National Tide 1980

Lunch this day was quite glorious.

The dining room table area of ​​Yujiro Sakai and Miyoko Kagawa's house was not enough, so they put together a folding table, which was almost full of dishes.

And it is worth mentioning that what is on the table is not the popular food that Japanese families are used to eating on weekdays.

There were no fried pork chops, fried chicken wings, potato pancakes, curry rice, stir-fried vegetables, fried dumplings, spring rolls, supermarket-bought tuna and cuttlefish sashimi, or a few fried cutlets with macaroni.

On today's table, except for some boiled dumplings brought by Ning Weimin, Director Taniguchi's favorite omelette rice, and a vegetable salad, which are considered popular dishes, the rest are all high-end ingredients that ordinary people cannot afford. .

The main dish placed in the middle of the table, in addition to a large plate of Wagyu beef with evenly distributed fat, the most surprising thing is that there is a whole Akani sea bream.

Not to mention the price of Wagyu beef. Even if Yujiro Sakai and the others bought A4 grade beef from the supermarket, this large plate would cost one and a half kilograms of meat, or at least 15,600 yuan.

The key is that this high-end sea bream is more expensive, and the Akani sea bream is regarded as one of the super high-end fish in the Kanto region of Japan.

The lowest price in the market is 15,000 yen per kilogram, and sometimes it even exceeds 20,000 yen.

And the bigger the fish, the more delicious it is. The forty-centimeter-long high-grade snapper on the table today is at least five or six kilograms, enough for the seven of them to enjoy a full meal.

The two Xiangchuan sisters even made this fish into a meal for two.

The fish meat is used as sashimi and eaten raw.

Fish heads, fish bones and fish skin are all used for grilling, ensuring variety in taste.

So this is a delicious meal. Not counting the drinks, the cost of the ingredients alone is 100,000 yen.

It is equivalent to a white-collar worker in a large Japanese company spending a quarter of his salary to entertain guests.

If converted into international currency, that's almost seven hundred US dollars.

To be honest, even Americans don’t have many opportunities for such luxury.

Think about it, a Michelin-starred meal costs three to four hundred dollars per person, and you have to deduct half of the cost of drinks. How much money do you have to spend on ingredients?

Besides, it was eating in a restaurant and this was at home.

Therefore, Ning Weimin felt flattered by the food of this meal.

They all suspected that Yujiro Sakai and Miyoko Kagawa didn't want to have a good life.

Don't forget, they still have a debt of 35 million yen.

Just say that the current interest rate is low, and it will cost hundreds of thousands of yen to pay off the principal and interest every month.

The money for this meal is almost enough for one month's repayment. How about using it to pay the mortgage?

Director Taniguchi and Mrs. Taniguchi were also quite surprised. They felt even more cramped than Ning Weimin at the dining table and were embarrassed to sit down.

Especially Director Taniguchi, he first looked at his wife, then at the two hosts, and then kept stroking the top of his head, muttering to himself with a hint of cowardice.

"This... this is too expensive! Why are you so embarrassed?"

And this time, it can be regarded as satisfying Zuo Hai Yujiro's self-esteem.

He burst out laughing on the spot, showing off his heroic side as a master with increasing vigor.

"Oh, this is nothing. Director, madam, please take a seat. I invite everyone here today, and of course I want everyone to be satisfied. To be honest, I have a small happy event to announce today, Because of my outstanding performance, I want to be promoted!”

"Oh? There is such a happy event!" Headed by Director Taniguchi, the foreign guests such as Mrs. Taniguchi, Taniguchi Xinyou and Ning Weimin couldn't help but widen their eyes and were greatly surprised.

"Yes, I have been the organizational director of the branch since the new year. Although I am only a grassroots cadre slightly higher than a regular employee, I still have a reasonable fixed salary compared to the past. And the company also provides housing subsidies. . In this case, you can have a fixed income of almost 350,000 yen per month."

Seeing Zuo Hai Yujiro beaming with joy and pride, he still pretended to be modest.

Only then did everyone finally realize and feel completely relieved.

Also, most people like Yujiro Sakai who work as salesmen in insurance companies work part-time and can only get insurance commissions.

Even though Yujiro Sakai is one of the few regular workers, his monthly salary is extremely low.

It’s only about 100,000 yen per month, which is better than nothing.

This promotion is undoubtedly a huge difference for him. Compared with the past situation where he relied solely on insurance commissions to live, it is much more stable.

At least with this salary alone, I can repay the loan every month.

So it’s not too much to take advantage of the abundant money and spend money to celebrate by eating and drinking.

So everyone congratulated one after another, and Miyoko Kagawa happily came over to open the wine bottle. Together with her sister Rinko Kagawa, they poured wine and drinks for the guests and their own glasses.

"Yujiro, you're amazing. He's a bit like the head of the family."

Ning Weimin was the first to take the initiative to raise his glass and express his congratulations. "I haven't seen you for a few months, and you have become a cadre. Congratulations, please continue to work hard. I wish you and Miyoko a happy life!"

"Yes, work hard!" Director Taniguchi also raised his glass, "Yujiro, I think highly of you. You will definitely become a real backbone in the future."

Unexpectedly, it was okay if he didn't say it. When he said this, Mrs. Taniguchi became disgusted.

Perhaps thinking of Director Taniguchi's dissatisfaction in the workplace and his failure to get promoted for many years, the housewife couldn't help complaining and began to criticize her husband.

"You're talking nonsense! Do you still need to say what Yujiro's future is like? I don't have the fate to choose a good husband like Miyoko. Alas, it's all because I didn't have a good vision at the beginning and made the wrong choice. I have a husband. I always wonder, why did I fall in love with you in the first place? What's the use of being honest? I just hope that Xin You won't be like you when he grows up, otherwise it will be a problem to start a family. , How can there be any woman as stupid as I was when I was young..."

These words were merciless.

Not only did Director Taniguchi's face suddenly change color and he became embarrassed, but even their son Taniguchi Shinyou was slightly shocked by these words.

"Mom, how can you say that? It's too much..."

This college student felt his father's suffering for the first time and blushed in sympathy with Director Taniguchi.

Subconsciously, he couldn't help but glance at Kagawa Rinko, who had bright eyes across from him, and then lowered his head with inferiority.

It seems that the atmosphere is not right, but fortunately there are many smart people on the scene who can smooth things over.

The faces of the father and son were not completely turned into the color of pig liver, and the discord between mother and son was stopped in time.

Kagawa Rinko was particularly astute and was the first to say, "Madam, I'm sorry that I cannot agree with your point of view. Director Taniguchi is an indispensable person in the company. I have received a lot of care from the director, and I have been grateful since the day I joined the company." To be honest, I wish there were more reliable people like Director Taniguchi in the company. In that case, the company would not be as exaggerated as it is now. And Xin You, you have helped me so much. I am so down-to-earth and serious. At one point, he really looks like Director Taniguchi. If not for this, how could Ningsang's bookstore be as orderly as it is now? Please relax, Xin You's future will definitely be good. When he enters a big company after graduation, he will definitely have Promising..."

These words not only made Mrs. Taniguchi's resentment a lot better, but also made her smile, "I accept your good advice, I hope so."

At the same time, he also received the grateful eyes of Director Taniguchi and Taniguchi Shinyu, the father and son.

Miyoko Kagawa is not much worse than her sister, and is as smart as her.

Glancing at Yujiro Sakai who was still immersed in narcissism and grinning from ear to ear next to her, Miyoko quickly humbled herself on behalf of her fiancé, and at the same time formally thanked Ning Weimin on behalf of the two of them.

"Speaking of which, Yujiro and I owe it all to Ningsang. Otherwise, how could we be where we are today on our own? Ningsang has been a great help to both Yujiro and me. If Ningsang hadn't been taking care of us, , let alone Yujiro’s impossibility of promotion, let alone our owning this house. I think it was Ningsang who urged us to buy a house, and that’s why we came up with this idea. Thinking about all this, Ningsang is our noble man. , I really should express my gratitude seriously."

After saying that, she solemnly bowed to Ning Weimin during the banquet.

Then he added, "So how can our Yujiro compare with Director Taniguchi? I am the descendant of a charcoal burner who came from the ravine. In terms of education, I only graduated from a night school. I am very satisfied to have a life like today. Director, but We have everything we have now thanks to our own hard work. Rinzi is right, as young people, we still have a lot of inexperience and need to learn from the director..."

This was absolutely accurate, and it flattered two people.

Not to mention that Director Taniguchi's face suddenly brightened and he smiled happily.

Even Ning Weimin, who knew the most about the situation, was coaxed into being happy.

So he followed these words and made a harmless joke.

"You two sisters are really good at talking, and you both have the talent to be hosts. It's a pity that the TV station is short-sighted, otherwise it should hire you sisters as anchors. Director Taniguchi, Mrs. Taniguchi, don't you think so? I think the two of them are the best. Any of them are better than the faces we often see on TV these days..."

This time, everyone was completely amused, and the atmosphere was extremely cheerful.

Being teased by Ning Weimin, the two sisters were shy, but they both smiled with their lips pursed.

Only Yujiro Sakai seemed to be waking up from a dream, and he touched his head in confusion and embarrassment.

It seemed that he had just discovered that the focus of everyone's discussion was no longer on him.

Seeing this scene, Ning Weimin was speechless. He didn't expect this kid to be so intolerable, and to be so carried away with such a small achievement.

But he also had to admit that this boy Zuo Hai Yujiro was really lucky to have such a virtuous and beautiful wife.

Although this boy was only immersed in his personal dreams and ignored the emotions of his guests, he did not fulfill his responsibility as a host at all.

But if a man has a good wife at home, he really doesn't get into trouble.

No, all the trouble he caused was solved by his fiancée Hu Lu, which was a blessing if he should have spoken out.

Anyway, no matter what, at this point, the atmosphere of the banquet has been created.

So as everyone raised glasses to congratulate each other and celebrate the fate of being together, the banquet officially began.

Everyone relaxed and started eating and drinking.

Needless to say, this meal really lived up to expectations and was very delicious.

I don't know if it was because he got along particularly harmoniously with these ordinary Japanese people. Ning Weimin felt the sincere friendship between people, which was no different from how he got along with his friends in China.

Or maybe it’s because the texture of these expensive ingredients is indeed excellent, as the saying goes – it’s not what you spend money on.

This meal, no matter the taste of beef or snapper, is so impressive.

The meat is elastic and plump, and when you chew it slowly, you will feel the lingering fragrance in your mouth.

Even the texture of the grilled fish skin is slightly sweet and has a unique taste.

In short, Ning Weimin felt a rare feeling of complete relaxation while sitting here. This meal was particularly enjoyable, and he was happy both physically and mentally.

The only slight drawback is that while we were chatting, everyone's topic gradually went off the rails.

From the current situation of each other's lives and the sharing of each other's emotions, it has become secular, and it has actually returned to the topic that everyone in Japan is paying attention to now, and they don't feel bored talking about it every day - economy and money.

There is no way, the economic bubble created by Japan's glass bottle has greatly changed the lives of the Japanese people this year.

Ning Weimin's Japanese friends who come from poor backgrounds are all talking about stocks, foreign exchange, housing prices, banks, interest rates, etc. in unison.

Of course, this does not mean that people like them who lack basic financial knowledge will become speculators overnight. They have mastered a lot of speculative knowledge and want to get rich by relying on these methods.

But because of the environment, their lives have been completely dominated and affected by these factors.

Although each of them is very unfamiliar with this, they cannot escape the control of these things.

Among other things, the purchasing power of the Japanese yen doubled overnight, causing many people to rush abroad to buy designer leather bags.

At the same time, luxury stores in Japan are also cutting prices.

A Chanel leather bag now sells for only 150,000 yen or 200,000 yen in Japan.

Even if you are a student girl who only relies on part-time work for income, you can easily get it if you save up.

Rinko Kagawa has a lot of contacts with these companies because of her work, so she can get relatively preferential prices.

She recently bought a few for herself and her sister.

When they met Mrs. Taniguchi, the women naturally started talking about this kind of thing.

I heard that Rinko Kagawa can save thousands or even tens of thousands of yen when buying a bag instead of going to the store. Of course Mrs. Taniguchi is also tempted, and naturally hopes to take advantage of it.

Mrs. Taniguchi discussed with Rinzi how to choose goods in the store, how to record the item numbers, and then told Rinzi the details of how she would help with the purchase.

While Director Taniguchi and Yujiro Sakai were changing cups, they talked about the recent changes in society and the gossip reported in newspapers.

Because land in Tokyo, which was already relatively valuable, has doubled again this year.

As a result, the traditional eldest son inheritance system that has long been practiced in Japanese society is no longer feasible.

Because the younger brothers and younger sisters all had to get a share of the pie, this resulted in widespread family conflicts.

Director Taniguchi said that a century-old sushi restaurant near his home is now the subject of a lawsuit between eight brothers and sisters.

Yujiro Sakai also said that the small apartment he rented in the past has now become the subject of a lawsuit between the three landlords.

Of course, this kind of thing would never happen to an orphan like Ning Weimin.

But he couldn't help but feel moved and lamented by it.

Because he knows very well that the lawsuit will be settled one day, but the relationship between flesh and blood can never be repaired after it is completely at odds.

This is the price people have to pay for getting rich suddenly due to the rising housing market. (End of chapter)