At the doorstep of Jiang Tao's house.
"Holy cow, a Mercedes! No way this is what Second Bro drove back, right?!"
Jiang Bing, who had rushed back from Ping County after Jiang Tao's call, stared in shock at the Mercedes GLS parked at her brother's doorstep.
A million-yuan luxury car like this was a rare sight even in Ping County, yet here it was, gleaming right in front of her second brother's house.
"Did Second Bro hit some multi-million-yuan lottery and get rich overnight or something?"
"Does that mean I've got a filthy rich brother now?"
The thought sent Jiang Bing into a frenzy, and she dashed into Jiang Tao's house, hollering.
"Second Bro, Second Bro, you bought a Mercedes?!"
"How much was it?! That car's so freaking cool!"
"Can I borrow it for a couple of spins?"
"I've never even touched a Mercedes steering wheel in my life!"
Jiang Bing burst into the house and saw Jiang Tao alone in the living room.
She grabbed his arm, sweet-talking him with a barrage of "Second Bro, Second Bro."
The Jiang family had three siblings: the eldest, Jiang He, 36 years old; the second, Jiang Tao, 30; and Jiang Bing, 26.
Jiang Bing, being ten years younger than her eldest brother Jiang He, never really clicked with him growing up.
Instead, she'd always tagged along behind Jiang Tao, her second brother, like a little shadow, much closer to him than anyone else.
"It was about a million, give or take. Want to drive it? Go ahead, but bring it back by 5 p.m. I'm heading to your sister-in-law's place for dinner tonight."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao picked up the car keys from the coffee table and handed them to Jiang Bing. His little sister, his to spoil.
"Thanks, Second Bro! Wait, where are Sis-in-Law and Xue? Not home?"
Grabbing the keys, Jiang Bing suddenly noticed Xu Li and Jiang Xue were nowhere to be seen and asked curiously.
Jiang Tao smiled. "They went to the market to buy New Year's goods. But first, let's talk business. I just landed another deal—interested?"
"Interested? Heck yeah, I'm in! What's the project this time?"
Jiang Bing had helped Jiang Tao sell Ultraman hair clips before, which also boosted sales in her own shop.
Her earnings in the last month before the New Year were worth several months combined!
Others might not know, but she knew her second brother was raking in even more.
Just from selling those Ultraman hair clips, Second Bro's net profit was probably eighty or ninety thousand!
Earning that much in just a few days—most people couldn't make that in a year!
"See that?" Jiang Tao nodded toward a Nezha 2 popcorn bucket on the TV stand.
"Huh, I know that! Isn't that a Nezha 2 merchandise popcorn bucket? Are we selling these now?"
Jiang Bing got up, walked to the TV stand, and picked one up to inspect. It was pretty cute—she'd definitely snag one to take home later!
Jiang Tao nodded. "Yup, that's it. But not yet. We'll wait until Nezha 2 hits theaters and the hype builds up before selling.
For the next few days over the New Year, take a break and enjoy the holiday. We'll talk money-making after the New Year."
"After the New Year? Then why'd you call me back today? You're messing with me!"
"As soon as I get home, Mom and Dad start arranging blind dates for me. It's so annoying!"
Jiang Bing flopped onto the sofa but then sprang up excitedly, clinging to Jiang Tao's arm and cooing, "Second Bro, your new place is so comfy. How about letting me crash here tonight? I'll head back home tomorrow."
"No way."
Jiang Tao shot her down flat.
This third sibling of his, at her age, was completely clueless!
If she stayed over, how was his wife supposed to let loose?
"Second Bro, please, pretty please, just one night! You've got so many rooms, and it's so warm here."
"I want to take a shower tonight too. The bathroom at home doesn't even have a heater—it's freezing!"
Jiang Bing shook Jiang Tao's arm, launching into her tried-and-true begging and whining routine.
"You can stay tonight, but you have to go home and let Mom and Dad know. Coming back to the village and not going home—what's that about?"
Jiang Tao finally gave in. As the older brother, he was like a father figure, but he could never say no to his little sister.
Plus, the conditions at their parents' house really weren't as nice as his new place.
Jiang Bing had crashed at his place plenty of times before, usually bunking with Jiang Xue.
"Thanks, Second Bro! You're the best~ Hehe~"
Mission accomplished, Jiang Bing flashed a smug grin, grabbed the keys, and prepared to head out.
"Wait, open the trunk for me first. I'm sending some stuff to Mom and Dad's."
Jiang Bing asked curiously, "What stuff?"
"Cigarettes and liquor."
"Didn't I hear from Mom a couple of days ago that Sis-in-Law already sent some over?"
Jiang Tao grinned. "Who says you can't send more?"
"Alright, alright! My Second Bro, the ultimate filial son!!"
The siblings chatted and laughed as they walked to the car and popped open the trunk.
"Whoa, Moutai! Zhonghua cigarettes!"
"Second Bro, you've really made it big!"
"You're giving this to Dad? Don't give him a heart attack from excitement!"
"Maybe I should go back and warn him first?"
Seeing the boxes of Moutai liquor and Zhonghua cigarettes in the trunk, Jiang Bing was once again floored.
"Go play somewhere else," Jiang Tao teased.
As he spoke, he pulled out a case of liquor from the trunk and grabbed a few packs of Zhonghua cigarettes.
"Hehe, I'm off then, Second Bro~"
Jiang Bing giggled, hopped into the car, and drove off.
The youngest sibling had bought a hybrid BYD Qin with her own hard-earned money years ago and had four or five years of driving experience.
Her driving skills were pretty solid for a female driver, so Jiang Tao wasn't worried about her scratching the car.
Watching his little sister drive off, Jiang Tao sent Xu Li a text to let her know he was heading to their parents' place.
He put the extra cigarettes back inside the house.
Then, carrying a case of liquor and two packs of Zhonghua, Jiang Tao headed toward his parents' house.
The two houses weren't far apart, just two rows away with a small alley connecting them, less than 60 meters in a straight line.
After getting back last night, Jiang Tao had taken Xu Li and Jiang Xue for a drive.
This morning, he'd been tied up at home discussing business with Wang Xiaobai, so he hadn't had time to visit his parents yet.
At their doorstep, Jiang Tao saw his mom, Du Yongmei, sweeping the front yard with a big broom.
"Mom."
The word slipped out, and Jiang Tao instantly felt like a kid again.
"Son! You're back!"
Du Yongmei looked up, her wrinkled face softening and her cloudy eyes brightening instantly.
Of her three kids, Du Yongmei had always favored Jiang Tao, her second child, the most.
Whenever she had a headache or fever, it was always Jiang Tao who stayed by her side, fetching medicine or water.
The eldest, always running wild outside, and the youngest, glued to cartoons, were no help at all.
"Why'd you bring more liquor? Li Li already sent some for your dad a couple of days ago."
"Take it back, stop wasting money!"
"And these cigarettes too, take them away."
"Li Li already sent some—take these home and smoke them yourself."
After her initial joy, Du Yongmei noticed the liquor case and cigarettes in Jiang Tao's hands and started pushing him out.
When they sent their homemade peanut oil and sweet potatoes to their two sons, they gave as much as they could, worried it wasn't enough.
But when their sons brought them something, they refused to take much at all.
Such is the heart of parents.
In their minds, giving to their children was a duty and responsibility.
But accepting anything from their children felt like a burden.
The contrast between their generosity in giving and their humility in receiving was stark.
Ignoring his mom's protests, Jiang Tao pulled a playful move, using a shoulder lean to slip past her and darting into the house.
"That second boy of mine, really!"
Though Du Yongmei grumbled, her heart swelled with emotion, her eyes turning red.