Rebirth and making money first

After some research, Zhang Jing was surprised to discover how much preparation was required to write a good article. Furthermore, she suspected that submitting her article to a newspaper might also require envelopes, stamps, and other supplies. So, she carefully opened the newspaper and was surprised to find that the website address and QQ number were already included. This made things much simpler.

As for the essential computer, Zhang Jing planned to buy a used assembled machine. Although relatively inexpensive, it should be able to meet her basic needs. However, she was troubled by the issue of internet access. While her landlord's son had an internet connection at home, it wasn't hers. If she frequently borrowed it, it might cause unnecessary trouble. Zhang Jing planned to write an outline and share her story at an internet cafe.

Recalling a past life, Zhang Jing was implicated in a conflict between the landlord's son's remarried wife and the landlord's daughter. Ultimately, she was forced to move out. As she left, the kind-hearted landlord, tearful and reluctant to part with her, forced a 200 yuan red envelope into her pocket as a farewell gift. Years later, Zhang Jing would still see the landlord in her dreams, as if their friendship had never been severed.

Thinking of this experience in her previous life, Zhang Jing was filled with emotion, because the two of them got along like close friends, always having endless topics to talk about. This time, Zhang Jing planned to move out as soon as possible to avoid a falling out. She had been looking for a job for nearly a month but still couldn't find a suitable one. Her age, low college education, and lack of looks were all flaws no matter where she went! Zhang Jing sighed. Her former colleagues would occasionally ask about it and complain about her impulsive resignation, and some would even make sarcastic remarks. Some of the colleagues who resigned together returned to their hometowns, some went to Dongguan, and some returned to their families completely.

When she got home, the landlord and his son were talking to a girl who was obviously a nanny. This time, she was from Jiangxi Province, and she didn't live there, only working during the day. Because her husband and she rented a house, the landlord and his son had to settle for the next best thing. Before leaving, the landlord's son asked Zhang Jing to keep an eye on the landlord at night and call him if anything happened. He also connected an extension to Zhang Jing's room, free for answering. Zhang Jing smiled wryly.

The nanny quickly became acquainted with Zhang Jing, who also taught her some things. She secretly told Zhang Jing that the old landlord was too powerful and she was afraid she wouldn't last long. Zhang Jing chatted with her, only to discover that her family was wealthy and owned a restaurant. She was the youngest, and though not beautiful, she was adored by the whole family. Her lament of having fallen into this situation, "Everything is fate, nothing is ours," gave Zhang Jing a glimpse of a story, and she urged her to tell it.

Her name was Aying, and she had been spoiled since childhood. After graduating from junior high school and failing to get into high school, she stayed home to play. Her parents said they would provide for her until she was old enough to get married. She often helped out at her brother and sister-in-law's restaurant, which kept her busy. Later, a close friend of hers invited her to join them when she started working. She happily accepted, and her parents also agreed to let her explore the world before getting married, treating it as a kind of travel.

After arriving in the bustling city of Shenzhen, Ah Ying was taken by her best friend to work as a waitress at a fast food restaurant. The job provided not only accommodation and meals, but also thoughtful work uniforms. Her colleagues, mostly young men and women of similar age, quickly became familiar with each other. In their spare time, they often discussed their love lives, but Ah Ying didn't have much yearning for them. She yearned for her hometown and considered this a simple job while having fun. However, fate proved unpredictable. The young man from Shaoguan, who was in charge of preparing the dishes in the kitchen, took exceptional care of Ah Ying. He was gentle and considerate, even secretly saving her a delicious chicken drumstick. And just like that, the innocent Ah Ying quickly fell in love.

This man was so scheming that he actually made the innocent and kind-hearted Ah Ying pregnant with his child! When Ah Ying called home and told her mother about her life as a wanderer, her mother suppressed her grief and whispered comfortingly, "Silly child, don't worry about anything. Just bring your ID card home. Mom and Dad will take care of the rest. We won't blame you for a single word." After hearing her mother's words, Ah Ying felt relieved and resolutely embarked on her journey home.

However, at this moment, the cunning man held Ah Ying tightly, and said with difficulty that he needed to save money for another two months before he could accompany her home. Although she was a little unhappy, Ah Ying chose to believe in the man she loved deeply and waited silently for him to fulfill his promise.

Time flew by, and two months passed before Ah Ying and the man finally returned home. Ah Ying's belly was already bulging, clearly seven months pregnant. Upon seeing this, Ah Ying's mother burst into tears, unable to speak, while the man was subjected to a barrage of beatings and kicks from Ah Ying's family. Faced with this sudden change, Ah Ying stood up to the man without hesitation, firmly declaring that she would never marry anyone else.

Her mother earnestly urged Ah Ying to give up the baby and help her find a good, reliable man to spend the rest of her life with. But Ah Ying was resolute, refusing to yield. Seeing her daughter's reluctance, her mother had no choice but to give in, offering to give the child to someone else or keep it with the man if she truly couldn't bear to give it up. But Ah Ying remained unmoved, like a stubborn donkey, determined to hold on to this relationship no matter what. She even declared that even if she had to live in poverty and beg on the streets, she would have no regrets, as long as the man treated her well with sincerity.

Zhang Jingxin said, this woman is so stupid.

As expected, her parents had no choice but to agree to her marriage to a distant place. Besides money, they also gave her a lot of gifts. Aying excitedly returned to Shaoguan with her boyfriend. They exchanged trains for cars, and cars for ox carts. But when they arrived, they were stunned: her husband's house was actually a thatched house!

Aying said she never dreamed she'd marry into poverty. Her husband, looking guilty, said to her, "Honey, I'm sorry, our family is so poor. But don't worry, I'll never change my mind and treat you well forever. You have the final say!" Aying said he did exactly that, not letting her work in the fields. He went out to work, leaving her mother and sister alone at home. He also opened a small shop. Aying just sold things.

After finally giving birth to their daughter, the family's financial situation became increasingly difficult. Although Ah Ying used all the money her parents had given her to help with household expenses, she still couldn't make ends meet. Her mother-in-law was a lazy, hedonistic woman who believed that marrying a daughter-in-law would ensure a life of leisure. In desperation, Ah Ying left her young daughter in the care of her mother-in-law while she and her husband went out to work to earn money.

Every month, Ah Ying dutifully mailed the formula and diapers she'd bought back home. Gradually, however, her mother-in-law only requested formula. Ah Ying and her husband scrimped and saved, asking someone to help them buy six cans of formula and send them back home, convinced their daughter would grow plump and healthy. Deeply missing her child and fearing she wouldn't recognize her after a while, Ah Ying took time off and asked her husband to accompany her. When they returned home to visit their daughter, they were shocked to find her emaciated. Upon inquiry, they learned that their daughter suffered from diarrhea every time she drank formula. Seeing this, her mother-in-law stopped feeding her formula and switched to rice porridge, secretly drinking the remaining formula to nourish her. Upon hearing this, Ah Ying was so angry she nearly vomited blood.

Even more bizarre, every time she took her child back to her parents' home, the child would inexplicably fall ill. From then on, Ah Ying never dared to bring her child back to her parents' home again. After all, no matter where they were, the child always seemed to have trouble adapting to the changes in their environment. Even her mother-in-law advised that if she ever returned to her parents' home in the future, it would be best not to bring the child with her, lest they suffer. Ah Ying said that every time she went back, her mother would secretly give her money and tell her brother and sister-in-law how much Ah Ying had given her.

Ah Ying's eyes gradually became moist, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She choked up and said, "I'm so unfilial. I owe my parents so much... As the saying goes, 'If you don't listen to the advice of the elderly, you will suffer the consequences.' If my daughter grows up and finds a man with a family like my husband, I will definitely break her legs without hesitation!"

Zhang Jing on the side looked at Aying with a serious expression and asked, "Why didn't your mother break your legs back then?" Aying couldn't help but fall into deep thought, muttering to herself, "Yes, why didn't my mother break my legs back then? Otherwise, I wouldn't be suffering so much now!" As the saying goes, only when you have children do you know the kindness of your parents. At this moment, Aying deeply realized the deep meaning behind this sentence. She felt that she might be her parents' destined enemy.

Aying and her husband shared a house with seven other couples. The house had eight bunk beds, each with its own bunk bed. At night, they kept the curtains drawn, and each couple paid fifty yuan in rent each month. Curious about this living environment, Zhang Jing asked Aying how they conducted their marital life. Aying explained that their apartment was actually a one-bedroom apartment with a living room. When they didn't want to go out after get off work, they would play cards in the living room. If a couple wanted to have sex, they could go into their room and lock the door, and the others would refrain from disturbing them. After they finished, the others would take turns entering. Although this lifestyle was somewhat inconvenient, it was the only option due to financial constraints. Aying's rise from wealth to poverty, achieved through the use of only one low-class man, served as another wake-up call for Zhang Jing: she needed to keep her money flowing.