novelslam Chapters 1274 and 1283: Until the very end, anything can change.
Chapters 1274 and 1283: Until the very end, anything can change.
Chapters 1274 and 1283: Until the very end, anything can change.
The Rolls-Royce Silver Spur sped along the coastal highway, heading towards Shizuoka.
Looking out from the passenger seat, there's the azure sea on one side and lush fields and hillsides on the other, as if we're driving on the boundary between mountains and sea.
Normally, it would be very difficult for a child to sit in a car for more than two hours, but Akina in the back seat would tell the little one stories, play games, and even sing to her from time to time, which kept Xiaoxia Hua well-behaved throughout the journey.
"Huajiang, look over there! There are seagulls!"
Akina, sitting in the back row, pointed to the coastline outside the window and said...
"Oh dear, it's flying! When Flower Jam grows up, we can feed it bread!"
At this moment, Xia Hua, sitting in her car seat, looked out the window as her mother pointed, only to see an endless sea and ceaseless waves.
So he turned to look at his mother with a confused expression:
"Nani?"
"It's right there, Hana-chan, look! It's white, flying around!"
Naoki Nagayama, sitting in the passenger seat, was somewhat exasperated.
"It's too small, the flower sauce can't see it clearly."
"Oh, I see~"
Akina looked into her daughter's bright, dark eyes and suddenly seemed very worried.
"So, will I have to wear glasses from now on?"
The driver, Toda Tomoyasu, suppressed a smile and kept his eyes fixed on the road.
Naoki Nagayama, standing nearby, shook his head. It seemed like Akina had become a bit dumber. Had the "pregnancy brain" effect not worn off yet?
Moreover, it always seemed like Akina was happier than Naoki Nagayama, a true member of the Nagayama clan, on the way back to Shizuoka.
The coastal town was just beginning to take shape before noon. After a while, the car slowly came to a stop in front of an old house.
Naoki Nagayama, who got out of the car, looked at the other car next to the house with some surprise.
"This should be Tsuruko's car, right?"
Akina also took Natsuka out of the car, and Naoki Nagayama took all the gifts that had been returned from the trunk, left the car behind, and let the driver leave first.
The family already knew Naoki Nagayama was coming home, and before they even knocked, his mother, Nanako, opened the door.
"I knew you were back when I heard the car!"
"Mother."
Just as Naoki Nagayama was about to go up and reply, he saw Nanako Nagayama dodge to the side and go directly to Akina's side:
"Ah, Hana-chan is back. Do you still remember Grandma?"
Perhaps she had seen many things during her vacation, or perhaps she had grown up and could remember them, but now Xiaoxiahua hadn't forgotten her grandmother either. Encouraged by Akina, she boldly called out:
"Grandma~"
"Ah~~ Good flower sauce!"
Nanako Nagayama happily took Natsuka from her arms and carried her into the room.
"Grandma made you some delicious snacks!"
Akina followed with a smile, leaving Naoki Nagayama, who had been trying to speak but couldn't find a way to join the conversation, to finally shake his head and carry the gifts inside.
“ε=(ο｀*))) Sigh~”
"Haha~"
At that moment, Tsuruko peeked out from the entrance:
"Nii-chan got ignored! Isn't that sad?!"
"."
Naoki Nagayama divided the gift box in half and stuffed it into Tsuruko's arms:
"Don't be so nosy. Hurry up and put these away; some of them are for Sister-in-law Xiangjia."
Tsuruko, her arms stuffed full, hurriedly accepted the gift box and grumbled angrily:
"Bakani-chan!"
"Ha~"
The brother and sister walked into the Japanese-style room, where their mother had already brought out the wagashi (Japanese sweets) she had prepared, and was having Xiaoxiahua hold them up to taste.
Naoki Nagayama sat down cross-legged, poured himself a glass of lemonade, took a big gulp, and then asked:
"Mother, Father, is he in the shop?"
"Yes, after checking on the baby, I went to the shop today," Nanako Nagayama said. "Aoki is with Kika right now, and your father is temporarily filling in for Taisho, saying that we can't let our regular customers go without a place to eat."
Having run an izakaya (Japanese pub) in Shizuoka for most of his life, he is now wealthy, but this job is no longer just about making a living; it's a part of his life, and even a reflection of his family's life values. So he won't give it up until he can no longer work.
"Is Xiangjia still in the hospital?" Hezi interrupted.
"Although there's nothing wrong with a natural birth, the doctor said it's best to observe for two days. The newborn also needs to be looked after."
Nanako Nagayama answered while teasing the little one.
"When are we going to see our little nephew?" Tsuruko asked. "I really want to see him!"
"Let's wait until noon, have lunch a little earlier, and then deliver lunch to Aoki and Kaka at the hospital."
The hospital meals are really not very tasty.
The ingredients have already been pre-treated.
"Yes," Tsuruko said, satisfied.
Then Akina spoke up:
"I'll come help at noon."
"No need," Mother Nanako quickly waved her hand, "I'll do it, I'll do it."
"Hey, Nanako-san, why don't you play with Natsuka for a bit?"
As Akina spoke, she stood up and walked towards the kitchen, looking every bit the good wife.
Under her mother's watchful gaze, Tsuruko belatedly realized:
"I'm here to help too!"
Although Naoki Nagayama can cook, he doesn't participate in the "interactions" between the women in his family. The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law and the relationship between father and son have always been age-old problems. In these situations, it's enough to just trust your wife's actions.
So he calmly drank the water, as if he were really thirsty.
"Mother, where's the weed? His mother gave birth to his younger brother."
“He’s in kindergarten!” Nanako Nagayama said. “He can’t stay in the hospital.”
"Forehead"
Yes, the kids have to go to school.
"How about we pick him up today and go see your little brother together?" Naoki Nagayama asked. "Hana-chan must miss Wild Grass a lot too~"
"It's not impossible," Nanako Nagayama nodded. After all, kindergartens and such are very convenient. "Then let's just pick up some weeds when we pass by."
"Good~"
After playing with his mother and Xiaoxia for a while, the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, making Naoki Nagayama hungry after such a long time, but lunch was still a while away.
Seeing that Xiaoxia was holding a wagashi (Japanese sweet) but neither eating it nor putting it down, while playing with a small toy in her other hand, Naoki Nagayama, feeling a surge of hunger, quietly moved closer to his daughter.
"Huajiang, what are you playing with? It's a little frog."
It's one of those wind-up frogs that hops around. Naoki Nagayama had it mailed from mainland China because he missed it, but his youngest daughter took it over as soon as he received it.
Little Xia Hua was completely unaware of her father's malicious intentions. She nodded, wanting him to wind her up again, but unexpectedly, Nagayama Naoki, taking advantage of the little one's momentary inattention, swallowed the wagashi (Japanese sweet) he was holding in his other hand in one gulp.
"!!"
Xia Hua was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that a bad guy had stolen her snacks. Her face showed anger, but she didn't cry. She immediately went to tell her grandmother.
"Grandma. Grandma."
"What's wrong, Hua Jiang?"
I just went to check the kitchen and didn't see Nanako Nagayama. I saw Natsuka pointing at Naoki Nagayama and my second son chewing something with his mouth moving. I was so angry that I laughed.
He reached out and patted Naoki Nagayama on the shoulder:
"Naoki, how could you steal your daughter's wagashi?! Don't you have any semblance of a fatherly behavior?!"
Naoki Nagayama, however, shamelessly said:
"I'm teaching Hua Jiang to be prepared for danger even in times of peace. Don't think that just because you have food in your hand, it's safe. There's a possibility that it could be stolen before you even eat it!"
Nanako Nagayama ignored her second son's excuses and struck him again:
"You rebellious son"
"Oh dear, Mother, use all your strength!"
Due to the public outcry, the Kawasaki City Council has established a special task force to investigate the land bribery case, and construction on the Recruit Information Building needs to be halted.
Jiang Fuhao also came to Kawasaki City to attend a briefing and visited the construction site.
Looking at the building that was almost completed, Jiang Fuhao felt extremely frustrated. He would have been able to move in in just a few months, and at that time his business empire would have reached a new level!
Who knows, the next conglomerate might be the Recruit Conglomerate!
"How can it be repaired?"
He looked at the large group of workers who had gathered around him, his mind racing with conflicting thoughts.
Jiang Fuhao knew that it was very likely that Likulut's mole was among this group of people, but he couldn't find him for the time being.
Despite being furious inside, they still had to maintain a facade of civility:
"Everyone, our project has encountered a problem and we need to temporarily suspend construction."
"What?!" "How could this be?" "Is it because of the news?" "I heard there's a problem with the land?"
Various discussions buzzed around like flies, making Jiang Fuhao increasingly irritable, but his years of business experience allowed him to maintain his composure.
"Don't worry, everyone. The work stoppage is only temporary. We will resume construction soon. Consider this period as a short break."
Seeing that people hadn't regained their confidence, he added another sentence.
"Don't worry, this period will be treated as paid leave, and everyone's salary will not be reduced!"
For the wealthy and powerful Likurote, this amount of labor costs was nothing, but Jiang Fuhao's statement instantly ignited the emotions of the workers present.
When you're on vacation and still have money, who cares if there's a problem with the project or the big boss!
After saying a few more encouraging words, Jiang Fuhao dismissed the workers and then instructed his trusted secretary:
"During this time, we'll hire some private investigators to investigate the people at the Recruit Building and see if anyone has suddenly started spending money recklessly."
"The chairman means...?"
"With so many media outlets receiving this information, someone must have sold the inside information."
Jiang Fuhao was suppressing his emotions.
"Find them for me. Once this is over, we'll make them pay!"
"Hi!"
The secretary nodded first, then asked with some doubt,
"But... apart from the Recruit Building and Director Komatsu of the Construction Bureau, how could the workers here possibly have access to other equity transaction information?!"
Those private transactions were all handled secretly by trusted subordinates, including not only the secretary but also the director of Likulut's financial company and other key personnel—all of whom were Jiang Haozheng's confidants.
Recent media reports have also covered Licourt's equity transactions with other socialites, which are things that construction workers would never know.
"So, we have a major traitor within our ranks!"
Jiang Fuhao said angrily,
"I will definitely find him!"
To be honest, Jiang Fuhao is also confused right now. He doesn't even know the whistleblower's purpose. His trusted subordinates are involved, so they certainly wouldn't report themselves. Do they want to go to jail?
Extortion is fine too, it's just money, we can negotiate!
Was this whistleblower truly acting solely out of a sense of justice?!
Unable to understand, Jiang Fuhao got back into his car. Before leaving, he glanced at the Licourt Building and remarked to his secretary beside him:
"Anything can change until the very last moment."
"Let's go, I'll talk to Director Komatsu and make him admit to all his crimes."
I had already received a notification from the Takeshita faction that we should end this turmoil as soon as possible so as not to affect the prime ministerial election.
Rikurote has already found a scapegoat; now all he needs to do is persuade Komatsu Hideki. He's not worried about Komatsu Hideki disagreeing, since he'll offer her a price she can't refuse.
At Shizuoka City Hospital, Naoki Nagayama and his group had arrived at the obstetrics and gynecology department.
After lunch, Naoki Nagayama and Tsuruko drove the others to the hospital, stopping to pick up Konosashi at the kindergarten along the way.
Half a month later, when Xia Hua saw the wild grass again, she was indeed very happy and called out "Brother Wild Grass" and laughed all the way.
Following Nanako Nagayama's steps, the group quickly arrived at the VIP ward.
Inside the room were two beds. On one of them lay Xiangjia, a woman with a round face, and next to her was a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.
"Mommy." Little Wild Grass ran over immediately, then lay down on the edge of the bed, looking at the baby curiously.
"weed."
Kika Nagayama was happy to see her eldest son, then turned around and saw the rest of the Nagayama family.
"Mother, Naoki, Akina, Tsuruko, you're all here!"
"Hi"
After greeting everyone, Tsuruko ran over first and watched the baby with the wild grass.
"And flower sauce," Akina said with a smile, then picked up Natsuka and went to see the baby.
"This is my little nephew! He's so tiny!"
"Bigger than when the wild grass was born."
Seeing that people had arrived, Xiangjia, the sister-in-law, sat up slightly and said with a smile,
"The weeds came out first back then. This time they're full-term."
"What comes out first?" Wild Grass asked, puzzled.
"The weeds couldn't wait and came out of their mother's belly early."
Nanako Nagayama, being more experienced, explained it to Konosashi and then took the lunch she had brought from home out of the lunchbox.
"Xiangjia, are you hungry? Eat up."
"Where's my older brother? Why isn't he in his room?" Naoki Nagayama asked.
"He went to pay the fees and complete the discharge procedures."
Naoki Nagayama was quite surprised:
"Huh? You're being discharged so early? It's only been two days, right?"
"The doctor said there was nothing wrong. They said the second pregnancy went very smoothly and the baby is healthy, so I can just go home and rest."
Nagayama Kyoka ate with great relish and looked quite healthy.
"That's good, it's better to recuperate at home than in the hospital."
Nanako, the mother, nodded in agreement; the older generation generally doesn't have a good impression of hospitals.
Just then, the eldest brother, Aoki, walked in from outside. He was startled to see a large group of people in the room, but then he smiled and greeted them one by one.
"Naoki, Akina, Tsuruko, thank you for making this trip."
"Come see your little nephew." Naoki Nagayama patted his older brother on the shoulder. "Congratulations, brother. You've had another son."
I originally wanted a daughter.
Nagayama Aoki glanced enviously at Natsuka, who was gently touching the baby on the other side.
"I didn't expect it to be my son again."
"Haha, it's hard to say for sure, both boys and girls are good."
Naoki Nagayama shook his head, then asked with great curiosity,
Have you chosen a name for your baby?
"Well"
Nagayama Aoki was in a dilemma.
"I'm not very good at naming things. When I named wild grass, I just hoped it would have the vitality of a wild grass and grow up healthy. Now..."
"Then let's think about how we hope the little one will turn out this time."
"But it has to be related to grass."
"Well, it's not necessarily true that you have to use herbs."
Naoki Nagayama said that, after all, there was no set pattern for naming their children.
"No. Grandfather said the next generation should be named after flowers and plants."
"Is there such a thing?"
"That's what my father said."
"Forehead"
I never imagined it would involve my deceased grandfather.
As they talked, Aoki looked at Naoki Nagayama. After all, the entire cultural essence of the Nagayama family should be concentrated in Naoki Nagayama:
"Naoki, why don't you help me get one?"
"I?"
Naoki Nagayama declined.
"This isn't appropriate. Let Father do it."
“Forget about your father!” his mother, Nanako, said from the side. “Be careful he doesn’t come up with another name like ‘weed’ or ‘wild vine’!”
"." (If it were up to me, I might call it chives.)
Seeing that everyone's eyes were on him, Naoki Nagayama had no choice but to accept the challenge. He looked at Aoki Nagayama:
"Big brother, what are you and Sister Xiangjia's biggest expectations for the baby?"
"Well," Nagayama Aoki glanced at his sister-in-law, Kika, "it's probably because they have a strong will to live and are quite resilient."
Sister-in-law Xiangjia spoke up a little more:
"I also hope that this child will grow up to be decisive and have his own opinions, and become a strong man!"
"Oh, I see."
Naoki Nagayama stroked his chin, adding that it also had to be related to flowers and plants.
"Ah, I've got it! Let's call him 'Hiiragi Go'!"
"Hiirago?"
Nagayama Aoki pondered the meaning of his name. Hiiragi is an evergreen plant, remaining green even in winter, thus symbolizing vitality and resilience. The character "Go" in his name refers to himself, emphasizing independence and self-reliance.
"Shugo!" Nagayama Aoki was very satisfied. "Nagayama Shugo...very good!"
Hearing the name, Xiangjia, the eldest sister-in-law, was also very satisfied.
With everyone's approval, the name of the second male descendant of the fourth generation of the Nagayama family was thus decided.
(End of this chapter)