The two found an empty seat and sat down.
Jiang Tao handed the menu to Jiang Yi, letting her order.
The restaurant's dishes were reasonably priced, aiming for affordability.
Jiang Yi took the menu and only ordered spicy and sour shredded potatoes and fish-flavored shredded pork.
Seeing the prices, Jiang Tao noted that the two dishes together cost less than 40 yuan, which made him chuckle wryly.
He wasn't sure if Jiang Yi was always this frugal or if she was trying to save him money.
"Teacher Jiang, do you have any issues with lamb?"
"No, I'm fine with it."
"Alright then, let's get some cumin lamb. Can you handle spicy food?"
"A little bit."
"Then let's add boiled beef, spicy blood curd stew, braised prawns in oil, and drool-worthy chicken."
As Jiang Tao spoke, he started adding dishes to the order sheet.
Hearing Jiang Tao rattle off so many dishes, Jiang Yi hurriedly said, "That's enough, Jiang Tao! There's no way the two of us can eat all that. Ordering too much is wasteful."
"We've only got seven dishes now. Let's make it eight for good luck."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao added one final dish to the order sheet: boiled fish.
"Boss lady, we're ready to order!"
Jiang Tao waved to the restaurant owner, who came over with a smile to take the order.
Glancing at the order sheet, the boss lady noticed they had chosen mostly signature dishes.
Roughly estimating, the meal would cost over 300 yuan. Her face lit up, and her gaze toward the two grew even more suggestive.
Eight dishes for two people, and they're splurging on a meal like this?
If they're not a couple, who'd believe that!
The boss lady cheerfully said, "I'll have my husband whip up something special for you, handsome. If it's good, come back often!"
"Absolutely," Jiang Tao replied with a smile, though he didn't take it too seriously.
"You've got good taste, handsome!"
"Little Jiang is so pretty and gentle. She'd make a perfect wife who supports her husband and raises the kids!"
The boss lady teased with a grin before heading to the kitchen with the order sheet.
Jiang Yi was left so embarrassed she could've dug a hole with her toes!
"Heh, the boss lady's got quite a sense of humor…"
Jiang Tao tried to lighten the awkward atmosphere with a joke.
"Yeah, Sister Tang loves to tease," Jiang Yi said, awkwardly tucking her hair behind her ear before steering the conversation toward Jiang Xue.
They chatted for about six or seven minutes before the boss lady began bringing out the dishes one by one.
The restaurant was a typical mom-and-pop shop, with the husband cooking in the back and the wife handling the front as a server.
In less than 20 minutes, all the dishes were served.
Not only was everything clean and hygienic, but the flavors were quite good too.
The two ate and talked, and the atmosphere was pleasant.
After two days of spending time together, the initial unfamiliarity had faded, and they were much more at ease with each other.
By the time they finished lunch, it was past 1 p.m.
Jiang Tao went to the counter to pay the bill, which totaled 365 yuan. The boss lady generously rounded it down by 5 yuan.
Ever thrifty, Jiang Yi packed up all the leftovers.
As Jiang Tao was about to leave after dropping her off downstairs, his phone suddenly rang.
He pulled it out and saw it was a call from Section Chief Dong, the security officer he had contacted that morning.
Seeing Jiang Tao had a call, Jiang Yi waved goodbye. "Jiang Tao, you're busy. I'm heading upstairs. Thanks for lunch today."
"See you."
Jiang Tao waved back with a smile, then answered the call as he walked away.
"Hello."
"Yes, I'm the one who called you…"
He continued the conversation while heading to his car.
After hanging up, Jiang Tao snapped his fingers with a grin.
The call was from Jingxin Fisheries, inviting him to their office to discuss something—most likely the bonus.
He had thought they'd contact him later, after everything was settled, but they reached out surprisingly quickly.
Tossing his phone onto the passenger seat, Jiang Tao entered Jingxin Fisheries Co., Ltd. into the navigation.
The navigation showed that Jingxin Fisheries was just over 7 kilometers from his current location.
He started the navigation and drove straight there.
Eleven minutes later, his Mercedes GLS was stopped by the security guard at Jingxin Fisheries' gate.
After mentioning Dong Qiang's name and the guard confirming with him, Jiang Tao was allowed to pass.
"Hello, Jiang Tao! Welcome to Jingxin Fisheries Co., Ltd.!"
At the base of a three-story office building within the Jingxin Fisheries processing plant, Dong Qiang personally came down to greet Jiang Tao.
"Hello, Section Chief Dong."
Jiang Tao shook hands with Dong Qiang calmly, his demeanor neither arrogant nor submissive.
"Please, Mr. Jiang, let me take you to General Manager Qi's office. Thank you so much for today's matter."
"Your call saved us from significant losses."
As he spoke, Dong Qiang led the way, taking Jiang Tao to the general manager's office on the third floor.
"Hello, Jiang Tao. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Qi Dongqiang, the general manager of Jingxin Fisheries."
Qi Dongqiang greeted Jiang Tao politely and introduced himself.
"Hello, General Manager Qi."
Jiang Tao responded with a smile.
"Have a seat, Jiang Tao. You did us a huge favor today."
"After I reported this to the board, the shareholders unanimously agreed to reward you as a token of our gratitude."
Qi Dongqiang got straight to the point, explaining why they had invited Jiang Tao to the company.
"A reward?"
Jiang Tao already knew about the reward through his intelligence system, so he remained composed.
"Yes! After discussions, the board decided to award you a bonus of 300,000 yuan to express our gratitude."
Qi Dongqiang was slightly surprised by Jiang Tao's calm expression after announcing the figure.
A 300,000 yuan bonus!
For most people, that was an enormous sum!
Dong Qiang, standing nearby, understood why Jiang Tao was so unfazed.
When he went downstairs to meet Jiang Tao, he had seen the million-yuan Mercedes GLS Jiang Tao drove.
For someone who could afford a luxury car like that, staying calm about a 300,000 yuan bonus was only natural.
Jiang Tao asked calmly, "Is that after taxes?"
When meat was offered to his mouth, there was no reason to refuse.
Besides, he had done Jingxin Fisheries a huge favor, so he felt justified in accepting the bonus.
"Haha, we can handle the taxes for you through our finance department."
Qi Dongqiang was amused by Jiang Tao's directness and looked at him with even more appreciation.
Jiang Tao smiled. "Then I'll trouble you with that."
"Mr. Jiang, if I may ask, how did you know about Qi Jinxiong stealing our company's confidential formula?"
Qi Dongqiang looked at Jiang Tao curiously, genuinely intrigued.
"I'm his neighbor," Jiang Tao said without missing a beat, making up a story on the spot.
"One time, I overheard him talking on the phone on his balcony while I was smoking on mine."
"He was discussing confidential documents and prices with someone."
"So I got suspicious and called Section Chief Dong to give you a heads-up. The bonus was a pleasant surprise."
"I see! It's true what they say: heaven watches what people do, and justice prevails! Even the heavens are helping us!"
"Your small act saved our company from losses in the tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions!"
"This 300,000 yuan bonus is just a small token of our appreciation."
Qi Dongqiang didn't doubt Jiang Tao's explanation. In his view, Jiang Tao had no reason to deceive him.
And since the outcome was positive for Jingxin Fisheries, there was no need to dig into the details.
Afterward, Qi Dongqiang chatted with Jiang Tao briefly and called in the finance team.
The finance staff handled the bonus paperwork on the spot.
After signing a supplementary agreement and deducting 20% for incidental income tax, Jiang Tao received a net income of 240,000 yuan!
One phone call had earned his daughter's tuition for over a year!
With the bonus secured, Jiang Tao chatted a bit more with Qi Dongqiang, exchanged WeChat contacts, and then took his leave.
Qi Dongqiang escorted Jiang Tao downstairs, watching him drive off in his Mercedes GLS. He shook his head with a smile. "No wonder Jiang Tao was so calm about a 300,000 yuan bonus. Turns out he's not short on money!"
Watching Jiang Tao's car disappear into the distance, Dong Qiang's heart wasn't calm either.
He worked hard for a whole year to earn a salary of just over 150,000 yuan.
Yet Jiang Tao earned 300,000 yuan—two years' worth of his salary—with a single phone call!
Dong Qiang couldn't help but feel envious and jealous!
…
After leaving the Jingxin Fisheries feed processing plant, Jiang Tao drove straight toward Xiaoshahe urban village.
In less than 10 minutes, he arrived at the village entrance.
Parking his car in an open area at the village entrance, Jiang Tao got out and walked into the village.
Passing by Fat Dongdong Supermarket, he stepped inside.
"Hey, Master Jiang! Long time no see. I thought you went back to your hometown to make it big!"
Yu Dongdong greeted Jiang Tao with a smile.
"Haha, not quite. Still hustling in the capital, just rented a place elsewhere and don't live here anymore."
Jiang Tao laughed and asked, "Boss Yu, I'm planning to buy a bunch of vegetables to pickle. Can I borrow your tricycle later?"
Yu Dongdong grinned. "Look at you being all polite! Even if you didn't buy anything, I'd let you use my tricycle."
"Alright, I'll hold you to that! Let me grab the veggies. Oh, and throw in two packs of Huazi cigarettes. I'll settle everything together later."
After chatting with Yu Dongdong, Jiang Tao headed to the produce section.
Though Fat Dongdong Supermarket wasn't as big as large chains like Yonghui or Wumei, it had a decent selection of fruits and vegetables.
White radish, carrots, lotus root, screw vegetables, green peppers, galangal, bamboo shoot tips, and shelled peanuts.
He bought all the ingredients needed for pickling eight-treasure sauce vegetables, along with some seasonings, garlic, and ginger.
Jiang Tao planned to fill his [Delicious Pickle Jar] to the brim, so he bought a lot of ingredients.
In total, he purchased over 400 jin (about 200 kg) of raw materials, costing him more than 1,300 yuan.
Add in the two packs of Huazi cigarettes, and the total came to nearly 3,000 yuan.
In the end, Yu Dongdong had one of the supermarket staff accompany Jiang Tao back to his rental to help carry the goods.
"Thanks, Auntie. Here's two packs of cigarettes for your husband to enjoy."
After thanking the helper, Jiang Tao opened a cigarette pack and handed her two packs.
"Oh, how could I accept this!"
Though she said that, the auntie quickly took the cigarettes from Jiang Tao's hand.
As a supermarket employee, she didn't smoke, but she knew a pack of Huazi cost 70 yuan—almost a day's wages!
"Just a small gesture. You can head back now."
"Alright, see you!"
The auntie left happily with the cigarettes.
After seeing her off, Jiang Tao called his dad, asking him to take a taxi with his mom to the urban village.
Jiang Tao didn't want to spend too much energy on the eight-treasure sauce pickle business going forward.
So, he planned to teach his parents the techniques he'd mastered.
From now on, they'd handle everything from pickling to selling, and he could be a hands-off boss!
Within 10 minutes of the call, his parents arrived by taxi, and Jiang Tao went downstairs to meet them.
"Son, is this where you used to live? It's so small, like a prison."
Seeing Jiang Tao's old place, his mom felt a pang of heartache.
Though he had moved to a sunnier room, it was still far smaller than their spacious house back in the countryside.
They had a big, bright house at home, but to make a living, he had to stay in this tiny urban dwelling in the capital.
That was the life of most people drifting in Beijing.
Endure the hardest hardships, and the hardships never end.
"Haha, it can't compare to our big house back home, but it keeps out the wind and rain."
"By the way, Mom and Dad, how's the shop rental at the market going?"
Jiang Tao laughed it off and shifted the topic to the shop rental.
"This morning, your mom and I signed the lease with the market management."
"The shop's near the exit, about 18 square meters."
"We paid 35,000 yuan total—31,000 for the annual rent and 4,000 for the deposit."
His dad's expression showed some pain as he spoke.
It was the first time he'd spent so much money in a single day!
"Alright, I'll arrange the renovations soon."
"You two don't need to worry. This project is guaranteed to make money!"
"That rent? We'll earn it back in a month or two tops."
"Once our first batch of eight-treasure sauce pickles is ready, you'll see."
Jiang Tao reassured his parents with a smile.
With the optimized eight-treasure sauce pickle recipe analyzed by his system.
And the [Delicious Pickle Jar].
With this winning combination, how could they lose?
His mom, Tian Xiaomei, was shocked. "Earn back 30,000 or 40,000 in a month or two?"
Jiang Tao grinned. "That's a conservative estimate."
His dad was equally stunned. "30,000 or 40,000 a month… how many pickles would we have to sell? Will that many people buy them?"
Jiang Tao laughed. "This is the information age. As long as our pickles taste good, the entire capital is our market. The potential is huge!"
His dad nodded. "That's true… I saw online that last year when Zibo barbecue went viral, people flew there just to eat it. These days, there are too many people with money and time."
"Exactly. Once people taste our pickles, at least six out of ten will become repeat customers."
"With time, just relying on loyal customers will keep us profitable."
Hearing Jiang Tao's vision for the market, his parents' confidence surged, and their worries vanished.
Jiang Tao checked the time on his phone. It was getting late, so it was time to get to work. He said, "Mom, Dad, I've mastered the eight-treasure sauce pickle technique. Today, I'll start teaching you both."
"From now on, I'm handing the pickle business over to you two."
"Let's start by prepping these ingredients."
"Alright! Just tell us what to do, and we'll follow your lead!"
As Jiang Tao spoke, he began guiding his parents in processing the ingredients.
With three people working together, they were quite efficient.
In just over two hours, they finished prepping the large pile of ingredients Jiang Tao had bought.
Then, he started teaching his parents how to make the sauce base.
After unlocking the eight-treasure sauce pickle skill, Jiang Tao could now do it confidently without referring to his notes.
From just past 2 p.m. to around 6 p.m., they worked tirelessly.
Despite the simple conditions and equipment, the family of three worked together and completed all the preparations.
Tomorrow, they'd only need to put the pre-soaked ingredients into the pickle jar and pour in the cooled sauce base.
*Ring ring—*
Just as Jiang Tao was about to take his parents home, his phone rang.
He pulled it out and saw it was Xu Li calling.
"Hey, honey."
"Du Ennan is coming to our place?"
"Alright, you take Xiao Xue to the supermarket first. Mom, Dad, and I will head back soon."
"We'll meet you at the supermarket."
"Alright, bye."
Hanging up, Jiang Tao pocketed his phone.
His mom asked curiously, "Who's Du Ennan?"
"A friend of Xu Li and mine. She's coming over for dinner tonight."
"Xu Li and Xiao Xue are heading to the supermarket to buy groceries. Let's go too."
Jiang Tao explained with a smile, and the three headed downstairs to return home.
Ever since Jiang Tao, Xu Li, and Jiang Xue had dinner with Du Ennan, Xu Li and Du Ennan had become friends.
They chatted on WeChat almost daily, becoming closer than ordinary friends.
Living in Beijing wasn't easy, so making more friends was always a good thing.
When Jiang Tao and his parents arrived at Jingkelong Supermarket outside their complex, it was just past 6:30 p.m.
Parking across the street, they entered the supermarket and quickly met up with Xu Li and Jiang Xue.
The family bought meat, eggs, milk, and various fruits and vegetables—another big shopping trip.
By the time they got home, it was past 7 p.m. His parents and Xu Li went to the kitchen to start cooking.
Jiang Tao was dragged by his little "cotton jacket" to read her a children's picture book.
At 7:30 p.m., Du Ennan called to say she was downstairs.
As Jiang Tao and Xu Li took the elevator down to meet her, Xu Li whispered about some big news from the neighborhood that day.
"Honey, earlier today, a bunch of police showed up and arrested our neighbor, that guy. I don't know what he did."
"He deserves it. That's instant karma."
Jiang Tao smirked, gloating.
He didn't tell Xu Li that it was all because of his whistleblower call.
As for any risks…
Jingxin Fisheries promised to keep the matter strictly confidential to protect Jiang Tao's privacy.
Qi Jinxiong had no idea his arrest was due to Jiang Tao.
And according to Qi Dongqiang, Qi Jinxiong's crime was serious—likely at least five years in prison.
Five years from now, Jiang Tao's family would long since have moved elsewhere.
With his recent earnings piling up, Jiang Tao's desire to buy a big villa was growing stronger.
More than half of Jiang Xue's classmates lived in the Walden Lake Villa District, about 4 kilometers from Baigezhuang.
Once he had enough money, Jiang Tao planned to buy a villa there.
Compared to an apartment, a villa was pricier but superior in every other way!
*Ding—*
The elevator doors opened, and Xu Li, arm in arm with Jiang Tao, stepped out.
As they exited, they saw Du Ennan approaching the building entrance, smiling and carrying several bags.
"Lili, Jiang Tao."
Du Ennan greeted Xu Li with a bright smile.
"Ennan, you didn't have to bring so much stuff just to visit!"
"You're pregnant—don't carry heavy things! Honey, quick, help her out."
Xu Li let out a small gasp and urged Jiang Tao to help with the bags.
Du Ennan had brought a lot!
She was carrying five shopping bags, clearly gifts for all five members of Jiang Tao's family.
Handing the bags to Jiang Tao and Xu Li, Du Ennan smiled. "Just some things from our mall. It's my first time visiting your home—I couldn't come empty-handed."
Xu Li laughed playfully. "Of course you could! Why be so formal with us? Even if you came with just your mouth, our whole family would welcome you."
Du Ennan laughed heartily. "Haha, next time I'll bring just my mouth and leave my face at home."
The three chatted and laughed as they entered the building, taking the elevator to the 16th floor and entering apartment 1601.
"Auntie Ennan! Did you bring the baby with you?"
As soon as Du Ennan walked in, Jiang Xue ran up to greet her.
"Hahaha, of course! The baby's still in Auntie's tummy, so wherever Auntie goes, the baby goes too."
Du Ennan was amused by Jiang Xue's innocent, cheerful words.
Jiang Tao introduced her to his parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Du Ennan, a good friend of Xu Li and mine."
"Welcome, welcome."
"Welcome to our home, Xiao Du."
"Thanks for having me, Uncle and Auntie. I brought you both a little something for our first meeting."
Du Ennan handed two boxes of ginseng to Jiang Wen and Tian Xiaomei.
Then she gave Jiang Tao, Xu Li, and Jiang Xue their gifts.
For Jiang Tao, a belt worth over 3,000 yuan.
For Xu Li, a set of Burberry cosmetics.
For Jiang Xue, an adorable Jellycat Bonnie Bunny plush toy.
In an era when teddy bears were everywhere, Jellycat's Bonnie Bunny had become the new favorite.
From Beckham's daughter Harper to Tom Cruise's daughter Suri, and even many celebrity kids in China, almost every child had one.
Jellycat plush toys, costing hundreds or even thousands of yuan, had won over adults who wouldn't even spend 20 yuan on milk tea.
It was clear Du Ennan had put thought into the gifts.
Each one was tailored to the recipient's age and gender.
After giving out the gifts, Xu Li pulled Du Ennan to the living room sofa to chat.
Their conversation, as always, revolved around kids.
Jiang Tao couldn't get a word in, so he played with Jiang Xue and her new toy.