Rebirth and making money first

It was only 7: when Zhang Jing arrived at the company. The security guard told her the direction to the cafeteria and handed her her work card. He said Director Chen had instructed her to wait for him in his office after lunch.

Zhang Jing went back to the dormitory first, dropped off her bag and groceries, then grabbed her lunchbox and headed to the cafeteria. There was only one security guard eating. He greeted Zhang Jing, saying, "Beautiful, are you new here?" Seeing Zhang Jing agree, he enthusiastically introduced the breakfast. It was a buffet, so no waste was allowed. Just take as much as you could eat. No need to bring your own lunchbox; all the tableware was provided.

Zhang Jing looked at the dazzling array of food before her and couldn't help but exclaim, "This food is truly amazing!" There was fragrant lean meat porridge, steaming hot fried noodles, a variety of buns, and rich, sweet soy milk. However, just then, the woman serving the food suddenly berated Zhang Jing, warning her not to waste food, even though it was free. Zhang Jing knew the woman was from Guangdong, and the security guard at the door was her husband. She suspected they might be related to the boss. However, Zhang Jing ignored her and simply picked up her plate and began selecting her breakfast, taking a small portion of each item.

Seeing this, Aunt Zhuang sneered, "You northerners are just greedy! How can you finish all this food? Girls should respect themselves!" Zhang Jing, having just arrived, naturally understood that Aunt Zhuang was deliberately making things difficult for her, but she didn't want to argue, so she calmly responded, "Aunt, I just took a little bit of each to taste and see if it suits my taste. If it's good, I'll eat more. And I didn't waste anything; I'm sure I could finish it all. Besides, I think greedy people are everywhere, not just in one region or among some people. As for self-respect, I've always been like this and would never bully others."

As expected, Aunt Zhuang was furious. Her eyes widened as she yelled, "What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhang Jing deliberately shouted back, "Time to eat! I just got here today, and I want to try the welfare meals. This company provides meals, and the food is really good. I heard it's all subsidized by the government. Since I'm eating this meal, I should work hard, otherwise I'll really be wasting it!"

Hearing this, Aunt Zhuang cursed in the local dialect with a look of disgust: "Beigu! Lao Mei! Foodie!" However, Zhang Jing ignored her. At this time, Gao Wei, a security guard, smiled and joked, "Sister Zhuang, did you eat firecrackers so early in the morning? Or did Brother Lin not treat you well?" Aunt Zhuang immediately shifted her focus and retorted, "You poor boy, how dare you make fun of me! Finish your meal and let Brother Lin eat instead. Don't think so much. How can he possibly look down on you?"

Zhang Jing knew that bullying was commonplace, no matter where she went, and that being a newcomer wasn't uncommon. So, she decided to ignore them and focus on her meal. As long as she could be thick-skinned and ignore the gossip, she didn't care. Before leaving, Gao Wei told Zhang Jing to just put the used dishes in the sink and someone else would wash them. Zhang Jing expressed her gratitude.

People started arriving for breakfast, glancing at Zhang Jing several times. A middle-aged woman approached and asked, "Are you Zhang Jing?" Zhang Jing, upon hearing the voice, immediately called out, "Sister-in-law." This was Uncle Zhang's daughter-in-law. She confirmed that Zhang Jing had been assigned to a dormitory and could start work today. She urged Zhang Jing to work hard, explaining that the salary wasn't high, but the benefits were good. The workday was only eight hours. "Since you're here, do your best. Don't make things difficult for me!" With Zhang Jing's assurance, Li Xiangyue went to get her lunch.

She really wanted to ask what Zhang Jing's relationship was with her father-in-law. How did they meet? Are they planning to get married? Her husband had already agreed with her yesterday to monitor their relationship at all times. This was the situation the couple feared most.

Director Chen was already in the office. Seeing Zhang Jing, he asked her to wait. He called a tall woman with glasses and said, "Zheng Lijuan, the person you're still short of has arrived. Take him back and teach him well." Zheng Lijuan immediately said, "Director, I'm not good at teaching people. Why don't you let Liu Sumei take care of him?" Director Chen waved his hand and said, "One person a day. You need to be able to get the hang of it in half a month. Otherwise, I'll be the one holding you accountable!" Zheng Lijuan immediately stood at attention and saluted, saying to the director, "I promise to complete the task!"

I took Zhang Jing out and asked her about her personal situation. I told her I'd take care of her today and go find Liu Sumei tomorrow. Now I was going to meet someone at the door with her, but Zhang Jing kept calling me "Sister Juan."

Zhang Jing was stunned to see the people trickling in. There were men and women alike, each carrying a backpack filled with a water bottle. When they saw Ajuan, they greeted her warmly. When they saw Zhang Jing, they even said, "Hello, sister." It was obvious they were different from normal people: their bodies were adults, but their speech was childlike. As Ajuan asked them to sign in, she chatted with them.

After everyone arrived, they all went to their respective classrooms. Ajuan was teaching bead stringing, and there were seven students, both men and women. Under Ajuan's guidance, Zhang Jing divided the tools and began to work. "Can we switch?" Another teacher arrived. Ajuan immediately asked Zhang Jing to call her "Master Liu" and explained Director Chen's requirement that each student would be taught for one day, and the apprenticeship would take two weeks.

As expected, Teacher Liu didn't care. She wanted to switch to beading and asked Ajuan to teach handmade flowers. Ajuan agreed. She then asked Zhang Jing who she wanted to teach first. Zhang Jing said that since Ajuan was the first, there was no need to change. She would also join the handmade flower workshop.

There were also nine people here. Seeing Ajuan, they asked, "Where's Teacher Liu?" Ajuan said coquettishly, "You don't welcome me? That makes me sad." The students immediately said, "No, no, we like you too." "Then today I'll teach you how to make flowers. This one is called Sister Jingjing. I'll switch teaching with Teacher Liu, and you have to help me!" The students chatted with Ajuan...

At noon, everyone ate. After lunch, they all took a collective nap, though some students left at 2 p.m. Others played until 4 p.m., and most students left by 4: p.m. Zhang Jing finally found out that all three meals were covered, and her salary remained the same: one yuan for breakfast, three yuan for lunch, and three yuan for dinner. If they didn't eat company meals, the allowance would be added to their salary. The cafeteria was closed on Saturdays and Sundays, so students had to find their own food.

As night fell and the lights began to light up, Zhang Jing finished a hearty dinner and set off for home. Sitting quietly on the bus, she gazed out the window at the receding street scene, a sense of contentment welling up in her heart. While this mode of commuting was somewhat tiring, it gave her a strange sense of freedom and comfort. If only the bus had fewer people on it, it would be perfect.

It was still early, so after getting off the bus, Zhang Jing didn't go straight home. Instead, she headed to an internet cafe. She turned on her computer, logged into her account expertly, and began writing online. Strictly speaking, she wasn't a true creator; more often than not, she was just reposting other people's stories.

Suddenly, a QQ message chimed in. Zhang Jing hurriedly checked. The story she'd submitted had passed review—a completely unexpected outcome. Depending on the length and word count, these stories would receive rewards ranging from 100 yuan, 50 yuan, or even 30 yuan. Looking at these meager earnings, Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel depressed, sighing to herself, "Writing online is so hard!" However, when she saw the request for her bank account number, she sent it without hesitation. After all, life requires money to support all its expenses.

The joy of receiving the money emboldened Zhang Jing. She immediately pumped up her energy, typing and uploading three more articles in one go. At that moment, she seemed to forget all her fatigue and worries, devoting herself completely to the creative process. For her, each article was a new challenge and an opportunity to prove her worth. Despite the hardships of the road, Zhang Jing firmly believed that with perseverance, she would one day realize her dream.