It took just over half an hour.
Tian Mingrong reprinted yesterday's lottery tickets five times in total.
Originally, she had no plans to open the shop for business today.
But by some twist of fate, it turned out to be the highest sales day ever.
"WeChat payment received: 25,666 yuan!"
After printing the tickets, Jiang Tao promptly paid the amount.
Over 20,000 yuan, and he didn't even blink.
At this moment, he was gradually exuding a hint of boldness.
"Thanks for the hard work, Aunt. When we go camping later, eat whatever you like!"
After scanning the QR code to settle the lottery payment with Tian Mingrong, Jiang Tao pocketed his phone and said with a smile.
Tian Mingrong beamed and said, "No trouble at all! I should be thanking you, Xiao Tao, for bringing me such a big performance."
"Aunt, you're being too polite. We're family, no need for thanks. It's only natural to look out for each other when good things come up."
Jiang Tao had always had a good impression of Tian Mingrong, and he could tell that she genuinely cared for his uncle, Tian Xiaoguang.
Moreover, now that she was pregnant with his uncle's child, Jiang Tao no longer treated her as an outsider.
"Hehe, exactly, Xiao Rong. No need to be so formal with our Xiao Tao."
Tian Xiaoguang glanced at Tian Mingrong, then at his nephew, a blissful smile spreading across his face.
Speaking of which, Tian Xiaoguang was deeply grateful to his nephew.
If it weren't for Jiang Tao asking him to help sell lottery tickets at Tian Mingrong's shop, he and Tian Mingrong might not have crossed paths again.
Although Ping County wasn't large, it still had a permanent population of over 100,000.
Without Jiang Tao playing matchmaker, Tian Xiaoguang and Tian Mingrong might not have met again for who knows how long.
If it weren't for Jiang Tao's support and promotion, Tian Xiaoguang wouldn't have been able to hold his head high in front of Tian Mingrong.
Meeting his first love again after decades, he might not have had the courage to confess his feelings.
In short, in Tian Xiaoguang's view, his nephew deserved immense credit for helping him win the heart of his beloved.
"By the way, Aunt, haven't you transferred this shop yet?"
Jiang Tao glanced around Tian Mingrong's lottery shop and asked with concern.
"Not yet. If it doesn't get transferred, so be it. There's only about two months left on the lease anyway."
"The equipment isn't worth much either."
"Besides, in the next two or three years, I probably won't be able to do this anymore, so I've decided not to continue."
As Tian Mingrong spoke, she gently touched her belly, her face glowing with maternal warmth.
She and Tian Xiaoguang were both in their fifties, and this pregnancy was a late blessing.
Both of them were filled with anticipation for the new life they were expecting.
Plus, with no in-laws to help with childcare after the baby was born, Tian Mingrong's focus would be on raising the child for the foreseeable future.
Over the years, she had saved up some money, which would definitely be enough to raise a child.
"If you're not doing it anymore, that's fine. Uncle can take care of providing for the family from now on."
After speaking, Jiang Tao glanced at his watch. Unknowingly, it was already 9:42 a.m.
They were already 12 minutes late for the agreed meeting time.
*Ding-a-ling-ling—*
Jiang Tao's phone suddenly rang in his pocket.
He pulled it out and saw the caller ID: "Wife."
"Hey, honey."
"I'm at Uncle and Aunt's place."
"Yeah, I'll bring them over. We're heading out now."
"Alright, you guys go to the reservoir first. See you soon."
"Okay, bye."
After a brief chat with Xu Li on the phone, Jiang Tao hung up and looked at his uncle and aunt, saying, "Let's go, Uncle, Aunt. Everyone's already headed to Qisan Reservoir. We'll meet them there."
"We're planning to stop by the supermarket to pick up some things…"
Tian Mingrong felt a bit embarrassed about showing up to the gathering empty-handed.
Jiang Tao laughed, "No need. Old Third has everything prepared. You and Uncle just need to bring your appetites."
"Uncle's the main guy for grilling skewers today. He's got a big job ahead!"
"This…"
Tian Mingrong glanced at Tian Xiaoguang.
"Let's go, Xiao Rong. No need to be so formal with our Xiao Tao."
Tian Xiaoguang said with a chuckle, completely at ease with his nephew.
"Alright then."
Seeing this, Tian Mingrong didn't say anything more.
"Let's go. Today's all about eating well, drinking well, and having fun."
Jiang Tao waved at the two with a smile, and the three of them left the shop together, getting into the Mercedes-Benz G-Class parked outside.
Qisan Reservoir was only 11 kilometers from Ping County's city center.
On holidays, many city residents would drive or bike to the reservoir for fishing, picnics, or gatherings.
In less than 20 minutes, Jiang Tao drove the Mercedes-Benz G-Class to the riverbank near Qisan Reservoir, smoothly meeting up with Xu Li and the others.
Everyone who attended the dinner at the Magnolia Hotel last night was present, not a single person missing.
At Jiang Tao's suggestion, the parents of Liu Zhiyuan, Hao Zhiming, and Shan Yufei had also joined this time.
When Jiang Tao arrived, Liu Zhiyuan and the others had already set up the canopy and the barbecue grill.
Jiang Tao's dad, his father-in-law, and Liu Zhiyuan's dad, along with a few other older folks, were fishing with rods in hand.
Jiang Tao's mom, Xu Li's mom, Liu Zhiyuan's mom, Hao Zhiming's mom, and Shan Yufei's mom were sitting on a mat nearby, chatting and laughing, occasionally bursting into loud giggles.
Jiang Bing and Xu Sha were flying kites with Jiang Xue.
With even more people gathered today, the atmosphere was livelier than ever.
"Second Uncle! Second Uncle! Uncle Zhiyuan said he prepared a surprise for everyone. Do you know what it is?"
Jiang Shaojie ran up to Jiang Tao, sneakily probing for information.
"Your Uncle Zhiyuan prepared a surprise for everyone?"
Jiang Tao glanced at Liu Zhiyuan, who was busy skewering meat at the barbecue grill, unaware of the details.
Jiang Shaojie nodded, "Yeah! Uncle Zhiyuan's keeping it tight-lipped. I asked him eight times, and he still wouldn't say."
"Hahaha, why are you so impatient, kid? You'll find out when the time comes."
Jiang Tao laughed and ruffled his nephew's head, leading him toward Liu Zhiyuan and the others.
"Brother Jiang, you're here!"
"Brother Jiang's here!"
"Brother Jiang!"
Liu Zhiyuan and his two buddies greeted Jiang Tao respectfully as soon as they saw him.
"You guys carry on. Anything I can help with?"
Jiang Tao walked over to the small table piled with ingredients, picked up a cherry tomato from a plate, tossed it into his mouth, and bit down.
The sweet and tangy juice instantly awakened thousands of taste buds in his mouth.
Liu Zhiyuan grinned, "No need, no need. Brother Jiang, just wait and eat later! We've got this covered!"
Jiang Tao smiled, "What's this surprise you've got for everyone? Keeping it a secret now, huh?"
*Beep beep beep—*
Just as Jiang Tao finished speaking, the sound of a car horn came from behind.
Liu Zhiyuan looked toward the sound and laughed, "There it is! Speak of the devil! The surprise I prepared for everyone is here!"
Jiang Tao turned to look and saw a small truck parked by the riverbank, with "Whole Roasted Lamb" written on its side.
"Let's go, Brother Jiang, guys, let's check it out. I ordered two whole roasted lambs."
Liu Zhiyuan called out to everyone, and they all headed toward the truck by the riverbank.
"Good morning, big brothers!"
"Good morning, big brothers! Thank you all for supporting our Xiao Zhuang Roasted Lamb business. Thank you, everyone."
Two lean young men in work uniforms jumped out of the truck.
They first greeted Jiang Tao and the others, then clasped their hands together in thanks, showing good manners.
"Brother Jiang, let me introduce you. This is my buddy, Zhuang Xiaofei, the owner of Xiao Zhuang Roasted Lamb."
"Xiaofei, this is Brother Jiang, Jiang Tao."
Liu Zhiyuan cheerfully introduced Jiang Tao and Zhuang Xiaofei to each other.
"Nice to meet you, Xiaofei."
"Honored to meet you, Brother Jiang. I've heard a lot about you from Zhiyuan. Seeing you in person, you're truly impressive."
Jiang Tao and Zhuang Xiaofei shook hands and exchanged greetings, officially meeting.
Liu Zhiyuan laughed, "Brother Jiang, Xiaofei's skills are top-notch in all of Ping County."
"And the lambs for the roast are freshly slaughtered that day, absolutely fresh."
"Once you've tried Xiaofei's roasted lamb, you won't want to eat anyone else's."
"Hahaha, is that so? Then I'm in for a treat today. I'll have to eat plenty later."
Hearing Liu Zhiyuan praise Zhuang Xiaofei's skills so highly, Jiang Tao's interest was piqued.
Jiang Bing, Xu Sha, Wang Xiaohong, and a few others playing nearby noticed the commotion and gathered around.
"Second Brother, what's going on?"
"Brother-in-law, did we order roasted lamb too?"
Jiang Bing and the others curiously eyed the truck Zhuang Xiaofei drove, with the bold words "Doorstep Roasted Lamb" standing out.
Jiang Tao smiled, "Zhiyuan ordered two whole roasted lambs for everyone. We're in for a treat today."
"Wow! Thank you, Brother Zhiyuan!"
"Brother Zhiyuan's awesome!"
"Brother Zhiyuan's so cool!"
The girls, hearing there was roasted lamb to eat, all gave Liu Zhiyuan thumbs-ups.
Liu Zhiyuan had really pulled off something impressive today.
"Hehe, just a small gesture. Let's all eat and drink well."
Being praised by the girls, Liu Zhiyuan felt the roasted lamb was well worth it.
After some more chatter, Zhuang Xiaofei looked at Jiang Tao and said, "Brother Jiang, if everyone wants to eat hot roasted lamb by noon, we need to start roasting now. What do you think…"
Jiang Tao laughed, "Then start roasting. Thanks for your hard work, you two. Join us for some food and drinks later."
"Alright! We'll get started then. Everyone, please wait a moment. Xiao Wang, let's get to work~"
Zhuang Xiaofei called to his assistant, and the two jumped into the truck to begin preparations.
In the truck were two large stainless steel basins containing two freshly slaughtered lambs, marinated with their secret sauce.
Zhuang Xiaofei and his assistant deftly lit the fruitwood charcoal in the grill with a blowtorch.
Then they mounted the two lambs on the roasting racks, their movements smooth and professional.
The commotion attracted quite a few onlookers.
"So it's Xiao Zhuang Roasted Lamb! A friend of mine hired them for a birthday party once. Their skills are really good, worth the price."
"Look at their setup—bringing two whole roasted lambs for a camping trip!"
"Probably some big shots from the capital coming to experience life here. I saw those two Mercedes with Beijing plates."
"The joy of rich people is just so simple and unpretentious!"
The crowd buzzed with chatter, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at Jiang Tao's group.
At 12:12 p.m., when the two roasted lambs were done, the camping trip officially kicked off with the meal.
Those who liked taking photos snapped pictures for their social media.
After the photos, Zhuang Xiaofei and his assistant began carving the meat for everyone.
Following the principle of respecting elders and caring for the young, Jiang Tao's parents and the other older folks ate first.
Then came the kids—Jiang Xue, Jiang Shijie, and Jiang Shaojie.
Next, the women—Xu Li, Jiang Bing, Xu Sha, and the others.
Jiang Tao and the other men went last.
Fortunately, the two roasted lambs were more than enough, and everyone could eat their fill.
Each person took a plate and chopsticks, enjoying the fragrant roasted lamb, showering it with praise.
"Wow! This tastes amazing! I've never had such delicious roasted lamb before!"
"The chefs Zhiyuan hired are really skilled!"
"So good, so good!"
"Compared to this, the lamb I've had before is nothing!"
Zhuang Xiaofei's roasted lamb conquered everyone's taste buds, earning unanimous praise.
Besides the roasted lamb Liu Zhiyuan prepared, Jiang Bing had also bought plenty of other barbecue ingredients, along with drinks and alcohol.
The picnic started at noon and went on until around 3 p.m., when everyone was finally full and satisfied.
Those who liked fishing continued fishing, while others sat on mats chatting.
On the first day of the Qingming Festival holiday, everyone had a joyful and relaxing time.
They stayed by the reservoir until after 6 p.m.
As the sun set, the camping trip came to a perfect close.
Everyone said their reluctant goodbyes and headed home.
After a day of fun by the reservoir, no one had taken a nap.
By 8 p.m., Jiang Xue and Xu Li were exhausted.
The family of three returned home from Jiang Tao's parents' place, washed up, and went straight to bed.
When Jiang Tao said goodbye to his parents, he activated [Sleep Mode] for them and Old Third.
Back home, he also activated [Sleep Mode] for Xu Li and Jiang Xue.
After their baths, the mother and daughter fell asleep within three minutes of lying down.
Jiang Tao waited until midnight for the intelligence update.
Over time, checking the daily intelligence before bed had become second nature to him.
As soon as midnight struck, Jiang Tao mentally opened the Daily Intelligence System interface to check the latest updates.
[Daily Intelligence 01]:
You had a picnic at Qisan Reservoir yesterday, and related intelligence has been obtained—
Bai Yulan, who is currently night fishing on the north bank of Qisan Reservoir, will fall into the water and drown in 20 minutes.
Rescuing Bai Yulan will earn her gratitude and sincere friendship.
…
"Bai Yulan? Could it be the Bai Yulan from Magnolia Hotel? What a coincidence!"
Seeing the name mentioned in the first piece of intelligence, Jiang Tao was instantly shocked.
Just yesterday, he had received intelligence about Bai Yulan, learning that her identity was no small matter.
He hadn't even planned how to connect with her yet.
And tonight, another piece of intelligence about her had popped up.