Driving out of the headquarters of Xia Hua Liang Company, Jiang Tao took a detour to Panjiayuan Market. He sold the golden axe, freshly retrieved today, to Zhang Bo for 710,000 yuan. As it was just around lunchtime, Zhang Bo treated him to a seafood buffet at a nearby five-star hotel, costing 800 yuan per person. After eating and drinking to his satisfaction, Jiang Tao began his drive back.
His plan was to first visit Cui Village to check on Lao San (Third Sister) and her team's work progress, and also to see how the four pots of genetically mutated blueberry plants were doing. If he could successfully sell those four pots, the cost of purchasing the 100,000 blueberry potted plants would be fully recouped.
Recently, the blueberry potted plants had trended online for two consecutive days, drawing a massive wave of attention. A craze for growing blueberries swept across the internet, with netizens cultivating them on their balconies and in their office cubicles, enthusiastically embracing the role of "urban farmers." This trend even impacted supermarket blueberry prices, which dropped significantly due to public demand. This unexpected windfall was something Jiang Tao and Lao San had capitalized on.
Over the past ten days, Jiang Bing's online shops across several platforms had maintained daily sales of over 5,000 pots. In just a short time, more than half of the 100,000 blueberry potted plants had been sold, with remarkably impressive sales figures. Other products in her online store also saw a boost, bringing her considerable benefits.
The greenhouse was handling thousands of shipments daily, creating a significant workload. Du Jun and his team of temporary workers had been diligently working at the greenhouse, putting in solid effort. Over the past ten days, Jiang Tao had been very satisfied with their efficiency and attitude.
Around 3 p.m., Jiang Tao parked his Mercedes GLS outside a greenhouse in Cui Village. As he stepped out of the car, a silver-gray Tesla pulled up beside him. The window rolled down, and Liu Yuan greeted him with a smile, "Jiang Tao, long time no see! Your blueberry potted plants have completely taken off. Congratulations!"
"Haha, just got lucky. A blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse," Jiang Tao replied modestly with a chuckle.
The 100,000 blueberry potted plants he had purchased came from Liu Yuan's husband, Xu Xinlei. Now that the blueberry plants had unexpectedly gone viral and their prices had skyrocketed, the couple might be feeling a bit uneasy.
"Brother Jiang~ Long time no see!" He Jing, sitting in the passenger seat, waved at Jiang Tao with a cheerful smile.
The two had met several times since last year and had shared meals twice. They got along well and had developed a good friendship.
"Sometime soon, let's meet up by Xiao Sha River. I'll take you, Aunt Ma, and Brother Lü for some seafood barbecue," Jiang Tao said, smiling back at He Jing.
Speaking of He Jing, she had brought him quite a bit of luck. For instance, while dining with her previously, he had triggered intelligence about a "Melody Pearl." Then there was the [Fitness Treadmill] he bought from her, which had significantly improved his physique to 56 points. His stamina and explosive power had increased, and even the fat around his waist had reduced, giving him a better figure—all thanks to that treadmill.
"Deal! It's a plan! I'll wait for your call, Brother Jiang," He Jing replied enthusiastically, not hesitating when it came to food.
"We've got some things to take care of, so we'll head off. You stay busy," Liu Yuan said.
"Alright, bye!" Jiang Tao waved as Liu Yuan drove away, then turned to head toward the greenhouse he had leased.
Pushing open the greenhouse door, the temperature inside immediately felt several degrees warmer. The weather outside was perfect for a light sweater and jacket, but inside the greenhouse, it was a bit hot. Jiang Tao took off his jacket, holding it in his hand, and nodded approvingly at the busy workers inside.
The team Du Jun brought was diligent and honest, with no one slacking off. As a result, Jiang Tao was generous with their wages and often provided snacks like bread and chicken drumsticks to keep their energy up.
"Good afternoon, Boss Jiang!" several workers packing orders greeted him with smiles, their expressions filled with respect.
"You're all working hard. Tonight, I'm treating everyone. Let Du Jun take you all out for a meal," Jiang Tao responded warmly.
With daily earnings in the tens of thousands recently, spending a thousand or so to treat the team to dinner was no big deal.
"Boss Jiang, you're too generous!"
"Working for Boss Jiang is such a pleasure! Call us again for any future jobs!"
"Thank you, Boss Jiang!"
The workers expressed their gratitude enthusiastically. Amid their thanks, Jiang Tao entered the simple office inside the greenhouse.
"Second Brother! We hit another big order today! As of just now, we've sold 5,800 pots!" Jiang Bing, turning to see her brother, excitedly reported the day's performance.
"Well done! At this rate, we'll wrap up this project in a few days," Jiang Tao said, his smile widening at the news.
As he spoke, he walked to the northwest corner of the office and crouched down to inspect one of the genetically mutated blueberry plants. After more than ten days of growth, the four plants had started bearing small fruits. However, the fruits were still too small to show any clear differences from regular blueberry plants.
"Huh…" Jiang Tao's gaze suddenly caught something. One of the blueberries on the innermost plant displayed signs of mutation—a tiny fruit, about the size of a pinky nail, shimmered with a rainbow-like array of colors.
Seeing this "special" blueberry, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up. Blueberry colors typically depend on the variety, with most ripening to deep purple, dark blue, or violet, and a few to red. A multicolored blueberry like this, displaying shades of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple, was undoubtedly a rare find globally!
"What's up, Second Brother?" Jiang Bing asked, her attention shifting from her computer screen to Jiang Tao upon hearing his murmur.
"Come here, Lao San, check this out," Jiang Tao beckoned her over.
"What's so special?" Curious, Jiang Bing got up, walked over, and crouched beside him to examine the blueberry plants.
"Look at this," Jiang Tao pointed at the rainbow-colored blueberry.
"This… Wow! It's gorgeous! So many colors! It wasn't like this when I checked yesterday!" Jiang Bing's face lit up with surprise and confusion as she saw the colorful blueberry.
Having recently learned about blueberry varieties, Jiang Bing could name and describe the characteristics and sweetness of sixteen or seventeen types. A rainbow-colored blueberry like this was exceptionally rare!
"I told you these four pots might have undergone some genetic mutation," Jiang Tao said with a smug grin. "You didn't believe me before, but now you do, right?"
He had previously told Jiang Bing to take good care of these four pots, explicitly mentioning their genetic mutation. She hadn't believed him, thinking he was joking. Now, with the rainbow blueberry in front of her, she had no choice but to believe.
"It's beautiful, but… what's the point?" Jiang Bing asked, looking at Jiang Tao with confusion. "People buy blueberries to eat, not to look at. It's all about the taste, isn't it?"
"You haven't tasted it, so how do you know it doesn't taste good?" Jiang Tao replied confidently, trusting the system's intelligence. If the system said these mutated blueberry plants were worth 200,000 yuan each, there had to be a reason. Their taste was likely as impressive as their appearance—perhaps even better than existing varieties.
He continued, "Besides, the Agricultural Research Institute would definitely be interested in a genetically mutated plant like this."
"The Agricultural Research Institute?" Jiang Bing's eyes brightened. "Second Brother, are you saying one of these could sell for a few thousand yuan?"
Jiang Tao laughed, "Too conservative."
"A few thousand is too conservative? You're not saying these could sell for tens of thousands, are you?" Jiang Bing looked at him in shock, thinking he was dreaming big.
"Hehe, just wait and see," Jiang Tao teased with a chuckle, keeping her in suspense.
"Go back to your work. I'll ask Liu Yuan if she has any contacts at the Agricultural Research Institute." Standing up, Jiang Tao pulled out his phone, found Liu Yuan's number, and dialed.
Compared to her husband Xu Xinlei, Jiang Tao felt more at ease dealing with Liu Yuan, a fellow hometown friend. The call connected quickly, and Jiang Tao got straight to the point, asking if she had any contacts at the Agricultural Research Institute. He described the four mutated blueberry plants as being consigned to him by a friend to avoid making Liu Yuan and her husband feel uneasy. If they learned that among the 100,000 blueberry plants they sold him were four highly valuable mutated ones, they'd probably regret it deeply.
Liu Yuan, as always, was eager to help. She indeed knew a few minor leaders at the Agricultural Research Institute. After a brief chat, she sent Jiang Tao the WeChat contact of a Director An. Jiang Tao promptly added her and noticed from her WeChat Moments that Director An was a woman in her forties.
Instead of calling, Jiang Tao initiated a text conversation on WeChat. Director An, whose full name was An Menglin, showed great interest upon hearing about the four genetically mutated blueberry plants. She asked, "Genetically mutated blueberry plants? What variety, and how are they mutated? Do you have photos? Can you send me some first?"
Jiang Tao took over a dozen photos from various angles and sent them to her. Though not professional, they were clear enough. An Menglin, intrigued by the rainbow-colored blueberry in the photos, asked, "Can I come to inspect them in person tomorrow morning?"
"Absolutely, you're welcome anytime!" Jiang Tao replied.
"How about 10 a.m. tomorrow? I'll drive over."
"Sounds good, Director An. I'll be waiting."
After a brief WeChat exchange, they confirmed the meeting for the next morning. Jiang Tao understood An Menglin's caution—after all, these four special plants weren't cheap. The value of just four mutated blueberry seedlings was comparable to ten ordinary ones, highlighting the vast difference between premium and common items.
"Lao San, you'd better keep a close eye on these four pots. If they go missing, you'll have to answer for it," Jiang Tao said, reminding Jiang Bing again as he prepared to leave.
"Old third, they won't get lost! Even if I get lost, your precious blueberry plants won't!" Jiang Bing rolled her eyes, exasperated by his repeated reminders.
"Alright, you keep at it. I'm heading to the vegetable market to check on Mom and Dad," Jiang Tao said, leaving the office and driving off.
Around 4:30 p.m., he parked his Mercedes GLS in an open area outside the Baigezhuang Vegetable Market. Locking the car, he walked into the market. It was a quiet time, with students still in school and workers not yet off work, so the market wasn't crowded.
As he entered, Jiang Tao glanced toward his family's stall and saw a crowd gathered there. "Looks like today's event is quite lively," he thought, smiling as he walked over.
"Everyone, line up! There's enough for everyone!" From a distance, Jiang Tao heard Xu Li's voice, surprised to hear her there. Lately, they had been trying for a second child, and he had told her to rest at home and not worry about work.
Approaching the stall, he saw a line of twenty to thirty people waiting to receive free samples of eight-treasure pickled vegetables. Most were elderly, with only a few younger people. Inside, his parents and Xu Li were serving the samples.
"Make way, please…" Jiang Tao squeezed through the crowd to enter the stall.
"Son, you're here!" his mother called out.
"Honey~" Xu Li's face brightened upon seeing him, her sweet voice making the men in line envious of Jiang Tao's charming and attractive wife.
With so many customers around, Jiang Tao didn't discuss business with his parents or Xu Li. Instead, he joined in handing out the free samples. The family worked together until around 5 p.m., when the giveaway ended, and they closed the stall for the day.
His parents went to buy groceries from other vendors in the market, while Xu Li linked arms with Jiang Tao, leaning against him as they strolled through the market, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
"Honey, my mom said my dad's taking leave from next Monday to Wednesday, plus the weekend, so he'll have five days off," Xu Li said. "Oh, and Shasha's currently unemployed. Should we invite her to join us?"
"Mom and Dad already invited her, so it wouldn't feel right to leave her out."
"Sure, let her come. One more won't make a difference," Jiang Tao replied.
"That's my generous husband~ Shasha was immature before, but you, as her brother-in-law, can't hold a grudge," Xu Li teased.
"Don't worry, am I that petty? If I minded, I wouldn't have suggested inviting your parents to Beijing for a trip," Jiang Tao said with a smile.
Under the glow of the sunset, they chatted and strolled, enjoying a relaxed moment. After buying groceries, they headed home, where his parents cooked dinner with Xu Li assisting and learning. Jiang Tao was tasked with taking Wangcai, their dog, for a walk.
Lately, Wangcai had been quite the "treasure hunter." Besides the first gold bead it brought back when Xu Li and Jiang Xue took it to Du Ennan's villa district, it had recently "found" a gold ring and a diamond ring. Not wanting his mother or Xu Li to wear items of unknown origin, Jiang Tao sold them through Zhang Bo and used the money to buy new ones for them.
"Woof woof woof~" Jiang Tao held the leash, walking Wangcai around the neighborhood for about half an hour until Xu Li called to say dinner was ready.
"Woof woof woof~" Back home, as soon as Jiang Tao unhooked the leash, Wangcai scampered to the kitchen, circling Xu Li excitedly.
"Honey, look at this!" Xu Li exclaimed, beckoning him over.
"What is it?" Jiang Tao walked over and saw a small, golden bead the size of a pill in her palm, his eyes lighting up. "Where'd you get this? Another gold bead?"
Pinching the shiny bead, he feigned surprise, though he was calm inside. Wangcai's ability to bring home valuable items was a manifestation of its [Prosperity] trait.
"It looks just like the gold bead from before! Our Wangcai's found another treasure!" Xu Li said, while his parents smiled at the tail-wagging dog, who seemed to be saying, "Praise me, praise me!"
Having witnessed Wangcai's "treasure-hunting" ability, the family knew its name was fitting. The items it had brought back were worth at least sixty or seventy thousand yuan, far exceeding the cost of buying the dog.
"Little Wangcai, you're amazing! Extra chicken drumstick for you tonight~" Xu Li crouched down, petting Wangcai with delight.
"Everyone, wash up for dinner. Where's old third?" his mother asked, just as a knock came at the door. Speak of the devil—Jiang Bing was back from work.
Hearing that Wangcai had brought home another gold bead, Jiang Bing was amazed and jokingly said she wanted to get a dog named Wangcai too. Jiang Tao just chuckled—not every "Wangcai" had the [Prosperity] trait. She was overthinking it.
After dinner, Xu Li drove Jiang Bing home and picked up Jiang Xue from her tutoring session with Jiang Yi. His parents, recently hooked on square dancing, went to practice. Jiang Tao lounged on the sofa, scrolling through his WeChat Moments. Once his food had digested, he changed into workout clothes and stepped onto the [Fitness Treadmill] for his daily run.
*Swish swish swish, swish swish swish—*
After over ten days of running and a 9-point increase in physique, Jiang Tao could now run for an hour without stopping.
*[You've run for 1 hour. Congratulations, you've triggered a physique reward: +1!]*
*[Your current physique is 60 points (normal)]*
With today's point, Jiang Tao's physique finally reached the system's "normal" standard. However, he noted that the system's benchmark seemed high—among everyone he knew, no one's physique exceeded 60, typically ranging between 20 and 60. Setting 60 as the baseline felt a bit excessive; 50 would have been more reasonable.
Seeing the reward notification on his retina, Jiang Tao pressed the "stop" button, wiped his sweat with a towel, and headed to the bathroom for a shower. As usual, Xu Li and Jiang Xue returned first, followed shortly by his parents. The family chatted in the living room before washing up and heading to bed.
It was another fulfilling and busy day. As always, Jiang Tao activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for his parents and Jiang Xue. After some "card games" and a chat with Xu Li, he activated [Deep Sleep Mode] for her too, then waited for the midnight intelligence refresh.
*[Daily Intelligence 01]:*
*You lingered at Baigezhuang Vegetable Market yesterday and obtained related intelligence—*
*A Warring States period bronze artifact is buried in a certain area of Baigezhuang Vegetable Market!*
"Bronze artifact… That's too risky!" Jiang Tao muttered with a wry smile, immediately dismissing the idea. While he wasn't an expert in antiques, he knew enough to understand that bronze artifacts were nationally protected cultural relics, with illegal trading strictly prohibited. Profiting from such activities could lead to up to five years in prison or detention, plus fines, for serious offenses.