They said they would sleep right after dinner, but after eating, they all lay around the campfire outside the car, and none were in a hurry to return to the car to sleep.
It seed as if they knew that once they woke up, it would be ti to part. They cherished the monts of being together, idly passing ti.
"Big brother, sing a song."
Luo Ping suddenly said while lying down, "It’s been a long ti since I heard you sing; you sing so well, much better than those songs you gave on the computer."
"Hmm hmm hmm!"
Chai Xin nodded repeatedly.
Lu Xi’an smiled and said, "You’re just talking nonsense! Don’t I know my own singing level? Plus, those songs on the computer have accompanint and arrangent, maybe even pitch correction. How could I compare to that?"
"Hmm~ hmm~ hmm~"
The three "hmm" sounds from Chai Xin carried a twist, shaking his head while "hmm-ing" to indicate disagreent.
But how exactly it was different was left for Luo Ping to explain.
Luo Ping seed to speak on behalf of Chai Xin: "How could it be the sa? Their singing is fake, but yours is real!"
"What’s all this about fake or real!"
Lu Xi’an chuckled, feeling that Luo Ping, that rascal, truly lived up to his na with his flattering skills.
But since Luo Ping had already spoken, Chai Xin was so expectant, and upon glancing at Yao Wei, who was also looking at him with hopeful eyes, Lu Xi’an decided not to be bashful anymore. He sat up and said, "Alright, I’ll sing."
As soon as they heard Lu Xi’an say this, everyone imdiately sat up, eagerly watching him.
"What should I sing? Hmm..."
Lu Xi’an pondered for a mont, then clapped his hands and started singing, "How can I forget~ old friends, how can my heart not yearn, old friends~ how can we forget, friendship lasts forever..."
At this point in the song, he suddenly stopped.
Luo Ping asked with wide eyes, "Is that it?"
Lu Xi’an said, "Let think..."
This song from Scotland was one he seed to rember in its entirety, but the mory had long faded due to the passage of ti, leaving only the first verse clear in his mind.
He initially intended to just sing the first verse a few tis, but as he sang, the subsequent lyrics began slowly erging from deep within his mory.
He needed to think and carefully recall them.
So, everyone fell silent, quietly watching him.
The vast sky and earth, with a gentle breeze blowing, and the wild grass around them, having regrown after winter, swayed softly and rustled.
The wind stirred their hair as well, with only two vehicles, six people, a stretch of wilderness, and grass around. Lu Xi’an looked at the four who had traveled far from the 923 Base, gazing at this land, as mories gradually welled up in his heart.
He suddenly picked up the cooking pot beside him that had not yet been washed after the al and went back to the car to clean it. After wiping it dry, he brought it out, placed it upside down, held it on his cross-legged lap, and gently patted the bottom, continuing to sing:
"We used to roam all day on the green hills of our hotown, we also endured hardships, wandering around. Friendship forever, friends, friendship forever. Let us drink and sing in unison, friendship lasts forever..."
He repeated twice, "Let us drink and sing in unison, friendship lasts forever," and then Luo Ping, Chai Xin, Liu Hua, and Tang Er seed to receive the signal, joining in to sing, "Let us drink and sing, friendship lasts forever..."
This song, repeated several tis, quickly etched itself into their minds, and everyone rembered it firmly, so Lu Xi’an didn’t bother to sing further and started singing the first verse again.
Everyone sang along clumsily, but after a couple of rounds, the simple lyrics were rembered, and they sang more smoothly and boldly.
Even Yao Wei couldn’t help being deeply moved and began clapping along.
However, her clapping was no match for the increasingly uninhibited singing of Luo Ping.
Singing, Luo Ping picked up his rice bowl, tapped the edge with chopsticks, nodding his head as he loudly sang, "Old friends, how can we forget, friendship lasts forever..."
"Old friends, how can we forget, friendship lasts forever..."
The singing grew louder, rging to beco more grand and exciting.
It was unknown when Chai Xin also picked up his rice bowl, tapping it with a spoon.
Then Liu Hua, Tang Er...
Lu Xi’an placed the pot between himself and Yao Wei, saying, "Co on, sing together!"
Yao Wei glanced at Lu Xi’an and finally joined him in patting the pot, singing along.
The setting sun approached, lighting fires in the clouds at the horizon, casting the world in a dusk glow. Under the vast sky and over the dusty earth, the sound of pots and pans, along with the song "Friendship Forever," filled the air.
They didn’t know how long they sang this song, but even after finishing, they didn’t disperse to return to the car to sleep.
The moon was bright and stars were few tonight, with the world clear and bright. In this darkness, they continued savoring their brief reunion.
Luo Ping knew that Lu Xi’an could tell stories and urged him to tell one.
Lu Xi’an didn’t hesitate, saying, "Alright, I’ll tell one. Let think about what to tell..."
While he pondered what to narrate, Liu Hua gave orders to the new Ant Queen to have the ants gather so reserve food on their own.
Since Ant Mountain was on top of the car now, the ants couldn’t form ant balls like before to gather food, so they flew out from the Ant Mountain on the car roof, swarming out to gather food and flying back.
Lu Xi’an thought of sothing and began, "I’ll tell a story about a long ti ago. In those prosperous tis before the developnt of technology, when we didn’t have the cars and power banks we use now..."
"You an in ancient tis, like in martial arts novels?"
Luo Ping asked.
Lu Xi’an laughed, "Yes, just like in martial arts novels. I’m going to tell a martial arts story—about those prosperous tis, there were a bunch of poor lads. They had a house with just a bed left in it, yet this house was ironically called Fugui Manor.
"They lived a life so poor it clanged, often going hungry, yet they claid to be the happiest..."
This story was, of course, Gu Long’s "Joyful Heroes."
In Gu Long’s nurous novels, this one was also quite unique. Although the story was relatively scattered, it had a vibe and tone that perfectly resonated with Lu Xi’an’s current mood.
He narrated the story, talking about Guo Dalu’s runaway lover, about Wang Dong’s betraying friend, about Yan Qi’s true gender and his father who bore a bad reputation, and about Lin Taiping’s family and fiancée.
Amidst laughter and chatter, the story gradually beca touching, stirring emotions.
When Lu Xi’an finished, it was unknown how much ti had passed.
Anyway, looking at the rooftop, those ants have already flown back to Ant Mountain. Then, looking at the sky, the moon is at its zenith.
Luo Ping gently exhaled and said, "I love this story. This story is better than those martial arts books I read. If you had lived in the past, you’d surely have been a novelist!"
Lu Xi’an laughed and said, "I think so too. I could have been a singer!"
If he had lived in the past, with so many ideas in his mind, why couldn’t he have been a writer?
Yet in today’s world, all these ideas in his head have nowhere to be expressed.
"Yeah, yeah, you’re aweso!"
Luo Ping praised, appearing sowhat exaggerated but seemingly genuine.
Anyway, by now, this gathering should be coming to an end.
"Alright, it’s late. Everyone go to sleep, we have to hit the road early tomorrow morning."
Lu Xi’an stood up and dusted off his pants.
Everyone also stood up one by one. Tang Er said, "You all go rest, I’ll keep watch tonight."
Liu Hua then said, "No need, with these ants, I’ll just sleep lightly and let the ants keep an eye out."
Luo Ping said, "Okay, okay, you all go sleep. I’m happy tonight and can’t fall asleep right away, you rest, and I’ll keep watch."
Lu Xi’an also chid in, "Okay, okay, no need. With us here, there’s no place for you to keep watch."
Everyone still wanted to argue a bit, but Yao Wei said, "We have Gou."
Alright, with Gou around, who can compete?
At the 923 Base, everyone had already seen the prowess of Gou. With Gou here, they could indeed rest.
Luo Ping said, "Brother and sister, you are amazing. With Gou here, no need to take turns keeping watch."
Lu Xi’an said, "Actually, even without Gou, we wouldn’t need it. We are Type A Neo-Humans, extrely perceptive. Any disturbance, we’ll wake up without needing Gou’s reminder."
"Really?"
Luo Ping scratched his head.
Lu Xi’an said, "Absolutely. Otherwise, how did we manage when we used to travel alone?"
Tang Er said resentfully, "Mr. Luo, I’ve told you long ago I could do this, but you didn’t believe . Otherwise, we wouldn’t need to take turns keeping watch."
Luo Ping scratched his head and said, "I was just being cautious. Since you both say so, from now on, we’ll rely on you, Tang Er, for night watches."
"No problem!"
Tang Er nodded.
Luo Ping sighed again, "Type A Neo-Humans are really impressive!"
After saying that, he exchanged goodnight wishes with Lu Xi’an and got into the car to sleep.
Chai Xin was also about to get in when Yao Wei suddenly spoke up, "Chai Xin."
"Hmm?"
Chai Xin turned around, tilting her head slightly in question.
Yao Wei asked, "Do you want to sleep in our car tonight?"
Lu Xi’an looked at Yao Wei with a bit of surprise, not expecting her to say this.
Could it be that she also saw Chai Xin as her own daughter?
Chai Xin was instantly delighted, "Can I?" She looked at both Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei, afraid one might refuse.
Yao Wei said, "Co on, but space is limited, you’d have to sleep on the sofa."
Lu Xi’an didn’t say anything, just beckoned Chai Xin over.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Chai Xin nodded repeatedly and ran into the RV.
Once inside, she lay on the sofa and said, "This is great!"
Seeing Lu Xi’an tidying the dishes, she got up to join but was chased away by him.
After Lu Xi’an cleaned up the dishes, he and Yao Wei went to bed. But they didn’t sleep, chatting sporadically with Chai Xin on the sofa. They didn’t know how long they talked before gradually falling asleep.
When morning ca and they woke up, they were unwilling to part.
After a simple breakfast, Chai Xin returned to Yao Wei’s old car, and Luo Ping and the others were about to set off.
Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei stood outside to see them off.
As Luo Ping started the engine, Chai Xin suddenly poked her head out from the passenger seat and asked, "Brother, can you stroke my head again?"
Lu Xi’an smiled, reached out, and ruffled her once-yellow but now no longer dry hair into a tangled ss.
Chai Xin didn’t mind; she just laughed cheerfully.
Then she froze for a mont.
She hadn’t expected Yao Wei to reach out as well and gently pat her head after Lu Xi’an.
"Alright, we’re leaving now. Brother, sister, farewell, and safe travels!"
After their interaction, Luo Ping spoke from the driver’s seat.
Lu Xi’an nodded and said, "Safe travels to you too."
"No doubt about it!"
Luo Ping grinned, pressed the accelerator, honked the horn, and drove away.
Chai Xin, who had returned inside the car, poked her head out again, vigorously waving as she said to Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei, "Goodbye, brother and sister!"
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