"What? Me, the head of the farm?"
"I'm just a cow feeder, how could I possibly take on that role!"
Tian Xiaoguang was both flattered and shocked upon hearing his nephew's appointment.
Deep down, he actually yearned to be a leader, high above others, respected and admired.
But he was also afraid of messing it up and putting his nephew in a difficult position, so he instinctively declined.
As the old saying goes, opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared.
Ordinary people, without any preparation, wouldn't dare seize an opportunity even if it was right in front of them.
Tian Xiaoguang, now 53 years old, didn't even finish junior high before stepping into the workforce.
He had done all sorts of jobs.
Construction laborer, kitchen helper, security guard, factory worker, mover, loader— you name it.
It wasn't until his forties that he ended up at the Tianjiazhuang cattle farm, becoming a cowhand.
His jobs were varied, but they all had one thing in common: they were the lowest of the low.
Doing the dirtiest, most exhausting work, earning the smallest wages, he had struggled at the bottom for decades and remained there.
In all his years of working, Tian Xiaoguang had never even been a team leader.
Let alone the head of a cattle farm as big as this one.
Though it didn't involve managing many people, overseeing hundreds of cows was no small responsibility.
For someone like Tian Xiaoguang, who had never shouldered significant duties and was used to just coasting through life without ambition, the pressure was immense.
Faced with pressure, the brave confront it head-on, but ordinary people instinctively shy away.
Tian Xiaoguang was as ordinary as they come.
After decades of lying low, whatever spirit or confidence he once had was long gone.
"I'm telling you, if I say you can do it, you can do it. I'm in charge of the Tianjiazhuang cattle farm now, and from here on out, you're the head of it!"
Jiang Tao spoke with a smile, but his tone carried an undeniable authority. This was an appointment, not a discussion with Tian Xiaoguang.
Jiang Tao knew his uncle well.
He was the type who'd only move forward a few steps if you whipped him, and wouldn't budge without it.
Some things required pushing him to take action.
Having worked at the cattle farm for over a decade, Tian Xiaoguang knew everything he needed to know and was fully capable of handling the head's duties.
He just lacked confidence.
If he didn't have confidence, Jiang Tao would help him find it!
"Uncle, just listen to my second brother. Once you're out there saying you're the head of the farm, how much face will that give you!"
"Maybe you'll even find us an aunt and give us a little cousin or something, hehe~"
Jiang Bing teased her uncle while munching on sunflower seeds.
Little did she know, her second brother was actually planning exactly that!
Though they had gathered intel about Tian Mingrong,
Brother System calculated a 95% compatibility match between the two, practically guaranteeing success.
But saying you're a cow feeder doesn't sound nearly as impressive as saying you're the head of the farm.
In the game of socializing, status is something you create for yourself.
A more prestigious title clearly gives a significant boost when it comes to finding a partner.
So, Jiang Tao planned to first polish up his uncle's image, elevating his "status."
Then, he'd find a chance to arrange a meeting between him and Tian Mingrong, ensuring everything went perfectly!
"Ahem, you little rascal, teasing your uncle like that."
"I'm this old, what wife am I supposed to marry, what kids am I supposed to have!"
Tian Xiaoguang was a bit embarrassed by his niece's joke.
Though he denied it vehemently, which man is truly content being a lifelong bachelor?
It all boiled down to a lack of money!
If possible, who wouldn't want to marry a beautiful wife, have a smart and lively child, and live a happy family life?
Jiang Tao and Jiang Bing stayed at the cattle farm until noon before saying their goodbyes.
Before leaving, Jiang Tao left 100 yuan for his uncle, asking him to buy 50 lottery tickets at a designated shop—naturally, Tian Mingrong's lottery store.
At noon, Jiang Tao's family ate at his mom's place.
Braised beef, stewed beef, fish, shrimp— the spread was lavish.
After lunch, Jiang Bing and Xu Li continued working on their online store.
Jiang Tao, meanwhile, took his little "cotton-padded jacket" for a drive and quietly stopped by the police station to check the wanted posters on the bulletin board again.
Though he had already reported the highest-value target, there were still a few with 50,000-yuan bounties. Even small mosquitoes are meat.
As the sun set and the moon rose, the afternoon passed quickly.
Dinner was, as usual, mooched at his parents' place.
It was especially lively tonight, with his older brother and sister-in-law bringing their two nephews over.
Along with Jiang Tao's family of three,
it was a rare gathering for the whole family.
After dinner, the third sibling drove Xu Li, Jiang Xue, and their mom to rewatch *Nezha*.
In the past couple of days, *Nezha 2* had climbed into the top 100 global box office rankings.
The domestic atmosphere was suddenly buzzing with excitement.
This was the first Chinese film to break into the global top 100.
It played a massive role in promoting and spreading Chinese culture.
To support *Nezha*, many domestic companies started sponsoring group viewings for their employees.
Many netizens also began rewatching it two or three times.
Some even watched it ten times, contributing significantly to the box office.
The tickets Wang Xiaobai had given Jiang Tao hadn't been used up yet, so it was a perfect chance to show some support.
After dinner, his dad and Old Sun went next door to play chess with Jiang Tianming.
The three old buddies had been inseparable lately, getting along famously.
Jiang Tao had tagged along once but didn't bother going again, returning home alone instead.
He lounged comfortably on the sofa, browsing news on his phone.
While scrolling, Jiang Tao was also thinking about something.
Today was the last day of the Spring Festival holiday, and many people had already started returning to work, gearing up for the new year.
Jiang Tao, naturally, wasn't going back to hauling goods at the Hongxing second-hand wholesale market.
But he couldn't just idle at home every day either—that would raise suspicions.
He needed to find something to do.
At the very least, he had to appear busy and serious about work on the surface.
But as for what exactly to do, Jiang Tao hadn't figured it out yet.
There were companies online that offered "fake job" services, but Jiang Tao felt there was no need to deceive himself.
"Forget it, I'll figure it out when I'm back in Beijing. Rent a place, find a school for Xiao Xue, settle down first."
"With the intel provided by the daily intelligence system, my income's already pretty good. No need to stress too much about making money."
After thinking it over for a while, limited by his own perspective,
Jiang Tao couldn't come up with any good entrepreneurial ideas for the moment and decided to let it go.
Projects like that required research, not just imagination.
Since he couldn't think of anything, Jiang Tao didn't want to waste more brainpower.
His current life was already quite comfortable.
Even if his career didn't see any breakthroughs and things stayed as they were, wasn't that still a hundred or thousand times better than hauling goods at the second-hand market?
With that thought, Jiang Tao's mood relaxed even more, and the last bit of anxiety vanished without a trace.
When Xu Li and the others returned from the movie, it was already past 11 p.m.
Jiang Xue's little head was bobbing like a chick pecking at rice.
Xu Li quickly washed her hands, feet, and little face, then had Jiang Tao carry her to her small bedroom.
After taking turns washing up, everyone went to their rooms to sleep.
Xu Li was on her period these past couple of days, so Jiang Bing's sleep quality had noticeably improved—she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
Xu Li, tired from watching the movie, chatted quietly with Jiang Tao for a bit before falling asleep too.
Jiang Tao stayed up until midnight for the intelligence refresh.
**[Today's Intelligence 01]:**
You visited your older brother Jiang He's house yesterday and obtained related intelligence—
The Qinghua porcelain bowl in Jiang He's yard is an antique from the Qing Dynasty, worth 80,000 yuan!
…
Seeing the first piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao was stunned.
A scene from yesterday flashed in his mind.
When he took Jiang Xue to visit her two nephews, he saw them feeding the dog with a bowl under the balcony.
"That's definitely the bowl!"
After Brother System's hint, Jiang Tao couldn't help but laugh and cry.
An 80,000-yuan bowl, casually tossed in the yard to feed the dog—talk about wasting a treasure!
"This money should go to Big Brother. It'll help their lives a bit."
Jiang Tao wasn't greedy for the bowl in his brother's yard.
It was just 80,000 yuan—he had plenty of opportunities to make money and didn't care about this small amount.
After reading the first piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao's mind shifted, and he refreshed the next one:
**[Today's Intelligence 02]:**
You had contact with your older nephew Jiang Shijie yesterday and obtained related intelligence—
With Wang Xiaohong's help, Jiang Shijie completed his transformation from a boy to a man.
…
"That kid Shijie…"
"He's got some game!"
Seeing the second piece of intelligence about his older nephew, Jiang Tao couldn't help but laugh and cry again.
Oh well, for something like this, he, as the elder, wouldn't meddle. Time to sleep!
As usual, he slept until he woke naturally.
After getting up, the warm family of three, plus Jiang Bing mooching food and drink, enjoyed the loving breakfast Xu Li prepared.
Today's breakfast was fried dough sticks and millet pumpkin porridge.
Xu Li had gotten up early to knead the dough and fry the sticks herself, making them cleaner and healthier than store-bought ones.
Fluffy and crispy, they were a complete success.
Over the years of caring for their daughter Jiang Xue at home, Xu Li had gone from a master of "dark cuisine" to today's delicate little chef—no easy feat.
After breakfast, Jiang Bing and Xu Li continued handling orders for the Feitian Pig Popcorn Bucket.
In recent days, as *Nezha 2* grew hotter, so did the related buzz.
Merchandise tied to this IP was riding the wave of popularity, with guaranteed sales.
But many merchants, lacking stock, could only offer pre-orders.
Merchants like Jiang Tao and the third sibling, who had stock on hand, stood out instantly.
Though the price was several times higher than the original, it was in stock!
Facing a massive customer base, even if only one percent of buyers accepted the price, it was enough for Jiang Tao and his team to rake in a fortune.
Jiang Tao, thinking about the bowl in his older brother's yard, took his little "cotton-padded jacket" by the hand and headed out.
"Daddy~ My legs are so tired, I don't want to walk. Let's drive to Uncle's house!"
As soon as they stepped out, Jiang Xue saw their shiny new car and immediately didn't want to walk.
"Here or here—you pick one."
Jiang Tao walked to the car door, squatted down with a grin, and pointed to his back, then to the car door.
"Hehe~ Daddy, of course!"
Without hesitation, Jiang Xue ran and jumped onto her dad's back.
"Is Daddy's back comfier, or is our car comfier?"
"Of course~ Daddy's back is comfier! Hehe, Daddy, are you tired? I'll give you a shoulder massage."
The father and daughter chatted as they arrived at Jiang He's house.
Inside, the house was still quiet and empty.
"Second Uncle, Little Xue! You're here!"
Jiang Shaojie, who was playing on his phone inside, came out to greet them after hearing noise in the yard.
"You're home alone today?"
Jiang Tao looked around and noticed his older brother's electric bike and sister-in-law's food cart were gone.
Even his older nephew Jiang Shijie's mountain bike wasn't there.
"Yeah, Dad went to work, Mom's out selling breakfast, and Big Bro went to a friend's house last night and hasn't come back."
Jiang Tao chuckled to himself—playing at a friend's house all the way to their bed, huh!
After a bit of small talk, Jiang Tao's gaze landed on the Qinghua bowl casually placed under the balcony.
Sure enough, in Jiang Tao's vision, the bowl glowed with a faint golden light.
Clearly, this was the 80,000-yuan Qinghua bowl mentioned in the intelligence.
Jiang Tao strode over, squatted down, and picked the bowl up from the ground.
"Second Uncle, do you need a bowl? I'll get you a clean one!"
"That one's too dirty, just toss it!"
Jiang Shaojie thought his uncle needed the bowl for something.
He ran to the kitchen and brought out a clean bowl, eagerly saying,
"Second Uncle, use this one—it's clean."
Jiang Tao glanced at his younger nephew and teased, "You little punk, what do you know? I think this bowl might be an antique."
"What? An antique? No way! I picked that up from some random field when I was out with friends."
Jiang Shaojie was incredulous at his uncle's words.
If this was really an antique, wouldn't it be worth a lot?
"I'm not sure, but I have a friend who specializes in this stuff. Shaojie, grab me a wet cloth so I can clean it up first."
"Got it, Second Uncle!"
Hearing that the bowl he picked up might be an antique, Jiang Shaojie's enthusiasm skyrocketed, and he ran off faster than a rabbit.
"Here you go, Second Uncle!"
Jiang Tao took the wet cloth and carefully wiped the Qinghua bowl.
After cleaning off the dirt, the bowl's true appearance emerged.
The bowl's rim was about 10 centimeters wide, white on the inside, with a white base and blue floral patterns on the outside.
Even someone ignorant about antiques could tell this bowl had some age to it.
But in the village, who didn't have a few old bowls? No one thought of it as an antique.
Without Brother System's hint, this bowl might've been accidentally shattered one day and tossed into the village garbage bin.
After wiping the Qinghua bowl clean, Jiang Tao pulled out his phone and called Zhang Bo via WeChat.
*Beep beep beep—*
The call connected after a few rings, and Zhang Bo's face appeared on the screen.
"Brother Jiang, still at your hometown? When you're back in Beijing, let's grab a meal."
Seeing the rural background behind Jiang Tao, Zhang Bo asked with a smile.
The natural bezoar he'd bought from Jiang Tao had been sold by his dad for 1.9 million.
In just a few days, they'd made a 170,000-yuan profit—a great start to the year.
The father and son had since placed much higher importance on Jiang Tao as a client.
"I'll be back in a few days. Zhang Bo, take a look at this bowl and tell me how much it's worth."
Jiang Tao didn't waste words and aimed the phone camera at the freshly cleaned Qinghua bowl.
Jiang Shaojie, standing nearby, perked up his ears, nervously awaiting Zhang Bo's response.
"Let me see…"
"Judging by the quality and style, it's likely from the Xianfeng period."
"Brother Jiang, turn the bowl so I can see the whole thing."
"Too bad it's from a folk kiln. If it were from an official kiln, a bowl like this could fetch a million."
"It's in decent condition. I'd estimate it's worth around 80,000 or so."
Hearing Zhang Bo's appraisal over the phone, Jiang Tao couldn't help but marvel—Panjiayuan's Little Tingquan's reputation was well-deserved.
Zhang Bo's estimate matched Brother System's almost exactly.
"80,000!"
Jiang Shaojie's eyes nearly popped out when he heard Zhang Bo's price.
A random broken bowl he'd picked up was actually worth that much!
That meant he'd essentially picked up 80,000 yuan from the ground?
Jiang Tao asked Zhang Bo, "Do you guys buy it?"
"Of course we do! Brother Jiang, bring the bowl over when you have time, and we'll talk details in person."
"Alright, I'll find you when I'm back in Beijing."
"Sounds good! I'm always ready for you, Brother Jiang. Keep that bowl safe—don't let it get chipped or cracked, it'll affect the price."
"Got it, thanks for the reminder. Talk soon."
"See you, Brother Jiang."
After finishing the business, Jiang Tao casually ended the call with Zhang Bo.
"Second Uncle, is this bowl really worth 80,000?"
Though he'd heard it clearly, Jiang Shaojie still couldn't quite believe it—it felt like a dream.
Eighty thousand yuan was no small sum for an ordinary, even somewhat poor family like theirs!
Jiang Tao smiled. "Could it be fake? That friend just now specializes in this. Where'd you pick this thing up? Are there any more?"
"Nope, just this one."
Jiang Shaojie's face was full of regret—if he could've picked up a few more bowls, wouldn't their family have struck it rich?
Jiang Tao examined the Qinghua bowl again before saying,
"Don't go spreading this around. I'll take the bowl home for now. I'll call your dad later tonight to discuss this properly."
"Okay, Second Uncle, take it."
Jiang Shaojie knew his uncle wouldn't cheat them out of this small fortune, so he wasn't worried.
Jiang Tao said, "Go find me some old clothes and a box to pack the bowl."
"Got it, Second Uncle! I'm on it!"
Jiang Shaojie nodded and ran back to the main house.
Soon, he came out with an old jacket and a shoebox.
Jiang Tao wrapped the Qinghua bowl tightly in the jacket, then placed it in the shoebox—a perfect fit.
After all, it was worth over 80,000 yuan and fragile, so proper packaging was necessary.