The villa of the Ito family in Tokyo is a huge multi-storey wooden building. The whole building looks like a huge ancient temple, and the internal space is surprisingly large.
As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the main hall, Nanako suddenly leaned down and knelt on the ground, holding both hands empty, and said to Charlie: “Master, please let me change slippers for you!”
Charlie was stunned, and hurriedly waved his hand: “No need, no, give me slippers, I’ll just do it myself.”
Nanako insisted, “I should help Master to change it. This is a Japanese tradition, and Master should just go to the countryside and do as the customs.”
Charlie thought to himself, China has long been equal between men and women, why in Japan, women still kneel and change shoes for men?
But then thinking about it, since it is a custom of others, they may not feel that there is anything wrong with this. If they insist on opposing it, they will break the other party’s rules.
So he had to lift his feet up and said sincerely: “Then work hard, Miss Nanako.”
Nanako, who was still wearing a kimono, looked up at Charlie, and smiled ashamed. She was so beautiful.
Afterwards, she gently held Charlie’s feet with both hands, and gently changed him a pair of slippers, then slowly stood up and said: “Master, please!”
Charlie nodded slightly and walked in with her.
Nanako introduced to him: “This house has a history of more than a hundred years. It was severely damaged during the Great Kanto Earthquake. Because the repair cost was too high, no one paid attention to it. Later, it was taken by the father. He bought it and spent huge sums of money to repair it, and it looks like this now.”
Charlie asked curiously: “Mr. Ito seems to have a soft spot for this old house? The house in Kyoto looks much older than this one.”
Nanako smiled softly: “In fact, it’s mainly because I like this style of architecture. After I moved from Kyoto to Tokyo at the age of fourteen, I have not been accustomed to life in Tokyo, so my father bought it here and spent a lot of money to repair it and it became what it is now.”
With that, Nanako said with emotion: “But I still like Kyoto more.”
Charlie nodded and said, “This mansion is quiet in the noisy city, and it has an ancient flavor and charm. It is already very good, but the Kyoto one is indeed better.”
Nanako said in a sad tone: “My father asked me to take over the family affairs. It seems that I will rarely have the opportunity to go back in the future…”
After finishing speaking, she looked up at Charlie, and asked a little pleading: “Master, I have a request. I wonder if you can agree to it?”
FAQ Novel
Q: Where does the story take place in this chapter?
A: The characters visit the Ito family’s private manor in Tokyo.
Q: What cultural practice is observed by Nanako?
A: Nanako performs a Japanese tradition of kneeling to change slippers for her guest.
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