I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 182. New Year's Eve Party
On the evening of December 31st, the secret base was unusually lively.

Tonight is their performance day. Except for Wu Lingyu's parents, who couldn't come because they lived too far away, all the adults from each family came.

The four mothers and the stylist hired by Zhang Chunxue helped the girls with their makeup and dressing in the master bedroom. Lin Qiaoshan and Xu Aiguo secretly hid under the banyan tree to smoke and share their fishing experiences. Xiao Ruanwen's grandparents were entertained by Xu Qingfan, who did not need to wear makeup.

"These leftovers are for feeding the dogs. Then, put the dirty bowls here, lock the door, and press this button to automatically clean them." He explained their daily routine to Xiao Ruanwen's grandparents while cleaning up the kitchen after dinner.

"Xiao Fan, where does this cat usually go to the toilet?" Xiao Ruanwen's grandmother asked, pointing to the little boy sleeping on top of the refrigerator.

"It will go out by itself in the litter box in the yard and won't run around."

"Wow, this is so convenient! Won't it come into the room? Cats are covered in bacteria!" Grandma nodded and then asked.

"We don't let it into the room; it usually likes to catch bugs to eat outside."

"That's good." The old man nodded again, then opened the refrigerator. The large double-door refrigerator was neatly filled with vegetables, fruits and food, which was pleasing to the eye at first glance.

"Drinking more milk is good!" Xiao Lijian said kindly, seeing that the cup was full of yogurt and milk.

"Yes, Grandpa, we usually only drink milk and tea, and we never drink carbonated drinks like cola!" Xu Qingfan chuckled to himself, because they had put all the drinks and snacks in another refrigerator.

"You are such good children. Grandma is very relieved that Ruanwen is living with you!"

"Mmm-hmm!" He nodded vigorously. "Grandma, I'm going out to feed the dog and take out the trash."

Xu Qingfan carried the leftover food and garbage bags to his hands and left the kitchen. It was the first time so many guests had come to the house. Xiao Bai looked excited, and its two front paws patted the floor rhythmically like a lion dancer.

"Sit!" he commanded after pouring the leftovers into the dog's bowl, and Xiaobai immediately obeyed.

"Good dog, eat up!" Xu Qingfan patted the dog's head, picked up the trash, and walked out of the yard.

"Xiao Fan, don't you need to wear makeup?" Lin Qiaoshan asked with a smile as they passed under the banyan tree.

"Why would a man wear makeup!" Xu Aiguo said, patting him on the shoulder as he walked over.

"Tonight is their stage. They've already rehearsed. I'll sit in the back and play the drums. Just wear your school uniforms," ​​Xu Qingfan explained, opening the trash bag to indicate that they should throw their cigarette butts in.

"Then aren't you at a disadvantage?"

"What's there to lose or not? I'm going to take out the trash. Dad, don't leave your cigarette butts here, the neighbor's aunt will yell at you." Xu Qingfan picked up the cigarette butt from the ground, waved his hand, and continued to take out the trash.

As it approached six o'clock, the sky was already darkening, with the sun and moon both hanging high in the sky. Looking west, one could see the afterglow of the setting sun, while looking east, the moon appeared like a silver hook.

At this time, everyone is at home eating, and the neighborhood is very quiet. Walking on the grassy path, you can hear the chirping of unknown insects from time to time. A sense of loneliness comes to mind. This is probably what Liu Zongyuan meant when he said in "Record of the Little Stone Pool" that "because the place is too quiet, it is not suitable to stay for long".

When they returned home, the five girls had already put on makeup and come downstairs.

"Brother Qingfan!"

"Does Brother Fan look good?" The five people were dressed in Tang Dynasty costumes, each with its own characteristics from the early Tang, the High Tang to the late Tang. As they walked, their clothes fluttered and their colorful embroidery was dazzling, making them look like goddesses and fairies.

Xu Qingfan stood motionless at the doorway as if frozen in place. In the seventh year he had known them, this was the first time he had ever felt truly amazed by their beauty. No wonder the ancients always said, "A graceful young woman of thirteen or so, like a budding cardamom flower in early February."

"Xiao Fan is so flattered by you all that he can't even speak!"

"Why is Xiao Fan staring in disbelief?"

"Hahaha~" The adults laughed and joked when they saw this.

Xu Qingfan came to his senses and realized that compared to a year ago, the five girls had all undergone a magnificent transformation, from naive to budding. He felt quite accomplished, much like the feeling of watching his daughters grow up.

"Beautiful!" Xu Qingfan gave a thumbs up. "Now I roughly know what state of mind Li Bai was in when he wrote 'The clouds remind me of her clothes, the flowers of her face; the spring breeze caresses the balustrade, the dew is heavy!'"

Laughter filled the room once again.

After a long while, they gathered all the items needed for the evening's performance, locked the door, and the dozen or so people walked in a large procession to the school.

The stage for the performance was set up in the sports field. Before school ended in the afternoon, the students had already moved the chairs down there, and the stage equipment and lighting were also ready.

At 7:30 p.m., the 2008 New Year's Eve party started on time.

The performance of Class 7(6) was scheduled in the middle. After entering the venue, they sat with their parents in the front row VIP area arranged by the school.

After the host's clichéd introduction, the stage lights suddenly went out, and then the intro to "Nobody" started playing from the equipment with completely broken audio quality.

The cylindrical spotlight shone on the stage the next second, and five students with hairstyles characteristic of this era, dressed in white T-shirts and jeans, danced and fluttered to the music.

[It really feels like a long time ago.] Xu Qingfan thought to himself, [But dancing without black stockings is a total no-go!]
Skits, crosstalk, magic shows, and of course, the ever-present "Glorious Years." In this era when 3G networks were just emerging and entertainment programs were still scarce, the entire school's teachers and students acted as the best audience, with waves of laughter rising from the audience.

"Next up is the original song 'Exploring the Window' performed by Xu Qingfan, Xia Xiaoxiao, Lin Wanning, and other students from Class 7(6). Please give them a round of applause!"

"It's the children's turn!" Xu Qingfan and his team arrived backstage early to prepare. When their names were called, the parents enthusiastically waved their glow sticks and shouted their children's names from below the stage.

"In a world of flowers and brocade~" Xia Xiaoxiao and Xiao Ruanwen opened their mouths at the same time with their stunning Peking Opera singing voices. The stage lights shone on the five girls dressed in Hanfu, who looked like fairies in a painting.

"Wow!" After a moment of silence, the audience erupted in a deafening roar of exclamations.

In an era where makeup often involves heavy application of eyeshadow and vibrant colors, the five girls' looks are a game-changer.

The five of them stood side by side, like celestial maidens descending to earth. For a moment, everyone felt that this was not a simple stage for a junior high school New Year's Day performance, but a grand CCTV gala.

The audience members started waving their glow sticks without them even realizing it. The five girls stood on the stage and looked down at the sea of ​​glow sticks. A sense of recognition and a strange feeling of being moved welled up in their hearts.

As the last note echoed through the stadium until it faded away, the girls bowed in gratitude.

(End of this chapter)