Open a Clinic to Cultivate Myself Chapter 320 A Message from Maria

Ning Tao knocked on the door this time.

“Do you still want some? My God, you really are the best gift God has given to me.” Maria's voice of excitement and joy came from inside the room.

The light in the room was turned on. It was followed by the sound of Maria walking in her slippers in brisk steps.

The room door was opened, and Ning Tao entered right in, closing the door behind him.

Only then did Maria realize that it was Ning Tao. She was first stunned, then fumbled to pick up the blanket by the bedside to cover herself. She was actually wearing her undergarments but Ning Tao was not Jian Mi, nor was he that scoundrel Hanks, so she was embarrassed.

Ning Tao got straight to the point. “Let me ask you, did a short and fat woman with a face full of pockmarks come here?”

He spoke in relatively fluent English.

Maria hesitated for a moment then replied in stiff Mandarin, “I've never seen a woman like that.”

Ning Tao was slightly stunned. “You never used to speak Mandarin. What happened?”

Maria avoided Ning Tao's gaze; her tone seemed to be a little dismissive. “Hanks was very familiar with Hua Country, I've learned a bit of Mandarin from him. I'm a woman, I have to keep some secrets. But don't misunderstand me, I bear no ill intentions. It's only out of self-protection.”

It suddenly occurred to Ning Tao that she pretended to not understand Mandarin so that the people would not put up their guard against her when she conversed with others. She would then be able to gather information without being noticed.

Seeing as such, she must have heard Auntie Jiang constantly encouraging her son to bed her. Perhaps she had found Jian Mi to be young and dashing, honest and simple, and had fallen for him as well. Women wanting men was sometimes as easy as a single gaze or one action. How would an inexperienced young man like Jian Mi be able to resist the temptation of a blonde doll such as her?

“I'm telling you this secret because…” Maria paused before saying, “I want to stay here. I don't want to return anymore.”

That was the real reason.

Ning Tao's emotions were a mess. “Do you love Jian Mi?”

Maria nodded in certainty. “Yes, I love him. When I was with Hanks, he was often not at home and I was very lonely. Now that I'm with Jian Mi, he's with me every day. We go to the mountains to pick medicine, and he taught me many things. I love his down-to-earth vibe and I like this place a lot as well. His mom likes me very much too. I know she wants me to bear Jian Mi a son, and I can do it.”

Ning Tao did not know what to say. Something was bound to happen when a single man and woman were put together in the deep woods. He somewhat regretted bringing a widow like Maria here to Jian Mi's place. Was this not just like pulling the nut out of its bolt?

“I hope you could understand me. I've thought about it. If I returned, I would be faced with assassination attempts instead of a peaceful life. Hanks' killer would not let me off. I can continue living on in this place, so… I'm not going back,” Maria said.

Ning Tao said, “It's not impossible for you to stay here and live with Jian Mi, but you must tell me what place that is and how I can find the things left behind by Hanks.”

Maria said, “I've already prepared it for you.”

She lifted the mat and mattress, then took out a small book from the hay used to make the bed.

On the book, the words “exercise book” were written. It was unclear who had given it to her.

Ning Tao took the book and opened it to read.

The content in the exercise book was written in English: “Hanks and I met in Florence, Italy. At that time, I was still a student at the Florence Academy of Fine Arts. He rented a house beside the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, which he had paid 10 years' worth of rental for at once. That house was very old, with a motif of iris at its entrance and the number 68. Only Hanks and I knew about that place. We had our rendezvous there very often. The thing you're looking for is on the beam of the living room.”

Ning Tao tore that page off and put it into his pocket. “All right, since you and Jian Mi love each other, then you should stay together. But I will not let you off if you cheat on Jian Mi.”

Maria replied, “How would I cheat on him? I love him. Hanks was not able to make me pregnant, but Jian Mi and I can have children. I like children and I like this place too. I will be with him forever.”

“I wish you two happiness.” Ning Tao turned to the door to leave.

“Thank you,” Maria said. “Would you like me to tell Jian Mi that you've been here?”

Ning Tao thought for a while before saying, “Please tell him that I will come collect the medicinal herbs sometime later. I have something urgent to attend to tonight so we'll not be meeting.”

He had initially intended to send Jian Mi to Beidu to work for Bai Jing, but little did he expect things to turn out this way. But it was not too bad after all. Jian Mi had a wife now, and it was not too bad collecting medicinal herbs with the help of his wife. He was not very cultured, and was a very honest person. Going to a place like Beidu might not suit him.

“Good luck,” Maria said.

Ning Tao opened the door and left, then closed the door behind him. He activated his state of smell, capturing the smells in the courtyard. He had intended to do it earlier on but really did not wish to capture certain smells so he delayed doing it.

There was no smell left behind by Tang Zixian in the courtyard.

Ning Tao thought to himself, “Didn't she know that Maria is here? Or perhaps, she knows but she's not appearing?”

As he surveyed the surroundings, the mountainous woods around the village were pitch-black under the night sky. There was sometimes the howling of beasts. Perhaps Tang Zixian was hiding in a dark corner, spying on him using a telescopic piece of equipment, or she could have already left this place.

“Who cares about her? She is in the company of a righteous practitioner like Master Fakong and had helped me kill Bai Sheng. That means that she is not a bad person. She and I may be at odds, but I'm sure someone like her would not implicate innocent lives. Even if she had come all the way here to gather information, I would already be in Italy. There is no way for her to be faster than my convenient door.” With such thoughts, Ning Tao was no longer worried. He left the Cloud-lying Village and headed to the cliff where he came from.

It was already 11:30 when he got back to the Sky Clinic. Once Ning Tao walked through the door, he saw Qing Zhui, who was carrying the child, and Jiang Hao, who was just heading to the entrance.

“It's already so late, why aren't you all asleep?” Ning Tao approached them.

Jiang Hao said, “Qing Zhui and I had furnished your room. We're here to get you to go home to sleep. You can't possibly be sleeping in the clinic, right? There's not even a single bed inside the clinic.”

Ning Tao said with a smile, “It must be hard on you all. Let's go home. And just in time, I have something to discuss with you all.”

Jiang Hao rolled her eyes at Ning Tao. “Be so polite with me again, and I'll…”

She did not say what she would do, but seeing her expression, it seemed like she would have said it if Qing Zhui were not present.

“Mama, carry.” Hu Xiaoji reached out her pair of chubby arms. Her tender voice was crisp and pleasant like beads clinking in an abacus frame.

Ning Tao reached out to carry Hu Xiaoji and kissed her forehead. He smiled as he said, “Xiaoji, don't call me Mama anymore, okay?”

“Okay, Mama,” Hu Xiaoji said.

Qing Zhui and Jiang Hao could not hold back their laughter.

The three people and child walked down the small alley, laughter erupting continuously along the way. If there was only one adult woman, most people would have thought they were a blissful couple carrying their child on their way home. But with an additional woman, the situation was complicated, so it was not easy to guess.

Back in the rented courtyard house, Ning Tao just found out that his room was the main bedroom. Jiang Hao's was the east room while Qing Zhui and Bai Jing took the west room, and Yin Molan's room was the backroom. As for Howling Celestial Dog, the entrance of the courtyard house belonged to it.

Howling Celestial Dog had no issues with that at all. After all, it was a dog's role to guard the house. Before meeting Ning Tao, it was still a stray dog, but now it was close to memorizing the whole English alphabet. It was like Ning Tao had given it a complete makeover. What more was there for it to be unhappy about?

Jiang Hao and Qing Zhui cleaned the room spick and span. The bedsheets and mattress were new as well. They had also prepared two sets of pajamas, slippers, towels, and more items for Ning Tao. How attentive and thoughtful.

Ning Tao looked at his room, and said smilingly, “Having women at home is the best after all.”

Qing Zhui revealed a smile on her lips.

Jiang Hao appeared to be a little awkward.

Ning Tao was very happy inside. As long as Jiang Hao would not quarrel or fight with Qing Zhui and spent time together like this every day, she would slowly let her guard down as time went by. At that time, he would really be enjoying his best life.

One of the old sayings is right. Good things are worth persevering for. How would there be good things if one did not persevere?

Right after that, Ning Tao got Bai Jing, Yin Molan, and even Howling Celestial Dog to come to his room. He immediately announced that he had received clues from Maria, and also revealed his plan.

“You're going to America, then Italy?” Jiang Hao was shocked.

Ning Tao nodded. “I must go this time. So far we have the elixir prescriptions of two bones. If I could find that piece of bone, then we would possess the elixir prescriptions for three bones. The Ancestor-seeking Elixir cultivated would then be more effective.”

“I agree, I'll go with you.” Yin Molan was already impatient. As long as it had to do with the Ancestor-seeking Elixir, he would participate enthusiastically.

“I'll go too,” Qing Zhui said.

Jiang Hao said too, “Then me too.”

Bai Jing said, “How could I not go?”

Ning Tao said, “I'll go check the route there. Once I'm done preparing, I'll take you all straight to Florence, Italy through the convenient door.”

Bai Jing said, “But America is the Black Fire Company's territory. How could we be assured with you being there alone? You should be very clear of the risks of this mission.”

Ning Tao said, “Of course I am. But if I want to escape, nobody would be able to hold me down. I'm still not sure about the situation there, so it might be even more risky for all of us to go at once. So it's decided, wait for me to make the preparations then I'll fetch you all there.”

Jiang Hao's eyes were filled with worry. “Then when are you setting off?”

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Ning Tao said, “Tomorrow afternoon, which would be nighttime over there. It will be easier to carry out operations that way. I've also set a date with Joanna for a day later on.”

Jiang Hao said, “Then I'll go make you a passport. Bring it just in case.”

Ning Tao's heart was warmed. He smiled while saying, “You are so thoughtful.”

Bai Jing coughed. “Brother-in-law, how come I've never seen you praise my sister that way? And, I've also done many thoughtful things for you, how come you've never praised me that way?”

Ning Tao: “…”

The conversation was killed just like that.

Chapter end