Chapter 357: 142. Simple morning, breakfast, going out to sea......_3
"Any other requests?" Fujiwara Reya skillfully tied the apron.
"Hmm, remove the bones, the fish soup can’t have a fishy smell..." Mrs. Hoshimi pressed her fist to her chin, her shiny black hair neatly draped in front, "And Rinko likes fish porridge, make a bowl for her. Just one bowl, don’t let other women have any."
"You’re putting me on the spot here." Fujiwara Reya said, deftly bleeding the fish with a knife.
"I’m giving you a chance to redeem yourself, so don’t be ungrateful." Mrs. Hoshimi smiled elegantly, her eyes fixed intently to observe the fish’s reaction. In the sink, the fish blood flowed from the faintly breathing gills, seeping into the smooth, white fish body.
Fujiwara Reya skillfully extracted the fish bones, aptly separating the fish meat, using the fish bones and head to make a stock for stewing. The fish skin and flesh were also separated; the skin was roasted as a starter snack, while the meat was used for clear soup and porridge.
"Impressive!" Mrs. Hoshimi watched the series of operations with genuine admiration.
She was the type who was terrible at cooking yet loved to dabble in it, often ending up with inedible dishes yet still adored cooking by hand.
"If you want to learn, I can teach you slowly." Fujiwara Reya said, tilting his head to look at her. Mrs. Hoshimi’s appearance was very similar to the senior’s, her eyebrow shape identical to her daughter’s, with a dignified and graceful nose. Her clumsy stance while cooking was just as endearing as the senior’s.
Her demeanor matched her status—cool and noble, harsh and merciless, a board director others found hard to approach.
Yet in private, when with the Kasahara and Fujiwara families, she had a gentle and docile, virtuous wife and good mother side. From her, Fujiwara Reya seemed to see what the senior would be like in ten years.
"What are you looking at?" Mrs. Hoshimi asked, feeling a bit uneasy, and covered her lips with her hand.
"Seeing the resemblance between Miss Yako and Miss Rinko." Fujiwara Reya said playfully.
"How much resemblance?"
"About eighty percent."
Mrs. Hoshimi tightly pursed her lips, taking four or five seconds before relaxing them.
"Rinko is very angry." She said softly, "I advised her to break up with you completely, but she refused, and we even argued a bit last night..."
"I know why."
Mrs. Hoshimi rubbed her aching temples: "How do you know?"
"Why?" Fujiwara Reya thought for a moment, "Probably, the senior is like me. She needs to verify everything herself before making a decision. Others’ opinions can be references, but they absolutely can’t influence her judgment."
"You’re quite annoying." Mrs. Hoshimi said calmly, "That’s obviously my daughter, yet because of you, I’m arguing with her."
"Perhaps that’s true." Fujiwara Reya didn’t deny, "But I do bring joy to others, making them happy without imposing. Though I might lie occasionally, I’m mostly sincere."
Mrs. Hoshimi pondered for a while, then laughed as if resigning: "Hmm, you’re not lying when praising me, right?"
"Of course not!" Fujiwara Reya looked hurt, "In my eyes, Director Yako is as beautiful as a goddess."
"How godly?"
"Can speak Chinese."
"Knows a bit."
"To what extent?"
"Hello, thank you, xiaolongbao, goodbye..." After saying the standard four phrases, Mrs. Hoshimi giggled, covering her lips, and said, "Okay, proficient in Chinese, now you can praise me."
In Shintoism, there are ancient texts entirely in Chinese, so how could someone as powerful as Mrs. Hoshimi not understand Chinese?
"Her form, graceful like a startled swan, a meandering dragon..."
The kettle gurgled, and as the young man’s recitation started, the emerging steam added a touch of ethereal charm.
"Shoulders slender as if carved, waist delicate as if tied...Beauty needs no addition, makeup is redundant...With bright eyes and captivating smiles, cheek dimples match wits...Exquisite and charming, deportment calm and graceful...Gentle emotions, appealing in expressions..."
"Alright, alright, that’s enough."
Just as Fujiwara Reya was about to forget what followed, Mrs. Hoshimi, arranging breakfast with a smile, said, "All the Chinese praises for a beauty are going to be used up by you! It sounds like a lie, too exaggerated!"
"It truly comes from the heart." Fujiwara Reya turned on the faucet to wash his hands, "In my eyes, you are Luoshen."
"What about Himeko?"
"She...the beautiful version of the Queen Mother of the West."
"Sounds more impressive than me!"
"But she lacks refinement, not as captivating as Luoshen, who defines traditional Oriental aesthetics."
"Haha, you’re really a naughty child." Mrs. Hoshimi placed a hand on his shoulder, her serious eyes seemed to chase the bygone years. Then she smiled again and said, "If I were born ten years later, Rinko wouldn’t stand a chance."
"The senior’s watching."
"Eh?" Mrs. Hoshimi was startled, quickly looked toward the door.
The view was empty, no sign of anyone.
Looking back, she met Fujiwara Reya’s shining black pearl-like eyes, caught the teasing smile in them, and Mrs. Hoshimi’s cheeks reddened a bit. She scolded in mock anger, "Really annoying! You’re so sly... Saying such things to tease the director, see how I punish you later!"
Leaving a harsh comment, she hurriedly picked up the tray, fleeing like avoiding a disaster.
"Mr. Fujiwara!"
"As punishment, clean up the house immediately—"
The voice sounded just like a wife scolding a lazy husband. Fujiwara Reya wiped his hands dry, picked up a cloth and water basin, and diligently began mopping the floor.
No choice.
As the master of the house, that’s what he ought to do.
※※※※※
The sky turned azure, like washed blue, with a gentle breeze brushing the earth.