The Happy Farmer Wanderer-Chapter 840: Games and Memories

Gongge left his stuff behind and withdrew with his crowd triumphantly.

After being noisy all night long, the barbecue stand finally quieted down, and Han Mei handed out bottles of wheat beverages to everyone.

One by one, they leaned against the wall, and soon after, a series of can-opening sounds filled the air.

"Tonight felt just like a dream. Suddenly there were so many people, then suddenly it got noisy, then just as suddenly our crowd grew, and before we knew it, they were all gone." Han Mei lifted her refined chin and gracefully poured a sip of the drink into her mouth, then puffed up her cheeks like an aggrieved pufferfish, her fingers dancing in the air as she pointed towards the spotty orange lights on the fence.

Li Qing couldn’t help but be charmed by her adorable demeanor as he watched her.

Looking at the beautiful figures lined up against the wall, what more could one ask for in life?

He could now just lie down and take it easy, completely content.

Surprisingly, even Jing Yan abandoned her usual graceful and fairy-like demeanor to sit together with Han Mei and the others.

"Who’s to say? It’s all because of those live streamers causing a fuss for no reason. They almost wore us out." Wu Xingxing muttered unhappily, "Although the people Qingzi called in at the end did save our skins, I bet what we spent probably far exceeded what we made."

"We should still be in profit, so let’s not bother with that," Li Qing said, "When we’re in business and people are lining up outside, even if it’s a loss, today’s business was still worth doing."

"Qingzi makes sense," Tian Yue’e added, "This was an unexpected situation. Everyone was in line, so even if we lost money, we really had to do this business. If we haughtily ignored them and closed up today, we would’ve wrecked our reputation for the future."

"Let’s go, let’s head home, what are we sitting around here for?" Li Qing stood up and said with a smile, "It’s almost two in the morning."

"Let’s go home!" Han Mei bounded down the steps, then suddenly, as if remembering something urgent, rushed back into the barbecue restaurant, "We haven’t settled today’s account yet, wait a sec."

"Oh, right. Xiao Meimei, any other time is fine, but if you don’t share the earnings with us today, I’m going to be angry with you!" Tian Yue’e teased jokingly, "Since we’ve opened, this has to be the first time we’ve made so much money."

"Sister Yue’e, you don’t need to guess, it’s definitely the first time," Wu Xingxing said with a laugh.

The current profit-sharing model of the barbecue stand was still the same as before, deducting operation costs and sharing profits daily.

The operating costs are calculated at the end of the month, and any shortfall is made up from the earnings at the beginning of the next month.

Though this model was a bit cumbersome, it was exceptionally fair, making everyone’s daily share crystal clear.

There was no quarreling over uneven profit distribution, and no one harbored any resentment.

The women bent over their accounts for a while, and soon had everything clearly worked out.

The earnings from tonight were indeed substantial, reaching an impressive total of over twenty-eight thousand.

Even after including the expenses supported by Lü Zong, they should still net more than ten thousand.

For a big hotel, such earnings in one night might not be much, but this was just a small barbecue shop at the beginning of the village.

To net so much in one night could only be described as terrifying.

As usual, they divided the money on the spot, and smiles of satisfaction and happiness immediately appeared on the women’s faces.

Although with Li Qing’s current ability to earn money, they were by no means short of cash.

But this was something they had earned through their own hard work, and that made all the difference.

Even Jing Yan laughed like a child, clutching the money in her hand and looking it over and over again, as if she felt a great sense of achievement.

Originally, she wanted to fit in with the local customs and integrate into this new family, which is why she took the initiative to do these things. She never expected any profit from it, but Han Mei forcefully gave her a share.

And the reasoning Han Mei used to convince Jing Yan was quite compelling: the family isn’t short of money, our little endeavors are just about finding something simple to do.

After being persuaded by Han Mei, Jing Yan truly integrated into the local customs.

With this final task completed, the group of people hummed a cheerful tune, holding hands and swinging their arms as they finally set off on the road home.

"Looking at all the cars in the village today, it seems like every household is full," Yu Lan observed the densely packed vehicles around and suddenly said.

"It’s definitely the case today," Li Qing said, "The convenience store and what Gong Ge brought in terms of drinks have all been cleared out. I feel like I can faintly hear the sound of joyful drinking. These people probably came to the village in search of their childhood memories. Today, they will not only find those memories of childhood but probably also the memories of celebrating the New Year in their youth."

It seemed like the village in childhood was always like this: bustling and lively, with families lighting up the festive lamps usually reserved for special occasions during the New Year, kids running around with lanterns well into the night, and the sound of drinking and playing cards coming from every household adorned with festive decorations.

Though simple, this joy was incomparable.

"Talking about it makes me eager for the New Year to come," Wu Xingxing giggled, "Qingzi, do we still have drinks at home? Let’s join in on the fun too!"

"It seems we still have some, should be enough for the few of us to drink," Li Qing thought about it and said, his eyes suddenly sparkling with excitement.

When the few of them drank together, it was never just a simple matter of drinking.

Tonight was going to be another sleepless night.

"Um... Sister Yan probably wouldn’t mind, right?" Wu Xingxing shrank her head, looking cautiously towards Jing Yan.

Jing Yan didn’t yet know how exactly they played drinking and card games together.

"I have no objections. Actually, I quite enjoy playing," Jing Yan said with a gentle, tender smile.

"That’s great, we can also experience the joy of the village," Wu Xingxing cheered, waving her arm excitedly.

As they talked, it almost felt like the festive atmosphere of the New Year was really there.

Li Qing indeed heard the shouting and calling coming from each household.

The village folks were simple but enthusiastic; they might harbor some mischief, but when it came to hospitality, even the poorest families would spare no effort.

The lights in the house turned on, and the women, who had been busy with cooking all evening, took turns cramming into the bathroom.

Although they spent every day by the stove, under the powerful effects of the Immortality Elixir, no signs of drudgery or slovenliness could be seen on them. Instead, they all seemed even more delicate and youthful.

Li Qing naturally ended up being the last one; after everyone else was done, he then squeezed into the bathroom for a wash.

The steamy fog carried a strong fragrance, filling Li Qing with anticipation for the upcoming game.

At some point, this had become a fixed game in their family.

No matter who mentioned it, there was already a great unspoken understanding among everyone.