Rebirth and making money first

Because of the pandemic, Ah Chen's work has given him a lot of free time. He stays home and tries to help with childcare. Before returning home, he buys the various vegetables Zhang Jing has ordered, sometimes even bringing some to Zhang Zhi. He also complies with Zhang Jing's instructions to "disinfect" before entering the house, and he's quite obedient.

Zhang Jing was still thinking about how to tell Achen about his father's death. It should be her mother-in-law who should tell her, and she really didn't know how to start the conversation. But Achen would have to find out sooner or later, so now she had to think about how to bring it up.

"Achen, we haven't visited Mom and Dad for a long time. Would you like to take some time to go see them and see how they are doing?" Achen said, "They told me not to go because my younger brother is here with them."

Zhang Jing sighed and said to Achen, "If you don't go and see Dad, what if one day Dad is gone? He passes away like Grandpa did. Will you feel sad?" Achen looked at Zhang Jing strangely and said, "Dad is with Mom. Grandpa has just gone where he needs to go."

Zhang Jing thought about it and decided to speak directly. She looked at Achen and said, "Achen, we have been hiding this from you. Dad passed away a few days ago." Achen looked at Zhang Jing stupidly, as if he didn't understand what was going on. Zhang Jing said, "It's true. Dad was sick and suffered a lot. He passed away when he was sent to the hospital. But we can't go to the hospital now. Mom is at home now. She is very sad. You should go see her!"

Ah Chen didn't feel bad at all and asked Zhang Jing, "Should we bring something for Mom?" Zhang Jing said, "Bring some Isatis root powder. There's nothing else to bring. Go check on Mom and see if she's doing well. If not, bring her back."

Zhang Jing called her mother-in-law again, explained the situation, and asked her to pack up and move in with them. Her mother-in-law said, "Your sister-in-law is about to give birth, and I don't have the energy to do that. I'd rather not go over. He needs someone to take care of him."

Zhang Jing said, "Then I'll ask Achen to come over to see you! Is there anything else you need? I've got a few packets of isatis root for you, and some masks." The mother-in-law said, "Don't worry about me. Just take care of the kids! If things aren't going well, tell Achen not to come over. Just live your lives well from now on, and don't keep worrying about me. I'm fine."

Zhang Jing realized she didn't have the energy to go, so she told Achen to put on a mask, grab some things, and take a ride to her mother-in-law's place. After a quick meal, Achen was sent back. Zhang Jing observed him closely and saw that Achen remained silent. Zhang Jing asked about the situation at her mother-in-law's place, and Achen replied, "Mom said that Daddy will be gone in the future, so I need to be sensible and live a good life with you."

Zhang Jing asked, "Your father passed away. Are you sad? You won't be able to see him anymore." Ah Chen said, "Yes, I am sad!" Zhang Jing said, "Don't be sad. You still have me. Your father just went to find your grandfather. Otherwise, your grandfather would be very lonely over there, with no one to talk to him." Ah Chen nodded and said, "I know."

Zhang Jing asked again, "Have you seen your brother? How is he? Is your sister-in-law at your mother's place?" Ah Chen said that his brother and sister-in-law all live with their mother. Their mother said that she would not be able to take care of me in the future and asked me to fend for myself.

"I want to see my mother every day, like we used to." Zhang Jing recalled how her mother-in-law would come every day to deliver groceries when she was pregnant. That must have been the time when her maternal love for Achen exploded. Now that she's unwilling to come, it seems she's not counting on Achen for her future care.

However, Achen couldn't even take care of himself, so it was right not to count on him. Zhang Jing breathed a sigh of relief. This was even better. If anything happened, she could just call later. Zhang Jing helped Achen detoxify himself, and seeing that he was in a bad mood, she let him go to sleep and rest.

Achen lay down dejectedly, and Zhang Jing thought, he must be feeling miserable too. He always felt abandoned by his parents. He finally had a grandfather who loved him, but he was gone. Now it was just her and the child, and she had to make sure he felt the warmth of family. Treat him well.

The two children were feeling suffocated and unhappy inside, constantly clamoring to go out. Even Milk Balloon couldn't help herself, so she played the role of a little teacher, giving the two children a lesson, all sobbing and wailing, which was quite lively. Zhang Jing thought, these children are so energetic, they really have no time to rest!

It was a good opportunity to keep Ah Chen busy, as he would be bored if he was too idle. As soon as Ah Chen woke up, he sent her over to look after the child. The child kept making noises, and Ah Chen soon became more energetic.

Zhang Jing checked her stock list and discovered that her Baiyunshan shares had already been sold. She'd set such a high price, and they'd all been sold! Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel secretly happy, thinking she was lucky she'd acted decisively. She also knew this wave of the epidemic would soon be over.

Sure enough, the incident faded into obscurity soon after. It was only from reports a month later that people realized the severity of the situation. It was said that many doctors and nurses had died on the job, and Zhang Jing was secretly terrified.

My mother-in-law called to say she had buried my father-in-law's ashes. She was planning to invite Zhang Jing and her family to attend the memorial service. However, Zhang Jing couldn't leave, so after some discussion, they decided to let Achen go on her behalf.

So, Achen and his younger brother, along with his mother-in-law, went to pay respects to their father-in-law. Zhang Jing thought: Achen, the eldest son and grandson, is useless from now on, not even having the chance to smash a clay pot for his father. After some thought, Zhang Jing called the Huizhou temple and asked the monk in the reception hall to offer a place for her father-in-law. A lotus seat was set up in the temple, in Achen's and her own names. She also paid for a special ritual to help her father-in-law pass away.

Zhang Jing hopes that her father-in-law's spirit in heaven can protect her children.

When Uncle Zhang called, Zhang Jing felt like a long time had passed, like months. She asked, "How are things going over there? How's Xiaoyu?" Uncle Zhang replied, "Xiaoyu is doing well. She's had surgery and is recovering. Xiaoyue has also given birth to a girl. Everything is going well so far. Don't worry about us! I heard the epidemic in Shenzhen was very serious a while ago. Are you okay?"

Zhang Jing said, "Thank you, godfather. Everything is fine here, except that my father-in-law passed away." Uncle Zhang consoled her, saying, "Alas! There's nothing we can do about this. You need to be more open-minded. As long as you can live a good life, that's all that matters. How are your two children?" Zhang Jing said, "They're so naughty. Wait a minute, I'll call them over!"

Zhang Jing brought the two children over and asked them to call Grandpa into the phone. Uncle Zhang laughed heartily on the phone, agreeing and shouting, "Call again, call again!" The two children also responded and called Grandpa together. When Milk Ball heard this, he rushed over to grab the phone and shouted to Uncle Zhang, "Grandpa, when will you come back? You have to bring us some delicious food!"

Uncle Zhang said, "Okay, I'll bring you some delicious food! But you have to make sure you take good care of your younger siblings and don't let them fight." Milk Balloon said, "Don't worry, I'm a teacher now, and they're my students. I'll teach them well. When you come back, they'll be fine."

Zhang Shulian said, "Okay, okay, if I go back and they're all polite and don't fight, I'll reward you. I'll give you whatever gift you want!"

The little girl asked, "What gift is it?" Uncle Zhang said, "I can't tell you. You'll know when you see it. By the way, what gift do you want?" The little girl said that she wanted a doll that could crawl and call her mother.

Uncle Zhang said that this was no problem, it was easy. Milk ball said I want to be really big, Uncle Zhang said, "Then I have to see how big it is. If I were as big as you, I, your grandpa, wouldn't be able to hold you!" He laughed out loud. "So you have to behave better!"

Milk ball said, "Don't worry! I will definitely behave well. Look, I told them to call me grandpa. Come over and call me grandpa happily!"

Uncle Zhang quarreled with a few children for a while, and was then sent aside by Zhang Jing, who then snatched the phone back.

Zhang Jing asked again, will my sister-in-law and my brother remarry? Uncle Zhang said: "I can't answer this question, it's their business. Xiaoyu is recovering now, and after he gets better, he plans to stay in Shanghai to study. I don't know about Yue either, she hasn't decided yet whether to return to Shenzhen or go somewhere else. I guess she will stay in Shanghai to accompany her son to study. I also told Yongle that there is no need to make things like this. Oh! By the way, we bought a house in Shanghai for Xiaoyue and Xiaoyu to live in. Yongle plans to return to Shenzhen, after all, he feels that Shenzhen still has his own base."

Zhang Jing asked, "Is it okay to live apart like this? What if something happens in the future and we can't take care of each other?" Uncle Zhang said, "Young people should act on their own. How could we have said that? I also want Xiaoyu to continue to return to Shenzhen, but Yongle actually wants to stay in Shanghai. Now that Xiangyue wants to stay in Shanghai to take care of the children, Yongle has decided to return to Shenzhen. He really doesn't want to be with Xiangyue, and I can only respect their choice."

"As for Xiangyue's life, I also hope Yongle can take good care of the child and provide sufficient child support." Zhang Jing said, "After all, we have two children now. Why can't we just live a good life? Can't we just let go of the past?" Uncle Zhang said, "I can't make the decision on this matter. Okay, just take good care of the child and make Kaixin truly happy."

Zhang Jing said that she would definitely take good care of the children, as they were her own flesh and blood after all. She would raise both children well, so that Uncle Zhang could rest assured. Uncle Zhang said, "Good Zhang Jing, Uncle Zhang knows that you are also a good child. Uncle Zhang is old and can't take care of so many things. As long as you live well, Uncle Zhang doesn't have any concerns."

Zhang Jing said, "Uncle Zhang, if you think Shenzhen is a good place, then you can come here to retire! Then you can come visit my son often." Uncle Zhang said, "I'll think about it. If you don't mind, I certainly have no objection."

After hanging up on Uncle Zhang, Zhang Jing was still thinking, "Every family has its own problems." She wondered where Zhang Yongle, after all this escaping through Shanghai and Shenzhen, would end up. He must have been getting more and more erratic, leaving his wife and children behind in Shanghai. What was he trying to achieve?

Zhang Jing called her mother again and told her about the situation. Upon learning that her father-in-law had passed away, her mother said, "Oh, we all heard about it. It's reported on the news every day. We all know how serious the epidemic is in your area! We didn't know how you were doing. The fact that you still called means you're all doing well is reassuring. It's normal for your father-in-law to pass away. After all, he was old. Given his age and having had a liver transplant, his immunity must have been compromised."

Zhang Jingxin thought, her mother's skills have improved. The old lady then gave Zhang Jing a crucial instruction: "Your main focus is on your family, Achen and your two children. Everyone else has nothing to do with you. In short, stay out of their business. As for your mother-in-law, if she's willing to live with you and help you, that's her wish, and you should appreciate it. If she doesn't help you, don't force it. After all, you still have your brother-in-law and his family."

Zhang Jing said, "How dare I force myself on others? Now I just have to obey!"

Talking about her own house, my mother said, "Your house is almost finished. I've been to see it, and other people have seen it too. They all praised your house! They said it's different from ours, it looks upscale, and it looks spacious."

After a pause, he continued, "And Xiao Zhang and the other two guys did a great job. We have someone here who also wants to use the same renovation method as yours. We asked them if they would take on this kind of work, and they asked the company and they accepted it."

"It doesn't matter. It looks like they won't be coming back to Shenzhen soon. That has nothing to do with me. It's their company's business anyway. But if the house is renovated, you can have them contact me. If they don't have a place to live, you can let them live there first."

My mother scolded me, "You're so generous! You let someone else live in the house you renovated first! This is absolutely not okay! If you let someone else live in your own house first, you won't be able to control it in the future!"

Zhang Jing said, "Mom, just stop being so superstitious! Think about it, those old, second-hand houses people buy have all been lived in before. Some have even been where someone died, but isn't it the same? Look at us all, it's like this. What's there to be unlucky about? We're all poor anyway, and our luck has already reached its limit. How much lower can it get?"

My mother said, "You young people always don't believe in evil! I say one thing, and you have eight more to say. I don't care to pay attention to you! Do whatever you want. It's your house, and you have the final say. When the renovation is done, I'll tell you again. Just focus on raising the child. As long as the child is fine, that's all that's fine."

Zhang Jing received the finished renderings and paid the balance as agreed, but she never mentioned letting them stay in her new house temporarily. Later, she heard from her mother that Xiao Zhang and his wife had rented a room and accepted several orders. They even used her house as a model for visitors.

Of course, it was her mother who took them to see the house, explained it to them, and even received payment for it, leaving Zhang Jing speechless. She wondered if her own house had been copied. Little Zhang flatly declared, "Sister, you're absolutely one-of-a-kind!" She even exaggerated that Jing's mother was a sales talent, saying she'd be a top seller in a real estate sales department. Zhang Jing was speechless.

Zhang Jing and Achen still felt overwhelmed with three children, and Zhang Zhi, with just one, also felt a bit limited. After some thought, Zhang Jing decided to hire a nanny, and Aunt Sun resigned. Zhang Jing decided she needed another nanny, otherwise she simply wouldn't be able to handle the situation.

After thinking about it, who should I look for? The people from the agency are not cheap, and I am not sure about them. When I discussed it with Zhang Zhi, she said, "If not, go back to your hometown in Shandong to look for them. There are plenty of people in the countryside who can help you take care of your child. If not, I will help you find them!"

Zhang Jing asked, "Since you're so capable, why don't you hire a nanny?" Zhang Zhi replied, "Why would I need one? I can handle one child. Besides, he's grown up now. I won't waste the money!"

Zhang Jing asked, "Since we're hiring a nanny from my hometown, shouldn't the salary be too low? Too low would be embarrassing and embarrassing!" Zhang Zhi replied, "On the contrary, the more rural the nanny is, the lower the salary can be. Anyway, you can tell them anything they don't do well."

Zhang Jing said, "Why don't you take your daughter back? I only have two children, and the two of us can handle it. We don't need to hire someone else." Zhang Zhi said, "Oh, you're used to taking care of them, and she can help you take care of the little ones now. Just be a good person. It's okay to take care of one sheep, but it's okay to take care of two sheep. Why don't you take care of both? I can pay for the nanny's fees, at most."

Zhang Jing said, "Okay! I'll pay two-thirds. Just agree. If not, forget it. We'll each take care of ourselves!" Zhang Zhi sighed and agreed. She cursed herself for being so rude. She was going to lose hundreds of dollars every month.