Rebirth and making money first

Aunt Zhang and Aunt Zhuang arrived at Zhang Jing's house, their faces filled with anxiety. Zhang Jing warmly invited them to sit down. Before they could even take a sip of tea to moisten their throats, Aunt Zhang couldn't wait to speak: "Ah Jing, we've heard about what's going on in your neighborhood lately. Many people at your workplace have been secretly buying houses! So we came to you today specifically to find out if this neighborhood is really going to be demolished. We don't have much money, and we'd like to buy a house together. What do you say?"

After saying that, she exchanged a glance with Aunt Zhuang, her eyes full of anticipation and nervousness, and then they both looked at Zhang Jing.

Facing the two aunts' eager gazes, Zhang Jing remained calm on the surface, but her heart was actually already in turmoil. She sighed secretly and once again silently confessed to God in her heart.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Jing slowly spoke, "Ah, Aunt Zhang, Aunt Zhuang, about this matter... Actually, I just happened to hear someone say that there is a rumor about this, but I can't guarantee its authenticity!"

As soon as Zhang Jing finished speaking, Aunt Zhang and Aunt Zhuang's faces lit up with excitement, and they exclaimed in unison, "That must be true!" Then, they began to explain their financial difficulties. They both expressed their desire to pool their money together to buy a house. Once the demolition compensation was distributed, they would split the profits 50-50.

To this end, they hoped Zhang Jing could act as an intermediary and help them write a written document as proof. "We have a good relationship and we all trust you!"

Zhang Jing was furious. "Who needs you to trust me?" All sorts of curse words swirled through her mind, practically threatening to burst out. Her face trembled uncontrollably, and she silently groaned. Being a middleman is such a difficult job! Not only does it not yield any benefits, but it also easily offends both sides.

But it was difficult to reject them directly, which was really frustrating! Zhang Jing frowned and thought hard for a while before finally coming up with a plan.

She cleared her throat, forced a smile, and asked cautiously, "Aunt Zhang, Aunt Zhuang, we both worked in the same unit, so we should be very close. Today, I'm going to ask you two a frank question from the bottom of my heart: Are you two really willing to buy a house together like this?"

After saying this, Zhang Jing stared intently at the two women in front of her, observing their reactions. However, to her surprise, the two women remained silent, seemingly at a loss for words. Seeing this, Zhang Jing suddenly felt more confident.

So she continued to speak slowly and calmly:

"First of all, if we want to buy this house together, we need the unanimous consent of both families. But I think this shouldn't be a problem. Also, three names can be written on the property deed, and you can also enjoy the benefits of the home purchase registration policy. I heard there are corresponding purchase quotas. I just wonder if you two families have discussed how to divide these rights and interests beforehand?"

Upon hearing this, the two aunties, who had been silent until then, looked at each other as if they had a telepathic connection. Their eyes met, and unexpectedly, a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes. One of the aunties couldn't contain her excitement and blurted out, "Ah, there's actually such a good thing?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she and the other aunt both fell into deep thought, and began to concentrate and think about this matter carefully.

At this moment, Zhang Jing, who was standing by, saw that the time was ripe and immediately struck while the iron was hot, pressing on again, "Secondly, I'd like to ask, have both of you reached an agreement not to move back after the demolition, but instead choose to divide the demolition compensation equally? But there's a crucial issue here~"

Zhang Jing finished speaking and drank some water, deliberately ignoring the two people's anxious expressions. Seeing that they were almost done, she continued, "If one of the two families suddenly changes their minds and wants to return to the relocation house, then the demolition compensation will be greatly reduced. It's even possible that they won't get a penny at all!"

The two aunts were stunned, then looked at each other suspiciously. Then they turned to Zhang Jing, who continued, "And resettlement housing usually takes two to three years to be delivered. And the price can rise dramatically. A house that originally cost 80 yuan could potentially go up to 120 million! What would you do if that happened?"

Zhang Jing's words struck the two aunts like a bolt from the blue. They were stunned, frozen in place, as if under a spell. After a while, they regained consciousness, as if waking from a dream, but they still looked bewildered.

Seeing this, Zhang Jing didn't pause, but continued, "In my opinion, it's better to buy properties separately now. If you're short on funds, you can consider borrowing some from relatives and friends. Of course, you can also choose to pay in installments or apply for a bank loan. If there's really no other choice, even if it's a slightly smaller top floor or ground floor apartment in a less ideal location, it'll be fine. At least you can occupy some space in the house first."

"Even if this area doesn't get demolished in the future, we'll still have a home of our own in this big city of Shenzhen. If it does get demolished, we'll have made a killing!"

Aunt Zhang was the first to react and said quickly, "Right, right, right! That's right. Speaking of which, it's better to buy them separately!"

Aunt Zhuang also said, "I need to go back and discuss it with my husband." Zhang Jing said with a smile, "Since you are all here, why not stay and have dinner before leaving." However, the two people politely declined at the same time.

Seeing this, Zhang Jing thought for a moment and suggested, "How about this? You could go find Mrs. Li in our neighborhood and ask if there's any suitable house for rent or sale. Mrs. Li is a kindhearted person. She's helped many people find their dream homes before. She's well-informed and quick. Of course, she'll charge a reasonable fee as compensation. If you need help, just ask her and say she's my colleague."

Hearing this suggestion, the two people's eyes lit up, and they hurriedly thanked Zhang Jing and said goodbye. They couldn't wait to find Mrs. Li to help find a house. Looking at their backs as they walked away, Zhang Jing slowly breathed a sigh of relief.

Immediately, she felt unhappy again, and a wave of dissatisfaction and anger surged. The more she thought about it, the more indignant Zhang Jing became. She grabbed the phone on the table and quickly dialed Director Chen's number. As soon as the call was connected, she complained loudly into the microphone like a machine gun:

"Hey, Director Chen, you're amazing! I was so kind when I offered you a shop opportunity, but you ended up bringing two cars full of people to do a group buy. It wasn't a big deal, and it didn't affect my interests much. But regarding the demolition of our community, I repeatedly warned you to handle it with caution! And what happened to you? Now the entire community is almost becoming a residential area for employees."

"Those people who come here to buy houses are driving up the prices so high, which is actually okay. What's most unbearable is that even the aunties working in the cafeteria are now banding together to buy a house! Today, they even came straight to me and insisted that I act as a witness and write a document! Don't you think I should thank you?"

Director Chen got anxious when he heard this and hurriedly explained, "I only told Gao Wei. I thought he was smart, so I gave him a try. Who knew he was so weak? Don't worry, there are so many people asking for leave recently, and 99% of them are looking at or buying houses. I know what to do! Ah Jing, don't be angry. Anger is harmful to your health and it's not beautiful. I'll treat you to a meal when I'm free! I'll personally apologize to you!"

After hanging up the phone, my anger subsided. But Zhang Yongle called again:

"You bought a house for Li Xiangyue too? What do you mean? You knew about my relationship with her, but you still dragged us along?" Zhang Jing said, "I was so angry the other day that I ran out of milk. I just recovered, and you can't stand to see me well?"

Zhang Yongle softened when he heard that. "Don't sweat it, it's not a big deal." Zhang Jing complained with an annoyed look on her face. "Everyone heard this place is going to be demolished, and they're all like hungry wolves, hoping to get a piece of the action! I don't know who spread the news, but people keep coming to my door every day to ask about what's going on. It's so annoying! I'm planning to find a house and move out as soon as possible. This shabby neighborhood is too noisy!"

Zhang Yongle hurriedly comforted her, "Ajing, don't worry. The city government's collective housing project will probably be delivered ahead of schedule by the end of the year. Just be patient. We can move there when the time comes. The environment will definitely be much better than it is now."

He then asked about the child's recent situation with concern, "By the way, how is the child doing recently? Do you have enough money? If not, please don't be polite to me, just ask."

Zhang Jing felt a little relieved after hearing his concern. Following the topic, they talked about his sister-in-law. Zhang Yongle said nonchalantly, "Oh, these are small matters. Don't worry about them. Just focus on raising the children."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel ashamed. She felt like she was living like a rat hiding in a dark corner, unaware of the light. On the one hand, she coveted Zhang Yongle's money and care; on the other, she wanted to draw a line between them and maintain her so-called independence and self-respect.

However, if she really relied entirely on herself, her younger brother, younger sister, and elderly mother would probably have a very difficult life. Thinking of this, Zhang Jing felt as if a heavy mountain had once again pressed down on her.

That familiar feeling of powerlessness instantly washed over her, leaving her feeling a deep sense of despair. It was as if she had returned to a past life, where no matter how hard she struggled, she could never escape the shackles of fate.

After taking care of the children, Zhang Jing put on some soothing music and slowly relaxed. She then turned on her computer and began typing. This time, the writing flowed incredibly smoothly. Drawing on her personal experiences as the main thread, she found a way to add more content. As she wrote, she pondered whether she should continue working in a nursing home.

It wasn't until they were interrupted by a commotion that they realized it was their sister-in-law. They put their belongings back home, and the old lady suggested they all have a welcome dinner at Zhang Jing's house. So they all came over, and Zhang Jing packed up her computer and stood up to greet them.

My sister-in-law was tall and strong, with a high-altitude red on her face. My nephew, on the other hand, was plump and pale, looking a bit dazed. Zhang Jing felt as if he had lost his soul. My sister-in-law's niece, Xiaodie, also had a dark red face. It seemed that the sun in Yunnan was really unkind. It was a place only for tourism, not for permanent residence.

The young girl graduated from junior high school but didn't get into high school, so she planned to stay home and work on the farm. This time, she was traveling with her aunt to see the world. Zhang Jing warmly offered them snacks and told them to make themselves at home. She also made her nephew a cup of thick milk, which brought a smile to his face.

My sister-in-law sighed and said, "Everything about the child is fine, except that there are many things he can't eat. He's allergic to them and can't even eat the snacks that most people eat. The doctor can't find any problem either. It's so worrying!"

The old lady said, "Don't worry, we've already bought the house. Just live there peacefully. When the time comes, ask your sister to take you to a good hospital. I don't believe it can't be cured!" The sister-in-law was relieved and said to Zhang Jing, "Sister, thank you for your trouble."

Zhang Jing smiled and nodded, thinking that having too much debt doesn't weigh you down, but it just adds another burden. "I'm just a brick, I'll move wherever I'm needed!"