Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing's mother's words were like a bolt from the blue, striking Zhang Jing's heart. She was completely stunned. After a while, she came to her senses and asked with a puzzled look on her face, "Mom, what on earth do you mean? I don't understand a single word of what you said."

Seeing Zhang Jing still looking confused, her mother couldn't help but feel anxious. She gritted her teeth and said bluntly, "Xiao Jing, what I mean is, didn't your brother borrow over 300,000 yuan from you before, and even wrote you an IOU, right? Look...can you, for my sake, just let it go and not ask for it anymore?"

Zhang Jing remained silent as her mother continued to analyze the situation. "This matter only needs to be between the two of us. Don't tell your brother, Xiaobing, or he'll become even more unscrupulous and lawless in the future. Just give me the IOU, and I'll keep it safe for you!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jing's eyes widened and she said in disbelief, "Mom, that's over 300,000 yuan, not 30,000, let alone 3,000! How can you talk about such a large sum of money so casually?"

When the old lady heard this, her face suddenly darkened and she replied impatiently, "What are you yelling about? Don't I know that it's over 300,000 yuan? If it was only 30,000 or 3,000 yuan, I wouldn't bother with it! If your brother can't even repay a mere 30,000 yuan, then he doesn't deserve to be my son!"

Zhang Jing stared silently at her mother, a mixture of emotions welling up in her heart. At that moment, she suddenly remembered Old Lady Xu in the nursing home. She had been so caring towards a woman who wasn't even related to her, afraid that she would suffer any injustice.

And her own mother wanted to scrape off a layer of skin from her own body to support her brother. Thinking of this, Zhang Jing couldn't help but smile bitterly. How could family love in this world be so cold and indifferent?

Seeing Zhang Jing's silence, her mother realized she was getting anxious, and her tone gradually softened. With a hint of helplessness and heartache, she said, "Xiao Jing, your brother has never been in good health since he was a child. He's simply incapable of doing heavy physical labor. He also has a terrible temper and can't stand even the slightest bit of anger. Since graduating, he's tried many jobs, but none of them lasted long enough. Now he finally found this job, but who knows how long he can keep it?"

The mother sighed softly and continued, "Thankfully, we're here to help. With all of us watching over him, I feel a little more at ease. He finally bought a house and is settling down. This is all thanks to your help!"

"But when we bought the house, he owed you over 300,000 yuan! How could he possibly pay it back in his current condition? Besides, his son is still so young and has allergies. With the meager monthly income he earns, it's hard to even support the whole family!"

"Lately, I've been going to his house almost every day to cook for him. All the expenses are naturally paid for by me. Where does your mother get the money? Actually, it's all your money. But, I know in my heart that you have always been sensible and want to help your brother, so you never asked me about these things. I understand..."

After hearing her mother's words, Zhang Jing finally couldn't suppress her inner doubts. After a slight hesitation, she slowly asked, "Mom, if I don't let Xiaobing pay back the over 300,000 yuan, will he be able to be independent from now on? Will you stop bothering me?"

Hearing her daughter's question, the mother's face showed a hint of surprise and dissatisfaction, and she immediately retorted: "What are you talking about? You are siblings. Blood is thicker than water. Shouldn't you help each other? Do you understand that a single tree cannot make a forest? How can you measure it with money?"

Facing her mother's accusations, Zhang Jing gave a helpless smile and said, "Mom, don't rush to blame me. Can you tell me, is this your idea or his?"

The mother said, "Of course that's what I think! Don't blame your brother, he doesn't know anything at all. Don't ask him, or he'll be upset!"

Zhang Jing understood completely: her mother was a child-supporting demon! She was no different from countless other brother-supporting demons in her past lives, and she loved killing the rich and helping the poor. And she was the "rich" in her mother's eyes! How ridiculous and pathetic!

Zhang Jing told her mother that her brother was fully capable of repaying the loan. And his life would not be as miserable as her mother thought. The old lady naturally did not believe her. Zhang Jing had no choice but to do the math for her mother:

"Actually, based on my understanding of your brother, he's not incapable of repaying the over 300,000 yuan. Think about it, if your son really wants to pay it back, not only can he get the money, but he can also live a good life in the future! The key is whether he's willing to pay it back."

After hearing this, the mother's eyes showed suspicion. She looked at Zhang Jing and asked, "How is this possible? Is everything you said true?"

Seeing that her mother seemed to not quite believe her, Zhang Jing nodded slightly and answered affirmatively: "Of course it's true, Mom. If you don't believe me, I can calculate my brother's wealth for you in detail." As she said that, Zhang Jing turned around, picked up the paper and pen on the table, and listed Zhang Xiaobing's assets to her mother one by one.

"First of all, he owns a shop in his hometown, which he has been renting out, and he can receive some rent every month. Although the money is not much, it is at least a stable source of income. If this shop is sold directly, it can be sold for at least more than 100,000! After deducting the cost, he can make a net profit of at least tens of thousands of yuan." Zhang Jing said as he carefully wrote it down on paper.

Then she continued, "Also, Xiaobing has a shop in Yiwu, Huizhou. That shop will be fully paid off after the Chinese New Year next year. And from what I know, the rental income there is very considerable. Even if I choose to sell it now, the price will at least triple what I bought it for!"

"Although he still owes over 300,000 yuan on his current house, the price has already increased by over 100,000 yuan since he bought it. If the house is demolished at the end of the year, according to the policy, he only needs to move back to a smaller two-bedroom apartment. After using the remaining compensation to pay off the outstanding debt, there will still be some money left."

Seeing that her mother did not refute, Zhang Jing continued:

"For all these years, he's been wandering around, moving from one big city to another. How could he have accumulated such a rich fortune with just that meager salary? Didn't you help him get this? I don't need to tell you where you got it from, do I?"

At this point, Zhang Jing couldn't help but complain, "Mom, look, you're even planning to leave your shop in Huizhou to him. How can he be considered poor? You always think he's having a hard time and feel so sorry for him. But do I have it easy? I work hard too!"

"I grew up in a broken and divorced family. I didn't finish my studies well, and I had no strong support and help from my family. I had no choice but to go out and fight on my own. Even if I got bruised and bloody, I still had to endure and persevere with a forced smile. After all, I knew in my heart that I had no way out!" When she said this, her voice choked up.

"Every time during the holidays, we don't even dare to go home. I've been thinking about mailing the money I saved on travel expenses back to you. So that the rest of our family can have a better life."

"But I am also a flesh and blood body, not made of iron. Am I born to be hardworking and persevering? If I am not really desperate and have no other choice, who doesn't want to have a warm harbor that can shelter from the wind and rain?" Zhang Jing became more and more excited as she spoke, and her eyes gradually became moist.

"You often ask me why I refuse to get married until now? The reason is actually very simple. A poor person like me who comes from a poor family has no way to achieve class crossing! I can only marry a poor man. I really don't want to live that kind of impoverished and hopeless life. It is simply an endless suffering that makes people feel desperate and suffocated!" Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes revealed deep helplessness and pain.

"As for the people I like, they simply look down on me for my so-called people-pleasing personality. Disappointment after disappointment has devastated me. In the end, I can only curl myself up tightly in my hard shell like a wounded turtle, not daring to open my heart easily anymore."

"And the reason why I chose to marry Achen is because only he will not bring me pain. He is the one who is worthy of my lifelong care and protection! The IOU that you want to erase does not only belong to me, it also belongs to Achen, and it even affects the future lives of our two lovely children!" When she said this, her eyes gradually became moist.

"And, as you said before, even if I don't let Xiaobing repay the over 300,000 yuan, I will still be willing to take care of their family. Why should I bother? So no matter what, I will never agree to hand over the IOU to you. Zhang Xiaobing must wait until the demolition compensation is paid out before repaying the debt in full."

"I didn't ask him for any interest. I've already considered our brother-sister relationship over the years. So, please don't force me anymore and make things difficult for me! Please also understand me. I was also born after you carried me in your womb for ten months!" Zhang Jing said firmly while wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

After hearing this, the mother was silent for a long time. Then she said in a low voice, "It's getting late. Go back to your room and get some rest!"