Chapter 114: A Wife At Home, Goji Berries Can’t Cure It!
Do a good deed every day.
Jiang Tao extinguished the cigarette in his hand, washed his hands, and went back to his room to sleep.
As for whether Liu Hongwei could be arrested, it depended on how capable the police uncles were.
The remaining matters were beyond his control; he just had to wait for notification to collect the money.
The Ping County Public Security Bureau, approximately 7 kilometers from Jiang Family Village.
After Han Shasha hung up the phone, she looked at what she had written in the small notebook in front of her with surprise.
“Liu Hongwei, this is a criminal from the major case 404! Finally, there’s a lead!”
After the surprise, Han Shasha did not call the police station in Mang Village’s jurisdiction but instead called the county public security directly.
Such a major fugitive needed to be handled with extreme caution.
“Hello, Captain Liu, I just received a tip-off call…”
Han Shasha relayed the details of the recent police call before hanging up.
Inside a duty room at the Ping County Public Security Bureau, with wisps of smoke rising.
“Brothers, we’ve got a job, and it’s a big one! Prepare for action!”
Liu Guangtian, the Deputy Captain of the Criminal Investigation Brigade, excitedly called out to his colleagues who were dozing at their desks after receiving a call from the dispatch center.
“What big job, Captain Liu?”
Upon hearing that there was a job, the officers all got up from their seats, asking with curiosity.
“The dispatch center just received a tip-off call saying that Liu Hongwei, a wanted criminal in the 404 major case, has sneaked back home. I hope we don’t come up empty-handed this time.”
As Liu Guangtian spoke, he picked up his gun holster and handcuffs.
“This time, it won’t be a fake, will it?”
“Based on big data AI analysis of the caller’s voice and speaking patterns, the possibility of a lie is very small.”
“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s hurry! This is a major achievement!”
“This shift tonight wasn’t in vain; we even got such a big achievement!”
While they were talking, they were all dressed and ready. Liu Guangtian also called the police station in Mang Village’s jurisdiction to have them send personnel to cooperate.
If the caller’s information is accurate, we must apprehend Liu Hongwei in one fell swoop!
Under the cover of night, while the general public slept soundly in their comfortable large beds.
A team quietly maintaining social order and stability in the night was fully prepared and heading towards the criminal’s location.
Fifteen minutes later.
Four police cars silently drove into Mang Village and parked by the roadside at the village entrance.
Over a dozen public security officers got out of the cars and ran towards Liu Hongwei’s home.
Several police officers from the Mang Village jurisdiction had arrived in advance, bringing a wooden ladder.
Three police officers were left to guard the door.
The remaining dozen or so officers climbed over the wall using the ladder into the courtyard of Liu Hongwei’s parents’ home and apprehended Liu Hongwei, who was chatting with his parents in the living room, on the spot.
The operation was large in scale, but the arrest process went smoothly.
There was no thrilling cat-and-mouse chase scene like in TV shows.
Faced with a large number of police officers, Liu Hongwei knew he could not escape and offered no resistance, surrendering directly.
Amidst the cries of Liu Hongwei’s parents, as he was being led out of the house, Liu Hongwei showed no panic on his face; instead, he smiled with a sense of relief.
…
Jiang Tao woke up in his own large bed past 8 AM.
He slept soundly until he woke up naturally again.
During the Spring Festival, there was no work, and he could enjoy his wife, children, and a warm bed every day.
It was simply a heavenly life.
He reached out and picked up his mobile phone from the bedside table to check it.
There was an SMS notification of a bank transfer.
【 Your ICBC Savings Card with the ending XXX has received a deposit of 100,000 yuan, with a current balance of 978,856.75 yuan! 】
“It seems last night, no, it was already this morning, the arrest operation was quite successful.”
“The police uncles were quite capable.”
Jiang Tao’s finger tapped, and he quietly deleted the deposit SMS before starting to get dressed and get up.
A man may dote on his wife, but he still needs his own nest egg.
“Husband, go wake up Lao San and our daughter. Today we’re having Millet Pumpkin Porridge~”
As Jiang Tao stepped out, he heard the whirring of the kitchen’s range hood. Xu Li was stir-frying dishes, wearing a red checkered apron.
The aroma of food wafted from the kitchen, and the warmth of home became tangible at this moment.
“Alright, roger that~”
Jiang Tao replied with a smile and walked a few steps to his daughter’s room door and pushed it open.
It took all his might to drag the two lazy bugs out of their quilts.
The warm family of three, plus a disheveled Jiang Bing with dark circles under her eyes, sat down at the dining table.
Jiang Tao, while eating the cabbage Xu Li had just stir-fried, said:
“By the way, wife, we still have some of yesterday’s ox waist left, right? Ask Mom to stir-fry some for lunch.”
“If you have time during the day, go buy some lamb waist, pig waist, and so on.”
“Pfft~”
Jiang Bing couldn’t help but burst into laughter after hearing her second brother’s words, and she laughed very loudly.
“Second Brother, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling weak? Hahaha…”
“I understand, I understand you. Having a beautiful wife at home, even goji berries can’t help!”
“You really need to replenish, hahaha…”
“Let me tell you, besides waist, you can also eat shrimp, walnuts, and other things, hahaha…”
Jiang Bing introduced ingredients for boosting kidney health to her second brother, laughing until tears streamed down her face.
…
Jiang Tao looked at Lao San speechlessly.
How could this guy dare to laugh?
When the one who was weak was clearly her!
Xu Li also gave Jiang Tao a playful glare.
Her eyes seemed to say, you should just say these things in private, why are you saying them in front of Lao San?
A nutritious and hearty breakfast was finished in a joyful atmosphere.
“Second Sister-in-law, your cooking is so delicious. It’s so happy to eat your cooking every day.”
After breakfast, Jiang Bing didn’t forget to flatter her second sister-in-law, making Xu Li incredibly happy.
“Then you can live with us from now on, and I’ll cook for you every day.”
Xu Li said with a sweet smile. She treated Jiang Bing, her sister-in-law, as if she were her own younger sister.
The relationship between the sisters-in-law had always been very good.
In the past, when Jiang Tao worked in the Capital City, Jiang Bing would occasionally come back to the village and stay with Xu Li.
“My second sister-in-law is the best to me!”
Jiang Bing hugged Xu Li’s waist, which had an exaggeratedly thin hip-to-waist ratio, like a child playfully acting spoiled towards an adult.
“By the way, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, guess how many Flying Pigs we’ve sold?”
Speaking of the Flying Pig Popcorn Bucket, Jiang Bing instantly became excited.
Jiang Tao threatened with a smile, “Don’t keep me in suspense, tell me quickly, or I’ll deduct one-tenth of your share.”
“218! As of when I went to bed last night, we sold a total of 218!”
“The total sales volume is already over 43,000!”
“I estimate we’ll sell a few dozen more from tonight to this morning!”
“Our Flying Pigs are going to take off, Second Brother!”
“We sold so many!”
Upon hearing Jiang Bing’s sales report, Xu Li’s delicate face showed a surprised and cute expression.
“Mhm! Second Sister-in-law, speaking of which, I have to praise my Second Brother’s foresight again.”
“Even the manufacturer of this product is out of stock and has started accepting reservations and pre-orders, with delivery taking one to two months.”
“Our current stock of over 10,000 pieces is incredibly sought after!”
Although Jiang Bing liked to bicker with her second brother, she had great respect for him when it came to serious matters.
Who would have thought that such an ordinary popcorn bucket would bring such immense fortune, with people all over the internet seeking to buy it?
When a product is in short supply, an increase in price is a natural market law.
However, a significant price surge for a product like the Flying Pig Popcorn Bucket in such a short period is rare.
The fundamental reason is that it benefited from the popularity of the movie Nezha 2.
Nezha 2’s box office soared, and its unprecedented popularity also boosted all sorts of merchandise.
While witnessing the creation of multiple box office records, Jiang Tao also benefited from the movie IP this time.
In addition to being a witness, he also personally participated, becoming a small contributor.
Of course, the profit he made is just a drop in the bucket compared to Nezha 2’s billions, or even its potential to break into the ten-billion mark.
*Ring ring ring—*
The phone rang. Jiang Tao glanced at it and saw it was from 110. He calmly retreated into the storage room behind him and answered the call.
“Mm-hmm, yes, it’s me. Okay, mm-hmm…”
On the phone, the police station informed Jiang Tao that the arrest had been completed and that his provided clue was of great value.
The police station would complete some procedures, and he could go to collect his reward using the exclusive number he received when he reported the crime.
Jiang Tao listened patiently to the other person’s explanation before hanging up.
In the morning, Jiang Bing entered work mode and called someone from Shunfeng Express to come to the house to start shipping.
Xu Li also enthusiastically helped out.
Jiang Tao, being idle, took Jiang Xue and wandered over to his elder brother’s house.
“Uncle, you’re here! Little Xue, do you want candy? Brother will get you some!”
The young nephew, Jiang Shaojie, saw Jiang Tao bringing Jiang Xue and rushed back into the house.
The boy even brought out a plastic bag full of candy, letting Jiang Xue pick whatever she wanted.
In the Old Jiang family, Jiang Xue was the only little girl, making her the team pet of the entire family.
“Where are the others? Are you home alone?”
Jiang Tao looked at the empty and somewhat desolate courtyard of his elder brother’s house and asked his nephew.
“My dad just got off his night shift around 7 this morning and is sleeping inside now.”
“My mom went to the town to set up a stall to sell fried skewers.”
“My brother probably ran off to the county town again.”
Jiang Shaojie suddenly leaned in front of Jiang Tao and whispered conspiratorially.
“Second Uncle, I’ll tell you a little secret: my brother has a girlfriend, he’s dating early!”
“He’s been going to the county town every day these past few days to see his girlfriend.”
Jiang Tao looked at his cunning nephew and smiled, “What about you? Aren’t you dating at school?”
“Women only affect my draw speed. Even dogs don’t date! Genshin Impact is so fun!”
Jiang Shaojie held up a slightly damaged phone and had a look of worldly wisdom on his face.
“Kid, playing games isn’t forbidden, but play less and don’t let it affect your studies.”
“Take your sister outside to play for a bit. I’m going inside to check on your dad.”
Jiang Tao handed Jiang Xue over to his nephew to look after and then stepped up the stairs, entering the house.
Passing through the messy living room outside, where it was almost impossible to find a place to step.
Jiang Tao reached the door of the east room, knocked lightly, but got no response, so he pushed the door open.
The bedroom was also a mess, with clothes and shoes piled up haphazardly.
On the messy bed lay a man with messy hair, snoring loudly and sleeping soundly.
This person was Jiang Tao’s elder brother, Jiang He.
In his youth, his elder brother had a punk hairstyle with flared pants, smoked, drank, and skipped school to go to internet cafes.
He started working in a factory after junior high school, got married in his early twenties, and then became a father.
As the family grew, the burden on him as the pillar of the family became heavier and heavier.
However, he lacked education, qualifications, foresight, and the ability to do business.
As an ordinary person among the masses, Jiang He could only rely on his physical strength to earn money.
Jiang He perfectly embodied the saying “If you don’t work hard when you’re young, you’ll regret it when you’re old.”
Of course, Jiang Tao, the second brother, was in no position to laugh at his elder brother; he was no different himself.
Before he found System Brother, he had also wasted his time in the Capital City.
He exchanged time, or rather, his life, for meager rewards.
Year after year passed, money was earned and spent, spent and earned, but his lost youth could never be reclaimed.
The only difference between Jiang Tao and his elder brother was that he had only one daughter, so the pressure was not as great.
His elder brother had two sons. Besides schooling, he also had to buy them houses and find them wives, so he had no choice but to work himself to death.
Although he was only five years older than Jiang Tao, Jiang He looked dark and weathered, like someone in his fifties, appearing very old.
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Jiang He and their father, Jiang Wen, could be mistaken for brothers if they stood together.
Looking at his elder brother’s appearance, Jiang Tao felt a pang of unease.
【 Jiang He: Eligible for invitation. 】
Seeing the text appear above his elder brother’s head, Jiang Tao breathed a sigh of relief.
Even if it’s only an investment of 200,000 yuan this time, with a 55% return, Elder Brother can still earn over a hundred thousand yuan in the end.
It’s almost equivalent to his salary for a year and a half of hard work.
When one has the ability and it’s beneficial to oneself, helping out one’s own elder brother is only right.
“Brother, wake up, hey, wake up.”
Thinking of this, Jiang Tao took two steps forward and gently nudged his Elder Brother’s shoulder, shaking him awake.
“Second Brother, when did you get here? What’s up?”
Jiang He opened his eyes, looking groggy, his expression contorted as he looked at his Younger Brother, yawning as he asked.
Seeing him like this, it was as if he hadn’t slept for days and nights.
Jiang Tao reminded him: “Brother, pay attention when you’re working. Don’t just focus on earning money and wear yourself out. Life is long.”
Jiang He scratched his messy hair and said with a simple laugh:
“I’m just covering shifts for a few days during the Spring Festival to earn some money; I’m not usually this tired.”
“Let’s go, Brother, to the living room outside. I have something to tell you.”
Jiang Tao turned and left the east room after speaking.
A little while later, Jiang He came out wearing a pair of black cotton slippers, their original color indistinguishable.
Looking at his disheveled Elder Brother, who resembled an old man, Jiang Tao felt a wave of emotion.
It’s truly not easy for ordinary people to support two sons; it’s enough to wear them down.
Growing boys eat their parents dry, let alone two!
“What is it, Second Brother? What’s up?”
Jiang He sat down on the wooden sofa next to Jiang Tao and took a cigarette from the cigarette case on the coffee table in front of him, lighting it.
Jiang Tao didn’t beat around the bush with his Elder Brother and got straight to the point:
“Brother, I’m planning to invest in a project recently. Are you interested?”
“An investment project?”
Jiang He looked at his Younger Brother with a troubled expression. He had worked his whole life and never invested in any projects.
“Yes, didn’t Uncle mention the other day that the boss of their cattle farm wants to sell cattle? I plan to buy several hundred head while the cattle market price is low.”
Jiang Tao didn’t waste time with his Elder Brother and directly explained his investment plan and some market analysis.
Jiang He was a bit confused by what he heard, but he could tell his Younger Brother had a lot of confidence in this project.
When he heard Jiang Tao say that the total investment for this project was around 3 million yuan, Jiang He looked at his Younger Brother in surprise, thinking he had misheard.
“Second Brother, how much did you say the total investment was?”
Jiang He interrupted Jiang Tao’s continuous narration and asked with some uncertainty.
“Around 3 million yuan, as estimated.”
Jiang Tao’s expression was calm and indifferent, as if he were talking about 300 yuan, not 3 million yuan.
“3 million yuan…”
For an employee like Jiang He, whose monthly salary was only a little over 5,000 yuan, such a sum was an astronomical figure.
He only dared to fantasize about winning the first prize in the lottery and receiving over 3 million yuan after taxes.
Relying on his own efforts, he wouldn’t be able to earn 3 million yuan in his lifetime even if he never ate or slept!
“Yes, if you don’t do it, don’t do it at all. If you do it, do it big and make a killing.”
System Brother stipulated a maximum of 300 head, so Jiang Tao naturally purchased the maximum quantity to maximize profits.
“Ahem, that’s truly a big business. Second Brother, you’re different now that you’re back.”
Jiang He sized up his Younger Brother.
Although this was only the second time he had seen Jiang Tao this year, he had keenly noticed the change in his Younger Brother.
Confident, composed, dignified, his whole demeanor radiated with an approachable aura.
Jiang He had felt this kind of bearing from the Factory Director at his own factory.
“Hehe, I’m still me, nothing has changed. And you will always be my Elder Brother.”
Jiang Tao smiled gently at his Elder Brother, not becoming arrogant because he had earned some money, nor distancing himself from his Elder Brother.
Jiang He also felt his Younger Brother’s sincerity and was greatly relieved, saying directly:
“Second Brother, don’t laugh at me, but I can at most come up with seventy to eighty thousand yuan. I really can’t scrape together 200,000.”
Jiang Tao had made it clear earlier that to participate as a partner, the minimum investment was 200,000 yuan.
Of course, this wasn’t his requirement, but a mandatory stipulation from the system.
Only when a partner’s investment reached 200,000 yuan would they be considered a valid participant, and Jiang Tao could receive the 1x doubling reward.
Jiang Tao had already considered that his Elder Brother didn’t have enough money to invest on his way there, and readily said:
“If the money isn’t enough, I can front it for you. I’ll cover whatever you’re short, and you can pay me back slowly after we make money.
For this project, Third Sister has also agreed to invest with us. We’re siblings; no one should be left out.”
“Second Brother, you…”
Hearing his Younger Brother’s words, Jiang He was deeply moved again, almost moved to tears.
Before his Elder Brother could finish speaking, Jiang Tao interrupted with a smile:
“We’re family, so let’s not stand on ceremony. Besides, this money is a loan to you, not a gift.”
“Okay, Brother won’t be a stranger to you, but…”
Jiang He changed the subject and said, “But for such a big matter, I need to discuss it with your Sister-in-law first before I give you an answer.”
“Alright! Then I’ll await your good news, Elder Brother. This opportunity is very rare, don’t miss it.”
Jiang Tao didn’t rush his Elder Brother, giving him ample time to consider.
“Yes, I’ll give you an answer as soon as possible.”
Jiang He nodded, his expression unprecedentedly serious and solemn.
The brothers chatted idly for a while longer, and then Jiang Tao left with Jiang Xue.
Including his Elder Brother, there were only three known partners so far; at most, he would only receive an additional triple reward.
He still had to find and discover the remaining two partners.
Jiang Tao drove Jiang Xue to the homes of Zhang Chao, Shan Yufei, and Liu Zhiyuan.
And, quite coincidentally, Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yufei were also eligible for an invitation among the three.
With them, the five partners were complete!
When Liu Zhiyuan and Shan Yufei, these two brothers, heard that Jiang Tao was planning a new investment project, they agreed to invest without the slightest hesitation.
They agreed even more readily than Jiang Tao’s Father-in-law.
After all, they had collaborated once in the Capital City and made a lot of money.
There was a significant difference between having a prior collaboration foundation and not having one.
After lunch, in the afternoon, Jiang Tao took Xu Li, Jiang Xue, and the “Investment Feasibility Report” recently generated by System Brother to his Father-in-law’s home.
The Father-in-law put on his reading glasses and studied the 23-page feasibility report for over two hours, finally agreeing to join.
In the evening, Jiang Tao’s family of three ate dumplings at his Mother-in-law’s home.
Jiang Tao also had a few drinks with his Father-in-law.
During the meal, he received a call from his Elder Brother, Jiang He, who also agreed to invest but needed to borrow 90,000 yuan from Jiang Tao.
Since they were brothers, such a small favor was not a big deal, and Jiang Tao readily agreed.
Thus, all five partners were confirmed.
The next day, which was the seventh day of the Lunar New Year.
Even with the boost from Heluo Stone, Jiang Tao’s luck wasn’t great.
The two pieces of intelligence that appeared today were worthless.
One was that his Wife’s younger sister secretly took a bottle of liquor from their Father-in-law to celebrate Wang Xiaohong’s birthday.
The other was that his Elder Brother Jiang He’s used electric scooter would be stolen.
Jiang Tao sent his Elder Brother an SMS to remind him and didn’t pay it much further attention.
At noon, Jiang Tao organized a dinner party in his Father’s large courtyard.
He gathered the five investors he had invited for this occasion and explained the investment plan in detail to everyone.
The five individuals also paid their respective portions of the money, 200,000 yuan each, totaling 1 million yuan.
The total scale of this investment was around 3 million yuan, with Jiang Tao contributing the remaining 2 million yuan.
Once the funds were in place, Jiang Tao first contacted the current owner of the cattle farm where his Uncle worked, intending to acquire over 100 head of cattle and the cattle farm.
The agreed meeting time was 7 p.m. that evening, at the owner’s home.
