Rebirth and making money first

After three days of rest, Zhang Jing finally recovered. Then, she discovered the substantial compensation had been successfully deposited into her bank account. Meanwhile, A Yan, far away from home, received news from her classmates and learned of the incident. She eagerly called Zhang Jing to confirm the situation.

A Yan's voice on the other end of the phone was excited: "Jingjing, I heard that your family received compensation for the demolition? This is great news!"

Zhang Jing replied calmly, "Yes, I did receive it."

A Yan then asked: "How much money can you get?"

Zhang Jing smiled and said calmly, "It's enough for me to buy a new house and renovate it."

Hearing this, A Yan couldn't help but sigh, "Wow, that's a lot! But it makes sense, after all, your old house is quite large." Then, she asked with concern, "By the way, what are you going to do with this money?"

Zhang Jing thought for a moment and said, "Well... I'm planning to move to a lower-floor apartment so my mother can live more comfortably. I'll use this as her pension."

Ah Yan was filled with envy after hearing this: "Oh, you're so filial! If I had such a large sum of money, I would definitely treat my parents well." After a pause, she added: "In fact, I kind of regret selling that house. If I hadn't sold it, I would have received a lot of compensation now."

Zhang Jing comforted her, saying, "It's all in the past. Don't dwell on it too much. Besides, you got a pretty good price when you sold it."

A Yan sighed helplessly, "Oh, I know, but my mom always complains that I lost money selling it. Now that the house prices have risen so much, I feel even worse."

Zhang Jing smiled and said, "Old people always like to nag. But it's good like this now. You see, we all have our own little lives to live."

A Yan suddenly changed the subject: "Oh, Jingjing, I remembered something. Do you remember Liu Xiaoping? She always wanted to buy my house. She even said that if I sold it to her, she would give me half of the compensation when it was demolished."

Zhang Jing felt a little unhappy, but she still responded politely: "Oh? Really? But since the house has been sold to me, this has nothing to do with her."

Ah Yan continued, "I think so too, but she always thinks I should have sold it to her in the first place, otherwise she would definitely not treat me unfairly."

Zhang Jing couldn't help but laugh out loud: "Haha, she's dreaming. But things like this are never so certain. Even if you sell it to her, you may not get the money she promised."

Ah Yan nodded. "I thought so too, that's why I decided to sell it to you. Although it seems that I may have missed some opportunities now, at least I didn't lose money, so it can be considered a gain."

Zhang Jing replied, "Yes, as a person, you should learn to be content with what you have. And I think you're doing well now, so there's no need to dwell on the past."

A Yan said with emotion, "That's true. Let bygones be bygones. But having said that, this demolition compensation is indeed a windfall for you. I hope you can use it well and live a happy and fulfilling life."

Zhang Jing smiled and replied, "Thank you, I will."

Zhang Jing fell into deep thought. She knew Ah Yan's true intention in calling—she simply wanted a piece of her profits. But Zhang Jing wasn't one to compromise easily. She knew that when it came to money, people's greed would often be exposed. However, faced with such a friend, she could only remain silent and ignore her unreasonable demands.

"Ayan, sometimes people have to accept their fate. It's hard to get even a liter of something when you're destined to be rich. You've been able to manage things since you were young. Even if you didn't have this income, you could still work hard in other fields. But I grew up in a difficult environment and I haven't achieved much in my life. I can spend all my energy to buy your house, which is also to leave a way for myself to settle down. I don't know where my future will go, but I will always be grateful to you. Let's have a good chat when we have the chance to meet. As time goes by, friends tend to drift apart." Zhang Jing thought to herself.

A Yan finally stopped talking, saying only that Zhang Jing owed her a meal and that she would definitely go back for it when she had the chance. Zhang Jing smiled and agreed. Knowing that Zhang Jing wouldn't bother asking for compensation anymore, she pretended to ask her casually who had told her about the demolition compensation. A Yan said it was her classmate Liu Xiaoping. Liu Xiaoping had always blamed A Yan for not selling her the house, otherwise she would have given A Yan more money. "Do you believe that?" Zhang Jing asked, suddenly feeling reluctant to speak.

She transferred 2000 yuan to Ayan, leaving a message saying, "I can't treat you to a meal, so you're free to choose what to eat. May that girl who never stops striving always be full of energy!" Ayan confiscated the money and replied to Zhang Jing, "Want to skip a meal? Don't try to bribe me. If you get a chance to come to Xinjiang, I'll treat you to some local specialties, and we old classmates can have a good drink!" Zhang Jing replied, "Of course I'll go. If you dare to disown an old friend, I won't let you off. Remember to prepare Korean kimchi. I've tried so many places, and yours is still the best!"

The two seemed to have returned to their childhood, reminding each other to take care of themselves, then they laughed and scolded each other and hung up.

Zhang Jing knew the money would attract a lot of attention, so she planned to leave as soon as she paid the down payment. Her mother agreed, and they went to the real estate agency together to confirm the payment and obtain the receipt. They would only wait until the house was delivered before renovating. When she inquired about the timeline, it turned out to be about two years. Zhang Jing reassured her mother to wait patiently.

After returning home, Zhang Jing packed her luggage and prepared to buy a ticket. Considering that the gold was in her luggage, Zhang Jing called Zhang Yongle. "Hey, Xiao Jing, you were willing to call me? Are you back?"

"Book your tickets right away. I need to consult you about something," Zhang Jing said. "I'll bring you some wood ear mushrooms, a local specialty. Do you want some ginseng?"

"Hahaha, Xiao Jing, wood ear mushrooms are fine, but how can I afford ginseng? Just say it if you have something to say. Why are you beating around the bush with your brother?"

"I think it's really good. Artificially grown ginseng, 7 or 8 years old, small ones are 30 yuan each, and large ones are 35, 40, and 55 yuan each. Ginseng roots are 10 yuan per pound, you can add one root to noodles, it won't make your nose bleed, but it can also replenish your energy. Bring some of this to your godfather, who knows? It might even help him have a child in his old age! If you don't want it, forget it."

Zhang Yongle was anxious. "Xiao Jing, you have a grudge against your brother, right?" Zhang Jing laughed and said, "You can't even take a joke? You really don't know how to be funny."

"Enough of the nonsense, here's what happened." Zhang Jing discovered gold in her house and suspected it was bribery. She recounted the story, saying she wanted to take it to Shenzhen for safekeeping but was afraid of the risks. Zhang Yongle praised her luck and told her not to worry. No one would care, and once the house was demolished, there would be no further investigation.

As for bringing the gold through Shenzhen, he suggested she take a sleeper train, where security checks were less stringent. Upon returning to Shenzhen, Zhang Yongle found a way to exchange it for bank-issued gold bars.

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Jing went to the station to buy a ticket. She even chose a sleeper berth, the upper berth for the long-distance trip to Shenzhen, which was safer.

Zhang Jing's mother was upset when she learned she was leaving. Zhang Jing consoled her by saying she would return to renovate the house once it was built and that she had gold to sell. Thinking of this, her mother immediately agreed to let Zhang Jing leave as soon as possible.

"Mom, if anyone asks about the demolition compensation, just tell them I won't tell you. If they ask again, just say I bought the house alone and I'm not allowed to ask about it now. I'm afraid the person who wants to borrow money will come up and I won't be able to refuse. The news of my departure must be kept secret."

The old lady said, "I know, your mother is not stupid."

Zhang Jing took out another 10 yuan in cash and gave it to her mother. "Mom, keep this money for emergencies. Don't let anyone know about it and lend it to others. I won't be back anytime soon, and I need to buy another house in Shenzhen. The old one is waiting to be demolished."

Her mother nodded in agreement. Zhang Jing then handed Aunt Chen's 10,000 yuan and Aunt Liu's 30,000 yuan to her mother, instructing her, "I'll pay them back in a few days after I get on the train. Just say they laid off employees and urgently want me back. I paid for the house with my relocation compensation."

After her mother agreed, Zhang Jing again explained the consequences of not exposing the jewelry. She was told to exchange it for a new model somewhere else before giving it to Zhang Xiaobing, and that she must not tell her brother about the gold jewelry she took away. Otherwise, the family would be in turmoil. The old lady disagreed.

"Mom, if you don't listen to me and let him know and make a fuss, I won't admit anything happened. I've given him enough. You can't rely on him for your retirement, and you can't be sure if he's forgotten about me after getting married."

My mother said angrily, "He dares? Stop overthinking it all the time. Getting married quickly is better than anything else!"