After breakfast and a short rest, Ichin's mom went out with the girls. On the way, they picked up Umiko and Nene, making six people in total for the shopping trip.
As for Ichin, for once his mother spared him from bag-carrying duty today. Even his father was spared.
With all the women out of the house, Ichin and his dad sprawled on the living room sofa, brewed two cups of tea, put on a war movie, and enjoyed a lazy afternoon.
Taking a sip, Ichin smacked his lips and said:
"Dad, don't tell me you've run out of pocket money? This tea isn't as good as the stuff you used to drink."
"You think I want it this way?"
His father drank and sighed.
"Think back. Since you were a kid, have I ever had private money?"
"…Well, that's true."
Looking into his cup, Ichin frowned.
"But Mom wouldn't deny you decent tea, would she?"
"This isn't terrible. It's just that the harvest these past two years hasn't been great. I got this batch from a friend, but compared to before, it's weaker. If you want good tea, the price is up at least thirty or forty percent. We're not short on money, but there's no reason to let ourselves be fleeced. Once prices go down, I'll buy better again."
"Emmm…"
After thinking for a moment, Ichin turned to his father.
"Since Mom and the others are out shopping and left us to fend for lunch, why don't we eat out, then check out some tea shops? I don't have much tea left back in Tokyo anyway, so I might as well buy some. And I can bring a couple of boxes for Utaha's father too. Don't worry about the cost, Dad—your son's got money now. It's on me."
Hearing this, his father's eyes lit up.
"Alright, let's go this afternoon then! Old Li told me he got a batch of ridiculously expensive Da Hong Pao. I'll message him to hold some for us!"
Other than the occasional card game with friends, tea was his father's only real hobby. But everyone knew good tea was rare and costly—usually too much for him to justify.
But now it was different. With Ichin making plenty of money, he could happily cover his dad's tea expenses.
After the movie, the two went out. Ichin's dad called up his tea-specialist friend, and the three of them had lunch together before heading to the man's teahouse. They spent the afternoon sipping fine tea and playing cards in comfort.
By the time they returned home, it was already past four.
Utaha, eating watermelon in the living room, spotted the bags in their hands and smiled:
"What did you buy?"
"Tea."
Setting the bags on the table, Ichin opened his mouth so Utaha would feed him a slice of watermelon.
"Mhm, nice. Sweet melon."
After swallowing, he added:
"There wasn't much tea left at home in Tokyo, so I figured I'd buy some while I was back, and grab a bit for your dad too. He loves tea, right?"
"Ah, I see."
Utaha picked up a box from the bag, reading the label.
"Da Hong Pao? That must've been expensive."
"Tea prices are steep right now—especially for the good stuff. Scarce supply drives it up. Nine boxes in total: three Da Hong Pao, three Keemun, three Biluochun. All top-quality. Not cheap. I'll bring a set for your father. He can enjoy it at home or share with colleagues."
Hearing this, Utaha's eyes curved in a smile.
"Once Dad sees this, he'll definitely be thrilled."
Soon after, Ichin's mom came back, unloading ingredients in the kitchen before stepping into the living room.
Seeing the pile of tea on the table, she frowned.
"Spent a lot, didn't you? You only needed to get some for yourself and Utaha's father. Why so much for him? He still has a box left from before!"
Ichin grinned.
"It wasn't that much, Mom. When you find good tea, of course you buy it. Besides, it keeps. Better to have extra than run out. Anyway, forget tea—what did you buy? And where are Haruno and the others?"
"They're downstairs with Umiko and Nene, checking out the apartment. They'll be up soon."
Sitting down with a wedge of melon, his mother's mood brightened.
"We bought some clothes today, mostly for the girls. With their figures, they look good in anything!"
That remark applied to everyone—except maybe Nene. Well, to be fair, aside from being short, her proportions weren't bad. She just couldn't pull off Utaha or Haruno's elegant style, nor Umiko or Yukino's cool tones. At best she fit the cute, pastel look.
"And you, Mom? Didn't buy anything for yourself?"
"Of course I did." She beamed.
"Two new summer outfits. The girls helped me pick, and Utaha even paid. I told her I could pay myself, but she insisted on swiping her card."
Utaha hugged her arm and said with a smile:
"It's fine. I earn plenty from writing now, and you've taken such good care of me. Buying you a couple of dresses is the least I can do. Oh, and Ichin—this afternoon we even ran into one of Auntie's old university classmates!"
"Oh? Really?"
Ichin glanced at his mom. He'd only ever met two of her old classmates, both from Shanghai.
His father, seeing her expression, chuckled.
"Bet it wasn't someone you were close with?"
"You can tell?" She shot him a glance, her face smug.
"It was our old class monitor. Remember her? You met her a few times when you came to pick me up."
"Oh! Right, I remember." His father clapped his hands, recalling.
"The one from a well-off family, always acting so superior?"
"That's her."
"I didn't expect to see her again after all these years, but we recognized each other instantly. She's got a daughter, a few years older than Ichin, just returned from studying abroad. The moment we met, she started bragging—how successful her daughter is, how she works for a foreign company, how much she earns each month, and what a great son-in-law she's found."
…Why did that sound so familiar?
Ichin tilted his head, then realized—wasn't this straight out of those cliché "face-slapping" novel scenes?
He hadn't run into it himself before, but apparently his mom just had.
---
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