My childhood sweetheart, who was reborn with me, ended up as a loser.

Chapter 24 Key Memories

The little penguin's tail also has four small embroidered characters that read "Wanning No. 1".

Xu Qingfan chuckled, eager to open his arms and test the feel of his hands.

However, he was covered in sweat and didn't want to get such a delicate doll dirty.

Xu Qingfan put "Wanning No. 1" back into the box, just as Xia Xiaoxiao and Xiao Ruanwen came out of the bathroom after taking a shower.

"Xiao Fan, you're unwrapping your gift! How is it? Are you surprised? Do you like the gift I gave you?" Xiao Ruanwen ran over and patted his face with her wet little hands.

"Wow! Why does this doll look so much like Wan Ning?"

After hearing this, Xia Xiaoxiao came over to check. When she saw that it was the little penguin that was making a quacking sound, she glanced at Xu Qingfan and realized that he had actually changed the penguin into the shape of Lin Wanning!

Xu Qingfan seemed to sense her thoughts and glared back without backing down, his eyes saying, "Isn't this cuter than the original?"

She is indeed cuter than before, a fact that Xia Xiaoxiao must admit.

"It really looks so similar, Xiaoxiao, don't you think?"

"Yes, it does look very similar."

Xiao Ruanwen looked at Xu Qingfan, wanting to take out "Wanning No. 1" and ask for his permission.

"You can take it, but you can't hug it, okay? I haven't hugged it yet," Xu Qingfan said.

"Okay!"

Xiao Ruanwen couldn't wait to remove the box covering it and, together with Xia Xiaoxiao, got closer to examine the figurine.

"You guys stay here and watch, I'm going to take a shower."

Xu Qingfan picked up a change of clothes and tapped Ruan Wen on the back of the head to get revenge for being frightened earlier.

"Xiao Fan, why did you hit me?"

"You had a bug on your head, I brushed it off for you."

"Oh...it really looks like it, Xiao Xiao, don't you think?" Xiao Ruanwen didn't take it seriously and continued to watch the little penguin with Xia Xiaoxiao.

"Huh? There are words here: Wanning No. 1, goose goose goose~ Little one, this is Wanning No. 1!"

...

When Xu Qingfan came out after taking a shower, Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi had already come over from the next room, and the four of them were sitting on the floor playing Ludo.

"Brother Qingfan, come quick! Come quick!" Lin Wanning saw him come out, holding dice in his hand, waving and beckoning.

Xu Qingfan took the dice and held them in his hand as if praying to Buddha. The dice bounced a few times on the ground before finally settling on a red dot.

"Pfft... Hahaha!" Xiao Ruanwen pointed at him and laughed at his face.

The next second, Lin Wanning picked up one of his pieces that had already been moved out of the game, stepped on Ruan Wen's piece, and captured it!

"Ah! Wan Ning, what's wrong with you...?"

"Hahahaha!" The smile didn't disappear; this time, it was Xu Qingfan's turn to point at her face and laugh.

"Yay!" Lin Wanning didn't offer any explanation, but grinned and high-fived Xu Qingfan in celebration.

"Hmph, I'm so angry! Wan Ning, I'm going to get my revenge on you!" Xiao Ruanwen picked up the dice and started shaking them, and as before, she rolled a "1", which once again drew laughter from everyone.

Xiao Ruanwen's expression changed from anger to amusement; she's quite the old joker.

"Xiao Fan, whose gift do you like the most?"

Okay, okay, since we can't get revenge on the chessboard, let's switch to outside the chessboard.

"What do you think? I love the big beetle you gave me the most. If it gets buried in the ground in an earthquake, I can use it as emergency food. It has three times the protein of beef!"

"Goose, goose, goose!"

Xu Qingfan regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. What did he mean by being buried in the ground? Wasn't this just rubbing salt into Yi Yi's wounds?

Fortunately, everyone was laughing, even Yi Yi was smiling slightly, which made Xu Qingfan secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Come to think of it, so much time has passed, Yi-Yi should have moved on by now, otherwise she probably wouldn't even dare to ride in a car.

"This big beetle is very rare. My grandfather caught it for me. I originally wanted to raise it myself, but then I remembered that your birthday is coming up soon, so I gave it to you."

"I'm fine!"

Xiao Ruanwen didn't say the last part, but her proud and upright posture conveyed the same meaning.

"Okay, thank you Ruan Wen. I really like the big bug you gave me. I'll definitely take good care of it." Xu Qingfan said, both amused and exasperated.

"So, of all these gifts, Xiao Fan, your favorite is the big bug... oops, I mean, the camel-horned beetle?"

Xu Qingfan remained silent, just staring at her with the expression everyone imagined.

Xiao Ruanwen quickly gave in, and after laughing for a while, she pressed on, "So, putting aside the gift I gave you—I think mine was the best anyway—Xiao Fan, whose birthday gift did you like the most?"

"Wanning." Xu Qingfan didn't keep them in suspense and gave the answer decisively.

"Hehe!" Lin Wanning's ahoge (cowlick) stood up, and his eyes lit up instantly. He was happy!

"It's not because Wan Ning's gift was expensive. My criteria have nothing to do with money. It's because Wan Ning's birthday gift was the most thoughtful. It must have been prepared for a very long time in places we couldn't see."

Who knows, maybe they even stay up all night, hiding under the covers to draw on their toys? Am I right?

It's not just accurate, it's completely accurate!

Lin Wanning's eyes suddenly welled up with tears. Qingfan knew all about her sacrifices, but for some reason, her eyes felt like she needed to pee...

"Waaah... Brother Qingfan~"

"So I like Wan Ning's birthday present the most, I like Wan Ning the most!" Xu Qingfan hugged Lin Wan Ning, ignoring Xia Xiaoxiao's disdainful look, and was about to get close to Wan Ning!

"Yes! I'm glad Brother Qingfan likes it. Everyone must have put a lot of thought into the gifts they gave him!" It has to be said that Lin Wanning has learned a lot about the art of speaking from him after spending so much time with him.

"Of course!" Xu Qingfan reached out and smacked Yi Yi's nose. "I really like the birthday present Yi Yi gave me, and I received her blessings. Thank you, Yi Yi!"

"Gurgle...cough..."

"Gurgle gurgle!"

Zhang Yiyi's response was vague, so Lin Wanning helped by giving a guga-like reply.

"What about mine?" Xia Xiaoxiao crossed her arms, her gaze unfriendly.

"Of course I like the gift Xiaoxiao gave me! From now on, I'll carry a pen in my pocket, and if anyone dares to play a prank on me, I'll splash ink on their face!"

"Xiao Fan, why are you looking at me like that? Do I look like someone who would play pranks?" Xiao Ruanwen said, feeling both angry and cold.

What do you think?

"Hahaha!"

Xiao Ruanwen was the one who played the most pranks on Xu Qingfan, so everyone laughed at her without any consideration for her feelings.

Of course, these were all very ordinary pranks, such as squeezing wasabi into Oreos or pouring Xu Qingfan particularly bitter herbal tea.

Moreover, he won't just suffer losses; Xiao Ruanwen will share the hardships with him in the end, eating Oreos with wasabi together and drinking particularly bitter herbal tea together.

The main focus is on companionship.

......

The five of them stayed at home until sunset, when it wasn't so hot outside, before they went out again.

Lin Wanning and Zhang Yiyi were visiting Xu Qingfan's house for the first time, so they kept observing him curiously as they went downstairs.

The wall is covered with GG marks: gas replacement, house unlocking, and solar panel repair, which was very popular in this era.

"Brother Qingfan, you can repair solar panels, but can you repair the moon too?" Lin Wanning asked, pointing to the GG logo on the wall.

Xu Qingfan found Wan Ning's peculiar thought process amusing and said with a smile, "The moon probably can't be repaired, but it can be replaced."

"Ningning knows! The moon changes when the sun sets!"

"This is a solar-powered water heater. It can be repaired, not the sun. It can be repaired. I use a solar water heater at home," Xiao Ruanwen said.

"So Ruan Wen, you can't be a poet. You have no imagination at all. What did Wan Ning say when he ate ice cream last time?"

"One ice cream, Ningning eats half, and the sun eats half!"

Xu Qingfan patted Wan Ning's head. "Look, it was clearly the sun that melted the ice cream, but Wan Ning thought about how the sun ate half of it."

Xiao Ruanwen wrinkled her nose at him, and said defiantly, "What's so difficult about that? I can do it too, listen carefully!"

Everyone waited for her to continue, but after a long wait, even after she had walked down to the first floor and stepped out from under the eaves, Xiao Ruanwen still hadn't managed to come up with a single word.

"Look, there's an airplane!" Xiao Ruanwen pointed to the sky and quickly pulled Xiao Xiao away.

As long as the laughter can't catch up with her, then she's not being laughed at!

"Ruan Wen, why are you arguing with him? Just beat him up! Otherwise, what's the point of practicing martial arts?" Xia Xiaoxiao said helplessly after they had run far away.

"No way, I won't bully people weaker than me!" Xiao Ruanwen shook her head firmly.

"Xiao Fan doesn't think he's weaker than you," Xia Xiaoxiao coaxed gently.

"I don't care what he thinks, I care what I think!"

Xia Xiaoxiao: ......

Why does Ruan Wen look so oily now?

...

When I arrived at the restaurant, dinner was almost ready.

Ruan Wen and Wan Ning's parents came over. After knowing each other for so long, this was the first time they had a meal together.

Even though it's an open-air food stall, Cantonese people are not particular about appearances. As long as the food tastes good, they'd be happy to eat it squatting on the ground.

My parents' cooking skills certainly didn't disappoint; one dish after another of the street food stall delicacies were served and then quickly emptied.

"That's enough food, Xiao Fan's dad, sit down and eat with us!"

"It's alright, it's alright, I'll go stir-fry some more vegetables, everyone take your time eating."

Xu Qingfan left some food in his parents' bowls, so everyone offered a word of advice and then stopped trying to persuade him.

This is actually quite normal in Guangdong. The host will prioritize entertaining the guests and will only start eating when the meal is halfway through.

"Xiao Fan, tell your uncle the truth, what kind of bewitching potion did you give our Wan Ning? Wan Ning calls your name in his dreams!" Lin Qiaoshan said, pretending to be angry.

Everyone burst into laughter, looking at Xu Qingfan, waiting for his answer.

Xu Qingfan, unfazed by the pressure, retorted, "Uncle, are you jealous?"

"Hahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter, some slapping the table, others slapping their thighs.

"I can testify, Wan Ning's father is just jealous, jealous of Xiao Fan!" Wen Wanqing directly betrayed her husband.

"Jealous? Jealous? You're kidding! Impossible!" Lin Qiaoshan hadn't been drinking, but he looked like he'd drunk five catties of alcohol.

"Dad, don't speak so loudly! What if you scare Qingfan?"

"Okay, okay, Daddy, please speak more quietly... What?"

"Hahaha!"

The father and daughter's antics brought the atmosphere at the dinner table to a climax.

After they finished laughing, Xu Aiguo and Yao Jinping also finished their work and sat down to eat together.

"Everyone, please eat and drink well. My husband and I work day and night, and we've been taking good care of Xiao Fan." Dad wasn't much of a talker, so Mom toasted everyone with tea instead of wine.

"It's hard to say who takes care of whom. The five of them usually spend more time alone together, and Xiao Fan is clearly the one who takes the best care of others," Xiao Jianbiao said with a smile.

"That's right, that's right!" everyone echoed.

Whether it was just polite talk or not, it's true that everyone had a very good impression of Xu Qingfan and was happy for their daughters to be friends with him.

It would be even better if you could learn from Xiao Fan and write a poem too.

"I was hoping Xiaofan would recognize me as her godmother, but Jingjing beat me to it," Zhang Chunxue said, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Oh, that's great! Xiao Fan, you and Wan Ning are the best of friends. Next time you want to find a godmother, remember to come to Auntie first!" Wen Wanqing said with a smile.

Zhang Chunxue: ? ? ?

Why did I contact you first? She was the one who spoke first. If you're going to contact someone, you should contact her first!

"Hehehe, then I'm fine with being ranked after Wan Ning's mom. Xiao Fan and our Ruan Wen have a very good relationship too!" Zhao Yuemin said in the same way.

Zhang Chunxue was too lazy to argue with the two of them. They didn't even have Xiao Fan's poem yet, so they were definitely ranked behind her!

"I still think that recognizing a godmother should be taken more seriously. Calling Aunt Wen godmother today and Aunt Zhao godmother tomorrow always feels like it's just to make people happy."

"I think we should take it seriously and be sincere, otherwise I'll feel that this title is worthless," Xu Qingfan explained.

"Xiao Fan is right!" Zhang Chunxue reached out and patted Xiao Fan's head, very satisfied with his answer.

That's what a godmother should be like. If you just call anyone "godmother," then she'd be as common as cabbage. Zhang Chunxue isn't someone anyone can just call godmother!

[Yes, but Xiao Fan can.]

Yao Jinping felt a little ashamed. Wen Wanqing and Zhang Chunxue looked like they came from a wealthy family. She had actually hoped that her son would take advantage of the situation and recognize this "godmother".

"Xiao Fan always has a lot of profound insights to share, and sometimes even we adults are surprised when we hear them," Lin Jing said with a smile.

"No wonder I can hardly answer any of Wan Ning's questions now!"

"Wan Ning asked me last time, if a ship replaces one plank every day, when all the planks have been replaced, is it still the same ship?"

Lin Wanning stuck out her tongue at Xu Qingfan. "Dad can't answer, so he's making things difficult for Brother Qingfan. How embarrassing!"

"How should Xiao Fan answer this?" Wen Wanqing asked, equally interested.

"This is what I actually think: people forget things every now and then, for example, I don't remember what I ate for breakfast last Wednesday."

"What if, ten or twenty years later, enough memories have changed, am I still myself?"

"Hiss!" The adults gasped. Is this the spiritual world of a child prodigy?

"But then I realized that there are some key memories that I can never forget, like everyone celebrating my birthday with me today. I will always remember this day and this moment."

"As long as these key memories remain, I will still be me."

"What I want to say is, thank you all for your company. I am very happy, honored, and delighted to have met, known, and accompanied you all. Thank you for being a part of my precious memories!"

"good!"

"Well said!"

Without a doubt, the crowd responded with the most enthusiastic applause for Xu Qingfan.

......

......