"I'm going to trouble you again tomorrow. My dad is such a fool—he insisted on selling leeks..."
Night had fallen quietly. In the countryside, people tend to sleep early, and before they knew it, darkness had settled in. Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaoxi were also getting ready for bed.
Lying down, Jiang Hai hugged Ai Xiaoxi, who was only wearing a pair of pajamas—no vest, no shorts—and listened to her soft voice.
"Let's not talk about 'trouble' between us, okay? You're being so formal..."
Hearing her overly polite words, Jiang Hai couldn't help but roll his eyes and gave her a playful smack on the butt. Feeling the softness under his palm, his thoughts began to drift.
Noticing that Jiang Hai's hand had shifted from smacking to caressing, Ai Xiaoxi's face immediately turned red.
"You must've been uncomfortable these past couple of days..." she whispered, leaning into his ear.
"Stop it. Your parents are right next door—they'll hear us," Jiang Hai replied. But as she blew warm air into his ear, he shivered from the teasing. It was hard enough to control himself already.
"I know... let me help you."
Knowing it wasn't the right time for anything too bold, Ai Xiaoxi still had her ways of making him feel better. Especially since Jiang Hai had done so much for her and her family—she wanted to do something in return.
As she slowly leaned down, Jiang Hai looked into her eyes and felt a shiver run down his spine. His brows rose with the sensation...
They didn't speak again that night.
The next morning, for once, Jiang Hai wasn't woken by the usual sounds of roosters, barking dogs, or the occasional lowing cow. He actually slept in—until six o'clock.
But don't think waking at six was early—Jiang Hai and the others had gone to bed around nine last night. Even with a little "delay," they were asleep by ten, giving him a solid eight hours.
After some light exercise at the door, he had breakfast: freshly steamed buns made by Ai Xiaoxi's mother, served with pickles and porridge. Simple, but tasty. As for the highly praised crab sauce—it would take another three or four days to be ready. They might be gone by then.
After resting a bit, by around seven in the morning, Jiang Hai loaded up the car with Ai Xiaoxi, Ai Xiaohui, her father, and two baskets of leeks, heading to the nearby town.
As soon as they got into the car, Ai Xiaohui started fiddling with everything, clearly excited.
"What? Thinking of becoming a driver?" Jiang Hai teased, seeing his eager curiosity.
"Hehe, yeah. I really like it," Ai Xiaohui replied with a sheepish smile. "I know I can't do heavy labor. My dad's skills can't be passed down to me, and I've no interest in going back to school after taking a year off. I've been thinking about what kind of job I could do. There are people in the village who drive rickshaws—I think that might be my path."
Though his leukemia was cured, Ai Xiaohui's body was left fragile—sore and weak. After all, the bone marrow was from a donor. Even if compatible, it wasn't truly his. His stamina had suffered, and his lifespan might be affected.
Jiang Hai could technically help him further—his spiritual energy would be enough to restore Ai Xiaohui completely. But even now, despite being close to Ai Xiaoxi, he hadn't yet decided how much he was willing to give. Jiang Hai was no saint. He wasn't heartless, but when it came to his spiritual power, he had to be cautious.
"Then go get your license. I'll buy you a car," Jiang Hai said with a smile. Money wasn't an issue—only spiritual energy mattered to him. Besides, he wasn't called "brother-in-law" for nothing.
Jiang Hai wouldn't buy an expensive car—rickshaws weren't that costly. Even a good one wouldn't exceed a few hundred thousand yuan.
"Brother-in-law, I already got my license last month!" Ai Xiaohui said excitedly.
He had anticipated this future. With no work options and no desire to study, he had started looking into possibilities. In the nearby villages, many drove rickshaws—carrying passengers into towns or cities.
In the town, a ride cost 10 yuan per person. Into the city, 50. Chartering the whole vehicle was 150 yuan and could carry four people. After deducting fuel, they could net half of that in one trip. Not bad at all.
"Hey, Xiao Jiang, don't spoil him. A car is expensive!" Ai Xiaoxi's father cut in.
He was already uncomfortable that Jiang Hai had lent them hundreds of thousands—and they hadn't paid it back yet. Now Jiang Hai wanted to buy a car for his son? It felt too much.
Even though he was a bit henpecked at home, like many men in Shandong or the northeastern provinces, he still had a sense of pride. He didn't want to take advantage of Jiang Hai, no matter how wealthy the man was.
"Dad, it's fine. Since Xiaohui isn't going back to school, he should find work. Driving is a good option, and cars aren't as expensive as before," Jiang Hai said gently.
After all, he considered Ai Xiaoxi his woman. Spending a few hundred thousand on her younger brother wasn't a big deal. That kind of money was the value of a single cow leg from Jiang Hai's ranch.
"...Well, if that's the case, then... let's buy him a car. We've still got a little saved at home..."
Ai Xiaoxi's father couldn't hide his discomfort, but he also didn't want to argue. Giving Ai Xiaohui a subtle wink, Jiang Hai quickly changed the subject—asking about the local market.
The car could be bought later, once they reached the town. Whether he liked it or not, her father would have to accept it.
As expected, once the topic shifted, Ai Xiaoxi's father began explaining the situation of the nearby town.
Though technically under Wei City's jurisdiction, this place was more of an urban-rural fringe. Each city had its districts, and this town fell under local township administration. Jiang Hai didn't know the name, but with her father's guidance, they soon arrived.
The town wasn't big. There were no high-rises, mostly seven-story buildings—basic residential structures.
The market was set up on the street just outside the town. Like most rural markets, it operated on a schedule—typically on the 1st, 5th, 11th, 15th, 21st, or 25th days of the lunar month. But these days, people followed the solar calendar instead.
Coincidentally, today was the sixth day of the month, and the market was bustling.
Locals came for fresh produce, while people from surrounding villages came to buy necessities like clothes, shoes, fabric, toys, and more.
After parking, Jiang Hai and the others helped unload the baskets of leeks and found the produce section of the market. It wasn't too much work since they only had leeks to sell.
Once things were set up, Jiang Hai winked at Ai Xiaoxi and Ai Xiaohui. The three of them slipped away for a stroll.
Her father was busy and didn't mind the young ones going off to play.
After walking through the market for a while, they returned to the car and drove to the largest auto dealership in town.
Technically, it wasn't a true 4S dealership. Instead of representing a specific brand, it sold a mix of different makes and models—perfect for locals who didn't care much about branding but wanted practicality.
The lot was filled with small trucks and vans—ideal for farmers hauling pigs, cows, or chickens. But Ai Xiaohui wasn't interested in livestock. He wanted to transport people, which paid better.
Mini trucks weren't suitable, and while vans weren't bad, most had more than eight seats. His C1 license wouldn't cover those.
He could only drive ordinary passenger cars.
So a car it would be—one that could handle bumpy village roads but still look good.
After some thought, Jiang Hai decided that an SUV would be best. In the U.S., SUVs were mostly for outdoor fun. But in rural China, owning a large SUV carried a certain prestige.