Chapter 372
“Why? Perhaps because you have yet to find the true meaning of your own existence...” The old man shook his head. “Once life begins, death is already ordained. If that is so, then what is the meaning of being born at all? If one is destined to die today, would it not be the same as never having been born?”
Lin Hui remained silent. He had pondered this question before, but he still had no answer.
“A destitute man, suffering cold and hunger every day, will not stop to think about the meaning of life. He will fight tooth and nail to better his circumstances, longing for a stable life with enough food and warm clothes. That struggle for self-improvement, and the final goal itself, becomes the meaning he believes in,” the old man explained.
“Are you saying I lack a driving force?” Lin Hui asked.
“I’m only guessing. If you have a goal you desire but can never fully achieve, perhaps your life will not sink into emptiness, aimlessness, and a slow march toward numbness,” the old man said in a low voice. “And before you set such a goal, you must first ask yourself this: what is it that you truly want?”
Having said that, the old man lowered his head as if stirred by some unpleasant memory and fell silent for a moment. Then he slowly walked past Lin Hui and headed into the distance.
“May I have your name? Perhaps I could seek you out for guidance in the future,” Lin Hui called after him.
“Heh heh, people call this old man Meixin. You can just call me Mountain Man Meixin.” The old man smiled, his bearing returning to normal. “I live in a col nearby. If you want to find me, look for the plum tree with the thickest trunk and wait beneath it. I often roast wild game and sip my own homemade fruit wine there.”
Mountain Man Meixin?