Seeing Jiang Tao's firm attitude, Lü Qian didn't try to persuade him further.
After chatting idly at home for a bit, the two headed out.
Lü Qian led Jiang Tao through the village, turning left and right, until they arrived outside a low, dilapidated house.
Seeing this house, Jiang Tao felt a pang of emotion.
Even back in his hometown of Jiangjiazhuang, there weren't houses this run-down anymore.
After Lü Qian knocked, the door opened, revealing a plump woman who looked to be in her fifties.
"Second Uncle, what brings you here! Come in, come in!"
"And this handsome guy is…?"
Sun Xiangxiang greeted Lü Qian enthusiastically as she saw him at the door, but her gaze toward Jiang Tao was filled with curiosity.
Lü Qian didn't beat around the bush with Sun Xiangxiang and said directly:
"Little Sun, this is my friend, Little Jiang—Jiang Tao."
"He's interested in your house, so I brought him to take a look. You two can talk."
"Mr. Jiang! Come in, come in!"
Upon hearing that Jiang Tao was here to buy the house, Sun Xiangxiang's chubby face lit up with delight.
"Nice to meet you, Sister Sun. I hope I'm not disturbing you by dropping by unannounced."
Jiang Tao smiled and greeted Sun Xiangxiang, then followed Lü Qian inside, his eyes scanning the courtyard.
The small courtyard wasn't large, and with all sorts of clutter piled up, it looked chaotic and unkempt.
There were east and west wing rooms, but they were small, with tattered doors and windows that gave off an air of long neglect.
As they walked and talked, they crossed the courtyard and arrived at the main house facing north.
"Our house has a three-room layout," Sun Xiangxiang explained.
"According to the property deed, it's 10 meters east to west, 15 meters north to south, totaling 150 square meters…"
Sun Xiangxiang briefly outlined the house's details to Jiang Tao.
The only advantage of this house was its location in the capital.
Beyond that, there wasn't a single other selling point.
As Jiang Tao walked and looked around, he was already making plans in his mind.
If he bought this courtyard, he could renovate it slightly and use it as a dormitory for the employees of the Jiang Family Food Factory.
That way, the house would be put to good use.
The village of Xiaoshahe wasn't far from the Baigezhuang Industrial Park—just five bus stops away, with no transfers needed.
Living here would be fairly convenient for commuting to work.
Following Lü Qian and Sun Xiangxiang, Jiang Tao entered the house and sat on an old-fashioned spring sofa in the living room.
Sun Xiangxiang eagerly brought disposable paper cups and poured tea for the two.
After some small talk, Jiang Tao got straight to the point and asked about the price.
"How much are you planning to sell this house for, Sister Sun?"
"Little Jiang, since Second Uncle brought you here and you're his friend, plus you're such a polite young man, calling me Sister…"
"I won't quote you an outrageous price. If you're serious about buying, I can offer it to you for 2.4 million."
"For a house of this size and location, this price is really not high."
Sun Xiangxiang finished speaking and glanced at Lü Qian, her expression suggesting she was hoping for his support to back her up.
But Lü Qian simply sipped his tea, eyes on his nose, nose on his heart, completely ignoring her gaze.
On one side was his niece-in-law, on the other his close friend from a different generation.
Lü Qian found it hard to take sides.
So, he chose to stay neutral, letting Jiang Tao and Sun Xiangxiang negotiate while he remained the middleman who brought them together.
Whether they could reach a deal was up to them.
"2.4 million, huh… That's quite a bit higher than I expected."
Jiang Tao clicked his tongue, a hint of regret flashing in his eyes.
Sun Xiangxiang's asking price was 300,000 more than the baseline price Brother Tongzi had given him.
Clearly, her price didn't show much sincerity.
Sun Xiangxiang said, "Mr. Jiang, this price is really not expensive. When others have asked, I've never quoted less than 2.6 million!"
Jiang Tao thought to himself, *No wonder this house has been sitting unsold in your hands with a price like that!*
"Sister Sun, you seem like a straightforward person, and I don't like to haggle endlessly. I'll offer 2.1 million. If that works, I'll take the house."
"If not, Sister Sun, you can wait and see if you get a better offer."
Jiang Tao didn't bother dragging things out with Sun Xiangxiang. After stating his bottom-line price, he stood up from his seat, ready to leave.
This price was the psychological bottom line Brother Tongzi had estimated for Sun Xiangxiang, and it was also Jiang Tao's final offer.
"2.1 million! No, no, that's way too low!"
Upon hearing Jiang Tao's offer, Sun Xiangxiang shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
Jiang Tao's offer was 300,000 less than hers.
That was more money than she could earn working five or six years!
Sun Xiangxiang's gaze shifted to Lü Qian again, but seeing his indifferent expression, she felt a twinge of frustration.
She called him Second Uncle, after all, and he wasn't even helping her out!
"Well, let's end the discussion here for today. I'll go back and think about your price, Sister Sun, and you can think about mine."
Jiang Tao calmly bid farewell to Sun Xiangxiang, planning to let her stew for a bit.
In a real estate deal, the buyer always holds more leverage and has more options.
While there weren't many houses for sale in Xiaoshahe village, Sun Xiangxiang's wasn't the only one.
"Lowest, absolute lowest—2.3 million. Think it over, Little Jiang."
Before parting, Sun Xiangxiang voluntarily lowered her price by 100,000, showing she was genuinely eager to sell.
"Alright, Sister Sun, let's leave it at that for today. I'll head out now. Let's go, Brother Lü."
Jiang Tao nodded with a smile, glancing at Lü Qian, who had just stood up.
"Mm."
Lü Qian, true to his neutral stance, kept his words brief and said nothing throughout the entire exchange.
"Mr. Jiang, Second Uncle, take care."
Though they couldn't agree on a price, Sun Xiangxiang warmly saw Jiang Tao and Lü Qian out.
After watching them disappear at the end of the alley, she turned back home and closed the door.
"2.1 million…"
Muttering Jiang Tao's offer to herself, Sun Xiangxiang felt a bit hesitant.
She'd been trying to sell this house since right after the New Year.
There had been some interested buyers, but the deals always fell through because of the price.
*Ding-a-ling-ling—*
Her phone suddenly rang in her pocket.
Sun Xiangxiang pulled it out and saw it was a call from her younger brother, Sun Chengcheng.
"Hey, brother."
"What?! Both Mom and Dad are in the hospital?"
"What happened? How could they be so careless!"
"I'm heading out to buy a ticket now. I'll be right there. How much is the surgery fee? Okay, I'll transfer it to you first."
After a brief call with her brother, Sun Xiangxiang hung up, transferred 50,000 yuan to him via WeChat to cover their parents' medical bills, then packed a few things and headed straight to the train station.
…
After Jiang Tao and Lü Qian returned to Lü's place, they chatted a bit more.
Jiang Tao politely declined Lü Qian's invitation to stay for lunch.
He chose to go home and be with his family.
After lunch that day, both families were preparing to drive back to their hometown.
By the time Jiang Tao drove back to the Baigezhuang neighborhood, it was already past 11 a.m.
He parked directly under his in-laws' building and took the elevator upstairs.
"Brother-in-law, you're back! Mom and Sis are in the kitchen making dumplings~"
Xu Sha opened the door and, seeing Jiang Tao, greeted him with a joyful smile.
This little sister-in-law was becoming more sensible and well-behaved by the day.
After Jiang Tao entered, she busied herself getting tea, fruit, and cigarettes, being incredibly attentive.
Not long after, Jiang's dad, mom, and Jiang Bing returned from the food factory after work.
His father-in-law, Xu Wencheng, who had gone fishing early that morning, was the last to return.
When he opened his fishing box, it revealed more than a dozen lively, jumping fish!
"Wow! In-law, you've got quite the haul today! So many fish!"
Seeing the pile of big fish Xu Wencheng brought back, Jiang Wen gave him a cheerful thumbs-up.
"Good grief, so many! And so big! Dad, are you *sure* you didn't buy these at the seafood market?"
Xu Li, seeing her dad's impressive catch, had a look of disbelief on her pretty face.
"Haha, when have I ever bought fish from the market? These were all caught by my skill!"
Xu Wencheng was in high spirits after such a successful fishing trip.
"When I was in third grade during summer vacation, you…"
"Ahem, ahem! Lili, there's another fishing box in the study. Go grab it so I can share some of these fish with your in-laws."
"With this many fish, we'll have enough for several meals back home."
Seeing his "big cotton jacket" about to spill the beans, Xu Wencheng quickly cut her off and sent her to fetch the box.
"Alright~"
Xu Li gave her dad some face and went to grab the box with a grin.
"Grandpa's so awesome, catching so many fish!"
Jiang Xue, watching the lively fish in the box, clapped her hands excitedly.
"Daddy, can we get a fish tank and keep some fish too?"
"Tian Siyu's fish tank at her house is so pretty!"
Jiang Xue grabbed her dad's arm, swinging it back and forth as she acted cute.
"Haha, of course we can. After the holiday, Daddy will set one up for you, okay?"
Jiang Tao laughed and ruffled his little girl's fluffy hair, agreeing readily.
Honestly, he also liked the idea of a big fish tank.
Back when he was scraping by with a meager salary, supporting the family was tough enough, let alone spending money on hobbies like fishkeeping.
He couldn't bear to spend the money, and there wasn't even space for it.
Now, living in a big house with millions stashed away in his personal savings, getting a big fish tank for fun wasn't a big deal.
Women can satisfy their emotional needs through shopping.
Men spending a bit on things they like to fulfill their emotional needs is just as important.
Money is earned to be spent.
What's the point of earning it and hoarding it like a mythical *pixiu*?
"Yay yay yay! I want to buy lots and lots of pretty little fishies~"
With her request granted, Jiang Xue bounced away happily.
A child's joy is just that simple.
"Jiang Tao, this lucky stone you gave me is *too* effective!"
"Ever since I started wearing it, my luck's been incredible these past two days. The fish are biting like crazy!"
Xu Wencheng rolled up his sleeve to show off the "river stone" bracelet Jiang Tao had given him, his face beaming with excitement.
Jiang Tao smiled and said to his father-in-law:
"My master blessed this thing when he was alive. It's extremely potent. Dad, you've got to wear it carefully and not lose it."
"Don't worry, Jiang Tao. I'd lose myself before I lose this!"
Xu Wencheng nodded seriously at Jiang Tao's words.
When Jiang Tao first gave him the "river stone," he hadn't thought much of it, assuming it was just another trinket.
Every tourist spot and temple across the country sells lucky charms and talismans galore.
They're all scams to fleece people—none of them are *that* effective.
But his experiences over the past two days had completely changed Xu Wencheng's perspective!
Since wearing the bracelet Jiang Tao gave him, the weight of his daily catches had increased by four or five times!
His luck had undeniably improved *massively*.
The fishing buddies he knew all marveled at his incredible streak, envying him to no end.
After some more chatter, Xu Wencheng picked out a two-pound carp from the fishing box and headed to the kitchen.
As a veteran angler with decades of experience, his father-in-law was also a master at cooking fish.
Whether it was pickled fish, grilled fish, or steamed fish, he excelled at it all.
By the time his mother-in-law, Xu Li, and the others finished making dumplings, a fragrant and enticing dish of pickled fish was served.
The fish meat was perfectly separated from the bones, offering both the delicious flavor of the flesh and the nutrition of the bones.
Little Jiang Xue loved her grandpa's fish, and her sweet little mouth always managed to make him beam with pride.
"Grandpa's fish is *super* good, better than a five-star hotel chef. It's a shame you don't open a restaurant~"
After savoring a tender piece of fish, Jiang Xue gave her grandpa a tiny thumbs-up.
"Hahaha, our Little Xue sure knows how to flatter. Eat up, and whenever you want fish, come to Grandpa's house. I'll make it for you!"
Xu Wencheng chuckled and served his granddaughter another piece of fish. Though Jiang Xue was technically his "outer" granddaughter, to him, she was no different from his own.
Jiang Xue tilted her head and grinned, "What if I want to eat it every day?"
Xu Wencheng laughed, "No problem. Grandpa will make it for you every day~"
"Hehe, thank you, Grandpa~ Grandma's boiled pork slices and Grandpa's braised pork are also top-notch!"
After praising her grandpa, the little one turned and showered her grandma and other grandpa with compliments too.
Jiang Wen laughed heartily, "Haha, we didn't prepare today, but tomorrow at Grandpa's house, I'll make you braised pork, okay?"
Jiang Xue nodded with a big smile, "Mm-hmm! Absolutely okay!"
"And the day after, Grandma will make you boiled pork slices."
"Deal~ It's a promise, Grandma!"
The little one was the "group pet" in both families, grinning smugly.
Jiang Tao teased with a smile, "All you do is eat, eat, eat. Careful, you'll turn into a little chubby ball."
"No way! I'm like Mommy—I can eat anything and not gain weight. Not like you, Daddy. You gain weight just drinking water~ *Pfft*~"
"Hahaha…"
"Hahaha…"
"This father-daughter duo."
While poking fun at her dad and making a silly face, Jiang Xue had everyone laughing.
The atmosphere at lunch reached its peak.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone sat together for tea and a brief rest.
Around 3 p.m., they grabbed their bags and headed downstairs.
Jiang's dad, Jiang Wen, led the way in his Mercedes-Benz G-Class, while Xu Wencheng followed in his Mercedes-Benz GLS.
The two cars drove one after the other toward the highway out of the capital.