Rebirth and making money first

When my mother heard that she could try them on, she was also a little tempted. But she regretted that she didn't have pierced ears. Zhang Jing suggested that she wear the gold necklace and gold bracelet to sleep, "Let's go out in fine clothes at night!" The old lady refused. "If you wear them, they won't be new anymore. What if your sister-in-law knows and doesn't like it?" Zhang Jing was convinced by her mother's train of thought, "If you don't say it and I don't say it, who will know? Besides, this jewelry must have been tried on before, so why can't you wear it? You don't have pierced ears, so you don't have to try the earrings on. Let me try them on. Wear them to sleep tonight."

The mother and daughter decided to follow Zhang Jing's advice and try to get some of the good fortune. Zhang Jing donned gold earrings, and her mother donned gold bracelets and necklaces. They placed gold bars and bricks under their pillows, ready for a golden night's sleep. Zhang Jing lay down and fell asleep, half awake and half asleep, always feeling her mother's stirring disturbing her dreams. She kept thinking to herself, "It's normal for my mother to be so excited and unable to sleep."

When Zhang Jing was woken by her mother, she realized it was just dawn. She looked at her mother in confusion. Her mother said, "Hurry up and get your things ready. I'll go light a fire and burn the books." Zhang Jing sighed and said, "Mom, can you please not be so nervous?"

"No, you know I haven't slept all night. Hurry up and put your things away. I didn't even dare to open the door." Zhang Jing got up and packed up, helping her mother take off her necklace and bracelet, wiping them and putting them away along with her gold earrings. "Mom, don't give them all to your daughter-in-law at once. Keep some for the bottom of your box. If it doesn't work out, I'll take them all and sell them to someone else, and then we can buy new ones. What do you think?"

"Not so good! I know what to do. Remember to keep it a secret and don't tell Zhang Zhi or your brother. I don't care about what's in your hands. It's yours. Don't worry about it."

"Mom, can I exchange the gold bars for your gold bracelet? I like that style too. Then let your son exchange the gold bars for a new style!" Zhang Jing made another suggestion, but her mother still refused. "Don't even think about it!" Zhang Jing was relieved when she saw her mother relax.

After packing up her things, Zhang Jing got up, washed up, and prepared to go buy breakfast. She even suggested that her mother burn the books tomorrow. The old lady thought about it and agreed. She was about to go to the market to buy groceries, and Zhang Jing suggested they go out for breakfast together. Afterward, she could help carry the groceries back.

After breakfast, the mother and daughter arrived at the market. It wasn't big, but it was quite busy. Familiar people were greeting each other, and Zhang Jing also called out to people she knew. Her mother was responsible for introducing people she didn't know.

Suddenly, she spotted her childhood neighbor, an uncle, shopping with his wife. Seeing the mother and daughter greeting each other affectionately, Zhang Jing remembered how she often visited their home to see their daughter when she was little. Babies are incredibly attractive to children. Zhang Jing pressed them, "Where's Nana? How's she?"

Nana's parents laughed and said, "This child still remembers Nana. Nana has grown up and married, but she moved to Wuhan. We just came back from her home, and she gave birth to a daughter." Zhang Jing still remembers the chubby little girl. When she was little, her grandmother couldn't hold her and always put her in a crib. The old lady couldn't stand her crying, so the children went to play with Nana, and she welcomed it.

Zhang Jing expressed regret at not being able to see Nana and asked her parents to convey her regards. Nana's mother asked, "Nana, you don't even remember who you are?" Zhang Jing replied, "I remember, that's all. I still remember the nursery rhyme Nana sang—Tintin said he was a little painter, with a bunch of colored chalks, and he drew ducks with pouting mouths and geese that quacked..."

Zhang Jing saw tears welling up in Nana's mother's eyes, but she smiled at her. Nana's father also nodded sincerely. They were touched by Zhang Jing's memories of their daughter's childhood, and even her mother was surprised by Zhang Jing's memory.

Looking at the backs of Nana's parents as they walked away with satisfaction, her mother said, "The couple can still be together thanks to Nana's mother's generosity." Zhang Jing knew that her mother was talking about the incident in the early years when Nana's father had an affair with a woman, and that woman had been associating with Nana's mother as a close friend.

Every time, the woman would come over to Nana's house while her mother was away to have sex with her father. The most bizarre thing was that Nana's grandmother would keep watch, making Nana cry and alerting her whenever something happened. Nana's mother, after get off work, would even play badminton with her, while Nana's father would cook for the two women! Zhang Jing guessed that Nana's mother must have thought she was the happiest woman in the world.

Grandma Nana contracted tuberculosis, and no one wanted to care for her before she died. Nana's mother took care of her without complaint, and the old lady was moved and felt guilty, feeling sorry for her daughter-in-law. She told Nana's mother the truth, and she burst into tears. After the old lady died, she was unable to recover for a long time. But as a mother, she was strong.

She confronted her husband and asked him how he would handle the situation. In the end, Nana's father chose to return to the family. Nana's mother, a teacher, had supported Nana with her own forbearance. Her current pension was significantly higher than her husband's corporate pension. Seeing how carefully Nana's father cared for his wife, Zhang Jing knew this wasn't some prodigal son returning to the right path.

What sustains a relationship is always an exchange of interests! This applies to all walks of life, from relationships to marriages. Comparing my relationship with Aaron's, it's no wonder it couldn't continue.

After returning home, Zhang Jing rested for a while. Seeing that it was time, she took her property certificate, ID card, and building keys and rushed to the demolition center. She hoped to complete all the procedures smoothly today.

The staff member, aware of Zhang Jing's purpose, immediately went to inspect her property. Zhang Jing, along with two staff members, met a woman on the way. Although older, Zhang Jing recognized her as a coworker in her mother's workshop. She tried to pretend they didn't know each other and go her separate ways, but she stopped Zhang Jing and introduced her parents' names.

Zhang Jing asked calmly, "Excuse me, who are you? We don't know each other, do we? What can I do for you?"

"This kid has grown up and doesn't recognize his old colleagues anymore. Have you forgotten that you and I worked in the same workshop? Your father was an adulterer and kept arguing with your mother about divorce. In the end, he divorced you and left you to go with that woman. You were so pitiful back then!"

"What's the matter?" Zhang Jing felt uncomfortable when she saw the staff looking at her with gossipy expressions.

"Nothing, my house is being demolished, and I'm here to choose a house. Are you also buying in this neighborhood? We can be neighbors in the future!" Seeing the woman's arrogant look, Zhang Jing didn't intend to pay attention to her and turned to leave. But she stopped Zhang Jing, "Don't leave in a hurry. Your father took that woman and her son away. What happened to the child? Did your father treat the child better than he treated you?"

Zhang Jing couldn't help herself. She turned around and looked at the old lady carefully. "Auntie, I remember who you are! You're the daughter they talked about, who was abused by her own father! I heard that all your sisters refused to let your father come to their house, and your family chose to keep quiet and not call the police. They even brought you here to marry a poor, ugly man. He despised you because your own father had sex with you, and he couldn't get over it. He beat and scolded you, and even abused you after you gave birth to a daughter. What right did he have? At the time, all the workers in the factory privately sympathized with you. You didn't do anything wrong. The fault was those worse-than-pigs and dogs. But now it seems that you're doing well. You know how to take the initiative to communicate with people, that's the way it should be. I heard that your husband had a stroke and can't leave him, and he can't abuse you anymore. You've finally found happiness after all the hardships. Actually, your past doesn't seem like a big deal now. I have things to do, and there will be plenty of opportunities to talk. Maybe we can really be neighbors. Which unit and room is your house in? I want to see if the house next door has been sold."

The woman's face paled as soon as Zhang Jing opened her mouth, and she couldn't make a sound. Finally, her face turned pale and she fled. Zhang Jing turned to the staff and said with a smile, "Let's go, let's check the house quickly. I don't want to run into any more acquaintances. It would be so tedious to deal with them all."

The two staff members exchanged glances and instantly understood what Zhang Jing meant. The rest of the paperwork went through very quickly, and Zhang Jing only had to wait for the money to arrive. With some free time, she naturally went to the internet cafe again, and upon entering, she saw someone she knew.

"Brother Li, why are you here too?"