NOVPUB"Xiao Fan, is it a right turn up ahead?"
"Yes."
After skipping the topic of Yao Jianjun, the few girls in the car continued to chat in fits and starts.
"Right, have you guys decided where you want to go for middle school? I’m definitely not going to make it into the top ten in our district, so I’ll probably just go to the nearby Licheng Middle School," Xiao Ruawen suddenly mentioned.
"Brother Qing Fan, wherever you’re going for middle school, Yiyi and I are going too!" Lin Wanning had never really thought about it because she and Xu Qingfan had been in the same school from kindergarten, and naturally, they should be together in middle school as well.
No one spoke, waiting for Xu Qingfan’s response.
"The middle school section of Experimental Primary School is in Hong Kong. It’s a bit too far for me and I don’t want to go. I guess I’ll probably go to Licheng Middle School too; it’s just a few steps away from home, so I can commute," Xu Qingfan said uncertainly after thinking it over.
"Licheng’s middle school isn’t that great though, Xiao Fan. Don’t you want to study in Hong Kong?" Zhang Chunxue asked while driving.
"Auntie, please, I don’t want to have night classes and only come home once a week. The food is terrible, there’s no cold water in summer and no hot water in winter. Ten people cramming in together, prison isn’t even that bad!" Xu Qingfan recalled his painful middle school dormitory experience from a previous life.
"Hehehe~ you talk like you’ve been to middle school before," Zhang Chunxue couldn’t help but laugh at what Xu Qingfan said.
"Anyway, middle schools in China are all like this; I’m dead set against boarding!"
"Eh~ then I won’t board either!" Lin Wanning said, revealing a look of disgust.
Xia Xiaoxiao looked at Xu Qingfan, [Sticking together for middle school like before sounds pretty good too.]
On the other hand, Wu Lingyu wore a hesitant look; if they were still going to commute for middle school, then she would have to stay at Xia Xiaoxiao’s house again. Although everyone wouldn’t say anything, staying for such a long time would still be somewhat embarrassing for a young girl.
"Licheng Middle School is still okay. Xiao Fan, if you want to go there, auntie can arrange for Yiyi to go too, and even let you be her group leader!" Zhang Chunxue said cheerfully.
"Auntie, me too, me too, I also want to go, and I want to be in Brother Qing Fan’s group!" Lin Wanning hastily replied.
"Okay~ Auntie will arrange for you all to go to Licheng Middle School and you can continue to be classmates in middle school," she said, as arranging a few middle school placements was merely a matter of mentioning it for her.
"Yay!!!"
"Ah!" Lin Wanning excitedly raised both her hands, but carelessly hit her head on the roof of the car, "Oww~ it hurts!"
"Hahaha~"
Zhang Yiyi pulled Lin Wanning back into her seat, comforting her by rubbing her head while everyone burst into laughter.
...
It wasn’t long before the car drove into Chuxi Village. The once uneven and bumpy dirt road at the village entrance had now been completely renovated, now so wide that two dump trucks could pass side by side without seeming crowded.
There were remnants of firecrackers all along the road; it seemed they were late, and the convoy had already picked up the bride.
"The tallest building up ahead is it," Xu Qingfan pointed to a newly built large villa and told Zhang Chunxue.
"Should I park the car near the basketball court?"
"Yeah!"
After parking the car, they eagerly got out and skipped ahead to lead the way.
"Why are you just getting here now? Everyone’s been waiting for you!" As soon as they entered the courtyard, a bunch of relatives immediately took Xu Qingfan into the house without a second word.
"Eh~ what’s going on, let’s talk this through!"
Xu Qingfan struggled briefly only to hear someone say, "Everyone’s waiting for you to roll on the bed, hurry up, don’t miss the auspicious time."
Rolling on the bed at weddings is a local custom here. The couple hides red envelopes, peanuts, and dates in the wedding bed, and children roll on the bed while searching for the items hidden inside.
"Uncle, auntie, I’m here!" Xu Qingfan was brought to the already decorated bridal chamber by a boisterous crowd, with the newlyweds standing inside.
"Haha~ go on, roll on the bed, and roll up a lot of red envelopes!" The adults joked.
Once let go, Xu Qingfan turned back and saw that the five girls were already eagerly peering in from the doorway.
He cleared his throat: "Ahem~ here I go!"
Xu Qingfan’s face brightened with a smile as he walked towards the wedding bed and chanted: "Happy times~ I’m here to roll the bed for my uncle," and as soon as he finished speaking, he dove onto the wedding bed, "Rolling, rolling, keep rolling on the bed, from now on the Yao family will prosper and grow!" 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
"This bed’s purchase was wise, it’ll bring everlasting love for the couple. This bed’s broad size, may it be piled with mountains of gold and silver; this bed’s length, may it bear a top scholar in the coming year!"
"Hahaha~" The people around were amused to laughter, clapping and praising, "You’ve got to have at least a decade of experience, right?"
"I’m not done yet, don’t rush me!" Xu Qingfan stood up again, picked up a pillow from the bed, and continued, "Let me fluff this pillow, may it bring wealth and honors of all sorts; let me fold this quilt, may your days ever be more prosperous!"
"Good!" As Xu Qingfan rose from the bed, everyone there clapped and cheered.
"Uncle and auntie, may you have a harmonious marriage for a hundred years, happy wedding!" Xu Qingfan bowed in congratulations, casting a smug little expression at the girls standing by the door.
"Come here, Uncle’s going to give you a red envelope!" Yao Jianjun pull aside his red jacket, took a big stack of red envelopes from his trouser pocket, and handed them to Xu Qingfan.
"Thanks, big uncle!"
Xu Qingfan, grinning, came out of the bridal chamber, sharing the red envelopes he had just collected with the others, "Here, those present get a share!"
"Hehe~ thank you, Brother Qing Fan!"
"Thanks, Brother Fan!"
"Hah~ Auntie gets one too?" Zhang Chunxue, seeing Xu Qingfan also handing one to her, cheerfully accepted the red envelope.
