Ping County, Beiguo Mall.
In front of Dadi Cinema.
"Wang Xiaohong, you're really starving for love."
"You're actually dating that guy's nephew? An old cow eating tender grass, huh?"
Xu Sha looked at her "beauty buff" with a speechless expression.
She never expected that in just a few days, Wang Xiaohong had already hooked up with that guy's nephew.
And the speed of their relationship's progress could only be described as rocketing.
Apart from not yet rolling in the sheets, they'd already done everything—holding hands, hugging, kissing, you name it!
"Old cow, young cow, whatever. We're truly in love, okay~"
Wang Xiaohong's dark face even showed a few traces of shyness.
"The moment I saw Xiao Jie, I was drawn to his unique aura."
"At that moment, a voice echoed in my mind—"
"Wang Xiaohong, oh Wang Xiaohong, he's the destined one you've been waiting for!"
Talking about the scene of their first meeting, Wang Xiaohong's face lit up with a deep, longing expression.
"Ugh~ You're making me want to puke! I bet you and that kid won't last a week!"
Xu Sha rolled her eyes at her "beauty buff," holding back a harsh comment about her best friend.
She really wanted to ask Wang Xiaohong: *What on earth does that guy's nephew see in you???*
"Oh, Sha Sha, you wouldn't understand. Handsome looks are a dime a dozen, but a fascinating soul is one in a million."
"My Xiao Jie is so humorous and interesting. Our souls are super compatible!"
Whenever Wang Xiaohong mentioned Jiang Shijie, her eyes turned incredibly soft, like a little tank in love.
*Ding-a-ling-ling—*
As the two were talking, Xu Sha's phone rang.
She pulled it out from her small backpack and glanced at the caller ID: "Jiang Somebody."
Seeing the name, Xu Sha instinctively rolled her eyes, not really wanting to answer.
"Who's calling? Oh, isn't that your brother-in-law? You're not picking up his call?"
Wang Xiaohong saw the name on Xu Sha's phone and asked curiously.
If it was before the New Year, Xu Sha would've hung up on Jiang Tao without a second glance and then grilled him on WeChat about why he was calling her.
But now…
Seeing the name "Jiang Somebody," Xu Sha's mind instantly flashed to that black Mercedes GLS and the way her sister, Wang Xiaobai, respectfully called him "President Jiang" when facing him.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Xu Sha's delicate, fair fingers slid to accept Jiang Tao's call.
"Hey, Sha Sha, you're at Dadi Cinema right now, right?"
"Help me with something."
"Go to the sales area at the cinema entrance and grab all the Doutian packs on the shelves!"
"You need to be quick; this is urgent!!"
"I…"
"Whatever you want to say, say it later. Just go handle this for me first."
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, there's no time! I'll transfer you the money, whatever it costs!"
"Uh, okay…"
Xu Sha pouted, wanting to say, *Why should I help you?*
But hearing how urgently Jiang Tao was pressing her, she inexplicably started jogging toward the sales area, heading straight for the shelves.
Xu Sha was quite familiar with the display area for *Nezha 2* Doutian packs—she'd bought some just yesterday.
At the shelves, Xu Sha saw 12 unopened full boxes neatly arranged.
Below them were some loose packs that had already been opened.
She relayed the situation to Jiang Tao over the phone and received his instruction to take them all.
So, Xu Sha asked Wang Xiaohong to grab a big red plastic bag from the service counter.
The two of them cleared out the 12 full boxes of Doutian packs on the shelves, along with all the loose card packs below.
Jiang Tao couldn't make it to the scene in time, and through a video call, he wasn't sure if he could get specific hints.
Plus, with time running out, every second counted.
So, he had no choice but to splurge and take every single Doutian pack on the shelves.
Besides, buying all these cards wasn't entirely useless.
He could have Old Third list them on her online store for resale.
Flipping them around wouldn't lose him much money.
And if you factored in the value of that director-signed card, this move was an absolute steal.
The store clerk wasn't too surprised to see Xu Sha buying a huge pile of Doutian packs.
For "card-craving" fans like Xu Sha, if they didn't pull the card they wanted, it was easy to get carried away and splurge impulsively.
The final bill came to 2,280 yuan.
Jiang Tao directly transferred 3,000 yuan to Xu Sha via WeChat, with the extra as her "hard work fee."
Hard work fee?
In just a few minutes, she'd effortlessly earned over 700 yuan, nearly 800.
Xu Sha didn't feel the least bit of hardship!
"Sha Sha, your brother-in-law's pretty generous, huh!"
"Did he used to pretend to be poor in front of your family? Is he actually a secret second-generation heir or some rich guy?"
Seeing Jiang Tao's lavish gesture, Wang Xiaohong couldn't help but let her imagination run wild again.
This time, Xu Sha didn't snap back at her and even thought there might be some truth to what she said!
Eight hundred yuan wasn't a fortune to Xu Sha, not enough to make her ecstatic.
But it wasn't pocket change either—enough for her to buy tons of snacks and drink plenty of milk tea.
In the past, Jiang Tao had never been this generous with her.
Of course, she'd never helped him with anything before. Today was the first time.
"And the last time!"
"I only helped you because you sounded so desperate. There's definitely no next time."
Xu Sha pouted, making up her mind.
…
Jiangzhuang Village, Jiang Tao's house.
[Target item successfully purchased!]
Seeing the notification from the intelligence system, Jiang Tao finally let out a sigh of relief.
"That was close! Just a few dozen seconds away from missing out on 100,000 yuan."
Jiang Tao put down his phone, feeling the morning had been quite thrilling.
This incident made him realize, once again, the importance of having someone to help him out.
One hundred thousand yuan was equivalent to what he used to earn in over a year of hauling goods.
Missing out on it would've stung for a long time.
"Honey, who're you talking to in there? Get up and come eat~"
"My mom said we should head over early today so I can help her cook."
The door opened, and Xu Li poked her head in, calling out to Jiang Tao.
Today was the third day of the Lunar New Year, the day to visit her parents.
Every year on this day, her mother would meticulously prepare a big table of dishes to welcome her precious daughter and granddaughter.
As for Jiang Tao, he was lucky if he wasn't looked down upon.
"Wife, I've got something to take care of first."
"You guys eat slowly. I'll join you after I'm done."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao grabbed some clean clothes from the bedside and started putting them on.
"What's so urgent? Breakfast's ready. Take some bread to eat on the way, don't go hungry."
Xu Li said, stepping in to fix Jiang Tao's collar while asking with concern.
"It's just something I need to handle. It's a secret for now, don't worry, it'll be quick. Wait for me."
Jiang Tao smiled, ruffled Xu Li's hair, and brushed past her, striding toward the door.
"Honey, take the bread to eat on the way."
Xu Li chased after him, dashing into the kitchen to grab two slices of reheated bread for Jiang Tao.
The bread was stuffed with fried eggs, ham, and lettuce—delicious and nutritious.
"See ya, wife~"
Jiang Tao took the bread, smiled, and kissed Xu Li's smooth, full forehead before turning to leave.
Outside, Jiang Tao munched on the bread while starting the Mercedes and heading toward Tianzhuang Cattle Farm.
[Time remaining until the old yellow cow is sold: 0 hours, 40 minutes!]
From Jiangzhuang to the Tianzhuang Cattle Farm, where his uncle worked, was just over 3 kilometers.
It was a five- or six-minute drive, so time was plenty.
But thinking about the value of that bezoar, he wanted to get his hands on it as soon as possible to feel at ease!
Just like that director-signed card he'd barely snagged in the nick of time—way too thrilling.
He'd better avoid these kinds of situations in the future.
…
Tianzhuang Cattle Farm.
Tian Xiaoguang had just finished feeding the cows that morning when he got a call from the boss.
The boss said a customer was coming to the farm that morning to pick out a cow to slaughter for a feast.
He didn't need to handle the payment, just take care of the guest.
This kind of thing happened once or twice a month, so Tian Xiaoguang was used to it.
He knew his place clearly: he was just a cow feeder.
Whatever the boss told him to do, he did.
He didn't meddle in things that weren't his business.
*Beep beep!!*
Hearing a vehicle honking at the gate, Tian Xiaoguang went to open it and saw a livestock truck with railings parked outside.
"You're Old Tian, right? Just called your boss, Tian Huiming. I'm here to pick out a cow."
The truck driver, a chubby middle-aged man, smiled and explained his purpose.
In the passenger seat was a young guy playing on his phone, not even glancing at Tian Xiaoguang.
"You're Master An, right?"
Tian Xiaoguang glanced at the truck's license plate, which matched the one the boss mentioned.
"Yep, An Dapeng."
"Come on in, Master An."
Tian Xiaoguang pushed open the farm's iron gate and welcomed An Dapeng inside.
After entering, An Dapeng parked the truck in a spacious spot, got out, and walked over to Tian Xiaoguang.
"Master Tian, our boss likes chewy beef. Got any suggestions? What kind should we pick?"
As he spoke, An Dapeng offered Tian Xiaoguang a Yellow Crane Tower cigarette, smiling as he asked for advice.
"Young cows are tender. For chewy beef, go for a four- or five-year-old big cow. We've got six or seven big ones here. Let me show you."
Seeing An Dapeng's politeness, Tian Xiaoguang gave his opinion with a smile and invited him to check out the cows.
*Ding-a-ling-ling—*
An Dapeng's phone suddenly rang. He pulled it out and saw it was his wife calling.
"Master Tian, hold on, I need to take this call. We'll talk after."
An Dapeng said as he answered the call.
"Hey, honey…"
"What? You lost again? How much?"
Seeing An Dapeng step aside to take the call, Tian Xiaoguang was about to head back inside for a sip of water when he looked up and saw another car pulling into the farm.
It was a lively day.
"Hey, isn't that Xiao Tao's Mercedes?"
Recognizing Jiang Tao's license plate instantly—having memorized it—Tian Xiaoguang grinned and went to greet him.
"That truck must be here to buy a cow!"
After getting out of the car, Jiang Tao glanced meaningfully at the livestock truck in the farm and the man talking on the phone by the wall.
If it weren't for the intel from the system, this huge opportunity would've gone to that guy.
He'd basically snatched it from him.
Of course, Jiang Tao felt no guilt.
The natural bezoar belonged to whoever bought it first.
"Xiao Tao, what're you doing here? Aren't you visiting your in-laws today?"
Tian Xiaoguang approached Jiang Tao, his face wrinkling with a wide smile.
He was growing more and more impressed with his nephew, valuing him more than ever.
Whether it was the Tian family or the Jiang family, Jiang Tao was the first to drive a Mercedes!
No one could match that, at least not yet.
Jiang Tao didn't waste words with his uncle and got straight to the point:
"Uncle, I want to buy a cow from you. How do I contact your boss? How much is beef cattle per jin these days?"
"Huh? You… want to buy a cow? What for?"
Tian Xiaoguang looked at Jiang Tao with confusion.
Jiang Tao teased with a smile:
"What else? To plow fields? I'm buying it to eat the meat!"
"My wife, my dad, and my father-in-law all love beef, so I figured I'd buy a whole cow to let them eat to their hearts' content."
"Buy it… to eat the meat?"
Tian Xiaoguang stared at his nephew in shock, finding it hard to believe.
He'd seen plenty of big bosses who were chummy with his boss do this.
They'd casually buy a whole cow for a full-cow feast or something.
Those bosses weren't short on cash.
Did his nephew now have the same clout as those big bosses?
Jiang Tao asked, puzzled, "What's wrong, Uncle? Doesn't your boss sell?"
"He sells, but Xiao Tao…"
Tian Xiaoguang suddenly lowered his voice and said to Jiang Tao:
"Xiao Tao, if it's just for your family to eat, it's better to buy some fresh beef at the Ping County market."
"Ten or so jin of beef is enough for your family to eat heartily. No need to buy a whole cow."
"A cow weighs over a thousand jin. At 15 yuan a jin, that's over ten thousand yuan!"
Jiang Tao knew his uncle was saying all this out of genuine concern for him.
He didn't mind the nagging and said with a smile:
"It's fine, Uncle. It's just a small amount of money. It's the New Year; we should eat and drink well."
"When we butcher the cow and cook the beef, Uncle, you should come over and join the fun."
"Xiao Tao…"
"Come on, Uncle, take me to see your cows. I'll pick one myself!"
Tian Xiaoguang wanted to say more, but Jiang Tao threw an arm around his shoulder and led him toward the cow pens.
With no other choice, seeing Jiang Tao's determination, Tian Xiaoguang called his boss again to explain the situation.
A deal delivered to the doorstep? The farm boss happily agreed and told Tian Xiaoguang to take good care of Jiang Tao.
Jiang Tao didn't pay attention to what his uncle said to the boss. His focus was entirely on the cows in the pens.
His eyes quickly scanned over each cow, searching for that distinct glimmer.
"Not this one, not this one, not this one…"
"No, no, no…"
After five minutes, Jiang Tao finally spotted the old yellow cow glowing with a faint golden light among the hundred-plus cows.
Its shimmering golden appearance stood out clearly from the others.
"Uncle, that's the one! Get it out and weigh it!"
Jiang Tao pointed, locking onto his target.
"Xiao Tao, listen to your uncle, don't buy that one."
"That's a six-year-plus old cow. The meat's tough, not as good as a young cow."
Tian Xiaoguang, who'd been feeding cows at the farm for over a decade, knew everything here like the back of his hand.
Recognizing the cow Jiang Tao picked as an old female over six years old, he immediately advised against it.
Jiang Tao insisted, "It's fine, Uncle. I like meat with some chew to it. That's the one!"
For the sake of the 1,000-gram natural bezoar inside it, worth 1.49 million yuan, Jiang Tao didn't care if it was a six-year-old cow or a hundred-year-old one.
Eating the meat was just a bonus; the bezoar was the real prize!
Seeing Jiang Tao's resolve, Tian Xiaoguang stopped arguing and herded the cow to the gate for weighing.
The old yellow cow Jiang Tao chose weighed 612 kilograms.
Tian Xiaoguang snapped a photo of the scale and sent it to the boss for confirmation.
At the current market price of 30 yuan per kilogram, the cow's total price was 18,360 yuan!
Thankfully, Zhang Bo had sent Jiang Tao a 10,000-yuan deposit last night, or he might've been a bit short on cash!
After swiftly transferring the money to the farm boss, the cow was Jiang Tao's, and the opportunity was secured!
To avoid any unexpected issues, Jiang Tao immediately called his dad, asking him to arrange a flatbed truck from the village to pick him up at the farm.
Jiang Wen asked a brief question but followed Jiang Tao's instructions, arranging a flatbed truck to haul the cow.
By the time they drove the cow back to Jiangzhuang, it was around 9:30 a.m.
Next to Jiang Tao's parents' house was a plot of land they'd bought, enclosed with a wall.
His mom had turned it into a small vegetable garden.
In winter, the garden was empty, making it a perfect spot to keep the cow for a few days.
They'd deal with slaughtering the cow and extracting the bezoar after visiting all the relatives, when time was less tight.
Plus, this needed careful planning and discretion.
If word got out, the village gossip squad would swarm over to watch the cow being butchered.
If they found out he'd gotten a natural bezoar from it, the news would reach the farm boss in Tianzhuang within three days.
Finding out a cow he sold had a million-yuan bezoar inside? No one would feel good about that, and it could stir up trouble.
Jiang Tao wasn't afraid of trouble, but if he could avoid it, why not?
It was the New Year—who didn't want a peaceful holiday?
Grinning cheekily at his mom, Jiang Tao said:
"Mom, you and Dad better keep an eye on this cow. Don't let it run off."
"You little brat, think your mom's got too much free time and needs chores, huh?"
Tian Xiaomei teased with a laugh, but she took her son's request seriously.