Jiang Tao noticed that the name [Tian Mingrong] had a special display effect on the system interface.
It was enclosed in square brackets.
He focused his thoughts on Tian Mingrong's name, and instantly, an image of a woman in her fifties appeared in his mind.
She was wearing a black down jacket, of average build, with a round face. Her features weren't particularly striking, but she gave off an approachable vibe.
"Huh? This auntie…"
Seeing the image of Tian Mingrong in his mind, Jiang Tao immediately felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
"Where was it…"
"Where was it…"
"Right! The lottery shop! Isn't this the auntie who sells lottery tickets at that shop in Ping County?!"
Jiang Tao suddenly remembered why Tian Mingrong seemed familiar. He had indeed seen her before, and not just once.
The first time was when he went with Xu Li to buy scratch-off tickets, and the second time was when he went alone to buy that lottery ticket worth over 8,000 yuan.
Today, seeing her image through the system's prompt was the third time.
"Fate really is a mysterious thing. If my brother-in-law ends up with her, it wouldn't be a bad match."
Objectively speaking, although Tian Mingrong was a bit older, looking to be in her fifties this year, her appearance and figure were quite decent for her age. In her younger days, she was probably a beauty.
"The only question is whether she can still have children…"
Jiang Tao's only slight concern was whether the special task [Passing on the Family Line] triggered by the first piece of information could be successfully completed.
"I've seen online that women in their sixties can still have kids, so someone in their fifties should be fine, right?"
"Since the system's intel says they're a good match and even triggered a special task, there's probably some connection between that intel and the task."
The more Jiang Tao thought about it, the more reasonable his speculations seemed.
"Forget it, I'll take it one step at a time. They're not even married yet, and here I am worrying about whether she can have kids. I'm getting ahead of myself."
Jiang Tao gave a sheepish smile, then shifted his focus with a thought, flipping to the second piece of intel that had refreshed today.
**[Today's Intel 02]:**
While browsing your Moments yesterday, you saw a missing dog post by Tian Jianming, obtaining related intel—
Tian Jianming's beloved dog, Little Pocket, was thrown into an abandoned well outside Baiyang Village in Ping County by a few naughty kids.
Organize a rescue, and you can claim a 60,000 yuan reward!
**[Note:]** Little Pocket's life signs are currently extremely weak. Life countdown initiated: 02:03:12
…
"A 60,000 yuan reward!"
Seeing the second piece of intel that refreshed today, Jiang Tao's heart leaped with joy.
This was another piece of intel worth 60,000 yuan!
Moreover, the task of rescuing a dog from an abandoned well didn't seem too difficult, but it was urgent.
"Only a little over two hours left…"
"Thank goodness I didn't drink too much last night, or I'd have slept through this intel."
Do it or not?
Without much hesitation, Jiang Tao gently slid his arm out from under Xu Li's head.
He tiptoed out of the room, put on the old clothes he'd left in the laundry basket, grabbed his car keys, and headed out.
Even though he now had millions to his name, 60,000 yuan was still money. Jiang Tao wasn't about to pass up such an easy opportunity to make cash.
Once outside, he sat in the car parked at the door and first checked the location of the pet dog "Little Pocket."
Baiyang Village was about 1 kilometer south of Ping County's town center.
Through the high-definition, high-precision map provided by the system, he could see that Little Pocket was in a desolate area outside the village.
He could even make out the outline of the structure—a seemingly abandoned cellar?
It was dark and windy, and given how late it was and how remote the location was, even Jiang Tao, a grown man, didn't dare go alone.
Better safe than sorry—he didn't want to risk getting himself in trouble while trying to save a dog!
"Time's tight. Time to call for backup!"
The first people who came to Jiang Tao's mind were his two nephews.
With that thought, he found his older nephew's number on his phone and dialed.
*Beep—*
The phone barely rang once before it was picked up instantly.
"Hey, Second Uncle, what's up this late?"
"All things move in the universe!"
The moment the call connected, Jiang Tao heard two voices—one was his older nephew's, and the other was his younger nephew's.
"You two are still up this late, playing games, huh?"
"Just, you know, playing a bit during the winter break. We're not allowed to bring phones to school normally."
"Good thing you're both awake. Come on out, meet me here. I'm taking you two to do some work."
"Work?"
Hearing there was work to be done, the brothers immediately got excited!
Last time they worked with their second uncle for less than an hour, each of them earned 1,000 yuan, instantly becoming "rich."
"Right. Grab a rope from home. Got any candles? Bring a few candles too."
"We've got them! Back in 2012, Dad said the world was gonna end and bought a whole box of candles. What do we need these for?"
"Stop asking questions, just bring them. Oh, and grab some steamed buns and beef, or ham if you've got it."
"Okay, got it, Second Uncle!"
"I'll be waiting on the main street. Bring the stuff and hurry up."
After giving his nephews their instructions, Jiang Tao hung up, started the car, and drove toward the village's main street.
About ten minutes later, two figures came running out from the alley by his older brother's house.
One tall, one short, one chubby, one skinny—it was Jiang Shijie and Jiang Shaojie, the brothers.
Seeing their second uncle's Mercedes with the trunk open, they smartly placed the rope and candles inside before closing it gently.
After stowing the items, the brothers opened the back doors and climbed in, one on each side.
They knew the front passenger seat was reserved for their second aunt, and their second uncle didn't let anyone else sit there.
"Second Uncle, what are we doing?"
As soon as he got in, Jiang Shijie asked excitedly.
"Shijie, you're talking a lot tonight, huh?"
Jiang Tao started the car and drove toward Baiyang Village while speaking.
The brothers exchanged a glance, feeling a bit puzzled about tonight's mission but not asking further questions.
They both knew their second uncle didn't like talkative people!
Besides, what was the point of asking? Whatever their second uncle told them to do, they'd do. No need to overthink it!
Fifteen minutes later, the Mercedes GLS pulled onto the provincial road outside Baiyang Village.
Jiang Tao found a spot to pull over, got out with the brothers, and told his older nephew to grab the tools from the trunk.
The brothers fully embodied the principle of "do more, talk less." Without asking anything, they grabbed the rope, candles, and some food and followed their second uncle.
The trio jogged down to the farmland south of the provincial road.
The brothers stayed close behind their second uncle, heading straight in one direction.
Along the way, they occasionally glanced at each other, feeling an inexplicable thrill.
After about three minutes and over a hundred meters, Jiang Tao spotted a small, low building ahead in the faint moonlight.
As a born-and-bred rural kid, Jiang Tao was no stranger to these things in the fields.
It was a pump house for irrigation.
He quickened his pace and saw that the iron door of the pump house was rusted and falling apart.
It looked like this pump house had been abandoned for a long time.
*Woof!!!*
A sudden bark rang out in the quiet wilderness.
Jiang Tao knew there was a dog trapped inside, a cute little one at that, so he wasn't scared.
But the brothers behind him weren't mentally prepared for it and jumped, clinging to each other in fright.
Jiang Shaojie even wet his pants a little, though the darkness hid his embarrassment.
"Geez, Second Uncle, is there a dog in there?!"
Recovering from the scare, Jiang Shijie asked nervously.
"Look at you two, scared out of your wits by a dog. It's not a hellhound, for crying out loud."
Jiang Tao turned to the brothers, chuckling and scolding them before giving an order:
"Shijie, go open the door."
"Got it, Second Uncle!"
*Woof woof woof!!*
*Woof woof woof!!!*
As if sensing rescue, the dog trapped in the pump house started barking loudly, almost like it was pleading for help.
*Clang.*
Jiang Shijie stepped forward and yanked open the rusty, rickety iron door.
The doorway to the pump house was narrow, so the trio entered one by one.
The interior was relatively spacious, about four square meters, and didn't feel too cramped with three people inside.
In the middle was a pit built with bricks, not as deep as Jiang Tao had imagined.
Shining a flashlight inside, the pit was only about three meters deep from the edge to the bottom.
*Woof woof woof, woof woof woof—*
A little white Bichon at the bottom of the pit saw Jiang Tao and the others as if they were its saviors.
It barked at them while vigorously wagging its purple-dyed tail.
Jiang Tao had initially thought it was a deep well or something, planning to have the nephews use candles to test the air below.
But seeing the site—a shallow pit—made that unnecessary.
Before Jiang Tao could say anything, his younger nephew, Jiang Shaojie, jumped down into the pit.
The little Bichon seemed almost human, showing no hostility even toward the unfamiliar Jiang Shaojie.
Instead, it ran to his feet, wagging its tail and begging for attention.
"Little guy, we're here to save you."
Jiang Shaojie bent down, picked up the Bichon, and tied it to the rope his brother lowered.
They pulled the dog up first, then the younger nephew.
The rescue mission was completed successfully, even smoother than expected.
After the rescue, the trio returned to the car parked by the road. Jiang Shaojie held the dog the whole way, clearly smitten with it.
Once in the car, Jiang Tao turned around and headed back to Jiang Family Village.
"Big guy, little guy, take this dog home and keep an eye on it tonight. Don't lose it."
While driving, Jiang Tao gave a serious reminder to his nephews. They couldn't let 60,000 yuan slip away.
"Don't worry, Second Uncle! I'll keep it in my bed tonight and make sure it's safe."
Jiang Shaojie stroked the Bichon's fur, finding the little dog more and more adorable.
Jiang Tao, still driving, teased with a laugh:
"Don't put it in your bed. It's a girl. If she sleeps with you, how's she gonna explain it to her boyfriend later?"
"Uh, it's a female? Never mind then. Women only slow down my sword-drawing speed. Here, bro, you take her~"
Hearing it was a female dog, Jiang Shaojie instantly lost interest and handed it to his brother.
Jiang Tao suddenly sniffed and said, "Huh, what's that weird smell in the car?"
Jiang Shaojie quickly improvised, "Oh, crap! This little thing peed on my pants! What a way to repay kindness with betrayal!"
"I knew I smelled something like pee. You two better keep an eye on that dog. It can pee on your pants, but not in my car."
"Got it, Second Uncle."
The trio chatted idly and soon arrived back at Jiang Family Village.
The brothers got out at their alley, carrying the Bichon and walking home.
By the time Jiang Tao got home, it was 12:48 a.m.
He tiptoed inside, changed out of his clothes, and slipped back into bed.
Xu Li must have mistaken the blanket for him, as her long, fair legs were wrapped tightly around it.
Jiang Tao didn't want to make too much noise, so it took some effort to free the blanket.
Once covered, he lay back on the pillow, cleared his mind, and fell asleep in less than five minutes.
The next morning, Jiang Tao woke up naturally, as usual.
When he opened his eyes, he was alone in the double bed.
Xu Li had already laid out his clothes for the day at the head of the bed.
His top was a black knit sweater with a faux-layered design, and his pants were casual black fleece-lined trousers.
At 1.82 meters tall and maintaining a weight of around 150 pounds, Jiang Tao didn't have the chiseled abs of fitness influencers from short videos, but he had little excess fat.
For a middle-aged man with a slowing metabolism, keeping his figure in check was no small feat.
Of course, compared to Xu Li's "eat-anything-and-stay-slim" physique, he was still far behind.
As Jiang Tao was pulling on his pants, the bedroom door cracked open slightly.
"Honey~ You're awake! Come wash your hands; breakfast is ready."
"Today's breakfast is your favorite pan-fried buns, hehe~ Spoiling you, right?"
Xu Li leaned against the door, speaking in a sweet, playful tone, winking at Jiang Tao with one eye.
Making breakfast every morning for her beloved husband was a source of great happiness for Xu Li.
In the past, Jiang Tao would usually leave for Beijing to work after the seventh or eighth day of the Lunar New Year.
No matter how much she tried, she could only make him a few breakfasts a year, always coming up with new dishes to keep things interesting.
"Thanks for the hard work, my dear wife. Come here, let me reward you properly."
"Pfft, no way~ Hurry up and come out. I'm going to wake up Old Three and your little cotton-padded jacket."
Xu Li wasn't falling for Jiang Tao's tricks. She gave him a charming eye-roll and went to rouse the two lazier members of the household.
At 8:30 a.m., the warm family of three, plus a disheveled, older single woman, sat down for breakfast.
"Wow, Second Sister-in-Law, your cooking is amazing! This looks so delicious!"
"Marrying you was the best thing my second brother ever did! He's so lucky!"
Jiang Bing never failed to praise her second sister-in-law's cooking at every meal, though it was unclear if she was sincere or just buttering her up.
"At least take a bite before you start praising!"
Jiang Tao, watching his younger sister across the table pick up a pan-fried bun and start critiquing before even eating, rubbed his forehead in exasperation.
"I don't need to eat it to know it's amazing! I have total confidence in Second Sister-in-Law's skills!"
Jiang Bing declared, then stuffed an entire pan-fried bun into her mouth.
Chewing heartily, she gave Xu Li a thumbs-up.
"Delicious, savory, crispy—perfect! Second Sister-in-Law, you should open a breakfast shop. It'd be a hit!"
"Eat as much as you want if it's good."
Xu Li beamed at her sister-in-law's compliments, her emotional satisfaction soaring, her smile brighter than a flower.
"Oh, by the way, Second Brother, Second Sister-in-Law, let me update you on yesterday's sales."
"We sold 688 Flying Pig popcorn buckets on Taobao and Xiaohongshu, with total sales of 136,912 yuan."
"But it'll take a few days for the payment to come through."
While eating breakfast, Jiang Bing reported the work to her brother and sister-in-law.
After all, they held an 80% stake, so they had the right to know about sales.
"Over 130,000…"
Though Xu Li had been busy with Jiang Bing all day yesterday, she only just learned how much they sold and earned.
Selling over 130,000 yuan in one day—how much profit was that?
"Of that, our gross profit is 123,152 yuan!"
"With your 80% share, you and Second Brother's profit is 98,512 yuan."
"Hehe, aren't we awesome?"
Jiang Bing had already calculated the numbers for Xu Li, grinning with a money-obsessed look.
For this Flying Pig popcorn bucket project, Jiang Tao had set a 20-80 profit split.
Jiang Bing handled sales, after-sales, and other tasks, taking 20% of the revenue, which wasn't small.
Yesterday alone, she earned over 24,000 yuan—equivalent to several months of her income from last year!
Even after deducting labor and shipping costs, her daily income was still over 20,000 yuan!
Earning 20,000 a day was a dream she wouldn't have dared to dream before.
Now, it was reality!
Once again, her second brother had carried her to success!
"Awesome, awesome. You and your brother are both awesome~"
Xu Li's eyes curved into crescents as she looked at her husband beside her, her lips curling into the happiest of smiles.
Jiang Bing grinned at Jiang Xue, who was carefully eating a pan-fried bun with a small spoon, and said:
"Little Snow, at this rate, you'll soon be a rich second generation."
Jiang Xue, munching on her bun, mumbled, "What's a rich second generation?"
Jiang Bing explained, "In simple terms, it means your dad will be really rich, and you'll have lots of pocket money."
"Daddy! Am I really a rich second generation?!"
Hearing she'd have lots of pocket money, Little Cotton Jacket's face lit up with excitement.
Xu Li was about to say something to temper her daughter's expectations, but Jiang Tao laughed:
"That's right, our Little Snow is a rich second generation. You can buy anything you like. Our family has lots of money."
When he was a kid, his parents always talked about how poor the family was and how hard it was to earn money.
By the time Jiang Tao was six or seven, he already knew his family was poor, that he was a poor kid, and that he was destined to be poor.
The concept of poverty had left a deep mark on his young psyche.
He didn't want to pass that mark on to his daughter.