Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing sat in a chair, her eyes wandering, revealing a hint of confusion and thought, completely immersed in her own thoughts. After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Jing seemed to remember something important, and her originally furrowed brows relaxed slightly, but quickly gathered again.

Yes, she finally remembered all those things about the nursing home. Back then, there was a practice: the hardworking caregivers would deposit a portion of their monthly salary into the nursing home's account. Then, they would receive a monthly allowance of 700 to 900 yuan. While this seemingly modest allowance was a substantial supplemental income for most caregivers, it was a significant bonus.

Surprisingly, many elderly residents of nursing homes have also followed suit. For them, this isn't just a simple act of saving money; it's more like a shrewd investment strategy. After all, who wouldn't want to make their limited funds work harder?

However, deep down, Zhang Jing couldn't agree with this situation. Although she had heard related discussions in nursing homes, she had never considered it a way to make money. Perhaps in her view, money wasn't the most important thing in life; genuine human connection and care were far more precious.

The caregivers live an extremely frugal life, meticulously calculating every expense and unwilling to spend a penny more. They dress simply and eschew fashion or extravagance, striving to save as much as possible so they can save a little more, which they then invest in the nursing home without hesitation. Some caregivers even withdraw their own savings, painstakingly accumulated over many years in the bank, amounting to hundreds of thousands of yuan, and deposit them in the nursing home. The reason is simple: this offers them a higher interest rate than what they would earn at the bank.

Such a job not only provides food and lodging, but also a regular monthly salary. Even more surprising, the investment dividends are so substantial that they can't be fully spent each month. As the days pass, people gradually develop a dependence on this job, reluctant to leave this comfort zone.

Time flies, and those immersed in work for long periods of time experience less and less contact with their families. Homecoming for festive occasions seems like a luxury. Some only return home once every few years, while others rush back only for the passing of a parent. With siblings and children, only a superficial familial connection remains, barely maintaining a connection.

Some, even worse, choose to spend their twilight years in nursing homes. If you think about it carefully, this situation is like boiling a frog in warm water. The only difference is that this time, they are the ones willingly adding fuel to the fire, gradually raising the temperature until they can no longer escape.

From the perspective of the nursing home, being able to attract employees to actively invest is undoubtedly a good thing. Just taking out a small amount of funds every month and distributing it to these employees as dividends is enough to make them stay and continue working wholeheartedly.

However, a deeper analysis of this investment model reveals that it is not fundamentally different from the stock market. Once the principal is invested, all that can be done is wait for the nursing home to pay dividends. If you want to withdraw the principal midway, all your previous efforts will be in vain.

It seemed that this so-called way of making money was as illusory as a mirage, its true nature and inherent principles difficult to grasp. Zhang Jing stood aside, her brow furrowed, wondering to herself, "Who has completely brainwashed my sister Zhang Zhi? She's so obsessed with this kind of money-making scheme!" In Zhang Jing's mind, this kind of money-making process was as slow as a snail's pace, completely inconsistent with her inner expectations and requirements for wealth accumulation, and the risks were considerable.

At this moment, Zhang Jing's gaze was fixed on her younger sister, Zhang Zhi. Zhang Zhi's face flushed red, her emotions flaring, her eyes wide open. She was intently trying to borrow money from her sister to invest in a seemingly attractive but actually risky project. Seeing Zhang Zhi's focused and unwavering determination, Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel a surge of worry.

Zhang Jing took a deep breath and tried to calm her inner helplessness and irritability. She knew that if she did not take decisive measures to stop it, this farce would probably escalate. So, Zhang Jing still bit the bullet and said to Zhang Zhi: "Second brother, I'm going to tell you something clearly today. I really can't take out this money. Even if I can barely get such a sum of money, I will definitely not lend it to you! Think about it carefully, why should we take the risk of trying such an unreliable and unsecured business? What if we lose everything? It really is not worth it! So listen to my advice, let's not think about it anymore, okay?"

Hearing her sister's words, Zhang Zhi was immediately furious. She widened her eyes and asked, "What? Sisters can't even help each other with this little favor? Are we still a family? If you don't understand, don't stop me!"

Zhang Jing took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and then responded, "Think about it. Who starts a business by borrowing money everywhere? If you have enough money and think this business has potential, then go for it boldly. But if you don't have much capital, I think it's better to live a stable life. Besides, doesn't your husband give you a living allowance every month? Logically speaking, after so much time has passed, how could you be without money? And how high can the daily expenses of your family be? According to my calculations, even if you save a little every month, you can easily save hundreds of thousands of yuan."

Facing her sister's questioning and accusing gaze, Zhang Zhi's already pale face flushed crimson. Her lips trembled as she spoke with endless grievance, "Sister, my dear sister! I'm really penniless! Why do you always think I'm rich? I'm almost driven crazy by poverty! You can't imagine how much the daily expenses of a large family are! Food, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea—which one doesn't cost money? Children need tuition and textbooks for school; the elderly need medical treatment and medicine, which is a considerable expense? The water, electricity, and property fees at home cannot be overdue... All these things are like heavy mountains pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe!"

As Zhang Zhi wept bitterly, her voice hoarse, Zhang Jing, standing beside her, merely raised the corner of her mouth, a barely perceptible sneer on her face. Her shrewd eyes fixed on her sister, who was putting on such a show, she thought to herself, "Humph, Zhang Zhi, you're playing pitiful again!" Others might be fooled by her appearance, but she knew her all too well.

Over the years, whether it was to herself as an older sister or to her younger brother Xiaobing, Zhang Zhi would act bitter and resentful every time they met, crying and complaining about how poor and difficult her life was. She had never honestly admitted that she actually had a lot of private money hidden in her hands.

Tsk tsk tsk, I have to say, Zhang Zhi's playing hard to get is really brilliant! Thinking of this, Zhang Jing couldn't help but swear in her heart that no matter how hard Zhang Zhi begged and begged today, she would never show mercy this time and resolutely not lend her a single cent of the money.

Seeing that Zhang Jing still refused to confess, Zhang Zhi left angrily.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhi went to lobby Zhang Xiaobing again. When Zhang Xiaobing asked her, Zhang Jing realized that Zhang Xiaobing had already lent Zhang Zhi 20 yuan. Zhang Xiaobing said that he and Zhang Zhi each had invested 10 yuan, and the investment was registered under someone else's name. Looking at Zhang Xiaobing's uneasy face, Zhang Jing was speechless. It's true that you can tell a person's future from the time he was three years old! He is still the same as he was when he was young.

When Zhang Jing was a child, she lived with her grandmother until she was four years old. When she returned to her parents, Zhang Zhi and Zhang Xiaobing naturally teamed up to deal with her, a country kid. Zhang Jing suffered a lot, but her parents were busy with work and neglected to guide her, thinking that it was no big deal for her.

Zhang Jing discovered that Zhang Zhi not only looked down on her, but also often coaxed Zhang Xiaobing. Of course, when she and Zhang Xiaobing clashed, Zhang Zhi would rush to protect her brother like a mother hen. She herself bullied Zhang Xiaobing without mercy.

As they got older, they would cheat for pocket money. Of the three people's pocket money, Zhang Zhi was always the first to spend it all, followed by Zhang Xiaobing, who was coaxed into spending it all. Finally, Zhang Jing, the most difficult to coax, had her money coaxed away by her mother. Despite repeated reminders by her mother, Zhang Xiaobing was still tricked into buying snacks by Zhang Zhi. Finally, the two of them stared at Zhang Jing eagerly, and Zhang Jing realized that as long as she didn't give any money, she could enjoy Zhang Zhi's flattery for a long time. Zhang Zhi was already capable of exaggerating to achieve her goals.

Zhang Xiaobing saw Zhang Jing was silent, feeling unsure. He asked, "Sister, do you think this is reliable?" Zhang Jing said, "I'm not sure about that either. How about I ask for you?"

Zhang Xiaobing said, "That would be great!"

This time, Zhang Jing called the dean directly. When the dean saw it was Zhang Jing, he said, "Hey, Jing? You've been away for a while. Why did you think of calling me? We haven't seen each other for a long time." Zhang Jing said, "Yes, I said I had two children to take care of and didn't have the energy to come. Now I have something to ask the dean, so I wanted to trouble you and ask for clarification."

The director said, "I knew you wouldn't come here for no reason. Tell me, what's the matter? I'll tell you if I know!" Zhang Jing said, "I heard that nursing homes can be invested in. Is that true?"

The dean asked, "How do you invest?"

Zhang Jing asked, "Isn't it that some caregivers invest 10 or 20 yuan in the nursing home and receive a few hundred yuan in dividends every month? Is that true?" The director replied, "Oh? You're talking about that. It's considered a fundraising effort for the nursing home. We're short on funds here, so we're thinking of launching an internal fundraising initiative to give our employees an opportunity."

Zhang Jing asked, "Then can those of us outside of the company invest?" The dean replied, "We're only raising funds internally right now. You know, these things aren't allowed outside of the company! We're worried about policy implications and getting sued, which would make it difficult for us to do anything. So, we're only doing this within the company. Of course, if you, Zhang Jing, want to invest, you can put it under my name!"

Zhang Jing asked again, "Do you think this is reliable? The main thing is, I have a relative who wants to invest, but I'm not interested. I'm just wondering, if someone outside of this can invest, can we go through external channels and get the same dividends? What do you think?"

The director explained that the specific dividends vary each month. This is because the nursing home still has a lot of expansion and maintenance work to do. A large portion of the investment is government-funded, with the remainder coming from collective fundraising. However, this is a long-term investment process, and overall, there's some profit to be made.

"But if you have the money, I suggest you list it. We still have some external shares that can be listed. If you really want, let's discuss the details." Zhang Jing said, "Okay, I'll come over and take a look when I have time."

Zhang Xiaobing listened to the director's words, thought for a moment, and said, "It seems this nursing home is okay. If not, I'll invest more, another 50 yuan." Zhang Jing rolled her eyes at him. "Are you really rich? You have to put all your eggs in one basket! Don't forget that this is registered under someone else's name. If they change their mind, you'll have nothing! It's even a question whether you can get your 10 yuan back. Now I have no choice but to go to the nursing home and talk to the director to see if we can get some external investment."

Zhang Xiaobing also said anxiously: "No, let Lao Er compensate me with my 10 yuan, and I will take it back and invest it in you!"

Zhang Jing said, "You lent her 10 yuan, and did she say when she'd pay it back? I don't understand. She has money, but she doesn't invest it herself, and she lends it to others to invest. She's the same! She has no money herself, but she has to borrow other people's chickens to lay eggs. You two are really the same. It's not unfair for either of you to fail in your investment!"

Zhang Xiaobing's face turned pale after hearing this. He looked at Zhang Jing and said, "Sister, can't you hope for the best for us?" Zhang Jing sneered, "I hope for the best for you, but only if you are truly well! It's not a question of whether I hope for the best or not. If you were truly well, you wouldn't even have to come to me. I discovered I have money, so I just want to spend it recklessly. I'll feel uncomfortable if I don't spend all the money!"

"You said you bought a house, and even if you rent it out for a month, you'll make money! If you sell it, it's your money too, but you don't have the energy or experience to actually see the property and the money! You don't have the energy or experience to invest in these illusive things. Once you're scammed, you really don't know what to do!"

Seeing Zhang Xiaobing lowering his head and keeping silent, Zhang Jing asked again: "Tell me how much money do you have left after you moved back after your house was demolished?" Zhang Jing's words made Zhang Xiaobing silent.

Zhang Jing added, "You're not young anymore, and you have a son. You should think carefully about this. Your mother is still counting on you to support her in her old age! Don't keep saying you don't have money, and keep expecting your mother to save money for you. You're not treating money like money."

Seeing Zhang Xiaobing trying to explain, Zhang Jing interrupted him: "Look at your second sister. She has a husband. Her husband gives her household expenses every month. Even if she saves a little, it's enough money! Compared to you, your money is not even enough for her! You still lend money to her? You are so rich, so why don't you lend me some money? Lend me 50 yuan, and I will invest it too. I will pay you back when I make money!"

Zhang Xiaobing said, "Sister, stop joking. How can I have so much money?"

Zhang Jing was furious: "What about the 50 yuan you wanted to invest just now? Don't tell me you didn't have it! Don't forget, you invested 20 yuan with your second sister, and she didn't contribute a penny! If it's lost, it's your loss!"