After breakfast, Mom and Dad went downstairs to work at the food factory.
Today, all the employees at the food factory were only working a half-day shift.
Moreover, no specific production tasks were scheduled.
The main tasks were to clean up, maintain the equipment, and organize the inventory.
After lunch, except for Jiang Jianjun, who stayed behind on duty, everyone else could return to their hometowns early.
Currently, all the employees at the food factory were recruited from Jiang Tao's hometown, and a few of them had driven their own cars.
During the holidays, it was quite convenient for the factory workers to carpool back home together.
No need to deal with the hassle of taking a bus, transferring to the subway, and then catching a train.
The distance from the Jiang Family Food Factory to their hometown, Jiangjiazhuang, was just over 430 kilometers according to the navigation.
If they set off at noon, they could arrive home around five or six in the afternoon.
This was the first time the Jiang Family Food Factory had given a holiday since its establishment.
After discussing with his parents, Jiang Tao prepared holiday gifts for all the factory employees.
These gifts would be distributed to everyone this morning.
The gifts were nothing extravagant—just some rice, flour, oil, and the like. Though not expensive, it was a gesture of goodwill.
Of course, the cost of these gifts could be reimbursed using the funds from the [Payroll Card], so Jiang Tao didn't have to spend his own money.
After his parents left, Jiang Tao took the lively Jiang Xue, who was hopping around like a little monkey, and they rode the elevator downstairs together.
The first task this morning was to get his hands on Jiang Bing's sunglasses.
It was just around 7:30 in the morning when the father and daughter arrived at the door of Apartment 1501 in Building 78.
Jiang Tao took out the key from his pocket and opened the door. As soon as it opened, Jiang Xue darted toward Jiang Bing's bedroom.
"Auntie, get up! Time for work~~"
"The sun's shining on your butt, and you're still sleeping~ Lazy bug, get up quick~"
"Stop it, let me sleep a bit longer."
"Wow! You're sleeping without clothes? Shame, shame~"
"Dad, come quick! Auntie's sleeping without clothes!"
"You little rascal, shut up!"
"Wahhh…"
"…"
Hearing the commotion between the aunt and niece, Jiang Tao shook his head with a smile and walked straight to the living room, sitting down on the sofa.
"Jiang Bing, get up quick. It's the last half-day of work. Hurry up and finish your shift at the factory."
"Got it! Coming to my house to nag me about work? I'm totally done!"
Jiang Tao waited in the living room for about five minutes. Jiang Bing, with a messy bedhead, came out of the room, dragging a pair of slippers and scratching her head.
Jiang Bing shot Jiang Tao a resentful look, as if he owed her a fortune.
Ignoring her expression, Jiang Tao smiled and asked, "Jiang Bing, where are those sunglasses you bought yesterday? Let me take another look."
"In the drawer on the right side of the coffee table. Get them yourself!"
Jiang Bing didn't think much of it and casually replied before dragging her slippers to the bathroom to freshen up.
Jiang Tao opened the drawer and, sure enough, saw a small box emitting a faint golden glow.
He took out the box and opened it, revealing the sunglasses he had seen yesterday.
Before triggering the relevant information, these sunglasses didn't seem any different from ordinary ones in Jiang Tao's eyes.
But after the information was triggered, looking at them now, the sunglasses radiated a faint golden glow in his vision, making them appear particularly special.
No wonder others, even with hints from the "System Bro" about "special items," couldn't bind or activate them.
Holding the sunglasses, Jiang Tao turned toward the bathroom and shouted, "Jiang Bing, I'm confiscating these glasses. Go buy a new pair."
"No way!!! I spent over a thousand bucks on them and haven't even worn them much!"
"I'll reimburse you for these and cover the cost of a new pair."
"Thanks, Boss!"
Upon hearing this sweet deal, Jiang Bing practically slid to her knees in excitement!
Who could refuse a chance to get a pair of Oakley sunglasses worth two or three thousand for free?
**[Ding! You have obtained ownership of the sunglasses. Please bind them in an environment without third-party observers.]**
The moment Jiang Bing agreed, a notification flashed across Jiang Tao's retina.
He glanced at Jiang Xue, who was hugging a plush toy as she came out of the bedroom.
The "observer" mentioned in the notification was clearly his little darling.
"Let's go, Xiao Xue. Daddy's taking you home to find Mommy. I've got some work to do this morning."
"But I just got here! I want to play with Auntie a bit longer."
Jiang Xue pouted, looking very reluctant.
"Second Bro, you go handle your stuff. I'll drop Xiao Xue off at home later on my way to work."
"Alright, then you take her home. Bye, Xiao Xue. Daddy will be back after finishing work."
Hearing Jiang Bing's voice from the bathroom, Jiang Tao smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Okay! Wishing Daddy a smooth workday~ Come back soon!"
"See ya."
Jiang Tao ruffled his little darling's hair, said goodbye, and headed toward the door.
After leaving the apartment and taking the elevator downstairs, Jiang Tao walked to his parked Mercedes G-Class.
He opened the back door and sat in the backseat.
It was early morning, and the neighborhood was bustling with commuters walking by or driving past his car, all in a hurry.
Sitting in the backseat, Jiang Tao tried seven or eight times before successfully binding the sunglasses and activating their new attributes.
**[Item Name]: Cool Sunglasses**
**[Item Properties]: When wearing the Cool Sunglasses, Vision +100%, Strength +10%, Running Speed +10%!**
**[Note]: The enhancements of the Cool Sunglasses are only effective for the host.**
"Cool Sunglasses! They boost vision, strength, and speed!"
Seeing the newly revealed attributes after binding the sunglasses, Jiang Tao's eyes lit up.
The Cool Sunglasses might seem ordinary in terms of attributes, but they were incredibly powerful!
A 10% boost in strength and running speed might not seem significant for an average person.
But for top-tier athletes, this boost was absolutely game-changing!
Even a mere 1% increase in running speed would be a precious attribute for elite marathon runners!
Since the inception of the marathon, no one has ever completed it in under two hours.
Breaking the two-hour mark for a full marathon has always been a focal point in the marathon community.
Everyone is waiting for a miracle.
Waiting for the "Chosen One" who can run a marathon in under two hours.
"With my current abilities, wearing these Cool Sunglasses, I should be able to achieve a pretty good time, right?"
Looking at the attributes of the [Cool Sunglasses], Jiang Tao felt a spark of anticipation.
If he became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours, fame would be inevitable!
Completing the [Sports Star] mission would be a piece of cake, easy peasy!
If word got out that he had acquired such an incredible piece of equipment, who knows how many people would be green with envy!
Of course, the attributes of the [Cool Sunglasses] were only visible to Jiang Tao and only effective for him.
Even if the world's top research teams studied them, they wouldn't figure anything out.
Theoretically, there was no risk of the secret leaking.
After fiddling with the sunglasses for a while, Jiang Tao put them on and looked out the car window.
"Whoa, so clear!"
The vision-enhancing property of the [Cool Sunglasses] was particularly impressive.
The moment Jiang Tao put them on, the entire world felt much clearer.
It was like switching from HD to Blu-ray in an instant!
"Not bad, not bad at all!"
Jiang Tao couldn't stop praising the new gear, absolutely thrilled with it!
His eyes darted around, looking here and there, as if he'd opened the door to a new world, filled with curiosity about everything.
After scanning the neighborhood for a bit, Jiang Tao finally pulled his gaze back, got out of the car, and moved to the driver's seat.
Starting the car, the Mercedes G-Class pulled out of the parking spot and headed toward the neighborhood exit.
"Nothing can stop my longing for freedom~"
Having acquired such an awesome piece of equipment first thing in the morning, Jiang Tao's mood was even better than the weather today.
Humming a tune, he drove for about ten minutes and arrived at the entrance of Xiaoshahe Village.
Jiang Tao parked the G-Class next to the 4.2-meter truck he used to use for deliveries and got out.
"Damn it! Who the hell smashed my truck's windshield!"
As soon as he got out, he saw that the windshield of the 4.2-meter truck was shattered again, leaving Jiang Tao speechless.
Though he hardly drove the truck anymore, he still had a lot of affection for this old companion that had been with him for five or six years.
Selling it second-hand would probably only fetch about 40,000 yuan.
That amount of money was negligible for the current Jiang Tao.
He'd rather keep the "old buddy" as a memento.
"Son of a—! They even stole one of the tires! Who's this much of a jerk!"
Circling the truck, Jiang Tao noticed that the right rear tire was missing too.
"If I keep leaving it here, this truck's gonna get completely dismantled."
"Gotta find a new place for it."
While muttering, Jiang Tao pulled out his phone and dialed Tian Zhipeng, the owner of the auto repair shop he'd used before.
"Hey, Boss Tian, my truck at the Xiaoshahe Village entrance got a tire stolen, and the windshield's smashed again."
"Take a look and let me know how much to fix it. Quote me a price."
"Do it as soon as possible. Alright, that's it for now. Bye."
After hanging up with Tian Zhipeng, Jiang Tao pocketed his phone and started walking into Xiaoshahe Village.
It was early morning, and the urban village of Xiaoshahe was bustling.
People were weaving through the streets and alleys, each heading to their respective workplaces.
In five or six minutes, Jiang Tao arrived in front of Old Lü's tenement building. He walked to the door and raised his hand to knock.
The door creaked open from the inside.
Ma Dongmei, holding a black garbage bag, appeared at the doorway.
Seeing Jiang Tao's unexpected visit, Ma Dongmei's face flushed, and she looked slightly embarrassed.
Although everyone knew she and Old Lü were living together, knowing was one thing—being seen was still a bit awkward.
"Good morning, Aunt Ma! Is Old Lü home?"
Jiang Tao greeted Ma Dongmei with a smile, easing her embarrassment.
"Oh…"
Ma Dongmei quickly regained her composure, gave Jiang Tao a friendly gesture, opened the door wider, and motioned for him to come in.
"Hey, Little Jiang, you're here early today."
Inside, Lü Qian emerged from the small kitchen after hearing the commotion at the door. Seeing Jiang Tao, he greeted him with a cheerful grin.
Jiang Tao teased with a smile, "Brother Lü and Sister-in-law just finished a loving breakfast, huh?"
"Haha, don't tease Xiao Mei, kid. Xiao Mei, go toss the trash. No need to treat this guy like a guest."
Lü Qian waved at Ma Dongmei, his face beaming with pride.
Ma Dongmei, being familiar with Jiang Tao, greeted him before heading out to throw away the trash.
"Sit, sit, come over here. You come to my place empty-handed, huh?"
Lü Qian ushered Jiang Tao to sit down, not missing a chance to poke fun at him.
"Haha, with our brotherly bond, bringing gifts would feel too formal, too distant."
"No harm in being a bit formal with me! Next time you come, bring some of that Eight Treasures Pickle or barbecue sauce."
Lü Qian had attended Jiang Tao's barbecue gathering last night and couldn't stop thinking about the Eight Treasures Pickle and barbecue sauce they'd eaten.
The two flagship products of the Jiang Family Food Factory were of such high quality that everyone who tried them raved about them.
This was the source of Jiang Tao's confidence in his family's products.
Jiang Tao laughed it off, saying, "Haha, no problem, Brother Lü. However much you want to eat, I've got plenty."
After a few laughs, Lü Qian poured Jiang Tao a glass of water and said with a smile, "You're not one to visit without a reason. Spill it—what's up? No need to beat around the bush with me."
"Haha, Brother Lü knows me too well. I'll be straight with you then."
"I'm here today because I heard from the owner of Fat Dongdong Supermarket that your niece-in-law is planning to sell her house in the village?"
Jiang Tao looked at Lü Qian, casually making up a "source" for the information.
"Yeah, there's something like that. Why, Little Jiang, you interested in buying?"
Lü Qian nodded, not denying it.
"Yep, I've got some spare cash on hand. The interest from keeping it in the bank is nothing compared to investing it."
"With the little money we've got, flipping houses isn't realistic."
"But I happened to hear at Fat Dongdong Supermarket that your niece-in-law wants to sell her house."
"So I came to ask about it, hoping to meet her and discuss. If the price is right, I'd be open to a deal."
Jiang Tao looked at Old Lü with sincerity, his words full of earnestness.
"Little Jiang, buying a house in the village—you've gotta think it through."
Lü Qian said honestly, "Right now, the village doesn't allow private demolitions or rebuilding. If you buy the house, you can only renovate it as it is—you can't rebuild."
Jiang Tao smiled candidly, "I know, and that's fine. I'm not buying it to live in myself. I'm just betting on it appreciating in the future."
"Little Jiang, to be honest, thirty years ago, I had the same idea."
"Now, thirty years later, a whole generation's almost gone, and we still haven't seen any demolition."
Talking about demolition, Old Lü's expression carried a hint of wistfulness.
"Haha, I'm still young. Even if I have to wait another thirty years, I can afford to."
"And even if I don't see it, there's still my daughter. Consider it buying a dowry for her."
Jiang Tao knew Old Lü was saying this out of kindness and smiled as he clarified his stance.