Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 277 - 222: The Rain, Still

Chapter 277: Chapter 222: The Rain, Still

"Why has it been raining nonstop these few days?"

In front of the warehouse, with a cigarette between his lips, Old Man Uesugi picked up a crate of oranges and heaved it onto the truck.

"I’m not sure. Around this time of year, it usually doesn’t rain much," said Uesugi Tomoko as she rolled up her sleeves, pushed the last crate of oranges inside, then jumped down from the truck, dusting off her hands and closing the door.

"Are you leaving now?"

Having helped out, Uesugi Sakura and Uesugi Shio stood to the side.

"Freshness is the primary requirement for fruits; it’s to ensure the quality and standard of the oranges."

With a cigarette muffling his words, Old Man Uesugi was somewhat unclear, but he rummaged an old wallet from his pocket after finishing his work.

He pulled out a few large 10,000 yen bills and handed them to Uesugi Sakura.

"Grandpa..."

"You’ve helped the whole day; you should eat something."

"You don’t need 60,000 yen just to eat."

"I said take it, use it for whatever you like."

The strong-willed old man forced six bills featuring Yukichi Fukuzawa into Uesugi Sakura’s hand.

Aunt Uesugi Tomoko chuckled, "Sakura, as mentioned before, this is payment for your work."

"..."

"Only by accepting it are you being good. Come on, Shio."

The old man beckoned Uesugi Shio over and gave her the same payment from the wallet.

Uesugi Shio understood her grandfather’s character well, so she didn’t attempt to refuse like Uesugi Sakura.

"Grandpa, are things... really okay over there?" Uesugi Sakura asked.

"You mean the Farmers’ Association?" The old man, gray-haired, smiled, his demeanor jolly, "My little grandson wants to help grandpa?"

"..."

Old Man Uesugi’s joyful smile quickly faded, and a thin line of smoke drifted towards the cloud-covered sky:

"This sort of thing is too early for you two kids to handle. Trying to regain everything from them would cost so much, even family breakdown couldn’t fully cover it."

Uesugi Sakura knew his grandpa rarely spoke in such a tone.

"Did you see those cut-down orange trees?" Old Man Uesugi turned to point to the hillside behind the house.

"Yes."

"That’s their doing, bribing people. Even Jiro got hurt because of it, and their purpose is blatant—"

Old Man Uesugi didn’t finish his sentence, "Back then, we had actually gathered a lot of people to reclaim our rights, but when my trees were cut and Jiro was hospitalized after being injured; the members of our family received threats, they wavered psychologically."

"They often use threats and bribes, and I can understand their choice between two paths, haha, human nature!"

"And now?" Uesugi Sakura heard that grandpa didn’t want to elaborate, skipping over many details, probably not wanting him to deal with things even he couldn’t solve.

"Now?" Old Man Uesugi smiled, "It’s a mutual compromise of sorts. I continue supplying them, and beyond what they need, I find other channels to sell my produce."

"The reason... naturally, they’re still interested in this old man’s oranges."

As he reached the end, Old Man Uesugi’s gaze returned to his two grandchildren:

"Sakura, Shio, I know a big part of why you’re here is because of me, but not everything can be solved by two high schoolers. I’ve been away from home earlier partly to avoid having you involve yourselves."

"Just living your lives well is more than enough, and it’s what makes grandpa happiest."

————————————

The old man’s truck disappeared at the end of the rain-soaked coastal road.

Uesugi Sakura opened a transparent umbrella and walked back home with his cousin.

"Sakura."

"Yes."

"Do you ever feel like you can’t help with anything?" Uesugi Shio said, "We mainly came back here for grandpa’s sake."

"Within our means, after all, we are just students."

Uesugi Shio remained silent, unhappy with the feeling of wanting to help but being unable to.

In the rain-drenched streets of the small town, a few passersby still wandered through.

Through the faint mist risen by raindrops, someone approached along the road ahead.

With a black umbrella, slouching shoulders, and a face that faintly resembled Uesugi Shio’s own features.

He stopped in front of them and extended a hand towards Uesugi Shio.

"Going to play cards again?"

"Money." The haggard-looking Uesugi Jiro simply stretched out his hand.

The sound of rain drummed loudly against the umbrella’s surface, splattering noise around.

"But last time... you already brought a lot of trouble to everyone."

"That was because they deceived me," Uesugi Jiro darted a glance at Uesugi Sakura beside her, then continued to extend his hand.

"Money, just give it to me."

Uesugi Shio had long gotten used to this hand reaching towards her but seeing her father like this again left her at a loss. She reluctantly handed over the 60,000 yen grandpa had just given her.

Staring at his daughter’s hand as she took out the money, Uesugi Jiro’s outstretched hand remained suspended in mid-air: "Is this all? Did you secretly stash some to buy lollipops?"

Just as Uesugi Shio was about to hand over the money, Uesugi Jiro, holding the black umbrella, coldly criticized, "Childish."

Childish, compared to asking one’s daughter for money, who really is childish?

At the last moment, Uesugi Sakura snatched away the 60,000 yen his cousin was about to give to her uncle.

Say what you will, but he knew that Shio never bought herself nice clothes or any cosmetics like other girls.

The only thing she ever bought herself was cheap lollipops.

He had thought she was saving money, but now it seems she had handed everything over to her uncle.

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