Wozumi parents' family in Miwasaki was benefited from Kyozo's work in Arafura Sea after seven or eight years.
Two sisters were enough to dress up, and Tokumatsu, the youngest 8th child, was about to go on to Shingu Middle School for the first time in the family by Kyozo's strong request in the letter.
Kyozo wrote to his brother, "You have to study. It would be nothing if only you would be wealthy by making money. You have to study for being helpful to the world even a little bit. If you don't want it, come to Arafura Sea."

The house was also not shabby like before. Two two-story houses across Central Street were bought. One was the main house and another was for the parents. It was easy to hear the voice each other.
The parents plaw the field and go fishing, now too, but they do not need to worry about their livelihood. Matsuzo, father, is able to see a doctor with no worry about payment and ready to have doctor's visit.

There is a casual house down near the seashore to the west. It is Sanoh family. The couple, Mannosuke and Rin have five boys and five girls. Among them, two boys are working in Arafura Sea in the same boat with Kyozo.
Mannosuke, father, was good at fishing above average, but in fact his family relied on the two sons' income. Thanks to the money sent from them, the family had got rid of poverty with many children. Until then, it had been like living from hand to mouth, though rather less than the poverty of Wozumi family. So, the children could not have enough time to learn school lessons.

Kuma, the 6th child and the 2nd daughter, just managed to finish elementary school, especially with her younger daughter on her back from 4th grade. But she was a bright girl with good-looking and kind heart, though skinny and tall a little. She was named 'Kuma" (meaning a bear) so as to be healthy, just like her elder sister's name "Kame" (a turtle).

After elementary school, she helped her father do miscellaneous works and her mother do field works, as well as doing household help and taking care of younger children.
During her girlhood, the prospective marriage with Kyozo Wozumi was arranged by her and his parents. Before that time, Kyozo had been away in Arafura Sea at the age of 16, and Kuma only 8 years old. Both of them had never known it.

Two weeks in his hometown Miwasaki went by hastily to Kyozo, including the wedding ceremony.
Besides the duty here, most of his time was spent for the message delivery work from the boat colleagues to their families.
Since he had to go to the towns such as Ugui, Koza and Shionomisaki, in addition to his hometown, he was obliged to go a long way leaving his new wife alone at home.
Meanwhile, Kuma became Kyozo's wife at the young age of 17 under her parents' direction.
The wedding ceremony at Hachiman Shrine was only a grand occasion to her. The couple of the fisheries-cooperative chief were a go-between, and important people in the village were present there.
The husband looked so dark and unsociable that she was filled with anxiety and would almost have escaped anywhere.

The wedding night was irritating to Kyozo and fearful to Kuma, though Kuma's looks far beyond the picture, her good nature, her voice and behavior, ... all of her belongings made Kyozo feel soaring high up into the heaven.

Until Kyozo returned quickly to Arafura Sea, there was no time for the new couple to talk at ease. Kyozo was sorry, but he got home late every night.
The job meeting was mostly complicated and dragged on. And additionally, about his colleagues' messages, every family wanted to hear about their relatives working faraway. Most of the time he had to join dinner with them staying too long.
Kuma accepted Kyozo's situation during working late at night. The new bride's hardship only changed the place here from her home.

After a couple of days the sisters-in-law and the brothers-in-law began nagging the bride in various ways. Their parents tried to stop them but they were naughty and willful. Though they were obedient like kittens with Kyozo, they directed their jealousy against her mercilessly while Kyozo was away.
As a young bride, she not only cooked and cleaned for the big family but also was the target of the naughty guys with endless requests and dissatisfaction.
It was after a long time for her to be said by acquaintances as a good working lady.

However, Kuma felt happy somehow. In the circumstance where she totally lost any hope and any refuge, she realized her husband treating her so kindly. He might be a respectable man. Despite talking only a few words, he must really have a gentle-hearted personality.
Kyozo was never a beast of carnal desires, though in bed the dark palms like a pine cone of a seaman were actually painful to her skin, and also his clumsy caress made Kuma be frightened. He treated her tenderly without any force. He talked about the life in Arafura Sea holding her gently in his arms.
Truly felt that her husband believed in her, Kuma was relaxed and listened to his talk comfortably.

The sea sparkling with coral reefs, schools of fishes, pearl oysters growing in colonies, joy when he found a pearl, .....

On the day Kyozo left Kushimoto Port for Arafura Sea, Kuma wore a ring of a pearl, giving out a slightly pale blue light on the third finger of her left hand. The pearl was surely picked up by Kyozo in Arafura Sea.
Kuma was hesitantly seeing him off in the crowd along the wharf. But Kyozo was going on to stare at her forever.
"I will make you happy. I never fail to return to you."
He swore to his heart.