I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 128. Another year has passed.

"A little to the right, not enough, a little more to the right, too much, a little to the left." In front of Wu Lingyu's house, Xu Qingfan was listening to the instructions of several people as he pasted up the couplets.

"Alright, Brother Qingfan, you've aligned it!"

"Give me the tape."

"Here you go, Brother Fan."

After covering all four corners of the banner with transparent tape, Xu Qingfan clapped his hands and jumped off the stool, saying, "Done."

"Thank you," Wu Lingyu said gratefully, touching the couplets whose ink had just dried.

"It's nothing, just something that happened on the side."

"Yeah, it's nothing, we're all good friends," Xiao Ruanwen said, patting her chest.

"Brother Qingfan, what are we going to do now?" Lin Wanning asked, peeking out after helping him carry the stool back into the house.

Xu Qingfan glanced at the watch on his wrist. "It's almost 5:30. What else can we do? Let's all go home and find our own mothers."

"Oh? It's so late! I have to go home!" Xiao Ruanwen said in surprise when she heard how late it was.

In this era, primary school students usually go to bed at 10 pm and get up at 7 am. Even during holidays, they would not go home later than 11 pm. Therefore, going home at 5:30 am is considered very late.

If someone hasn't come home by dark, then it's time to go out and look for them.

Xu Qingfan had experienced this deeply in his previous life. When he was in the second grade, he and his classmates went to the river to catch fish after school in the afternoon, and they didn't go home until it was almost dark.

Fortunately, Xia Xiaoxiao was in the same class as him and knew that Xu Qingfan had gone to slack off, so she didn't call the police. However, when he got home, Yao Jinping's scolding voice could still be heard throughout the entire Lianhua compound.

"Let's go then, we'll meet again next time. Ruan Wen, are you going back to Guagreen Square?" Xu Qingfan asked.

"Yes, I'll walk back with you."

After they went downstairs, the alley was already shrouded in a gray haze before the streetlights came on. Apart from Wu Lingyu, the three little girls clung warily to Xu Qingfan's clothes.

The five of them ran as fast as they could, as if they would be caught by a ghost if they were even a step slower.

After seeing the light of day again, Lin Wanning still clung to his clothes, asking expectantly, "Brother Qingfan, will you take Ningning home?"

Lin Wanning's home is quite far from here, and he was worried about letting the other person take the bus or a taxi back alone, so he said, "Let's go back to my house first, and I'll ride my bike to take you back."

"Hehe~ Okay!" The little girl let go of his clothes and skipped ahead, leading the way.

Wu Lingyu looked enviously at Lin Wanning, who was walking carefree ahead, and quickened her pace to catch up with Xu Qingfan.

"By the way, Xiaoyu, are you spending the New Year here or in Xiguan?"

"What happened to Brother Fan in Licheng?" Wu Lingyu turned her head to look at him.

"Qingqing might come then."

"Fan-ge, remember to let me know in advance so I can ask my mom to braise some duck necks," Wu Lingyu said immediately.

The five of them chatted as they went, and soon returned to Guagreen Square.

"Goodbye Xiaoxiao, goodbye Fan Ge, goodbye Ningning!" Xiao Ruanwen waved goodbye to the three of them, while Wu Lingyu had already broken away from the group when they passed the convenience store.

"See you next year!"

"Goodbye, squad leader!"

After watching Xiao Ruanwen enter the mall, Xu Qingfan took both of their hands, one on each side, and said, "Let's go home."

"Ah."

The three walked hand in hand on the sidewalk. Because Xu Qingfan was half a head taller than the other two, they looked like an older brother taking his two younger sisters out, which didn't seem out of place.

A dump truck was driving by on the road when Xu Qingfan froze, turned his head and asked Xia Xiaoxiao, "It's the 28th of the lunar year, hasn't your father come back yet?"

"He said the road was icy and he would have to postpone his return by two days." Xia Xiaoxiao's face showed a hint of worry as she spoke.

“Driving in winter is indeed dangerous,” Xu Qingfan replied casually.

[You'd better really have an icy road.] He thought to himself.

"The weather forecast said it was going to snow, and you still want to drive all the way up north? How stupid!" Having been to Beijing once, Xia Xiaoxiao knew all too well the dangers of driving in winter. Knowing that her father knowingly went into danger, the little girl couldn't help but pout and complain.

Xu Qingfan didn't know how to respond to this, but fortunately they had arrived at the Lotus Courtyard. He said, "Xiaoxiao, you go upstairs first. I'll ride my bike to take Wanning home."

"Oh." Xia Xiaoxiao glanced at Lin Wanning, who was clinging to Xu Qingfan, and felt as if she had a slice of lemon in her mouth.

"Are you seated securely?"

"Giddy up!" Lin Wanning placed his two short legs on the pedals and pressed his ear against the back of his head.

Xu Qingfan shook his head with amusement, stepped on the pedal, and the bicycle slowly started moving.

"Hmph!" Xia Xiaoxiao pouted jealously as she watched the scene below from the third-floor corridor. After the bicycle completely disappeared, she turned around and went back to her own home.

"Wash your hands, dinner will be ready soon. Why are you alone? Where's Xiaofan?" Lin Jing asked as she came out of the kitchen with the stir-fried dishes.

"He rode his bike to take Lin Wanning home. Mom, can you talk to Dad? He didn't come back last year, and he's not coming back this year either," Xia Xiaoxiao complained after washing her hands.

Lin Jing's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered. "Well, let's talk to your dad about it when he gets back. Where did you and Xiao Fan go this afternoon?"

When talking about their afternoon's experiences, Xia Xiaoxiao's eyes lit up instantly: "Mom, let me tell you, we were at Guagreen Square this afternoon."

"Brother Qingfan, the clouds are pink!"

As the bicycles traveled along the wide road, the downhill wind blew their bangs around. Xu Qingfan stopped, turned his foot thirty degrees, and looked up at the sky.

The streetlights were on, the suspension bridge had stopped operating, and the sky was filled with pink clouds.

"It's a pity that Yi-Yi can't see it."

“There’s a beautiful sunset over there too, and we’re all looking at the same sky together.” Xu Qingfan spoke, and the wind blew into his mouth.

"Oh yeah, hehe~" Lin Wanning withdrew her raised hands and pressed her face against Xu Qingfan's back again.

"What a silly goose," Xu Qingfan chuckled, shaking his head and exhaling a breath of hot air. "Another year has passed."

"That's right, May 19th, 2002, that's how many, many days I've known Brother Qingfan!" Lin Wanning stretched out her fingers, trying to count how many days it had been, but quickly gave up.

"Yes, it'll be almost two years."

It improved the family's situation, led to new friends, and resulted in a bestselling comic book.
Many people's lives were changed because of his appearance: his grandfather became the village chief, Chu Xi's dream of getting rich was shattered, and Xu Aiguo's imprisonment was averted.
I've accomplished a lot in the past two years and helped many people.

Xu Qingfan looked at the sky, thinking to himself, "May the sunset be infinitely beautiful, and may we be together year after year."
"It's only been two years, four more months!" Lin Wanning thought he was referring to the time they had known each other and reminded him.

"Mmm." Xu Qingfan nodded with a smile. "Hold me tight!" After he finished speaking, he pedaled hard on the bicycle.

"Duck rush!"

New Year's Eve. Chuxi Village.

At 7 p.m., Xu Qingfan's family, along with his maternal grandparents and maternal uncle, a total of six people, gathered in the living room for their New Year's Eve dinner.

"Pfft pfft pfft~" Xu Qingfan bit off the lean part of the char siu and threw the fatty part on the ground for the dog to eat.

After the little yellow dog finished eating, it wagged its tail and rubbed against his leg, indicating that it wanted more.

Xu Qingfan found it amusing and threw the chicken bones he had finished eating on the table down to it.

Yao Jinping slapped his right hand impatiently: "Don't throw it on the ground, it'll get dirty and we can't sweep it up for the New Year!"

"Oh, oh." Xu Qingfan gave the puppy a helpless look, then sat down to eat again.

He knew about this custom. Their local custom believed that the house was full of good fortune during the Lunar New Year, and sweeping the floor was considered sweeping the good fortune away.

In addition, sweeping is believed to attract bad luck, so even if there is a lot of garbage at home, it is best to wait until after the New Year to clean it.

Xu Qingfan generally didn't take feudal superstitions seriously, but when it came to making money, he would at least show some respect.

The New Year's Eve dinner in the port city is always the same few dishes. As the saying goes, no feast is complete without chicken, and poached chicken is a must.

Chicken is a must-have, and fish is indispensable, symbolizing abundance year after year.

Auspicious prawns symbolizing good fortune, braised pork trotters with black moss signifying wealth, and stir-fried cashews with lily bulbs symbolizing family harmony.
After the New Year's Eve dinner, Grandma pulled Xu Qingfan into the room.

Xu Qingfan took out the photo that Lai Manyao had given him last time and explained, "Grandma, the universities are all on winter break, and there are no teachers on duty, so I didn't ask."

"Hey~" Lai Manyao quickly slapped his mouth. Sighing is not allowed during the New Year. "If you can't find it, then so be it. If you want to come back, you don't need to look for it. If you don't want to come back, it's useless to look for it."

Xu Qingfan thought to himself that his grandmother's education level was quite high, and her words were very eloquent.

"Yes, yes, before I left, I asked someone to inquire at the university. Maybe we'll hear news after the New Year," Xu Qingfan comforted her.

Lai Manyao patted his head and put the photo away again.

Xu Qingfan considered the matter closed, after all, he was already twenty-six years old in his previous life and had not seen the other party return.

He actually wanted to ask his uncle Yao Jianjun what he was thinking, but Xu Qingfan was worried about being beaten. Although he could shave his head in the first month of the lunar calendar, there was no need for it.

“By the way, Mother-in-law, aren’t that woman’s parents both university professors? Why don’t you just go to the university where they work?” Xu Qingfan suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"What nonsense," Lai Manyao tapped Xu Qingfan on the head lightly, "All I knew was that they came from Yanjing. Back then, everyone was busy farming, so we didn't have time to ask these questions."

“Okay.” Xu Qingfan nodded and returned to the living room with his grandmother.

"Selling crutches and cars is all about deceiving people with legs; all I have is a mouth. After thinking it over, I regretted it, so I changed careers and started delivering water." A Spring Festival Gala skit was playing on TV, and Zhao Benshan's appearance immediately drew laughter from the audience.

Watching the Spring Festival Gala is an adult activity, but Xu Qingfan still prefers to go outside with a group of kids to set off firecrackers and blow up fishponds.

"I'm going out to play for a while," Xu Qingfan said to the people inside as he put on his coat.

"Don't go to the fishpond at night when it's dark!" Yao Jinping warned.

"Okay, okay." He put his hands in his pockets and jogged out the door.

Children in rural areas are raised freely, and even four- or five-year-olds are allowed to roam freely outside by their parents.

After buying several packs of firecrackers at the convenience store, Xu Qingfan quickly arrived at the ancestral hall at the village entrance.

"Hey you!" The children playing with a ball inside immediately recognized him.

"Xu Xian!"

"Can I play with you?" Xu Qingfan struck up a conversation with them in a very familiar manner.

"We asked you to roast sweet potatoes last time, and you stood us up!" one of the children said, pointing at him.

Xu Qingfan was taken aback, and after a moment of recollection, he couldn't remember anything like that. "Really? Mine, mine, can I join in? I see you guys are missing one person."

“You’re new here, so you have to throw the ball first!” one of the people responsible for throwing the ball said.

“Okay, you go dodge, I’ll throw.” Xu Qingfan nodded in agreement. He quite missed this kind of game that he only played when he was a child.

Take scraps of paper from your exercise book, crumple them into a ball the size of a baseball, and then wrap it tightly with layers of transparent tape. This is the ball you'll use for the game.

Two players stand about seven or eight meters apart to throw the ball, while four or five people stand in the middle to dodge the incoming ball.

If the person in the middle is hit by the ball, they need to switch roles with the person who threw the ball. If the person in the middle can catch the ball with their hand, they gain an extra life.

Xu Qingfan's arm strength was decent; after getting the ball, he slammed it down hard, and someone immediately got hit.

"Damn it, what bad luck!" The person who was hit cursed and ran over to switch places with Xu Qingfan.

The ball-throwing game area is similar to a badminton court. The person in the middle needs to run back and forth to the area of ​​the person who doesn't have a ball. Sometimes the ball will hit you while you're running, so it requires quite a bit of exercise.

Xu Qingfan was already covered in sweat after playing for just over ten minutes. He put his jacket on someone else's clothes and went back to play.

"I'll catch it!" Xu Qingfan triumphantly caught the ball flying towards him. "I have five lives now."

"Damn it, why are you throwing it with such little force!"

The game continued, and Xu Qingfan was thoroughly enjoying himself.

Even though he was already in his twenties in his previous life, whenever he saw tree branches by the roadside, he would still pick them up, shake them a few times, and then push them along the ground.

"Son! Come back for roast chicken." While they were playing, a loud shout suddenly came from several hundred meters away.

"I'm not playing anymore, my mom's calling me home," one of the people throwing the ball said after hearing the voice.

"Then I won't play anymore."

"I'm going home to drink bubble tea!"

When one of them was about to leave, the group of friends suddenly scattered.

Xu Qingfan shook his head with amusement, took out all the firecrackers from his clothes, strung them together, lit one by rubbing it, and quickly set it off. The continuous sound of firecrackers immediately rang out in the ancestral hall.

"New year, new look." Xu Qingfan patted the firecracker ash that had landed on his clothes and muttered to himself.

He suddenly wondered what Xia Xiaoxiao and Lin Wanning were doing, but unfortunately he didn't have a cell phone yet and couldn't make a group video call.

Xu Qingfan looked up at the moon in the sky.

at the same time.

Lin Wanning, Zhang Yiyi, Wu Lingyu, and Xiao Ruanwen all looked up at the moon without prior arrangement.

"Last year was a wonderful year, and I hope this year will be just as good. Xu Qingfan is a big stinky pig. Also, Happy New Year everyone!" Xia Xiaoxiao wrote the last sentence in her diary, closed the notebook, and looked out at the moonlight.

(End of this chapter)