After Bai Yumeng and Kawamoto Shigeyoshi said goodbye, Lu Ming got up and went to the living room. Erika and Papada were watching TV. When they saw Lu Ming come in, Papada stood up timidly.
Erika and Papada graduated from business school, and over the past two years, they have become good friends.
But this pair of good friends have very different temperaments. Erika is a cute and sweet candy girl, the kind that makes people want to hold her in the palm of their hands and pamper her.
Papada, the mixed-race girl of Mitai, is increasingly showing the wildness engraved in her blood. She has very three-dimensional facial features, snow-white skin, deep black eyes, charming silver nose and tongue studs, and dark brown long hair cut into an avant-garde hairstyle with particularly distinct layers that hangs in front of her forehead and on both sides. In her shiny black leather jacket, her snow-white shirt faintly reveals her seductive collarbone and the deep grooves squeezed out by huge mountains like explosions, as well as a faint red rose tattoo. In addition, she wears leather pants that tightly wrap her slender legs, black high heels, and a thin, exquisite and charming black ring-shaped anklet tattoo on her soft ankle, which is full of wild temptation.
"You guys keep playing!" Lu Ming gestured, walked to the door and stopped, and said to Papada: "Your job has been arranged for you, go to a trading company, it suits your major, there are positions in the customs declaration department, accumulate work experience first, after all, you have only learned theory."
"Yes, thank you uncle!" Papada is always very well-behaved in front of Lu Ming, which is completely inconsistent with her temperament. As for how she addresses her friend's husband, it has also gone through several stages. Now she calls him uncle, which seems particularly respectful and intimate. Who would call a friend nonsense? According to the Japanese tradition, she calls her husband master, and when she acts coquettishly, she calls him uncle, uncle, etc.
Lu Ming looked at Erika and said with a smile, "You will be going to work in a few days, don't be nervous."
Erika nodded with a bitter face, "Oh."
Her job is to teach at the newly built Zhongzhou Primary School for Children. In fact, she is still a child at heart, and it is really difficult for her to be a role model for others.
But for the Principality of Montenegro, there is indeed a lack of various talents, and teachers are an even scarcer resource.
And Erika herself is both curious and afraid of the outside world, so I encourage her to go out.
Waving his hand, Lu Ming left the house.
…
Ashikaga Residence is a typical Japanese-style manor located in the high-end residential complex in the old area of Xianquan Port.
The sound of bamboo and dripping water, the green plants and rocks outside give people a very quiet feeling.
On the tatami in the room, Lu Ming slowly sipped his tea. Across from the tea table, kneeling were Ashikaga Yoshimitsu and Odawara Jiro from the Kyoto Right Domain.
Kyouryo, as the name suggests, is close to Kyoto.
The Odawara family and the Ashikaga family are old friends, and are both currently being oppressed.
Jiro Odawara came to request military assistance, hoping that the Principality of Montenegro could provide weapons and ammunition to enhance the combat effectiveness of its Kyoto Division.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu did not tell Odawara Jiro that this Mr. Zhang was the Governor Zhang who had once inflicted severe damage to the Japanese division in the northern region.
He just introduced Mr. Zhang's identity as a consultant of Zhengdong United Co., Ltd., and he was very influential. He told Jiro Odawara that Mr. Zhang could decide the principality's foreign policy towards the various territories in Japan.
"Mr. Odawara, first of all, I am just a businessman. I have no influence on military aid. Besides, the Principality of Montenegro has always advocated peace. We came to Japan for peace, so I cannot give you a clear answer to your request." Lu Ming took a sip of tea and said with a smile, "The customs and people in Jingyou Territory are pretty good. I heard there is a snow-capped mountain to watch the moon? Is there really snow on the snow-capped mountain?"
Odawara Jiro showed disappointment in his eyes and forced a smile, "It's just said that it was a snowy mountain before..."
After chatting for a while without getting to the point, Jiro Odawara politely declined Ashikaga Yoshimitsu's invitation to stay for dinner and left.
After sending him back, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu shook his head and said, "They don't have much sincerity. They just come here to test the waters and get something for free."
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Well, if they have already formed an alliance against the Guanxi Group, it doesn't matter if we provide assistance. But now they come to ask for military aid for no reason. Where in the world can such a good thing happen?"
"I shouldn't have informed you!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu leaned on his knees and bowed, "I'm sorry, Master Zhang!"
"No, it's good to meet them." Lu Ming smiled and said, "Actually, you have to deal with these old-school people, but I'm supporting a student organization here. Of course, it's good for you to know!"
"Yes!" Ashikaga Yoshimitsu bowed again. Her husband was a very prominent figure in the principality and he did not consider himself an outsider. Such secrets should only be known by relevant departments within the principality's intelligence agency. It had nothing to do with the student organization and was a top-secret matter known only to the top level.
Lu Ming sighed softly, "Young people are passionate and motivated, but sometimes they are uncontrollable, so just watch!"
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu bowed again: "Your Excellency is right!"
The food prepared by the "mother-in-law" was extremely delicious, especially the sashimi of some unknown fish, which was so fresh and delicious that Lu Ming ate a few more slices.
The "mother-in-law"'s eyes were full of satisfaction. She knew vaguely from chatting with her daughter that her husband, although not actually married to her daughter until now, was particularly fond of her.
Ashikaga Yoshimitsu went out on the pretext of something. Lu Ming didn't take it seriously at first, but later he felt a little strange.
"Mr. Zhang, according to our tradition, this flounder can strengthen a man's body. You can eat more of it in the future. I have already sent a lot to Erika and asked her to cook it for you!" Ashikaga Yoko said, looking at Lu Ming's expression.
Lu Ming nodded: "Thank you, ma'am..." Then he was startled, feeling that something was wrong.
Ashikaga Yoko added: "Also, there is a famous doctor in Kyoto who is very good at regulating the body..." She seemed to be hesitant to speak.
Lu Ming suddenly understood and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. No wonder Ashikaga Yoshimitsu hid away. This matter would not be so embarrassing if the mother-in-law discussed it in private.
It made sense. If she said that she had not performed the marriage ceremony in the past few years because she felt sorry for Erika because she was young, but this year Erika is already seventeen years old, and in Ashikaga Yoko's view, she is already a grown-up girl, and she is still the same, she can't help but suspect that she has some unspeakable secret.
"I'm in good health..." Lu Ming coughed and said, "Madam, your family is the Tokugawa clan of Luqianling, right?"
Ashikaga Yoko nodded gently: "Yes, sir."
"It's been a while since you've been back to visit your family, right? Erika seems to miss grandpa too, so why don't you invite them over?"
Ashikaga Yoko's eyes lit up: "Is that okay?"
After all, the couple were originally criminals, and it was a farce that they were allowed to be exiled to the Northern Territory. It seemed that the "husband"'s people bribed the couple to get the upper hand. Therefore, no matter how much she missed her relatives in her mother's family, she never wrote a letter.
Lu Ming smiled and said, "Of course, don't you believe what I said?"
Ashikaga Yoko's eyes were obviously moist, she lowered her head and whispered, "Thank you, sir."
Lu Ming stood up and said with a smile: "Okay, I'm in good health, you don't have to worry about me, I'm leaving!"
Outside, there was a sudden loud noise, as if an explosion happened nearby, and the ground shook slightly.