Jiang Tao's goal was very clear.
The moment he got into the car, he immediately opened the glove compartment.
His gaze instantly locked onto the car's user manual, which was faintly glowing in his vision.
The car was a second-hand vehicle that had been driven for six or seven years.
But this car manual looked brand spanking new.
This thing was something most people wouldn't even bother flipping through.
Who could've imagined that some genius would stash a lottery ticket inside it?
Even more bizarre, this lottery ticket had actually won!
And even more bizarrely, the person who bought the ticket seemed completely unaware of it and sold it along with the car!
"Brother System is still the real MVP! Otherwise, this lottery ticket would've just turned into worthless paper!"
Jiang Tao couldn't help but mentally praise Brother System again. His eyes glanced outside through the windshield.
He saw Tian Zhipeng and his little assistant eating pancake rolls while chatting and laughing, not paying any attention to him.
*Flip, flip, flip~*
Jiang Tao grabbed the car manual and shook it vigorously with a flick of his wrist.
Sure enough, a thin lottery ticket fell out!
"Found it!"
Jiang Tao bent down to pick up the ticket that had fallen to the floor, then put the car manual back in its place and snapped the glove compartment shut with a *click*.
The entire sequence of actions was smooth and seamless, not a single move wasted.
Without bothering to check how exactly the lottery ticket had won, Jiang Tao stuffed it directly into the inner pocket of his down jacket.
With the lottery ticket in hand, Jiang Tao let out a long breath. He pretended to inspect the car's interior for a bit longer before pushing the door open and getting out.
After stepping out, he lit a cigarette and took a couple of puffs to calm himself down. Only then did he stride confidently toward Tian Zhipeng.
"How's it looking, Master Jiang? The car's in pretty good condition, right?"
"Next time you see a good deal, you gotta act fast. Quick hands grab, slow hands miss. Good cars are always in high demand."
Tian Zhipeng didn't notice anything unusual about Jiang Tao and teased him with a grin.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Next time you get a quality second-hand car like this, Boss Tian, send me a WeChat message first. It's a pity this time; I actually really liked this car."
Tian Zhipeng nodded with a smile. "Alright, alright, next time for sure."
"Well, I'll get going then. Don't want to hold up Boss Tian from making bank."
Jiang Tao waved goodbye to Tian Zhipeng and turned to head toward the bus stop not far from the auto repair shop.
At the bus stop, Jiang Tao saw the bus hadn't arrived yet, so he lit another cigarette.
After just two puffs, the 463 bus pulled up.
Sure enough, the "light a cigarette, and the bus arrives" rule proved itself once again!
Jiang Tao stubbed out the cigarette, tossed it into the ashtray on top of the trash can, and pulled out his bus card to board.
It was a Sunday, and the bus was packed with people. Jiang Tao barely managed to find a spot to stand.
The lottery center wasn't open today, so he couldn't redeem the prize. Jiang Tao decided to head to the Hongxing Second-Hand Wholesale Market to check on the landlord's "love story."
After all, if he could help the landlord find love, the 88,888 yuan red envelope reward would be worth even more than this lottery ticket!
The bus swayed along for seven or eight stops before Jiang Tao got off at the Hongxing Second-Hand Furniture Wholesale Market.
After getting off, Jiang Tao strode purposefully away from the crowd.
Only after walking a good distance did he eagerly pull out the winning lottery ticket.
"Holy crap, what kind of insane luck is this?!"
Seeing that the lottery ticket was a random single-pick entry, Jiang Tao couldn't help but marvel at the original owner's luck!
Two yuan had won 68,996 yuan—probably a second-tier prize, right?
But to say the original owner was lucky… well, not *that* lucky.
Winning a second-tier prize was no small feat, but the prize was only a bit over 60,000 yuan, not quite 70,000.
Clearly, that particular draw must've had a lot of second-tier winners, so the prize was split among more tickets, reducing the payout per ticket.
"Almost 70,000 yuan isn't bad at all. Most people could buy lottery tickets their whole lives and never win a prize this big!"
Jiang Tao didn't bother looking up which draw this ticket was from; that information wasn't useful anyway.
Since Brother System said it was worth 68,996 yuan, it was definitely worth that much!
After checking the ticket, Jiang Tao carefully tucked it into his wallet, mentally planning to redeem it tomorrow.
As for taking another day off, Liu Zhiyuan and the others probably wouldn't mind.
Earning an extra 1,000 yuan in a day—who would complain about that?
Their stock of tangerines was limited anyway, and they weren't worried about selling them.
Liu Zhiyuan and his two buddies would probably love it if Jiang Tao took leave every day—they'd get to sell for a couple more days and make an extra 2,000 yuan!
While thinking about whether to wear an Ultraman mask or a Xiong Da or Xiong Er mask when redeeming the prize tomorrow, Jiang Tao soon arrived at the entrance of the Hongxing Second-Hand Furniture Wholesale Market.
At the entrance, there were plenty of vendors on both sides—some selling fried skewers, others grilled gluten, pancake rolls, hand-pulled pancakes, and roasted sweet potatoes.
In Jiang Tao's vision, a faint beam of light shone on an auntie selling roasted sweet potatoes on the west side of the entrance.
From a distance, he couldn't quite make out her appearance.
But he could tell she was tall and slender, clearly standing out from the burly vendors around her.
As he got closer, Jiang Tao was surprised to find that this auntie, who was almost certainly Ma Dongmei, was much younger than he'd expected!
He'd originally assumed the landlord's compatible match would be an older lady around his age.
But this Ma Dongmei auntie looked, at most, in her early fifties?
Though time had left its marks on her face—crow's feet and forehead lines were visible—it was clear that Ma Dongmei must have been a beauty in her youth.
She also had a unique elegance that set her apart from the other aunties around her.
Yes, Jiang Tao saw a trace of elegance in Ma Dongmei.
It was almost like the refined grace of an aristocratic lady from ancient times.
While the other vendors, when not serving customers, were either chatting and laughing or sitting on small stools scrolling through their phones, Ma Dongmei stood quietly, her posture straight as a rod.
Her hands were crossed over her abdomen, and she gazed gently at the roasting oven in front of her, calmly waiting for customers.
She wore the same red-checkered apron as the others, but on Ma Dongmei, it looked like a seller's showcase photo from a Taobao shop.
The other aunties' aprons, on the other hand, looked like failed buyer review photos.
The difference was stark!
Soon, Ma Dongmei noticed Jiang Tao approaching her.
Her gaze met his, and a warm, friendly smile curved her lips, though she didn't say a word.
Even when Jiang Tao stopped at her stall, she still didn't speak.
She simply looked at him with gentle eyes, her hands making a few soft gestures.
Seeing this, Jiang Tao instantly understood, his heart touched lightly.
So, this Ma Dongmei auntie was deaf and mute.
Perhaps because she had lived her entire life in a silent world, she seemed so serene?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear readers,
If you happen to notice any errors, typos, or inconsistencies in the text, please don't hesitate to leave a comment. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will help me improve the story. Together, we can make it as polished and enjoyable as possible!
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------