Baigezhuang New Village Community.
On the large bed in the bedroom of Unit 1601, Building 28.
After a round of "playing cards," Xu Li rested her head in the crook of Jiang Tao's arm, quietly telling him about some events that happened in the community during the day.
A neighbor got arrested, two aunties downstairs were arguing with hands on hips, and community workers were conducting door-to-door inspections.
In what seemed like an ordinary day, quite a few things had happened.
"Honey, now that even Mom and Dad have jobs, I'm just staying at home doing nothing productive. Am I kind of useless?" Xu Li said softly, her tone wistful, as she gently rubbed Jiang Tao's belly.
Back in their hometown, the kindergarten there had simple conditions, with no lunch or nap facilities. Xu Li had to drop off their daughter Jiang Xue in the morning, pick her up at noon to eat and nap at home, then take her back to kindergarten in the afternoon and pick her up again after school. Finding a job that fit around this schedule was nearly impossible, so she became a full-time mom.
After moving to the capital, Jiang Xue started attending Aidi International Kindergarten, where a school bus picked her up and dropped her off right at their building. The school provided breakfast, lunch, dinner, various snacks, fruits, and comprehensive nutrition, all of high quality and variety. Parents didn't need to worry about anything—just entrust their kids to the school.
After all, with an annual tuition of 180,000 yuan, the service had better be impeccable.
Jiang Tao gave Xu Li's perky backside a light pat and chuckled, "Didn't we agree when we got married? I handle earning money to support the family, and you handle being beautiful as a flower. We divide the labor and cooperate, each doing our part."
"But I also want to do something. Even though I'm busy at home every day, I still feel kind of useless," Xu Li said.
"Silly, don't overthink it. One breadwinner in our family is enough. You and our daughter just focus on spending the money," Jiang Tao reassured her. "Didn't Xiao Xue say she wants to learn ballet? Let's sign her up for a class, and you can take her."
"She's probably just excited for three minutes. She'll lose interest after a couple of days," Xu Li replied.
"What if she really likes it? How will we know if we don't try? If she doesn't like this, we'll try something else until we find what she truly loves," Jiang Tao said. "Finding a child's true passion and nurturing it from a young age can save them a lot of detours."
Xu Li nodded. "Alright, then. Tomorrow after school, I'll take her to check out the dance studio outside the community to see if they offer ballet classes. I'll sign her up for a few trial lessons to let her experience it."
Jiang Tao added, "Back then, we didn't have the means to nurture her interests. Now that we do, we should make the most of it."
Xu Li adjusted to a more comfortable position in Jiang Tao's arms and said with a playful smile, "Since I don't have much to do right now, there's one other very important thing we can take care of."
Jiang Tao raised an eyebrow. "What important thing?"
"Guess," Xu Li said, flipping over and letting her actions speak for her.
From around 11 p.m., they kept at it until midnight.
Looking at Xu Li, now sound asleep beside him, Jiang Tao's mind stirred, and he opened his Daily Intelligence System to check today's intelligence.
**[Daily Intelligence 01]:**
You had contact with Jiang Yi yesterday, triggering related intelligence—
Jiang Yi's brother, Jiang Hai's daughter, Jiang An'an, has a worsening condition and urgently needs 400,000 yuan for surgery. They are still short 150,000 yuan.
Lending a helping hand will earn you the gratitude of Jiang Hai's family and Jiang Yi's sincerest friendship.
**[A Drop of Kindness]:** Jiang An'an will become a film star in the future. This investment has a return rate of 10,000%!
…
"Jiang Yi's niece? A drop of kindness?"
Seeing the first piece of intelligence, especially the staggering 10,000% return rate, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up.
In other words, if he lent Jiang Yi's brother 150,000 yuan for the surgery now, he could expect at least 15 million yuan in returns in the future?
Even though… this investment might take a long time to pay off.
But with such a high return rate, it was worth investing in!
After all, 150,000 yuan was no big deal for Jiang Tao now.
It was like putting money into a fixed-term deposit!
Turning 150,000 into 15 million? Even the banks in heaven didn't offer such high interest rates!
Besides, ever since Jiang Tao ran into Jiang Yi at Aidi International Kindergarten, the intelligence triggered by her had already brought him millions in profits.
On top of that, he had obtained a secret recipe from Jiang Yi that could be analyzed and optimized by his system.
Spending 150,000 to help her family through a tough time didn't seem like much to Jiang Tao.
"I'll ask Jiang Yi about it tomorrow and see what's going on," he decided.
With his mind made up, Jiang Tao mentally flipped to the second piece of intelligence.
**[Daily Intelligence 02]:**
You had contact with Qi Dongqiang, the general manager of Jingxin Fisheries, yesterday, triggering related intelligence—
Qi Dongqiang's wife, Dong Mei, is cheating on him with his nephew, Tian Huilong.
…
"Rich people sure know how to play…"
Reading the second piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao was speechless.
Rich people, instead of enjoying their comfortable lives, always seemed to chase thrills.
Even someone like Qi Dongqiang, the general manager of such a large company, couldn't escape being cuckolded.
"Dong Mei…"
"Why does that name sound familiar?"
Jiang Tao suddenly remembered.
When he and Xu Li went to Aidi Kindergarten to inquire about enrollment, the director who greeted them was named Dong Mei.
With a thought, Jiang Tao focused on the name "Dong Mei."
Instantly, an image of Dong Mei appeared in his mind: about 1.6 meters tall, well-proportioned, wearing pomegranate-red glasses and sporting permed, wavy hair.
A refined and elegant demeanor.
What a coincidence—it was indeed the director of Aidi Kindergarten.
"Forget it, this is their family matter. I'm an outsider, so I won't get involved," Jiang Tao decided.
He and Qi Dongqiang had only met briefly yesterday and weren't close.
Meddling in something like this would likely be thankless, so Jiang Tao chose to ignore this piece of intelligence.
With another thought, he moved on to the third piece.
**[Daily Intelligence 03]:**
Yesterday, Du Ennan gave your daughter Jiang Xue a Jellycat Bonnie Rabbit, which contains a lucky star tag placed by the Jellycat parent company.
By presenting this lucky star to the Jellycat parent company, you will receive the full collection of Jellycat characters (including retired ones) worth a total of 530,000 yuan!
…
"The full collection of Jellycat characters…"
Reading the third piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao's breathing quickened.
Before yesterday evening, when Du Ennan gave Jiang Xue that Jellycat Bonnie Rabbit, Jiang Tao had never heard of the brand.
It was only after seeing that the Bonnie Rabbit cost over a thousand yuan that he got curious and looked up the brand.
He was shocked to learn that Jellycat toys were even more popular than Disney's!
Their customer base was an exaggerated "all ages," meaning not only kids but adults loved them too!
Prices ranged from a few hundred to several thousand yuan, making them the Hermès of the toy world.
From what Jiang Tao learned, Jellycat had nearly a thousand characters, including animals, vegetables, fruits, foods, stationery, sports items, and flowers.
The brand released over 250 new designs annually to cater to diverse tastes.
Famous "Jellycat universe members" included Bonnie Rabbit, Bartholomew Bear, Lively Eggplant, Double Peach, Peanut Penguin, and Coffee Cup, each with a huge fanbase.
The brand's "retirement policy" was unique: after a certain period, a character would be discontinued and no longer produced.
As a result, retired characters' prices skyrocketed on the secondhand market.
A toy originally priced at a few hundred could sell for thousands secondhand!
This showed just how much fans loved these toys.
Anyone who could collect the entire "Jellycat universe" would undoubtedly be the brightest star among fans!
"This is great—Jellycat has basically taken care of all of Xiao Xue's toys from now on," Jiang Tao thought.
Recalling how thrilled his daughter was when she received the Bonnie Rabbit last night, he imagined how much happier she'd be with the full collection!
"How should I thank Du Ennan for this? She gave Xiao Xue such a huge gift," Jiang Tao mused, picturing Du Ennan's surprised reaction when she heard the news.
"Tomorrow, I'll start by pickling the eight-treasure sauce, then find time to ask Jiang Yi about her situation, and finally deal with the Bonnie Rabbit intelligence."
After mentally planning tomorrow's tasks, Jiang Tao rolled over, wrapped his arms around Xu Li's waist, and went to sleep.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, after breakfast with his parents at home, the three headed downstairs together.
They drove to a rented place by the Xiao Sha River, where they put the pre-soaked eight-treasure vegetables into the [Delicious Pickle Jar] and poured in the cooled sauce.
Afterward, Jiang Tao dropped his parents off at the entrance of the vegetable market near their community.
Early in the morning, the market was bustling with mostly retired elderly folks, with few young people in sight.
Jiang Tao parked in an open space, got out, and followed his parents into the market to their newly rented stall.
The stall had previously sold pastries, but with a bit of renovation, it could be converted to sell pickled vegetables.
Around 9 a.m., a small-scale renovation contractor recommended by Old Lü arrived at the market and found Jiang Tao's family.
The contractor, named Zhao Huhu, was in his forties and had been taking renovation jobs in the capital for years.
He was the boss, the salesman, and the worker, with only his wife and brother-in-law as his team—three people forming a small crew.
For a small shop like Jiang Tao's, a simple renovation could be completed in two days.
After some discussion, they settled on a price of 4,500 yuan, including labor and materials, and entrusted the shop's renovation to Zhao Huhu.
Work could start tomorrow.
After finalizing the agreement and signing a simple contract, Zhao Huhu left to work on another client's project.
Jiang Tao, using the excuse of having other things to do, drove away from the Baigezhuang vegetable market toward Longzeyuan.
"What should I bring to Old Third this time…"
"Oh, right! I haven't given her a blanket or pillow yet!"
While driving, Jiang Tao racked his brain for an excuse to visit.
He stopped at a home textile store near the community and bought a pillow and a blanket.
While paying via WeChat, Jiang Tao noticed that Jiang Yi had just posted on her Moments.
Opening her Moments, he saw it was a crowdfunding post from "Waterdrop."
Clicking it, he saw the fundraiser was for Jiang Hai, Jiang Yi's brother.
The post explained that Jiang Hai's daughter, Jiang An'an, had leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant.
The surgery cost was short by 200,000 yuan, with about 50,000 yuan already raised, leaving a gap of 150,000 yuan.
Jiang Tao recalled that last night's intelligence mentioned a shortfall of 400,000 yuan.
It seemed Jiang Yi's family had managed to raise 200,000 yuan on their own and, out of desperation, had started this fundraiser.
The post noted that Jiang Hai owned no property, had sold his Volkswagen Lavida, and had borrowed over 100,000 yuan from friends and family for his daughter's treatment.
This crowdfunding was a last resort.
While the authenticity of such posts could be questionable, it was better than those who owned property yet still crowdfunded while others struggled to afford homes.
After reading Jiang Yi's Waterdrop post, Jiang Tao paid the store owner 1,200 yuan for the blanket and pillow, then left with his purchases.
He called Jiang Yi to let her know he was coming over, then drove toward Longzeyuan.
…
Longzeyuan, Unit 1203, Building 26.
Jiang Yi sat on the living room sofa, tearfully video-chatting with a beautiful young girl.
"Don't cry, Auntie. Seeing you cry makes An'an sad too," the girl in the video, bald yet still beautiful, said in a crisp voice, comforting Jiang Yi.
"I'm not crying, I'm not. Don't be sad, An'an," Jiang Yi said, though her tears flowed uncontrollably. She covered her mouth, trying not to sob.
"Seeing you cry makes me sad too, Auntie. It's all my fault," An'an said.
"Because of my illness, I haven't seen Mom and Dad smile anymore."
Seeing Jiang Yi cry, An'an started crying too.
"Don't overthink, An'an. We love you so much. We'll definitely get you better, we will," Jiang Yi said.
Though An'an was the one sick, Jiang Yi, as her aunt, felt worse than if she were the one suffering.
When Jiang Yi was 13, her parents passed away from illness, depleting the family's savings and forcing them to sell their home.
Her 17-year-old brother, Jiang Hai, dropped out of school to work and support her through middle and high school.
In college, Jiang Yi relied on student loans and part-time jobs to support herself.
For years, the siblings depended on each other, their bond deep.
To help fund An'an's treatment, Jiang Yi had given her brother all her remaining savings after buying a house.
Yesterday, she sold a promising fund to cash out early.
Even so, the medical expenses were still far out of reach.
Posting the Waterdrop fundraiser on her Moments was a desperate move.
Though she knew it might annoy some people, for her niece's sake, Jiang Yi didn't care.
Every bit raised brought An'an closer to surgery and a better chance of recovery.
Jiang Yi and An'an video-chatted for over 20 minutes until the doctor came for An'an's chemotherapy, ending the call.
"Wuu… my poor An'an," Jiang Yi sobbed, tears streaming down her face as she could no longer hold back.
If she could, she'd take An'an's suffering upon herself.
Jiang Yi, unmarried and childless, treated her niece An'an like her own daughter.
*Knock, knock, knock—*
The door was suddenly knocked on from outside.
Jiang Yi knew it was Jiang Tao, who had called earlier saying he was coming to drop off something for his sister.
Over the past few days, Jiang Yi's impression of Jiang Tao, a brother who cared deeply for his sister, had grown significantly.
She saw shades of her own brother in him.
Jiang Yi quickly composed herself, wiped her tears with a tissue, and limped to the door to let Jiang Tao in.
*Click~*
The door opened, and Jiang Tao, holding a blanket and pillow, greeted her with a smile.
"Teacher Jiang, sorry to bother you again. I got my sister a blanket and pillow, and I brought you some fruit too."
"You didn't have to be so polite, Jiang Tao. Take the fruit back for Xiao Xue and her mom. I still have plenty in the fridge," Jiang Yi said, stepping aside to let him in.
"It's just a small gesture. I already bought it, so don't make me lug it back home. Consider it thanks for teaching me how to pickle eight-treasure sauce," Jiang Tao said with a grin.
He placed a durian, a box of cherries, and a box of strawberries on the coffee table, then carried the blanket and pillow into the master bedroom.
After setting them on the bed, he returned to the living room without lingering.
"Teacher Jiang, I saw your Waterdrop post on Moments. The patient is your niece?"
Jiang Tao got straight to the point, addressing the reason for his visit.
A 10,000% return on investment? He wasn't about to miss out on this project!
In fact, he was wondering if he could invest even more.
It might sound crass, but a project with such a high return rate was hard to come by.
Even compound interest from loan sharks couldn't match this.
"You… you saw it… Yes, it's my niece," Jiang Yi said.
Talking about An'an's illness caused her emotions, which she'd been holding in check, to crumble. Her eyes reddened, and tears flowed again.
"I saw it said the surgery fee is still short by about 200,000 yuan," Jiang Tao said.
"If you need it, I can lend it to you. You can pay me back whenever you're able."
Jiang Tao sat casually on the sofa, his tone calm, as if discussing something trivial.
"What? You… you'd lend it to us?"
Jiang Yi looked at Jiang Tao in disbelief, thinking she'd misheard.
In her mind, their relationship wasn't close enough for borrowing money.
And it wasn't even her asking him—he was offering.
"Yes, I can lend it to you to help you through this tough time," Jiang Tao said, hands clasped over his knees, his expression calm.
"I've had some good luck these past few years and made a bit of money. A hundred or two hundred thousand is just pocket change to me. If this money can help you, I'd be happy."
Hearing Jiang Tao's words, Jiang Yi's mind raced.
Why was he offering to lend her money?
Was it pure kindness, or did he have ulterior motives?
As adults, it wasn't unreasonable for her to think this way.
What if…
What if he used this loan to make demands of her? What would she do?
"Teacher Jiang, you're not worried I'd make some weird demands, are you?" Jiang Tao said with a smile, reading her expression.
Jiang Yi's face grew awkward and embarrassed—she had indeed been thinking that.
Plus, with just the two of them in the room, the atmosphere felt a bit ambiguous.
Jiang Tao laughed. "Relax, Teacher Jiang. I have a great relationship with my wife. We're happily married, our family is harmonious, and our life is fulfilling. I'm offering to help purely because I want to do something good and earn some karma. I swear, I have no ulterior motives and don't expect anything in return."
Hearing this, Jiang Yi's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Sorry, Jiang Tao. I was being small-minded and misjudged you," she said.
"Thank you. On behalf of my brother and niece, thank you!"
"I'll borrow this money and do my best to repay you as soon as possible."
Seeing Jiang Yi accept his offer, Jiang Tao said calmly, "No rush to repay. Saving her life comes first. How much do you need?"
Jiang Yi thought for a moment. "Ten… about 150,000."
"Alright, I'll lend you 200,000, just in case," Jiang Tao said, pulling out his phone. "WeChat, Alipay, or direct bank transfer?"
"Let me write you an IOU first," Jiang Yi said, crouching to pull paper and a pen from the coffee table drawer.
She quickly wrote out the date, borrower's name, ID number, loan amount in both numerals and words, and other details.
Her handwriting was as elegant as she was.
When she got to the interest section, she looked up at Jiang Tao questioningly.
"I'm not a lender. We're friends, right? No interest," Jiang Tao said jokingly. "If I charged you interest when you're in such a tough spot, wouldn't that be kicking you while you're down? I'd lend you money and still look like the bad guy."
Jiang Yi quickly said, "No, no, we're so grateful for your help. Paying interest is only fair."
Jiang Tao insisted, "Forget the interest. I don't care about that small amount. Use it to buy some extra nutrition for the kid."
Hearing this, Jiang Yi was deeply moved.
In her mind, Jiang Tao's status shifted from a student's parent and former student to a good friend.
What else could you call someone who offers to lend you money when you're in need?
She added the loan amount in both numerals and words, along with their ID numbers, to the IOU.
They both signed as lender and borrower and added their fingerprints.
After signing, Jiang Tao transferred 200,000 yuan to Jiang Yi's bank account on the spot.