Rebirth and making money first

Today had finally arrived, the day she'd agreed to meet with A-Long, and Zhang Jing was incredibly excited. A-Long's deep, gentle voice rang out from the other end of the line: "Honey, where should we go today?" Zhang Jing, remembering a nearby children's park that was free, suggested, "There's a free children's park here. Why don't we go there together?" As soon as she finished speaking, A-Long replied without hesitation: "Sure! I'll do as you say."

Zhang Jing knew full well that in her past life, A-Long had always been very frugal. He might not have taken her to the movies or to fancy meals, but these no longer mattered to her now. Today, she and A-Long would confirm their relationship.

Zhang Jing is confident in her appearance and figure. The only thing that makes her a little dissatisfied is that she has a little bit of fat in her belly. However, as long as she wears clothes that fit her, she can still show a plump and rich beauty.

After greeting her old landlord, Zhang Jing headed to the station sign to await A-Long's arrival. As she waited, her heartbeat quickened, her palms sweated slightly, and a sense of nervousness welled up within her. After all, tonight in her past life was the crucial moment when she and A-Long checked into a hotel and furthered their relationship.

Not long after, A-Long stepped out of the car. The moment he saw Zhang Jing, a brilliant smile instantly spread across his face. That smile, as warm as the spring sun, instantly illuminated Zhang Jing's heart, leaving her feeling a little dizzy. Despite meeting again after so long, Zhang Jing discovered that her deep affection for A-Long hadn't diminished in the slightest. This time, she secretly told herself to remain calm and hold onto these feelings firmly.

The two asked each other if they had eaten yet, and Zhang Jing showed A-Long the apartment complex where she rented. Upon inquiry, she discovered that A-Long and the landlord's youngest daughter and son-in-law were colleagues. A-Long urged Zhang Jing not to let the landlord's daughter and her husband know about his affairs. In her previous life, Zhang Jing had assumed he had a bad relationship with them and hadn't thought much of it. Years later, she realized that this man was simply trying to create a single persona, and that she was just a backup. Now, Zhang Jing readily agreed, knowing her leverage wasn't enough.

The road gradually got darker, and Zhang Jing was still talking nonsense. A'long suddenly turned around and hugged Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing couldn't struggle and had to give up. She could still hear A'long's rapid breathing, and Zhang Jing knew that he was moved. After they separated, they continued to walk to the park. A'long was very happy, and Zhang Jing found a quiet place to sit down and rest. Just like in the previous life, A'long performed a handstand for her, and Zhang Jing still praised him after watching it again. She really couldn't do it, not even against the wall. There was a girl in the dormitory before, who turned over and stood up against the wall. A'long didn't rely on anything, but he could actually walk with his hands upside down. How could praise be enough?

Ah Long excitedly ran over and asked Zhang Jing if there was a reward. Zhang Jing asked what kind of reward, and Ah Long said a kiss and a hug would be fine. Zhang Jing said, "Then let me see your ID. If it's bigger than mine, it's okay. If it's smaller, it's not okay." Ah Long said he didn't have his ID with him, but he still held Zhang Jing tightly, touching her all over. Zhang Jing knew that if he continued like that, she would get angry, so she quickly refused. She didn't want to retrace the path of her past life.

Zhang Jing suggested that they go home early, as it was late. A Long refused, but Zhang Jing said it was too late and the landlord wouldn't open the door. She had no ID and no money, so she would have to stay out all night. A Long suggested they get a room and he would stay with Zhang Jing, and they could go back at daybreak. Zhang Jing said she should first check to see if the landlord had locked the door.

The two turned back and, as expected, just like in their past life, the landlord had already turned off the lights and locked the door. Zhang Jing called out several times, but received no response. She knew that the landlord was clearly doing this on purpose. In that case, the only option left was to stay in a hotel. The most excited person at this moment was undoubtedly A-Long. He dragged Zhang Jing to the small hotel, quickly pulled out his ID card, and checked in. The understanding look from the receptionist made Zhang Jing feel prickly. She must have seen her as a frivolous person.

After escaping to her room, Zhang Jing was shocked to realize her pants were stained from sitting on the grass. Her pristine white pants were ruined. After showering, she wrapped herself in a towel and decided to wash them. However, no matter how much she scrubbed and washed, the stain remained stubbornly, leaving Zhang Jing anxious, worried about how she would get out the door the next day.

Zhang Jing eagerly asked Ah Long for help buying a new pair of pants, but Ah Long offered to wash them himself. Watching Ah Long diligently scrubbing, Zhang Jing, in her past life, was deeply moved, thinking that if it truly couldn't be cleaned, then so be it. Ah Long's persistence was one of the reasons Zhang Jing initially accepted him. After all, someone who cares so much about your clothes must be incredibly caring. Yet, looking back on this incident today, Zhang Jing feels like she must have been blinded by shit in her past life.

It turned out that A-Long's insistence on washing Zhang Jing's pants himself wasn't out of genuine concern, but simply because he couldn't bear to spend a mere ten or twenty yuan to buy her new pants. After realizing this, Zhang Jing couldn't help but laugh at her past naivete and foolishness.

After they lay down, A-Long wanted to take things further. Zhang Jing refused, knowing their first time wasn't a happy one. As if for the first time, she asked A-Long if he'd had any other girlfriends. He said he'd had three, but they'd all broken up. They all had busty breasts and weren't as pretty as Zhang Jing. Zhang Jing was amused and annoyed, sighing that men are visual creatures.

Ah Long kept groping Zhang Jing, but Zhang Jing pushed him away, saying she was tired and needed to rest. Ah Long refused, and the two finally broke their promise. Just like in his previous life, Ah Long was in a bad state and very discouraged. He asked Zhang Jing, "Do you think I'm useless?" Zhang Jing replied, "What nonsense! You're just too tired today and not in a good state. You'll be fine after a good rest." Ah Long also said with relief, "Yes, I was too tired today. I will definitely do better next time. Rest early. I have to go to work tomorrow."

Looking at A-Long sleeping with her in his arms, Zhang Jing was overwhelmed with emotions. This man had been with her for 14 years, and they had never married. Besides her inability to conceive, the main issue was the unequal relationship. Her financial difficulties also played a role. She couldn't repeat the same mistakes in this life. She had to make A-Long look at her with new eyes.

A-Long is a Chaoshan man who loves a wife who works hard with him. Although he's a bit young now, he's still a man of conscience. For at least a decade, no matter what Zhang Jing did, he never gave up. It was Zhang Jing who finally gave up on him, because neither of them dared to marry, as Shenzhen was a city that wasn't friendly to the poor. Zhang Jing decided to treat A-Long well in this life, and she didn't want to let go.

In addition to writing, Zhang Jing also plans to try housekeeping and find a part-time job. The days of only going out and not coming in are still a bit stressful. After seeing off A Long, Zhang Jing dragged her tired body back home. As soon as she entered the door, she saw the old landlord sitting on the sofa watching TV. He pretended to be nonchalant and asked, "Xiao Zhang, why did you get up so early today?" Zhang Jing was speechless for a while, but still forced herself to answer, "I didn't go home last night. I stayed at a friend's house."

After hearing this, the old landlord smiled slightly, seeming a little guilty. She quickly changed the subject and began to instruct the nanny to clean up. Zhang Jing watched all this and knew that the old landlord knew everything but just didn't want to expose it.

After a while, while the landlord wasn't paying attention, Ah Ying quietly pulled Zhang Jing aside and said in a low voice, "Jing, I'm planning to quit in two days. I'm really exhausted. The landlord orders me around all day and never lets me rest." Zhang Jing frowned and asked with concern, "Have you thought it through? Quitting so suddenly could cause trouble."

Aying sighed helplessly and said, "I've thought it through. My husband has found a new restaurant job, and this time we're going together. It's better than being bullied here. Alas, after all, people like us at the bottom of society suffer the most and are always exhausted. We'll never get ahead." Zhang Jing nodded silently, expressing her understanding and sympathy. She knew all too well how difficult life was, and could only support and bless Aying's decision.