I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 534. Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, another year has passed; it's been another year since I met you.
After the dinner, it was time for the usual karaoke, card games, and mahjong.

Xu Qingfan casually made up an excuse and dragged Xia Xiaoxiao for a stroll around the village.

Her grandparents were probably worried that they would leave without saying goodbye and let a bunch of children go out to play with them.

Perhaps it's because Xu Qingfan is good-looking; despite having just been betrayed by him, the children still feel close to him.

As the saying goes, appearance is justice. Even if Xu Qingfan is 99% wrong, does that mean they themselves are not wrong?

It wasn't that exaggerated. It was just that Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao led a group of children to the village store, and he waved his hand and said, "Take whatever you want, I'll pay!"

With an older brother like that, who wouldn't like him?

Most of the items sold at the village store cost 50 cents or a dollar. Although they took a lot, the total amount they received was still less than 30 dollars.

After Xu Qingfan paid, the children immediately grabbed the fireworks and snacks they had bought and ran outside excitedly.

They even left two packets of Red Spider on the table for them; they were really kind of people.

Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao exchanged a smile, emptied the remaining arsenal of the convenience store, and left carrying a large bag of firecrackers.

They marched down the road in a large group, blasting all sorts of things. When the village dogs saw them, they only dared to hide at their doorsteps and watch from afar, their usual swagger gone.

The village they are in now is called Jingtou Village. Further up the mountain, there is a forest park, and the reservoir halfway up the mountain stretches as far as the eye can see, like a river or sea.

However, the customs here are rather strange. While Chinese people believe in the saying "to be buried in the ground for peace," the earthenware urns used to hold ashes here are placed outdoors.

A half-meter-tall earthenware jar, sealed with yellow paper, was placed on a cement stone block by the roadside. Even in those well-off tombs, the jar was still placed above the tomb, with a roof built over it to protect it from the wind and rain.

Along the path up the mountain, you'll see one of these earthenware pots every three to five meters. If you walk here alone at night without streetlights, the feeling of dread is overwhelming.

The children in the family must have been disciplined with canes from a young age. They were completely different when they were on the road with tombstones. But once they left that section of the road, they immediately set off firecrackers and cut grass as usual. Even the chickens that passed by would kick them a couple of times before leaving.

It took more than two hours to climb to the top of the mountain, so Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao stopped when they reached the reservoir.

They stopped, and the children who had come with them immediately stopped as well, setting off firecrackers in twos and threes.

"Why do I feel like you're much happier since you came back this time?" Xu Qingfan lit a firecracker and casually tossed it into the reservoir.

Firecrackers floated on the water, emitting wisps of white smoke. Two or three seconds later, they exploded with a "bang," sending water splashes two or three meters high.

Xia Xiaoxiao wiped the water droplets splashed on her face and scolded him, only to realize that he had blocked most of the water droplets because he was sitting next to her.

"Silly dog." Xia Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes at him, then gently wiped his face clean with her sleeve.

Xu Qingfan seemed to be frozen in place, his body stiffening for a moment. Only after Xia Xiaoxiao withdrew her hand did he regain his ability to move.

Xia Xiaoxiao also lit a red spider by rubbing it, but she threw it far away, and the splashing water didn't land on them.

"That's fine, we can't just disown them," Xia Xiaoxiao said.

She would never admit that it was because they egged her on to make Xu Qingfan her son-in-law that she was happy.

Xu Qingfan turned his head and glanced at the children who had followed him. The place was beautiful with clear water and lush greenery, but unfortunately there was a row of electric light bulbs.

"I thought you were happy because they were making a fuss," Xu Qingfan said with a smile.

"Just like you, you're really shameless." Xia Xiaoxiao looked at her nails casually.

The conversation ended there. Xu Qingfan got up and filled the firecrackers he had bought into a solid heart shape. Xia Xiaoxiao watched him quietly. When the firecrackers were almost all arranged, she also got up from the stone.

"Wow, it's bound to be explosive!" "Explode it! Explode it!"

"It's going to go to heaven!"

The kids immediately gathered around when they saw it, urging Xu Qingfan to light it quickly.

"Record it, please." Xu Qingfan carefully touched the red phosphorus with the lighter, and after it lit, he immediately ran away.

Without his reminder, Xia Xiaoxiao had already started recording on her phone. The screen showed her covering her ears and running away in a panic, followed by a group of excited children. The light from the firecrackers took up half the screen.

"Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, another year has passed, and it's been another year since I met you," Xu Qingfan said as he returned to her side.

Xia Xiaoxiao paused for a moment, then responded with a poem: "Leaves follow the golden knife as it emerges, flowers bloom anew with the jade fingers. May you live ten thousand years, and may every year bring you spring."

The last two sentences are clearly the key: wishing you a long and healthy life, and that you may encounter spring every year.

Springtime, of course, can also refer to a specific person.

Xu Qingfan racked his brains and could only think of two words in the end. He gave a thumbs up and said, "Awesome."

Xia Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes and saved the video she had just recorded.

Actually, she preferred what Xu Qingfan had just said: "[Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, another year has passed; it's been another year since I met you.]"
It was past five o'clock in the evening, and it was already getting dark.

After dinner, Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao got into the car that was going to take them back.

The Volvo's trunk was already overflowing before the car finally managed to slowly drive away.

"Come back and visit often when you have time. Remember to come during the Chinese New Year, and I'll give you big red envelopes!"

"Okay, I'll definitely come during the Chinese New Year. Everyone, take care of yourselves, no need to see me off!"

Xu Qingfan waved goodbye to them from the car window, and only turned his head back after driving several dozen meters away.

"Let's go! Let's go back to Licheng to pick up people, and then go to the hot springs!" Xu Qingfan was already excited about the evening's activities.

Xia Xiaoxiao handed him her phone and said, "Xiaoyu and Auntie are riding in Yi Yi's mom's car. We can pick up Ruan Wen and the others and then head straight there."

Xu Qingfan glanced at his phone and exclaimed in surprise, "Auntie's going too? It's quite a group!"

Lin Qiaoshan had to stay at the factory to keep an eye on things, so this hot spring trip only included five mothers, five teenage girls, and Xu Qingfan, the only man.

[If that's the case, does that mean mixed-gender bathing is allowed?]
The thought had just crossed Xu Qingfan's mind when he was jolted by the speed bump, instantly bringing him back to his senses.

"Sorry, boss, we built five speed bumps in a row in this village." The driver said it was not a fault of the war.

"fine."

Xu Qingfan then turned his attention back to the hot springs that evening. There were two pools in total; it seemed that the mothers could use one, and he and the five girls could use the other.

Or perhaps he and the mothers share one, while the five girls share the other?
Xu Qingfan stopped smiling, turned to Xia Xiaoxiao and said, "You're lucky, I'll give you a massage tonight."

Xia Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes; she knew all about his little quirks.

"Then thank you."

"Heh~ It's just a small thing!"

(End of this chapter)