595. Blind Date?
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Around five in the evening, the class teacher showed up for the date.
He felt a bit perplexed. Sure, he had a little crush on Lin Nan’s elegant mother, but it was nothing more than a surface-level attraction.
No matter how old a man gets, he still can’t resist a pretty face.
However, having just gone through a divorce, he had no intention of remarrying, especially since his income from his stall was unstable, and his son had just gotten into college. The monthly living expenses were bound to weigh him down. In this situation, forget about marriage; he was more concerned about being crushed under the burden of a mortgage.
Thanks to Lin Nan’s constant matchmaking attempts, the class teacher took this dinner as a blind date and felt a slight aversion.
But as soon as he saw the mother-daughter duo, that aversion evaporated.
Though Lin Nan’s mother was around forty and a little on the heavier side, she had passed down her stunning looks to Lin Nan. Her eyes held a spark of eagerness as she gazed at him, making her particularly charming.
Physical appearance was a minor issue; after all, not many middle-aged people had ideal figures, and a few months at the gym could fix that.
He sat across from the mother and daughter, suddenly realizing Lin Nan looked a little nervous.
“Hello,” the class teacher put on a refined demeanor.
“Hello.” The mother nodded, casting a glance at the fidgety Lin Nan.
It seemed Lin Nan had definitely been up to no good during high school.
She had kept it all hidden from her mother.
As a caring mother, she wanted to know her daughter as well as possible, even if Lin Nan was being particularly well-behaved now.
“Let’s order,” the mother handed the menu to the class teacher.
The class teacher wasted no time, quickly ordering a few moderately priced dishes. Then, with a smile, he turned to Lin Nan’s mother and decided to start the conversation focusing on Lin Nan.
“Lin Nan is a good kid.”
“Oh?” The mother looked momentarily taken aback.
“She was always a great student in high school—never late or absent, respectful to teachers and elders, and had a good rapport with her classmates.” He suppressed the urge to roast Lin Nan and only spoke praises.
Lin Nan looked up, bewildered. Is he talking about me?!
During high school, aside from suddenly getting serious in her senior year and rushing for college alongside Chen Yao, she rarely showed up on time, let alone skip classes!
Her mother also glanced at Lin Nan, wondering if her daughter’s nervousness was due to some reckless high school escapades.
“I’ve taught for many years, and Lin Nan is the most low-maintenance student I’ve ever had.”
“???”
Lin Nan was covered in question marks, while her mother nodded appreciatively, clearly believing her daughter had been understanding and sensible all along.
“Lin Nan mentioned you to me! You took care of her while I was too busy with work. I’m really grateful.” The mother smiled widely, “A responsible teacher like you is hard to come by; you’re the best teacher I’ve ever met!”
“No, no, you’re such an open-minded parent, that’s rare!”
After a round of mutual flattery, they became much chummier. The mother then launched into a discussion about the recent change of Lin Nan’s registered gender, showering the class teacher with thanks.
If it weren’t for the class teacher explaining the process in detail, changing her registration wouldn’t have been so easy.
Lin Nan sat beside her, silently eating her dinner, feeling increasingly uncomfortable as the conversation veered off track.
Is the class teacher actually treating this dinner like a blind date? Otherwise, why is he saying so many nice things about me?
But the mother viewed this dinner merely as an opportunity to express her gratitude while getting to know more about Lin Nan’s high school life.
She looked up at the teacher’s eager smile. He might as well be asking her how much dowry he needed to prepare!
Once all the dishes were served and the talk about Lin Nan was exhausted, there was a lull in conversation, so the class teacher thought long and hard before deciding to introduce his job.
“I run a stall in the pedestrian street every evening around seven until eleven. My income isn’t very stable, though it generally averages over four thousand a month, sometimes even nearly ten thousand.”
“I have a house I’m still paying a mortgage on, and I drive a second-hand pickup truck. My ex-wife took most of the money when we divorced; we split everything in half.”
The mother looked up, confused about why the class teacher mentioned all this.
But being adults, she didn’t ask directly. Instead, she followed the topic, saying, “Running a stall must be tough! Why don’t you continue teaching? Lin Nan said your teaching is excellent, and you’re well-loved by the students…”
“But that was after the divorce! The mortgage for my new house is about the same as my teaching salary, and I can’t just live on fresh air, can I?” The class teacher sighed dramatically but quickly shifted to sharing his entrepreneurial journey.
Starting out with his stall, he was utterly lost, but with a teacher’s salary being pathetically low, he had no choice but to bravely dive in.
Yet now, as he spoke about it, he sounded remarkably confident, as if he had known from the start that running a stall was a surefire money-maker.
The mother’s eyes sparkled, thinking Lin Nan’s class teacher was truly resourceful, but she was puzzled and asked, “But running a stall isn’t stable, right? Teaching is better; you have job security…”
The class teacher paused.
Ah, so Lin Nan’s mom thinks my job is unstable!
“I’ve thought about that. I can’t run a stall forever. Once my kids finish college, I plan to borrow some money from relatives and start an online store.”
The mother looked completely at a loss. I just wanted to ask about my daughter’s high school life! Why are we even discussing this?!
Lin Nan subtly elbowed her in the arm, signaling her to get the hint.
Can’t you see? My class teacher is trying to date you! Talk about your job, your requirements, anything!
But the mother was oblivious; Lin Nan’s emotional intelligence seemed to have come entirely from her.
“My child is okay with me remarrying, and he’s getting older. After he goes to college in a couple of months, he’ll only come back during the winter and summer breaks. After a few years when he starts working, he’ll probably only visit during the holidays!”
The mother tilted her head slightly, a big question mark appearing over her head.
She didn’t know how to respond to that, so she could only jokingly say, “Lin Nan wants me to remarry so much that she’s even thought about matchmaking us!”
The class teacher nodded, smiling brightly.
Suddenly, the mother sensed something was off and looked down at Lin Nan.
Wait, you’ve talked to your class teacher about matchmaking?! No wonder tonight feels so bizarre!
Fuming with embarrassment, she lifted her foot to stealthily kick Lin Nan under the table, but Lin Nan swiftly retracted her feet, dodging the attack and calmly getting up.
“I’m full. I’m heading out first.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she bolted out of the restaurant like a rabbit.
And so, at the dining table, the class teacher and the mother stared at each other, wide-eyed and speechless.
