After chatting with Zhang Bo for a while, Jiang Tao saw so custors coming in, so he tactfully said goodbye and left.
He wandered around Antique Street for another big loop.
While patrolling at such high intensity, he kept suggesting to Brother Tongzi in his mind: pay more attention, give so luck!
By the ti it was past 4pm, he’d already made all the rounds he needed to.
Just as Jiang Tao was preparing to "clock out," his phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
He took out his phone and glanced at it—the caller ID was "Du Enan."
The last ti Jiang Tao contacted her was about ten days ago.
That ti, Du Enan said she and her dad were busy with a new project.
So Jiang Tao didn’t bother her anymore.
The matter about the Benz was pushed aside for now.
No need to rush things—it’s like trying to eat hot tofu in a hurry and getting burnt.
Since she was busy, if he showed up, he’d just be making trouble.
"Hey, Du Enan, you’re not busy right now?"
Jiang Tao picked up the call with a smile and greeted Du Enan on the other end.
"Yeah, this year my wife and kid ca along too."
"Haha, thanks for the complint! If you have a daughter, she’d definitely be as pretty as you."
"I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything, hope it’s not a bother."
"Okay, sure, see you tonight then."
"Bye-bye."
Just a few seconds after hanging up with Du Enan, she sent Jiang Tao a location pin on WeChat.
Beijing International Trade Hotel!
Jiang Tao’s been a drifter in Beijing for seven or eight years, so of course he’s heard of it.
But this is his first ti getting invited to such a fancy hotel for dinner.
After checking the location, Jiang Tao put his phone back in his pocket and walked straight toward the parking lot where his car was parked.
Around 5:30pm.
The rcedes GLS was parked on a spacious open patch just outside Xiaoshanhe Urban Village.
After getting out of the car, Jiang Tao walked into the village.
He wandered through the familiar alleys like threading a needle.
Soon, he arrived in front of Brother Lü Qian’s apartnt building.
"Hey! Xiao Jiang! You showed up right on ti, I was just about to call you."
"What, you sniffed your way ho?"
Brother Lü was at the doorway, dunking a chicken feather in a bucket, and when he saw Jiang Tao he laughed and called out:
"Just got back from the market with a big rooster, tonight we two bros can have a couple drinks!"
"Uh, sorry Brother Lü, I’ve got plans with friends tonight too."
Jiang Tao chuckled awkwardly—had to let Old Lü down again.
So the salted veggie jar thing looks like... not happening today either.
Then all of a sudden, from the corner of his eye, Jiang Tao saw sothing glowing behind Lü Qian.
He stepped back two paces to get a better angle.
And sure enough, next to the door of Lü Qian’s place, there was a big brown ceramic jar, about 80cm tall and 70cm wide.
The key point!
This big jar was giving off a faint golden light in his view!
Lü Qian didn’t notice anything off with Jiang Tao and still smiled:
"Man, you look busy these days, almost always have plans."
"Plus, I barely ever see you staying here now."
"Did you rent a place sowhere else?"
Jiang Tao tore his gaze from the salted veggie jar and looked at Lü Qian:
"Brother Lü, forget all that first, what’s in that water jar over there?"
Lü Qian followed Jiang Tao’s point, looked at the jar, and just shrugged:
"Empty. I just pulled it out of the kitchen this morning, was thinking of smashing it and throwing it away later."
"That thing was leftover from my grandparents’ ti—way too big and clunky."
"We don’t use that kind of stuff anymore, just takes up space in the kitchen."
Hearing that, Jiang Tao thought, holy shit.
Good thing I showed up here today!
If I hadn’t co, this golden opportunity would’ve been trashed by Old Lü, that reckless old guy!
Brother Tongzi never ntioned the salted veggie jar was facing this kind of crisis!
So close!
Is this River Stone’s doing again?
Feeling kind of lucky, Jiang Tao looked at Lü Qian:
"Brother Lü, I really like that big jar. If you don’t want it, could you give it to ? Or sell it to , that’s fine too."
"What nonsense are you talking, just take it if you want, saves the trouble of getting rid of it. Don’t even ntion buying."
"It’s a useless piece of junk—like I’d actually charge you for it!"
Lü Qian laughed and cursed him, generous as ever.
Jiang Tao grinned, "Thanks a ton, Brother Lü! My mom loves collecting these old nostalgic bits."
Lü Qian chuckled, "What’s there to thank, co on, no need to be polite with ."
"Hey, don’t change the subject—did you move sowhere else?"
"What, you can’t handle living here? Not good enough for you?"
"Haha, honestly, my wife and kid ca up this year too, so..."
Jiang Tao gave Old Lü a look like "you know what I an."
Where he stays doesn’t matter, but he can’t let his wife and kid rough it with him.
"Why didn’t you say so earlier! You seriously treat like an outsider!"
"Your wife and kid are here, and you won’t even bring them by to et and Xiao i."
"Get outta here, pick up that salted veggie jar and scram."
"I don’t want to see you right now, just seeing you annoys ."
When Lü Qian heard Jiang Tao’s story, he impatiently shooed him away—looked like he was genuinely a bit miffed.
"Haha, how about this, Brother Lü—tomorrow I’ll invite you and Aunt Ma over to our new place for dinner?"
"My parents will be there too, we’ll all sit down and get to know each other."
Jiang Tao knew Lü Qian wasn’t actually mad and kept joking with him, shaless as ever.
"That’s more like it. Let tell you, there’s a lot to learn about how to behave and get things done—your generation’s got a long way to go!"
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