Chapter 178: Treating Jiang Yi And Jiang An’an To A Grand Meal!
Xiehe Hospital in the Capital City.
In the hallway of the obstetrics and gynecology building.
Ring, ring, ring—
As soon as Jiang Tao stepped out of the VIP ward where Du Ennan was staying, his phone rang.
He took out his phone and saw the caller ID displayed “Little Cotton Jacket”.
“Hello Xiao Xue, did you have fun with Teacher Jiang today?”
Jiang Tao swiped his finger to answer the call and asked with a smile.
Jiang Tao and Xu Li were both aware that Jiang Xue went out to play with Jiang Yi today.
“Oh? You met a new friend with Teacher Jiang? That’s great.”
“What’s your new friend’s name?”
“Jiang An’an?”
Hearing Jiang Xue mention the name of her new friend, Jiang Tao was slightly stunned.
Such a coincidence?
Today, he had also triggered a piece of intelligence related to Jiang An’an.
Just as he was leaving, he was thinking about how to contact Jiang An’an’s family.
How to become the “guide” for Jiang An’an’s acting career!
The opportunity has come!
Helping Jiang An’an get the role in the short play that the Shanhe Culture crew was going to film would not only benefit Jiang An’an.
Jiang Tao would also gain a lot.
Not only would he receive a cash reward of 880,000 yuan, but he would also get the title of 【Bole】.
According to System Brother’s introduction, wearing the 【Bole】 title allows one to see everyone’s strengths and suitable development directions.
This title is quite useful.
It allows one to know people well and arrange them in suitable positions.
It can also help those around oneself avoid many detours.
For example, if he could now see Jiang Xue’s strengths and suitable development direction.
He could start cultivating her in that direction from a young age, and start cultivating her hobbies.
The chances of her achieving something in the future would definitely be much greater than if she discovered her strengths and hobbies herself later in life.
Therefore, Jiang Tao felt it was his duty to help Jiang An’an secure the role in the crew.
Of course, he couldn’t do this alone.
Before promoting this matter, he would definitely need to ask for the opinions of Jiang An’an’s family and herself.
If her family objected, or if she was really not interested, then…
Jiang Tao would find a way to make her interested.
According to the information provided by System Brother, the path of acting was definitely a highway to success for Jiang An’an.
The sooner, the earlier the benefit!
“Yes, yes! You stay there and play with Teacher Jiang, I’ll drive over to pick you up.”
“Of course it’s true, how could Dad lie to you.”
“You guys continue playing. By the way, tell Teacher Jiang not to cook dinner, I’ll take you out for a big meal.”
“Okay, bye-bye, I’m leaving now.”
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Tao checked Jiang Xue’s location on the Xiao Tiancai children’s watch app.
Jiang Xue’s location was only a little over 20 kilometers away from Xiehe Hospital.
However, considering it was a weekend and the evening rush hour, it would probably take about an hour to drive there.
He took the elevator downstairs and found the Mercedes-Benz G-wagon parked in the parking space downstairs.
After starting the navigation in the car, he stepped on the accelerator and drove away from the parking space, heading towards Xiao Xue’s location.
“You say life is like a dream, I say life is like a show~”
“What’s the difference, isn’t it all hazy?”
“In the haze, there is you, and with you and me, it’s enough. You have risen rainbows in my world~”
The Mercedes-Benz G-wagon moved forward and stopped with the traffic on the street.
Jiang Tao was not bothered by the traffic, humming along to the music.
When he was young, he always felt that Wubai’s songs were too tacky and old-fashioned.
But as he reached middle age, he found Wubai’s songs more and more appealing and flavorful.
“Simply love the one your heart desires~”
“Senior Sister has also grown up~”
Humming and singing all the way, Jiang Tao was in an extremely good mood today!
Today, he received this Mercedes-Benz G-wagon worth over 2 million yuan.
Anyone would sing a few songs to express their joy.
Meeting again, you of the past, blue lotus, the ordinary road.
After singing a few songs, Jiang Tao felt like driving to 318 for a trip!
The Mercedes-Benz G-wagon passed through Dongcheng District, heading north through Sanyuan Bridge, Siyuan Bridge, Wuyuan Bridge…
Stopping and starting, it took one hour and one minute.
The Mercedes-Benz G-wagon slowly stopped on a vacant lot outside the Dongxindian Urban Village.
Jiang Tao himself came from an urban village in the Capital City, so he was naturally very familiar with such places.
Whether it was the urban villages in Pingchang District or Chaoyang District, the situation was more or less the same.
Not far away was the bustling Beijing CBD with its towering buildings in Wangjing.
The urban village here was like the small county town where Jiang Tao’s hometown was in Ping County, a completely different world.
If the Mercedes-Benz G-wagon drove into the village, it would be too narrow to even pass a bicycle coming from the opposite direction.
It was more convenient to leave the car at the village entrance and walk in.
He pushed the door open and got out of the car. Jiang Tao first took out a cigarette case from his pocket and lit a cigarette.
Only then did he take out his phone and was about to open the app to check Jiang Xue’s precise location again.
A flash of agile movement caught his eye, and a figure appeared before him.
“Jiang Tao, you’re here.”
Jiang Yi’s voice was as gentle as water, like eating a mouthful of incredibly smooth chocolate for the ears.
Jiang Tao clicked the lighter to ignite the cigarette at the corner of his mouth, then turned his gaze to Jiang Yi.
She was wearing a loose beige sweater, a dress of the same color, and short boots.
She had a brown YSL handbag slung across her shoulder.
Her outfit was simple, neat, and fashionable.
The color of her clothes also made her skin appear even more tender and fair.
It had to be said that Jiang Yi was also an expert in fashion coordination.
Even ordinary clothes could be made to look magical by her.
However, the brown YSL handbag she was carrying was a bit expensive.
Jiang Tao knew this brand because Du Ennan had given Xu Li a bag of the same brand but a different style, which reportedly cost over 20,000 yuan.
This brand was considered a luxury brand in China.
Jiang Tao didn’t overthink why Jiang Yi bought such an expensive bag.
If it weren’t for the huge medical expenses incurred by his niece’s hospitalization.
With Jiang Yi’s main income and her usual financial management income,
Buying a bag she liked was not a big deal.
Men are generally practical and focus more on cost-effectiveness when buying things, while women pursue emotional value.
Things like diamonds, jewelry, luxury goods, and flowers, which are flashy but not substantial, generally appeal more to women.
The difference in consumption concepts between men and women is an objective fact.
Even an intellectual woman like Jiang Yi was no exception.
But it was also understandable for her to buy things she wanted with her own efforts to satisfy her emotional value.
“Teacher Jiang, you didn’t come all this way just to welcome me, did you?”
Jiang Tao retracted his admiring gaze and greeted Jiang Yi with a smile.
“Why wouldn’t I? You are a distinguished guest of our family, and An An and my brother both want to thank you in person.”
“My brother heard you were coming today and even stopped delivering takeout. He’s on his way home now.”
Jiang Yi smiled gently, her eyes on Jiang Tao filled with immense tenderness.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, “Then I must have delayed your brother from earning money.”
Jiang Yi smiled gently, “Money can be earned anytime, but a busy person like you is not always available to meet.”
“Hahaha, I’m just busy with nothing all day.”
Jiang Tao chuckled, showing no airs of a “distinguished guest,” his demeanor being approachable.
“Let’s go, Jiang Tao, I’ll take you home first. Xiao Xue and An An are playing at home.”
Jiang Yi smiled and pointed towards the village, and the two walked side by side towards the village.
Dongxindian Urban Village was larger than the Xiao Shahe Urban Village where Jiang Tao had previously rented.
However, once inside the village, the two were quite similar.
On the narrow streets, pedestrians bustled past, and stalls selling food and various shops lined both sides of the street.
This time of day was also the time when office workers got off work and when small vendors were busiest.
Fried skewers, lamb skewers, cold noodles, fried rice, fried cold noodles, stinky tofu, takoyaki…
Dozens of snacks were gathered on one street.
Dozens of different flavors mixed together, creating the lively atmosphere of the human world.
“Wasn’t Xiao Xue mischievous today?”
“No, Xiao Xue was very well-behaved, she played very happily with An An.”
“Sorry to trouble you.”
“Not at all, I was also happy when I was with Xiao Xue.”
“Does Teacher Jiang like children?”
“I like smart and cute children like Xiao Xue and An An, but not naughty ones.”
“Do you have any naughty children in your class?”
“There are a few.”
They walked along the bustling street, chatting idly.
Jiang Tao followed Jiang Yi through the urban village, taking several turns for seven or eight minutes, finally stopping at the entrance of a small, detached courtyard house.
Jiang Yi fumbled in her bag for a key, unlocked the padlock on the two rusty iron gates, and pushed open a gap with a creak.
“Please come in, Jiang Tao. The place is a bit humble, please don’t mind.”
Jiang Yi stepped aside to let him in, her expression slightly embarrassed as she brushed a strand of hair from her ear.
“A detached courtyard house, this little courtyard is quite nice.”
After entering the courtyard, Jiang Tao saw a large mushroom-shaped holly tree planted in the yard and said with a smile:
“The dormitory building I used to live in never saw sunlight, it was dark and damp, full of cockroaches, and the conditions were worse than here.”
“Ah? You, you used to live in a dormitory building?”
Jiang Yi looked at Jiang Tao with surprise, her face full of disbelief.
The first time she met Jiang Tao was when he and Xu Li went to Aidi International Kindergarten to inquire about enrollment.
That day, Jiang Tao was driving a Mercedes-Benz GLS, and he was about to enroll his daughter in an elite school with tuition fees of over 100,000 yuan.
“Of course, and I lived there for several years.”
Jiang Tao’s smile was very calm, and his impoverished past was not something to be ashamed of.
“It’s quite impressive that you’ve come this far.”
Jiang Yi looked at Jiang Tao with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
She didn’t know what Jiang Tao was like when he was poor before, nor had she met him then.
But now, Jiang Tao drives a luxury car worth millions, can casually produce hundreds of thousands as “private money” to lend to her as an interest-free loan.
The student who used to look up at her from his seat in the classroom was now someone she could look up to.
The two walked and chatted, soon crossing the small courtyard and arriving at the door of the main house.
“Daddy~ Daddy~ You’re finally here! We’re so hungry we could faint!”
“You said you’d treat me and An An sister to a big meal, you can’t go back on your word!”
Hearing the commotion in the yard, Jiang Xue opened the door, poked her head out, saw Jiang Tao, and ran forward, hugging his arm and shaking it.
“A man of his word will not go back on his promise. I said I’d treat you to a big meal, and I certainly won’t go back on it.”
Jiang Tao smiled and ruffled Jiang Xue’s fluffy little head, his face full of doting affection.
He treasured his “little cotton jacket” very much.
Following behind Jiang Xue and coming out of the house was a girl with ear-length short hair, skinny as a beanpole.
Her daughter’s face was small, but it was embedded with a pair of large eyes like a clear spring.
She looked like a tender and cute doll that had escaped from an animated cartoon.
“Uncle Jiang Tao~ I finally get to see you in person today. You’re even more handsome than in the photos my aunt showed me.”
Before Jiang Yi could introduce her, Jiang An’an smiled sweetly and greeted Jiang Tao.
“Hahaha, thank you for the compliment, An An. I’m just ordinarily handsome, not that handsome.”
Jiang Tao chuckled playfully. Being praised as handsome by a child felt so awkward!
Hearing their conversation, Jiang Yi couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes, yes, Uncle Jiang is the most handsome uncle I’ve ever met!”
Jiang An’an looked at Jiang Tao with her big eyes, her small face wearing a very serious expression.
“Hehe~ Sister An An, your taste is good!”
“Whether it’s in our hometown or at Aidi Kindergarten, my dad is the most handsome dad among all my classmates~”
Jiang Xue’s face was beaming with pride.
Having a super handsome dad was also a matter of great pride at school.
“Alright, alright, you two little kids don’t know what handsome is. Don’t be deceived by handsome boys in the future.”
“The more handsome they are, the more careful you need to be, understand?”
Jiang Tao smiled and started his educational mode for the two little ones.
“Then… did my mom not pay enough attention, so she was deceived by Dad?”
Jiang Xue’s eyes rolled, and her face showed an expression of understanding!
“…”
Jiang Tao was speechless. How did his “little cotton jacket” suddenly start leaking?
Jiang An’an and Jiang Yi giggled behind their hands, hearing Jiang Xue’s innocent words.
“Your mom and I are genuinely in love, understand? It’s all genuine, no tricks or deception.”
Jiang Tao added in his heart, “As if.”
Of course, it wasn’t him who used “tricks” back then, but Xu Li.
His relationship with Xu Li was entirely the result of her initiative and persistence.
If it weren’t for her initiative, the poor boy whose parents had to borrow money from others to pay tuition fees back then would not have had the courage to pursue the school’s universally recognized campus belle.
If it weren’t for her persistence, his mother-in-law would not have let her marry him, who was penniless, had no house, and no car.
After chatting in the courtyard for a few minutes, Jiang Yi called everyone inside.
It was late March, and the temperature in the Capital City in the early morning and evening was only five or six degrees Celsius, not yet very warm.
Less than ten minutes after everyone entered the house, the courtyard gate rang again. A delivery rider in a blue Ele.me uniform rode an electric scooter into the courtyard.
Jiang Hai parked the electric scooter by the wall, plugged it in to charge, and then strode across the courtyard to the entrance of the main house and knocked to enter the room.
“Brother, you’re back! This is Jiang Tao.”
“Jiang Tao, this is my brother, Jiang Hai.”
Jiang Yi, acting as the intermediary, smilingly introduced Jiang Tao and her brother Jiang Hai to each other.
“Hello, Jiang Hai. Nice to meet you.”
Jiang Tao smiled and greeted Jiang Hai, also with a friendly smile.
His elder brother was named Jiang He, and Jiang Yi’s elder brother was named Jiang Hai.
One “He” and one “Hai,” they sounded like brothers.
“Hello Mr. Jiang! I’ve waited so long, I’m finally meeting you!”
*Plop!*
After Jiang Hai finished speaking, he unexpectedly knelt down on both knees with a *plop* sound, right in front of Jiang Tao!
“Jiang Hai, what are you doing? Get up quickly.”
Jiang Tao was startled by Jiang Hai’s sudden action and quickly extended his hands to support him, pulling him up from the ground.
Fortunately, his physique had grown to 79 points, so he was very strong and could lift Jiang Hai with ease.
“Jiang Hai will never forget Mr. Jiang’s great kindness to our An An. Thank you, thank you!”
Jiang Hai looked at Jiang Tao with sincere eyes, full of gratitude towards him.
“You’ve thanked me many times. You don’t need to be so polite every time we meet. It makes me a bit embarrassed.”
To be honest, Jiang Tao was not used to being treated with such gratitude.
“Okay… then we won’t be so polite.”
Upon hearing that Jiang Tao felt uncomfortable, Jiang Hai immediately didn’t dare to be polite anymore, lest he feel awkward.
“Mr. Jiang, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Shall we go out and find a place to eat?”
After a few pleasantries, Jiang Hai looked at Jiang Tao, feeling that he should seize the opportunity today to play the host.
Jiang Tao smiled and said, “I’ll treat today. I promised to treat Xiao Xue and An An to a big meal, so I can’t break my promise. You can treat me another time.”
“Ah? This…”
Jiang Hai looked at the two little ones with expectant faces, then at Jiang Yi.
Jiang Tao’s move left him speechless.
In Jiang Hai’s eyes, Jiang Xue and Jiang An’an were just kids, and he didn’t take the words of two little kids seriously.
But Jiang Tao clearly didn’t think so.
Whatever promise he made, he would fulfill it diligently, whether to adults or children.
Jiang Xue was his child, and also his friend.
“It’s like this, brother. Jiang Tao promised Xiao Xue on the phone that next time there’s an opportunity, I’ll treat.”
Jiang Yi smiled and said to her elder brother. As a kindergarten teacher, she also valued promises made to children.
“This is too much trouble. Mr. Jiang traveled all this way, and you still have to spend money.”
Jiang Hai scratched his head, a look of embarrassment on his face.
“It’s just a meal. We are all friends. I’ll treat you today, and you’ll treat me tomorrow, it’s all the same.”
Jiang Tao smiled and said, “The children are hungry too. Let’s find a place to eat first. We can talk while we eat.”
“Okay!”
“Yay~ Big meal time~ Big meal time~”
Jiang Xue clapped her hands happily, hearing the adults finally finish their conversation and move on to the next step: the big meal.
Hearing that they were going to have a big meal, Jiang An’an swallowed her saliva, feeling a bit hungry. She hadn’t had a big meal in a long time either.
Everyone agreed, and they left the courtyard together, walked to the village entrance, and then all got into Jiang Tao’s G-wagon.
The G-wagon that Du Taiming gave to Jiang Tao was a Mercedes-Benz G500 extended version.
By extending the body space, it achieved a 7-seat layout, which was more luxurious and comfortable than the ordinary version, and more suitable for family outings.
The interior was also equipped with a large integrated screen and three differential locks, features of a hardcore off-road vehicle.
It could easily accommodate five people.
Jiang An’an and Jiang Hai were both riding in Jiang Tao’s car for the first time.
It was also their first time riding in a luxury car like a Mercedes-Benz G-wagon.
After the father and daughter got into the car, they were a bit hesitant, not knowing where to put their hands.
Dongxindian Urban Village was very close to the Wangjing business district.
After Jiang Tao set the navigation, the destination was set to Xin Rong Ji.
Since he had promised to treat his “little cotton jacket” and her new friend to a big meal, Jiang Tao was naturally not going to be stingy.
Xin Rong Ji on Xin Nan Road was a famous Michelin three-star restaurant in the Beijing food scene, with an average consumption of over 1000 yuan per person.
It barely met the standard of a “big meal” as described by Jiang Xue.
It took 20 minutes for the Mercedes-Benz G-wagon to park in an underground parking lot near Xin Rong Ji.
After Jiang Tao got out of the car, he led his “team” into Xin Rong Ji like a captain.
As soon as they entered, Jiang An’an and Jiang Hai looked around curiously.
It was their first time at such a high-end restaurant.
Seeing that the diners in the dining area were all well-dressed business professionals, their nervousness reached an extreme.
They were afraid of making a mistake and embarrassing Jiang Tao.
Although Jiang Yi was also here for the first time, her expression was calm, and she could still maintain a normal state of mind.
However, upon hearing that Jiang Tao had ordered a 1280 yuan set meal for each person, she instantly became agitated.
It wasn’t 1280 yuan in total, but 1280 yuan per person!
Moreover, there was an 18% service charge!
A total of five people, three adults and two children.
In other words, this meal today cost Jiang Tao 6400 yuan!
Plus a 20% service charge, which was another 1280 yuan.
The total came to 7680 yuan!
This amount was almost half of her monthly salary!
Jiang Hai beside her was even more shocked beyond words!
Spending seven or eight thousand yuan on a meal was clearly beyond his comprehension!
Was this the simple and unpretentious life of the rich?
It was truly enviable!
After ordering, the waiter led the group to a quiet private room.
The waiter also thoughtfully gave Jiang Xue and Jiang An’an two rubber “Magical Mego” dolls, which they played with happily.
Jiang Tao and the siblings Jiang Yi and Jiang Hai chatted idly.
After a short wait, several waiters pushed small dining carts into the room and began serving the dishes.
Jiang Tao had ordered set meals, one for each of the 5 people present, with each person assigned a waiter.
As the waiters served the dishes, they introduced the names and characteristics of each dish to the group.
After the introduction, they placed the plates in front of them and then left the private room.
This 1280 yuan set meal consisted of a total of 8 dishes, plus a main course at the end.
If it weren’t for the waiter announcing the dish names, everyone present except Jiang Xue wouldn’t have recognized a single dish.
Dishes like black truffle sauce braised duckling, morel mushroom clear stewed catfish lion’s head, coral fuchsia steamed shrimp balls, bamboo and preserved pork ribs with winter bamboo, salt-baked mud crab.
These dishes were more business-oriented than ordinary people could access.
Of course, the price was a bit high, but the taste was also excellent, fully deserving of the Michelin three-star title.
When they were halfway through the meal, Jiang Tao felt that the time was about right.
He then began to seek the opinions of Jiang Hai and Jiang An’an regarding the short play casting.
