※※※
Under the barrage of Lin Fan’s candy, the two little ones went from initially anxious to later smiling and calling him "Uncle-in-law" incessantly.
“Here, take these milk candies...”
Seeing how well-behaved the two little ones were, Lin Fan didn't hesitate. He grabbed a handful of milk candies for each child and stuffed them into their hands.
“Son-in-law, come, drink some water...”
As Lin Fan returned to the courtyard, he saw his soon-to-be father-in-law immediately pouring him a glass of water from a porcelain jar.
Lin Fan politely accepted the glass and said a few words, then, without further ado, sat down beside Zhang Yan.
Watching the father and daughter chat about the past two years, their expressions shifting between joy and sadness, Lin Fan felt a little uncomfortable.
After staying for a while, Lin Fan stood up and said: “Yan Jie, Father-in-law, you two should chat more. I'll go see my friends...”
Thanks to Zhang Yan's explanation, his father-in-law now knew Lin Fan's identity.
An educated youth who had voluntarily applied to go to the countryside from the Capital!
He had come to Ganggangyingzi with Zhang Yan, partly to accompany her back and partly to get together with his friends.
“Should we let Yan’er accompany the son-in-law...”
“No need, no need. Yan’er, you stay and chat with your father. Don’t worry about me...”
Seeing his soon-to-be father-in-law standing up, Lin Fan quickly stopped him.
Before leaving, he also made sure to tell Zhang Yan to stay and keep his father-in-law company.
As for Hu Ba Yi and Wang Kai Xuan, Lin Fan already knew from Wang Kai Xuan's letter that they weren't staying at the educated youth center.
They were living with a hunter's family in Ganggangyingzi!
All Lin Fan had to do was ask around the village, and he'd easily find Hu Ba Yi and the others.
After watching Lin Fan leave, he went into the village and, after asking around, quickly found out where they were.
Following the villagers' directions, it didn't take long for Lin Fan to find the hunter's home.
Before Lin Fan could knock on the door, he heard Wang Kai Xuan's voice talking in the courtyard.
He looked over, and besides his familiar friend Hu Ba Yi, there was also a girl about their age.
As Lin Fan was taking in the three people in the courtyard, Wang Kai Xuan, who was in the middle of a boastful story, suddenly looked up and saw Lin Fan.
“Lao Lin...”
With a shout, the remaining two, Hu Ba Yi and the girl, turned to look at him.
“Lao Lin, when did you get here...”
“Come in, come in, quick...”
Without waiting for Lin Fan to speak, Wang Kai Xuan got up and rushed towards him, pulling him straight into the courtyard.
“Lao Wang, Lao Hu... this lady is...”
As he sat down in the courtyard, Lin Fan greeted them one by one. He casually placed the things he was carrying on the ground, then his eyes fell on the girl.
“This is Yan Zi, we're staying at her place...”
“Yan Zi, this is Lin Fan, a friend we met on the train when we were coming to the countryside...”
Lin Fan's words had barely left his lips when Wang Kai Xuan immediately stepped in to introduce them.
Lin Fan smiled and nodded slightly to Yan Zi: “Yan Zi, nice to meet you. I'm Lin Fan...”
“I came in a hurry this time, and I didn't have time to prepare anything. Don't mind if these Big White Rabbit milk candies are a bit plain...”
Lin Fan pretended to reach into his pocket and pulled out a handful of Big White Rabbit milk candies.
While these candies were nothing special to him, he rarely ate them, maybe once every ten days or half a month. But for others, especially in the mountain villages of Kaoshancun and Ganggangyingzi, their appeal was undeniable.
Just as Lin Fan had thought, Yan Zi’s eyes widened as she stared at the Big White Rabbit candies.
Even Wang Kai Xuan and Hu Ba Yi couldn’t help but lick their lips, unable to resist the allure of the candies.
Then they saw the other things Lin Fan had brought—two bottles of Erguotou and a roast duck.
Wang Kai Xuan swallowed hard and said: “Tsk, tsk, tsk... Lao Lin, your generosity is something we haven’t enjoyed for a while, Lao Hu and I...”
“Then let's have a good drink today, and satisfy our cravings...”
Others might not know much about these two, but Lin Fan was well aware of their true nature.
Both Hu Ba Yi and the seemingly unreliable Wang Kai Xuan were no ordinary people.
They were both authentic children of large families, their fathers' positions, if not top-tier, were definitely pillars of the party, holding positions at the division and regiment level.
Otherwise, Hu Ba Yi wouldn’t have been able to enter the military so soon after arriving in the countryside.
“You guys know my situation. I practically brought all the family assets my parents left me when I came to the countryside...”
“Not to mention, these assets are enough for me to eat and drink well here for a while...”
At this point, Lin Fan paused slightly before continuing:
“Perhaps you guys don't know this, but I’m practically considered a member of Kaoshancun now...”
Hearing Lin Fan's words, Hu Ba Yi and Wang Kai Xuan seemed to understand something.
Their eyes widened in disbelief as they looked at Lin Fan.
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