Rebirth and making money first

The mother borrowed money from all her friends, thinking she could quickly gather the 7 yuan. She even assured Zhang Jing, "Your Aunt Liu alone can come up with half of it. Do you believe it?"

Zhang Jing just smiled and went out to buy groceries, leaving her mother to go out and do her thing. Zhang Zhi called to ask about the situation at home, saying that she was too busy to handle it alone, and had asked her hometown to send a nanny to help take care of the children. Zhang Jing knew that it was the daughter-in-law of her eldest aunt, but she didn't say anything. She didn't want to meddle in other people's business right now. It was Zhang Zhi's business whether she wanted to interact with her father. As long as it didn't bother her mother, Zhang Jing would turn a blind eye.

A Long called to ask when Zhang Jing would return to Shenzhen, saying he missed her. Zhang Jing said impatiently, "I'm not your wife, why should I miss you?" A Long angrily questioned Zhang Jing, "Why do you have to talk like that?" Zhang Jing replied calmly, "My family matters won't be resolved so quickly. It will take about a week. Don't keep pushing me. Just do what needs to be done." Then she hung up the phone.

The two parted on bad terms, but Zhang Jing didn't take it seriously. She knew that A-Long would come back to her next time and pretend to have forgotten everything and start over. Zhang Jing couldn't figure out whether this man was just too open-minded or just didn't remember. It was puzzling to Zhang Jing, and she honestly couldn't do that, which she admired A-Long for.

Zhang Jing received an invitation to a class reunion. She made an appointment with Liu Xiaoping that Liu Xiaoping would come to find her and they would go to the class reunion together. Liu Xiaoping also told Zhang Jing: "You just came back, so let's treat this as a welcome party for you!" Zhang Jing was a little embarrassed when she heard this and said: "How can this be? I can't let you pay for my meal!" Liu Xiaoping smiled and replied: "Why not? We have already discussed that the cost of this party will be shared by all the classmates present. This way no one will feel it is unfair!" Zhang Jing still shook her head to refuse, insisting on paying for it herself, and emphasized: "I don't need this little money for the meal!" Liu Xiaoping quickly explained: "This is the rule we all set together. Don't let your classmates down!"

Zhang Jing thought about it and decided to wait and see what happened that evening. If she really needed to pay, she would still be willing to do so, but if her classmates insisted on not letting her pay, she couldn't refuse. So she thanked Liu Xiaoping and hung up the phone.

Before noon, Zhang Jing's mother returned home. She had gone out looking for someone to borrow money, and after much effort, she finally found three willing lenders. Two of her fellow villagers lent her 2 yuan and 2 yuan respectively, while Aunt Chen helped to scrape together the remaining 5 yuan. Aunt Chen herself had only 1 yuan to spend.

My mother was filled with emotion: "It's the sisters who are helping her the most." She told Zhang Jing to stop giving bad advice and that she would definitely help the sisters if they were in trouble. "Human relationships are about give and take. It takes three to make a hero, and no one can rely on themselves without others!"

The old lady opened a drawer and pulled out a passbook and ID card, handing them to Zhang Jing. "This is my salary card and ID card. The password is my birthday. Go to the bank and withdraw all the money. Let's get the down payment together first, pay the deposit as soon as possible, and book this house."

Zhang Jing took the passbook, glanced at the number on it, and shook her head. "How can this amount of money be enough? No, I'd better find a way myself." The old lady said, "Why are you so anxious? I still have a fixed deposit. I don't want the interest on it yet, so I can withdraw it as well."

"Mom, don't worry. I still have some savings, so I should be able to make up the difference. And my friends have agreed to lend me some money, so it will be enough when they send it to me. Besides, you should keep that little pension money for yourself. How can we, as your children, use your savings?" Zhang Jing quickly grabbed her mother and comforted her.

"Xiao Jing, Mom knows you are filial, but the situation is urgent now. We have to decide on a house as soon as possible. Don't worry, this money is just a temporary loan. You can pay it back to me when you have enough money." Zhang Jing's mother insisted on using her own savings.

Zhang Jing smiled helplessly: "Okay, since you said so, then I'll listen to you. But you have to think carefully, if you really use your savings, what if you need money for a headache or fever in the future?"

"Oh, Xiaojing, you don't have to worry about this. Your mother is in good health, how could she be sick? Even if there is, don't we have medical insurance?" Zhang Jing's mother patted her daughter's hand to show that there was nothing wrong with her.

"Mom, you can't take it lightly. People eat all kinds of grains, so it's inevitable that they will get sick. You are old, and your body functions are definitely not as good as before. You must pay attention to maintenance." Zhang Jing reminded her with concern.

"I know, I know. How come you are more nagging than me? By the way, I have already greeted your aunts, and they all said they will send the money as soon as possible." Zhang Jing's mother changed the subject and talked about raising money.

"Really? That's great! Mom, you are so amazing. You can find so many people to help so quickly." Zhang Jing said in surprise.

"Well, of course. Your mother is popular, and these old ladies are happy to help. And I've already made an agreement with them that I'll charge them interest when they pay me back, so they won't suffer any loss." The old lady said, "You can't let me down at this critical moment!"

After Aunt Chen gave her 10,000 yuan, Zhang Jing said gratefully, "Aunt Chen, you're really a timely help! If you have any difficulties in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. Our two families should help each other on a daily basis."

Aunt Chen smiled and replied, "I agree with that. By the way, how much can you borrow from Aunt Liu?" Zhang Jing's mother answered truthfully, "Twenty-five thousand."

Hearing this figure, Aunt Chen was immediately furious. "I'm telling you, your Aunt Liu's family has plenty of money. She can definitely come up with 50,000 yuan! She's just stingy, but 25,000 yuan is already her limit. I bet she won't be able to sleep tonight. Just watch if you don't believe me."

Zhang Jing's mother quickly explained, "Those who can lend us money are good friends. We can't expect them to give us all their savings. We'll try to pay it back within a month. After all, everyone needs money. This is just a temporary solution. We're worried that after we choose a house, someone else will grab it."

At this time, Aunt Liu's daughter hurried over to give her the money and said, "I asked my mother to lend you 30,000 yuan. I'll add 5,000 yuan to make it an even number so we can keep track of the total. You guys count it, and I, Aunt Chen, can be a witness." Aunt Chen immediately said, "Okay, I'll count the money too, so we can testify against each other."

Zhang Jing immediately started counting the money, checking the authenticity of the bills. Everyone held their breath and watched Zhang Jing count the money. Zhang Jing had worked as a salesperson for several years, so she was naturally familiar with counting money. Not only was she fast, but she was also accurate, which amazed everyone. Even Aunt Liu's daughter couldn't help but sigh, "I'm really impressed. My sister Jing is really amazing!"

As Zhang Jing counted the money, she said, "Let me write you an IOU. I'll pay you back in about a week. Do you want cash or deposit?" They both agreed that either option was fine, ultimately deciding that cash was more convenient. Of course, they didn't ask for an IOU, nor did they ask for interest. They simply said they would testify for each other and that they trusted the character of Zhang Jing and her mother.

This was how ordinary people borrowed money from each other, a promise based entirely on one's reputation and character. Zhang Jing locked the borrowed money in her suitcase. She had no plans to spend it, intending to return it intact when the time came. After all, it was someone's hard-earned money, and it couldn't be touched lightly. If they didn't want interest, they could treat everyone to a meal at the restaurant.

Aunt Fang didn't show up all afternoon. Her mother said it might not be convenient and that she might send it tomorrow. Zhang Jing remained noncommittal. She didn't believe the relationship between the two families was close enough to warrant a loan. Although they were from the same hometown, the men from the two families had once been comrades in arms and had joked about becoming in-laws. With Zhang Jing's parents' divorce, they no longer mentioned it, though they still kept in touch.

My mother still visited his family every Lunar New Year, treating them like her brother and sister-in-law. It never occurred to me that their affection had long since faded. Zhang Jing would fly into a rage whenever she mentioned her mother. Later, I gradually understood her. She feared being bullied as a single parent, so she kept close to a few people from her hometown. The locals in Northeast China simply didn't accept them, and the insecurity caused by the regional differences made her mother anxious.

The class reunion was scheduled for 6:5 PM, and at : PM, Liu Xiaoping came to see Zhang Jing. Her mother instructed her: "No drinking, come home early, and don't stay out all night!" Zhang Jing agreed to all her instructions.

Liu Xiaoping laughed at Zhang Jing, saying that she was still being managed by her mother like a middle school student. Zhang Jing said, "This is what happiness is, don't you understand?" Liu Xiaoping quickly surrendered, "I understand, I understand. I'm envious, okay?"

Seeing Zhang Jing's carefree and silly smile, he pushed her and said, "There's a class reunion tonight, and someone flew back just for you. Do you want to know who it is?"