Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing knew her mother was taking advantage of the situation and quickly stopped her. "I just got back. I'll ask everyone else about their situation first. Don't worry, even if they give you a new apartment, you'll be living there the majority of the time. Besides, we'll have to renovate it. Just tell me who signed and I'll find out."

Only then did her mother stop complaining, still angrily saying, "Your Aunt Tian, ​​your Aunt Zhao, and your Aunt Li over here have all signed. Go check it out at the sales office." Zhang Jing agreed to go check it out after dinner and even asked her mother to go along. The old lady refused, "Your decision is yours. Don't accuse me of meddling in other people's affairs later."

Zhang Jing went to her mother to get the key, and suddenly remembered something and asked, "I remember Aunt Tian sold the house to me. Aunt Li doesn't have a house in the demolition area. What should I sign?"

Speaking of this, her mother became even angrier. "Those children are filial and know to buy a house for their parents! Many people in our factory have bought one, but you are the only one who doesn't care." Zhang Jing was speechless and persuaded her mother and herself to go see Aunt Tian Teng's house first.

My mother said, "There's nothing good to see. They took the usable ones to their daughters' homes, and I don't want the unusable ones. Whoever needs them can take them. I don't like them because I have nowhere to throw away my own junk."

Zhang Jing said, "So are you going or not? I'll come back and ask you all sorts of questions, and then you'll complain if the house you chose isn't to your liking." Her mother thought about it and decided to go with her. She was worried her daughter would be at a disadvantage.

After gathering all the necessary documents, Zhang Jing went to look at the house. It wasn't big, just over 30 square meters including the yard. It was a factory-issued house for the workers who had toiled all their lives. It had been sold to an individual, and Zhang Jing, using her past-life foresight, bought it, catching up with the demolition.

Arriving at the sales office, it wasn't crowded; the land hadn't been fully acquired yet. Everyone was only looking at the mockups, so Zhang Jing explained her purpose to her mother. The front desk manager asked Zhang Jing to produce her property ownership certificate and ID. After verification, she was allowed to choose a unit; good units would be compensated for the price difference. She could choose the fifth or sixth floor for free, but there was no elevator.

In her previous life, Zhang Jing had her eye on the second floor of a building. At the time, ready-to-move-in apartments were very expensive. The layout was good, the air was airy, it was close to the main entrance, and the decor was comfortable. Zhang Jing had pinpointed the location, and since the building wasn't very popular at the time, she pointed and asked how much it would cost to choose the second floor.

Zhang Jing's mother quickly pulled her aside, saying, "That place is too far away. We don't want it there." Zhang Jing stopped her mother, but the manager explained that the environment there was quieter and that they would pay the difference in price. Zhang Jing was told how much square footage she wanted, whether to stay in the side or in the middle. Zhang Jing remembered that this row of properties had doors on both sides, and the second floor was equivalent to the first. Many people had wanted to use it as a stall. But nothing came of it, and it was sold. It's still quite comfortable to live in, and the floor is raised. She was worried it might crack in the winter.

There were also people looking for the second and third floors in other buildings. Zhang Jing asked around and they all looked pretty much the same. The difference was between 50,000 and 80,000 yuan, so many people simply opted for the fifth and sixth floors.

The manager explained that the entire building was heated geothermally, so frost cracking wouldn't be an issue. The compensation would be 32 to yuan, depending on the difference in area. Upon hearing this, her mother immediately said she'd rather take the fifth floor. Zhang Jing finally asked, "How much will the compensation be if we don't move back?" The manager calculated and quoted yuan. Zhang Jing said she needed to think about it, but the manager said she had to choose quickly, as it would be sold out if she delayed. She left her phone number and went home with her mother to discuss the matter.

Zhang Jing still prefers the second floor, saying she doesn't want to climb stairs when she's old. A smaller apartment would be more comfortable for a smaller fee, and would also allow for quicker ambulance access if she's hospitalized. Don't be tempted by small savings; right now, it's just a matter of deciding which floor to choose.

The mother said many of her coworkers lived in the complex, so she could buy a second or third floor apartment, but she was worried about dampness. A house too high wouldn't be accessible. Zhang Jing complained about the small amount of compensation, but the old lady glared at her and said, "Don't be ungrateful. How much did you spend on your house? You can't ask for compensation, you can only ask for the house! Otherwise, how would I save my face if others found out?"

Zhang Jing explained that when she bought the house, she paid for it and paid a high price. She can't claim she got a bargain just because it's being demolished. Information asymmetry is a gamble. There's no way around it. If you didn't buy Aunt Tian's, you would have bought someone else's. Back then, she thought it was too expensive and felt foolish. Now that she's reaping the benefits, she has no need to feel guilty.

Mother sighed, "I can't argue with you, but luckily your Aunt Tian also bought a building there, but it's on the sixth floor, and I don't want to live that high up in the future. Your Aunt Chen also bought the sixth floor, but she didn't have enough money, so she borrowed some from me."

Zhang Jing blamed her mother for lending money to others without permission. She always refused to listen. "Have you forgotten your previous lesson? You can't eat, can't sleep, and are getting angry all the time. Why aren't you afraid?" The old lady explained, "They've already paid it back! Your mother isn't that stupid. I only lend to a few people I know well. I've borrowed from them before. Everyone has hard times, so help them when you can." Zhang Jing sighed, "Don't have any financial dealings with Aunt Hu's daughter-in-law you're talking about!"

"No, I lent it to her twice before. She paid it back both times. I did it for your Aunt Hu's sake. After all, we worked together for many years. Xiaofen is always polite when we meet. Why do you have such a prejudice against her?" The mother couldn't help asking.

Zhang Jing had a nagging feeling that Xiaofen wasn't a good person. The couple hired people for private work and refused to pay the debt collectors. Their home was vandalized, and they were arrested, only to have their parents-in-law bail them out. They forced her parents-in-law to use their pensions to pay off the debts, while her father-in-law still had to work to support the family.

"People with bad character are not worth helping. Be careful. If you dare to lend her money and she doesn't pay it back, will you ask Aunt Hu for it? Or do you not intend to ask for it? Just say you don't have it. If you ask, it's for the shop and my son's wedding. I still owe money."

"Okay, okay, I won't borrow anymore." Seeing her mother had truly listened, Zhang Jing asked about the house A-Yan had sold her. Her mother said it was also being demolished, but the developer was different. "Your Aunt Hua and the others have started signing, too. You should go check it out. There's a house over there that might be okay, too."

Zhang Jing said, "I'll go tomorrow. I'll contact my classmates first to clarify." Zhang Jing felt exhausted from worrying, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't rest easy until the house was settled. Being the eldest daughter meant she was destined to have a hard time.

Liu Xiaoping was delighted to receive Zhang Jing's call and asked her when she had arrived. After a brief chat, Liu Xiaoping suggested inviting her classmates to a get-together. Zhang Jing replied, "Of course we'll have a dinner. Right now, the main issue is the demolition of the house. The house I bought for A-Yan is also within the demolition area, so you know what's going on."

Liu Xiaoping said, "You got a great deal back then. If I had known I would have bought it. It's the bank president's house, and it's large. With this demolition, I can at least get two houses. One for your brother and one for you. How great!"

Zhang Jing asked where the sales office was and decided to go check it out. Liu Xiaoping asked, "Do you want me to go with you to give you some courage?" Zhang Jing replied, "No, I don't fight. I'll treat everyone to dinner once I'm done."

The two hung up the phone happily. Zhang Jing prepared the information and prepared to go there in the afternoon.

Aunt Chen came to visit, "Xiao Jing, you're back? When did you come back?" Zhang Jing hurriedly let her in and talked about buying a house. Aunt Chen said, "Xiao Jing, your mother and I are old sisters, and we are both very good. You might as well buy a house for your mother in our community. There are many acquaintances there, and it is convenient for me to visit. If your mother needs to buy anything, I will take care of it. You can rest assured that you don't come back, right?"

Zhang Jing said, "Aunt Chen, I have the same idea and am currently looking for a building. I want to buy a second-floor apartment, which will cost me 5 to 8 yuan. I'm not sure which one to choose, but I'm interested in the second-floor apartment near the north gate. It has doors on both sides and steps."

"Xiao Jing, you have a good eye. I had my eye on that place too, but my son refused. We didn't have enough money, so we bought this sixth floor. We borrowed money from your mother and just paid it back not long ago. If you want to buy that place and don't have enough money, just let me know. Your Aunt Chen can definitely come up with an extra 6 or . We get along like family, and we can look after each other in the future."

Zhang Jing nodded in agreement, thanking Aunt Chen for her kindness. Her mother also brightened up. "A distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor. Your Aunt Chen, Aunt Tian, ​​Aunt Li, the two Aunt Lius, and Aunt Fang all come to see me often. That's why I can't bear to leave."

Aunt Chen said, "Xiao Jing, have you found a partner? If not, come back. Home is better than outside anyway." Zhang Jing felt bitter, but smiled. "Aunt Chen, I bought a house in Shenzhen. It has three bedrooms and a living room. You can come over here with my mom for the winter, and I'll show you around."

Aunt Chen said happily, "Okay, it's settled! I'll definitely go. Even if your mom doesn't want to go, I'll drag her along. Big cities are so nice. Let's enjoy Xiaojing's happiness and go see the world."

Zhang Jing finally realized that it wasn't that the old woman didn't want to leave her hometown. She was afraid of burdening her children. She couldn't bear to see any of them in poverty. Killing the rich to help the poor would only turn the children against each other, and those helped wouldn't be grateful.

In her previous life, she was killed to become rich, and Zhang Xiaobing was helped to become poor. If she had two children, one poor and one rich, Zhang Jing asked herself, she would do the same.

At this moment, she understood her mother and let go of the entanglement of her past life. She and her mother were like two hedgehogs that could not hug each other, so they just had to keep a safe distance.