Chapter 59: One Toss, One Pick-Up, We Still Profit!

Lü Qian and Jiang Tao had agreed to have dinner together at exactly 7:00 PM.
It was currently only around 4:30 PM.
Jiang Tao had gone to Panjiayuan earlier today to sell some tea, standing in the subway for nearly four hours back and forth.
Even though he hadn't done any heavy physical labor, it was much more exhausting than driving a delivery truck for a whole day.
With over two hours to spare, he didn't plan on going anywhere else, opting instead to head straight back to his rented room to rest.
He fell fast asleep until 6:30 PM.
After waking up, Jiang Tao washed his face, washed his hair, shaved his beard, and changed into a clean set of clothes.
With a little simple grooming, his entire aura instantly underwent a dramatic transformation.
In a flash, he went from an unkempt, sloppy middle-aged man to a charming mature uncle.
Back in his school days, when Xu Li actively pursued him, the face his parents gave him deserved at least half the credit.
By the time he finished washing and grooming, the time had already reached 6:50.
Upon heading downstairs, Jiang Tao found that He Jing had already arrived, smiling and gesturing about something with Ma Dongmei.
"Well, well! After tidying up like this, our young man looks quite handsome! He's almost catching up to what I looked like back in my youth!"
Seeing the freshly groomed Jiang Tao, Lü Qian couldn't help but tease him with a smile.
When Jiang Tao was working and driving his truck during normal days, he always maintained a rough, unkempt appearance.
It was only when he returned home that he would meticulously wash and scrub himself up, presenting his absolute best self to his wife and children.
Having spent over six years together, even Lü Qian had rarely seen Jiang Tao looking so clean and sharp.
"He's almost catching up to what I looked like back in my youth" was his highest praise for Jiang Tao's appearance.
"Haha, I can tell, I can tell. Brother Lü must have been the idol of thousands of young girls in the capital back then, the absolute pinnacle of handsomeness in the Four-Nine City."
Looking at Lü Qian, who was once again cosplaying Xu Wenqiang, Jiang Tao responded with a cheerful compliment.
"Brother Jiang, you're here."
Seeing Jiang Tao, He Jing wore a gentle smile and took the initiative to greet him.
Today's Jiang Tao was completely different from the two times He Jing had seen him before.
He was noticeably more handsome, with a much more refined aura.
And furthermore...
For some reason, He Jing felt that the Jiang Tao before her eyes was like a completely different person compared to the one she first met when she bought her watch.
The aura he exuded had become much more calm and confident.
Even the tone of his voice felt brighter and more upbeat.

One was a Jiang Tao weighed down by heavy debts, anxious to the point of suffering from severe insomnia every day just to earn money for repayment as the New Year approached.
The other was a Jiang Tao unburdened by debt, possessing a mysterious system, having already accumulated hundreds of thousands in wealth, and eating well, drinking well, and sleeping well every single day.
Naturally, Jiang Tao under these two completely different states would give off entirely different impressions.

After a brief chat, Lü Qian led the group toward the restaurant where he was treating them tonight.
Lü Qian had learned from Ma Dongmei that He Jing loved seafood.
Therefore, he had chosen Fat Brother's Seafood Barbecue in the urban village as the venue for tonight's dinner.
Although Fat Brother's Seafood Barbecue was just a barbecue joint located in an urban village, its scale was by no means small.
The three-story building along the street was decorated in an extremely prestigious manner, and the per capita spending was not low either.
The variety of seafood in the restaurant was also quite comprehensive, featuring all kinds of shellfish, shrimp, fish, and more.
Fat Brother's Seafood Barbecue was quite famous in this neighborhood.
Every day, many customers living in the inner city would drive a long way just to dine here.
Lü Qian looked like a regular here.
As soon as he led Jiang Tao and the others inside, a waiter immediately escorted them to a private room on the second floor that he had reserved in advance.
Entering the private room, Lü Qian merely asked Jiang Tao and He Jing if there were any foods they disliked or avoided.
With that settled, he immediately began ordering.
There were all kinds of seafood available, including oysters, Manila clams, scallops, whiteleg shrimp, giant tiger prawns, shrimp paste, saury, and squid.
He also ordered a bunch of skewered meats.
"Tonight, we're drinking this~"
After finishing the order, Lü Qian pulled out a jar of Nuerhong wine—which he had bought from Jiang Tao for 20,000 yuan a jar—from a black tote bag he was carrying, acting like he was presenting a precious treasure.
When she saw the wine jar of Nuerhong, Ma Dongmei's eyes lit up.
Clearly, she had tasted this wine before.
Jiang Tao had also learned during his chats with Lü Qian that Ma Dongmei enjoyed drinking as well, and her alcohol tolerance was quite good.
No wonder the compatibility between the two of them was as high as 97%, with their hobbies and interests matching to such a high degree.
Soon, the waiter brought plates upon plates of various shellfish, fish, and shrimp to the table.
As the host of the evening, Lü Qian said a few brief words to express his welcome to He Jing, and the dinner officially began.
The kind of Nuerhong that Jiang Tao sold to Lü Qian—which had genuinely been buried for nearly 20 years—was still quite rare on the market.
Even He Jing, a girl who typically never touched a single drop of alcohol, couldn't help her curiosity after hearing Lü Qian's boastful introduction of the Nuerhong, pouring herself a small cup to taste the flavor.
The complex and rich fragrance of the Nuerhong made even He Jing praise its delicious taste after taking a sip.
The dinner was filled with a harmonious and joyful atmosphere, with the unfamiliarity among the group fading away and giving way to a sense of familiarity.
The single two-catty jar of Nuerhong was completely finished by the four of them.
With everyone well-fed and satisfied, Lü Qian went downstairs to settle the bill, which came to a little over 2,400 yuan—averaging a bit over 600 per person, which wasn't too extravagant.
However, if that 20,000-yuan jar of Nuerhong was included, the per capita cost instantly skyrocketed to over 5,000, making it quite a grand feast!
When they returned to the front of Lü Qian's building, it was already past 9:00 PM.
Jiang Tao still needed to make a video call with his wife and children back home, so he bid farewell to the others and headed straight upstairs.

Back in his own room, he washed up briefly and gulped down a large glass of plain water to sober up a bit.
Only then did Jiang Tao take out his phone and initiate a video call with Xu Li.
"Honey, am I just really stupid and useless..."
"I can't even earn a single penny myself, and on top of that, I went and lost 30,000 yuan. I'm so useless."
Xu Li still hadn't forgiven herself for losing the lottery ticket worth 30,000 yuan.
Her pretty face wore a aggrieved expression, just like a child who had done something wrong.
Seeing this, Jiang Tao felt somewhat helpless. He had already said all the comforting words he could that morning.
He had also explicitly stated that he didn't blame Xu Li at all and urged her to set her mind at ease.
However, since Xu Li insisted on blaming herself, refused to forgive herself, and was trapping herself in a dead end, Jiang Tao had no good solutions left.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration hit Jiang Tao's mind, and he said:
"Wifey, there was actually something I planned to share with you after I got back and we were tucked into bed.
But considering your mood isn't too wonderful today, I might as well tell you right now."
"What is it?"
Xu Li's interest was piqued by Jiang Tao's words, and she looked at him with a curious expression.
"This matter is even more magical than reality itself. You probably won't believe it when I tell you, but it doesn't matter, I have proof."
"The other day..."
Jiang Tao adapted the story of how he had previously picked up a second-prize-winning lottery ticket from a secondhand car and told it to Xu Li.
Upon hearing this, Xu Li realized that someone else had lost an even larger sum than what she had lost, and it had actually been picked up by her own husband!
Between the two of them, one lost and one picked up, so taking everything into account, they had actually made a profit of over 30,000 yuan!
To make Xu Li believe him, Jiang Tao even sent her the transfer record of the transaction between himself and the lottery shop owner.
Seeing that transaction record of 68,996, Xu Li had no choice but to believe it!
"If you ask me, all of this was destined by the heavens."
"Maybe that lottery ticket wasn't lost by you; rather, the heavens felt it gave us a bit too much and took a small portion back."
"Is that really true, honey?"
After a round of comforting and reasoning by Jiang Tao, Xu Li's mood did indeed improve quite a bit.
"Definitely!"
Jiang Tao answered decisively, without a single shred of hesitation.
The couple chatted away until past twelve midnight before ending the call.
After hanging up, Jiang Tao's heart stirred as he opened the intelligence system panel to check the latest intelligence.