Dating sim loading: My girlfriend is a cunning young lady-Chapter 458 - 215. New Year in Iwate Prefecture: Whose Little Sister? (12)_2

At that time, facing the sea breeze and from a distance, it was hard to hear what the old woman said. The four listened carefully, and with his extraordinary hearing, he was the first to make out what she said.

"600 yen each!"

"600 yen each, is that expensive or cheap?" Dubian Che asked the two young girls.

Kiyono Lin’s delicate, pale fingers supported her flawless chin as she mused, "That’s about the right price."

"Are you asking for a scolding?" Jiutiao Meijie, arms crossed, said irritably, "You even have to ask about 600 yen."

"Even if you have money, you can’t afford to lose out." He said this, but Dubian Che was just making conversation.

Poor people exchange time for money, rich people use money to buy time.

The time spent bargaining, Jiutiao Meijie could have been working, and perhaps could have earned enough to buy all the sea urchins in the entire fishery.

Dubian Che dipped his hand into the seawater, and the piercing cold seeped into his skin.

Even on July’s opening day of the sea, when the sea urchin harvesting season starts, the water temperature is only 9 degrees, let alone at the end of December like today.

This was the first time Dubian Che felt a definite chill after his physical strength reached a level of 10.

Usually, the coldest it got was on the first day back in Iwate Prefecture, when he delivered newspapers before dawn, and his feet felt just a bit cool.

He carefully scooped up a black sea urchin and nonchalantly cracked it open with brute force, exposing the yellow roe inside.

"Little Lian," Dubian Che crouched down, "be careful and don’t touch the spikes, okay?"

"Mm!" Little Lian’s face was solemn as she cautiously extended her finger, scooped a little, and put it in her mouth, "Mm? Mmm!"

She seemed to like it.

Dubian Che scooped out a large portion of the roe for her, then stood up holding the remaining bit of the sea urchin, "Do you guys want some?"

"No need," Kiyono Lin said right away.

"I heard sea urchin is very fresh and good for people," Dubian Che said.

"Sea urchin can prevent cardiovascular diseases, strengthen the body, nourish the yin, and replenish the kidneys, but I’m not interested in the reproductive glands of animals."

True to Dora A Lin, she knew everything.

"Nourish the yin and replenish the kidneys? Then, Meijie, you should try some," Dubian Che picked a bit with his finger and brought it to Jiutiao Meijie’s inviting lips.

"What do you mean by that?" Jiutiao Meijie asked coldly.

"...Nothing."

On second thought, feeling numb in the legs probably wasn’t something nourishing yin and replenishing kidneys could fix.

The siblings split the 600-yen sea urchin.

The winter seaside was dreary; after a while in the sea breeze, the four entered a coffee shop.

It was a family-owned business that had been operating for over 40 years.

The lighting inside was a dim yellow, and the walls were covered with many old newspapers, all about this coastline.

In this nostalgic air, the ceiling was adorned with delicate conchs and shells, while sharks and dolphins stuffed toys were placed by the windows.

The four ordered coffee, spaghetti, egg sandwiches, and steak.

According to the menu, the steak was made from Iwate Prefecture’s famous short-horn wagyu.

"Short-horn wagyu?" Little Lian read the term curiously.

"Compared to black-haired wagyu, it doesn’t have an appealing marbled texture; short-horn wagyu has a texture that’s bold and crude," Kiyono Lin explained, worried she might not understand the description, added, "It means there’s a big chunk of fat and a big chunk of lean meat."

She really lived up to the educational philosophy of learning whenever possible.

Jiutiao Meijie, who was tired of marbled beef, nodded and said, "It tastes quite good, tender yet chewy, with just the right amount of fat. I didn’t expect to find this level of beef here."

She too followed the educational path of playing well when it’s time to play.

As for Dubian Che, who hadn’t thought about how to educate children yet, wiped the grease around Little Lian’s mouth and asked, "Do you want another piece?"

"Mm!" She stood up, shouted, then shrank back a bit pitifully, shaking her head, "No, it’s too expensive."

"Don’t worry," Dubian Che patted her head, "The two sisters here are young ladies from Tokyo, they could afford to let you eat beef every day without trouble."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Little Lian held her face with both hands, adoringly lost in admiration, "Tokyo, that’s amazing."

"..."

If it weren’t for a first-grader showing off their uniqueness on purpose, this kid’s ability to grasp the main points was truly despairingly poor.

"It has nothing to do with Tokyo; it’s just that both of your sisters are formidable," Dubian Che said, keeping his cool.

Little Lian hadn’t said anything when Jiutiao Meijie chimed in, "Why mention Kiyono’s family? Little Lian is my sister, and I can pay for the steak she loves to eat. It has nothing to do with her."

"Whether Little Lian can be someone’s sister is not yet concluded, right, Jiutiao?" Kiyono Lin said lightly while sipping her coffee.

"Che," Little Lian looked up at her brother, "can’t I be the sister to both Meiji and Lin?"

"Of course you can!"

Jiutiao Meijie and Kiyono Lin both turned their glances, one filled with a murderous intent and the other bearing the chill winds of the Southern Alps.

"What I mean is, well, the world is broad and boundless, Little Lian can be anyone’s sister; it’s not what you guys are thinking," Dubian Che explained.

Jiutiao Meijie looked at Kiyono Lin, who simultaneously said, "Lies."

"You still harbor such thoughts? I underestimated you, Dubian Che," Jiutiao Meijie slowly pinched Dubian Che’s ear with her fingers.

"Meiji, Meiji, listen to my explanation!"

"What more do you have to say!"

"Wouldn’t any man be tempted by such thoughts? It’s like everyone hoping to be rich or powerful, but reality is another matter!"

"Nice excuse," sneered Jiutiao Meijie.

Her grip tightened.

"This really isn’t an excuse!" Dubian Che tried to explain, "Meiji, didn’t you say it yourself yesterday? Sometimes people can’t control their thoughts, what really matters is their actions!"

"You dare use my words as your excuse?"

"I told you it’s not an excuse!" Dubian Che felt very wronged, "Kiyono, please help!"

"I don’t see where I have the obligation to help you, Mr. Dubian," Kiyono Lin said without a hint of a smile.

"What about our friendship, our best friendship?!"

"You dare talk to her in front of me!" Jiutiao Meijie’s voice had lost all warmth.

"Ow, ow, ow, it really hurts! I was wrong! I won’t do it again!"

"What if there is a next time? What will you do then?"

"If there is a next time, I will walk from Shenwei Cape in Hokkaido straight into the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean."

"Why does it have to be Shenwei Cape in Hokkaido? I think this place is quite fine."

"What if I say this place, and you let me walk straight down and end up regretting and being sad yourself? Hokkaido is far, even farther from Tokyo."

"It’s not that far, I can have a plane take you there."

"That’s far enough, the distance is enough for us to argue, make up, and argue and make up for a lifetime."

"You still want to argue with me for a lifetime?"

"That, we’ll see, but a lifetime is certain!"

Jiutiao Meijie scoffed: "Smooth talker."

Like a paused animation, Little Lian stared at the chastised Dubian Che for a long while, then, she forked a piece of Wagyu beef into her mouth.

After dealing with Dubian Che, Jiutiao Meijie withdrew her hand and continued eating her steak.

"No need to thank me," said Kiyono Lin, "Sometimes I also feel an urge to beat up Mr. Dubian, but my exceptional upbringing doesn’t allow it."

"Thank you? What am I thanking you for? Also, are you saying your upbringing is better than mine?" Jiutiao Meijie scoffed.

"After being blown by the sea breeze, has Jiutiao’s memory deteriorated? Didn’t I just help you identify a lie? Shouldn’t you be thanking me?" Kiyono Lin said with a smile, "And regarding upbringing, isn’t that obvious?"

"Coming forward voluntarily and still expecting others to thank you? Is that your exceptional upbringing?"

"Who looked at me first before I spoke out the lie?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Who spoke the lie first before I looked at you?"

The two stared at each other unyieldingly.

Like a paused animation, Little Lian stared at her two sisters for a long while, then, she forked another piece of Wagyu beef into her mouth.

Tokyo is indeed impressive.

Outside the window adorned with shark and dolphin toys, there was a blue sea and sky.

They blended into one at the end of the world.