Chapter 6212
Nanako dashed out of her room, her cell phone in hand, joyfully exclaiming, “Odo-san, Odo-san! Charlie will be home for dinner later!”
At that moment, Yuhiko Ito was tending to his five-needle pine tree in the villa’s central courtyard.
This five-needle pine, which Yuhiko Ito had brought from his home in Kyoto, Japan, is a prized specimen in Japanese gardening. Its thick and lush appearance is valued at several million dollars, making it one of Yuhiko Ito’s prized possessions.
Previously, he lived in a high-rise building and had no opportunity to cultivate trees. However, after moving into a traditional Chinese-style villa, he eagerly set about gardening.
Like their Chinese counterparts, Japanese old-money families often indulge in unique, traditional hobbies. While Chinese elites enjoy working with wood and jade, the Japanese aristocracy tends to aspire to be master gardeners.
In Kyoto, owning a large house alone doesn’t make one a true leader. To be regarded as a true authority, one must have exquisite trees of top varieties adorning the property. When guests visit, they need not hear any words from the host; the trees themselves convey the owner’s potency.
As one of Japan’s wealthiest individuals, Yuhiko Ito is, of course, a significant figure in the gardening world. Now living in China, he finds the climate of Aurous Hill similar to that of Kyoto, prompting him to gradually relocate his treasured trees from Japan.
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