Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Zhi and Zhang Xiaobing's phone calls informed Zhang Jing that her mother was ready to leave home. She had even gone to Beijing at her brother's invitation and then returned to Zhang Zhi's place. "I don't know what to say to the old lady. Her son always comes first! I didn't even dare to tell my husband, for fear of what he might think. The caregivers are completely unprofessional!" Zhang Zhi was furious, believing her mother was partial. Her own large belly was inconvenient, and she hadn't mentioned coming out early. Now she had to go see her brother, mainly because he said he had a girlfriend, and she wanted to see her son and visit him while she was there.

Zhang Jing knew her brother and his girlfriend had broken up in their previous life, so she didn't dwell on it. However, when her mother called to discuss the appropriate size of the gift, she couldn't help herself. She analyzed the situation for her mother and concluded that it would be best for her brother to find a wife who was of equal social status. There were three criteria: first, the partner's parents had to have social security and medical insurance; second, the parents didn't have life-threatening illnesses; and third, the partner had to have at least two or three siblings.

This was also the experience Zhang Jing had gained from countless blind dates in her previous life, and her mother followed this standard, strictly enforcing her younger brother's girlfriend requirements. Zhang Xiaobing was infatuated with his girlfriend and, of course, refused to listen. It was later that his girlfriend's offer to lend him 50 yuan to start a factory scared him off. Even after living together, they still broke up. It is said that the girl later approached her younger brother several times, but he was afraid to accept her. The reality of men's love was so real, Zhang Jing was deeply moved.

When her mother asked about it, Zhang Jing repeated her past life theory, "Grandma, you can't be without expectations. He can find anyone he wants. How your son spends the rest of his life depends entirely on your thoughts! The dating market out there is like this. They can tell you everything about your family background in just three sentences." Zhang Jing explained to her mother in detail the situation of the two people going on blind dates out there.

Three questions to ask when you meet someone:

The first question is, "Are your parents retired?" This implies whether they have jobs, social security, and medical insurance. No matter how you answer, you can't escape this question. This is related to the burden of the future small family;

The second sentence is, "Are your parents in good health?" The implication is whether they have any serious life-threatening illnesses. Give your blind date a score and, by the way, evaluate your future life.

The third question is, "How many brothers and sisters do you have?" The implication is that if your family is not well-off, try not to choose an only daughter. Otherwise, if your parents are hospitalized, there will be no one to discuss it with or to replace them, which will be very difficult. Of course, the wealthy are an exception. There are many who want to work less and live off their family.

These three questions are asked after you have seen the other person and found their appearance to be acceptable. If you haven't finished your cup of milk tea, you have been ruled out and you won't even be able to wait for the blind date meal!

Her mother was deeply moved, saying that everyone in her family was simple and honest, not as cunning as the outsiders. Zhang Jing said, "So we have to stay ahead of the curve." She then told her mother a colleague's personal experience.

When Cao Hai was young, he met a pretty girl while working as a migrant worker. Since they were from the same hometown, they fell in love with each other during their work. She was an only child, and her father was ill, so she worked to support the family. Cao Hai felt that she was filial and responsible, making her a perfect wife. He called his parents for their opinion, and they said anything was fine as long as their son liked her. So, Cao Hai decided to marry quickly, determined to provide his wife with strong support and help her raise a family.

After marriage, Cao Hai discovered that both his parents worked, and his wife's mother was a housewife, taking care of him. His father-in-law had leukemia and needed to be hospitalized once a month. His wife's salary was used to pay off debts, but he still owed a lot! You can imagine how Cao Hai felt. After having a daughter and a son, his father-in-law committed suicide to avoid burdening him. This nearly broke Cao Hai. His parents, filled with regret, told him, "We don't need you to be responsible. Just take care of your own little family!" Even so, they couldn't bear to see their children and grandchildren suffer, so they occasionally provided some money. But how can a drop of water put out a fire? The heartbreak is hard to describe, but everyone understands.

The root of everything is self-evident. When it comes to survival, allow your loved ones to be a little selfish and consider themselves first. Don't let others drag you into a quagmire that will drag your parents down; sometimes your love life is just crap. Cao Hai lamented repeatedly, "If my parents had objected even a little, we wouldn't have been together. But they didn't even offer a single suggestion! They left me completely to my own devices. We graduated and started working, so how could we have so many ideas?" Life has taught me a lesson, and the price it has taken on my parents is too high. They say marriage is like a second life. That's true for women, but it's also true for men.

Zhang Jing's mother took her words to heart. Zhang Jing couldn't comprehend how, in a novel world, the protagonist, after rebirth and becoming an enemy, could strike back. How could one truly let go and understand things in real life? Raising children is not easy for parents. When they grow old and can't keep up with the rapidly changing world, they need their children to guide them. Constantly complaining and blaming isn't just a sign of immaturity.

Everything in this world has its cause and effect, and the only thing we can do is face it together with our loved ones. Not giving up, not abandoning, is something Zhang Jing still can't do even after rebirth. But she has a bottom line: she must love herself more. When she can, Zhang Jing generously helps her mother care for her younger siblings. Furthermore, Zhang Jing reflects on the consequences of her past life, which are also due to her personality. She will definitely not repeat the same mistakes in this life.

Her mother was coming, and Zhang Jing planned to go back to see her on Saturday. She worked harder to retell stories, and her money gradually increased. A-Long invited her to help run the store, but she turned it down. Zhang Jing knew it had nothing to do with her. "My mother is coming, and I'm going back to Huizhou this week to see her. Do you want to come with me?" Zhang Jing tested A-Long, ready to give him one last chance. As expected, A-Long refused. "We're just ordinary friends, don't we need that?"

Zhang Jing was instantly devastated. She took a deep breath and said, "You're right. My family is pushing me to get married and they want your help. Now that I think about it, I can handle the debt if I'm thick-skinned." Zhang Jing heard A Long laughing over the phone, "If you need me, I can pretend to be your boyfriend and help you meet your parents. I guarantee your family will be satisfied! My appearance won't embarrass you." Zhang Jing's heart froze even more. She changed the subject, "I got my salary. Let's meet tonight and I'll pay you back! Did you pay for the gold coin set, or do you want to keep it for yourself?"

"You got paid so soon? How much?" As expected, A-Long focused on the money. Zhang Jing, after withdrawing her affection, realized he wasn't worth the effort. He'd been a one-man show from start to finish. "It's only 2700 more. Do you want the money or the collection of gold coins?" "I promised you it, so I'll give it to you. But collectibles are hard to sell. They'll need to be kept for years, and it's not good to tie up funds. Luckily, they're not expensive." A-Long began nagging again, letting Zhang Jing understand his choice.

A-Long is on night shift tonight, and he said they'd meet tomorrow. Zhang Jing decided to return all the money to him tomorrow and not worry about him anymore. She then hangs up, claiming the phone bill is too high. A-Long explains that he works in the telecommunications room and that calls, including long-distance calls, are free. He can connect to anyone's network without anyone noticing. Many people complain about mismatched phone bills, and this is the reason. He's a thief! Zhang Jing knows that industry insider information can't be solved by just one person, and she's even more disappointed in A-Long. She feels incredibly remorseful about herself. She couldn't undo her past mistakes, and now she's running headfirst into them again. All she can do is cut the Gordian knot and stop the damage.

During her lunch break, Zhang Jing went to the bank to withdraw cash. She planned to pay A-Long 6000 yuan and take the rest back to Huizhou. She was prepared to bring her bank card with her in case it wasn't enough. She had only started working last month, less than a month, and her salary was just over 3000 yuan. This was mainly due to various allowances and bonuses. Zhang Jing asked Director Chen, who said the publicly listed salary was over 2700 yuan, but after adding up all the other expenses, a regular employee would make around 3800 to 4200 yuan. They kept it secret for fear of ulterior motives. All the employees were recommended internally.

Zhang Jing was even more grateful to Uncle Zhang, who was truly a benefactor to her. She decided to treat Uncle Zhang to a meal to thank him, so she called him. Uncle Zhang happily agreed to have dinner at 6 o'clock tonight and asked Zhang Jing to book a place. Zhang Jing said she didn't know the area well, so she asked Uncle Zhang to make the reservation. "Then I'll make the decision. I know a place that roasts pigeon very well, but it's a little pricey. It'll cost around or for two people. Xiao Jing, you just started working, can you afford it? If not, should we go to another place?"

Zhang Jing knew she couldn't save the money, so she agreed immediately. She knew full well that there was no such thing as unprovoked help in this world, and that money could only solve minor problems. Uncle Zhang had helped her once, so perhaps he would help her again in the future.

Uncle Zhang chose a Western-style restaurant, making Zhang Jing think she had come to the wrong place. The room was full of couples, not disturbing each other. When Uncle Zhang raised his hand, Zhang Jing was embarrassed. Uncle Zhang was dressed in a suit and tie, with a bow tie at his collar. Western-style cutlery was placed on the table. Zhang Jing sat down guiltily and asked, "Uncle Zhang, what's going on?" Uncle Zhang glared at her, then turned to the waiter and said, "You can serve the food." As soon as the waiter left, he immediately asked Zhang Jing, "Have you never had Western-style food before?" "Uncle Zhang, I've only seen it in the movies. I hope I won't make a fool of myself." "Don't worry, I'm here."

Zhang Jing vaguely understood Uncle Zhang's intentions, so she decided to play dumb. She first thanked Uncle Zhang for the job recommendation, then told him about the challenges she encountered at work, how she had overcome them, and how her boss appreciated her, which resonated with Uncle Zhang.

During the meal, dishes like roasted pigeon and drinks arrived, along with alcoholic beverages. Uncle Zhang demonstrated and taught Zhang Jing a lesson. Zhang Jing quickly grasped the technique, earning Uncle Zhang's praise. Zhang Jing smiled wryly. When asked about her Sunday plans, Zhang Jing said she was going back to Huizhou to see her mother. Uncle Zhang inquired about Zhang Jing's family situation, which further sympathized with her. When asked why she wasn't married yet, Zhang Jing explained that she hadn't met the right person and was considering breaking up with her boyfriend, but wasn't sure how to approach the matter.