The toy business was booming, with military toys such as fighter planes that flew around and around, and figurines of the Three Human Bombs—the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the siege of Shanghai—fairly flying off the shelves, and Japan-made Kewpie dolls were selling well abroad, too.
No doubt this had enabled him to build the house within three years, as promised. On the other hand, I did feel a little sorry for the Mistress Azabu, whose husband was a civil servant for whom pay rises were unheard of, so all she could do was pin her hopes on her son’s success in life.
‘Would you get Kyoichi up soon, Taki? It’s best to have him play a while outside while it’s still light. If we keep him shut up inside because of the cold, he’ll end up being a frail slug of a child.’
I’m su
