I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 535. The Interesting Aunt

There was no traffic congestion on the way back. It took an hour and a half to get there, but only half an hour to get to Licheng.

The car drove straight back to Donghui City, partly to empty the trunk of some winter melons, pumpkins, and other things, and partly because everyone was waiting there.

Xu Qingfan asked the driver to help carry some things, and together with him and Xia Xiaoxiao, the three of them managed to move all the items in one trip.

"Boss, I'll go downstairs and wait for you." The driver said, clapping his hands after putting the things down at the door.

"Yes, thank you for your hard work, Master Li." Xu Qingfan nodded in gratitude.

As for raising salaries, there's no need to say it in front of subordinates; just do it quietly. This is the way Zhang Chunxue taught him to manage his subordinates.

Xia Xiaoxiao took out her key to open the door. Just as she heard the sound of the lock being opened, the door, which was hidden, was pulled open from the inside.

"Ah~ Brother Qingfan, you're back!" Lin Wanning poked his head out from behind the door, and his face was filled with surprise when he saw that it was Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao standing outside.

"Mm." Xia Xiaoxiao smiled and nodded, which was her way of saying hello.

“Yeah, the plaster cast was just removed, why is Wan Ning moving around again?” Xu Qingfan laughed, then quickly frowned, feigning anger.

He put down what he was holding and came over to help the girl who was standing on one leg.

Lin Wanning stuck to the spot, sticking out his tongue and pretending to be stupid. Soon, Xu Qingfan grabbed his buttocks and lifted him up.

Now that he was much taller, it was inconvenient to put his arm around him, so Lin Wanning had no choice but to put his hands on Qingfan's shoulders.

"Xiao Xiao!" Xiao Ruanwen came out of the kitchen when she heard the noise, her hands still wet, and ran over excitedly.

Xia Xiaoxiao rubbed her forehead against hers and said, "You're back."

"I'll help carry things too!" Seeing there were still things on the ground, Xiao Ruanwen grabbed two large bags as well. "Brother Fan, why didn't you call me!"

Xu Qingfan placed Lin Wanning on the sofa, then turned to look at her: "But you didn't call me either, did you?"

"Brother Fan, Brother Fan, Brother Fan, Brother Fan, Brother Fan, Brother Fan."

"Is that enough?"

Xiao Ruanwen kept repeating his name as if she were practicing rapid-fire speech.

"Ruan Wen, Ruan Wen, Ruan Wen, Ruan Wen, Ruan Wen, Ruan Wen." Xu Qingfan imitated her and asked, "Is that enough?"

"Pfft!" Xiao Ruanwen couldn't hold back and burst out laughing. "My mom says I can't play with idiots!"

"What are you saying?" Zhao Yuemin came out just in time to hear, patted her head and laughed, "Xiao Fan and Xiao Xiao are back."

"Hey, Auntie."

"Auntie."

Xiao Ruanwen pouted, making a wronged little face, and carried the things into the kitchen.

After finishing her work, Wen Wanqing came out to say hello. The four mothers were preparing for the high-end ingredients for tonight and tomorrow.

Xu Qingfan wandered around the kitchen, and seeing that he wasn't needed, he tactfully withdrew.

"Have you had dinner?" He asked as he returned to the living room, playing Jenga with Lin Wanning's hands.

"Hehe~ We ate duck at five o'clock. Have you eaten, Brother Qingfan?" Lin Wanning stopped watching TV and started looking at him instead.

"Xiaoxiao and I ate at five o'clock, and our stomachs are still bloated." After hearing this, Lin Wanning subconsciously put his hand inside his clothes. Apart from feeling the outline of his abdominal muscles, he did not find anything bloated.

Xia Xiaoxiao was pulled away by Xiao Ruanwen for a heart-to-heart talk, and the two sat in the tea room next door.

The glass door is closed, allowing those inside to see what's happening outside, but those outside cannot observe what's inside.

They were watching Xu Qingfan and Lin Wanning snuggling together like a couple.

“Little Xiao, look at him, he’s touching Wan Ning’s little hand again.” Xiao Ruanwen rubbed the little brother in her arms, touching its paws just like Xu Qingfan did.

"Haven't they always been like this?" Xia Xiaoxiao looked away; she had seen it so many times that she was used to it.

"Xiao Xiao, look, look! Wan Ning is still touching Fan Ge's abs!" Xiao Ruanwen suddenly raised her voice.

Xia Xiaoxiao frowned in displeasure, but the next second, she suddenly blurted out, as if possessed, "You want to touch it too?"

"Pah, pah, pah! What are you saying, Xiao Xiao?!" Xiao Ruanwen glared at her, embarrassed and annoyed, even forgetting to stroke her little brother in her arms.

The little guy seized the opportunity and finally escaped her clutches. He obediently jumped back into the cage and never came out again.

Xia Xiaoxiao chuckled and said, "Okay, I'm not anyone to him, so there's nothing I can do about what he wants to do."

Xia Xiaoxiao spread her hands, looking helpless.

"You'll spoil him sooner or later!" After her outburst, Xiao Ruanwen suddenly started scratching her soft flesh.

Soon, the girl's melodious, tinkling voice filled the tea room.

Laughter masked the hint of helplessness in Xiao Ruanwen's eyes. She sighed inwardly, "Little Xiao, you have no idea how wicked Brother Fan is!"
Seven o'clock in the evening.

After getting ready, the group finally set off in a grand procession.

The twelve-seater van had more than enough room for their group. Inside, Wen Wanqing remarked, "Since the company has grown so big, I haven't taken a vacation in ages."

“You can never earn enough money. We should travel more when we have time!” Yao Jinping said with a smile.

"Once the company is on track, I won't interfere anymore. I'll hire a few professional managers, and then we'll travel all over the world."

“Great! I heard that you can see the aurora borealis in Finland during winter, and it’s not far from here!” Zhao Yuemin said.

Of course, this "not far" is only compared to other countries where the aurora can be seen.

"The aurora borealis? I've only ever seen it in books. Xiao Fan, do you want to see the aurora borealis?" Lin Jing asked.

"Sure, Auntie, just let me know when you want to watch it, and I'll arrange it," Xu Qingfan said, patting his chest.

He was still somewhat resistant to going abroad, always feeling that everything overseas was free, which was a kind of PTSD caused by Xia Xiaoxiao in his previous life.

However, it's not a big problem. Just hire security and buy or build a villa locally.

"Okay, then we'll wait for Xiao Fan's arrangements!"

"Xiao Fan is still the most filial!"

"Hahaha"

Laughter filled the car, growing louder and louder; it seemed this was going to be a fun trip.

Around 8 o'clock, the car drove into a private villa area.

The roads within the park are intricate and complex. The butler led the way in a shuttle car, and they soon stopped in front of one of the villas. "If you have any problems, you can call the internal phone in the room, and we will do our best to help you solve them," the butler said briefly before driving off again with the driver.

"When are they coming to visit?" Lin Wanning asked, perched on Xu Qingfan's back, seeing no one in the yard.

"It's a bit further from Gangcheng for your aunt and the others, they should be here in about ten minutes," Xu Qingfan replied.

The two groups agreed on their phones to depart at roughly the same time, making it easy to calculate the time.

The lawn, flowers, and trees in the courtyard are trimmed beautifully, unlike the perfunctory trimming in parks. The messiness has an indescribable beauty.

"Wow, it's so beautiful, but this house... it has a weird, 'baka' smell to it," Zhao Yuemin teased with a smile.

Perhaps the thought of soaking in hot springs evokes images of a simple, peaceful life, as the houses are mostly constructed of wood, including wooden furniture, tatami mats, and sliding wooden doors, all incorporating many Japanese style elements.

However, the gentle Japanese-style environment is still very relaxing. In autumn, you can brew a pot of strong tea, sit on the floor and watch the leaves fall in the garden, and you can spend the whole day there.

"Won't so much wood get moldy in the humid weather?" Yao Jinping asked curiously.

"Oh dear, with such a high property management fee every year, the property manager will take care of it. They definitely have their own methods," Xu Qingfan said.

“That’s true. Maybe they have some high-tech stuff. They don’t care about making money from it or worrying about it,” Lin Jing agreed.

Xu Qingfan and his companions weren't visiting for the first time, so they weren't as excited about the house as the three mothers. After turning on the lights, they sat on the sofa and started watching TV.

The mothers first put the groceries they brought into the kitchen. When Yao Jinping opened the refrigerator, she exclaimed in surprise, "Son, why is there so much stuff in the refrigerator? Is it expired?"

Lin Jing leaned closer to look and, sure enough, the refrigerator was filled with all sorts of things, including vegetables, fruits, meat, and drinks.

Actually, you can tell whether it's expired or not at a glance. The vegetables are so fresh that they look like they were just dug out of the ground, how could they be expired? Yao Jinping was more surprised by the fact that the refrigerator was full of food.

"Oh, maybe Auntie asked the housekeeper to prepare it in advance. It's okay, there are so many of us, we can finish it." Xu Qingfan sat on the sofa, too lazy to move, and shouted loudly.

"The butler service here is so attentive." Yao Jinping took out some vegetables and fruits that didn't need to be refrigerated, and put the meat they brought into the refrigerator.

After putting away their belongings, the three mothers came out of the kitchen.

"Where is the hot spring pool? Xiao Fan, can you take us to see it?" Zhao Yuemin said after they came out.

“Mom, I’ll take you!” Xiao Ruanwen immediately raised her hand.

After ruffling Lin Wanning's hair, Xu Qingfan stood up and said, "In the backyard, the villa we bought was built directly on top of the spring, so there's no need to divert water."

He led the way, and after exiting through the back door and passing through the courtyard, a steaming hot spring soon came into view.

The backyard is in the shape of a large circle, with a bamboo raft separating the middle. On the left and right sides, there is a hot spring pool with a diameter of about three meters, which is like the yin and yang springs in the Tai Chi Bagua.

"Wow~ How hot is this water? It's still steaming." Lin Jing squatted down and gently put her hand down to test the temperature. It wasn't too hot, around 40 degrees Celsius, which is the perfect temperature for a bath. "It's not too hot, a little higher than body temperature, around 40 degrees Celsius?"

"The steam is probably because it's cold in winter. The temperature usually hovers around 39 to 42 degrees Celsius, which is fine," Xu Qingfan replied.

Some hot springs are only around 30 degrees Celsius, and you'll get goosebumps the moment you soak in them in winter. Others are as hot as 70 or 80 degrees Celsius, so hot you could practically cook rice in a pot right there.

"It's really nice to soak in the hot springs here in winter," Zhao Yuemin remarked.

A strange, mesmerizing voice suddenly echoed in Xu Qingfan's mind: "Nice needle, nice needle living in the mountains~", as dead memories attacked his brain.

After visiting the hot springs, everyone returned to the living room.

When soaking in a hot spring, you should wait until everyone is there before starting, otherwise it's a bit impolite to let others soak in the bathwater.

Xu Qingfan was instructed to make all the preparations for the evening barbecue, such as setting up the rack and equipping it with charcoal, while the others were inside skewering the food and preparing the ingredients for the evening.

Since his hands were already dirty, Xu Qingfan simply unpacked the fireworks he would use that night and piled them up. He probably bought several thousand yuan worth of fireworks of various sizes and models.

Halfway through his work, he suddenly heard the sound of a car passing by outside the yard.

Xu Qingfan put down what he was doing and went out to check. Sure enough, Zhang Chunxue and the others had arrived.

After the car came to a stop, Zhang Yiyi was the first to get out and ran towards him excitedly, "Brother!"

Xu Qingfan opened his arms and let her bump into him hard, then rubbed his face against her and said, "You're here, Wan Ning and the others are inside."

"Mmm!" Zhang Yiyi got off him and ran back to the courtyard to find Wan Ning.

When it was Wu Lingyu's turn to queue up behind her, she also really wanted to jump into Fan Ge's arms like Yi Yi did, but unfortunately her mother was right next to her.

“Auntie, Xiaoyu.” Xu Qingfan nodded with a smile.

"Xiao Fan has grown taller again. Xiao Yu, thank you for taking care of me in Licheng." Li Meijuan looked at the tall and handsome Xu Qingfan and was a little dazed as to when he had grown so big.

"Hey, Auntie, we're family, let's not talk about this," Xu Qingfan complained.

"Hey!" Li Meijuan loved hearing that, laughing so hard tears almost came to her eyes. "Are Sister Ping and the others inside?"

“Yes, my mom and the others are skewering meat. Auntie, please come inside too, it’s cold outside.” Xu Qingfan gestured with his hand in invitation.

"Brother Fan!" Wu Lingyu looked at him gratefully and followed her mother into the house.

Xu Qingfan continued to stand guard at the door, waiting for Zhang Chunxue to park her car to the side before getting out.

"What, Xiao Fan, are you waiting for me?" Zhang Chunxue was wearing a brown trench coat, a turtleneck sweater underneath, long boots and trousers. She looked incredibly cool standing under the streetlight with her hands in her pockets.

"This mountain is mine, these trees are mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll!" Xu Qingfan stretched out his dirty hands to display his weapons.

Zhang Chunxue walked over with her head held high, not believing that Xu Qingfan would really dare to cheat her.

"Why aren't you afraid?" Xu Qingfan asked.

Zhang Chunxue didn't agree with his statement that "I'm not afraid," but simply smiled and walked forward.

Xu Qingfan naturally dared not smear Aunt Hua's delicate face. Seeing that Zhang Chunxue was only two steps away from his dirty hands, Xu Qingfan was already thinking of stopping.

Just then, Zhang Chunxue suddenly sprang into action, grabbed Xu Qingfan's hands, and smeared them on his own face.

Caught off guard, Xu Qingfan didn't have time to react, and two dark handprints instantly appeared on his face.

"Hahaha!" Fearing retaliation, Zhang Chunxue ran away after doing the bad thing, passing right under his arm.

At that moment, the response to his earlier question, "Why aren't you afraid?" came from behind him.

"Because Xiao Fan, you're stupid!"

"Wow!" Xu Qingfan turned around and made a funny face to scare him.

"Hahahaha!"

Laughter drifted in the wind, like a playful wind sprite.

(End of this chapter)