Chapter 482 The Snob

"Xiao Fan, when my uncle arrives, follow my lead and don't act rashly," Xia Xue took a few deep breaths, calming herself. "I know, don't worry," Lin Fan nodded. About half an hour later, the clinic hadn't opened yet. Lin Fan was sitting at the small dining table, happily drinking hot congee. Various grains boiled together with extra peanuts, soft, delicate, fragrant, and delicious. Xia Xue was doing needlework, glancing out the window from time to time. "They're here," a black car drove into Luofeng Village. As it slowed down, Xia Xue vaguely recognized someone in the car. "Sister-in-law, your uncle and them are here," Lin Fan quickly wiped his mouth and stood up to look outside. Outside the clinic door, the car stopped, and all four doors opened. Xia Yuejin and Hao Ruizhi stood outside, pointing at Xiao Fan's Clinic. "Husband, is this the clinic your cousin's family runs? It doesn't look like they're rich!" said a heavily made-up woman in her thirties with a look of disdain. "Yaping, don't say that, it's not good if they hear you," said Xia Yujin's son, Xia Jianshe, with an understanding air. "I know, they lent us money," the woman, named Wu Yaping, said coquettishly, linking arms with Xia Jianshe. Xia Jianshe grinned happily. He was thirty-six years old and it was not easy to find a woman like Wu Yaping, who was five or six years younger and from the city. Xia Yuejin and Hao Ruizhi greeted their son and future daughter-in-law, brought gifts like milk and drinks, and walked into the clinic together. "Uncle, Aunt, why are you here?" Xia Xue politely greeted them. Hao Ruizhi looked Xia Xue up and down and praised, "After all these years, Xue'er, you haven't changed at all, just like you were before you got married." Xia Xue's heart tightened. "No reason for kindness, either they are up to something or plotting something!" She was afraid they were here to borrow money and quickly made a joke, "Not at all, please come in and sit down." "Okay, who is this..." The four of them inadvertently focused on Lin Fan. The young man was in ragged clothes, with one pant leg rolled up, and his overall appearance was unkempt and a bit sloppy, not at all like a successful person. Remembering what Xia Xiangqian and his wife had said about Lin Fan, they suddenly felt a sense of disillusionment. This didn't add up! This young man could spend hundreds of thousands with a single move? Wealthy and successful? Wu Yaping tugged at Xia Jianshe's sleeve and nudged Lin Fan's feet with her chin. Xia Jianshe looked down and saw that Lin Fan's cloth shoes were gaping open at the front, like a wide grin, and he couldn't help but feel confused. A look of disdain flashed in Wu Yaping's eyes, and she was deeply disappointed in Xia Jianshe's cousin. She had thought that Xia Jianshe had a good relative and might be able to benefit from it in the future, but it turned out to be all bragging! She didn't believe that rich people would wear a pair of shoes with holes in them! In fact, this really couldn't be blamed on Lin Fan. These shoes were sewn for him by a patient from a poor family, stitch by stitch. Lin Fan had worn them for a long time, and he was reluctant to throw them away even when they were broken, as they represented someone's kindness. Besides, they weren't so broken that they couldn't be worn. "Come in and sit down," Xia Xue said, relieved to see the disappointed expressions on her uncle's family's faces. "So you know we're poor. Then you'd better not mention borrowing money." Xia Xue invited the four of them into the house and brought out a few stools for them to sit on. "The clinic's conditions aren't very good, Uncle and Aunt, please bear with us." "Yes, it's indeed not very good." Wu Yaping looked around. "Such a simple clinic, without any proper medical equipment, can it treat people?" "Isn't this illegal practice?" As soon as she said this, the clinic fell silent. Xia Jianshe nudged Wu Yaping with his arm and gave her a stern look. "Hmph," Wu Yaping snorted indignantly, her eyes telling Xia Jianshe, "I'm not wrong." Hao Ruizhi gave an awkward laugh. "Xue'er, don't take it to heart. Jianshe's girlfriend grew up in the city and hasn't suffered hardship, so she doesn't know how to speak properly." "And Xiao Fan, too, don't mind," Xia Jianshe said with a sheepish smile, taking out a cigarette and offering it to Lin Fan. "I don't smoke," Lin Fan refused, suppressing his displeasure. He glanced at Wu Yaping, thinking she must have some kind of problem, with her sharp tongue. Xia Jianshe put the cigarette back, lit one himself, and said with a smile, "It's good you don't smoke, you're a doctor after all, you know it's good for your health." "Tch," Wu Yaping turned away, scoffing disdainfully. At best, he's a rural barefoot doctor, not a real doctor! Wu Yaping looked down on these poor relatives of the Xia family from the bottom of her heart. The atmosphere in the clinic was awkward and heavy. Lin Fan had initially thought that Xia Yuejin's family had come to express their gratitude, and he was even wondering how to explain it to his sister-in-law. Unexpectedly, their demeanor was not like thanks at all, but rather like they were looking for trouble. "You all sit, I'll go dry the medicinal herbs I collected yesterday, or they'll get moldy," Lin Fan gave his sister-in-law a look and went to the backyard. Xia Jianshe felt a bit ashamed and glared at Wu Yaping reproachfully. But Wu Yaping didn't think she was wrong, and turned her head, resting her chin on her hand, looking self-righteous. "Uncle, you came, you didn't need to bring anything. I don't lack anything here, please take it back when you leave," Xia Xue subtly expressed her displeasure. "Alas," Xia Yuejin glanced at his daughter-in-law and sighed helplessly. "Niece, our family moved to the town many years ago. We didn't come when you got married, how could we visit empty-handed..." He stopped midway. Hao Ruizhi kept urging Xia Yuejin with her eyes. Xia Yuejin then continued, "We heard you're living quite well now." "So-so," Xia Xue replied indifferently. "Niece, we came today for two reasons: first, to thank you for remembering our family ties and lending money for Jianshe to buy a house..." "What did you say?" Before Xia Yuejin could finish, Xia Xue suddenly exclaimed. Lin Fan, hearing this in the backyard, felt a jolt. "Bad news!" It turned out she had let the cat out of the bag! Lin Fan gritted his teeth and cursed. This family was really ungrateful, benefiting and then complaining. Just buy the house with the money and leave, why come here and add insult to injury? How would he explain this to his sister-in-law? Lin Fan climbed onto the roof of the side room, drying medicinal herbs while sulking. From his vantage point, he occasionally looked into the house, afraid Xia Xue would get angry. "I said, thank you for lending our family Jianshe money so he could buy a house," Xia Yuejin repeated. Hao Ruizhi chimed in, "They wanted to buy a house in the county town and were short of money. I thought your father said you were living well now, so I asked him to inquire." "I didn't expect Xue'er to be so generous, giving twenty thousand yuan all at once."