Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing used her spare time to transform her yarn into exquisite finished products, which she successfully sold one by one. However, after careful calculation, she realized that this was just a personal hobby. Crocheting was not only exhausting, but the rewards were relatively low.

She enrolled in an intermediate accounting course, but the initial learning process was difficult. Fortunately, she worked as a handyman in the accounting office, where she could always ask others for help with any questions she didn't understand. As her knowledge improved, she gradually realized that even if she successfully passed the intermediate certificate, she would not be able to work in the related field. The reason was frustrating:

First, she has no background and even has difficulty finding a guarantor with local household registration; second, she must follow the instructions of her superiors and take responsibility if any problems arise; third, she can only receive a fixed salary and lacks room for development and a sense of accomplishment; finally, she needs to keep strict confidentiality.

These are the lessons Zhang Jing has learned, and they contributed to her underwhelming work performance. She longs to change jobs soon, but she's also convinced she's only suited to part-time work.

A Long asked Zhang Jing to go out for dinner. Zhang Jing told him about her troubles and wanted someone to help her with some advice. However, A Long advised her to give up. Zhang Jing had no choice but to change the subject and talked about buying a house.

Zhang Jing said she also wanted to buy a small house of her own, but she didn't have much savings. So, she cautiously asked A Long for a loan: "I also want to buy a house, but I don't have much savings. If you have some, could you lend it to me first? I'll pay you back when I'm more financially secure."

However, Aaron shook his head and said he also planned to buy a house, and he wanted a large three-bedroom house. He explained, "I want a three-bedroom house because my parents have worked hard all their lives, and I want to be able to bring them to live with me and take good care of them."

Hearing this, Zhang Jing finally understood that their ideals were different. She had originally only needed a small two-bedroom apartment, while A-Long needed a larger space to accommodate his family. This made her realize that there was an unbridgeable gap between them, and perhaps the best way forward was for them to work hard on their own.

Zhang Jing knew that she could only afford to buy a house through her own efforts. However, the biggest problem now was funding. She couldn't help but ponder how to raise enough money to buy a house.

Zhang Jing was more anxious than ever. She was even more frantic about copying stories. She wanted to change this situation, so much so that her hair was falling out in clumps.

Then she received a call: a company had picked up one of her novels and was planning to turn it into a TV series. Zhang Jing was curious about the compensation, and offered a 20 yuan buyout for her to consider. She demanded 25 yuan after tax, but after negotiation, they settled on 23 yuan.

With the funds coming in, Zhang Jing finally felt confident enough to start looking for a house. The money she had was barely enough for a down payment, and it had to be an old, run-down, small house on the edge of the city. Zhang Jing was resigned to the prospect. She still remembered A-Long proudly pointing to Overseas Chinese Town and telling her his cousin had bought four apartments there. His tone was filled with envy and pride.

I can't wait any longer. Sometimes, making decisions alone is a tragic experience, with the feeling of having no one to lean on. I'm so cautious, afraid of making the wrong decision, because once I'm wrong, there's no turning back.

House hunting was already on the agenda, and Zhang Jing kept thinking about the changes in her past life. She held a map in her hand, turning it over and over. Finally, she had to admit one thing: while the house wouldn't move, the location of the purchase would require consideration of cultural factors.

In this young city, young people tend not to pay much attention to interpersonal relationships. However, when people enter middle age, they realize that keeping in touch with colleagues and fellow townspeople can indeed enhance their sense of belonging and identity with the city.

Therefore, buying a home involves more than just housing; it also involves considering future development and neighborhood relationships. Educational resources and medical facilities also require careful consideration. Zhang Jing embarked on a long and arduous house-hunting journey, even taking time off to personally inspect each listing. Her colleagues, all aware of her search for suitable housing, expressed their understanding and support.

Every time she met colleagues, they would talk about real estate, and some even took the initiative to recommend their properties to Zhang Jing. Even after get off work, Zhang Jing continued to look at houses. Although she hadn't yet purchased a house, she had become a seasoned veteran.

Regardless of the type, size, or price of a house, she can meticulously explain its features and advantages. She can even articulate the feng shui of a property. Some have successfully purchased satisfactory homes after following her advice. Real estate agencies are so impressed with her performance that they've even offered to transfer a portion of their referral fees to her. They praise Zhang Jing as a natural for the real estate industry, possessing keen insight and exceptional sales skills.

This reminded Zhang Jing of a man in her past life who specialized in real estate transactions. He would first find a property he liked, then step in and act as an agent. Through thorough research, he would select the right property, purchase it at the best price, collect his commission, and then quit his job. This method not only allowed him to buy the property he wanted but also to earn a substantial income. Zhang Jing admired his clever approach, but she also knew she wasn't cut out for it. At best, she could only earn a small profit and never handle real estate transactions with the same ease as her predecessor.

With limited funds, Zhang Jing faced the high down payment and renovation costs of buying a new home, which was too much of a burden. So, she turned her attention to the pre-owned housing market. However, even pre-owned housing prices continued to rise, leaving Zhang Jing feeling discouraged and helpless. Was her dream of settling down truly impossible?

Zhang Jing called her cousin's aunt again and asked if she was willing to sell her two houses in Shenzhen. Her cousin replied, "I can sell one of them, but I'm asking for 40 yuan. Considering we're relatives, that's a very good price. If it were on the market, it would fetch at least 50 yuan. I wouldn't cheat you, so you should think about it carefully."

Hearing this price, Zhang Jing completely gave up. She had to accept reality and turn her attention to the areas outside the Great Wall, preparing to search for suitable housing. After all, subways would be built in the future, and regional differences would not be significant. Meanwhile, A-Long's frequent calls inquiring about the progress of her home purchase weighed heavily on Zhang Jing, even leading to a moment of anxiety.

She called her mother and told her about her plan to buy a property in Shenzhen. Her mother responded, "I can't help you. If it doesn't work out, just go home. We already have a house. I don't know why you're going through all this trouble."

Sometimes, Zhang Jing would ask herself why she was so persistent. However, if she didn't try, she would always feel that something was missing in her life.

Zhang Jing received a call from Uncle Zhang and accepted an invitation to meet Aunt Zhang. During the call, Uncle Zhang said he wanted a divorce and that they couldn't get along, especially with their children involved. Now calm, Uncle Zhang said he planned to take Aunt Zhang back to his hometown and sell their old house. He asked Zhang Jing if she was interested.

Zhang Jing met Aunt Zhang, a calculating woman. Uncle Zhang's return to his hometown was probably a temporary solution. Uncle Zhang's house was warmly decorated, with three bedrooms and a living room, and a staircase leading to the third floor. It was allocated by the government and sold to an individual for a price.

Zhang Jing urged Uncle Zhang to calm down, saying that returning home temporarily was fine, but in the long run it was the worst option. Uncle Zhang said he had bought the house himself and would sell it and buy a new one when he returned. Aunt Zhang agreed.

Seeing that she couldn't persuade him, Zhang Jing was tired of looking at houses. She asked Uncle Zhang how much he was going to sell it for. Uncle Zhang said that because of their past friendship, he would sell it for 30 yuan. "Uncle Zhang knows you are rich, so he won't ask for a high price."

Zhang Jing was worried about Uncle Zhang's son and daughter-in-law causing trouble for her, but Aunt Zhang flatly said, "Just get the paperwork done quickly. What else can they do?" Seeing Uncle Zhang nod, Zhang Jing explained that she could only come up with 25 yuan at the moment, and she wanted to pay the down payment and then the monthly payments. She also wanted to register her household registration, but Uncle Zhang said that wasn't a problem.

Uncle Zhang was dragged into the discussion with Aunt Zhang. Zhang Jing remembered that this area had been demolished. If that didn't work out, buying in this area would also work. Before Zhang Jing could make up her mind, Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang came out after the discussion.

"Zhang Jing, we've discussed it. We're still selling the house to you. The lowest price is 30, which is a friendly price. All the appliances and furniture in the house are given to you. If you don't have enough money, write an IOU. When you have it, give it to Uncle Zhang. Let's transfer the ownership as soon as possible. We can also go back to our hometown earlier."

Zhang Jing thought about it and agreed, so she went through the motions. A few days later, Zhang Jing touched the new title deed and had her own house. Of course, the 8 yuan on the IOU was supposed to be paid back within six months, but she only paid 22 yuan because she still had to pay various fees and complete household registration procedures.

After so much hustle and bustle, Zhang Jing finally settled down. She asked Uncle Zhang to call her when he left, and she would go and collect the room herself. She also told Uncle Zhang to feel free to take anything he needed from the room. If he didn't feel comfortable at home, he could come back.

Uncle Zhang choked up and said to Zhang Jing, "Xiao Jing, you are a good child. It's nice for Uncle Zhang to know you." Zhang Jing thought to herself, "It's so lucky to not have to work hard, but it's so unlucky to have to run around for a long time." She finally became a Shenzhen citizen!