Rebirth and making money first

After leaving, Zhang Zhi pondered her future plans. Initially, she considered buying a property in Hong Kong, but the thought of having to live with her mother-in-law deterred her.

After careful consideration, she finally decided to choose the resettlement house. This decision was approved by her husband because it would be very convenient for them to travel to and from Hong Kong.

However, the couple had higher expectations for their relocation housing: a larger apartment. The husband was planning to invite his parents to stay with him temporarily, hoping to show off his home to his younger siblings and make them envious. So, they planned to move back to a four-bedroom house, and Zhang Zhi agreed, wanting to show off in front of her mother-in-law.

But then came the problem: the funds required to move into such a large house far exceeded their current means. Desperate, Zhang Zhi once again turned to her sister, Zhang Jing, for help. This time, she even gave up on seeking help from Zhang Xiaobing. After all, the mere 10 yuan loan Zhang Xiaobing had agreed to provide wasn't enough to solve Zhang Zhi's crisis.

Zhang Jing refused Zhang Zhi's request without hesitation, stating bluntly, "People should act according to their actual abilities. Those who like to show off are often poor." Hearing this, Zhang Zhi became anxious and began to play the emotional card, crying, "You're my sister! I'm in such a difficult situation, and you won't even help me. Who else would be willing to help me?"

Seeing this, Zhang Jing remained unmoved. Instead, she calmly analyzed, "Your husband isn't an orphan. He has parents and two brothers, and even his sister is married and living abroad! If he wants to buy a house, why are all his family members playing dumb like cowards? Furthermore, he wants a four-bedroom apartment, clearly just to show off in front of his family. Even if he needs to borrow money, he should be the one to do it himself. What does this have to do with you?"

"How can it be the same? Husband and wife share a common destiny. They prosper and suffer together. But who of those people in his family can be relied on? Who can we count on?" Zhang Zhi frowned and shouted angrily.

As she spoke, she shook her head angrily, as if she wanted to throw away all the dissatisfaction and disappointment in her heart, and seemed to feel extremely helpless and desperate about this matter.

After hearing this, Zhang Jing looked at Zhang Zhi beside her and responded coldly and bluntly: "I'm sorry, since you are my sister, I will be frank with you today. My attitude is the same as your in-laws', I can't help you!" As soon as the words fell, Zhang Jing quickly turned her face away and no longer looked at Zhang Zhi, in order to show her firm attitude.

Faced with Zhang Jing's resolute words and attitude, Zhang Zhi did not show any intention of retreating or giving up. On the contrary, she still persisted in trying to persuade Zhang Jing to change her mind. Zhang Zhi's face was full of pleading. She reached out and held Zhang Jing's hand tightly, and said in a hurried and somewhat pleading tone: "Sister, when Xiaobing encountered difficulties before, you helped a lot. I have never cared about these things, right? But sister, am I not your relative as your younger sister? Can't you think about it again and help me?"

Hearing this, Zhang Jing finally lost control, her irritation instantly ignited. She jerked her hand away and, raising her voice, shouted, "Everything I have is earned through my own hard work. I deserve it! Think about it, how did you manage to take over that shop in Yiwu from the old lady? You should know exactly how, right?"

Faced with her sister's questioning, Zhang Zhi seemed a little guilty. Her eyes flickered as she hesitantly replied, "That... that was something Mom gave us! If you have any objections, you can go talk to the old lady directly, don't embarrass us. I know you may feel uncomfortable, but this matter really has nothing to do with us!"

Zhang Jing couldn't help but sneer after hearing this. She said sarcastically, "It has nothing to do with you? Humph, you don't even want to think about who has done you a favor. It seems I really overestimated you before! I do have this money, but sorry, I absolutely will not lend it to you! I'd rather put it in the bank and earn interest!"

Zhang Zhi was completely panicked. Her eyes widened, and she shrieked, "Sister, I can give you interest! As long as the bank pays the same interest, I'll give you every penny! It can even be higher than the bank's! If you won't help us, we'll be completely cornered!"

"If we both have interest, I'll definitely choose the bank. I don't trust you! Since you can afford the interest, just go to the bank for a loan. If you choose to borrow from a relative under the same conditions, you'll be indebted to them. If I agree to lend you the money, what if you can't pay it back? That's like drawing water with a bamboo basket. I won't be fooled, so don't tell me."

Seeing Zhang Jing refuse, Zhang Zhi stormed off, leaving behind a trail of resentment and discontent. However, Zhang Jing showed no fear of offending her. As night fell, Zhang Xiaobing appeared before Zhang Jing once again.

Zhang Xiaobing asked in a flattering tone, "Sister, you shouldn't have lent the money to the second brother, right?" Upon hearing this, Zhang Jing just turned slightly and glanced at him with a questioning look in her eyes.

Seeing this, Zhang Xiaobing hurriedly explained with a wry smile, "Hey, sister, I was just asking casually! Actually, she came to see me today and insisted on asking me to lend her 50 yuan. If she really can't come up with that, 30 yuan will be fine."

Zhang Jing responded expressionlessly: "This is a matter between you two. It has nothing to do with me. I don't bother to care about such trivial matters." After that, she no longer looked at Zhang Xiaobing.

Zhang Jing knew it all too well. Reflecting on her past life, it was a life of extraordinary hardship. Having toiled all her life, she had thought she could enjoy a comfortable retirement, only to be tricked into buying eight insurance policies by Zhang Zhi.

In his old age, not only did he not enjoy the insurance he deserved, but he was also burdened with tens of thousands of yuan in loans for Zhang Zhi. He scrimped and saved, finally saving enough to pay off his debts, but by the end, there was little left. In desperation, he gritted his teeth and cancelled one of his 15 yuan insurance policies, but ultimately received only 8 yuan back.

After scraping together money here and there, they managed to scrape together 10 yuan. This painful experience was like a deep scar, forever engraved in Zhang Jing's heart, making her unable to forget it.

By then, Zhang Jing had already completed her retirement due to poor health. She longed to own a house and enjoy her retirement. However, reality struck her hard: even the most affordable home would cost a full 18 yuan.

With nowhere else to turn, Zhang Jing turned to Zhang Zhi for help. Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhi bluntly declared she had no money to lend. However, fate, as always, is full of twists and turns. Not long after, Zhang Jing stumbled upon a stranger who had recently won approximately 17 yuan in a lottery ticket. This news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Zhang Jing devastated.

Zhang Zhi, despite being rich, refused to admit it and even delayed repaying the money Zhang Jing had previously loaned her. Furthermore, Zhang Zhi repeatedly tried to persuade Zhang Jing to change the name of the insurance beneficiary to her own or her children's.

During this time, Zhang Zhi welcomed another great joy in her life – the birth of a lovely son. This should have been a moment of celebration, but for Zhang Jing, it only added to her worries.

Meanwhile, another person with close ties to Zhang Jing, Zhang Xiaobing, secretly lent Zhang Zhi 10 yuan for stock trading. The two men's frequent financial dealings appeared close. However, the puzzling thing was that whenever they appeared in Zhang Jing's presence, they earnestly advised her to be wary of each other and to avoid any financial disputes.

When Zhang Jing mentioned wanting to buy a house and hoping to borrow some money from Zhang Xiaobing, Zhang Xiaobing immediately poured cold water on her. He insisted that Zhang Jing, living alone, had no need to buy a property and suggested that she return to her hometown and apply for low-rent housing.

What's even more outrageous is that Zhang Xiaobing clearly stated that if it didn't work out, he would help apply in his name. That way, if Zhang Jing unfortunately passed away in the future, he wouldn't have to spend energy dealing with those tedious real estate matters.

After experiencing rebirth, Zhang Jing now sees through everything. She knows that Zhang Xiaobing and Zhang Zhi are birds of a feather, both wanting to take advantage of her, a childless and unmarried woman. No matter what the situation, their first consideration is always their own interests.

Recalling the experiences of his previous life, Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel extremely regretful. He blamed himself for placing too much emphasis on family affection at that time, which led to his eventual end up in poverty and loneliness.

She didn't want to bother with them this time, but she couldn't bear it. Through her mother, she had provided them with a basic standard of food and clothing. But now it seemed they would never be satisfied!

Zhang Jing said, "Now that none of us are short of money, we can all live a good life. Raising your own children well is more important than anything else! You can also have a second child."

Zhang Xiaobing said he'd talk about this later. He planned to return to Yunnan to develop his career and not relocate. He sent his wife and children back before the New Year and mailed his belongings back.

Zhang Jing asked, "Have you told Mom? What about your shop in Yiwu?"

Zhang Xiaobing said he planned to deal with it all. "Sister, this is my own business. The old lady can't control me forever. How old am I? She's getting old and confused. As long as she has enough food and drink, that's all I need. How about you buy my shop? I don't want to develop in Guangdong anymore. If you don't want it, I'll sell it to my second brother."

Zhang Jing said, "Your son is still young. When he grows up, if he wants to come here to develop his career, will you buy him another house?"

Zhang Xiaobing said, "If he's really capable, he won't have to worry about my property. He can go to Shanghai, Beijing, or anywhere else! If he's not capable, he won't be able to keep it. This money is for my wife and I to retire."

Zhang Jing was speechless. Finally, she said, "Go back and discuss it with your wife. If you still decide to sell it, give me a price."

Zhang Xiaobing was happy. Knowing that Zhang Jing had not agreed to lend the money to Zhang Zhi, he now had a reason not to lend the money. He hurried back to discuss it with his wife.

Zhang Jing thought about it and decided to call her mother. She told her about the situation and said that her persuasion was ineffective, so that her mother could be mentally prepared.

The old woman was furious, cursing her son for being brainwashed by his wife. He insisted on settling down there, changing his household registration to rural, even though he was a city dweller. He even had to pay his own social security, and there was no way he could change his status.

"I really can't accept this! I raised him like the apple of my eye, and how much have I suffered for him? He doesn't appreciate it, and always thinks I'm going to hurt him. We have a house and a shop at home, a house and a shop in Guangdong. He wants to sell them and go back to Yunnan to be filial to his father-in-law and his family! Doesn't he think about himself, and that he has a mother to rely on? No wonder his father-in-law asked me to sell the house and go to Yunnan to retire when I was there to take care of his wife after she had her baby. It turns out he wanted me to be a paid nanny!"

Zhang Jing said, "There's no point in saying all this now. You can move around now, so you don't need to rely on anyone. But when you can't, you'll still have to rely on your children." "Why don't you let Zhang Xiaobing move back home to a smaller apartment, and you can come and take care of him in his old age? We'll take care of everything at home, so we don't have to travel so far all the time. Zhang Zhi and I are both in Guangdong, so we don't have to rely solely on our son for our retirement."

"I'm not going anywhere! I'm in the Northeast. I have a house and a pension. When I get old, I'll die in my own house. The community will collect my body. You don't have to worry about it. Just think of me as giving birth to a few ungrateful people! Do whatever you want, just don't tell me! I'm old and can't control you!"

The old lady hung up the phone angrily.