Gradually, the train began to move, heading toward Megumi Tadokoro's hometown. The scenery along the way was beautiful. The further into the countryside they went, the less reinforced concrete there was, replaced by vast stretches of forest and countless lakes, all brimming with life.
Having woken up early for the closing ceremony, Megumi Tadokoro started to feel drowsy after the train had been moving for a while. She leaned on Dylan's shoulder and closed her eyes to rest.
An unknown amount of time passed…
"Are we here…"
The moving bullet train slowly came to a stop. Megumi Tadokoro opened her sleepy eyes as Dylan gently shook her, then wiped a bit of drool from the corner of her mouth with her hand.
They had arrived at the station.
Pulling their suitcases, they disembarked. Gazing at the beautiful mountains and clear streams before him, Dylan took a deep breath.
Was this what it meant to be in the mountains? Even the air had a hint of sweetness, giving one the feeling of a swallow returning to its nest. It was an exceptionally unique sensation.
"Ah! Ooh-ooh~"
The train started moving again. They were the only ones who had gotten off at this stop. Seeing that no one was around and the entire station was deserted, Dylan turned around and shouted towards the mountains to vent his emotions.
"Ah!"
Although she didn't know why Dylan suddenly started yelling, it would be a bit too silly for him to be doing it all by himself.
"Hey!"
To ease the awkwardness, Megumi Tadokoro also cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone and shouted towards the mountains.
In that moment, the dizziness from the long train ride and the simmering frustrations accumulated in the heart from daily life were all released.
"Let's go. We're going home."
Looking at Megumi Tadokoro, who was willing to join in his foolishness despite her face being bright red, Dylan's voice was gentle as he spoke and took her hand.
"Mhm, I'll take you to our home."
She noticed Dylan's phrasing—"We're going home," not "I'm going to your home." Though only a two-word difference, the meaning was worlds apart!
The former implied Dylan accepted his identity as her son-in-law, truly accepting her and binding them together. The latter still maintained a state of separation.
But no matter what, Dylan's willingness to come here with her already said everything. She had nothing to complain or be coy about.
Feeling the warmth from his hand, she noticed that at some point Dylan had picked up the luggage, along with numerous bags of gifts, looking every bit the gentle and considerate partner.
"Oh, it's Megumi-chan! You're back! Is the one next to you your boyfriend? He's so dashing, incredibly handsome!"
Her voice carried a touch of awe. A young woman couldn't help but walk up and look Dylan over from head to toe, as if appraising the most exquisite treasure in the world.
"Lily! What are you doing here?"
Studying the person's face closely, Megumi Tadokoro felt a sense of familiarity, then cried out in surprise and trotted forward to grab her delicate hand.
Yamato Lily, Megumi Tadokoro's childhood friend, attended the local Tochigi-tori High School. She was a beautiful but hopelessly clumsy girl.
"A friend I met on Twitter came to visit, I just saw her off. Speaking of which, aren't you going to introduce me? This little boyfriend of yours is really handsome!"
As she spoke, she took two steps forward, tilting her head up to look curiously at Dylan, who was clearly a head taller than her. Yamato Lily's face was filled with curiosity.
From Dylan's perspective, he had a clear view of the high school girl's figure, but it was just too modest. Even if she was being generous, there wasn't much to see.
"This is Dylan, my teacher, and also my boyfriend."
"Dylan-sensei, this is Yamato Lily, my friend since childhood. Before I went to Totsuki, we were always in the same class, and we're neighbors too."
Hearing Yamato Lily's words, Megumi Tadokoro's face flushed as if she had just realized. She let go of her hand and began to introduce them to each other.
Following her introduction, Dylan and Yamato Lily shook hands, after which Megumi Tadokoro and Yamato Lily began to chat idly.
"Uncle Mune passed away? That's such a shame."
"Toshisan had a baby? I'll have to go congratulate him later."
"Eiji-nii and Momo-nee got married!? The timing is about right, they started dating in their second year of high school. I wish them a happy family soon."
"Grandpa Tatsukura, he…"
Along the way, Yamato Lily told Megumi Tadokoro many things about the town that had happened in the few months she was away.
The town wasn't large, so most of the people knew each other. Walking from the station towards the town center, the three of them first passed through a field.
The field was a sea of gold. With autumn just around the corner, it was the season of harvest.
"Megumi-chan!"
"Kougyou-nee, you're busy I see."
A slightly surprised shout came from the farmland, and then a plainly dressed figure popped her head out from among the crops. Seeing this, Megumi Tadokoro immediately trotted forward.
"Here, a newly grown ear of rice. This is the first one this year, it's for you. I wish you a bountiful harvest at Totsuki!"
Looking at the honest and lovely girl before her, the woman called Kougyou-nee immediately ran back into the field, cut a mature ear of rice, and gave it to her.
"Thank you!"
Taking the ear of rice from Kougyou-nee, Megumi Tadokoro expressed her gratitude. It was heavy in her hand, symbolizing the fruits of the autumn harvest.
At the same time, the first ear of rice also carried a beautiful meaning.
For her, it was Kougyou-nee wishing her success in her studies and a rich harvest of knowledge.
"Megumi-chan, you're back. Your vacation is a bit early this year."
"Megumi-chan…"
"Oh, you're back early today."
"Long time no see!"
Hearing Kougyou-nee's voice, the men and women busy in the fields all popped their heads up and greeted her, and Megumi Tadokoro actively responded to each of them.
After passing the fields, they arrived at the marketplace.
As a place where people gathered, even more people greeted her here.
The uncle at the fish market, the mature lady selling flowers on the shopping street, the auntie at the vegetable stall, the young man with glasses at the CD shop…
People from all walks of life greeted Megumi Tadokoro, showing great enthusiasm. Megumi Tadokoro also responded actively, occasionally stopping to chat for a moment.
By the time they reached Megumi Tadokoro's home, the entrance to the Shōkei-en, the three of them were already carrying so many bags they couldn't hold anything else.
If it weren't for Megumi Tadokoro repeatedly refusing, saying they really couldn't carry anymore and making the last old lady give up, Dylan reckoned he might have had to carry something in his mouth.
Such enthusiasm left him speechless.
This was straight out of a script where the main character is doted on by everyone. If he dared to disappoint Megumi Tadokoro in the future, he would probably be taught a lesson by the entire town.
Thinking back to the road here, and the warning looks cast his way by uncles in their forties and fifties and old men in their sixties and seventies, Dylan broke into a cold sweat.
Those looks were as if he had kidnapped their precious daughter!
Fortunately, although he liked quite a few people, he was still a man of pure love. He would never, under any circumstances, hurt a girl he was with.
"Well then, I'll come visit again tomorrow. I'll be taking my leave for today."
Glancing at Dylan, then at Megumi Tadokoro, Yamato Lily tactfully retreated, leaving the remaining space to them.
"Okay, take care."
Megumi Tadokoro waved goodbye to her, then glanced at Dylan beside her, and they walked in together.
"Mom, I'm home."
Megumi Tadokoro's voice wasn't loud, but everyone in this house had been awaiting her return. Her mother was busy in the kitchen, and a server was tidying her room. The moment they heard her voice, they all dropped what they were doing and came out to welcome her.
"Megumi-chan, you're finally back!"
Her voice filled with a hint of excitement, Tadokoro Mieko came out of the kitchen, ran towards the familiar figure, and hugged her tightly with open arms.
"Let me see if you've gotten any thinner."
As she spoke, Tadokoro Mieko let go of Megumi Tadokoro, holding her and looking her over from left to right, only breathing a sigh of relief after confirming she hadn't lost any weight.
While speaking, Tadokoro Mieko looked towards Dylan beside Megumi Tadokoro, her eyes filled with curiosity. Of course, she knew who he was, but when a son-in-law visits for the first time, it should be the daughter who makes the introduction.
"Dylan. Your son-in-law."
It wasn't Megumi Tadokoro who said this, but Dylan himself, taking the initiative to introduce himself. As he spoke, he handed the gifts he was holding to Tadokoro Mieko.
To be on the safe side, in addition to the gifts Megumi Tadokoro had been asked to buy, he had also purchased two wild mountain ginsengs and a bag of cordyceps.
These were all very presentable gifts for meeting elders. Usually, just one of them would be considered very precious, but now he had brought out several.
"Oh my, you've already come all this way, there's no need to bring gifts. It's chilly outside, hurry and come in."
Seeing the gifts Dylan offered, Tadokoro Mieko's eyes curved into crescents. She then bent down at the entrance to help get slippers, placing them in front of them.
"That smells so good. Mom, what delicious things did you prepare?"
The rich aroma made the young woman's expression turn to one of enjoyment. Her nose twitched slightly as she quickly changed into slippers and entered the living room, where she saw the dishes on the table.
"It's Gyozatsu Nabe! That's wonderful, this is my favorite! Dylan-sensei, you should try some too, my mom's cooking is really good!"
Looking at the Gyozatsu Nabe bubbling away on the induction cooker, Megumi Tadokoro imperceptibly swallowed, her face filled with a look of longing.
The aroma, so incredibly rich, was captivating, making it impossible to look away.
"Gyozatsu Nabe? That's a pretty down-to-earth name."
Hearing Megumi Tadokoro's words, Dylan also walked over. Seeing the covered pot in front of him, he then smelled a rich seafood aroma.
"This is a local specialty. Please, you must try it!"
Tadokoro Mieko entered the living room after Dylan. Seeing him show interest in the iron pot, she couldn't help but say with a smile.
"I will try it. But though it's called Gyozatsu Nabe, it actually has shrimp and crab, and I can also see abalone and other things in there…"
Looking at the iron pot, Dylan muttered to himself. He walked over and sat down next to Megumi Tadokoro, taking the chopsticks Tadokoro Mieko handed him.
"That's right. You must be very curious why it's called Gyozatsu Nabe and not Seafood Stew, right?"
This story begins many years ago. In the early years, this town was very poor.
Being coastal, fishermen would go out to sea every day. Due to the unique local climate, the fishing resources were abundant, so they would basically have a catch every day.
Such a huge amount of fish couldn't possibly be consumed by a small town alone, so the people back then chose to export it, expanding the fish market.
But exporting also came with all sorts of problems. In the early years, the town roads were all dirt, and transporting the fish required refrigerated trucks, so it was very difficult to ship the fresh fish out.
Even if they forced it, the fish would be mostly spoiled by the time it arrived, or the cost would be ridiculously high, which didn't align with the town's goal of making a profit.
So, everyone in the town brainstormed and finally decided to process the fish into dried fish, salted fish, and other secondary products for sale, which also had a long shelf life.
And after selling off the valuable parts of the fish, all that was left was some unwanted fish offal, which was casually thrown into trash cans.
At that time, there was a little beggar who was very hungry but had no money to eat. So, he spent time collecting and cleaning this unwanted fish offal, got some salt, and started a fire by the river to stew it all in a big pot. He then discovered it was an incomparably delicious meal.
Time flew by. The little beggar became a famous chef in the town, and Gyozatsu Nabe flourished in his hands!
And this poor town gradually became prosperous by selling fish. With his efforts and those of other chefs, other seafood was gradually added to the dish, creating different flavors of Gyozatsu Nabe.
And to commemorate the person who first invented this dish, no matter how much other seafood was later added, it could only be called Gyozatsu Nabe.
As Dylan ladled some of the stew into his bowl, preparing to savor it, Tadokoro Mieko began to tell him the origin of Gyozatsu Nabe.
When he heard that its inventor was just a beggar, Dylan's expression became thoughtful.
Even a beggar could research cuisine and become a great chef. Such perseverance was admirable; he would probably succeed no matter what he did.
"Actually, Mom's version is just a rather idealistic, romantic story."
The real reason this dish has kept the name Gyozatsu Nabe is mainly because the fish offal is an unshakable element of the dish.
In the past, chefs would gather ingredients like fish heads, tails, fins, gills, roe, and milt in one pot. Through proper proportions, they created an incredibly savory soup base. The flavor of this base could only be achieved with fish offal and is very unique.
And the most amazing thing about this soup base is its ability to make any seafood added to it delicious, which naturally includes shrimp, crab, squid, and so on.
This is also why Gyozatsu Nabe is usually paired with some non-fish ingredients, because the combination makes the taste even more delicious.
However, because the fish offal needs to hold an absolutely dominant position in the stew, only when there is a large quantity of fish offal that can influence the flavor of the other ingredients can the dish be called Gyozatsu Nabe!"
Seeing Dylan's interest in the Gyozatsu Nabe, Megumi Tadokoro explained to him while savoring the dish with a blissful expression on her face.
Although it was just a simple stew, after decades or even a century of development, the stew had also become quite sophisticated, requiring consideration of details from all aspects.
"Fish parts gather in a pot to stew, its fresh aroma fills the spring court."
After listening to Megumi Tadokoro's explanation, Dylan's interest was piqued. He couldn't help but look up and recite a line of poetry, then brought the spoonful of stew to his mouth to taste.
The fish was tender and smooth, melting with a gentle press of the tongue, carrying the savory saltiness of the ocean and the rich mellowness from the stewing. The shrimp was firm and bouncy, its sweetness tinged with a slight spiciness. The crab meat was flaky and distinct, its delicious juices bursting in the mouth…
With that one spoonful, he could taste the flavors of various seafood. Dylan closed his eyes, gradually deconstructing the taste in his mouth until it dissolved into nothingness.
"The key is the fish offal, isn't it?"
After tasting it, Dylan opened his eyes, picked up his spoon, and drank a spoonful of the soup. Feeling the intense, complex umami within, he murmured to himself.
It was fish offal, but not just any fish offal. To be precise, it wasn't the offal of a single fish.
Crucian carp, common carp, snakehead, bighead carp, grass carp—although they were different types of fish, because of the hodgepodge nature of the dish, their individual deliciousness all melted into the soup, which was why it was so tasty.
This small pot of Gyozatsu Nabe contained the essence of several, even dozens of types of fish, bringing the flavor of fish to its absolute peak.
This technique was somewhat similar to the fancy grilled fish he had eaten at the Nakiri estate before; both emphasized the fusion of flavors from the same type of ingredient.
He had also used this principle to develop his Three-Lives Sashimi.
However, compared to the flavor of layering three types of fish meat, the Gyozatsu Nabe before him clearly had a much more complex taste.
"There's a faint freshness and sweetness in here, and given the current color of the soup, this Gyozatsu Nabe must have tomatoes in it, right?"
Putting down his spoon, Dylan pinpointed the key to the perfect fusion of the fish offal: tomatoes. A large amount of tomato had been added to this stew.
"You could even taste that! That's right, this is our Shōkei-en's specialty, a tomato-flavored Gyozatsu Nabe. This way, the flavor becomes even richer."
As she spoke, she picked up a tomato from the cooking station and playfully held it to her cheek, giving Dylan a gentle smile.
"Tomatoes are rich in fruit acids and lycopene. These components not only enhance the dish's acidity and umami but also complement the savory flavor of the fish offal, making the overall taste more three-dimensional."
Tadokoro Mieko continued to explain with a smile. This was their Shōkei-en's secret recipe, making the final product taste a bit more special than that of other shops.
"Tomatoes… I wonder if using mushrooms, potatoes, or carrots would create a different flavor."
Hearing Tadokoro Mieko's voice, Dylan didn't reply but continued to taste the Gyozatsu Nabe, a thought suddenly popping into his head.
At that moment, he made a decision. After today, he would borrow the kitchen to experiment a bit. Perhaps he could further improve the flavor of the dish Megumi-chan loved.
Looking at Megumi Tadokoro eating with a blissful expression, a gentle look flickered across Dylan's face. He then ladled another bowl of Gyozatsu Nabe and began to eat heartily.
Beside them, seeing her cooking so loved by Dylan and Megumi Tadokoro, the smile on Tadokoro Mieko's face grew even wider, and she felt genuinely happy.
At the dinner table, the three of them chatted idly. In the process, Dylan learned about Megumi Tadokoro's family background and felt a pang of sympathy for her.
Megumi Tadokoro had lost her father at a very young age. Fortunately, he had left behind the Shōkei-en before he died, giving them a means to support themselves. Otherwise, forget enrolling in Totsuki, it would have been hard to say if they could have even survived.
After all, it was already difficult for a housewife to re-enter the workforce, let alone with a young child to care for.
_____
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