"Hey, honey, I've been trying my hardest, pulling every string I can to find her."
"We'll find her, we definitely will."
"Just relax. I promise I'll have our little girl back before you return."
"I swear, I swear. Please don't cry anymore, don't ruin your health."
"I deserve a beating, I deserve punishment. When you're back, you can deal with me however you want, okay?"
"…"
Tian Jianming spent over ten minutes on the phone comforting his wife, finally calming her emotions a bit.
After hanging up, he lit a cigarette, his face clouded with worry.
Tian Jianming opened WeChat and shared the "hefty reward for finding a lost dog" post again in his Moments and several WeChat groups.
The photo showed a cute little Bichon Frise with pink-dyed ears, a purple-dyed tail, and a pink vest on its body.
Tian Jianming, 53 years old, had no children. This little Bichon, which he had lost, was a pet his wife, Zhao Ying, had raised for over six years.
Since the couple couldn't have children, they poured all their love into this little Bichon, treating it like their own daughter.
Every month, the cost of dog food, baths, and grooming came to four or five thousand yuan—hardly less than raising a child.
The little one held the highest status in the household, even above Tian Jianming himself.
Zhao Ying had gone on a week-long business trip, leaving the little one in Tian Jianming's care.
But on the first day, while Tian Jianming was distracted chatting with an acquaintance during a walk, the little dog vanished.
Tian Jianming mobilized everyone he could to help search for the dog, scouring the neighborhood and beyond, but to no avail.
That evening, when Zhao Ying wanted to video call with the little one, Tian Jianming had to confess that he'd lost the dog.
Because of this, Zhao Ying was so furious she even mentioned divorce.
To find their little one as soon as possible, the couple discussed and posted a lost dog notice.
Whoever could help them find the dog would receive a 60,000-yuan reward.
After the reward was announced, some people did contact him over the past couple of days.
They brought dogs that Tian Jianming couldn't distinguish from their own.
But Zhao Ying could tell at a glance whether it was their dog, already exposing three people trying to scam the reward.
A Bichon Frise might cost only one or two thousand yuan at the low end.
Faced with a 60,000-yuan reward, it was no surprise that some clever opportunists tried to pull a fast one.
To ordinary people, dogs might all look the same, but to a dog owner, their pet is one of a kind.
"Sigh, so much trouble lately. Why am I so unlucky?"
Tian Jianming sighed helplessly. His phone suddenly rang, displaying the name "Old Tian."
"Hey, Old Tian, you guys are here? Just bring your nephew in."
"Okay."
After a brief exchange, Tian Jianming hung up, got up from the sofa, and headed toward the door.
As he stepped outside, he saw Old Tian from the cattle ranch leading a tall, handsome young man through the gate.
"Boss, this is my nephew, Jiang Tao. Xiao Tao, this is our boss, Mr. Tian."
Tian Xiaoguang introduced the two with a cheerful smile after bringing Jiang Tao to Tian Jianming.
On the way here, he had already told Jiang Tao about Tian Jianming, so this was just a formality.
"Mr. Tian, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Jiang Tao. Come in, let's talk inside."
Tian Jianming's first impression of Jiang Tao was positive. He greeted them warmly and led them into the living room, inviting them to sit.
This was Tian Jianming's renovated rural villa, where he didn't usually live.
He only came here occasionally to have tea or drinks with friends.
Once seated, the three didn't waste time with small talk and got straight to discussing the transfer of the cattle ranch.
Tian Jianming had already had someone inventory the ranch's assets.
How many cattle, their total weight, the equipment, and the amount of feed.
Everything was meticulously detailed.
Tian Jianming was sincere this time, even throwing in the feeding equipment for free.
The focus of the deal was the cattle and the remaining materials.
There were 106 cattle left, with a total weight of 63,600 jin.
The feed, calculated at current market prices, was worth about 280,000 yuan.
When facing his partners, Jiang Tao expressed optimism and determination about the cattle market.
But with Tian Jianming, he took the opposite approach.
He said things that stabbed at Tian Jianming's heart.
Since 2023, domestic cattle prices had hit rock bottom and hadn't rebounded by 2025.
Instead, imported beef flooded the market year after year, squeezing out domestic beef.
Countries like the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico, with vast lands and sparse populations, had natural pastures and large-scale breeding environments.
Their livestock industries were already scaled, mechanized, and intelligent.
From breeding to butchering to processing, most steps were done by machines.
In contrast, China's breeding industry was still highly fragmented.
Both feed and labor costs were much higher.
Even with tariffs, imported beef was cheaper than domestic beef.
In 2024, China imported about 2.74 million tons of beef, a massive blow to domestic cattle ranchers.
The domestic beef industry was unlikely to regain its former glory.
In the future, individual ranchers would dwindle, and large-scale, modernized operations would become the trend.
Like a certain internet giant's modern pig farm.
With just a few employees, they could raise thousands of pigs.
This drastically cut labor costs and achieved efficiency.
In short, Jiang Tao saw limited prospects for this industry.
Whether he invested depended on the deal.
If the price was right, he'd invest; if not, he'd pass.
After some haggling, Jiang Tao successfully struck a deal with Tian Jianming at 13 yuan per jin.
106 cattle, 63,600 jin, totaling 826,800 yuan.
Plus 280,000 yuan for the feed.
Jiang Tao would also take on the ranch's workers and continue employing them.
The compensation for the land leased to the village would also fall to Jiang Tao.
The total amount, 1,106,800 yuan, would be paid in three installments over three months.
The first payment was 500,000 yuan, the second 400,000 yuan, and the third would settle the balance.
Tomorrow, Tian Jianming would have someone draft the formal contract.
Once signed and the first payment was made, Jiang Tao could take over the ranch's operations.
"Mr. Tian, here's to a successful partnership."
"To a successful partnership!"
With the deal sealed, Jiang Tao and Tian Jianming shook hands and said their goodbyes.
Tian Jianming saw them off at the gate, watching them drive away in a Beijing-plated Mercedes GLS.
"Second Brother, how'd the talk go?"
The driver, Xiao Bing, asked about the investment project with concern.
Jiang Tao smiled, "Nailed it."
"But, is this project really going to make money? It won't…"
"Pfft, pfft, pfft! Don't jinx it!"
"Follow your Second Brother! One day, I'll have my own Mercedes!"
"Old Third, where are you spitting? Gross!"
"You're the gross one! What kind of brother talks to his sister like that!"
The siblings bickered after just a few words.
"You two, after all these years, you haven't changed a bit. Still bickering like always."
Tian Xiaoguang, sitting in the back, chuckled as he watched the two in front.
His cloudy eyes seemed to travel through time, seeing the two as kids again.
Over twenty years ago, the siblings were just little brats.
The younger sister followed her brother around like a shadow.
Even when he teased her to tears a dozen times a day, she'd wipe her nose and eyes and keep following him.
Now, over twenty years later, the brother was married with a family, and the sister was of marriageable age.
Yet their pure sibling bond remained unchanged.
That's family, that's siblings!
Tian Xiaoguang, now in his fifties, was still a bachelor.
His older sister still treated him like a kid.
After their parents passed, his sister cared for him even more, often blaming herself for not finding him a good match.
Tian Xiaoguang had thought about marriage when he was younger.
But it wasn't something he could just will into happening.
He started blind dating at 18, and by 38, he still hadn't succeeded. After that, fewer people bothered introducing him.
As he got older, the idea of marriage faded.
Bachelor life it is—one person fed, the whole family's full. Not bad!
That evening, Tian Xiaoguang ate dinner at his sister's place before Jiang Bing drove him back to the ranch.
Knowing the ranch would soon belong to his nephew made Tian Xiaoguang proud and even more dedicated.
He patrolled the ranch several times with a flashlight, far more diligent than before.
…
At Jiang Tao's parents' house, after dinner, his dad, Jiang Wen, and Old Sun went next door to play chess with Uncle Tianming.
The two nephews were in the yard with the family's darling, Jiang Xue, setting off fireworks and sparklers.
After dropping off her uncle, Jiang Bing sat eating cantaloupe, listening to her second brother, sister-in-law, and mom chat.
"Sigh, your kids with your brother are so big, but your uncle still hasn't found a wife."
"When he's old and can't move, who'll take care of him? Who'll look after him? Sigh…"
Whenever her uncle's marriage came up, their mom, Tian Xiaomei, started sighing.
It was practically a chronic heartache for her.
Like a mother, after their parents passed, Tian Xiaomei worried endlessly about her brother's marriage.
She wanted to help him find a wife, but she didn't have the means.
With two sons of her own, building houses, weddings, and kids—everything cost money.
She could only watch, guilt-ridden, as her brother grew older and became the town's "old bachelor."
Xu Li held her mother-in-law's hand, comforting her gently:
"Mom, don't overthink it. Maybe Uncle's fate hasn't arrived yet. When it does, he might get married this year."
"Sigh! At his age, what fate? I just want him to find a companion."
"Doesn't matter if she's pretty or not, just a woman who's not crazy or foolish."
"Thinking about your uncle's lonely old age breaks my heart. He's my only brother, sigh."
The light, cheerful mood turned heavy when the topic of Uncle's marriage came up.
"Mom, don't worry so much. Like your daughter-in-law said, when fate comes, you can't stop it. If it's not here, you can't force it."
Jiang Tao chimed in with a smile, citing an example: "The landlord of my place in Beijing, an old man in his 70s, met an auntie from Ping County by chance. They hit it off in days. Uncle's only in his 50s—there's still time for a twilight romance."
"Fifty and still time? Your example's an outlier, not the norm. And you, Old Third! Still eating? You're already…"
"Oh no! I just remembered, I've got important work at the shop to finish! Mom, you guys chat, I'm heading back. Bye!"
Jiang Bing, happily munching on melon, suddenly realized the conversation had turned to her. She wiped her mouth and bolted, faster than a rabbit.
"Don't go! Your Aunt Wang said she'd introduce you to someone. Pick a day to meet!"
"What? I can't hear you~~~"
In seconds, Jiang Bing was out the gate.
"That Old Third! She's 27! People her age have three kids already. What's she thinking? Trying to be a spinster?"
Tian Xiaomei fumed when it came to her youngest daughter's marriage. She'd nagged her a hundred times to no avail.
"Lily, Old Third listens to you and her second brother. She's living with you now, so help me talk to her. She's not young anymore. If she doesn't marry and have kids soon, she'll be an old mom."
"Okay, Mom, I'll talk to her. Old Third's got her own mind, but don't worry too much. With her qualities, she won't struggle to find someone."
"…"
Jiang Tao and Xu Li chatted with Mom until 9:30 p.m. Jiang Xue, tired from playing with her cousins, got sleepy, so the family of three walked home hand in hand.
"Mommy, Daddy, these days have been so fun. I wish every day could be like this~"
Little Jiang Xue held her dad's hand in one and her mom's in the other, her rosy face full of dreams for a happy life.
Xu Li teased, "You're just looking for an excuse to skip school."
Jiang Xue pouted, "No way! Daddy said he'd sign me up for ballet when school starts. I can't wait! These nights, I even dream about dancing ballet—it's so fun!"
Xu Li shot Jiang Tao a playful glare. "When did you two plan this? Without telling me?"
"It's mine and Daddy's little secret… Oh no! Daddy, I accidentally spilled our secret!"
Jiang Xue realized her slip and quickly covered her mouth.
Her apologetic look at her dad was so innocent, as if saying she didn't mean it.
"Little Xue always wanted to try ballet. When we're in Beijing, we'll sign her up for a class to fulfill her little dance dream."
Jiang Tao spoke with confidence, chuckling, "It's just a dance class. Sign her up. If she likes it, great. If not, we'll try something else. Kids need to experiment to find what they love."
"She'll lose interest in a week, I bet. You spoil her."
Xu Li shook her head with a smile. No one knew their daughter better than she did.
Worried her dad might change his mind, Jiang Xue raised her hand eagerly, "No way! I'll love it forever, I promise~"
The family of three laughed and chatted, soon arriving home.
Rural life lacked entertainment.
Back home, they watched TV in the living room. Xu Li took Jiang Xue to bathe first.
Jiang Tao lounged on the sofa, scrolling through today's Moments, hoping to stumble on some useful info.
"Huh? A 60,000-yuan reward? That thing's worth four or five thousand at most."
Seeing Tian Jianming's lost dog post in Moments, Jiang Tao shook his head, amused.
He couldn't quite grasp the ways of the rich.
His gaze lingered briefly before he scrolled on to check Zhang Bo's antiques in Moments.
The Yuan Datou coins Zhang Bo bought from him were already posted.
And they were selling well—dozens gone in just a few days.
Then there was his sister-in-law's post celebrating Wang Xiaohong's birthday, maybe intentional, maybe not.
In one photo, Jiang Tao saw his eldest nephew and Wang Xiaohong kissing across a birthday cake.
"Kids these days move fast."
Jiang Tao stayed neutral about his nephew Jiang Shijie dating Wang Xiaohong, choosing not to meddle.
The two were willing, so what was there for an elder to oppose? A blessing would do.
Plus, their compatibility was high, and Wang Xiaohong had a "prosperous spouse" vibe.
Jiang Tao had no reason to object.
His only concern was one being in high school, the other in college—hoping they wouldn't accidentally "make a life."
After ten minutes of scrolling Moments, Xu Li and Jiang Xue finished bathing.
The two beauties, one big, one small, wrapped in pink and purple bath towels, one sexy, one adorable.
As Jiang Tao admired his two beauties, a figure zipped past.
The bathroom door slammed, followed by Old Third's cheerful humming.
Yup, outmaneuvered by that sly Old Third again.
Xu Li took Jiang Xue to blow-dry her hair, and Jiang Tao, the last to shower, finished after 11 p.m.
The couple cuddled and whispered for a bit until Xu Li fell asleep.
Jiang Tao stayed up until midnight, waiting for new intelligence to refresh, not wanting to miss any opportunities.
**[Today's Intelligence 01]:**
You had contact with your uncle Tian Xiaoguang yesterday, triggering related intelligence—
Tian Xiaoguang's best marriage match [Tian Mingrong] is currently in Ping County.
Their compatibility is 94%, a great match.
This intelligence triggers a special task [Continuing the Family Line]!
**[Continuing the Family Line]:** If Tian Xiaoguang continues the Tian family bloodline, the host will receive a 999,999-yuan cash reward!
…
"Uncle's marriage match? A 990,000-yuan cash reward!"
Seeing the first piece of intelligence refresh, Jiang Tao, who was dozing off, snapped awake, fully alert!
Just one yuan shy of a million!
Another piece of million-worth intelligence!
And…
Helping Uncle find a match to continue the Tian family line.
Even without the system reward, this was deeply meaningful to Jiang Tao.
Last night, Mom was still upset about Uncle's situation.
Now, with a chance to solve Uncle's marriage issue and earn a huge cash reward, it was a win-win!
With successful high-compatibility cases like Old Lu in Beijing with Ma Dongmei and his nephew with Wang Xiaohong, Jiang Tao felt confident about Uncle and this Tian Mingrong.
And, coincidentally, they both shared the surname Tian.