Laid-Back Life in Tokyo: I Really Didn't Want to Work Hard
Chapter 309 - 240 Planting Trees, Interaction

Chapter 309: Chapter 240 Planting Trees, Interaction

The shade from the trees was dense, like the canopy of an umbrella.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, shining brightly overhead, and the scent of grass, trees, and soil lingered around.

"How long have you known Hanabi?"

Hanamaru Yasushin’s voice sounded neither close nor distant, like a regular inquiry from an elder.

His gait was steady, and even while walking, the sway of his loose kimono was quite subtle.

Uesugi Sakura, carrying a sapling, walked on his right-hand side, "It’ll be fifteen years in November."

Just now, he realized the sapling in his hand wasn’t camphor or cedar.

Judging from the leaves, it seemed more like a sakura sapling.

"In the past fifteen years, how would you evaluate yourself?" Hanamaru Yasushin looked straight ahead.

"Lazy."

Hanamaru Yasushin laughed briefly, "A concise answer."

"I heard Yuuki say you recently got admitted into Tokyo University?"

"Yes."

"Which department?"

"The Department of Literature."

"Do you like reading books?"

Uesugi Sakura modestly replied, "To pass the time."

"’Beneath the tree, sliced meat, above the vegetable soup, falling sakura petals’?"

"A haiku from ’Fallen Flowers’."

"How about creating something similar?"

Uesugi Sakura glanced up at the May sun, then looked down to see the early sakura outside the camphor grove:

"The warm sun through the trees, on the branches, flowers fade and spring leaves on sakura."

"Spring leaves on sakura" refers to the sakura tree that has just sprouted tender leaves after the blossoms have fallen, serving as the ’kigo’ in this haiku.

Hanamaru Yasushin gave a nod of approval, "Not bad."

The forest path was quite ordinary, just a winding path paved with pebbles.

The camphor and cedar trees accompanying them gradually shrank as they moved forward.

Uesugi Sakura noticed many wooden stakes along the first half of the path, trees that were dead but not completely removed.

He asked Hanabi’s grandfather about this issue.

"It’s an old habit. When the girl in the family gets married, the tree becomes part of the dowry and is chopped down to make furniture."

"Which one is Hanabi’s?"

Hanamaru Yasushin raised his hand to point ahead, "That sakura tree over there."

Across the grove, Uesugi Sakura saw a few sakura trees growing along the shore.

The sakura trees, approximately the same age, stretched their flourishing pink branches over the surface of Nanque River, where the petals swirling in the wind rose gracefully and perfumed the air.

"Sakura?"

Hanamaru Yasushin: "It was Yuuki’s request. He said it’s better for his daughter to have sakura as her guardian tree."

He shook his head.

"Camphor loves shade, sakura loves sun, and so they can only be planted near the more open area by the southern pond, Yuuki’s and Hanabi’s are right next to each other."

"Come over, you can plant them too."

Uesugi Sakura followed along.

The tools and wooden frames were in his father-in-law’s hands.

Planting the sakura sapling didn’t require much procedure: leveling the ground, digging a hole, filling it with fertilizer, planting the sapling, then watering it and erecting a support frame, and it was done.

"Does planting a tree not require the person themselves?"

"It’s not necessary."

"What’s the significance?"

"For remembrance."

The wind brushed against his face.

Uesugi Sakura saw Hanamaru Hanabi standing under her own sakura tree, tiptoeing with her head upturned.

A white dress, a straw hat, a girl reaching out to pick flowers.

The flowers and wind complemented her, giving her an untainted ethereal quality.

....

Main hall.

Ring the bell, clap hands, bow.

After paying respects to Hanamaru Hanami, Hanamaru Yasushin stood up straight, returning to his usual imposing demeanor.

"I hope you can join your father-in-law in becoming a police officer."

Walking alongside Hanamaru’s grandfather, Uesugi Sakura suddenly heard these words.

Turns out, the reason for calling him over was for this.

...

————————————

Evening, at the Hanamaru household.

Mrs. Hanamaru went out to buy groceries, leaving Hanabi and Sakura to look after Hanami.

"Ya ya, sister~"

"It’s brother."

Uesugi Sakura held Hanamaru Hanami, the restless little one was very soft but exceptionally mischievous, her little feet constantly kicking around.

He had to hold her waist and lift her up high, letting Hanami move freely in mid-air.

Instead of being scared, the little darling giggled at him.

Hanamaru Hanabi was making baby formula in the kitchen.

She would sense the temperature of the bottle with her hand, then taste the milk to make sure it was suitable before giving it to her sister with confidence.

"What flavor is the milk powder?" Uesugi Sakura looked at Hanamaru Hanabi holding the milk-drinking younger sister and asked.

"Hasn’t Kaikun tried it before?" Hanamaru Hanabi turned around, helping Hanamaru Hanami lie a bit sideways to make her more comfortable.

"I have, but I forgot a long time ago." Uesugi Sakura hadn’t secretly drunk his own sister’s milk powder.

Now his sister doesn’t drink milk powder either; at three months old, she’s still breastfed.

Recollecting frequently from trying her sister’s milk temperature, Hanamaru Hanabi said, "Hmm~ As for the taste of milk powder, it’s a bit fishy, with a slight milk fragrance, mild and not sweet."

Hanamaru Hanami held the bottle, drinking halfway, then didn’t want it anymore, and squirmed towards Uesugi Sakura’s embrace.

"Ah ya ah ya" sister, sister she called.

Uesugi Sakura realized she wanted to play with his gold-rimmed glasses; he also liked his little sister-in-law in her human cub form very much.

After taking Hanami from Hanabi’s arms, he cooperated with Hanabi to finish feeding her the remaining half-bottle of milk.

During that time, while soothing the little sister-in-law, Uesugi Sakura also watched her elder sister for a long time. Hanabi’s gentle and careful demeanor always stirred a warmth within his heart.

"Hanabi, do you agree with me becoming a police officer?" he asked while playing with the giggling Hanami.

"Does Kaikun want to go?"

"No, I should say I don’t really want to."

"If so, then there’s no need to go..."

"Your grandfather seemed very serious about it."

"Hanabi thinks Kaikun should just follow his own desires; Hanabi will support you no matter what."

Uesugi Sakura noticed that Hanamaru Hanami, with the same colored eyes as her sister, was looking at him, her tiny hands and feet so adorable with each glance.

"Hanabi, don’t you think Hanami really resembles you?"

"She’s my biological sister, after all."