ryethenovel Chapter 318 Country
Chapter 318 Country
(Thanks to "Zhao Li who loves braised beef brisket" for the author certification! Thanks to "Krom Skeleton of the Imperial Tomb" for the author certification! And thank you to all the readers for your support! Three chapters today~)
October 2nd. 1:47 PM.
Saionji Residence.
On the cypress wood floor in the entryway, there was an unexpected pair of indoor slippers. They were dark gray, with a very faint family crest embroidered on the top.
Satsuki caught a glimpse of those shoes while changing them. She paused for half a second as she bent down to unfasten the snaps on the side of the ballet flats.
Shuichi was supposed to be at the group headquarters today. He had a regular meeting with Sumitomo Trust at 10 a.m. and an internal budget review at 2 p.m. Both of which were on his schedule that he had personally reviewed.
Honestly... I didn't tell Father about my itinerary...
Satsuki shook her head helplessly.
She put her shoes in the shoe cabinet and changed into white, soft-soled indoor shoes. Fujita stopped three steps behind her, about to report something, when Satsuki raised her hand and gently pressed it down.
Needless to say.
She knew why he came back.
The corridor was long. Afternoon sunlight streamed in from behind the shoji paper doors on the south side, casting a pale golden glow on the cedar planks of the corridor. The air carried the faint aftertaste of sandalwood incense—very faint, probably lit an hour ago and already burned out.
The study door was half-open.
Satsuki stood at the doorway, peeking quietly through the crack.
Shuichi sat in the dark brown leather chair by the window. A copy of the Nikkei newspaper lay open on his lap, and he was reading up to page three. His glasses had slipped half an inch off his nose, but he didn't push them up.
The shadow of the maple tree in the courtyard outside the window fell on the shoji paper, swaying gently in the wind. The edge of the shadow brushed against Shuichi's sideburn.
It's white.
There are a few more than two weeks ago.
Satsuki stood at the door for two seconds.
"Father, I'm back."
Xiu looked up. The newspaper rustled softly from the movement of his knees. He folded the newspaper along its original creases, placed it on the armrest, and took off his glasses with his right hand, putting them into his breast pocket.
His movements were neither hurried nor slow. But he stood up a little faster than usual.
"Welcome back." Shuichi's voice was steady, a gentle smile playing in his eyes. "Did you sleep on the plane?"
"I slept for a little while." Satsuki walked into the study, a slight smile playing on her lips. "But Father, aren't you going to the budget review at 2 PM?"
Shuichi's eyes flickered. He'd been caught.
"The company's people can handle it." He coughed lightly twice, his guilty conscience barely concealed. "Those routine reviews, someone else is better at it than I am."
Satsuki couldn't help but smile as she looked at her father's seemingly nonchalant expression.
Forget it, I won't expose him.
Fujita bowed slightly behind him, placed the black briefcase containing the documents on the low cabinet by the door, then silently withdrew and gently closed the door behind him.
Satsuki sat down on the single sofa opposite Shuichi. The leather surface of the sofa was slightly warm from the sun, and the moment her buttocks touched it, she felt a relaxing, enveloping sensation. She leaned back slightly, her shoulders finally relaxing from their constant tension.
After several days of intense negotiations, coupled with the fatigue of a long flight, sitting in his study at home, facing his father's familiar face, his alertness unconsciously decreased.
"Father, I'd like some tea."
Satsuki shifted slightly on the sofa, as if she had made up her mind not to move.
"well."
Xiu Yi responded with a smile. He turned and walked to the tea cabinet, opening the lower sliding door.
"Have a cup of tea to warm up first. Is the air conditioning on the plane really strong again? Your hands are always freezing when you get off the plane."
Satsuki did not deny it. She watched as Shuichi took the teapot and cups out of the cabinet.
In the past, the servants would make tea. But I don't know when it started, but whenever she's home, Shuichi will do it himself.
This time it's genmaicha (brown rice tea).
When the teacup was handed over, there were faint cracks on the inside. Shuichi's fingers lingered on the rim of the cup for a moment longer.
His gaze fell on Satsuki's face.
The several-day trip to Shanghai did not worsen her daughter's complexion.
But...have you gained a little weight?
Satsuki took the teacup and looked at Shuichi, who was staring intently at her.
"Hmm? What's wrong, Father?"
Satsuki asked while sipping her tea.
"...No, no, it's nothing."
Shuichi then looked away. His daughter was at a crucial stage of growth, so it was good for her to eat more.
"How's everything going in Shenhai?" Xiu Yi asked casually as he sat down again.
Satsuki took another sip of tea. The aftertaste of roasted rice lingered at the back of her tongue.
"The deal for plot B-07 has been finalized. It was sold for 32,000 yuan per mu."
She placed the teacup on the low table in front of her knees.
"The 'right of priority negotiation' was also written into the contract appendix, and the self-construction rights for the dock were approved."
After hearing the price and terms, Shuichi did not immediately respond. His gaze lingered on Satsuki's face for a moment before shifting away.
"Do you like the food there?"
Satsuki's lips twitched slightly.
"The crab roe xiaolongbao was delicious. I packed two baskets for you and asked Fujita to put them in the refrigerator."
Shuichi's brows relaxed slightly. A smile spread from the fine lines at the corners of his eyes.
"Okay. We'll heat it up tonight." He nodded with a smile. "Let me try some too."
He leaned back in his chair and got back to the main topic.
"Satsuki. Pudong, that place..." He pronounced "Pudong" slowly, as if chewing on an unfamiliar ingredient, "Does anyone actually invest there? I had my secretary compile some data the other day. They haven't even finished building a decent paved road yet; you have to take a ferry to get there."
He picked up the Nikkei newspaper from the armrest, turned to a page in the international edition, and saw a line he had drawn in pencil at the corner.
"This is what a Reuters reporter wrote. He said that Pudong is still 'a field and shantytown'."
Satsuki didn't take the newspaper. She held her teacup, lowering her eyes to watch the tea swaying slightly within.
"Father, do you think the Chinese will just leave Pudong there as farmland forever?"
Xiu was taken aback for a moment.
"That area, across the river is the Bund. Looking from the west bank of the Huangpu River, the entire Pudong area is like a vast blank canvas." Satsuki's gaze shifted from her teacup, and she looked up at Shuichi. "A country with 1.1 billion people is determined to build its own financial center. Once this kind of national will is activated—"
She paused for a moment.
"Come back to visit in three years."
Shuichi put the newspaper back on the armrest.
He stared into his daughter's eyes for three seconds. Satsuki's expression was calm, her teacup held in her hand, her posture relaxed. But deep in her pupils was a feeling—Shuichi couldn't quite put his finger on it—like looking down from a great height.
He didn't ask any further questions.
From the moment she uttered "dam release" at her funeral when she was twelve, Shuichi learned one thing—when his daughter said "three years later" in that tone, it meant three years later.
"Okay." Xiu nodded, smiling with relief. "I'll come see you in three years."
"I'll take you then." Satsuki's tone suddenly relaxed a bit. "We can go eat crab roe xiaolongbao again. They also have something called shengjian over there, which is pan-fried until the bottom is golden and crispy. I think you would like it too..."
Shuichi was amused by her sudden recommendation of food.
"Alright, alright. If you say you'll go, then we'll go." He waved his hand, "But before that—"
He gestured with his chin toward the desk.
"While you were away, all the regular reports from each line arrived. I've arranged them for you according to delivery time."
Satsuki turned her gaze in response to his gesture.
On the desk. Seven sealed document bags, arranged in a row from left to right according to delivery time. They are made of different materials and thicknesses: kraft paper, thick white paper, and some with a BVI registration mark.
"I didn't dismantle them," Shuichi added, a hint of self-satisfaction in his tone. "Not a single one was touched."
Satsuki turned around and glanced at him.
"Father, you've had a tough time. You've endured it for days, haven't you?"
"Yeah, it was really hard to bear," Xiu Yi admitted with a smile. "Especially Frank's letter; the postmark said it was from New York. I almost opened it as soon as I got it."
"Then I'll take a look quickly, lest Father's curiosity burn through the envelope."
Satsuki placed the teacup on the low table and stretched—her shoulder blades pulled back slightly, then quickly relaxed. She stood up and walked to her desk.
Alright, time to get to work.
The afternoon sun of October streamed through the paper window, casting a blurry rectangular patch of light on the table. The shadows of seven envelopes overlapped on the annual rings of the cypress wood tabletop.
Satsuki pulled up a chair and sat down. With her right hand, she opened a drawer and took out a red copper paper cutter.
Xiu Yi carried his teacup to the leather chair next to him and sat down at an angle where he could see the table.
"So I'll just sit in and listen?"
"Yes. There are some things I need to discuss with you."