NOVPUBFriday was still the day to sleep until naturally waking up.
Around noon, as the irritable barking of a dog downstairs sounded, six people stirred from their beds one after another.
The game of Truth or Dare continued until after 2 AM, and in the end, Lin Wanning, who was drowsy, was carried to the second floor on Xu Qingfan’s back before she fell asleep immediately.
The living room was littered with empty snack bags from last night’s feast, crushed drink cans, and bowls and chopsticks that hadn’t been cleaned up after their late night snack.
Xu Qingfan put a hand on his waist and began to urinate, "It’s a bit yellow; looks like staying up late has led to some ’internal heat.’
"Xu Qingfan, are you done yet? I’m really in a hurry!" While he was still in the midst of a blissful release, Xia Xiaoxiao’s voice suddenly came from the other side, knocking on the bathroom door.
He shivered with fright, finished his intermittent flow, and said grumpily, "Isn’t there another bathroom upstairs? Wait a second!"
After shaking off the last droplet and flushing the toilet, Xu Qingfan washed his hands and opened the door.
Xia Xiaoxiao truly wasn’t lying; when he came out, the girl was already squatting on the ground in urgency, darting into the bathroom and locking the door as soon as Xu Qingfan made way.
Immediately, the sound of a ’full torrent breaking free’ came from the bathroom; Xu Qingfan covered his mouth and snickered, "Even when using the toilet, you don’t lock the door properly. Have some shame!"
"Xu Qingfan you pervert!" The torrential noise stopped abruptly, replaced by Xia Xiaoxiao’s sharp roar.
The girl thought Xu Qingfan had left, so she relieved herself unrestrainedly, only to discover he was actually eavesdropping behind the door!
"Haha~ I’m leaving, keep going!" Xu Qingfan laughed heartily and walked away, whistling.
"Stinky pervert!" Xia Xiaoxiao muttered under her breath, her face flushed with anger.
In the living room, Wu Lingyu had come downstairs at some point and was tidying up. Seeing Xu Qingfan, she gave him a sweet smile, "Brother Fan, good...afternoon..."
She then remembered it was nearing one o’clock and the second part of her greeting got stuck in her throat.
"Hungry? We’re not cooking at home for lunch." Xu Qingfan had just come out of the bathroom still wearing a smile; upon seeing Wu Lingyu’s embarrassed expression, his smile grew wider.
"Not hungry yet." Wu Lingyu stuck out her tongue.
"Even if you’re not hungry, you need to eat. I’ll go buy us some McDonald’s," said Xu Qingfan, making the decision himself before grabbing some cash from the drawer in the living room and heading out.
"Brother Qing Fan, let me treat you to strawberry jam!" Lin Wanning, holding her toothbrush smeared with strawberry-flavored toothpaste, said to Xu Qingfan.
"Brother, good morning!"
In the courtyard, Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi were sitting in a row on the brick steps brushing their teeth, presumably because the bathroom on the second floor had been occupied by Xiao Ruawen, leaving them no choice but to use the courtyard’s sink.
Xu Qingfan came forward, wiped off the toothpaste from the corner of Lin Wanning’s mouth with his index finger, and then transferred some to the girl’s nose, asking, "I’m getting McDonald’s; do you want a Spicy McChicken Sandwich or a McChicken Burger?"
"Brother Qing Fan, I’ll go with you. I want a strawberry sundae!" Lin Wanning’s eyes lit up the moment she heard about McDonald’s; she hurriedly brushed her teeth and mumbled indistinctly.
"Strawberry sundae, got it. Finish brushing your teeth properly, and I’ll get it for you," Xu Qingfan patted Lin Wanning’s head and said.
"Strawberry flavor, okay!"
"Got it, got it." He ignored Little White’s pleading eyes, waved his hand, and headed straight out.
The original McDonald’s cones had mocha, strawberry, green apple, and grape flavors that were evenly spread on the ridges of the ice cream as it rotated, costing two yuan more than the regular versions. By this time in 2008, a single cone already cost five yuan.
But compared to the cones, Xu Qingfan still preferred McDonald’s McFlurry, whether strawberry or the original flavor; he could eat them endlessly. Unfortunately, they seemed to be available only when he was in junior high or high school.
A thought suddenly flashed through Xu Qingfan’s mind, "Could the new milk tea shop recreate this hit product?"
He kept the idea in mind, "I’ll have to talk to Aunt Zhang about it during the holidays."
McDonald’s was just across the street from the neighborhood where they lived; Xu Qingfan was inside within minutes.
As it was not a holiday, there weren’t many people in McDonald’s around midday, so he ordered his meal without having to wait in line.
How to prove one’s wealth and power? It’s by buying ala carte at McDonald’s!
After painfully paying two hundred yuan, Xu Qingfan found himself missing the days of using coupons on Taobao to enjoy burgers and fries.
Sometimes during big sales, a small fries, a small Coke, and a McSpicy Chicken Burger would only cost eleven yuan and fifty cents.
Arms full of disposable bags, he returned home to find the five girls cleaning up the living room. They stopped their chores as soon as they saw Xu Qingfan come in.
"Ice cream!" Upon seeing the sundae about to melt down Xu Qingfan’s fingers, Lin Wanning hurried over and licked the melting parts clean with her tongue.
"Ouch! Why are you licking my hand?" Xu Qingfan gave her a reproachful look and, after setting down the McDonald’s, announced to everyone, "Let’s eat lunch first, then continue with the chores."
"Here we go!"
Xia Xiaoxiao was clearly still holding a grudge against Xu Qingfan for eavesdropping on her in the toilet earlier; she sat down and surreptitiously jabbed him with her elbow.
"This is too awesome, such days at school!" Xiao Ruawen took a big bite of her McSpicy Chicken Burger, contentedly proclaiming.
"We have the holiday tomorrow, Brother Fan, are we going back to school this afternoon?" asked Wu Lingyu, who felt a bit guilty after skipping classes for two days; she put down her taro pie and looked at Xu Qingfan.
