Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing looked at Ah Chen with a smile and asked softly, "Honey, is there anything you particularly want to take back?" Ah Chen scratched his head and answered with a confused look in his eyes, "I don't know. I'm really not sure what you like! Why don't you decide? We can take whatever you want."

Hearing this, Zhang Jing nodded gently, and began to think. She first went to the dried goods section and carefully selected some black fungus and dried mushrooms. Then, she went to the health supplement counter and without hesitation, she bought several high-quality ginseng roots.

After a moment's thought, she decided it wasn't enough, so she turned and headed for the shelf displaying nuts, a specialty of Northeast China. She picked out a few different flavors and added them to her shopping basket. Then, she was drawn to the colorful candies, thinking her children would love the sweet treats. So, she bought a ton of candies in one go.

When they returned home with their full load, Grandma Tuanzi's eyes lit up at the sight of the colorful candies. She danced with joy and kept shouting, "Auntie, this candy looks so delicious! Can we buy some more?"

Zhang Jing squatted down, touched Tuanzi's chubby little face, and said with a smile: "Baby, if you buy too much, your little teeth will be in trouble! If your teeth are damaged, you will become ugly!"

However, the little girl shook her head seriously and assured him solemnly: "No, auntie, I will only eat a little bit every day. And my brothers and sisters will definitely like these candies very much!" Seeing the little guy so cute, Zhang Jing's heart melted, and she finally agreed to buy some more for them.

Encouraged by Zhang Jing, Zhang Xiaobing also volunteered to help pack a lot of things. His backpack was filled with fragrant Harbin red sausage and a variety of delicious braised duck and chicken, all prepared for the journey. Zhang Jing even thoughtfully packed sweet and crispy honey twisted dough sticks and soft and thick flatbreads.

My mother curled her lips in disdain and said, "Oh, are you planning to move the entire Northeast over there? If you have that much time, why not come back and visit me more often? That's better than anything else!"

Zhang Jing smiled helplessly and replied, "Mom, you know the journey is so long, and we have a child with us. How can we come back whenever we want? On the other hand, if you miss us, you can just come over when you're free. Now all we have to do is lock the door and give the key to someone we trust to help keep an eye on it. You can always hop on a train or a plane. We're not short of money! Come winter, you can come over and spend the New Year with us."

Hearing this, my mother immediately replied, "Hmph, do I need you to remind me? Don't I know how to enjoy life?" Although she said this, everyone knew in their hearts that my mother was just using this kind of relaxed way to ease the reluctance of herself and others who were about to leave.

Zhang Jing knew what was going on, so she quickly began checking her mother's house to see what daily necessities she needed. Not only did she select and purchase all the necessary bedding, down jackets, and other items, but she also bought her mother's underwear, as well as various sweaters and trousers—everything she considered essential.

However, faced with her daughter's thoughtful and meticulous arrangements, her mother waved her hands and said, "Oh, that's enough, there's really no need to buy more! Your mother can't wear so many clothes. Besides, the original ones are not worn out. Some of the patched clothes can still be worn! There's no need to be so picky about life."

Zhang Jing frowned and said, "Mom, look at you. You're always wearing these patched clothes. How can this be okay? Even your socks are patched over and over again. If we keep living like this, what will others think of our family? Are we never going to wear nice clothes or use nice things in our lives? Some of these things are really too worn out and need to be thrown away!"

My mother was not happy when she heard this. She glared at me and retorted, "Throw it away? What are you talking about? You kids really don't know how to save money! You squander the little money you have! Back in our time, we had to save everything. If it was broken, we would just patch it up and use it again. We had to spend money wisely."

Zhang Jing shook her head helplessly and sighed, "Mom, times have changed. We can't live like the old days! Society is developing and progressing so rapidly, and everyone's living standards have improved a lot."

My mother disagreed and stubbornly replied, "No matter what time it is, the principle is the same. As the saying goes, 'If you can afford to eat well, you can afford to wear well, but if you can't plan well, you will be poor.' I see, no matter how much I say, you won't listen to a word I say. Humph, you will suffer in the future!"

At this time, Zhang Xiaobing leaned over to Zhang Jing's ear and whispered, "Sister, why are you wasting so much time arguing with the old lady? In my opinion, you should just throw away all her old clothes while she's not paying attention."

Zhang Jing rolled her eyes at her brother and replied in a low voice, "How can you do that? Mom's at home watching over it. Even if you wanted to throw it away, you wouldn't have the chance to do it."

Zhang Xiaobing's eyes rolled and he came up with an idea: "Hey, sister, I've got an idea. Mom likes to go to the big bathhouse to take a bath often. When she goes to take a bath tomorrow, we should take action!"

Zhang Jing asked: "Why go to a big bathhouse to take a bath? There are shower facilities at home." Zhang Xiaobing said: "Your mother is very calculating. Taking a bath at home will cost a lot of water and electricity bills. She goes to someone else's bathhouse and takes a beautiful bath for only two dollars. If you don't believe me, just look. She has already made an appointment and is ready to go to the big bathhouse to take a bath." When Zhang Jing heard that the old lady was going to the big bathhouse to take a bath, it was a good opportunity.

While her mother was taking a shower, Zhang Jing swiftly entered the old lady's closet and bedside. She quickly removed the worn, faded sheets and quilt covers, and expertly wrapped them into a large bundle.

Zhang Jing picked up the bag without hesitation, walked straight to the door, handed it to her brother Zhang Xiaobing, who was watching TV in the living room, and said, "Xiaobing, take these things and throw them away."

Zhang Xiaobing, however, looked embarrassed and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Sister, I dare not do that! If Mom comes back from taking a shower and finds that we threw these things away, the old lady will definitely scold us!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jing's eyes widened and she responded with a firm face, "What are you afraid of? Just say I told you to throw it away, isn't that enough?"

But Zhang Xiaobing still shook his head, refusing to agree, muttering, "Even if you say that, the old lady will still scold me. In her heart, you are much more important than me!"

Zhang Jing was furious when she heard this, wondering if she couldn't even handle such a small task. So, she gritted her teeth and decided to do it herself. She deftly gathered all the old clothes left in her mother's room. Then, she quickly replaced her mother's bed with brand new sheets and quilts.

After finishing, she picked up the big bag of old things and strode towards the trash can downstairs like a brave and fearless warrior.

Arriving at the trash can, Zhang Jing threw the package in with all her might. She waited until she saw someone come and pick it up before she turned around and went home with peace of mind.

Not long after, my mother returned home from the bathroom. She washed her towels as she slowly made her way back to her room. As soon as she entered, she noticed something was amiss. A closer look revealed the bedding was completely new.

My mother immediately frowned and shouted, "Oh my! Where are my clothes? And where did my pillowcase go? Oh my, my quilt, including the quilt insert, is gone! How come everything has become new all of a sudden? Don't you know, my old ones are still more comfortable to use! Find them for me quickly!"

Zhang Jing said helplessly, "Oh, Mom, just use the new ones first! If you don't use them, these things will eventually become a pile of junk. Won't they all be thrown away in the end? You're always so reluctant to throw things away. How many things are you going to keep at home? Let's use the new ones first, and let me throw away the old ones."

Hearing this, the old lady immediately became furious. She widened her eyes and shouted angrily, "You damned little girl, how dare you throw things away behind my back! Where did you throw them? Pick them up for me quickly! Do you know what thriftiness is? We are not a wealthy family, so how can we be so wasteful? You have no idea how hard it is to be poor. You are so ungrateful!"

Zhang Jing curled her lips and responded nonchalantly, "Don't feel bad. I threw it into the trash a long time ago. It might have been picked up by someone else by now! Oh, Mom, can you please stop being so stubborn? Look at those people who pick up trash outside every day. Some of them have a very hard life. They have nothing and just hope to pick up something useful from the trash can and take it home. Can't we all have a little sympathy?"

My mother frowned and said worriedly, "If that's what you said, it's true. But you don't know, there's an old man who makes a living by picking up trash every day. His life is so miserable! He doesn't even have a decent quilt. At night, he can only curl up in a corner and shiver. The clothes he wears are even more tattered, with patches and holes everywhere. Oh, sometimes I feel sad when I see him. I even want to give him a piece of clothing. Especially in winter, the sleeves of his cotton-padded jacket are so tattered that his ankles are exposed. When the wind blows, he shivers with cold!"

At this time, Zhang Jing interrupted, "That's why I say that you old ladies are so reluctant to throw anything away. So where are those poor people going to find anything to pick up? But then again, you did a good deed unintentionally, so don't dwell on it anymore. Use things that need to be used. If you really can't use them anymore, you have to throw them away! Don't always think about keeping things and using them forever. Finally, let me tell you the truth, which may not be pleasant to hear. If you really are no longer in this world, won't these things end up being burned by others?"

As Zhang Jing packed her backpack, she said to her mother, "Mom, don't miss me too much after I'm gone!" The old lady folded her arms over her chest and replied with a look of feigned anger, "Go away! Get out of here! I'll just have some peace and quiet. You guys have made such a mess here! I'll have to spend so much time cleaning it up after you're gone. And a lot of my stuff is missing. Who threw it around like that? Find it for me, both of you!"

Zhang Xiaobing, who was standing nearby, quickly waved his hands and shook his head, anxiously defending himself: "Oh my god, this has nothing to do with me. I don't know anything! If you have any questions, go find your daughter. She has the final say!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jing turned around abruptly, glared at Zhang Xiaobing fiercely, and cursed angrily, "You traitor! How dare you betray me!"

Zhang Xiaobing quickly took two steps back, and continued to explain with a look of grievance on his face, "Sister, I really don't have the courage to tamper with the old lady's things! You're the only one who dares to throw them around. I absolutely wouldn't dare to do that! Just think about it, if I really lost the old lady's things by accident, she would scold me to death! So, it definitely wasn't me!"

At the crucial moment, Naituanzi showed her support. She hugged her mother tightly, her face full of attachment as she said, "Grandma, please come back to Shenzhen with us, okay? Grandma, your cooking is just delicious! My mom's cooking is not good at all, and my aunt's cooking is not good either!" Hearing her granddaughter's words, her mother couldn't help but feel sad. She gently stroked Naituanzi's head and replied, "My dear, if you want to eat grandma's cooking in the future, come back with your mother anytime. Grandma will definitely cook you a table full of delicious dishes!"

Zhang Jing privately urged her mother to find a suitable partner, but not surprisingly, her mother lashed out again, saying she couldn't afford the loss of a partner at her age. Zhang Jing shook her head and gave up the advice.

Just then, Zhang Zhi called, concerned about their schedule. She then said she had something she wanted to tell Zhang Jing, but thought it would be best to wait until Zhang Jing returned home before discussing it in person. However, the forthright Zhang Jing didn't take it seriously, urging her to speak directly and stop hesitating or evasive, saying it didn't fit her personality.

Seeing her sister's resolute attitude, Zhang Zhi also became angry and immediately said, "Since you are so anxious to know, then I will tell you. Your mother-in-law and your godfather are almost becoming a family now!" Hearing this, Zhang Jing was stunned at first, and then retorted, "They both help take care of the two children and often have contact. It's normal. Don't let your imagination run wild and your suspicions run wild!"

Zhang Zhi ignored her sister's excuses and continued, "Anyway, I've already reminded you what I should have. You should be mentally prepared in advance to avoid being overly shocked. The details will become clear when you return."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jing's heart instantly grew heavy. She turned her head and looked at Ah Chen, who was watching TV intently. She wondered what Zhang Zhi's words really meant...