When they left Nezu Shrine, it was already close to eleven in the morning.
The four of them received their New Year amulets at the shrine and then took a car back to Hongo.
The heater was turned on inside the car.
Satsuki sat beside her father, lowering her head to fiddle with the small amulet she had just received, while Kenjiro and Shino sat opposite them, whispering about whether they should go back to visit some relatives they hadn't seen in a long time that afternoon.
Hearing this, Shuichi proactively suggested that Fujita prepare a few New Year gifts so the couple wouldn't have to scramble at the last minute.
Kenjiro naturally did not decline.
"Then I'll trouble you, Big Brother."
"We're brothers in the same family, what's there to be polite about?"
Shuichi waved his hand and reminded him not to forget to visit the elders who had taken care of them in the past.
Kenjiro agreed repeatedly.
Listening to her father and uncle discussing, Satsuki suddenly thought of something.
"Oh right, Uncle."
"Hmm?"
Kenjiro turned his head.
Satsuki put the amulet away in her handbag and looked up at him.
"It seems I haven't prepared a New Year's gift for Uncle and Aunt yet."
Kenjiro was slightly stunned and hurriedly waved his hands.
"Aiya, Satsuki, you don't need to specially prepare these things."
"That won't do."
Satsuki shook her head with a serious expression.
"It was not easy for Uncle to come back this year, and it's your first New Year since returning home. As your niece, I should at least show some gesture."
Saying this, she suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.
"Moreover, I remember Uncle seemed to have entrusted Father with asking me about a certain matter previously."
Kenjiro was still waving his hands, but upon hearing these words, his movements instantly stopped.
Shino, sitting beside him, also raised her head slightly.
Shuichi looked at his younger brother and then at his daughter, quickly understanding what she was referring to.
"Oh, that matter."
He straightened his posture a bit.
"Have you finally thought it through?"
"Mm."
Satsuki gently nodded.
The matter started a few months ago.
At that time, Kenjiro had just recently returned to the Saionji House, and although he had gradually taken over new work, he remained exceptionally cautious regarding internal family matters.
Especially concerning the issue of the family head's succession.
Shuichi only had Satsuki as a daughter, and Kenjiro, as the family head's biological younger brother, had been married to his wife for many years yet still had no children.
Over the past six years, the two of them had lived a difficult life, making ends meet with a tight budget, so naturally they had no conditions to seriously consider this matter.
Now that they had returned to the main house and their lives had finally stabilized, the couple harbored this thought once again.
But Kenjiro quickly thought of a problem.
What if Shino gave birth to a boy?
Of course he had no intention of letting his son fight for the headship, nor any thought of challenging Satsuki's authority.
The problem was that he always felt the elderly people in the family might not completely let go of past concepts.
Shuichi had no son, but he himself gave birth to a boy.
Even if he and his wife did nothing, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't make an issue of the child's bloodline in the future, or even use it to manufacture some succession disputes.
Kenjiro had witnessed firsthand how Satsuki dealt with family opposition factions.
He had finally ended six years of bitter days and regained his niece's trust, so naturally he was unwilling to bring trouble upon himself over such a matter.
Therefore, he specifically sought out his elder brother.
"Big Brother, there is a matter I would like to ask for your help in asking Satsuki..."
Shuichi was originally looking over a family affairs report, but after listening to his younger brother's hesitant request, his movements gradually stopped.
"You and Shino want a child?"
"Yes."
Kenjiro nodded, hesitated for a moment, and added:
"I know this is originally our own matter as a couple, but what if we give birth to a boy in the future..."
He did not continue.
But Shuichi already understood his younger brother's concerns.
After all, the Saionji House was an old family passed down for hundreds of years. Although the Kazoku system had long been abolished, those deeply rooted succession concepts were not so easily erased.
Especially the current Saionji, which already possessed wealth and power far exceeding the past.
Kenjiro himself did not harbor thoughts of vying for the headship, which didn't mean no one would use his child to make a fuss in the future. Even if it were just the selfishness of a tiny minority of clansmen, once entangled with succession issues, it could bring unnecessary trouble to the entire family.
And Shuichi knew better than anyone how much painstaking effort Satsuki had poured into building the current Saionji.
He absolutely did not want his negligence to cause his daughter to have to bother dealing with problems that could have been avoided in advance.
Thinking of this, Shuichi put the document in his hand aside and looked seriously at his younger brother.
"Does Shino also know your concerns?"
"Yes."
Kenjiro gently nodded.
"Actually, she has always wanted a child too, it's just that... we both feel it's best to seek Satsuki's opinion first."
Shuichi pondered for a moment.
"You've thought this through very thoroughly."
Hearing his elder brother say this, Kenjiro breathed a sigh of relief.
"However, I cannot promise you this matter on Satsuki's behalf."
Shuichi continued.
"The family's situation now is different from the past, and succession issues can even less be handled casually. Since you've already thought of this layer, you should understand that ultimately Satsuki must decide for herself."
"I understand, Big Brother."
Kenjiro hurriedly nodded.
"I only hoped you could help ask. If Satsuki has concerns, we won't consider this matter."
Shuichi looked at his younger brother with some lingering emotion in his heart.
Kenjiro from six years ago would never have considered things so thoroughly in such matters.
However, he also knew that his younger brother and Shino had not had an easy time over these years. Now that the couple had finally settled back down, wanting a child of their own was naturally the most normal wish.
Naturally, he hoped this matter would have a good outcome.
"Alright."
Shuichi finally nodded.
"I will find an opportunity to talk with Satsuki and tell her your thoughts completely as they are."
He paused slightly and added:
"However, before she makes a clear stance, you shouldn't make a fuss yet, especially don't let anyone else in the family know."
"Yes, Big Brother."
Kenjiro solemnly bowed slightly.
"I understand."
Satsuki indeed heard her father mention this matter later on.
It's just that there were many things to be busy with at the time, so she wasn't in a hurry to give a reply.
Until today.
"Uncle."
Satsuki looked at Kenjiro opposite her whose expression suddenly turned tense, the corners of her mouth curving up slightly.
"I have already considered it."
Kenjiro subconsciously straightened up a bit.
Shino also placed the handbag in her hands onto her lap, quietly gazing at her.
Satsuki looked at Kenjiro opposite her whose expression was gradually becoming tense, a gentle smile emerging on her face.
"Actually, this matter isn't as complicated as the two of you imagine."
She paused slightly before continuing:
"If Uncle and Aunt want a child, then just do as you wish. Whether the child born in the future is a boy or a girl, I completely approve."
Kenjiro was originally prepared to continue discussing, but he didn't expect Satsuki to give a reply so decisively, leaving him somewhat at a loss for a moment.
"However, Satsuki... if someone in the future..."
"Uncle."
Satsuki softly interrupted him.
"Those things you worry about, I understand them all."
She still wore a smile, but in those eyes looking at Kenjiro, there was a bit more unquestionable meaning.
"Since I have already agreed, naturally I won't let anyone use this as an excuse to cause trouble for Uncle and Aunt."
Saying this, she slightly tidied the sleeves on her lap.
"As for what other people in the family might think, that's their own business. I will make them understand—"
"What matters can be discussed, and what matters should not be discussed."
Her tone was calm, yet it made Kenjiro's heart slightly tremor.
Since Satsuki dared to say these words, she definitely had the ability to fulfill them.
More importantly, from her tone, Kenjiro couldn't hear the slightest bit of reluctance, nor any hesitation after weighing pros and cons.
She truly didn't care.
At this time, Shuichi, who had been sitting to the side all along, finally spoke.
"Kenjiro, Satsuki's meaning is already very clear."
He looked at his younger brother, his expression very serious.
"When you came to find me back then, I promised to leave this matter to Satsuki to decide. Now that she has expressed her stance, as the family head, I will naturally support her as well."
Shuichi paused slightly.
"You couple just live your lives with peace of mind. If anyone really uses this to stir up trouble in the future, they will never receive my connivance."
Hearing his elder brother's words, Kenjiro finally completely set his mind at ease.
Seeing this, Satsuki's smile also softened a bit.
"Besides, I'm also very much looking forward to having a few more children in the family."
She turned to look at Shino, and said with a smile:
"Aunt, it has been hard on you these past years. In the future, if there is anything you want to do, just go ahead and do it."
"As for the matter of children, I sincerely bless the two of you."
Shino gazed at her, her eye sockets gradually turning somewhat red.
Kenjiro lowered his head to look at his wife, then reached out and gently gripped her palm.
After a moment, he raised his head again.
"Satsuki, thank you."
His voice was very soft, yet exceptionally solemn.
Shino also bowed slightly in return.
"Thank you, Satsuki."
Satsuki smiled and accepted the couple's thanks.
"Happy New Year, Uncle, Aunt."
"I hope at this time next year, our family can have one more member celebrating the New Year together."
Hearing this blessing, Kenjiro unconsciously tightened his grip on his wife's hand a little more.
Shino looked up at her husband, and the emotions she had been struggling to restrain finally gradually calmed down. She nodded gently, a gentle smile emerging at the corners of her mouth.
Shuichi looked at his younger brother and his wife, his eyes filled with gratification.
When Kenjiro came to discuss this matter with him back then, he knew how much the couple cared. Now that Satsuki had given her promise personally, this matter hanging in their hearts for several months finally had a satisfactory result.
Satsuki quietly watched this scene, with some lingering emotions in her heart.
In fact, regarding the things her uncle worried about, she had never cared too much about them from the very beginning.
If it were placed seven years ago, perhaps it truly would have been worth considering carefully. But the current Saionji was long no longer that family from back then that needed to rely on a few ancestral estates and traditional family head authority to maintain itself.
Over the past seven years, the massive industrial system she built with her own hands had long spread all over Japan and even overseas.
Those operators controlling the group's core business, financial institution partners, and various factions closely tied in interest with Saionji all knew very well whom they were dealing with.
More importantly, these people's trust and obedience toward her came from her ability verified time and time again over the past seven years, as well as the actual power she had long firmly grasped in her hands.
These things could not be taken away simply by relying on a surname or a piece of succession paperwork.
Satsuki even felt that, let alone her uncle giving birth to a son in the future, even if Father suddenly decided to remarry one day and gave her a biological younger brother, it wouldn't cause any impact on her current status.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help glancing at Shuichi beside her.
Father was solicitously inquiring about Shino's health, and hearing her say that everything was fine recently, the expression on his face grew even happier.
The corners of Satsuki's mouth curved up slightly.
Come to think of it, Father's support for her over these years seemed to have never wavered at all.
Of course, even so, she would not pin the future of the entire family on anyone's goodwill.
Everything about Saionji now revolved around her, and this point would not change because of a few more family members. Even if someone really harbored improper thoughts in the future, she had enough means to make the other party recognize reality.
In that case, why make her uncle and aunt have heavy concerns just over giving birth to a child because of such a matter that hadn't happened yet and wasn't even enough to threaten her?
Furthermore, Satsuki actually had her own considerations.
Now Saionji's industries were spread all over the world, and the group's scale was still continuously expanding, but family members who could truly participate in core matters and were completely trusted by her were simply too few.
Professional managers could of course be hired with high salaries, and excellent talents could be slowly cultivated. But as the wealth and power grasped by Saionji became increasingly massive, there were always some matters involving the core interests of the family that required sufficiently reliable people to share the burden for her.
And this point happened to be one of the biggest shortcomings of the Saionji House currently.
Thinking of this, Satsuki even felt that if her uncle and aunt were willing to have a few more children, it would be even better.
Although blood relations themselves could not guarantee loyalty, let alone capability. Yet as long as they received a good education from childhood and underwent a dozen or twenty years of cultivation, there would always be an opportunity to grow into talents capable of standing on their own.
Anyway, Saionji's future development didn't just depend on these one or two years, so she didn't mind preparing a few assistants for the future in advance.
Come to think of it, her uncle was only in his thirties now, exactly in the prime of his life.
The more Satsuki thought about it, the more she felt that giving this New Year's gift was quite worthwhile.
It could allow her uncle and his wife to let go of their psychological knots, further consolidate Kenjiro's loyalty to her, and add a bit of insurance to the family's future.
As for whether those children could eventually become her capable assistants in the future, it would depend on whether they had that capability.
If not, it wouldn't matter either.
Toward clansmen truly loyal to her, Satsuki had never minded bestowing sufficiently generous treatment.
As for those who were unwilling to abide by the rules...
Satsuki gently tidied the sleeves on her lap, the smile on her face remaining gentle.
Presumably after the events of these past years, there wouldn't be many people in the family willing to test her patience again.
She raised her head again, looking at her uncle and his wife opposite who were still immersed in joy, and temporarily cast these thoughts to the back of her mind.
Today was the first day of the New Year, after all.
Since the gift had already been given, let everyone spend the New Year happily.
...
The car drove slowly along the streets of Hongo.
Kenjiro's mood was obviously much lighter than when they came.
He whispered with his wife for a while, and suddenly remembered what happened at the shrine just now.
"Oh right, Shino."
"Hmm?"
"What wish did you make just now?"
Shino was slightly stunned, then looked up at her husband.
"Why are you suddenly asking about this?"
"I'm just a little curious."
Kenjiro held his wife's hand, his tone carrying a bit of anticipation.
"I saw you were exceptionally earnest when making your prayer just now."
Hearing this, Shino's mouth curved up slightly.
"That cannot be told to you."
"Why?"
"If a wish is spoken out loud, it won't come true anymore."
"We've been married for so many years, not even I can know?"
"No."
Shino answered very gently, yet her attitude was extremely firm.
Kenjiro looked at his wife, originally wanting to ask a few more questions, but seeing her other hand gently resting over her lower abdomen at some point, he suddenly understood something.
He slowly put away the thought of further questioning.
After a while, he only gripped his wife's hand a little tighter.
Shino sensed his movement and looked up at him.
Neither of the couple spoke again.
Outside the car window, New Year decorations hung in front of every household.
Several children wearing new clothes were running forward along the street, holding pinwheels they had just bought. Passing an intersection, they were called back by their mother behind them, obediently stopping to wait.
Looking at them, Kenjiro suddenly felt that this year's New Year seemed more worth anticipating than any year in the past.
Before long, the motorcade drove into the Saionji Main Residence in Hongo.
The pine trees in front of the door shimmered with verdant luster under the winter sunlight, and the shimenawa under the eaves swayed gently with the breeze.
The year 1992 had finally arrived.