Chapter 25

Yosemite National Park, located on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in central California, was established in 1890 and covers an area of 2,849 square kilometers. It is one of the most scenic national parks in the United States.

The entrance fee of $20 per vehicle is very reasonable. Zhen Fan and his group paid $40 in total. However, the simple and almost unbelievable entrance gate still surprised Zhen Fan. He never imagined that a place as famous as Yellowstone National Park would have such a shabby entrance.

Thomas and Julia parked the car in the parking lot, then packed their belongings and headed to the camping site. On the way, they stopped at the Ponderosa Picnic Area, named after the towering trees surrounding the Merced River. Preparing a picnic here would be a great pleasure.

Salmon, beef, steak, and various barbecue items brought by Zhen Fan filled a whole rack. The barbecue grills were available for rent.

Several women were setting the table, laying out tablecloths, placing plates, and taking out beer and drinks. Claire was rolling on the grass nearby, becoming more and more lively! The barbecue task, of course, was left to the two men. Thomas's movements were very skilled, clearly indicating he did this often.

"Zhen, what do you think of Julia?" Thomas asked Zhen Fan while flipping the steak, clearly trying to matchmake.

Zhen Fan nodded and smiled, "Not bad, quite sexy!" He was grilling chicken wings and breast, and also taking care of the fish, but he didn't seem too busy, appearing rather relaxed.

"What spices are you using?" Thomas asked, smelling the aroma of Zhen Fan's chicken wings and breast, which was different from his steak.

"Um, I use them often when barbecuing in China, so I brought some this time. Do you want some?"

"No, wait, I need to make sure the ladies like it!"

Zhen Fan smiled and looked at the golden, oily chicken wings, then said to Thomas, "Let's give it a try, I hope your steak will be appreciated!"

To be honest, although Thomas's movements were skilled, it was clear he wasn't a barbecue expert. The steak was unevenly cooked and didn't look very appetizing.

"Ladies, the chicken wings are ready!" Zhen Fan carried a tray to the table and placed the chicken wings and breast on the plates, and the meat aroma filled the air.

"Smells great, what is that smell?"

Zoe looked at Zhen Fan and giggled, winking at him.

"Seasonings that can stimulate your appetite!" Zhen Fan smiled, then sat down and called out to Thomas, "Hey, come over, is the steak ready?"

"Coming!" Thomas shouted and brought the steak over, but the blackened, dry appearance made Annie frown.

"Dad, I can't believe you did it again!" Before Annie could speak, Claire was already unhappy. She climbed onto the chair, frowned, and looked like a little adult.

It seemed Thomas often did this, and the three women couldn't help but laugh. Zhen Fan looked at Thomas, shrugged, and smiled, indicating he had lost.

"Haha, I admit defeat, but losing to you is actually quite nice. You're a cooking expert, and now a barbecue expert too, so I don't feel bad about losing!" Thomas laughed.

"Really good taste!"

The meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, juicy and slightly spicy, with a soft texture. The aroma filled the women's noses and mouths, and finally their stomachs. Even Claire couldn't resist, eating a chicken wing and holding a piece of meat.

"Didn't expect you to have such skills!" Zoe couldn't help but praise him while chewing, "Can I come to your place often? Of course, if you cook Chinese food for me!" She even included the future.

"Sure, of course!" Zhen Fan smiled bitterly but couldn't refuse.

"Great!" Zoe's face lit up with a satisfied smile.

Julia couldn't help but laugh, watching the two talk. Thomas opened a can of beer and raised it.

"Everyone, cheers!" He raised the beer can and drank it.

Zhen Fan also drank a can, noticing that the chicken wings and meat on the plate were almost gone, so he went back to the grill. The fish on the grill was almost ready. He flipped it, brushed it with oil, and sprinkled spices. Grilling fish is more difficult and harder to season than meat, but the taste is much better.

Three large salmon were soon ready and brought to the table. The salmon, similar to carp but larger, were cut open and grilled in a fan shape, making them easy to cook thoroughly and very fresh.

"Wow!"

Zoe exclaimed and quickly started eating. The sizzling, juicy, and aromatic fish was very appetizing. Julia was also excited, standing up and using her knife and fork to cut a large piece. Claire wanted some too, but she was too slow and couldn't reach, almost crying.

Annie held back her laughter, quickly cut a piece, and placed it on Claire's plate, making the little girl smile contentedly.

"Tricky little thing!" Zhen Fan patted Claire's head and smiled. The little girl was learning to be clever.

The barbecue filled everyone's stomachs, and Zoe and Julia were even a bit full, as was Claire. The three of them looked at each other, touched their stomachs, and laughed. Annie and Thomas, who had eaten Zhen Fan's Chinese food a few times, were more restrained and not as full.

"Did you work as a chef before?"

Julia looked at Zhen Fan and couldn't help but ask. She didn't talk much, but Zhen Fan's cooking skills clearly surprised her, making her curious.

"No, he's a medical student!" Zhen Fan hadn't spoken, but Zoe answered for her.

Julia looked at Zhen Fan curiously, trying to read his face for an answer. Why would a medical student have such good cooking skills?

"In China, I usually lived alone, with a lot of free time. I don't like shopping, surfing the internet, or watching TV unless I'm in the mood. When I have nothing to do, I study cooking, so... you know, my cooking skills are like this!"

"What interests you? A girlfriend?" Zoe smiled and looked at Zhen Fan teasingly. She knew Zhen Fan didn't have a girlfriend.

"Not having a girlfriend is already a public secret, everyone knows!" Zhen Fan joked, making everyone laugh.

"Does Kelly count?"

Zoe suddenly looked at him with a smile, asking a question that surprised Annie and Julia. Kelly? Who is Kelly? Annie looked at Zhen Fan in confusion.

"Kelly? Your friend?" Julia knew and looked at Zhen Fan curiously, "Is she your girlfriend?"

"No, Zoe, saying that will make Kelly angry!"

"She told me herself, what's the big deal?" Zoe laughed, "Don't you think you should have a girlfriend? She told me she likes you! That's right!"

"Let's drop it, it's best to forget this topic!" Zhen Fan clearly didn't want to discuss it, giving Zoe a dissatisfied look. Zoe laughed without any guilt, even looking at Zhen Fan proudly.

This girl is just here to cause trouble. And the matter isn't reliable at all.

After the barbecue, everyone cleaned up and continued on their journey. There was a river ahead, with a grassland and forest beside it, mainly yellow pines and other trees, all quite old and towering.

Zhen Fan and Thomas started setting up the tents, not far from the river, with the forest nearby, making the environment very quiet. This place was a bit remote, and not many people stayed here, with only a few passing by quickly.

"Seeing the river makes me want to swim," Zoe exclaimed excitedly, despite the temperature being lower here, it was still quite warm, and swimming in the cool river would be refreshing.

"Zhen, is our tent ready?" Zoe called out.

"Almost done!" Zhen Fan and Thomas were setting up the tent for Zoe and Julia, and it was quickly completed.

Zoe waited a bit, saw the tent was ready, and cheered. She dragged Julia into the tent and eagerly took out the swimsuits from her backpack.

"Wow! I'm so jealous!" Zoe, in her swimsuit, looked at Julia, who was changing, and her eyes lit up, "Every time I see you change, I can't help but be jealous. You know, I really want to get a breast augmentation!" She looked at her own chest, which was indeed less impressive compared to Julia's.

Julia quickly put on her swimsuit, not giving Zoe a chance to go crazy, and giggled, "Why don't you let Zhen check? He's a medical student, right?"

"You're in heat!" Zoe teased, reaching out to touch Julia's chest. Julia quickly moved aside and ran out of the tent, with Zoe chasing after her. The two bikini-clad beauties chased each other out, stunning Zhen Fan.

Bikini-clad beauties, very eye-catching!

"Plunk!" The two women plunged into the cool lake, their giggles echoing on the water, and the golden sunset made everything perfect and harmonious.

Zhen Fan's tent was also set up, and he laid down inside, feeling satisfied. Kelly really knew how to choose things. Zhen Fan was content when he saw the tent flap open and Claire come in, laughing and rolling around with him.

"Hey, Zhen, come swim with us!" Zhen Fan was playing with Claire when the tent flap opened again, and Thomas poked his head in, calling out to Zhen Fan, "Claire, go play with your mom, there are many pretty butterflies, why not catch a couple?"

"Okay!" Claire's attention was drawn to the butterflies, and she ran out of the tent. Zhen Fan also brought his swimsuit, changed in the tent, and came out. Thomas, in his swimming trunks, was already walking to the lake, waving at Zhen Fan.

"Hey, ladies, be careful, Poseidon is here!" Thomas spread his arms and, with Zoe and Julia's screams, plunged into the water, splashing a huge wave, and the three of them laughed uncontrollably.

"Zhen!" Thomas waved at Zhen Fan.

Zhen Fan was already at the water's edge, and Zoe couldn't help but whistle. Clearly, Zhen Fan's muscular body impressed her, making Julia laugh.

"I'm coming!"

Zhen Fan mimicked Thomas, diving into the water and splashing a wave that hit the two girls' faces, causing another round of screams.

Unexpectedly, Zhen Fan didn't resurface. When the two girls opened their eyes again, the water was calm, and he was nowhere to be seen. They looked at each other, hearts racing. Looking at Thomas, who was calmly watching, they were puzzled. Suddenly, a splash behind them, and Zhen Fan emerged from behind them, causing another scream. Zhen Fan successfully scared them and couldn't help but laugh proudly.

Meanwhile, Annie was setting up the sleeping pads and bags in the tent, and Claire was chasing butterflies on the grass, tireless. Suddenly, a colorful, palm-sized butterfly flew around Claire.

"Don't run, I'm going to catch you!" Claire was captivated and lunged at the butterfly, which flapped its wings and flew into the nearby forest. Claire chased it, gradually disappearing into the woods...

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