Sanako shook his head gently: "Father, he didn't tell me."

"That's it...Okay, I understand."

Chiba Jutaro stood up immediately, then raised his hand habitually and patted the fabric of his buttocks.

"Then I'm going to find my father. Remember to close the door to my room for me."

After leaving these words, Chiba Jutaro rushed out of the room in a hurry and turned the right corner of the corridor outside the room.

Sanako briefly watched Chiba Jutaro's leaving figure for a few times, then raised her hand to help Chiba Jutaro close the door of his bedroom.

But at this moment... Sanako suddenly noticed out of the corner of her eye that a booklet with a slightly tattered cover had fallen at her feet.

"Is this...?" Sanako muttered softly.

If Chiba Jutaro were here at this time, his expression would change drastically after seeing this booklet - this booklet...is exactly his "Handbook for Preparing Brother-in-Law"!

Sanako's arrival was so sudden that Chiba Jutaro could only hurriedly pin the book to his waist in desperation.

Because it is separated casually, it is not very secure.

Immediately afterwards, a scene of "making matters worse" appeared.

Just as Chiba Jutaro stood up and patted the cloth on his butt habitually, the book, which was not particularly secure in the first place, was further loosened.

Finally, when Chiba Jutaro went to find Chiba Sadaikichi and passed by Sanako who was standing at the door, the booklet lightly slipped from his waist and fell at Sanako's feet.

And Chiba Jutaro was completely unaware of this...

It must be his brother's thing... Sanako thought so in her mind, holding the hem of her kimono with one hand, she knelt down and prepared to pick up the book and put it back on the desk in Chiba Jutaro's bedroom.

But just at this moment - a breeze blew.

A soothing breeze flowed into the room through the open window in Chiba Jutaro's bedroom.

The pages of the book flipped "clattering" as the breeze blew.

When the wind stops, the book stops.

The book, blown open by the wind, stopped on a certain page.

And the page that stopped... was the page with Qingdeng's name written on it.

Sanako knelt down and was about to pick up the booklet, but suddenly stopped.

…

…

"Father's memory is really getting worse..." Chiba Jutaro, who was walking back to his bedroom, grabbed his hair hard and sighed heavily.

The reason why Chiba Nobuyoshi suddenly called him over was because he wanted to ask him: Why hasn't he returned the account books of their Little Chiba Sword Hall?

After hearing the question posed by Chiba Sadakichi, Chiba Jutaro felt confused and aggrieved: Didn't I return it to you a long time ago?

Because he wanted to see with his own eyes the recent operations of the Little Chiba Sword Hall, Chiba Jutaro borrowed the account book seven days ago, and then returned it to Chiba Nobuyoshi just two days later.

Therefore, when faced with Chiba Sadaki's sudden question, Chiba Jutaro was completely confused.

Chiba Nobuyoshi shouted: "Really? So you have returned the account book to me?"

Chiba Jutaro: "Yes! Father, please look in your room! I have definitely returned the account book to you!"

After much trouble, the father and son finally found the account book in the closet of Chiba Nobuyoshi's bedroom.

This seems like a very common little thing.

But Chiba Jutaro is quite worried about this... Chiba Nobuyoshi's memory is getting worse and worse recently.

Often what was said or done yesterday is forgotten today.

Seeing his father getting older and older... Chiba Jutaro couldn't help but feel particularly sad.

The great swordsman who was once so majestic and who, together with his brother Chiba Shusaku, promoted the Beichen Yitōryu, has finally grown old...

Chiba Jutaro, who had mixed feelings in his heart, returned to his bedroom.

As soon as he came back, Chiba Jutaro was stunned - the door to his bedroom was actually open.

Sanako, didn't she help me close the door to my room... With this question in mind, Chiba Jutaro quickened his pace a little.

When he came to the door of the room and looked inside, the scene inside the room made Chiba Jutaro instantly petrified on the spot.

Inside the room, Sanako was sitting decently on a certain tatami in an extremely standard sitting posture, with her petite white feet buried under her voluptuous peach-shaped buttocks.

With her elegant swan neck held high, she lowered her gaze slightly and looked at a book she was holding in both hands.

When he saw the booklet in Sanako's hand, Chiba Jutaro was stunned at first, and then quickly reached out and touched his waist, but found nothing...

"...Brother, you are back." Sanako turned his head and looked at Chiba Jutaro.

His eyes were dull, neither sad nor happy.

Chiba Jutaro subconsciously looked away, not looking at Sanako.

Silent...silent...

After the awkward atmosphere lingered in the air for a while, Chiba Jutaro laughed a few times, then sighed silently, strode into the room and closed the door.

"Sanako." Chiba Jutaro knelt down opposite Sanako, "How come this book... is in your hand?"

"I just picked it up at the door of your room." Sanako said calmly while flipping through the "Handbook for Preparing Brother-in-law" page by page.

Uh-huh... Sanako turned to the first page of the booklet.

The first page of the booklet...just like the page with Qingdeng's name, only one person's name was written on it.

Ryoma Sakamoto.

This person's name, like most of the names in this album, has a huge "X" drawn on it.

But compared with other "crossed" names, this name is a little unique: there is no "comment" written below it.

Looking at the name on the first page of the booklet, Sanazi's beautiful eyes closed slightly.

After taking a deep look at the name on the first page of the booklet, Sanazi closed the book and handed it over.

"Brother, give it back to you."

"Sorry, I looked at your stuff without your permission."

"When I saw this book falling at the door of your room, I wanted to help you put it on the desk in your room, but a gust of wind happened to come in and blew the book open, allowing me to see the contents inside.

content."

"I couldn't hold it back for a moment, so I started looking through this book without your permission."

Chiba Jutaro hesitantly took the booklet handed back by Sanako.

Sanako's reaction... was much duller than he expected.

Anyone who is not an idiot can understand what this booklet is used for after reading what is written in this booklet.

He originally thought that Sanako, who had a strong temper and had repeatedly told him that "there was no need to worry about her marriage," would definitely feel unhappy, if not angry, after seeing this booklet...

Chiba Jutaro's eyes wandered back and forth between the booklet he received and Sanako's pretty face.

"...Sanako." Chiba Jutaro took a deep breath and asked hesitantly, "Aren't you... angry?"

"What's there to be angry about?" Sanako said expressionlessly, "I'm no longer the kind of little girl who would get angry over such things."

"My only feeling now...is that brother, you are completely wasting your time by doing this kind of thing."

"Brother, don't do such unnecessary things again."

"I appreciate your kindness, but I really don't need you to do this kind of thing for me anymore."

A senseless move... Hearing this word from Sanako's mouth, Chiba Jutaro couldn't help but jump heavily at the corners of his eyes.

Anyway, this booklet was also seen by Sanako... A feeling of "breaking the jar and breaking it" surged into Chiba Jutaro's heart.

"Sanako." Chiba Jutaro straightened his back and raised his voice, "You don't really want to stay single for the rest of your life without getting married, do you?"

Chiba Jutaro opened the book in his hand, turned to the first page, and turned to the page with the name "Sakamoto Ryoma" written on it.

Looking at this name, Chiba Jutaro's expression became strange uncontrollably.

"Or...are you still thinking about this Sakamoto Ryoma?"

Sanako, who had been looking after Gu Congrong, when she heard Chiba Jutaro's last rhetorical question, her eyes, which were originally as expressionless as icebergs, showed a vague wavering.

"Sanako, don't blame me for speaking directly."

"Three years ago, Ryoma Sakamoto told you clearly when he left our Little Chiba Sword Hall and returned to his hometown, right? He has no feelings for you at all, and has always only treated you as an ordinary friend.

.”

"It's been three years. It's been so long. It's time to let go of the past and move forward, right?"

"In this world... no, let alone this world! Just in this corner of Edo, there is no shortage of young people who are as good as Sakamoto Ryoma, or even better than Sakamoto Ryoma."

"For example, Tachibana-kun."

Chiba Jutaro flipped the pages of the book with a bang and turned to the page with Aoshito's name written on it.
To be continued...