Financial freedom starts with the daily intelligence system!

Chapter 153 Old Sun's condition worsens; his days are numbered. (3 chapters combined, please subscribe!)

Around 7pm.

A sumptuous dinner was served.

A steamed sea bass and a plate of braised prawns.

In addition, there was a large plate of braised chicken that looked delicious and appetizing, and a dish of garlic broccoli.

The soups were vermicelli, spinach, and meatball soup, and tomato and egg soup.

With three people in the family who can cook, it's hard not to gain weight.

Jiang Tao's weight has soared from 145 jin before the Lunar New Year to 165 jin now, a gain of 20 jin!
My figure, which used to be quite slim, has now become a bit chubby; it's time to start exercising more!

The fitness treadmill he bought from He Jing was a real necessity for him.

"Dad, Mom, and sister-in-law, it's a waste that you three have such great cooking skills if you don't go to a restaurant!"

"I'll have my second brother invest in opening a restaurant for you guys someday, and I'll patronize your place every day!"

As Jiang Bing ate the chicken from the big plate of chicken, she smiled and gave the three of them a thumbs-up in praise.

It was as if the argument and anger she had with Jiang Tao earlier never happened.

"Dad's skill in making braised chicken has improved again. I think he should really open a shop."

Jiang Tao also picked up a piece of chicken. It was bouncy and tender, not dry at all, and very delicious. He could eat it again and again without getting tired of it.

"Hehe, if it's delicious, you should eat more."

Jiang Wen was delighted by the siblings' constant flattery.

To be honest, he was very confident in his specialty dish.

I considered starting a restaurant when I was younger, but firstly, I had three children to support, and I didn't have the capital.

Secondly, they have no ability to withstand risks, are afraid of losing money, and are burdened with huge debts.

Therefore, the only option seems to be doing manual labor that requires little capital to earn money to support the family.

Now, her son has assigned her to make eight-treasure pickles, so her desire to open a restaurant has faded even further.

The reason he stayed in Beijing this time was to be a "brick" for his son.

He goes wherever he is needed.

"Mom's shrimp is so delicious~ Mom is eating shrimp."

As Jiang Xue spoke, she placed the first large shrimp she had peeled into Xu Li's bowl.

The little guy can be very naughty when he's being mischievous, but he can also be incredibly caring, which is very touching.

"What a good daughter of her mother."

Xu Li didn't stand on ceremony with Jiang Xue. She patted Jiang Xue's head and picked up a shrimp from the bowl, putting it in her mouth.

This is the best shrimp she has ever eaten.

Three generations gathered under one roof, enjoying family time together; the atmosphere at the dinner table was harmonious and pleasant.

After dinner, Xu Li and her mother went to the kitchen to wash up.

Jiang Bing and her niece Jiang Xue went back to Jiang Xue's room and played house with a bunch of dolls.

Jiang Tao and his father went out onto the balcony, opened the window a crack, and each lit a cigarette after dinner.

They smoked while chatting about the progress of their work at the factory.

Jiang Tao has been busy with blueberry bonsai these past two days and hasn't been to the factory.

But Dad would tell him everything that happened over there, down to the smallest detail.

Jiang's Eight Treasures Pickles haven't officially gone on sale yet; they've been stocking up.

We have already stockpiled more than 1500 jin (750 kg).

The processing plant's operating room will be completed in another three or four days.

The renovations at the vegetable market will take about another week.

Jiang Tao is now very confident and is not in a hurry to monetize his products.

He told his father not to worry and to focus on stocking up.

With the taste of Jiang's Eight Treasures Pickles, they will definitely sell well in the future.

After Mom and Xu Li finished washing up, she and Dad went downstairs to visit Lao Sun from the same neighborhood.

"Honey, should I call Teacher Jiang now and ask her?"

Xu Li wiped her hands and came out of the kitchen, walking over to sit down next to Jiang Tao.

Jiang Tao nodded in agreement:
"Ask away. The sooner the better. We've relaxed for more than half a month after the New Year, so it's time to get on with it."

"What about wages? How much will you pay?"

Xu Li looked at Jiang Tao, seeking his opinion.

She just arrived in Beijing this year and knows nothing about the tutoring salaries here.

"Why don't you ask Li Ziyue's mother?"

Jiang Tao shrugged; he also didn't know much about these things.

"Okay, then I'll ask Ziyue's mom first."

After Xu Li finished speaking, she bent down, picked up her phone from the coffee table, and dialed Li Jiali's number.

"Hey, Ziyue's mom..."

"I'd like to ask you about tutoring..."

"Oh, okay, sure, I got it."

"Thank you for your help, Ziyue's mom. Okay, goodbye."

After hanging up the phone with Li Jiali, Xu Li couldn't help but marvel:
"Rich people are really willing to spend money on their children's education!"

"How to say?"

Jiang Tao had been browsing his WeChat Moments and hadn't paid attention to Xu Li and Li Jiali's conversation.

"Ziyue's mother said that their tutor is a graduate student majoring in preschool education at Tsinghua University, and he earns 2000 yuan for 2 hours a day."

"..."

Jiang Tao was equally surprised when he heard the price.

A private tutor earning 1000 yuan per hour.

In just one month, the expenses for tutoring alone amounted to 6 yuan!
Li Ziyue's parents are certainly willing to spend the money!

"Honey, how much should we pay Teacher Jiang?"

Xu Li looked at Jiang Tao, now at a loss for what to do.

I heard that my daughter's classmate gets tutoring from a private tutor who earns 1000 yuan a month after school.

Xu Li wasn't deterred by the price; on the contrary, she felt even more urgent!

Jiang Tao said, "Around 2 a month is acceptable, but what Li Ziyue's family earns is a bit exaggerated."

"Indeed...and I feel that 2 is not low."

Xu Li clicked her tongue, experiencing firsthand the intense competition in big cities for the first time!

But since we've chosen to send our daughter to a prestigious school like Eddie, there's no way to cut back on the money.

After a brief discussion, Xu Li found Jiang Yi's phone number and dialed it. The call was quickly answered.

After a few polite words, Xu Li got straight to the point and asked her to tutor Jiang Xue.

Jiang Yi was also looking for a part-time tutor, and the two hit it off immediately.

The salary negotiation went smoothly; Jiang Yi's hourly wage was only 300 yuan.

Two classes a day cost 600 yuan.

This salary is affordable for Jiang Tao and Xu Li, and it seems quite fair.

Both parties were satisfied with each other, and the tutoring arrangement was finalized over the phone.

We can discuss the specifics of the contract when we meet tomorrow.

"Mom! Why does that sound like our teacher Jiang's voice?"

Just as Xu Li and Jiang Yi finished discussing tutoring and were about to hang up, Jiang Xue came out of the house holding a doll shaped like a cactus, and asked with a look of surprise.

"Has Xiaoxue had dinner yet?"

Upon hearing Jiang Xue's voice on the other end of the phone, Jiang Yi smiled and greeted her.

"Teacher Jiang! It really is Teacher Jiang!"

"Mom, can I video chat with Teacher Jiang for a little while? Just for a short time, please."

Upon hearing Jiang Yi's voice, Jiang Xue ran to Xu Li's side with her short legs, held up a little finger, and pleaded.

"Teacher Jiang, are you busy?"

Xu Li asked Jiang Yi on the other end of the phone, feeling rather embarrassed to bother her.

"I'm fine, Xiaoxue's mom. I'm not busy. Let me chat with Xiaoxue for a while."

"Alright, thank you for your help, Teacher Jiang. Xiaoxue shouldn't bother you for too long."

After receiving Jiang Yi's permission, Xu Li handed the phone to Jiang Xue.

"Thank you, Mom~ It won't be long~"

After taking the phone, Jiang Xue jogged back to her bedroom, hung up Jiang Yi's call, and switched to a video call.

"Xiaoxue really likes their teacher, Ms. Jiang."

Seeing how much her daughter liked Jiang Yi, Xu Li, as a mother, suddenly felt a pang of jealousy.

Jiang Tao smiled and said, "Teacher Jiang has taken good care of her. It is a kind of luck for her to have such a good teacher in her life."

"Yeah, my teachers when I was a kid either hit me or scolded me."

"All the students were afraid of her. They were on tenterhooks during class every day, afraid of getting beaten up."

Xu Li thought of her own childhood experiences, and she didn't want her daughter to go through the same thing.

Just after they finished discussing hiring a tutor, Jiang Bing was "driven" out of the room by Jiang Xue.

The two women hit it off immediately and went downstairs together to the community square to watch people doing square dancing.

The once lively house was now empty except for Jiang Tao and Jiang Xue, who was video chatting with Jiang Yi in the room.

"Try this treadmill and see how it works!"

Since he had nothing better to do, Jiang Tao's gaze fell on the "Strengthening and Fitness Treadmill" on the balcony.

Treadmills have such powerful features, so we should definitely make good use of them and not treat them like decorations or clothes racks, like He Jing did.

It's been more than half an hour since I finished eating, and the food in my stomach has been mostly digested, so it's time to exercise.

Jiang Tao went to the door to change into his usual sneakers, then turned on the treadmill and started adjusting the speed.

brush brush --

brush brush --

The treadmill belt started turning, and Jiang Tao seized the opportunity to stand on it, gradually transitioning from a slow walk to a slow jog and then a fast run.

"Whoohoo-"

Jiang Tao overestimated his own abilities.

He originally thought that he could run for five or six minutes straight without any problem, and that it would be easy for him.

But in reality, he was out of breath after running for less than 3 minutes, feeling like he couldn't catch his breath!

"Damn it, running is really tiring. Are all those marathon runners monsters?!"

When I think about those marathon masters who can run for hours on end, I feel like I'm not even a weakling!

If you really can't run anymore, walk for a while, and then run again when you have the energy, and repeat this cycle.

After a difficult hour-long run, Jiang Tao was soaked in sweat and his legs were starting to ache.

I feel like I lost half my life on the treadmill!
[Ding! Congratulations on completing a 1-hour run! You have earned 1 point of physique!]

Swish!
In the void in front of Jiang Tao, a deep blue virtual panel appeared, displaying a prompt message.

"Whoo~"

The moment he saw the notification message, Jiang Tao's last breath finally broke.

Hard work pays off! I finally finished it and was even lucky enough to receive a physical fitness reward!
Jiang Tao didn't want to run for even a second longer, so he immediately turned off the treadmill, sat down on the sofa next to him, and gasped for breath.

At the same time, he was also carefully feeling the tingling, warm sensation all over his body.

This feeling is more comfortable than soaking in a hot spring or taking a sauna.

It felt as if my body had suddenly become dozens of pounds lighter, giving me a feeling of floating on air.

Your constitution has increased by 1 point. Your current constitution is 50 points. (Weak)

Looking at the notification message floating across his retina, Jiang Tao felt that the suffering he had just endured was not in vain.

Get up from the sofa, stretch your body, and feel the difference brought about by the slight change in your physical condition.

There doesn't seem to be any obvious change.

"What would it feel like to have 100 points in physique?"

"What are the physical attributes of those fitness enthusiasts?"

As Jiang Tao's thoughts wandered, the door opened, and Xu Li and Jiang Bing returned.

"Hey! Second brother, you're actually going for a run? You're starting to be disciplined now."

Jiang Bing was quite surprised to see her second brother covered in sweat.

She thought her second brother's claim of running at home was just an excuse to stay home and scroll through his phone.

Jiang Tao laughed and said, "Of course, running is good for your health. You two should come up and run around whenever you have time."

"I'm not going to suffer like that. It's like forcing myself to endure something I don't deserve! I'm not fat, I don't need it." Jiang Bing said as she walked to the freezer, opened it, picked up a can of Coke, popped it open, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

Jiang Tao said with a look of disgust, "You're 1.63 meters tall and weigh over 120 kilograms. How dare you say you're not fat?"

"Hey, who's 1.63 meters tall? I'm 1.65 meters tall, okay?!"

"Besides, which eye of yours saw that I weigh 120? I just weighed myself last night, and I only weighed 119!"

Jiang Bing, holding a can of cola in one hand, vehemently refuted the claim.

"I don't believe you. Come here and weigh yourself. I'll go find a ruler to measure you now."

"I just finished eating and drinking Coke, so my weight is inaccurate. Also, don't you know people get shorter at night? The measurement is inaccurate!"

"Okay, Xiaobing, your second brother is just teasing you. You're not fat at all, your figure is just right."

Seeing that the brother and sister were about to start fighting again, Xu Li quickly stepped in as a peacemaker, constantly giving Jiang Tao meaningful glances.

Jiang Tao was just teasing his third son out of habit. Of course, he genuinely wanted the whole family to get moving and enjoy the benefits of improved physical fitness.

But judging from the third sister's appearance, she won't be obsessed with running anytime soon.

While they were talking, the door opened again, and Dad and Mom came up from downstairs.

"Hey, Mom and Dad, what's wrong? You two seem a little unhappy?"

Xu Li saw her parents-in-law looking worried as they entered the room and asked them a question with concern.

After hearing Xu Li's words, Jiang Tao looked at his parents and noticed that their expressions were different from usual.

"Could it be Old Sun...?"

Jiang Tao's heart skipped a beat as he recalled the intelligence he had seen about Lao Sun during the Spring Festival.

The intelligence indicated that Old Sun had late-stage liver cancer and only had 38 days left to live.

Nearly a month has passed since that intelligence report was sent.

Looks like the King of Hell is coming to take me away.

"Your Uncle Sun... has been diagnosed with liver cancer."

After Jiang Wen finished speaking, he sighed solemnly, his expression filled with sorrow.

What! Liver cancer!

"how come……"

Xu Li and Jiang Bing gasped in surprise upon hearing their father's words, their faces filled with disbelief.

"How could this happen? Uncle Sun is such a good person..."

Xu Li is kind-hearted and quite sentimental; she burst into tears the moment she finished speaking.

"Well, who can argue with that?"

My mother's eyes also welled up with tears; she felt great sympathy for Old Sun.

Jiang Wen looked at Jiang Tao and said:
"Xiao Tao, you and your master were master and disciple, so if you have some free time these days, go visit him more often."

"It was indeed my oversight. Mom and Dad, please keep an eye on Xiaoxue. She's on the phone inside. Lili and I are going to Master's place."

"Well, I'll go with you."

After saying that, Jiang Tao didn't bother to change his clothes, which were soaked with sweat. He went straight to the door to change his shoes, put on a down jacket, and took Xu Li downstairs.

Old Sun's family lives in Building 79, which is quite a distance from Building 28 where Jiang Tao and his family live; it takes more than ten minutes to walk there.

Jiang Tao and Xu Li were anxious, so they drove straight there and arrived at Building 79 in less than three minutes.

The two got out of the car and entered the building, then turned right and arrived at the entrance of apartment 101.

Tuk-tuk-tuk——

“Master, it’s me, Jiang Tao. Lily and I have come to see you.”

Jiang Tao knocked on the door and called out to the inside.

After waiting for about three minutes, the door clicked open.

Sun Xiaobao, wearing a set of light gray thermal underwear, appeared at the door.

“Eldest apprentice, Lily, what brings you two here so late? I was already in bed, and you woke me up again.”

"Come in and sit down, come in and sit down."

Although his rest was disturbed, Sun Xiaobao was not displeased at all. A warm smile appeared on his dark face as he quickly invited the two into the house.

Previously, when Jiang Tao invited Sun Xiaobao to his home for the Chinese New Year, he gave him the title of "master".

This master-disciple relationship, which is nominal but not formal, has continued to this day.

Jiang Tao and Xu Li entered the room and sat on the sofa that Sun Xiaobao had picked up from somewhere in the living room.

“I’ll get you two some fruit. Your parents bring me fruit all the time, but I can’t eat any of it.”

After inviting the two to sit down, Sun Xiaobao turned to get some fruit, but Jiang Tao stopped him.

"Master, please don't bother. Lily and I don't eat fruit."

"If you two don't eat it, I won't eat it either. What a waste of this fruit!"

Ignoring Jiang Tao's advice, Sun Xiaobao turned around and picked up several fruit bags from a nearby shelf, placing them in front of Jiang Tao and Xu Li.

The fruit bag contained bananas, tangerines, pomelos, apples, and cantaloupes—quite a variety.

"Take whatever you want to eat."

Sun Xiaobao greeted the two with a smile and then sat down in a computer chair with a backrest opposite them.

"Master, I just heard from my parents that you... I think we should go to the hospital for a thorough check-up, just in case it's a misdiagnosis."

Jiang Tao looked at Sun Xiaobao with a complicated expression.

With the information provided by Brother Tongzi, he knew that the possibility of misdiagnosis was very, very low, but he just didn't want to accept this fact.

"Hey, I knew your dad was such a gossip, he couldn't keep anything to himself, he'd definitely tell you and Lily."

“It’s not that I intentionally kept it from you, it’s just that I felt you were all so busy, there was no need to waste time on someone like me who was about to die.”

Sun Xiaobao smiled, his face displaying an incredibly open-minded expression.

He had known about his situation for more than a month and had been mentally preparing himself for it for over a month.

Now, when we talk about "death," we can smile and face it with equanimity.

"Master Sun, let's go and check it again thoroughly, just in case..."

Before Xu Li could finish her sentence, she burst into tears, covering her mouth and sobbing.

"My illness was actually diagnosed before the Lunar New Year."

"At first I didn't believe it either, I thought the doctors at the hospital were trying to scam this old man."

"Later, I went to several different hospitals and had several tests done, but it turned out to be true."

"Lily, you are a good girl and a good wife."

"Jiang Tao, you are so lucky to have married such a wonderful wife as Lili. You two should cherish each other."

"A dying man's words are good," Sun Xiaobao said, giving Jiang Tao a meaningful look and one last reminder.

Sun Xiaobao always felt that his "fake apprentice" had extraordinary luck and would definitely achieve great things in the future.

At that time, he will definitely have no shortage of admirers. Don't be blinded by them and lose sight of the bigger picture.

"By the way, apprentice, are you free tomorrow afternoon?"

Sun Xiaobao suddenly changed the subject and said:

"If you have time, bring Lily and your parents to my place tomorrow afternoon."

"available."

Jiang Tao nodded; he had a vague idea of ​​what Old Sun wanted to talk to him, Xu Li, and their parents about.

The intelligence report indicated that Lao Sun owned a total of 530 square meters of real estate and more than 200 million yuan in savings.

If I'm not mistaken, it's definitely about inheritance.

But Jiang Tao felt very heavy-hearted at the moment and couldn't feel excited at all.

even……

If he could, he would rather forgo the inheritance in exchange for Old Sun's health.

but……

These are things he cannot control.

What has already happened will not be changed by his will.

In the grand scheme of things, everything is preordained.

"hiss……"

A sharp pain struck, and Sun Xiaobao grimaced in pain, but he still tried his best to pretend that he didn't care.

Jiang Tao and Xu Li felt a pang of sadness as they watched Lao Sun put on the mask of pain.

"Master, isn't that a painkiller you're wearing? Use it when it hurts, don't be stingy with it."

Jiang Tao glanced at Sun Xiaobao and saw a rod-like object in the sleeve of his underwear. He immediately recognized it as a pain relief stick.

He wore that thing after undergoing surgery last year for a ligament injury in his leg.

"It's nothing, this little pain is nothing. Your master may not have much else, but he has a tough body."

Old Sun waved his hand with a smile, his gaunt face showing a completely indifferent expression.

Jiang Tao and Xu Li chatted with Lao Sun for another half hour before saying goodbye and leaving when they saw he was sleepy.

When the two left home, it was already past 10 p.m., almost 11 p.m.

Under the dim lights in the residential area, only a few stray cats were still meowing and chasing each other.

Affected by Lao Sun's sudden illness, Xu Li felt somewhat heavy-hearted and sat silently in the passenger seat.

When the two returned home, the third brother had already taken a taxi home.

My parents were still sitting silently on the sofa in the living room.

Although I haven't known Lao Sun for very long.

However, after spending time together, the three of them have developed a deep friendship and become best friends.

Now, my good friend has been diagnosed with cancer, and it's already in its late stages. He's about to face the prospect of life and death.

They were both in a bad mood.

"Mom and Dad, please don't go to work at the factory for the next few days. Spend more time with my mentor."

Jiang Tao sat down opposite the two elders and gave them a short holiday.

Old Sun probably doesn't have many days left to live.

In the final moments of life, it's good to have good friends to talk to.

Money is earned endless.

Eight-treasure pickles can be made anytime, and it doesn't matter if there's more or less.

When a person dies, everything else is gone.

After hearing Jiang Tao's words, his parents exchanged a glance and nodded solemnly.

After chatting for a few more minutes, everyone took turns washing up and went back to their rooms to rest.

Jiang Tao put his parents, Xu Li, and Jiang Xue into "sleep mode," and they all quickly fell asleep.

In the end, he was left alone, staring at the ceiling, quietly waiting for tomorrow to arrive.

While waiting for the intelligence to update, Jiang Tao was also recalling how he met Lao Sun.

In a way, the two of them were destined to be together.

Old Sun was trapped under a large rock twice, and both times Jiang Tao rescued him.

Without Jiang Tao, or rather, without the intelligence provided to Jiang Tao by the daily intelligence system.

Old Sun has already passed the "49" memorial service.

From strangers to acquaintances, and then to Jiang Tao inviting him to visit his hometown, Lao Sun took his parents on a tour of Beijing...

Several people who were originally completely unrelated became good friends.

Sometimes fate is just that wonderful.

"Sigh, it's all fate..."

"From now on, I must practice and run every day!"

With a long sigh, Jiang Tao suddenly became very concerned about his health.

In order to live longer, in addition to a healthy daily routine, you also need a strong body.

Time quickly reached midnight, and new intelligence was released.

Today's Intelligence 01:
You had contact with Sun Xiaobao yesterday and obtained relevant information—

Sun Xiaobao refused to use the painkiller in the pain relief device in order to save money, and was in excruciating pain at the moment.

[Sleep Mode] can effectively relieve Sun Xiaobao's pain.

……

"Old Sun..."

"You're almost dead, how can you still be so stingy!"

Upon seeing the first piece of intelligence that appeared today, Jiang Tao clenched his fists instantly and sat up abruptly from the bed.

The intelligence report mentioned that [Sleep Mode] can effectively relieve Lao Sun's pain.

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Tao kicked on his slippers and left the bedroom.

Without even bothering to change, she simply put on a down jacket over her pajamas, grabbed her keys, and headed out the door.

(End of this chapter)