Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing said angrily, "Do you really think that old lady is an inexhaustible treasury?" Even so, she knew that some things had to be dealt with. So the next day, she turned to her brother-in-law and said, "You drive and accompany me on this trip."

The car soon arrived at the nursing home. It was still the same, with no major changes. Familiar faces greeted Zhang Jing warmly upon seeing her. Zhang Jing smiled back. A few months without her seemed like an eternity. Some of the residents looked older, and even many of the caregivers looked haggard.

Zhang took a few bags from the car and handed them to his brother-in-law, and asked him to follow him upstairs.

When she arrived at the door of Old Lady Xu's room, Zhang Jing stopped, knocked on the door, and shouted earnestly, "I'm coming in!" Her brother-in-law asked, "Sister-in-law, is there anyone living in there?" Zhang Jing shook her head and instructed her brother-in-law, "Just sit here and help watch the door. Try not to let anyone else come in casually." Her brother-in-law nodded in agreement, saying that he would definitely complete the task.

Zhang Jing walked into the room and began to carefully examine everything. She first lifted the mattress and examined it again and again, then felt the pillow inside and out. Then she opened the wardrobe and shook out every piece of clothing, even the shoes in the corner, turning them over and examining them all.

As for the clothes-making books, scissors, and other tools, Zhang Jing tossed them aside, feeling they were no longer needed. The same treatment was applied to the pots and pans in the kitchen, which she discarded without hesitation. Even the photos hanging on the wall were unnecessary, and Zhang Jing tucked them all into the pile of items to be thrown away. She also gathered items that could be burned, such as clothes and hats, into a pile.

Just as Zhang Jing was busy packing, she suddenly discovered a small box under the bed. Pulling it out, she saw it looked quite old. A note was taped to it, reading "From Xiao Jing." Even more surprising, the key was clearly visible in the keyhole. With a sudden impulse, Zhang Jing reached out and gently turned the key, unlocking the box.

The box was crammed to the brim with a dazzling array of jewelry, neatly arranged. Each piece was meticulously labeled with its material and corresponding price. The jewelry was diverse and varied in materials: some sparkled with diamonds, others with smooth, delicate jade, and even pearls radiating a mysterious light.

In addition to the dazzling array of jewels, the box also contained numerous glittering gold jewels. Several of these pieces were particularly eye-catching because they had a piece of white paper placed on their surface, with a line of small, clear words written on it: "Leave it to the children, don't keep it for yourself!" These four simple words seemed to contain endless love and concern.

Zhang Jing carefully locked the box filled with precious items and gently placed it in a bag. Then, she looked around, her eyes landing on a pile of haphazardly arranged books. She casually flipped through them and discovered several red envelopes hidden among the books. The amounts inside were modest, just 20- and 50-yuan bills. She figured they must be a token of appreciation from the nursing home for the residents.

At that moment, Zhang Jing saw a photo of Mrs. Xu hanging on the wall, wearing her favorite clothes. Gazing at that kind face, she couldn't help but feel a surge of mixed emotions. Finally, dust returns to dust.

Zhang Jing picked up her phone and called the cleaner, telling them she was needed and asking them to come as quickly as possible with a hand truck. A moment later, the cleaner arrived. Zhang Jing handed her 100 yuan in cash and instructed her to load all the clothing, hats, and photos into the truck and take them to the landfill for complete incineration.

The cleaner said it was a shame to burn the clothes, so could she keep them? Zhang Jing replied, "All the photos, bedding, clothes, and hats are burned. If you don't mind, it's up to you." The cleaner said nothing more and hauled two trucks of the clothes to the landfill.

After finishing all this, Zhang Jing and her brother-in-law carried the small box containing the important items and slowly walked towards the car parked at the door. They first placed the small box safely in the car, then Zhang Jing took out her cell phone and called Li Manyue, telling her that she could arrange for a caregiver to clean the room.

He also emphasized that nothing in the room, including furniture and appliances, needed to be kept. Li Manyue would be given full control over the disposal. After reviewing the items, Li Manyue agreed to keep any tailoring materials that interested her, while selling large items like the refrigerator at a discount based on market value.

Zhang Jing was well aware of the ins and outs of this arrangement, but she wasn't surprised or surprised. After all, every elderly person's death followed the same process.

Li Manyue smiled and said to Zhang Jing, "You still have two and a half months' rent left. You can refund it, but you'll need to sign it yourself, Zhang Jing." She and Zhang Jing smiled at each other, their understanding complete. They both knew the refunded yuan would arrive in Zhang Jing's account on time, as agreed.

Before parting, Li Manyue and Zhang Jing said goodbye and happily agreed to go out for dinner and spend some quality time together when they were both free. Seeing Li Manyue's capable demeanor, Zhang Jing felt that the chances of Zhang Yongle and her remarrying were slim. The two were drifting further and further apart, and she couldn't help them any more.

Zhang Jing showed no interest in the jewelry left by Mrs. Xu, so she did not hesitate to put all the jewelry into the bank's safe for safekeeping.

Seeing her brother-in-law looking listless and depressed, Zhang Jing felt pity for him. She took out a thick red envelope from her bag and handed it to him, saying gently, "This is a thank you red envelope for you. Take it and buy something you like!"

The brother-in-law quickly waved his hand and refused, "Sister-in-law, there's really no need! We're family! It's only natural to help with this little favor." However, Zhang Jing firmly pressed the red envelope into his hand and patiently explained, "After all, this is my godmother's final funeral. Even if I'm helping, I can't help but worry about bringing some bad luck. Besides, everyone else was too scared to come and help, and only you stepped forward. So you have to accept this red envelope no matter what. It will benefit you in the long run."

After hearing this, the brother-in-law hesitated for a moment, but finally accepted the red envelope.

As Zhang Jing and her brother-in-law slowly approached their home, they could see Zhang Zhi's petite figure from afar, standing at the doorway, seemingly having been waiting there for a long time. In her hands, Zhang Zhi clutched a handful of tender, delicately fragrant pomelo leaves, drenched in clear, transparent water droplets. Her expression was intense and slightly tense. She raised her arm high, then, with all her might, swung the leaves toward Zhang Jing and her brother-in-law. All the while, she muttered something inaudible to others.

Then, Zhang Zhi did not give up, but stared at the two of them with a sharp gaze, until she saw with her own eyes that they washed their hands seriously and meticulously, then she breathed a sigh of relief and allowed them to step into the house.

"I'm really sorry. This is something my mother-in-law has specifically instructed me to do. After all, it's all for the good of the children, so I have to bear with you for now!" After Zhang Zhi finished speaking with a solemn face, as if she could no longer suppress her inner excitement, she quickly took a step and rushed to Zhang Jing in a hurry.

Her already bright and moving eyes now sparkled with excitement, and she couldn't wait to ask, "Sister, how's the situation? Did you find any money? Hurry up and take it out so I can see it!"

Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel a little annoyed by Zhang Zhi's impatience, but she suppressed her dissatisfaction and glared at her fiercely. Then, she slowly reached into her pocket, fumbling slowly for a while, and finally took out a few red envelopes.

Zhang Jing, however, didn't treat the red envelopes with the same care and attention as an average person would. Instead, she carelessly threw them in front of Zhang Zhi as if they were trash, sighing with a hint of helplessness, "Here, what you want is right here! Take it and take a good look! But I have to make it clear to you in advance, these red envelopes are from the nursing home, specially given to the elderly to celebrate the holidays. The elderly haven't even had time to open them yet."

Zhang Zhi quickly picked up the red envelope and opened it anxiously, muttering to herself, "No matter how small a mosquito is, it's still meat! No matter how much it is, just take it first..." However, when she saw the denomination of the banknotes in the red envelope, the expectant smile on her face froze instantly.

Zhang Zhi was disappointed to see that the red envelopes contained either 50 yuan or 20 yuan, which added up to only about a hundred yuan.

"This old lady is so stingy, isn't she? Why is it so little?" Zhang Zhi couldn't help but complain, her voice unconsciously rising an octave. But no one responded to her. Everyone seemed to be accustomed to her behavior and just busy with their own things.

After her brother-in-law left, Zhang Zhi, still unwilling to give up, approached her sister Zhang Jing and asked suspiciously, "Sister, could it be that the old lady really didn't have any thoughts about you at all?"

Zhang Jing sighed slightly and replied, "The nursing home did refund two months' rent, but the money couldn't be deposited immediately. As for the clothes, shoes, and other things, I didn't want them at all, so I asked the cleaner to take them away. And Li Manyue took away all the old lady's books. I burned all the family photos. Things like the wheelchair, inflatable mattress, refrigerator, and pots and pans were also given to Li Manyue to deal with."

Hearing this, Zhang Zhi suddenly became anxious and raised her voice, "Oh, sister, if that's the case, then you haven't missed anything, right?"

Zhang Jing shook her head slightly and said slowly, "It's not that I don't have any. All the jewelry that Old Mrs. Xu left to our children. It's just... I've always felt uneasy, so I haven't dared to bring it home yet. I've put it in the bank safe instead."

Zhang Zhi's eyes lit up when she heard this, and she quickly offered an idea: "Hey, sister, it's not that difficult! If you really feel uncomfortable keeping these jewels, just find an opportunity to sell them and turn them into cash!"