*Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling—*
At 7 a.m. the next morning, Jiang Tao was jolted awake by the alarm on his phone.
As soon as he opened his eyes, a goofy grin spread across Jiang Tao's face.
Last night, he had a dream.
He dreamt that the watch he listed on Xianyu sold, and he pocketed 8,000 yuan!
With that thought, he first reached under his pillow and pulled out the delicate watch to take a look.
Seeing the watch was still there, not just a dream, Jiang Tao let out a long sigh of relief.
If he woke up to find yesterday was all a dream, that would've been such a scam!
After checking the watch, Jiang Tao opened WeChat and looked at his prize-winning record.
The record was still there—everything from yesterday wasn't a dream; it was all real!
Then, Jiang Tao opened the Xianyu app to check on his listing.
The moment he opened the app, Jiang Tao saw more than a dozen new messages in his inbox!
Overnight, more than ten people had shown interest in his treasure, some even inquiring about the price.
Among them was a user named "It's Jingjing Ya," a potential buyer from the same city as Jiang Tao.
She asked if they could do a face-to-face transaction, wanting to inspect the item in person before handing over the money and receiving the goods.
After all, it was an item worth over 8,000 yuan, and second-hand at that.
Not seeing the item in person would understandably make many people uneasy, which was only human nature.
Jiang Tao thought it over and replied to "It's Jingjing Ya," agreeing to a face-to-face transaction and asking about the meeting location.
*Ding-dong!*
Less than three seconds after Jiang Tao sent the message, the other party replied.
It's Jingjing Ya: Is Nanluoguxiang subway station okay?
From Jiang Tao's place, there was a direct subway line to Nanluoguxiang, and it would take about an hour to get there!
For 8,000 yuan, it was worth the trip!
Jiang Tao immediately replied, confirming the transaction time with "It's Jingjing Ya" for 10 a.m. that morning!
It was just past 7 a.m., leaving Jiang Tao plenty of time.
After getting dressed, he went downstairs to the small commercial street in the urban village and, for a rare treat, splurged at a mutton soup shop.
A bowl of mutton offal soup with meat and a crispy pancake cost him a total of 33 yuan.
After finishing the soup, he felt warmth spreading through his body!
Stepping outside, he crunched through the snow toward where he parked his truck the previous day.
Standing by the truck, he looked at the windshield, cracked into a spider web pattern with a hole in it.
Jiang Tao's mouth broke into a happy grin.
A 4,000-plus yuan iPhone 15, plus a women's watch worth over 10,000 yuan.
That was enough to replace dozens of windshields!
That smashed glass was totally worth it!
"Jiang Tao, what are you grinning about over there? Your truck's smashed up like that, and you're still smiling."
While Jiang Tao was lost in thought, a man's voice sounded nearby.
Looking up, he saw his fellow villager Wang Lianming slipping and sliding as he approached from the side.
"Have a smoke~"
Wang Lianming stopped beside Jiang Tao, pulled out a pack of Liqun cigarettes from his pocket, and handed one to Jiang Tao before lighting one for himself.
"Thanks, Brother Wang~"
Jiang Tao lit the cigarette, took a puff, and thanked him with a smile before saying, "Brother Wang, you heading out with the truck today? With this awful weather, I bet there's no work."
"Whether there's work or not, you gotta try. Staying home is just idling, and hanging out at the market is idling too."
"Who knows, maybe you'll pick up a job! That's a day's meal money right there!"
"You're heading to get the truck fixed, right? Alright, get going. I won't keep you. I'm off."
With that, Wang Lianming turned and walked toward his own truck, started it up, and drove off toward the market.
"It's not easy for any of us!"
Jiang Tao glanced up at the sky. Though the snow had lightened, it was still falling.
Even in this weather, workers didn't get a break.
Especially for independent workers like him and Wang Lianming—taking a day off meant earning one day less.
Unless there was something special, they generally wouldn't rest.
Even with a cold or fever, they'd still go out to work if they had to.
If he hadn't picked up the [Daily Intelligence System],
Jiang Tao figured he'd probably spend his whole life hustling at the Hongxing wholesale market.
Working until his sixties, too old to keep going, then returning to his hometown.
Maybe he'd find a job as a security guard to earn some living expenses.
Living out his days until his seventies or eighties, retiring back home, just waiting to die.
That was the fate of most rural folks.
But yesterday, when he got the [Daily Intelligence System], Jiang Tao felt the gears of his fate start to turn.
His life might just become different from now on!
"I'm not aiming for riches or glory—just financial freedom, no worries about food or drink, and I'd be content!"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Jiang Tao brushed the snow off the windshield, opened the door, and got in.
After starting the truck, he drove straight to a repair shop he often visited.
After some haggling with the shop owner, they settled on 680 yuan to replace the windshield.
He could pick up the truck by four or five in the afternoon.
Jiang Tao left the truck at the shop and took a bus to Zhuxinzhuang to catch Line 8 of the subway.
It was the morning rush hour, and the subway was packed, making it nearly impossible to snag a seat.
Jiang Tao kept his hands in his pockets, tightly gripping the watch, terrified of it being pickpocketed.
After about an hour of swaying on the subway, he finally arrived at Nanluoguxiang station, where he'd agreed to meet the buyer.
Following the crowd, Jiang Tao got off the train.
Once off, he checked his phone—it was only 9:30 a.m.
Still half an hour until the agreed meeting time.
With nowhere else to go, Jiang Tao found an empty bench and sat down.
While admiring the "shark pants" around him, he waited for the buyer to arrive.
The capital really was a big city—so many beautiful women compared to his hometown in Ping County.
In just a short while, Jiang Tao spotted seven or eight women as attractive as his wife.
*Ding-a-ling—*
While Jiang Tao was admiring the scenery, his phone rang, showing an unfamiliar local number.
"Hello."
Jiang Tao swiped to answer.
"Yes, I'm Jiang Tao."
"Yes, it's my ID."
"That's my address."
"Okay, okay, thank you so much!"
"Alright! Goodbye! Wishing you a happy life too!"
"I'll definitely support your iced tea every day from now on! I'll buy your products daily!"
"Got it! Bye-bye!"
Hanging up the phone, Jiang Tao's face lit up with a joyful smile.
That was the staff from the iced tea company confirming his information, saying they could deliver his prize phone today!
*Ding-a-ling—*
Just after hanging up with the iced tea people, another call came in.
"Hello."
"I'm at Nanluoguxiang already. B2 exit, right? Got it, got it!"
"Please wait a moment, I'm heading over now!"
"Alright! If I can't find you, I'll call again."
While talking, Jiang Tao glanced at the station signs and headed toward the B2 exit.
At the B2 exit of the subway station,
Jiang Tao immediately spotted a tall girl standing by a window, wearing a long white down jacket and a cute, fluffy pink hat.