After sending off Du Jun and his group, Jiang Tao left work with his younger sister, Old Three.
By the time they drove back to the Baigezhuang neighborhood, it was just past 4 p.m., not yet 5.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Bing jogged around the front of the vehicle to Jiang Tao's side and extended her hand. "Second Brother, it's still early. I'm going to check out our family's factory. I've never been there before."
"Go ahead. Turn left out the gate, keep going straight, and turn in when you see the industrial park sign," Jiang Tao said. "If you can't find it, just call Mom or Dad."
He casually tossed the car keys to Old Three and headed toward the entrance of their apartment building.
When he got upstairs and entered the house, Xu Li was holding an eco-friendly shopping bag, about to head out.
"Honey, why are you home so early today? Come with me to the supermarket," Xu Li said, her face lighting up with a radiant smile as she happily grabbed Jiang Tao's arm.
Under the nourishment of love and affection recently, Xu Li was practically glowing, exuding charm.
With such a beautiful wife, Jiang Tao naturally wasn't comfortable letting her go out alone. Besides, seeing how excited she was, he didn't want to dampen her spirits.
"Alright, let's go!"
Jiang Tao decided to put the treadmill aside for now and accompanied Xu Li back downstairs.
Along the way, Xu Li held onto his arm, chattering about the day's events. Her mother-in-law had called, saying she won over 3,000 yuan playing mahjong last night. Her younger sister-in-law quit her internship job after half a day. Her father-in-law, nearing retirement, had somehow gotten a promotion and a raise. It was all just family gossip.
They chatted as they walked, soon arriving at the Jingkelong supermarket outside the neighborhood.
Jiang Tao grabbed a shopping cart while Xu Li held his arm, the two of them entering the store like a perfect couple.
"Whoa, why are there so many people today?" Jiang Tao was surprised by the bustling crowd inside the supermarket.
Xu Li smiled and explained, "It's March 4th today, and Jingkelong is holding its 15th anniversary celebration. All kinds of products are discounted, and if you spend 188 yuan, you get one chance to enter the supermarket's lucky draw."
"Lucky draw?" Jiang Tao's eyes lit up at the mention.
The Mercedes GLS he was driving now was won during a year-end promotion at Du Ennan's family mall.
"Yup, they were handing out flyers at the supermarket today. I took a look," Xu Li said. "The first prize is a Jingkelong shopping card worth 4,999 yuan. The second prize is a 3,000-yuan electric scooter. We could use one at home—it'd save us from buying one. The third prize is a Xiaomi phone worth over 2,000 yuan, the fourth prize is a vacuum cleaner, and I forgot the rest."
Xu Li excitedly shared what she knew with Jiang Tao.
"No wonder there are so many people. If they could maintain this kind of foot traffic every day, they'd make a fortune," Jiang Tao remarked, looking at the throngs of shoppers.
His thoughts drifted to the supermarket he'd bought from Xu Li's cousin, Xu Jiantao, for 350,000 yuan. After taking it over, he'd handed its operations to his older brother, Jiang He, and sister-in-law, Zhang Xiaoyan. Until the 350,000 yuan investment was recouped, he took 50% of the net profits as a silent partner. Once the investment was recovered, his share would drop to 10%. After ten years, he'd withdraw from profit-sharing entirely.
His older brother wasn't much of a talker, but recently, his sister-in-law Zhang Xiaoyan had called Jiang Tao a few times. The supermarket was doing steadily well, nearly back to the profit levels before Xu Jiantao's troubles. It was netting about 2,500 yuan a day, almost as much as Zhang Xiaoyan used to make selling pancakes from dawn till dusk.
Conservatively, the supermarket was pulling in around 70,000 yuan in profit per month. His brother and sister-in-law were taking home over 30,000, far better than the backbreaking work they used to do to scrape by.
"When poor, take care of yourself; when rich, help others." Jiang Tao wasn't rich enough to help the world yet, but he could certainly help his own brother.
During the New Year, seeing his brother and sister-in-law nearly work themselves to death for money had left a bad taste in his mouth. Besides his parents, wife, and kids, his siblings were his closest family. If he didn't help his own brother, who would?
As he pushed the cart through the supermarket aisles with Xu Li, Jiang Tao's mind wandered.
"Honey, let's get some walnuts for our daughter to boost her brain," Xu Li said. "That little head of hers is always thinking about playing. Her grades are way behind her classmates."
Xu Li's words snapped Jiang Tao out of his thoughts about the family supermarket.
Seizing the chance to bring up their daughter's grades, he said, "Hey, honey, what if we got a tutor for Xiaoxue?"
"What a coincidence, I was just thinking about discussing this with you," Xu Li replied. "Xiaoxue's got a sharp little mind, but her foundation is too weak. She's starting first grade this year, and I've been wondering if we should get her a tutor to solidify her basics. I think Teacher Jiang is great—she's really good to Xiaoxue, and Xiaoxue likes her so much. It'd be perfect if we could hire her as a tutor."
Jiang Tao chuckled after hearing Xu Li's words. On the way home, he'd been thinking about how to bring up hiring Teacher Jiang as a tutor for their daughter. Now, he'd barely started the conversation, and Xu Li had said it all for him!
Smiling, he nodded. "Yeah, I think Teacher Jiang's a great fit too. Why don't you ask her later?"
"Alright, I'll call Teacher Jiang when we get home," Xu Li agreed. "Kindergarten was fine—she could just have fun—but now that she's in elementary school, we need to take it seriously. I don't want her to be at the bottom of the class."
Compared to the kids at Aidi Kindergarten who'd been getting elite education since preschool, Jiang Xue, who'd transferred from a rural kindergarten, had a lot of catching up to do. These were objective issues, and the sooner they were addressed, the better.
As they chatted, the couple bought various vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, milk, fish, shrimp, and other high-quality proteins, along with some daily necessities.
At checkout, their total came to 795.8 yuan, qualifying them for four lucky draw entries—two each.
"Honey, do you think we'll hit the jackpot today?" Xu Li asked, rubbing her hands together, her face full of excitement as they lined up for the draw.
"Wanna bet on who's luckier?" Jiang Tao teased, waving the bracelet with the [River-Picked Stone] on his wrist.
"Sure, let's do it! A smiling woman's luck can't be bad, hehe!" Xu Li giggled, shaking her head playfully in front of Jiang Tao, her silly, sweet nature on full display. She, too, wore a [River-Picked Stone] close to her chest, a gift from Jiang Tao.
"Ugh, five draws, all seventh prize! This win rate is way too low," someone complained nearby. "If I didn't know my neighbor Sister Liu won a phone, I'd think this draw was rigged."
"I saw someone win third and fourth prizes. It's just our bad luck," another person chimed in.
As they waited in line, the draw area was filled with occasional grumbling and complaints.
"Dear uncles and aunties, please rest assured. Our supermarket wouldn't ruin its reputation over a few prizes," a female employee with a megaphone reassured the crowd. "Today alone, we've given out two first prizes, three second prizes, and several third, fourth, and fifth prizes. These prizes are all real, with no tricks involved."
It was the first day of the lucky draw, and many customers who got the seventh prize—a mere bag of salt—questioned the event's legitimacy. Compared to the big prizes, the seventh prize was negligible. The staff patiently explained again and again to calm the crowd.
Most customers who didn't win big just grumbled casually and quieted down after the explanation.
"Wow! Third prize! I got third prize!"
Right after the staff's words, an older woman at the draw station shouted, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Third prize! Third prize, miss, I got third prize!" The woman excitedly took her ticket to the redemption area.
The staff scanned the ticket's code, confirmed it, and handed her a brand-new phone.
With a real example right in front of them, the customers holding bags of salt had nothing more to say.
Xu Li nudged Jiang Tao's arm and whispered, "Honey, we're not gonna end up with four bags of salt, are we?"
"Pfft, jinx! Can't you say something positive? My goal's the first prize!" Jiang Tao retorted.
"As if everyone's goal isn't the same," Xu Li teased.
They bantered quietly, waiting about five minutes before it was their turn. After the staff checked their receipt, they received four draw tickets.
At the draw station, Xu Li took a deep breath and pulled a bank-card-sized ticket from the box. When she scraped off the coating and saw the number "3" at the front, her eyes sparkled.
"Third prize! Honey, I got third prize!" Xu Li grabbed Jiang Tao's arm, her face flushed with excitement.
"Let me see." Jiang Tao took the ticket, scraped off the remaining coating, and confirmed it was indeed a third-prize ticket.
"That's some insane luck!"
"Another third prize! Can't say the draw's rigged now, can you? It's just our luck that's off!"
"That cart of stuff probably isn't even worth the phone. These two youngsters hit the jackpot today!"
The onlookers, mostly older folks, looked at Jiang Tao and Xu Li with envy. They'd spent just over 700 yuan and won a phone worth over 2,000 yuan. Not only did they break even, but they also made over 1,000 yuan in profit!
Jiang Tao handed Xu Li's ticket to the staff, who verified it and respectfully handed her a phone. "Miss, you're so lucky. This is our sixth third prize today. Thank you for supporting Jingkelong Supermarket."
"Thank you! We'll come back often," Xu Li said cheerfully, taking her "prize." She drew again, but the second ticket was just a seventh prize—a bag of salt.
"Honey, it's your turn for the last two. Show me what you've got!" Xu Li said, pinning her hopes for a big prize on Jiang Tao.
Without any specific information about the draw, Jiang Tao had to rely on the luck from his [River-Picked Stone]. He reached into the box, stirred it around, and randomly pulled out a ticket. Scraping it open, he saw a "7" and felt a pang of disappointment. Another bag of salt.
"Don't worry, honey, you've got one more chance. You've got this!" Xu Li encouraged him with a smile, not gloating.
Jiang Tao didn't bother stirring the box this time. He grabbed a ticket, scraped it, and when he saw the bright "2" under the coating, a grin spread across his face.
"Second prize! Honey, you're amazing! Such great luck!" Xu Li's eyes lit up as she hugged his arm, cheering excitedly.
"Another second prize? No way, this couple's luck is unreal!"
"A second prize and a third prize—worth thousands! They made a killing!"
"Look at their luck!"
An older man carrying ten bags of salt looked at Jiang Tao and Xu Li with pure envy.
"Congratulations, sir! You've won our second prize, a Yadea electric scooter worth 3,500 yuan!" The staff checked Jiang Tao's ticket, confirmed it, and promptly handed over the scooter along with all its documents, manuals, and warranty card.
"Thank you," Jiang Tao said, pushing the scooter out of the supermarket with Xu Li amid envious stares.
According to the staff, the scooter had five large batteries and plenty of power. Outside, Jiang Tao loaded their bags onto the front, while Xu Li hopped on the back.
"Honey, you're incredible! You actually won it! We just saved over 3,000 yuan!" Xu Li laughed the whole way home, unable to contain her joy.
They'd spent less than 800 yuan at the supermarket and won prizes worth over 5,000 yuan. Their luck today was off the charts!
As he rode, Jiang Tao teased, "Didn't we say we were having a contest to see who's luckier and whose prize was bigger?"
"Huh? Did we? I don't remember," Xu Li said, tilting her head and blinking innocently, playing dumb.
"Too scared to admit you lost?" Jiang Tao laughed.
"Who's scared? I was just kidding! Fine, I admit defeat. What do you want?" Xu Li fell for his provocation, getting riled up.
"We'll talk about it tonight," Jiang Tao said with a smirk.
Xu Li's face flushed. She knew her husband all too well—he was definitely going to make some weird request.
By the time they got back to the neighborhood and parked the scooter in the shed, it was past 6 p.m. They carried their bags upstairs together.
Their parents and Old Three were already home, and Jiang Xue had returned from school.
"Mom, Dad, when my husband and I were at the supermarket…" Xu Li excitedly shared the lucky draw story with her in-laws and sister-in-law.
"You two are on a lucky streak this year! That's unreal!"
"Amazing! I'm a jinx when it comes to draws—never won anything worth more than 10 yuan!"
"You guys basically got a bunch of stuff for free and made a few thousand yuan!"
The three were incredulous after hearing Xu Li's story.
"Oh, Mom, my husband got me a new phone during the New Year, so you can have this one. Don't mind that it's not fancy," Xu Li said, handing the Xiaomi phone she'd won to her mother-in-law, Tian Xiaomei.
"Lili, this…" Tian Xiaomei was touched by her kind and thoughtful daughter-in-law.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Mom, it's Lili's way of showing her love. Just take it."
"Alright, I'll use it. My phone's been lagging a lot—it's time for a new one. Thank you, Lili," Tian Xiaomei said, happily accepting the phone, warmed by her son and daughter-in-law's filial piety.
Xu Li smiled. "Mom, we're family—why say thanks? It's only right for me and my husband to take care of you and Dad."
Tian Xiaomei, moved, said, "Good kids, you and Xiaotao are such good kids. Your dad and I are blessed to have you."
"We're just getting started. You two have plenty of good days ahead," Jiang Tao said. "But… can we eat first? I'm starving."
His words made everyone laugh.
His parents and Xu Li went to the kitchen, chatting and laughing as they prepared dinner. Jiang Bing went to Jiang Xue's room to play with her dolls.
Jellycat dolls weren't just Jiang Xue's favorite—Jiang Bing loved them too and had bought over a dozen herself. But compared to her niece's room full of dolls, her collection was nothing. That little girl had already achieved "Jellycat doll freedom" at such a young age, and Jiang Bing couldn't help but feel envious.
The lively living room suddenly quieted, leaving Jiang Tao alone. He got up from the sofa and walked to the treadmill by the window.
[This treadmill is a special item. Would you like to bind it now?]
As Jiang Tao approached within a meter of the treadmill, a bright blue virtual screen popped up in front of him with a prompt.
"Yes! Bind it!" Jiang Tao chose without hesitation.
[Binding successful! Would you like to activate it now?]
Seeing the prompt, Jiang Tao skillfully took out his phone, removed the SIM ejector pin from the case, and pricked his finger. A drop of crimson blood oozed out, and he flicked it onto the treadmill.
The moment the blood touched the treadmill, it transformed into a faint red glow, enveloping the machine.
[Treadmill activated…]
[Item Name]: Fitness-Boosting Treadmill!
[Item Attributes]: Running for 1 hour has a chance to gain 1 point in Constitution.
[Note 1]: Maximum of 1 reward trigger per day.
[Note 2]: No upper limit for the host. For others using the treadmill, the Constitution attribute increase is capped at 30 points.
[Note 3]: Your current Constitution is 49 points (Weak), below normal standards.
"Running for an hour has a chance to increase Constitution by 1 point?" Jiang Tao's eyes lit up at the treadmill's activated attributes.
But seeing his Constitution was only 49 points, his excitement dimmed. Really? He was a "one-hour warrior" at least—how could his Constitution be below average?
If he could grind his Constitution to 100 points…
Jiang Tao glanced down at his increasingly plump belly. It was definitely time to start exercising!
The treadmill might not make money, but boosting Constitution and improving health was a great perk. Among his many money-making ventures, this [Fitness-Boosting Treadmill] was the only piece of equipment that benefited health.
"After dinner, I'll start training tonight!"
"I'll get Xu Li, Mom, and Dad to use it too. Even if they're capped at 30 points, every bit helps."
Jiang Tao's gaze shifted through the kitchen's glass door to his mother, who was washing vegetables and chatting with Xu Li.
[Character Name]: Tian Xiaomei
[Constitution]: 29 points (Weak)
Seeing his mother's Constitution was only 29 points, Jiang Tao realized how valuable the treadmill's 30-point cap was.
[Character Name]: Xu Li
[Constitution]: 39 points (Weak)
Xu Li's Constitution was slightly better but still weak.
He looked at his father, Jiang Wen—41 points, also weak.
Then he glanced at Jiang Bing, who came out of Jiang Xue's room looking sulky. Her Constitution was 35 points—weak!
"Second Brother! You need to talk to your daughter. She's got so many dolls and won't even let me have one," Jiang Bing complained, walking up to Jiang Tao.
Jiang Tao was speechless. "You're a grown adult. How can you ask a kid for her toys?"
Jiang Bing rolled her eyes. "Aside from my chest, where am I grown? Who doesn't have a girly heart?"
"I've never seen someone so shameless!" Jiang Tao said, staring at his sister's figure, which could confuse even a bathhouse attendant.
"Hey! Jiang Tao, what's that look supposed to mean? Explain yourself!" Jiang Bing, feeling insulted, dropped the "Second Brother" and called him by name.
"Figure it out yourself," Jiang Tao said, turning to sit back on the living room sofa.
"Sis-in-law! My brother's insulting me! You need to rein him in!"
"If he doesn't apologize, I'm cutting ties with him! I'll make him lose the world's best sister and regret it!"
Jiang Bing stormed past Jiang Tao to the kitchen, tattling to Xu Li.
The siblings' bickering had become a household tradition, and no one paid it much mind.