Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing returned to work before lunchtime. Gao Wei told her the director wanted to see her and asked her to go to Director Chen's office. When Zhang Jing entered the office, Director Chen greeted her warmly and gestured for her to sit down. He then informed Zhang Jing that her manuscript and photos had been mailed and, if nothing went wrong, they should be published. He also reminded Zhang Jing to pay more attention to the subsequent publicity work.

After Zhang Jing nodded in agreement, Director Chen sighed and said, "Alas, due to Zheng Lijuan's transfer, we're seriously short-staffed here! So, I hope you can also participate in the class management work."

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Jing frowned, feeling anxious. She pondered, "I haven't even decided what to teach the students yet. What should I do?" Director Chen seemed to see through her thoughts and asked, "So, what do you think you're good at? Or, do you have any special skills or hobbies?"

Zhang Jing thought for a moment and listed a few things: "Hmm... I can chant, knit, write stories, trade stocks, practice qigong, and do tai chi..." However, before she could finish her sentence, Director Chen interrupted her. Director Chen pressed her, asking, "Among these skills, are there any that are both easy to learn and can bring happiness?"

Zhang Jing pondered for a moment, then suddenly her eyes lit up and she replied, "How about finger exercises?" Director Chen was interested in this suggestion and asked Zhang Jing to explain the finger exercises in detail. So Zhang Jing decided to demonstrate and explain it to him on the spot.

Zhang Jing stretched out her hands and flexed, stretched, crossed, and twisted her ten fingers with remarkable skill and naturalness. She explained the key points and effects of each movement: "Look, moving your fingers like this can improve blood circulation and enhance hand flexibility! Plus, doing finger exercises can also stimulate your brain, sharpening your thinking!"

Director Chen watched Zhang Jing's demonstration with a satisfied smile on his face. He nodded and said to Zhang Jing, "Well, this finger exercise looks really good! It's simple and interesting, and it should be popular with the students. So please teach it to everyone!" Zhang Jing breathed a sigh of relief after receiving Director Chen's approval and confidently agreed.

Zhang Jing's movements were light, fluid, and full of energy, making everyone want to move along. Director Chen watched Zhang Jing's performance with a satisfied smile on his face. He believed that this kind of relaxing and fun activity was perfect for the students. It not only provided physical exercise but also enhanced interaction and fun.

Director Chen said just one type was a bit too few and asked if there were any more. Zhang Jing had spent three years in a nursing home in her previous life, and the elderly knew a few finger exercises. The director decided to keep this special feature, saying knitting a sweater was too complicated, while scarf knitting was simple. Zhang Jing, remembering she had several origami books, suggested she teach them. The director agreed and suggested continuing with singing lessons.

Finally, Zhang Jing accepted the job. The director promised her a permanent position in a month, with social security and medical insurance. She officially started the next day. After a quick meal, she retired to her room to rest. Looking at the empty room, Zhang Jing decided to move in before buying anything else. Money was tight, so she wanted to save wherever possible. Thinking about Sunday's gold coin collection, she still hadn't found the 4700-plus yuan. Zhang Jing wished she could win the jackpot. Who could she borrow money from? Borrowing money was practically impossible in Shenzhen. Worried, she decided to buy a lottery ticket.

After leaving the house, Gao Wei asked Zhang Jing where the lottery station was. Gao Wei immediately understood and pointed to the street ahead. He also asked Zhang Jing to help him buy five tickets, giving him a set of numbers and 5 yuan. He asked her to choose one ticket of her own choice, and the machine would pick four. It was obvious they were kindred spirits, all hoping to get rich quick, all feeling short of money, all believing they'd be the ones to win the jackpot.

After buying Gao Wei's lottery tickets, Zhang Jing asked her boss to randomly select one ticket from each lottery variety drawn on Saturday and Sunday, and then bought Gao Wei's numbers. Thinking about it, she bought three more scratch-off tickets and started scratching them. As expected, nothing came of it. Zhang Jing returned to work, feeling dejected.

Gao Wei knew Zhang Jing also bought lottery tickets and comforted her, telling her not to be so obsessed. He also asked her if she was short of money, and Zhang Jing nodded. She said she had been unemployed for two months and had borrowed 800 yuan from a friend, and her sister had also borrowed a few thousand yuan. She was under a lot of pressure and wanted to take a shortcut. She was old and had a low education, so it was difficult to find a job. The salary at this job was not high, and she needed to take other jobs to earn more money. Gao Wei agreed and asked Zhang Jing if she needed it urgently, so he could lend it to her. If it was less than or yuan, it would be no problem. Zhang Jing declined and expressed her gratitude.

Zhang Jing called Uncle Zhang and asked if he wanted to buy the gold coin collection. He then explained the collection's contents and availability in detail, stating that it had collectible value. Uncle Zhang replied, "I don't understand it, so I try not to touch it." He also said that all the stocks he had bought had gone up, praising Zhang Jing's analysis. He then asked about Zhang Jing's work and urged her to work hard and to have dinner together when she had time. After hanging up, Zhang Jing completely gave up on borrowing money.

It was still early, and there wasn't much to do in the afternoon. Zhang Jing simply went to the computer room to code stories, both long and short. It was the only way to get by without money. Seeing Zhang Jing typing, the others assumed it was just another piece of work and decided not to disturb her. By the end of the day, Zhang Jing had finished a few more short stories and typed out a 2-word long story according to the outline. She sent them all out, the long story to Shenzhen Daily and the short story to Tomato Novel Network.

Zhang Jing knew A-Long was coming to pick her up right before get off work, and since they were moving the next day, she decided to go to his place for dinner. A-Long took Zhang Jing to the restaurant and asked her to order. Seeing that there were already three dishes and a soup, he quickly said that was enough, fearing that they wouldn't finish it and would waste it. Zhang Jing knew he was stingy, so she didn't mind. They each had a bowl of rice, but it wasn't enough, so Zhang Jing ordered two more.

Zhang Jing looked at the number on the bill. Twenty-seven yuan was not a small amount for her, but she paid without hesitation. Then, she walked out of the restaurant silently, her ears ringing with Aaron's exclamation: "What a bargain!"

Zhang Jing knew that A-Long wasn't short of money. He was always generous with himself, spending over a hundred yuan on meals and ignoring fast food for less than thirty yuan. Yet, when it came to her, he became so stingy. Zhang Jing knew the reasons: first, A-Long might just be using her as a backup; second, perhaps he didn't think she was worth his money.

But Zhang Jing didn't care, for she understood her situation. Her family wasn't well off, so she could only rely on her own efforts to improve it. In her view, marriage, from the outset, is a trade-off of benefits. Initially, people are often attracted to each other's appearance, but whether the relationship continues depends on what each person values. For Zhang Jing, being with A Long made her feel energized, and she willingly did his laundry and cooking. Rather than saying she loved A Long, she preferred this period of herself—a time when she could show her best side and let go of herself.

A-Long's room was messy and dirty, with a leftover meal on the table. He explained that it was something the employees had left for him after eating. Zhang Jing asked him, "Do you always eat like this?" Sure enough, A-Long said that the employees ate like this, and he occasionally ate a meal, but he mostly ate out. Zhang Jing looked at the leftovers and assessed that they were not as good as hers. She instantly regained her confidence and felt like she was doing well again.

A-Long went downstairs to buy something and asked Zhang Jing what she wanted to eat. Zhang Jing casually said ice cream and waited for A-Long to bring two. Zhang Jing offered one to A-Long, but he refused, leaving her to eat it herself. He went to take a shower first, looking at the mosquito blood on the pillowcase and the stained sheets. Zhang Jing refused to stay overnight, saying she couldn't stand the dirt.

Ah Long immediately cleaned up the clothes, replaced them with new ones, and threw them into the bucket to wash. He wiped the bedside table again and mopped the floor. He rushed Zhang Jing to take a shower, but she said she had no clothes to change into and no towels to use...

When Zhang Jing lay on the bed wearing A-Long's large vest, A-Long had already put the clothes and sheets on the balcony to dry. A-Long hugged Zhang Jing and asked her about her stock sales. Zhang Jing knew the key point was coming.

She told A-Long that she had sold Shenzhen Development. "How much did you sell it for?" "Hundreds of thousands?" "So much? You're amazing!" "Of course! I bought another promising stock, and now I'm broke!" A-Long's face immediately changed. "Given our current relationship, am I still your boyfriend?"

Zhang Jing replied affirmatively, "Of course it counts! Otherwise, am I just trying to show my support? I'm only getting to know you because I want to get married. You're not just playing around, are you? If we break up right away, I'll be like a dog!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm serious about dating you. Do you consider me your boyfriend? Didn't you even discuss this with me before investing? What if I lose money?" Zhang Jing said, "I didn't tell you because I didn't want to burden you. I hope my abilities are equal to yours, and I don't want you to look down on me!"

The argument between the two men created a tense atmosphere. Zhang Jing remained silent. A-Long turned his back, said "Go to sleep," and turned off the light. In the darkness, Zhang Jing also turned over to face the wall, betting that this man would surrender first.