Jiang Yuan struck while the iron was hot, ran a few laps downstairs, then took a stroll through the supermarket and picked up a free-range chicken at the wet market.
Finding a high-end outlet for cherries had been all thanks to Yang Hongye, and after gathering over a dozen fresh wild mushrooms in the woods, he decided he'd make chicken soup and mushroom hotpot to properly reward the MVP.
Besides, after grinding all day in the game, back in real life he was always eating takeout—that just wasn't treating himself right. People live for food, after all, and food comes first. If you've got the means, you've gotta eat well and drink well to stay healthy!
He just pulled out his phone to WeChat Yang Hongye, and just then it vibrated.
"Dong dong!"
The transfer notice was from Yang Hongye—a whopping 28,000 yuan!
Soon after came her joyous, crisp, straight-to-the-point voice message: "I talked to the boss and got the invoice reimbursed today, so hurry up and settle the bill, don't leave a bad impression.
And seriously, these cherries are damn good. One of our client's little grandson is super picky, but when I delivered the cherries today, guess what? The kid demolished half a pound by himself and kept asking for more. His grandpa was grinning ear to ear—just sent me a WeChat for the link. Looks like our first long-term customer is here?
Client relations are sorted, collaboration with our company will be smooth, and with the goods delivered, it's win-win—actually, this round is a four-way win!
I just hyped it to the boss on the phone, and he said those two boxes of cherries yesterday got devoured at home, everyone loved them! He wants me to bring two boxes to his office tomorrow, plus a list for another fifteen boxes to gift…"
Sixty seconds is the max for a WeChat voice message, but that's not Yang Hongye's limit—she fired off several long messages one after another, and Jiang Yuan could feel her excitement right through her voice, even picture her bright, animated smile.
"Man, having something to look forward to is such a mood boost!" He listened with a grin, transferred her 6,500 as a bonus, and let her know they'd celebrate tonight with mushroom hotpot.
Ganba mushrooms, matsutake, ji zong, truffles, morels, porcini, bamboo fungus, golden chanterelle… Pulling over a dozen kinds of mushrooms from his Storage Bag, gathered from the bamboo grove and the forest, Jiang Yuan lined them up and compared each to online photos. At least from appearance, they were all top-grade specimens—big, good-looking, fragrant. But he had no clue what price they would fetch.
The thing is, mushroom picking eats up a lot of time—unless his homestead was leveled up enough to not worry about nighttime safety, he wouldn't have the luxury to roam and forage during the day. Early on, it was wise to focus on building up the homestead.
Plus, Jiang Yuan considered himself a cautious guy. In just two days, he'd already made money flipping big cherries, and soon he'd unload home-grown strawberries. If he started mixing in spring water and rare, expensive mushrooms all at once, it'd be way too conspicuous.
As the saying goes: "Don't let your wealth show." For regular folks without money, power, or connections, quietly raking it in is the way. Whether in the wilderness game or real life, steady steps—no rushing, no reckless moves—meant lasting success.
"Ha, I used to complain mushrooms were so pricey this year—didn't dare splurge. Today I'm actually eating mushroom hotpot!" Yang Hongye's face bloomed with red as she listened to the delightful cash transfer chime, her fair cheeks tinged faintly pink.
Just the usual delivery runs, but thanks to her roommate's supply, she turned a single transaction into 6,500 yuan in one day!
Tomorrow, two boxes for the boss, one box for a private client, fifteen as gifts per the boss's list—split down the middle, that's over ten grand in profit!
She hesitated a few seconds, decided not to cash out to her savings card—for all the transfer fees back and forth, it wasn't worth it.
Thinking about what gift to buy Jiang Yuan as a thank-you, Yang Hongye spotted him sending a strawberry photo: "Will have stock in a few days, but can't guarantee the quality?"
She absent-mindedly tucked her long hair behind her ear, a bit troubled. She'd only seen premium strawberries, never tasted them herself. Judging by size, shape, and color, Jiang Yuan's strawberries were clearly superior, but taste-wise…?
Yang Hongye stared at the photo for a long while, suddenly her eyes lit up as she got an idea. She immediately called Jiang Yuan, and after hanging up, rang her rich colleague to invite him for mushroom hotpot.
"Yo? Yang the Beauty's inviting us for mushrooms? That's rare—did the sun rise in the west today?"
Chuci, sunny and handsome with a trendy undercut, rocked a white tee and jeans—quiet, with a college boy vibe, but the moment he spoke, his funny regional accent brought him down-to-earth, instantly more likable.
He was rolling up his sleeves, loading his fishing rod into the car trunk—sports car, long legs, healthy tan, sharp muscles, and an obvious luxury watch. Normally, girls nearby would admire him from a distance, too shy to ask for WeChat, but hearing his playful talk, suddenly they found some courage, itching to ask for his WeChat.
With his custom phone wedged between ear and shoulder, Chuci listened to her explanation for a minute, then laughed, flashing his neat, white teeth. "Knew it! No one invites me for nothing—you must need something! All right, send me the location. It's rush hour, might be some traffic, but I'll hurry over."
He hung up and waved to someone a short distance away. "Mr. Qin, next week we'll meet again? All right, see ya!"
Turning to face the girls gathering courage to ask for WeChat, Chuci, used to this scene, smiled and shook his phone: "Sorry ladies, already got a date with a beauty!"
Chuci was a halfway rich kid—his parents were village folk with not much schooling, married and had kids per rural tradition as teens. Later, when they went south for work, their luck turned, and they found success in their chosen business.
He was twenty-four, his dad only forty-three—right in his prime, hustling in the business world.
But Chuci had zero interest in taking over the family business, and his parents didn't push him. They mapped out a simple plan—when young, rely on mom and dad; when old, rely on your own kids. Play around for a couple years, settle down with someone compatible, pop out a couple of kids in three years, and let the grandkids inherit the business when they're grown.
No life pressure, no nagging to get married—he excelled at eating, drinking, playing, and making friends. So, his dad tossed him into a friend's company, where his days were spent drinking tea, fishing, and appraising beads with big clients. Chill and carefree, making connections on the side.
Since he grew up in the countryside and only recently became a rich kid, Chuci never lost his accent, and his infectious personality let him mix easily across all levels—from the upper circles to the working class.
Hearing that Yang Hongye wanted his help appraising something, Chuci, twisting a Jade Bead on his bracelet as he opened the car door and sat down, wondered if the girl was so desperate for money she got scammed buying expensive beads or something.
Recently, bead collecting was all the rage, with jade and gemstones skyrocketing in price.
Too many scammy livestreams selling fakes—at the office, two people always showing off glued-up junk as "treasures." As he followed the GPS, driving leisurely, he pondered how to gently warn Yang Hongye if she'd been conned buying beads.
After all, the girl didn't seem well-off and worked hard, super thrifty—really not suited to chasing trends like jade and gemstones. But shrewd sellers preyed on ordinary folks' psychology: luck, romance, warding off disasters—sales pitches stacked one after another, and lots of people got taken.
"Aiyo, smells amazing!" Half an hour later, Chuci followed the address upstairs, and as soon as he stepped off the elevator, caught a rich, fresh mushroom aroma!
Even from a distance, you could taste the umami—definitely not your everyday mushrooms! Had to be fresh, pure wild, top-quality to be this intense.
Did Yang Hongye just win the lottery? With how frugal she was, how could she possibly spend big on mushrooms for a dinner party?
He took off his frog sunglasses, hung them casually on his collar, and followed his nose straight to room 1202, knocking on the door.