◆ Columnist of "Japan New Overseas Chinese Daily" Wang Jingxian
The last time I saw the "General" was at his funeral.
When I was about to build the coffin, I was summoned by his wife, Michiko, and at the "drinking ceremony" that only family members could attend, he and his children dipped leaves in tea and lightly smeared them on his lips. In this way, the old man will not be thirsty on the road to the West Heaven.
I cried so hard that I said goodbye to the "general", but it was as if I heard him say, "Keinosuke!" Don't cry".
"Nosuke" is a japanese name for a boy, but I know that this title is full of recognition and love.
The "great general" is tall and used to be a sumo wrestler, but because he can't get up, he has no hope of "shi" road. After retiring, he and his wife Michiko opened a sumo hot pot restaurant "Mikuma" in Kitakyushu. 24 years ago, I was a Chinese student who came to Mikuma to work.
At first, I didn't like the "general." Not only because of his machismo, but also because he told me bluntly when I first met, "Your Chinese roads are really dirty."
Indignantly, I made a wish in my heart, "I will teach you to one day look at me as a Chinese woman!"
He often patted me on the shoulder and back, which I saw as sexual harassment. After enduring it for a while, he finally broke out and cried to his beautiful lady. In the face of this thunderous action, Mrs. Michiko actually smiled and made the lord for me, and the "Great General" never touched a single hair of me again. But when the guests were young, they teased me: "Keinosuke, you see the tiger fish in the sink there, it looks like you, it's all thorns."
The tiger fish is a high-grade fish, but it is extremely ugly.
I cried and laughed, scolding him for being rude, but he laughed and said that he was praising my value.
But after observing for a long time, I found that the "general" had an unusual set of philosophies.
The "general" is obsessed with high-grade natural ingredients and never uses farming and cheap products. Even if the customer can't eat the natural or breed, the "general" will never change himself or cheat.
The "General" never temporarily closed the store because of the weather. He believes that a sudden break is like breaking a promise, and you will lose friends.
Another philosophy of the "general" is that the store must choose first-class customers, provided that they strive to be first-class.
In fact, Mikuma's customers include well-known baseball coaches, sumo wrestlers and horse racing players, and more celebrities such as university professors, lawyers, and doctors. They are satisfied with the delicious food and service provided by Mikuma, and often come from afar, calling "his great aunt" when they enter the store, and the Chinese is "I am back"!
But what I admire most about the "general" is his humbleness as a human being.
The underworld came to collect "protection fees", and many shops were recruited. But the "general" will never yield.
It is clearly stated that "there is no protection fee, and you can also eat it if you want to abide by the rules." The underworld boss did not know whether he was impressed by the delicious hot pot or impressed by the demeanor of the "general", and since then the protection fee has disappeared on its own.
As for me, although I admired the "general" in my heart, I held my breath to make him look up to Chinese women. In order to subvert his three views, I often nibble around with a book at night when there are no guests.
I completely reconciled with the "general" in my heart, when I was admitted to Kyushu University for a master's degree after I took a break from school. He was a man who liked to be first-class and recognized the hard work, the Chinese girl who worked for him every day until dawn, not only entered the Kyushu University he envisioned, but also served and cured his father who fell ill at home. He listened to me and gave me a big red envelope, which flattered me.
Since then, we have been mentally transformed into jade and began to have real interactions on an equal footing in our hearts. When he heard that I had a drink with his son, he threatened, "Keinosuke, I have no objection to your association with my son."
Years later, he attended my wedding and walked the red carpet with me for my father at home. When I took my son back to Kitakyushu to visit him, he called himself Grandpa with a big red envelope and cooked for our family himself.
At that time, he had lost the sharpness of that year, a silver hair, full of kindness.
"General", you know? If you are still alive, you must have been subverted by me, and the "tiger fish" girl of that year dared to knock you on the keyboard at home. And I, subverting your three views, making you impressed, a good goal in my life that is worth striving for.
"Great General", went to heaven for more than seven years. Keinosuke wishes you a good time in heaven!