Night gradually fell.
The swarms of mosquitoes surrounding Xu Qingfan's head dispersed as if they were never there after being swatted away.
After extinguishing the red-hot kiln with water and cleaning up the trash, he leisurely drove the five people back home.
As night arrived, more villagers came out for a stroll to aid digestion, and the young people who weren't seen at noon started to appear.
Actually, many people knew Xu Qingfan, and he also had some impression of them, but since neither side had interacted for almost ten years, they had become strangers to each other.
Turning around, Xu Qingfan gave Wu Lingyu a serious look and thought to himself, If he hadn't been able to keep Yu from transferring schools back then, would their reunion have become as unfamiliar as with these people?
"What's the matter, Brother Qingfan?" Lin Wanning asked curiously upon seeing Xu Qingfan suddenly turn around.
With a smile to Lin Wanning and another look at Yu, Xu Qingfan said, "I was just thinking about the time when Yu was going to transfer schools in elementary. Do you all still remember that?"
"I remember, I remember! It was when we were climbing the mountain. Yu was hugging Brother Fan at the top of the mountain, crying, and saying she didn't want to transfer anymore!" Xiao Ruawen chimed in excitedly.
Wu Lingyu felt embarrassed; she remembered it crystal clear. She did hug Brother Fan and cried, but it wasn't at the top of the mountain, but rather at the foot of it on the way back.
"After that, we asked Aunt Lin to step in, and she easily took care of it, no problem!"
"It was Brother Fan who said to ask Aunt Lin for help!"
"The reason given was that transferring schools would affect academic performance."
The four of them added to the conversation, quickly filling in the details of what happened back then.
"Let me correct you there," Xu Qingfan suddenly interjected.
The five girls voiced their confusion, then saw Xu Qingfan continue, "Yu said she wanted to transfer when we were at the top of the mountain, and you all were hugging and crying terribly."
"Did that happen, I don't remember that?"
"Why don't I remember that happening?"
It happened when they were in the second grade, and it was quite normal for the brain's defence mechanisms to automatically forget some unhappy events, so it wasn't strange that none of them remembered.
"I even recorded a video of you guys. It's saved on the computer at home. I'll show it when you guys turn eighteen... on your 18th birthdays, hahaha!"
"You were in the mood to record a video while we were all crying?" Xia Xiaoxiao was the first to spot the flaw.
"Right, Brother Fan, why are you so mean!"
"We were crying, and Brother Qingfan was watching the drama!"
The five of them ganged up and proceeded to give Xu Qingfan a well-deserved lesson in love.
Since they had agreed not to return for dinner, only their grandfather, who was having tea and watching TV, was left in the living room when they got home.
"You're back, there's still some food in the kitchen," Yao Shulun said, setting down the teapot with a smile and a nod.
"Thanks, Grandpa, no need, hee hee, we're so full."
The five of them greeted their grandfather with laughter and then hurried upstairs, feeling the psychological pressure of being with elders they were not familiar with.
Xu Qingfan placed the leftover sweet potatoes and corn from the field cooking on the kitchen stove and then went up to the third floor.
The five girls gathered in his room, completely occupying the small wooden bed.
"Brother Qingfan, what should we play now?" Seeing Xu Qingfan come in, Lin Wanning shifted to make room for him to sit.
"How about we continue playing the King game?" Xiao Ruawen suggested.
At the mention of this, Xu Qingfan instantly recalled the scene when they played the King game at Yu's house, with him doing push-ups on top of the aunt.
"Cough cough... always playing the King game is so boring, how about playing hide and seek instead, just within the house?" Xu Qingfan tactically coughed before suggesting.
"Yay, great!" Lin Wanning pumped her little pink fists in excitement.
"Hide and seek? That's fine too," Xiao Ruawen pouted her lips.
After Wu Lingyu finally nodded in agreement, the hide and seek plan was unanimously approved.
Xu Qingfan was about to suggest they draw straws when Xiao Ruawen spoke up first: "Brother Fan has a home-field advantage, so he should be 'it' first!"
"Brother Qingfan's 'it'!"
Xiao Ruawen's suggestion was also unanimously approved, and Xu Qingfan could only shake his head helplessly before turning to face the wall, "I'll count down for one minute, no hiding on the second floor, and you can't go beyond the yard, hide and seek countdown begins!"
The five girls quickly put on their shoes and scrambled to run off, leaving the room with just him in no time.
Xu Qingfan closed his eyes, taking in the sounds of footsteps both ascending and descending.
The corners of his mouth curled slightly, [If I stumble upon a lone little lamb, should I eat it, eat it, or eat it?]
Soon, as the countdown ended, Xu Qingfan left the room to start searching the whole house.
Although he felt they probably wouldn't hide in plain sight, he still made a point of peeking under the bed before leaving his room; no one was there.
The villa owned by his grandfather covered almost five acres. Even though the house itself took up just a bit over an acre, the six-story building still had plenty of places to hide.
He first thoroughly searched the third floor, looking behind curtains, inside wardrobes, under beds, and behind doors, which were the usual places one might hide.
After a careful search yielded no one, Xu Qingfan continued upwards to the fourth floor.
It didn't take long before he found the first one who slipped through the net.
When he opened a wardrobe on the fourth floor, Lin Wanning was inside, smiling and waving at him, "Hee hee~ Brother Qingfan."
She reached out for Xu Qingfan to help her, and once he extended his hand, Lin Wanning used it to climb out of the wardrobe and then opened her arms to embrace him.