Chapter 3 The way forward

A "closing station" farewell ceremony was held for the small station, and I truly experienced the beauty of finality unique to RB people. Bai Chuanfeng also began to pack his bags and prepare for his "Eastward Drifting" trip.

"Are everything ready?"

"Um"

"Remember to prepare more clothes to keep out the cold. I don't know if it's cold in Tokyo?"

"Um"

Under the dim light, Hezi was sitting on his knees at the banquet, packing his luggage in silence. The long and slanting shadow swayed slightly on the mottled wall with his busy hands.

Shirakawa Hayato put down his wine glass and wanted to say something more. However, when he saw his wife who was uncharacteristically quiet beside him, he didn't know where to start.

There was no longer the wife's usual nagging, nor the sound of her husband's drinking. For a while, there was only the sound of tidying up clothes in the room.

"Um...can Xiaofeng really do it alone?" After all, Kazuko couldn't hold it back and raised her head to look at her husband hopefully.

"What are you talking about?" Shirakawa Hayato said with a pretentious smile, "He will be eighteen years old soon. At this age, I can go hunting alone in the mountains."

Lying on the tatami in the room, listening to the chattering of her parents outside, Shirakawa Kaede sighed slightly. She was originally excited because she was about to experience the scenery of Tokyo in this era, but she actually became a little melancholy.

The unknown birds chirping in the forest outside the window echoed. Shirakawa Kaede rested her arms on her head and was lost in thought. The life in the mountain village was relaxed and leisurely, but the prosperity of Tokyo was also extremely attractive.

But if you understand clearly, if you can figure out everything just because you understand the truth, then human society would be too harmonious.

Strictly speaking, he was not a native of the mountains, but more like a visitor from outside. However, within a short period of time, he was still moved by the simple folk customs here.

But Torataro seems to be a little uncomfortable with his village being called Bambi.

Bai Chuanfeng smiled bitterly, this guy didn't know what low-key was at all. He had to restrain himself a little when he got to Tokyo, otherwise he would suffer a lot waiting for him.

"Huh?" Kazuko was still immersed in the reluctance and lamentation of her child's first trip away. She looked at her husband with some confusion.

Bai Chuanfeng couldn't help but think of clips from movies in his previous life, and a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.

A simple and enthusiastic fellow countryman, a carefree but unexpectedly reliable childhood playmate, and parents who don’t speak much but show concern for everything.

But Torataro accepted them all. In his eyes, they all had the same expression, which was jealousy.

"It's Fawn, not a weird name like Bambi."

"Xiao Feng looks a lot more mature." Shirakawa Hayato, who was holding his arms, looked at his son who was drifting away and said quietly to his wife beside him.

"Ma Dongmei", "Ma Dongmei?"

"Oh, it turns out to be Bambi Village."

After boarding the train, they placed their luggage at their feet under the seat. Both Shirakawa Kaede and Torataro breathed a sigh of relief involuntarily.

He didn't understand what his wife meant. She just hoped that he could send his children to study in Tokyo so that they could be taken care of along the way.

Some people looked envious, some looked disdainful, and some looked expressionless.

The journey originally took more than half an hour, but the two of them arrived at their destination in less than half an hour.

That look made it seem like going to Tokyo was such a big deal.

So in order to reassure his parents and prevent himself from being immersed in that 'hypocritical' atmosphere, Shirakawa Kaede moved forward without looking back.

So even though he was equally worried, Shirakawa Hayato could only let his children face it alone.

"Are you two brothers going to travel far?"

As for Torataro, this guy didn't know what sadness was at all. The excited look on his face made his mother, who reluctantly came to see him off, cry or laugh for a moment.

Outside the car window, green mountains and green waters passed by quickly. I don’t know when I will see such a scene again in the future.

…

But the spring planting season is coming soon, and things in the fields cannot be separated from people's work. It is impossible to rely on Kazuko alone, and most of the family's income must fall there. Especially in order to support Shirakawa Kaede's studies, Haru

Never delay planting.

"It's not Bambi, it's Fawn!"

Many people in the village had already left here to go to the big city, and Shirakawa Hayato also wrote to them in advance. He hoped to go to Tokyo and take care of his son for the sake of his fellow villagers.

"..." Torataro's thick eyebrows began to twitch again.

All this made him feel uneasy when he first arrived, so he quickly integrated into the place and got used to their presence.

"Go to Tokyo, it's really awesome."

Not mentioning that their parents, who are getting smaller and smaller behind them, are still standing at the intersection, Shirakawa Kaede and Torataro have already begun to look forward to the upcoming metropolitan life.

"I know, I know~ Bambi."

Coupled with the fact that he was about to see the colorful world of Tokyo, Shirakawa Kaede was still a little excited inside. So overall, his mood was not bad.

"That's right, dad, we are from Xiaolu Village."

After all, he is young now.

Because Xiaolu Station has just closed, I have to walk for an extra half hour to get to the city and take the tram to the next platform.

Not to mention that society will teach him how to be a good person, but he probably won't be that easy to talk to when he meets the Yakuza.

Shirakawa Kaede turned around and took a casual look. There were not many people in the car. Most of the people were wearing traditional clothes such as coarse kimonos, and they seemed to be middle-aged or older. There were others who were just like them, and also had full luggage.

Ever since Disney's "Bambi" became popular around the world, the name 'Bambi' has become a household name.

As April approaches, the weather gradually gets warmer. Although the white snow on the mountain tops is still clearly visible, if you look closer, the gray and black soil has already been exposed on both sides of the road.

Especially for RB, which worships the West and began to become completely Westernized after the war, "Bambi" has almost become synonymous with the deer.

Bai Chuanfeng turned his head, and what he saw was an old couple with gray hair and kind eyes.

Kazuko rolled her eyes at her husband angrily, and then she couldn't help but think: Yes, why does my son look like nothing is wrong? He is so heartless.

No need for Shirakawa Kaede to explain, the impatient Torataro had already told the old man where he was going in a rather showy tone.

The beautiful scenery, wide space, fresh air, and unpolluted water in their hometown cannot retain those young people.

Along the way, Shirakawa Kaede heard the sounds of arguments between Torataro and the old man. It was more like a constant emphasis and a constant forgetfulness.

The old man's admiring tone also made Torataro look satisfied on his face, and his thick eyebrows were slightly raised, showing indescribable pride.

Seeing the kind smiles on their faces, Bai Chuanfeng couldn't help but smile and nod.

But for most of the people on the bus, this corner of the mountains is a place where modern material civilization, which has begun to decay, is bypassed and unwilling to visit.

The mother is worried when her son travels thousands of miles. Although Kazuko also understands that her son is just going to Tokyo to study and is not crawling around in society, so there should be no big problem.

Kazuko nodded silently, but the worry in her eyes did not ease at all because of her husband's relief, "But, after all, this is his first time traveling far away. He has never left Akita, let alone a big city like Tokyo.

…”

Although I am young and full of energy, I have been running around all the time, and now I feel a little tired just sitting down for nothing.

After pretending to be cool and waving goodbye to their parents, Shirakawa Kaede and Torataro picked up their bags and set foot on the path paved with black cinders, heading away from their hometown.

"Dad, you guessed it right. We are going to Tokyo."

Just when Bai Chuanfeng and the others were relaxing, a gentle chatter came from behind their ears.

Torataro was really excited. He had heard about the colorful world outside for a long time. Tokyo was like a fair-haired girl. Now that he was finally about to kiss her, his heart couldn't stop feeling hot.

"Don't worry." Hayato Shirakawa put his hands on his knees, "He is not the only one, there is also Torataro. And there will be fellow villagers to pick them up when they arrive in Tokyo."

Shirakawa Hayato shrugged, "I thought there would be a farewell scene of a loving father and a filial son that would make people cry, but who knew that this would be it?"

The familiar Torataro was already chatting with the old man.

Mainly Torataro was talking and Shirakawa Kaede was listening. I had never seen any kind of big city in my previous life, but now I was more curious about exotic customs.

"Oh, everyone knows, Bambi."

No matter in his past life or in this life, Shirakawa Kaede didn't like the atmosphere of farewell. Even if he was an unfamiliar friend, just the word farewell would make him feel full of melancholy.

"The chicks will leave the nest one day." Hayato Shirakawa picked up the wine glass and muttered again, not knowing whether he was comforting his wife or himself.

"Judging by their accents, the two guys must be locals from the area."

Not only the old man, but also other people in the carriage subconsciously looked at them when they heard Torataro's voice.

Now Bai Chuanfeng has become one of them.

Outside the car window, he seemed to see again, the rice pounder singing monotonously on the stream, the farmhouses with cedar bark roofs, the terraced fields, and the life of oil lamps at night.

As the tram gradually receded, everything in my hometown slowly became blurry and increasingly hazy.

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