Chapter 8 Temporary New Home

"."

"Tree."

"Dean, have you figured it out?"

"You kid, you suddenly came back to Otaru without saying goodbye, how could there not be something wrong? Chitose couldn't ask you about it, how could I not know?"

“I resigned on my own initiative.”

"What's the reason?"

"It's depressing. I can survive by eating tree bark pickles every day, but I really can't stay in that place."

"."

Dean Hanashiro was silent for a long time. "Tokyo is really not a good place to live. Take your clothes to the laundry room and give them to Keiko first. Come to my office later."

After saying that, the dean walked back to his office on the first floor.

After handing the washed clothes to Aunt Keiko and Chitose in the laundry room, Fujii Itsuki came to the office.

"Close the door."

Fujii Itsuki closed the office door.

Then he saw the old dean open three locks and take out a large amount of money from the drawer.

It was a considerable amount; Fujii Itsuki estimated it to be close to three million yen.

"Take it."

"Dean, what are you doing?!"

"Two million, eight hundred and sixty-five thousand five hundred. After almost three years, this is your own money."

Fujii Itsuki understood the situation immediately, "Director, didn't I donate it to the welfare home? It would be great if you could use it to buy some washing machines and some new clothes for the children. Why keep it?"

Dean Huadai had no other expression, but simply asked him back:
"How much do you earn in Tokyo?"

"Six hundred thousand a month."

"How much exactly?"

"Three hundred thousand"

"Three hundred thousand," Dean Hanashiro repeated his words and sighed, "Your food and drink in Tokyo, plus the rent for your place, will cost at least two hundred thousand a month. You spend two hundred thousand a month, and donate one hundred thousand to the welfare home. What can you save for yourself?"

“We can still save a little.”

"How much can it be? The money you have saved in three years can't even support you in Tokyo for half a year."

That's absolutely right, it's only enough for three months.

"I know you're a good kid, but you have to have your own life, too. Take it."

"." Fujii Itsuki did not extend his hand to accept it.

"Take it."

Despite Fujii Itsuki's repeated objections, Dean Hanashiro still put the more than 280 Fukuzawa Yukichi notes in a black plastic bag and stuffed them into his arms.

Fujii Itsuki was upset. The amount of money donated each month was not much, and it could be said to be a bit of miscellaneous money. He thought that all the money would be used to buy supplies for the welfare home and give the children something delicious to eat. He didn't expect that it was all collected by Director Hanashiro.
"Director, it's almost New Year's Day. You can use this money to buy some new facilities for the welfare home. I have hands and feet, so it's not like I can't make money."

"Don't worry about that. The hospital has used your money and your kindness has not been wasted."

"That's not what I meant. You can use them all, but——"

"You are going to get married in the future. Are you going to let your girlfriend live with you in an orphanage?"

"It's okay for me not to get married."

"No more words."

Hanayo Fujii sat behind an old desk. Under her gray hair, she wore a pair of yellow glasses that she had used for decades.

"The welfare home is now supported by Huizi and I. It is a bit busy, but we just need to hold on. We don't need this money at the moment."

"What does this mean?"

"Even if Shu just came back, he can roughly understand our current situation, right?"

Fujii Itsuki frowned, but he still had a general understanding of the situation.

The operation of the Xingyuan Welfare Home has always been poor. First, due to uneven regional development, the city government has allocated less welfare funds to Shukutsu. Second, the population of Otaru is rapidly decreasing, with a low birth rate and an aging population. Pensions are more than taxes, which has exacerbated the shortage of funds for the welfare home.

The decline in population has led to a decline in the traditional economy year by year.

Today's Otaru does not even reach the average level of Hokkaido's economy and is supported only by its fishing and tourism industries.

It is not easy for the welfare home to operate to this day if the director says that the money is not needed.
"It is already difficult for the government to support our independent operation. Within two years, the entire welfare home will be gradually integrated into the municipal welfare home."

"."

After hearing this, Fujii Itsuki was so silent that he was completely speechless.

"But you don't have to worry too much. There are still two years left."

"What does it mean?"

"Currently, the district representatives are working hard to save Shujin, and are organizing everyone to vigorously develop tourism-related industries and handicrafts, and move closer to the policies of Otaru City. Look, Yang Kui's hot spring shop has been doing good business recently. If the town's economy can make a comeback, the welfare home will naturally be able to survive. There is no need to be too pessimistic."

The dean said so, but the people who can work now are all elderly people.
Fujii Itsuki talked with Director Hanashiro about the welfare home and found that there were no major problems with the welfare home at the moment, and the biggest lack was caregivers.

The entire welfare home relies on the director and Aunt Huizi to maintain daily operations and take care of the children's daily lives, which is really too difficult.

It is impossible to ask the government to increase funding as they can barely take care of themselves.

"I'll think of a way to deal with this. How about I go back to the orphanage and help you?"

Director Huadai smiled and said, "Our welfare home cannot afford to hire top students who graduated from Kyoto University."

"I don't need any wages."

Dean Hanashiro just shook his head.

When Fujii Itsuki saw this, he knew that the dean would not agree to his request.

"By the way, Shu, you don't have a place to live in Otaru yet, right?"

Fujii Itsuki came back to his senses from the question of how to increase the staff of the welfare home. "A place to live? I can live in any storage room in the welfare home."

Fujii Hanayo shook her head. "There are more than 30 children in the welfare home now, which is more than when you were there. The place has now been transformed into a place for the children to sleep."

"Then I'll stay in a hotel downtown for a few days and find a job."

"You know that hotels in Otaru are not cheap. I thought about this problem for you at noon. There are currently no good jobs in Zhujin. You must stay near the city center. The cheaper the rent, the better."

"President," Fujii Itsuki heard the director's words, "do you have any good places to recommend?"

"Rather than a recommendation, it's more like there's a place that's perfect for you to stay for a few days. Do you remember the beautiful kid you saw this morning?"

Fujii Itsuki recalled for a second, and the unique pair of purple eyes appeared in his mind, "Jiuhuayue?"

"That child, the Jiuhua family's ancestral home is in Otaru, and they have another home in the city, and she lives there. Now that she has returned to live alone, she doesn't need such a big house. Not only is it difficult to maintain, but her parents are also a little worried--"

"Wait, Dean, you're not going to ask me to live in her house and watch over her, are you?!"

"It's just a temporary stay for a few days, until you find a good job and a good house."

"If it doesn't work, I can stay at Mr. Nagano's hot spring hotel."

"I called him at noon and asked him. It's the peak tourist season now, and all the rooms there are booked."

"Dean."

Fujii Itsuki was suddenly at a loss whether to laugh or cry, recalling the scene in the morning when he and she almost got into a fight.

"Let's put aside whether this is appropriate or not. Will she agree? Will her parents agree?"

"Don't worry about her parents. They know you. I asked you to go over there to help her parents look after the child and take care of her."

Fujii Itsuki laughed again, "I understand that, but will she agree?"

"Just now when you went to deliver the clothes, I called her."

"Definitely a no."

"She agrees."

".?"

At the same time, standing outside the office door, Yang Kui Chitose lowered her head, her face darkened, and she whispered to herself:
"Why Jiuhua again?"

(End of this chapter)