Chapter 260 - Commencing of the Mountain Herbs Project

Translator: Thyaeria

After Su Tao separated from Xiao Jingjing, he gave a call to Yan Jing. However, she purposely did not pick up his call, so he tossed his phone to the side. But as he had expected, she gave a call back to him after some time had passed and asked, “Is there anything?”

Su Tao smiled. He knew that Yan Jing was unhappy with how he went missing for the Chinese New Year. He replied, “I’m calling you to discuss a proposition to get rich!”

Yan Jing instantly snorted, “Money-minded!”

Not bothered by her comments, Su Tao asked, “Can we meet up? Since we’re partners in business, we can earn money together!”

However, Yan Jing was pissed at how Su Tao went missing for the entire holiday, and the moment he called her, he would talk about money. Can’t you be more tactful and send a greeting for the holiday season to act a little?

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

She also realised that Su Tao would be more indifferent when he talked to her, which she felt a little bothered about. However, she did not reject Su Tao’s suggestion to meet up.

“You drive over, I can’t get someone to pick you up.” Yan Jing replied after some consideration. This should be able to convey her unhappiness with him.

With a sigh, Su Tao smiled. “I’ll be there in half an hour!”

After arriving at the Golden Bay, Su Tao saw Yan Jing holding onto Hua Yan’s little hand as they walked out after he parked the Volkswagen CC. Looking at Hua Yan’s reaction, it seems like her autism has gotten better. Even her relationship with Yan Jing has gotten better.

Kids were smart, and they could sense when someone was sincerely good to them.

When Su Tao walked over, he had immediately carried Hua Yan and placed her on his shoulders, while Hua Yan was grabbing onto Su Tao’s hair and chuckled.

The gloominess in Yan Jing’s heart instantly disappeared at this scene as she rolled her eyes at Su Tao. “Look at how crazy the two of you are!”

It appeared that Yan Jing placed importance on this meeting and had arranged someone to prepare lunch.

Having Hua Yan sitting beside him, Su Tao swept his gaze at the table. He could tell that every single dish was meticulously prepared. Without him knowing it, Yan Jing even understood his taste, since all the dishes on the table were healthy.

“I’ll take a bowl of soup for you!” Hua Yan suddenly said after sitting down.

This made Yan Jing’s eyes emotional. She covered her mouth with tears welling up on the brim of her eyes.

Su Tao couldn’t help giving Hua Yan a peck on her cheek and praised, “Thank you, Hua Yan. I will certainly finish the soup!”

Hua Yan was careful as she scooped the soup into the bowl. Her hand was steady without a drop falling onto the table. When Su Tao took a sip of it, he winked in an exaggerated manner. “This is the best soup that I’ve drunk in my entire life!”

Hua Yan’s face was flushed with butterflies in her stomach after receiving encouragement from Su Tao. When she saw Su Tao making an eye-signal, she instantly knew what Su Tao was telling her, so she immediately said, “I’ll take a bowl of soup for mommy too!”

Finally, Yan Jing couldn’t hold her tears back anymore. She knew that she hadn’t heard wrong, and this was the first time that Hua Yan had called her ‘mommy.’

Maternal love was the greatest, and this was the first time she felt the warmth from Hua Yan after feeling so depressed for a long time. She suddenly felt that she was blessed. Despite the trials that the heavens have given her, it was all prepared for the happiness she felt today.

Turning away, Yan Jing secretly wiped her tears before she gave a blooming smile. “Thank you, Hua Yan.”

Witnessing the groundbreaking relationship between the mother and daughter, Su Tao couldn’t help sighing. He understood Yan Jing, and she was lacking warmth despite being a strong woman. Hua Yan’s appearance had disrupted her life, and it was akin to a hot spring that revitalised her deceased heart.

With a bashful smile, Hua Yan sat quietly and ate her food. However, she would occasionally peek at Yan Jing and Su Tao. It was a statement that she was no longer enclosed in her own world. At least Su Tao and Yan Jing had walked into her heart.

After lunch, Hua Yan was swept by exhaustion and she slept in Su Tao’s embrace in the living room.

Looking at this scene, Yan Jing helplessly smiled. “Seems like she’s extremely reliant on you. Even if she hasn’t seen you for a long time, she’s still so close to you.”

“Are you jealous?” Su Tao smirked.

Nodding her head, Yan Jing replied, “How can I be calm when my daughter is relying on someone more than me?”

Su Tao smiled. “This is the attraction for the different sex. When she grows up, she will eventually find a boy that she’s attracted to. Aren’t you going to stop her?”

“I won’t! I will encourage her instead to be in love early and try to interact with other boys.” Winking her eye, Yan Jing continued, “I’ve always been very open-minded.”

However, Su Tao knew that Yan Jing was just pretending to be calm, so he replied, “You won’t be this calm when she really finds a boyfriend. You will surely try to deliberately make things difficult. You don’t seem to be a mother-in-law that’s easy to deal with.”

His words made Yan Jing laugh. She felt relaxed whenever she talked to Su Tao. They didn’t engage in serious talks, and it always felt comfortable.

“Oh right, there’s news from Baihe City that Bei Xuqing has passed away!” Yan Jing suddenly said.

Death wasn’t a joyful subject, but the death of some people was worthy of celebration. Bei Xuqing’s perverted fetish was truly unacceptable.

“It’s good that there’s one less villain in the world.” Su Tao wasn’t surprised, since there were many secrets found in the Bei Manor. Whether it was Bei Xuqing’s opponents or friends, they would all want him dead so that they wouldn’t be affected.

“Bei Xuqing has been in Baihe City for a long time, and this incident implicated many people. So his death was beneficial for others.” Yan Jing further added, “Xie Chang’s impression of you is pretty good, and he said that you’ve done a good deed for the citizens in Baihe City.”

When Yan Jing mentioned Xie Chang, Su Tao immediately knitted his brows and probed, “You’re familiar with Xie Chang?”

Nodding her head, Yan Jing’s gaze flickered as she smiled. “Yeah, he’s a good friend of mine.”

Hearing her words, Su Tao felt uncomfortable in his heart, since Xie Chang was a charming man. So if he stayed beside Yan Jing, others would feel that their compatible with each other. Thus, he continued to probe, “I’m afraid that you guys aren’t just familiar, right?”

Nodding her head, Yan Jing admitted once more, “Indeed, he’s also my best guy friend!”

“Best guy friend!” Su Tao subconsciously snorted.

Looking at Su Tao with a playful gaze, Yan Jing smiled. “Why? You don’t seem too happy?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Su Tao replied with disdain, “I don’t believe in a pure friendship between men and women. A best guy friend of these sorts usually conceals some questionable intentions.”

Seeing that Su Tao was jealous, Yan Jing stretched her hand out and jabbed Su Tao’s head. “Boy, you’re overthinking too much. Xie Chang isn’t the same as you!”

“Where are we not the same?” Su Tao asked in puzzlement.

Holding onto her chin for a long time, Yan Jing wrote two words on the paper on the desk, “He and I like this type of person!”

The paper wrote, “Dashing looking!”

“You’re occasionally dashing, too!” Su Tao muttered, failing to understand the meaning behind her words.

Winking at Su Tao, Yan Jing placed a comma in between the two words.

Su Tao was instantly speechless as he looked at Yan Jing with a bitter expression. “Big Sister Yan, your words are too meaningful...”

Evidently, he never expected that Xie Chang would have such unusual interests. How many girls would be disappointed in this?

No wonder this topic was always so popular. Why were those homosexual men usually so handsome-looking?

As a doctor, Su Tao was tolerant of homosexuals, and he could understand that some people were just extraordinary upon birth. China’s society was more open-minded these days, and many people have also come out to reveal their sexual orientations.

“Oh right, what do you want to talk to me about?” Yan Jing finally felt that their talk should turn back on the right track.

“I’ve prepared some materials, and strictly speaking, it can be considered a business proposal.” Su Tao took out a stack of documents from his medical box.

When Yan Jing read through the proposal, her demeanor instantly returned to the queen of the business world and asked, “Isn’t this project a little too huge?”

Su Tao was humorous as he smiled. “If it’s not huge, how can it change the world?”

After Yan Jing finished reading through the proposal, she briefly closed her eyes before she replied, “With regards to the Qihuang Charity Funds, I can only provide, at most, roughly ¥100,000,000.”

Although Yan Jing held a massive corporation under her control and branched out to various industries, she never came in contact with charity, since it was something that she did not dare to touch. However, ¥100,000,000 had already exceeded Su Tao’s estimation.

With a smile, Su Tao thanked, “Then I have to thank you for your generosity!”

Since it’s a business proposal, it was bound to have profits. Thus, Su Tao suggested the Mountain Herbs Project by undertaking ten-odd undeveloped mountains as a natural manufacturing ground for TCM herbs.

Most of the herbs in the market were artificially manufactured, thus it was lacking of the herbal nature. This was just Su Tao’s initial plan for the Mountain Herbs Project. At the same time, he planned to visit Fan Lihua’s hometown to do research to finalise his plan.

He might be young, but he was someone with meticulous thoughts, since he had practiced medicine for years.

If he wanted to expand Qihuang Charity Funds, he would require a constant flow of funds. He would first require the support of society, and using those funds to invest in projects to support the development of the orphanage project. Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy to maintain it.

Looking at Su Tao with a complicated expression, Yan Jing sighed, “I never expected that there would be a day for me to invest in charity!”

In the underworld, she was the vicious and ruthless Venomous Widow. So it would surely be shocking for many people if she went into charity.

With patience, Su Tao explained, “Humans will change, and your life will be more meaningful when you take the first step out.”