"Uh... this matter, ha, haha... uh, hehe..." Jiang Hai, still curious about what was happening, was shocked when he heard what Cindy Clive said. Sure enough, the truth was about to come out.
"If I hadn't discovered it by accident today, would you have kept it a secret from me? I am their teacher. No matter what the relationship between you and I is, I am still their teacher, and I have the right to know about their situation." Seeing Jiang Hai's embarrassed face and speechless expression, Cindy Clive thought to herself, "Sure enough. Jiang Hai must have known about these two girls long ago. So why did he hide it from me? He really doesn't treat me like family."
"This isn't about power or authority. You know everything about my family, even the smallest details, like how many teeth my molars have grown. How could I... How could I hide something so important from you? The truth is, they just learned to speak recently, and we were planning to surprise you." Jiang Hai, looking at the angry Cindy Clive, quickly racked his brain. This wasn't an easy thing to explain.
Jiang Hai wanted to say harshly, What's wrong with you?! But he knew that if he said that, it would likely end things between him and Cindy Clive.
What would happen if Cindy Clive told others about this?
Not only would they risk being caught by the American government and used as guinea pigs for research, but Darlene, Marianne, and Aphra would also be in danger.
And Jiang Hai couldn't just silence Cindy Clive—he simply couldn't bring himself to do something so cruel.
Since he couldn't resort to such drastic measures, Jiang Hai decided to bluff.
"Really?" Cindy Clive looked at Jiang Hai's explanation with disdain. Did he think she was stupid?
"Well, let me tell you the truth. The main reason I kept this from you is because I was afraid the news would leak. Their throats are a little... strange." Seeing Cindy Clive's skeptical expression, Jiang Hai sighed inwardly. Bluffing wasn't easy.
"How strange?" Cindy Clive frowned, a little more convinced by what Jiang Hai was saying.
"You remember my friend, Fuyuan, right? When he came, he brought me some Chinese herbal medicine from China. I've been giving it to them and Aphra for the past month. After drinking it for a while, they started to speak. Recently, they've been able to say a few words. But I'm really scared that if people find out they can speak, it could cause trouble. I don't want them to provoke the federal police or something. If they dissect us... it'll be a disaster. They'll have to say they dedicated their lives to medical research. It would be miserable." Seeing that Cindy Clive seemed to buy the story, Jiang Hai quickly spun a tale. Though he wasn't a habitual liar, his control over the situation made him appear convincing.
After hearing Jiang Hai's explanation, Darlene and Marianne stood up and nodded in agreement.
"Is that really the case?" Cindy Clive still found it a bit far-fetched, but it was better than a surprise. Sometimes, women don't want the truth; they just need a comforting word.
"Of course it's true. Diamonds aren't as real as this." Jiang Hai raised his hand and imitated a Western-style oath, speaking each word deliberately. Since he didn't believe in God, he just did it casually.
"So, where is the medicine?" Although Cindy Clive was skeptical, she still wanted to clarify.
"It's a secret recipe. You know how it is in our country—this stuff is passed down to men, but never to women, especially not to outsiders. He just gave me the powder. I've already used it all up for them, and I don't need it for now." Jiang Hai spoke seriously, though in reality, there was no powder. The girls had healed through their own spiritual energy.
"So, you shouldn't have kept it from me. Am I the kind of person who talks too much? Don't worry, I'll keep this secret for you. But you need to think about it carefully. They can't stay silent forever. We need a way to make others accept that they can speak." Cindy Clive glanced at Jiang Hai before sitting down again.
Jiang Hai had to admit that Cindy Clive was still kind-hearted. She forgave him and started thinking about how to let the girls speak openly, but it wouldn't be easy.
"I've thought about that too. You see, the farm is going to be a bit busy soon. We're selling the first batch of cattle. Once the herd is smaller, I'll have more free time. I'll take them out for a while, find a clinic, get them checked out, and then we can just say they were cured. That should solve everything, right?" With Cindy Clive's anger somewhat suppressed, Jiang Hai breathed a sigh of relief and sat opposite her.
In truth, Jiang Hai had already thought about how to let the girls speak openly when they first started talking, but it was hard to bring up, and it always needed the right opportunity.
"That's a good idea. I had a good friend in college who specialized in medicine. He runs a research lab in California. Although I don't know exactly what you gave them to make them talk, it might be better to have a full checkup. Going to other hospitals could cause problems. I think it would be better to take them to my friend's place." Cindy Clive looked at Jiang Hai's sincere face, then sighed. This could be an opportunity.
An opportunity for the girls to interact with others.
"In that case, I'll be in your debt," Jiang Hai smiled and quietly wiped his forehead, relieved.
"It's no trouble at all. By the way, I heard not only did your farm sell cattle, but your ex-wife came too?" After talking about the children, Cindy Clive casually asked about Jiang Hai.
"Uh... yes," Jiang Hai replied, although he knew that answering this question incorrectly could lead to trouble.
"What is she here for?" Cindy Clive's breath seemed to catch as she asked.
"She opened several western restaurants and came to order beef. I sold her a thousand head of cattle." Jiang Hai answered calmly, leaving out the other details.
"Oh, I see. But you haven't divorced yet." Cindy Clive continued.
"No, we haven't. After all, she helped me when I was in trouble. She said it might take two or three years, so I don't want to push her too hard." Jiang Hai spoke sincerely, though deep down, he knew that their future together was unlikely.
Qi Li would focus on the family business, which primarily dealt with the domestic market, while Jiang Hai's focus was on his manor. He had invested too much in it and couldn't leave. This was where his roots were.
"It will take two or three years? Well, that's not too long," Cindy Clive said. "It's okay. I have to go to class now." Although she wasn't entirely satisfied, Cindy Clive knew Jiang Hai wasn't lying to her, and that was enough. They weren't in a serious relationship yet, so she had no right to pry too much into his life, but it was important to ask questions.
"Uh, is that really okay?" Jiang Hai couldn't help but feel a little doubtful.
"Really, it's fine. Of course, if you want to tell me all about your love story with your ex-wife, feel free," Cindy Clive said, flipping through a book in front of her. Jiang Hai quickly backed down.
It was better to cook and let the three women focus on their studies than talk about such things.
That day's study session was short, likely because the women weren't in the mood to focus. After dinner, it was only a little after five in the afternoon, and in Boston, it wasn't fully dark yet.
Still, Jiang Hai sent Cindy Clive home. After watching her leave, he returned home.
Once back, he asked how the two girls had been discovered.
It was because of the bracelets. Today, they wore the diamond bracelets that Qi Li had given them.
Cindy Clive had noticed them when she came to tutor and asked where they'd gotten them.
Darlene, a little careless, pointed to Jiang Hai's wife as the buyer. Cindy Clive, half-jokingly and half-jealously, suggested that Jiang Hai's wife could tutor the girls from now on. That's when Marianne had a shock.
She immediately blurted out, "No, I don't like her."
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone was stunned. The events that followed were exactly what happened when Jiang Hai returned home.
"Oh, it's bad luck, but I guess I deserve it. I just hope the person Cindy Clive introduced is reliable." Listening to his daughters explain the situation, Jiang Hai rubbed his hair. It was a blessing in disguise, but it still felt like trouble.
He couldn't be anxious about it. Fortunately, Cindy Clive seemed quite trustworthy.
At that very moment, Cindy Clive was at home, scrolling through her contact list on her phone.
Looking at a name written in Chinese pinyin, she hesitated for a moment before dialing.
(To be continued.)