Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing returned home exhausted, her voice hoarse and barely audible, her nose clogged. Her mother, seeing her so exhausted, said, "You must have caught a cold!" She rummaged through the drawers, found some pills, and handed them to Zhang Jing. Her mother continued, "All you do is go out and eat and drink like crazy, and you don't know how to take care of yourself. No matter how close your classmates are, just getting together once is enough. Why do you have to be so close every day? Don't they have families, careers, and children?"

Zhang Jing didn't have the energy to argue, so she could only listen silently to her mother's scolding. Seeing her listless appearance, her mother told her to lie down and rest. After taking the medicine, Zhang Jing quickly fell into a deep sleep, completely unaware that Huang Zhicheng and Lin Binbin had come to see her. They were even harshly scolded by her mother for being ill.

Zhang Jing was awakened by a rapid ringing of the phone. She lay there dazed for a moment, listening until she realized it was Zhang Xiaobing, asking about the family. Upon learning that Zhang Jing had bought another house and garage, Zhang Xiaobing became concerned, fearing his mother would invest all her savings. He kept trying to persuade his mother not to give too much money to Zhang Jing.

"Your daughter-in-law is pregnant now. What if you can't come up with the money? They didn't even ask for a betrothal gift, nor did they let us buy a house. We still live in public housing, which was obtained with the help of her uncle and aunt."

"You know best how much money your mother has! Who am I saving for? You've already settled down in Yunnan. Who can I count on you when I need something? Don't complain about not having enough money for the betrothal gifts or buying a house. I've done my best to raise the three of you. If you're still not satisfied, there's nothing I can do. After all, you all went out to work, and the only one willing to come home and buy a house was your eldest sister. I didn't force any of you."

Zhang Xiaobing said, "Okay, let me be frank. I want you to save some money so you don't get sold out and then have to help others count the money! The house needs to be in your name, and you paid for it, too."

My mother said, "How much money do I have? We agreed to give it to her first and then pay her back when the demolition compensation arrives. Besides, you guys will need a place to live when you come back later!"

Zhang Xiaobing shook his head helplessly. He knew his mother's character. Once she made a decision, it was hard to change it. He could only hope that everything went well and that nothing unexpected would happen. After all, this not only concerned their family, but also his unborn child.

Zhang Xiaobing thought of his mother, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart. He knew that his mother had always worked hard and sacrificed a lot for the family. But sometimes, his mother's thoughts and actions made him feel confused and helpless. He sighed and said to his mother, "Mom, I'm just worried that you will get hurt. I hope you can think more about yourself and not always put others first."

After hearing what Zhang Xiaobing said, his mother was silent for a moment, then said, "Xiaobing, I know you're doing this for my own good, but I believe they wouldn't lie to me. Besides, I also hope that our family can live in harmony and get through this difficult time together."

Zhang Xiaobing nodded. He understood his mother's intentions. Although he was worried about the future, he chose to trust his mother's judgment. He said, "Okay, Mom, I respect your decision. But if you really encounter any problems one day, please tell me and I will do my best to help you."

His mother smiled and praised Xiaobing, saying that he was a filial son who treated her well. Zhang Xiaobing knew that no matter what, he would do his best to protect his family's happiness and safety.

Zhang Xiaobing said, "Also, Mom, please be careful. This is yours. There's nothing wrong with writing your name on it. If Yunnan doesn't develop well in the future, the three of us won't have to live under someone else's roof when we go back."

Zhang Jing listened to the interaction between the mother and the daughter, and lamented that it was no wonder that in her past life, she was so easily taken advantage of by her mother, while her mother was so captivated by her brother's big pie. Now that they were openly trying to rob her, she would not compromise. She would give what she deserved and withhold what she shouldn't.

The noise of her getting up startled both parties on the call, and the mother and son quickly hung up the phone in unison. The mother asked Zhang Jing how she was feeling while serving her some porridge and pickles. "Eat some sick food to help with your cold."

Zhang Jing drank a glass of warm water and slowly ate her porridge. Feeling refreshed, her mother asked her to eat and take her medicine again, then go back to sleep. She proudly told Zhang Jing, "I scolded your classmate and he left. We won't be together anymore anyway."

Zhang Jing only then realized that Huang Zhicheng and Lin Binbin had been there. "They said you almost killed a classmate with scissors over a trivial matter. What happened? I believe you and I scolded them, but I'm still unsure. Tell me what happened."

Zhang Jing said weakly, "I went in the water and when I got out I felt cold. So I just lay on someone's warm kang to warm myself up. Some of my classmates were chatting, some were fishing, and someone else cut up watermelon and asked everyone to eat." She got up and went to eat some watermelon. A female classmate had a mentally retarded son, about four or five years old. While the female classmate was chatting outside, her son asked for water. She asked the child to come inside and ask for some.

At the time, Huang Zhicheng, the big guy, and I were eating watermelon. Everyone else had either finished or wasted more. Cutting too much watermelon was a waste, and since the three of us were busy trying to consume it, we were afraid it would go bad if we didn't finish it. The big guy even deliberately offered the half-eaten watermelon to the child, but the child refused, saying he wanted water instead. Huang Zhicheng and Zhang Jing scolded the big guy for being so unkind. They were all classmates, and instead of showing him some mercy, he was bullying them.

Zhang Jing went outside and called to the child's mother to get some water, hoping she would pay attention to her son. She called three times, but she ignored her and continued chatting away. Zhang Jing wasn't good at childcare, and finding it cumbersome, she had no choice but to pour water for the child. But the kettle wasn't full; the host had just cooked some watermelon. She poured out the bottom of two kettles before she could even fill a cup, and the child finished and left.

Zhang Jing ate her watermelon and wanted to lie down for a while. Just then, someone outside shouted that a big fish had been caught. Huang Zhicheng and Da Ge joined them to see what was happening. Zhang Jing returned to her room and passed by the child and his mother playing. She asked her why she didn't respond. Didn't she know her son wanted some water?

She asked Zhang Jing, "According to seniority, the child calls you aunt. It shouldn't be difficult for you to pour him a glass of water. Why did you call me? Now that I'm not there, he's getting water, right?" Zhang Jing was furious. She said she had never seen such a careless mother who didn't care about her own child. She didn't even know her child was being bullied.

The two parted on bad terms. Zhang Jing didn't have the energy to argue and simply lay down on the still-warm kang. The older wife and a female classmate sat nearby, chatting.

Until the fat man came in, he looked at Zhang Jing with disgust. This man was also Zhang Jing's classmate. He had disliked Zhang Jing since school, and even more so when he grew up, he hated her lack of love. When he saw Zhang Jing this time, he thought it was a good opportunity for revenge and wanted to take the opportunity to bully her.

The fat man taunted Zhang Jing, accusing her of doing nothing but waiting for food all day. He thought Zhang Jing was always making excuses for feeling uncomfortable and lying on the kang, which was really just laziness. He insisted on dragging Zhang Jing out to work, and Zhang Jing, driven to desperation, grabbed a pair of scissors to prevent him from hitting her.

Upon hearing this, the old lady stamped her feet in anger. She angrily demanded that Zhang Jing's classmates, after graduation, have no further contact, and that they should not be contacted in the future. Zhang Jing thought for a moment and nodded in agreement. She realized that she could no longer communicate with her classmates from her hometown; their living conditions had prevented them from observing the changes in the outside world. This was simply the changing times, not individual will. So, Zhang Jing decided not to have any further close contact with them.

Zhang Jing took her medicine and went back to sleep. When she woke up, she received a call from Lin Binbin, who asked if she was feeling better. He said that the classmates were all worried about her, and finally changed the subject. The main idea was: let Zhang Jing apologize to the fat classmate!

"They're having a party in the city, and after that everyone's going back home. We locals are the hosts, so we should be polite to our guests. To avoid any regrets, why don't you make a sacrifice and apologize?" Zhang Jing heard this and said, "I'm not going. It's not like I caused any trouble! Don't wait any longer, just say I'm dead!"

Lin Binbin had just hung up when Huang Zhicheng called. "You're making it hard for me to be human! We can't talk to each other anymore. Aren't you just embarrassing me?" Zhang Jing couldn't help herself. She said she wouldn't apologize. "We're just classmates. Don't be so open with me. Let's keep our friendship going. I've been busy lately, so don't think of me if you have any gatherings!"