Chapter 1331: So, girls should be raised richly!!

The fireworks of Showa 62 seemed to still be shining in the night sky, and the continuous bell sounds seemed to still echo in his ears, but when he opened his eyes again, it was already Showa 63.

On the first day of the New Year, the snow in the yard made the bedroom windows brighter, but the constant temperature system of the whole house isolated all the cold, making people not want to get up even in the cold winter...

The small room made humming sounds and Miaotaro's calls; little Xia Hua was awake!

However, in the bedroom at this time...

"Hmm..." Naoki Nagayama hugged Akina in his arms, "Akina, Hua-chan is awake..."

"Hmm~"

Akina closed her eyes and made a dissatisfied nasal sound, confusedly mumbling,

"It's Naoki-san's turn today..."

"? It's New Year today... the order of taking care of the child should be reset, right?"

"Even if it's reset, Naoki-san should start first..."

"..."

On the warm bed, the young couple closed their eyes and hugged each other, pushing the responsibility of taking care of the child to each other... The quilt in winter has magic, and they were very tired last night, so no one wanted to get up early on the first day of the New Year...

And when the two hadn't decided the winner, little Xia Hua, who had already grown up, couldn't wait. After humming for a long time and no one came, she climbed down from the small bed, and then ran to the bedroom to complain about her heartless parents:

"Dad, Mom... get up!!!" 【1

The little one stood on tiptoe and reached her hand toward Naoki Nagayama's face; her chubby little hand was even about to grab her old father's nose... Naoki Nagayama could no longer sleep.

Opening his eyes and seeing the little one beside the bed, Naoki Nagayama lifted the quilt with one hand, and with the other, he scooped the little one up and pulled her directly into the quilt...

"Get in here, you!"

He turned over and tucked her right between Akina and himself!

After a gasp of surprise, the little one let out a crisp laugh, and Akina, inside the quilt, also started laughing...

The first day of the New Year began amidst the playful laughter under the covers!!

Getting up, washing up, and then Naoki Nagayama and Akina took little Xia Hua downstairs to have breakfast together...

Because in Japanese custom, fire represents disaster, so logically, the kitchen should not be used, and only New Year's dishes prepared beforehand should be eaten.

However, in modern society, if you don't use fire, you can still use a microwave or an induction cooker; with a little child in the house, you can't let her eat cold things.

So, after a flurry of activity, a steaming breakfast was placed on the table, and Naoki Nagayama also went out to retrieve the thick newspapers, browsing through them while eating breakfast.

"As expected..."

Naoki Nagayama pointed to the front-page report and said,

"The news of Akina winning the Triple Crown has made the front page!"

Akina leaned over to take a look; sure enough, the newspaper featured a photo of her holding the trophy, along with an exaggerated headline: "Triple Crown! Unprecedented, setting a record in the entertainment industry, Akina Nakamori wins the Japan Record Award for the third consecutive time!!"

"Haha, that headline is really something!"

"It's the first newspaper of the New Year, so naturally, it needs to have a bit of novelty!"

Naoki Nagayama looked at the newspaper and suddenly said,

"Why don't we frame this newspaper! Let's put it in the display cabinet!"

Hearing this, Akina felt a bit bashful:

"That would be too embarrassing! Guests will think I'm showing off!"

"Hahaha, it should be shown off!" Naoki Nagayama laughed, "This record is unprecedented, and perhaps it will never be surpassed!"

With the accelerating pace of life, the turnover in the entertainment industry will also become faster and faster; wanting to dominate the top of the entertainment industry for three consecutive years is a very difficult thing~

"There will definitely be someone!"

Akina was quite confident,

"Yukiko-chan, Shizuka-chan—I think they both have potential..."

"I hope so!"

After browsing through it casually, Naoki Nagayama put down the newspaper and continued eating his breakfast.

Only when he was nearly finished did he say to Akina:

"We are going back with Big Brother Feng tomorrow; as for today, besides going to the temple to pay our respects, we also have to go to one place to offer New Year's greetings..."

"Mm."

Akina naturally had known this for a long time, so she nodded,

"I have already prepared the gifts."

"Wait, let's set off in a little while!"

Actually, today one could have just paid respects to the gods and Buddhas and come back to rest; besides New Year's greetings to neighbors, there is no custom of visiting other families on the first day of the New Year.

However, this year is a bit different; because Genta Nakai was handling matters for him, he was placed under house arrest in New York and could not return...

Then, as his boss, he needed to go to his home early to offer New Year's greetings; this is no longer a custom, but a responsibility.

After breakfast was finished, Naoki Nagayama and Akina bundled the little one up tightly, and then took her out, heading toward the nearby Meiji Jingu as their location for the New Year's visit.

The snow on the main road had been cleared quite a bit, but the sides of the road and the park lawns were still covered in white snow; the pedestrians outside the car windows were all wearing cotton coats, hats, gloves, and scarves, and the white water vapor could be seen exhaled from their exposed faces from time to time...

On the Shinto path of the Imperial Garden, the people coming to pay their respects were rubbing shoulders, all wanting to pray for good luck for the New Year.

Little Xia Hua had been here before, but she clearly had no memory of it in her mind; sitting on her old father's shoulders, she was full of curiosity looking at the tall trees around her, her dark, round eyes constantly scanning the scenery of Meiji Jingu.

Naoki Nagayama himself didn't care much about such things as paying respects, but Akina was a very superstitious person; she earnestly took her husband and daughter to pray in the shrine, hoping for good luck in the New Year and that Hua-chan and the child in her belly would both grow up healthy.

"Please bless Naoki-san and Hua-chan with good health in the new year..."

After washing her hands with the icy water at the purification fountain, Akina placed a Fukuzawa Yukichi into the offering box, and then prayed sincerely,

"I hope the baby I am carrying also grows up healthy... I hope it's a boy!"

Perhaps thinking of her husband's love for their daughter, Akina added another sentence,

"A girl is also fine... as long as she is healthy! Please!"

With two light claps, the ritual of praying and paying respects was completed...

"Naoki-san, are you really not going to pray?"

Seeing Naoki Nagayama holding little Xia Hua the whole time and not participating in the prayers, Akina felt a bit helpless.

"Me?" Naoki Nagayama shook his head, "Didn't I say, I am a writer, I follow Confucian thought... respect ghosts and gods but keep them at a distance..."

Regardless of the omnipotent gods, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas, the Emperor Meiji and Empress enshrined at Meiji Jingu definitely had no ability to protect him! Naoki Nagayama could confirm this~

"Alright..."

The subsequent visit was actually more like a stroll; the family walked and stopped in the shrine, bought some souvenirs, and finally got a "Great Imperial Heart" fortune... as a memento of the New Year~

In the villa area of Setagaya, the new home that Genta Nakai bought in recent years is located here.

Genta Nakai is an only child; in the three-story, antique-style villa, Genta Nakai's parents, wife, and children all live together, which is considered a relatively traditional Japanese family.

This New Year, missing Genta Nakai, who is the backbone of the family, the family's New Year seemed a bit bleak, and there was no enthusiasm even for going out to pay respects in the morning...

"When will Father come back?"

Shota had asked many times before the New Year, but Suzumi could not give a clear answer and could only soothe him, saying, "Soon, soon..."

And the news that Naoki Nagayama was going to visit had also been decided before the New Year~

"That Naoki Nagayama..."

Genta Nakai's father, Hiroto Nakai, who already had gray hair, asked while drinking tea in the Japanese-style room,

"He is Genta's boss, right? The one who sent Genta to New York to manipulate the stock market?"

As an older generation Japanese, Hiroto Nakai believed in working honestly and obtaining high wages and high pensions through the seniority system... He never touched investments like stocks...

"Yes!" Suzumi brought the tea snacks over and answered her father-in-law's question, "To be precise, Genta and Naoki-san are partners... Genta also has shares in Tree Friend Capital..."

"Going to New York this time, was it to make a lot of money?"

"Yes..."

"So he can't come back even now..."

"... That is also part of the reason..."

After all, Suzumi was also friends with Naoki Nagayama, so she explained to her father-in-law,

"Genta and Naoki-san are making money together; Genta also made a lot this time. After he comes back, the Nakai family will be a truly wealthy family!"

This time, Genta Nakai's own money and dividends combined could allow the Nakai family to rise directly from an ordinary wealthy family to the old-money class.

It's the kind of "old money" level that you can tell just by hearing their laughter, the kind where the wealth earned can last for more than three generations...

Listening to her daughter-in-law's words, Hiroto Nakai's mouth twitched slightly, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

Ever since his son started Tree Friend Capital with Naoki Nagayama, the family's level of wealth had risen like a rocket, completely exceeding his imagination.

Like this villa in Setagaya today, he would have to work his whole life without eating or drinking to be able to afford it, but his son moved into it within a few years, and he bought more than one...

Nowadays, the backbone of the family had long since shifted to Genta Nakai!

"Then why is he coming to offer New Year's greetings today?"

"Because Genta is in New York... so he wants to come and offer condolences to the family..."

"Just like the lords in ancient times offering condolences to the families of generals fighting abroad..."

"Hahaha, what era is this now? There has long been no such feudal dependency relationship!"

"... How is there not? It's just changed to a different way..."

Just as the two were talking, the mother-in-law who went out shopping came back with little Shota; Shota was still holding a New Year's toy in his hand... a Totoro doll~

"Mother-in-law, why did you buy things for Shota again... You already bought a whole pile before the New Year!"

"Shota said the children in kindergarten all have one, so I bought it..."

Mother-in-law Nakai, like all grandmothers, was full of doting on her grandson and would basically satisfy any request.

"..."

Suzumi shook her head and didn't say much more; instead, she squatted down and said to her son,

"Shota, go and tidy up quickly... Uncle Naoki will be coming over in a while, and he will also bring little Xia Hua... You can let her see your toys!"

"Really?!"

Little Shota immediately became happy; he had gathered with the Nagayama family many times, so he naturally remembered this little sister,

"I'll go tidy up right away!"

Saying this, he ran upstairs quickly and went to his room.

When Naoki Nagayama arrived by car, Suzumi was already waiting at the door with Shota.

"Naoki-san... Akina-chan... Hua-chan! Happy New Year!"

"Suzumi-chan, Happy New Year! Why did you come out..."

After Akina got out of the car holding little Xia Hua, she asked hurriedly,

"It's too cold outside!"

"It's alright, I only came out after hearing the sound of the engine..."

Naoki Nagayama also came over with gifts from the trunk; Suzumi Nakai warmly welcomed the Nagayama family inside,

"Come in quickly, it's warmer inside..."

"Yes..."

As they walked in, Naoki Nagayama also heard Akina asking Hua-chan if she still recognized this big brother...

After putting down the gifts and coming to the main Japanese-style room, Naoki Nagayama formally paid his respects to the two elders of the Nakai family; he hadn't had a chance to meet them before...

"Uncle Nakai, Auntie, Happy New Year! I am Genta-san's good friend, Naoki Nagayama..."

"Naoki-kun, Happy New Year..."

"This is a gift carefully selected by Akina... please accept it with a smile..."

"You are very thoughtful..."

After a round of greetings, Naoki Nagayama finally brought up the main business:

"I am very sorry for letting Genta-san be trapped in a foreign country and unable to reunite with his family!"

"Genta-san cannot return from New York for the time being, but I have already hired a well-known law firm to form a legal team to help with the lawsuit..."

"Plus, Tree Friend is using its connections with the government to mediate diplomatically... I believe an agreement can be reached soon; at the very least a few months, at most half a year, and he will be able to return."

Hiroto Nakai and Mother-in-law Nakai listened together, and hearing Naoki Nagayama's sincere apology, they felt a little comforted in their hearts.

Then, hearing that it would take another half a year to return, they became worried again:

"Then what if an agreement cannot be reached? Will Genta go to jail?!"

"Regarding this point, please rest assured..."

Naoki Nagayama promised,

"If an agreement cannot be reached... I will use some extreme methods to bring Genta-san back directly!"

In this era, laws, regulations, and surveillance were not that comprehensive, and the United States is an immigrant country with groups of all kinds... If he were really sentenced, Naoki Nagayama would only be able to spend money to smuggle someone back from the United States!

It's just that afterward, Genta Nakai probably wouldn't be able to travel to the United States anymore...

"..."

Although he didn't say what extreme methods, the old Nakai couple felt much more at ease and chatted with Naoki Nagayama about trivial matters.

And at this time, on Akina's side, she had already taken Hua-chan to little Shota's room...

Little Shota was very fond of this cute little sister and took out all his precious toys and collections.

Transformers, baseballs, picture books, various toy cars, and so on; he even generously let Hua-chan choose:

"Hua-chan, whatever you like, I'll give it to you!"

This kind of attentive behavior was truly that of a little sycophant!

And little Xia Hua looked curiously for a while, flipping through the toy box casually... She didn't have much feeling for toy cars or anything, and it seemed they had picture books at home...

Then she suddenly picked up a Totoro doll and waved it at Akina:

"Mommy, look at this! Totoro..."

"Oh? Hua-chan likes this?!"

Shota saw little Xia Hua take a liking to the Totoro doll he had just gotten, and although he felt reluctant, he still pretended to be generous and said,

"Since Hua-chan likes it, then I'll give it to Hua-chan!"

And at this time, little Xia Hua shook her head:

"I have ten of these!"

Naoki Nagayama naturally brought home all the series of Totoro dolls and gave them to little Xia Hua... There were ten in the set, all with different designs!

Shota's eyes widened when he heard this...

"Ten?"

"Mm... so I don't want it!"

"..."

Little Shota was stunned and didn't know what to say for a moment...

So, girls should be raised with abundance!

That way, it's not easy for other little boys to trick them away with just one toy!

Akina and Suzumi watched this scene with smiles, only feeling that it was truly the friendship of childhood sweethearts~