Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Zhi happily told Zhang Jing: "Sister, did you know? I won the lottery! I'm even in the newspaper!" Zhang Jing said: "What good things are you thinking about? You're talking in your sleep again." Zhang Zhi got anxious and said, "Seriously, sister, did you know? I entered an essay competition."

Zhang Jing asked, "So what kind of novel are you writing?" Zhang Zhi replied, "What novel? I write poetry, prose poetry! I participated in a newspaper essay contest. And I won a prize!"

Seeing Zhang Jing's disbelief, she added, "It's just a small award, just a nomination." Zhang Jing asked, "How much is this nomination award?" Zhang Zhi rolled her eyes at her and said, "Sister, is this about money? This is an honor! This proves that I have the ability! Your sister didn't give it to me for nothing. I finally realized that I am capable of this! Don't worry, this is just the beginning. Just wait and see your sister take off!"

Zhang Jing opened the newspaper Zhang Zhi had brought. It was the Shenzhen Daily, and sure enough, it contained all the news about the winners of the essay contest. After searching for a long time, she finally found Zhang Zhi's name among the over a hundred nominees. Of course, she didn't see the work, just the name of it.

Zhang Jing curiously asked Zhang Zhi, "Where is your work? Let me see it." Zhang Zhi said it would be posted in rotation, with five people posting daily. She informed me that it would be posted next week.

Zhang Jing asked, "There are only so many of you who won the lottery. If the queue really stretches to next month, it will take quite a while, right?" Zhang Zhi replied, "We queue a few people a day, and it will basically be finished in about 20 days. Don't worry about that. I'll buy it and show it to you when it comes out."

Zhang Jing asked, "I'm curious how much money you got for your article." Zhang Zhi replied, "It wasn't much, only 50 yuan." Zhang Jing's eyes widened. "So little?" Zhang Zhi said, "Don't look down on this 50 yuan. I earned it with my own ability!" Zhang Jing replied, "I don't look down on it. It's just that compared to your tuition, it's a huge investment for a very small return."

"Sister, can you say something nice and encourage me? I just started my business and you poured cold water on me! Are we sisters? Humph, if I lose my enthusiasm, I will go home and make a mess!" Zhang Zhi said indignantly.

Zhang Jing's mother-in-law was very happy when she found out, and she encouraged Zhang Zhi: "You two sisters are both talented writers! In the future, you should stay home and write well and become writers. Look at your sister, at least she can earn money from her writing. You will eventually become like that too. Don't worry about the child; just leave him here during the day and take him home at night. Otherwise, the child will become estranged from you. You can't write every day either. Take a break once in a while, relax, and take the child out to play."

Uncle Zhang came over often, and gradually became familiar with Zhang Jing's mother-in-law. Since they both visited their grandchildren, the two elderly people had a lot to talk about. Occasionally, he would bring the children along, wandering around the neighborhood. The four children had a lot of fun and quickly became familiar with the residents.

Zhang Jing even asked her mother-in-law if she wanted to practice Tai Chi with her. She said, "That's not for me. It's so slow. I'd rather just focus on making dinner." Zhang Jing decided to give her the household allowance, a few thousand yuan a month for groceries and cooking, and also give her 2000 yuan a month as pocket money.

The mother-in-law was very touched when she received the money. She said to Jing, "Mom, I know you have a good heart. I don't need much money. You don't have to give it to me. Besides, I still have my pension." Zhang Jing said, "Mom, don't be polite! Your money is your money. What I gave is what I gave. This is also our intention. After all, you are helping me."

The mother-in-law said, "Mom, I'll be counting on you from now on! I've noticed your brother's problem, I can't count on him anymore!" Zhang Jing said, "Mom, isn't it normal for you to count on me and Achen? Besides, haven't you noticed? Achen is also very happy that you're here! He always thinks you like your brother more, and he's not happy about it."

The mother-in-law said guiltily, "Actually, many times, I feel like I owe A-Chen too much. I must treat A-Chen well now!"

"Mom, just live here well! When you are old, we will take care of you." When the mother-in-law heard this, she was very happy and said, "Okay, from now on, Mom will listen to you in everything!"

Uncle Zhang comes here every day, feeling much better after seeing his children. But coming here all the time feels like too much of a chore. So, Uncle Zhang is thinking, if things don't work out, he'll rent a house and live here in his old age.

My mother-in-law agreed and said, "Look here, big brother. The living environment in the community is great, and there are many houses. Why don't you buy one too? You don't have to run around every day!" Uncle Zhang said, "If Zhang Jing doesn't leave, I really want to buy a house here! I'm just worried that when the house is relocated, she will have to move again after the relocation is completed there!"

Zhang Jing said, "I don't plan to move again. I only go back there occasionally, and if things don't work out, I'll rent it out. I still have some feelings for this community. After all, the environment and facilities are very good. We'll talk about the future later!"

Uncle Zhang said, "If that's the case, then I might as well buy one here too. Although it's a bit expensive now, there are always people selling it. I'll go take a look."

Uncle Zhang was quite proactive. He found an agent and bought the house shortly after looking. It wasn't too high up in the building, and it was in the same neighborhood as Zhang Jing's, making it very convenient for commuting. So he often visited. Zhang Jing even visited and thought Uncle Zhang had made a good purchase on this second-hand property.

I privately said to my mother-in-law, "Mom, why don't you buy a small apartment here too? Then you can live alone and it will be easier. You can go home at night and have a good rest, and come over to take care of the kids during the day. Isn't that great?"

When the mother-in-law heard this, she became anxious and asked, "Do you dislike me?" Zhang Jing said, "How could that be? I just want you to have a place to settle down if anything happens in the future. After all, it's close to us, and it's convenient for everyone to take care of you. And then you have your own home, and when the children grow up, you can also go square dancing with them, play mahjong or something, what do you think?" The mother-in-law said, let me think about it!

The mother-in-law also went to see Uncle Zhang's house. The small two-bedroom apartment Uncle Zhang bought looked okay. Uncle Zhang told Zhang Jing, "This house is in Kaixin's name. After all, Kaixin is my grandson. I can't leave him nothing. Although I live in this house, it's also for my grandson. Don't worry, this is not included in your 50 yuan. Let me wait and return it to you!"

Zhang Jing said, "Godfather, you don't have to pay me back like this! If my eldest brother and sister-in-law knew, they would be dissatisfied!" Uncle Zhang said, "Why should I be dissatisfied? Do I have to pay you back the money I owe you? I borrowed money from you to buy that house in Shanghai. Now they don't even mention it. I've seen through it all! People can't take anything with them when they die. Who knows what will happen in the future? I'm willing to do anything to make you happy. At least the child will have a guarantee in the future!"

When the mother-in-law learned about this, she was shocked. She privately asked Zhang Jing and discovered that Kai Xin was actually Zhang Yongle's child! She suddenly understood why Uncle Zhang was always visiting the child. Poor Zhang, she even suspected that Uncle Zhang was being disrespectful. Meanwhile, she looked at Zhang Jing with a puzzled expression, but she didn't object to Kai Xin having a house in her name.

The mother-in-law thought life was good this way, but looking at her granddaughter, Manyi, she couldn't help but think: Kaixin already has a house! Manyi is still a girl, and even though she'll get married in the future, it's still a worry. She needs to think about what she can do.

Seeing how Manyi is now, he will become a powerful figure in the future. However, with Zhang Jing there to support him, he doesn't have to worry about it. But who knows if Zhang Jing will favor boys over girls? The mother-in-law couldn't help but think about it. She also has to save some for her granddaughter.

My family doesn't lack houses. Ever since my husband passed away, all the property has been distributed long ago. I gave a lot to Ah Xu. I still have two houses in my name, and I was thinking of giving them to Ah Xu and Ah Chen when I die. Now look, other grandfathers are leaving everything directly to their grandchildren. Should I also consider it?

The mother-in-law specifically sought out Uncle Zhang to discuss the issue privately. Uncle Zhang said, "Manzi is a girl after all, and she'll get married someday. Even if you give her the child, it wouldn't be good if someone plots against her. It's better to treat her as pre-marital property when she gets married! That way, you can rest assured."

"I bought Kaixin a house because he's a boy and he needs to get married. It looks like housing prices in Shenzhen will only get more expensive in the future! We're old now and can't do much for him. Solving his problem is already helping him."

"Of course, I'm also optimistic about Zhang Jing. Xiaojing's ability to make money is beyond doubt. And she's pretty good at educating the children. She's been able to treat them equally. I'll be relieved when the children grow up. You know my son, too. I can't rely on him. Xiaoyue and I have two children together, and I don't know what they will be like in the future! I don't have the energy to take care of them now, so I can only give them everything I can, and I have no regrets."

My mother-in-law said, "Brother, you are so open-minded! Alas, I am not too old, but not too young either. Ever since my husband passed away, I always feel lonely and boring. I don't like square dancing, so I can only live with my children and grandchildren. To be honest, I hope to live with my youngest son. After all, I raised that child with my own hands! But since he got married, he has been on the same page with his daughter-in-law. His daughter-in-law is close to his mother, and I don't even need to take care of his grandchildren. Fortunately, Xiaojing is kind-hearted. Now that I come here, I feel that I have been sorry for Xiaojing a lot of times!"

Uncle Zhang advised Zhang Jing's mother-in-law, "Hey, sister, don't overthink it. Right now, as long as we have enough to eat and drink, we should focus on happy things! Just think about waking up every morning, being able to bask in the sun, eat what you want, and have your children and grandchildren around you—that's a wonderful thing. Let the young people handle some things on their own, and we shouldn't meddle in their affairs. After all, we can't help them forever!"

"You're right! Sometimes, I also want to go out for a walk and take a look. But I don't want to move when I'm alone. Sometimes I always think, how nice it would be if my husband could live a few more years. He passed away before he even reached retirement age..."

The two old people sat together, looking at the children and chatting. They felt that life is difficult in its own way and they can only live in the present.

From then on, my mother-in-law and Uncle Zhang often took the children out for fun in the neighborhood, sometimes even going to the park together. This freed up a lot of time for Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing also began to immerse herself in the output of her novel, and now she had no time to care about Zhang Zhi. She wanted to finish the novel as soon as possible, and then find time to go back to her hometown to see how her house was doing.

Knowing Zhang Jing was going back to her hometown, what would happen to the two children? Zhang Zhi also asked, "Are you going to take the two children with you? Can you take care of them all by yourself?" Zhang Jing thought about it and asked her mother-in-law if she would like to go back with her. The weather was nice now. The house was renovated, so why not take the children back with her, including Achen.

Zhang Zhi said, "Go ahead, I guarantee you'll regret it!"

Zhang Xiaobing knew Zhang Zhi was going back to her hometown, so he asked, "Isn't your return a bit too noisy? Is there enough space for you back home?"

"My house is already renovated, how can I have no place to live? The old lady said that the house can be lived in upstairs and downstairs! We can live anywhere, at least we can still travel, right? After all, the fruits and vegetables are all here now. If we don't go back now, do we have to wait until the sky is covered with ice and snow to come back?"

Zhang Jing's question moved Zhang Xiaobing. He couldn't help but say, "How about this, I'll go back with you guys too."

Zhang Jing asked, "What about your job?"

Zhang Xiaobing said: "You can ask for leave!"

Zhang Jing asked, "Then you have no place to live when you go back?"

Zhang Xiaobing said, "Don't you have a bungalow over there? If all else fails, there's a warehouse. Besides, you have so much space upstairs and downstairs, there should be a bed for me, right? At worst, I can just stay at my classmate's house for a few days!"

Zhang Jing couldn't help but ask, "What's the point of you going home? Your wife is in Yunnan, so if you want to go back, you should go back to Yunnan first." Zhang Xiaobing said, "I'm just saying. If you really want me to go back, I still have to consider the round-trip fare. That's quite a lot of money."

Zhang Jing rolled her eyes at him. "All you care about is money! You earn so much money, but you don't even know what you keep for any of it." Zhang Xiaobing said, "Do you think my son doesn't need money when he grows up? Or do you think he's just a freeloader?"

After discussing it, the mother-in-law decided not to return because she was worried that the child would be too young and would suffer various discomforts. She also advised Zhang Jing to leave the child at home while she looked after him. She could let Zhang Jing go alone, and Achen could also come with her.

Zhang Jing thought about it and realized that this was the case. So when she asked Ah Chen if he was willing to go to Northeast China with her, Ah Chen was also very happy. Zhang Jing asked her mother-in-law if she could take care of the children. If not, she would still have to take the children back. Her mother-in-law said, "Don't worry, don't you still have Uncle Zhang? He is your godfather and the child's godfather. We two old guys can definitely take good care of these two little ones!"

Zhang Zhi said, "In that case, can you take my daughter back with you? That way I can take care of my son myself. My daughter is grown up now, so why don't you take her back for a walk and let her broaden her horizons?"

Zhang Jing asked, "Do you want me to take both of your children back? I see your son has been growing up in my house all day long, and I'm the one who feeds him."

Zhang Zhi said, "That won't work. My son's grandfather still needs to take care of him, and I don't have time to take him back to Hong Kong. If my husband finds out that you took him back to Northeast China, he will definitely be unhappy." Although Zhang Zhi said this, she still asked her husband for his opinion.

She came over and excitedly said to Zhang Jing, "I have good news for you. My husband said he wants to go back with you, too, and asked me to come with him. Let's all go back to Northeast China and have a look around. He's never been back anyway!"

"We're planning on taking the train. Are you guys going by plane?" Zhang Jing asked Zhang Zhi. "My husband definitely can't take the train, so he should be taking a plane. So let's go our separate ways."

Zhang Jing called her mother and said, "I'm going to take my husband back to look at the house. Let's see if there's anything else we need to buy. We're also planning to stay at home for a while."

Her mother asked if she wanted to bring the child back with her. Zhang Jing said her mother-in-law wouldn't let her, saying the child was too young and she was afraid the child would get sick. Her mother got angry and said if she was worried about the child getting sick, why not come back when the child was older? Why did she have to go through all this trouble now?

Zhang Jing was upset when she heard this. She said, "A child who's over a year old is at the age of being naughty. So what should we do? He'll have to come back sooner or later."

Devastated by her mother's words, Zhang Jing decided to cancel her trip and not return home for the time being, waiting until her child was older, at least until he was three years old. Zhang Zhi disagreed and said Zhang Jing was just looking for trouble.

"Look at you, one moment you say you're going back, the next moment you say you're not going back. My husband is also on a business trip abroad and can't come back for the time being. So let's all cancel our trips!"

Just like that, the idea of ​​going home was completely put aside. Zhang Jing was depressed. When she was lying in bed with Achen at night, she said to Achen, "Actually, I really want to go home! There are so many delicious foods at home, I want to eat them all! I drool just thinking about it."

Achen said, "Go back! Let's go back together." Zhang Jing smiled and said, "You big fool, you know nothing!" She felt warm in her heart.

Achen said seriously: "I'm not a fool, you are the fool!"

To Zhang Jing's surprise, her wish to return home actually came true! A director had picked up one of her novels and wanted to buy it to adapt into a TV series. Zhang Jing was going to Beijing to discuss the contract.

Zhang Jing thought, Beijing is still very close to home, so she might as well go home directly.

Zhang Zhi insisted that Zhang Jing take Naituanzi with her to Beijing for a stroll. "I'll pay for the trip!" Zhang Zhihao was furious.