Rebirth and making money first

Grandpa's words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving Zhang Jing stunned. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Just then, her mother-in-law chimed in, saying, "Well, we can't completely rule out this possibility."

As the words fell, everyone's attention shifted to Happy, who was happily playing with his sister. The toy the little one was holding was suddenly snatched away by his playful sister, Huanxi. But Happy didn't get angry or cry. He simply patted his head gently and turned away, looking for a new toy.

The thought of this possibility suddenly heightened Zhang Jing's concern for her child's cord blood. She was filled with regret and immense self-hatred, wondering why she had acted so high-profile in the first place, leading to someone actually targeting her.

What worried her most was that if the other party insisted on asking for it, given the current situation, she might not be able to refuse their request at all! This made Zhang Jing very worried.

Night fell quietly, and the whole world gradually fell into a quietness. However, Zhang Jing, lying in bed, tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She kept thinking about what happened during the day. Various thoughts in her mind were intertwined and tangled together, like a tangled thread that could not be cut or sorted out. All of this could not escape the eyes of her husband Achen beside her.

After noticing his wife's unusual behavior, Achen slowly sat up, looked at Ajing with concern, and asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Faced with her husband's question, Zhang Jing, who was in an irritable mood, casually replied, "Nothing, don't worry about me, go to sleep."

Hearing this, Achen slowly lay down. But a moment later, he reached out and gently patted Zhang Jing's back, his movements gentle and loving. He seemed to be trying to offer his wife some comfort and solace. Feeling her husband's care, Zhang Jing, feeling fragile, could no longer contain her emotions. She suddenly turned around and hugged Achen tightly.

It seemed that only by doing so could she draw enough strength and courage from him. But even so, Zhang Jing knew very well that some things still needed to be decided by her alone.

When the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room through the window, Zhang Jing, who hadn't slept all night, finally opened her eyes, her face haggard. Meanwhile, Naituanzi had come to her bedside, blinking his innocent eyes and staring at her curiously. He asked in a baby voice, "Auntie, do you miss your mom like I do?"

Hearing this, Zhang Jing was stunned for a moment, and then she realized as if she had just woken up from a dream that she still had a mother who might be able to give her some advice.

Zhang Jing nervously called her mother. They chatted about everything from the recent weather to the neighbor's new puppy. After a while of this aimless conversation, the old woman finally lost her temper and urged, "You've been rambling on for so long. Do you have anything serious to say? If you have something to say, just say it. I don't have time for you to chat. I have to go to the market to buy groceries!"

Hearing her mother's anxious tone, Zhang Jing quickly changed the subject and, pouring out the beans from a bamboo tube, succinctly and clearly told her mother about her current situation and the difficulties she had encountered. After that, as if grasping at a lifeline, she anxiously asked her mother how she should deal with the current situation.

Unexpectedly, after hearing this, the mother simply replied nonchalantly, "Let it go!" Seeing her daughter's bewilderment, as if she hadn't yet grasped her meaning, the old lady couldn't help but raise her voice and scold, "Are you stupid? No one is actively bothering you, yet you're like a headless fly, constantly rushing into things no matter what. Other families don't take this matter seriously, but you're the only one who's preoccupied with it all the time! What's the point of thinking so much about nothing? You're so idle!"

"But..." Zhang Jing retorted with a look of sorrow on her face, "I'm just worried that their whole family will come knocking on my door. I really don't know how to refuse them then. Besides, if I refuse outright, I'm afraid the relationship between our two families will be difficult to maintain in the future."

At this moment, Zhang Jing's mother's voice came from the other end of the line, her voice full of regret: "Oh, my silly girl! Why are you so clueless? Your son's umbilical cord blood is reserved specifically for him. No one else has the right to use it except your son! Let the child's parents figure it out on their own. Whoever's child is responsible for it, why are you so stubborn?"

Zhang Jing listened to the lecture in silence. Her mother added sternly, "My dear, after you have a child, the focus of your life must be on your child. Stop talking about favoring sons over daughters. You'll need to rely on your son to support you in your old age! If you don't believe me, then ask yourself why you're still obsessed with giving Achen another son. So, when you have nothing to do, try not to get caught up in other people's affairs."

After hearing her mother's heartfelt words, Zhang Jing couldn't help but fall into deep thought. Thinking carefully, she realized she was overthinking things. She just needed to live a down-to-earth life, her own life, and that was enough. Why worry about other people's affairs and add so much trouble and stress to herself for no reason?

Besides, he had already gone to the Guanyin Temple and devoutly set up a prayer place for Zhang Xiaoyu, praying that the Buddha and Bodhisattva would protect him and bless him with peace, health, and happiness. Now, it seems that he can only pin all his hopes on this.

Thinking about Achen's current work situation, Zhang Jing began to feel a little worried. After careful consideration, she finally decided to go and find out the situation herself. So, Zhang Jing went to her own residential complex.

Many homes in the community were busy with renovations, but not many residents had actually moved in. At this moment, Zhang Jing noticed three older cleaners busily cleaning up.

Zhang Jing quickly walked over and politely asked one of the cleaners about their salary. The cleaner looked up at Zhang Jing and slowly replied, "We don't get paid much here. It's only about 2,000 yuan a month, not including food or housing."

Upon hearing this figure, Zhang Jing was immediately disappointed. Like a deflated ball, she completely drooped. She had originally thought that if the salary here was good, she could introduce Ah Chen to this job. But now it seemed that this level of income was too low.

If this continues, it might be better to let Achen stay in his original workplace. At least by working there, he can help pay for social insurance and so on. Thinking of this, Zhang Jing thanked him, sighed inwardly, and then turned and quietly left the community...

Zhang Jing returned home and told her mother-in-law and grandfather everything she had learned about Achen's work. After hearing what she had learned, they both expressed their opposition, almost unanimously, and urged Zhang Jing to let Achen stay in his original unit and continue working.

Even if they really encountered difficulties and could no longer hold on, they would make other plans. They figured that if the company failed, Ah Chen would simply pay his social security contributions. After all, he wouldn't need his salary to support the family. The rest of the family also agreed with this arrangement.

Meanwhile, Zhang Zhi had been in Hong Kong for three days. During this time, she'd called her daughter in Shenzhen almost every day for a short chat. Zhang Jing noticed her sister's frequent calls and secretly speculated that Zhang Zhi, living in a foreign country, must be under immense pressure and struggling to find someone to confide in, so she could only seek comfort from her daughter over the phone.

So, Zhang Jing took the initiative to persuade her sister to take things easy and try to keep her emotions stable no matter what, so that it would be beneficial to the healthy growth of the fetus in her belly. She then asked Zhang Zhi, "Are you suffering from prenatal depression?"

After Zhang Zhi denied the idea, she specifically asked her sister Zhang Jing to take time out to go to her house and help open the windows to ventilate the room. Thus, Achen had a new "walking mission" on his shoulders: every day after dinner, he would ask Naituanzi to go with him to Zhang Zhi's house to help ventilate the room.

Later, Zhang Zhi told her sister that her husband no longer returned to Shenzhen, even on his days off. He said that even if he did, he would be all alone at home, so it would be better for the couple to return together after Zhang Zhi gave birth.

Zhang Jing looked at the little one helplessly, thinking to herself that this little guy would grow up like mushrooms after rain. The upcoming second baby would be the catalyst.

Thinking of this, Zhang Jing couldn't help but frown slightly. With a worried look on her face, she reached out her hand and gently stroked the delicate face of the little girl. She asked softly, "Tell me, if your mother gave birth to a brother for you, what would you do in the future? Do you think Grandpa and the others would still love you as much as they do now?"

Surprisingly, in the face of Zhang Jing's worried inquiries, Naituanzi remained remarkably calm and composed. Blinking her bright eyes, she replied earnestly, "Auntie, don't worry! Grandpa is both my grandfather and my brother's grandfather. He's the same to both of us. It's nothing!" Zhang Jing was taken aback by Naituanzi's thoughtful and considerate words.

Then she couldn't help but give her a thumbs up and praised her: "Oh, baby, it's great that you think so. But who taught you these words?" After hearing this, the little girl raised her cute little face and said proudly: "Auntie, I thought of these myself! No one taught me!"

Seeing Zhang Jing didn't believe him, Naituanzi suddenly asked, "Auntie, are you feeling down? Is your period coming?"