Chapter 562: Chapter 562

Lin Fan arrived at the county’s herbal medicine market and casually strolled around. The market wasn’t large, but it had all the basic herbs, sufficient for a small clinic’s needs. Lin Fan picked some herbs and asked the vendor to deliver them directly to the West River Village clinic.

Having settled the herbal matter, Lin Fan left the market. Seeing that it was still early, he remembered his promise to help Shengfu Sword with a diagnosis and decided to visit the Sheng Family.

As Lin Fan was walking, he suddenly heard someone speaking beside him.

Turning his head, Lin Fan saw a man with three kids, the oldest about four or five years old, and the youngest still being carried by the man.

Lin Fan didn’t recognize the man at first, though his face seemed familiar, but he couldn’t recall his name.

"Lin Fan, it really is you!" The man grinned. "It’s me, Old Chen!"

Old Chen! This update ıs available on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱

It suddenly dawned on Lin Fan that Old Chen was actually Chen Xinxing, a classmate from middle school who once shared a desk with him.

After graduating middle school, Lin Fan hadn’t seen Chen Xinxing at all; meeting him again after so many years was unexpected.

This was already quite a coincidence, given that most people in our lives are just passersby. Once contact is lost, many won’t be seen again in a lifetime. With time, you might even forget they existed; even if their face is remembered, their name becomes elusive.

No one is exempt from this.

Lin Fan had a pretty good memory too, but he only remembered when Chen Xinxing mentioned his own name.

"Old Chen! What a coincidence!" Lin Fan laughed. "These kids..."

Lin Fan glanced at the three children.

Chen Xinxing said, "These are my kids. Say hi to Uncle!"

Except for the one being carried, the other two could already speak. They shyly called out "Uncle."

Lin Fan smiled and said, "Old Chen, I didn’t expect you to have three kids already. A complete set, how happy you must be."

Chen Xinxing replied, "Happy, my ass. Raising these three is so tiring, everything needs money. The oldest is about to start school, and then there’s tuition. The youngest is still on formula, do you know how expensive it is nowadays..."

With these complaints, it was clear he was genuinely worried about livelihood.

Lin Fan noticed that although Chen Xinxing was the same age as him, he looked ten years older, and was balding... no wonder Lin Fan didn’t recognize him at first glance.

There were many like Chen Xinxing, young men from the countryside who got married right after middle school, started families early, and had a bunch of kids.

Even among the people Lin Fan knew, there were several middle school classmates who didn’t go on to high school, got married quickly, both boys and girls. Girls marrying and having children right out of middle school, youth squandered early in marriage and family.

Realizing he talked too much, Chen Xinxing smiled awkwardly, "Enough about me. What about you, Lin Fan, are you married yet?"

Lin Fan answered, "No, I don’t even have a girlfriend."

Chen Xinxing said, "No way, you’re so handsome, how can you not have a girlfriend? You can’t just focus on studying, are you still in school? Doing a Ph.D.?"

Lin Fan replied, "I started working right after university."

Chen Xinxing said, "Then you should find a wife soon. Or do you want to end up like those city folks, single at 30, an aging bachelor? It’s best to marry early and have kids, even though raising them is tough. It’s comforting to know someone will take care of you when you’re old. If you start late, by the time the kids finish school, you’ll be old..."

Lin Fan sweated, realizing that Chen Xinxing had none of the youthful traits from their school days. Now, his life was dominated by talk of family and kids... he was completely a different person, not someone of Lin Fan’s age, more like an uncle or auntie.

Is it true that all the boys and girls of our youth eventually get worn down into uncles and aunties by life?

"You still need someone to be with," Lin Fan said absentmindedly. The conversation about this didn’t interest him; he wanted to end it quickly.

Chen Xinxing laughed, "Finding someone shouldn’t be hard, go on blind dates. I met my wife through one. Plenty of rural girls waiting to get married. You’re handsome with education, surely you won’t lack options? Oh, do you remember our class belle Lai Xiaomei?"

Lin Fan answered, "I remember her, what about her?"

Lai Xiaomei was the class belle, a prominent figure, the goddess in many boys’ eyes. Many could easily be forgotten like background characters, but prominent figures were not easily forgotten.

Chen Xinxing said, "There was a middle school reunion recently, I heard about it there. Lai Xiaomei hasn’t married either, and she still looks great. She’s made something of herself, not only beautiful but also started a company. Tianhai High School’s centennial celebration even invited her as a special guest. Oh, Lin Fan, you were accepted into Tianhai High School too, weren’t you invited by the school?"

Lin Fan felt a bit embarrassed, "No."

He didn’t even know about the centennial celebration until now, hearing it from Chen Xinxing.

Back during the high school entrance exam, Lin Fan’s results were neither top nor bottom, enough to get into the city’s key high school, Tianhai High School, along with class belle, top student Lai Xiaomei.

Years later, classmates all had their own lives, a few outstanding students achieved success, the school invited these exceptional alumni for the centennial, whereas most of the regular students received no invitation, fading like dust.

Unluckily, Lin Fan belonged to that forgotten dust category.

Chen Xinxing said, "Not to change the topic, but since you’re single and so is Lai Xiaomei, why don’t you consider going on a blind date with her? Forgot to ask, Lin Fan, what business are you in now?"

Lin Fan, not wanting to boast, said, "I’m working as a delivery rider."

Chen Xinxing was stunned, "A delivery rider..."

He looked a bit embarrassed as he realized that Lin Fan delivering food didn’t seem to match the successful Lai Xiaomei at all...

He began to understand why Lin Fan was still single; in a big city, a delivery rider indeed finds it hard to date.

These days, even rural girls have many demands when it comes to blind dates, owning a car and a house are basic requirements.

Times have changed, and Chen Xinxing felt lucky to have married early. Back then, he had nothing when he married his current wife. If it were today, he wouldn’t have been able to marry. Now, girls ask for cars and houses, and every daughter seems to be treated as precious, almost like parents are auctioning them off.

Having completely lost interest in the conversation, Lin Fan said, "Old Chen, let’s chat again next time. I have some things to do now."

Chen Xinxing laughed, "Alright, let’s exchange WeChat. I’ll keep an eye out for any unmarried girls I can introduce you to."