:
"Watanabe Toru painted this in Karuizawa when the cicadas were chirping non-stop and it looked like a forest fire."
After looking at it with satisfaction, he turned around and asked the two ladies and Kujo Miki: "How is it?"
Without waiting for the three to make any expressions, he said as if he remembered something: "Oh, there's also this place."
He also wrote in the lower right corner of the "abstract" painting:
"Kujo Mihime was painted in Karuizawa when my husband was seventeen and I was sixteen. The weather was warm and the cicadas were chirping."
"Satisfied." Watanabe Toru said comfortably.
"So you are this kind of person." Kujo Miki nodded.
"Smart person?" asked Toru Watanabe.
"A liar." said Kujo Miki.
"A vain person." Mrs. Kujo added.
Toru Watanabe looked at Mrs. Kiyono, waiting for her comment.
Mrs. Qingye was stunned by his gaze. She put her finger on her chin and asked tentatively, "Someone who likes to be scolded?"
"...Please respect the facts and don't talk nonsense."
Watanabe Toru admired "his own painting" and couldn't help nodding and saying:
"I am the only person in the world who can fully capture the lofty, fresh and natural temperament of Kiyono Rin."
"There are many art galleries in Karuizawa. I'll take you to see them tomorrow. Don't bring shame to my Kujo family." Mrs. Kujo really couldn't stand her son-in-law.
She took Watanabe Toru's right hand and put the wine into his palm.
"It will be fine in the afternoon," said Toru Watanabe.
"I'll take you horseback riding in the afternoon." Mrs. Qingye gave him the wine in her hand.
"Isn't this wine?" Toru Watanabe looked at the wine in his left hand that Mrs. Kiyono had stuffed into his hand.
"Brandy." Mrs. Kiyono said in a comfortable and relaxed tone, "Cavados apple brandy. This wine tastes good and is suitable for women to drink."
After lunch and a short nap, the five of them went to the horse farm, which was not far from the golf course.
In the afternoon, many wealthy people were riding horses, and members of the royal family could also be seen.
Before we reached the stables, we saw people riding horses through the forest on the road.
"Can we ride outside?" Watanabe Toru asked curiously.
"Of course," said Mrs. Kiyono, "In the past in Karuizawa, the nobles and wealthy people used horses as a means of transportation."
"Is that so?" Watanabe Toru became interested.
After arriving in Karuizawa, he knew he had to ride a horse and learned some knowledge about horse riding.
There is a special equestrian skill, which is to ride in the field, to exercise the tacit understanding between people and horses, and to show various skills, such as barrel racing and so on.
There is also wild riding, letting the horse gallop freely.
You don't need a lot of skills to ride a horse on the prairie. It is enough to sign up for a prairie riding class.
Toru Watanabe had no interest in participating in competitive equestrian events, so he wasn't very excited about coming to the racecourse at first, and only viewed it as a way to broaden his horizons.
Now that I know I can ride outside, my mood is finally a little better.
When we arrived at the horse farm, we changed into uniforms, put on riding boots, put on helmets, and picked up the whip which was very convenient for whipping people.
There are four heroic and aristocratic people, and there is Toru Watanabe, who looks handsome and noble in every way.
The four of them stared at him for several seconds, and Watanabe Toru did the same. This was mutual appreciation.
"Watanabe-kun," Mrs. Kiyono said, "this is the horse I prepared for you on your birthday. I had it shipped here from Tokyo."
Toru Watanabe looked at the white horse in front of him.
The shiny horsehide is like silk, and ripples appear on the surface like water as the horse moves.
From hoof to back, it is as tall as an adult, and the staff leading it just reaches the level of the horse's back.
The horse was surrounded by a group of people and seemed very uneasy. It occasionally raised its front hooves, which looked like it could step on a person's crown, which was terrifying.
When seeing it, people will almost immediately think of the word "tall horse".
"It has the bloodline of Shire Horse and Akhal-Teke Horse," Mrs. Kiyono introduced.
Sharma is famous for his height, great strength and endurance, and can pull a maximum weight of 5 tons.
The so-called Akhal-Teke horse has long limbs, thin skin and fine hair, light steps, great strength, great speed and great endurance - with so many advantages, it is naturally the Ferghana horse.
"The horse has been trained by circling and other methods, but no one rides it, so it still retains its wildness. Please be careful, young master," said the staff member who was leading the horse.
"Can you conquer your own horse, Watanabe-kun?" Mrs. Kujo asked as she watched the fun.
"Be careful." Qing Ye Lin frowned handsomely, "Don't fall to your death from such a high horse."
"The way you care about people is as special as ever." As he said this, Toru Watanabe walked towards the horse.
As he approached, the horse became more and more restless, constantly turning its head, and the staff had to work very hard to hold the reins.
When Toru Watanabe walked closer and tried to take the reins from the staff, the horse suddenly raised its front hooves.
At that height, the hoof can really step on the top of an adult's head.
"Be careful!" Although Miki Kujo knew what Toru Watanabe was capable of, she still couldn't help but speak.
"I was scared to death." Watanabe Toru laughed.
The more he looked at the horse, the more handsome it seemed.
He was not interested in sports cars and only liked bumper cars, but suddenly he became interested in horses.
"Watanabe-kun, I will find you a tamed horse first. Learn how to ride it first, and then you can deal with this horse," Mrs. Kiyono suggested.
"No need." Watanabe Toru refused.
He tried to touch the horse's neck, but the horse suddenly raised its front hooves again.
Watanabe Toru simply stretched out his hand, caught it, and shook hands.
"It's great. It's quite heavy." He said, and carefully let go of the horse, with an expression as if he was worried about damaging it.
The staff member opened his mouth wide, pointed at Ma, pointed at Watanabe Toru, then looked at the ladies, but finally remained speechless.
900 kg, even though it was just the front hooves, but...
Forget it, it’s better not to know too much about the world of rich people, such as people with super powers and genetic warriors, that’s how it’s played out in the movies.
Mrs. Kujo hugged her daughter's waist and said, "My daughter, are you okay?"
Kujo Miki pushed her hand away in disgust and said to Watanabe Toru: "If you can tame it, tame it quickly."
"Yes, sir." said Toru Watanabe.
"Baby, be good and listen to me. (Command)"
The horse sneezed, lowered its head, and rubbed Watanabe Toru's cheek affectionately.
