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Chapter 5 Two Tasks
Bi Yuntao began to admire his own wit and was picking his teeth as he walked. “And we’re not even talking about how cool I look now,” he thought.
“That bowl of wonton noodles was really too expensive, and I’ve managed to save the money for a meal. Furthermore, my actions must have led the sisters to understand the state of my family’s finances – that basically yours truly doesn’t have any money and they should be looking for other targets.”
“You, sir. Do you know the way to the Medical Center of Longevity?” he began to ask a passer-by.
“The Medical Center of Longevity? I’ve never heard of it,” replied the man as he shook his head before taking his leave.
Bi Yuntao looked in distress as he observed people and vehicles streaming by. “I’ve been searching for so many days now, but have yet to locate the Medical Center of Longevity!” he thought.
This time, he left the mountains as he had tasks to complete. In fact, there were two of them.
Firstly, his father had instructed him to find the Medical Center of Longevity and to look for a man named Lin Changtian – he had a letter for Bi Yuntao to pass to the man.
Originally, Bi Yuntao was not willing to go, but had grudgingly accepted the task in the end, after his father told him that the medical center would reward him handsomely for completing the assignment.
The second task was Bi Yuntao’s own; he wanted to find a healthy woman who could bear him children. He felt that he was no longer young, and that if a man in his 20s were to tell others that he was still a bachelor, he would become a laughing stock. As such, this was a pressing matter for him.
It was late now – after eight PM, to be exact. With so many neon lights illuminating the city, however, it still looked as bright as day.
If he still could not locate the Medical Center of Longevity, Bi Yuntao would have to sleep out in the open. Sensing the urgency in his task now, he hurriedly grabbed hold of a pale-skinned young lass and asked, “Miss, do you know the way to the Medical Center of Longevity?”
“I’m not a ‘Miss’! You are! Your entire family is! Crazy person!” she replied, throwing Bi Yuntao a side glance before leaving, her perky bottom twitching in the process.
Bi Yuntao was speechless. “Can’t the people here speak nicely? I was just asking for directions, but ended up with a scolding. Are city dwellers so rude? Seems like the countryside is still far better. I’d better return home after my tasks have been completed.”
At this moment, a middle-aged man, who had been leaning on a huge tree beside Bi Yuntao, rubbed his palms together and walked up, a sincere smile on his stubble-filled face. “Little brother, are you looking for the Medical Center of Longevity?” he asked.
Bi Yuntao nodded profusely. “That’s right, that’s right! Do you know the medical center?” he replied.
“Yes, yes! I’m from Jiangnan city; I know every place here. Will you come on board?” he asked. As he spoke, he brought Bi Yuntao before a small, rundown car.
“Do I have to pay?” Bi Yuntao asked carefully, immediately reacting by feeling the pocket containing his money upon boarding the vehicle.
The stubbly man dug his nose and flicked the gooey contents on his finger out of the car window before replying. “You just have to pay for my gas. It’s so late now, and I can’t possibly send you there for free, can I? Do you think this is reasonable?”
Bi Yuntao nodded, his heart aching. “That’s true. But then how much is the gas money?”
“Not much, just 20 dollars. Take it that we’re making friends!”
Bi Yuntao’s neck shrank instinctively as he heard the sum he had to pay. Even so, he still grudgingly spurred the man on. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
All along the way, the stubbly man kept talking to Bi Yuntao, but he did not reply. He was feeling a feverish warmth spreading in his body now.
As the car continued to advance, Bi Yuntao felt his money burning away, cent by cent. “This journey is made possible by me burning my money!” he thought.
After a while, the stubbly man stopped the car beside a hotel. They were already close to the outskirts of the city, and the hotel was very run down.
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