Inside the truck at the entrance of Xiaoshahe Village.
Jiang Tao did some calculations on his phone.
This morning at PDD Supermarket, he spent a total of 4,497 yuan.
He received a transfer of 5,250 yuan from Yu Dongdong, plus 2,400 yuan from the landlord, totaling 7,650 yuan.
7,650 - 4,497 = 3,153!
In just one morning, he made over 3,000 yuan!
Though it wasn't as much as he earned from selling the watch yesterday, it was still pretty good!
After finishing the math, he happily lit a cigarette.
Jiang Tao then started the truck and headed straight to the Hongxing Secondhand Furniture Market.
At exactly 9 a.m., Jiang Tao parked his truck at the market's entrance, waiting quietly for customers like a fisherman waiting for a bite.
In the past, every time he came to the furniture market, Jiang Tao would feel anxious.
Would business be good or bad today? How much could he earn?
He was so desperate for money that it was all he could think about, all he could see.
When business was good and he earned a lot, he'd be thrilled and excited.
But when business was slow and earnings were low, he'd get anxious and start overthinking.
Every time his phone rang, he'd worry it was a creditor chasing him down.
Today, with 3,000 yuan in his pocket as a safety net, Jiang Tao's mood was noticeably lighter.
The world around him seemed clearer, and even his breathing felt smoother.
As the saying goes, good fortune lifts the spirit—Jiang Tao was probably in that state now.
"Driver, how much to haul a few beds to Baigezhuang New Village?"
Before Jiang Tao could finish his cigarette after getting out of the truck, a job came his way.
After some haggling, they settled on 70 yuan.
Jiang Tao got back in the truck, started it, and followed the customer to the wholesale market to begin the day's work.
Overall, his luck was pretty good today.
In the morning, he took on three jobs, earning 230 yuan.
For lunch, he had fried pancakes at a small diner near the wholesale market, costing 10 yuan.
He rested in the truck for about an hour at noon, then took on four more jobs in the afternoon, earning a solid 300 yuan.
By the end of the day, he made 530 yuan in total, with at least 400 yuan in net profit after fuel costs.
By 6 p.m., as the sky began to darken, the market closed, ending the day's business.
Jiang Tao called it a day and drove home.
For dinner, he cooked himself a bowl of tomato and egg noodles.
Three yuan for the noodles, four yuan for the tomatoes, plus two eggs.
A meal costing less than 10 yuan, and he was stuffed.
Satisfied and full, he sipped some cheap liquor with peanuts, living a simple but flavorful life.
"What kind of intelligence will I get tomorrow? I hope it's more money-making tips!"
While sipping his liquor, Jiang Tao's curiosity got the better of him. He opened the intelligence system, his eyes full of anticipation.
[Next intelligence update in 5 hours and 27 minutes. Please wait patiently…]
*Ding-a-ling~*
His phone rang, and Jiang Tao saw it was a video call from his wife, Xu Li. He tapped to answer.
The phone screen flickered, revealing Xu Li's figure.
Today, Xu Li was wearing a light gray dress, looking tall, slim, and elegant.
Even after years of marriage, Jiang Tao still felt a spark whenever he saw his wife dressed beautifully.
"Well, whose lovely wife is this? Looking so pretty!"
"Pretty, huh? Not like anyone's making use of it."
"Pfft, haha, you little rascal. I'd love to 'use' it every day. Why don't you bring our daughter and stay in the city for a few days?"
"Tch, no way I'm staying in your doghouse. What, sleep on the floor?"
"If you and our girl come, we won't stay in my dump. We'll rent a place in a nice complex."
"With that kind of money, I'd rather save it to buy you and Little Xue some New Year's clothes! By the way, honey, did you sell the phone?"
"Sold it, got 4,000."
As he spoke, Jiang Tao transferred 4,000 yuan to Xu Li via WeChat.
Of course, this wasn't from selling the phone—it was from selling the watch and some liquor.
He wasn't planning to sell the iPhone 15 he won from the iced tea prize; he wanted to keep it as a New Year's gift for Xu Li.
"I checked on JD.com, a brand-new one costs over 4,300. You lost over 300 yuan!"
Xu Li's face showed a pained expression—300 yuan could buy their daughter two months' worth of milk.
"Be happy with what we got. Getting that price is already pretty good. If we didn't lose a bit, why would anyone buy from us instead of just ordering online?"
"True. Oh, honey, I've got something to tell you."
"Go ahead."
"My mom transferred 20,000 yuan to me today for emergencies."
"With what you sent before and the 4,000 just now, I've got about 30,000 yuan on hand."
"If any creditors come knocking, we'll negotiate with them, pay back some now, and clear the rest next year."
"Don't put so much pressure on yourself. We can earn and repay slowly. Your health always comes first."
"Your daughter and I are counting on you to live a good life with us, so take care of yourself."
Hearing Xu Li's gentle, caring words over the phone, Jiang Tao felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
To have married a wife who'd stick with him through thick and thin, and who was so understanding—he'd hit the jackpot!
"Don't worry, honey. Our good days are just around the corner. You and our girl just wait to enjoy the good life!"
Jiang Tao's gaze drifted to the azure virtual panel in front of him.
He could almost see the three of them living happily together every day.
The couple chatted for about an hour before hanging up.
Full and content, Jiang Tao washed up briefly and slipped into bed to listen to an audiobook.
In years past, he used to wander around a lot.
Often, he'd end up strolling through the foot massage street.
But as he got older, his life became simpler, and he grew more comfortable with solitude.
When his phone showed 12:01 a.m.,
Jiang Tao hit pause, closing the audiobook page.
"God of Wealth, please bless me with another money-making tip!"
"I need money, money, money! Important things must be said three times!"
Jiang Tao rubbed his hands together, made a quick prayer to the air, and then opened the intelligence system with a thought.
[Today's Intelligence]: While working at the Hongxing Secondhand Furniture Market today, you obtained the following information—
Inside a secondhand single sofa sold by vendor B25, someone has hidden 29,800 yuan in private savings!
"Someone's 29,800 yuan in private savings!"
Seeing the newly updated intelligence, Jiang Tao was instantly thrilled!
Who in their right mind hides private savings in a sofa?
And then sells it to a secondhand furniture market!
"Thank you, God of Wealth, you're my real grandpa!"
Seeing that the updated intelligence was indeed about making money, Jiang Tao's heart raced with excitement.
This was intelligence worth 29,800 yuan!
And the cost was much lower than the three bottles of liquor he won today!
So, the return on investment was even higher!
If he could successfully get his hands on that "treasure sofa" with the hidden stash,
The money he'd make in one day would be about the same as three months of hard work in the past!
"Sleep, sleep, recharge my energy. Tomorrow, I *have* to get that sofa!"
After the excitement, Jiang Tao hurried to bed, diving under the covers to sleep.
But as soon as he closed his eyes, his mind was filled with images of the sofa and stacks of red banknotes, keeping him wide awake!