Damn it, I'm surrounded by childhood sweethearts

Sunday.

Xu Qingfan and Xia Xiaoxiao were shoulder to shoulder on the couch watching a movie when a familiar voice caught their attention.

"Brother Qing Fan!"

The two turned their heads towards the door, and there was Lin Wanning!

"Sister, hello! Come in and have a seat." Wen Wanqing was standing at the door holding Wanning's hand, while Xu Qingfan quickly got up to greet them.

Seeing Lin Wanning, Xia Xiaoxiao's previously cheerful mood turned sour in an instant, but she couldn't show it because the adults were present.

"Hello, auntie." Xia Xiaoxiao nodded from the couch and then fell silent.

"Wanning came to play with you, and I won't come in, as sister still has work to do." Wen Wanqing opened her arms and pinched Xu Qingfan's face playfully, all smiles.

"Sister, go ahead with your work, I'll take good care of Wanning." His voice sounded strange as his mouth was stretched.

"What a good boy our Xiao Fan is! Where are your parents?" Wen Wanqing released her playful hold and looked around the room curiously.

"They went to work and haven't come back yet."

"Ah, have you guys eaten? Sister can take you to KFC."

"We've eaten, but if it's KFC, we can eat another meal!" Xu Qingfan said with a smile.

Hearing about KFC, Xia Xiaoxiao also turned her gaze over.

"It's not even teatime yet, what if you get too full!" Wen Wanqing chided as she poked Xu Qingfan's forehead with her finger, "Alright then, Mommy has to go. Wanning, you be good and listen to your Brother Fan, okay?"

"Okay! Bye, Mom!" Lin Wanning held Xu Qingfan's hand tightly, nodding vigorously.

After sending Wen Wanqing off, Lin Wanning excitedly looked around the room, "Hello, classmate Xiao Xiao!"

[Not good at all!] Xia Xiaoxiao crossed her arms and pouted angrily.

Xu Qingfan found a paper cup and poured some juice for Lin Wanning, as the three kids huddled together on the couch.

The movie playing was The Shawshank Redemption, possibly an overseas version, and at that moment, it just happened to reach the scene where Andy was threatened by three muscular men in the shower.

Xu Qingfan, quick on his feet, immediately grabbed the remote and turned off the TV.

Many childhood psychological traumas are caused by TV, like the domestic abuser in the show "Don't Talk to Strangers", which Xu Qingfan remembered had given him nightmares for a long time after he watched it as a child.

"What are you doing?" Xia Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled, as she looked at Xu Qingfan.

"Brother Fan, were they about to fight just now?"

Xu Qingfan finished his drink in one gulp and shifted the focus, "Let's go out and play!"

"Yeah, yeah, let's go!" Lin Wanning responded immediately.

"I'm not going!" Seeing Lin Wanning's enthusiasm, Xia Xiaoxiao firmly objected.

"Then you can stay home and take a nap, I'll take Wanning out to play." Xu Qingfan pinched Xia Xiaoxiao's cheek and said with a smile.

"Xu Qingfan!!!" Xia Xiaoxiao glared at him fiercely.

"Let's go together; let's see if the Dragon Cat from last time is still there, I'll win one for you." The afternoon was hot, and Xia Xiaoxiao's forehead was sweaty, sticking her hair to her skin; Xu Qingfan cared enough to tuck her hair behind her ear.

"Humph!"

Xia Xiaoxiao didn't say anything, but she honestly stood up.

Just as they were about to leave, Xu Qingfan thought of a very serious problem.

"Do you guys have money?"

Last time, the money had almost run out after buying CDs, and the little that was left, he had spent on popsicles this week.

Moreover, ever since his mom switched from retail to wholesale, she only handled big bills in bundles of a thousand, and Xu Qingfan wouldn't dare to touch it even if he had the guts!

"Here!" Lin Wanning handed a small wallet to Xu Qingfan, featuring a pink Pudgy pattern.

"I still have eight yuan." Xia Xiaoxiao also handed her purse to Xu Qingfan.

Originally, classmate Xiaoxiao had twenty yuan in huge amounts, but these past few days under Xu Qingfan's persuasions, she had bought lots of snacks, so only eight yuan was left.

"Hmm, good, I'll keep it safe for you so it doesn't get lost." Xu Qingfan nodded satisfactorily and put both of their wallets into his pocket.

After putting on shoes and closing the door, the three of them held hands and dashed towards Gualv Square.

As they entered the mall, the strong air conditioning quickly evaporated the sweat on their bodies.

[I must buy an air conditioner this summer!] Thinking of the small fan he used at noon, Xu Qingfan silently swore.

Lin Wanning had obviously been here several times. Recalling the familiar scene on the first floor, she remarked, "I've been here, there's a cinema on the sixth floor, last time Wanning and Mom and Dad watched a movie there!"

With Lin Wanning around, Xia Xiaoxiao usually didn't talk much. Xu Qingfan, holding both of their hands, headed towards the elevator. The elevator, which was originally only big enough for two adults, fit the three children just right.

The trio first strolled around the second floor and walked into a toy store together almost simultaneously when they passed by it.

Dozens of counters were filled with crystal balls, little figurines, and other trinkets. Both of them looked around excitedly, yet worried about damaging the items, they dared not touch them.

"Ah, this one, this one!" Lin Wanning picked up a figurine, thrilled.

It was more than twenty centimeters long, a pink wand with a pair of white wings on top.

Xu Qingfan had some impression, it seemed like the transformation wand from "Cardcaptor Sakura."

Xia Xiaoxiao also looked over but her face showed a puzzled expression, clearly not understanding why Lin Wanning was excited about an old stick.

"Let me see." Xu Qingfan took it and weighed it in his hand; it was quite heavy, probably made of solid wood.

He felt it would cost no less than twenty yuan. Xu Qingfan sneakily pulled out Lin Wanning's wallet and opened it.

"Holy crap!"

A lot of cash. There were two red notes and one green, along with a bunch of coins!

"What's wrong?" The two girls looked confusedly at Xu Qingfan, who was hiding in the corner.

The lady at the cash desk had also stood up and walked over.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I just saw a cockroach, bigger than my thumb!" Xu Qingfan casually put the wallet back into his pocket.

Blimey! [RichMadamHungryHungry.Jpg]

Hearing it was a cockroach, the two little girls automatically distanced themselves from the spot where Xu Qingfan was standing.

With enough money on hand, Xu Qingfan no longer worried about buying ability and boldly asked, "Boss, how much for this?"

The boss looked at the wand Lin Wanning was holding and replied, "Fifty."

"Vietnamese dong?" Xu Qingfan blurted out.

"What did you say?" The store owner didn't catch it.

"Sister, can ten yuan do? I only have ten yuan. It's my sister's birthday today, and I've spent a long time collecting bottles to save up exactly ten yuan," Xu Qingfan said pitifully as he pulled out a mix of coins and one yuan notes from Lin Wanning's wallet.

"No way, no way, the wholesale price is fifteen. If you're not buying, put it back!" Perhaps because he was dealing with children, the boss slipped and directly revealed the wholesale price.

"Then fifteen! I originally wanted to save five yuan to buy my sister a cake, but it's all yours!" Xu Qingfan again put on a sad face and pulled out a five yuan note from the wallet.

"Forget it, forget it, consider it a grand opening deal, take it for fifteen." The boss lady was softened by Xu Qingfan's pitiful little eyes and waved her hand in agreement.

"Thank you, sister!" Xu Qingfan handed over a pile of small change to the boss lady and after much cajoling, convinced her to fetch a new piece from the storage.

After everything was settled, he left the toy store, smiling broadly and leading the two little ones.

"Making a ten yuan profit isn't bad," the boss lady casually put the money into the drawer and turned to the next page of the magazine she was reading.