Rebirth and making money first

Zhang Jing arrived at work early to inform her supervisor of her impending resignation. Entering the office, she ran into Director Chen. Upon seeing Zhang Jing, Director Chen's face showed regret, expressing deep regret for her transfer. Director Chen then quickly handled the relevant paperwork and chatted with Zhang Jing for a while, urging her to visit the company often when she had time.

Zhang Jing then approached Supervisor Sun, who explained that since she'd taken a leave of absence, there wasn't much work to hand over. Suddenly, Ye Xiaoyu, standing nearby, called out, "Jing, you're changing jobs! Don't forget us old colleagues when you become successful!" Zhang Jing smiled, grabbed a few candies, and handed them to Ye Xiaoyu, encouraging her, "Work hard and strive for continuous improvement!" However, looking around, she couldn't find Lin Fei. So, Zhang Jing gave Ye Xiaoyu some candies, asking her to pass them on to Lin Fei, and then turned to look for Alan and the others.

When Zhang Jing found them, they had already checked in. Seeing her, everyone immediately became excited, gathering around to ask where she would be assigned. As Zhang Jing pulled candy and corn from her bag and distributed them to everyone, everyone's face lit up with joy. Even the squad leader seemed especially pleased. He had been worried that Zhang Jing would leave out of anger with him, and now that she had returned, a huge weight of relief finally settled in.

Zhang Jing smiled and told everyone that she would soon be transferred to a nursing home. She also specifically told Alan, Dazhuang, and the squad leader that if they encountered any problems or difficulties, they could call her at any time.

She also expressed her welcome for everyone to visit her home during their downtime. Upon hearing this, Alan quickly responded, "Of course I will, Jing! You should work hard too! Can we visit you at the nursing home?"

Zhang Jing said, "I'll ask the leader and let you know when the time comes. I think it should be possible." Everyone was very happy to hear this. Zhang Jing saw the squad leader looking at her eagerly and told him to remember to call her. The squad leader nodded vigorously and watched her leave.

Zhang Jing quietly packed her lunch box and daily necessities and hurried to the nursing home, ready to report. Deep down, she didn't really have much love for her job. She knew that for the elderly, living in a nursing home was often a matter of necessity.

If she hadn't gotten married and had children, their current situation might have become a reflection of her future. In her previous life, Zhang Jing could never understand why so many elderly people kept saying, "Old people are so pitiful!" Now, after actually starting work at the nursing home, she was determined to delve deeper into the reasons.

Zhang Jing currently works as an assistant, closely studying with Li Xiangyue to fully understand and master the various work processes. The nursing home is comprised of several buildings, each with its own dedicated administrator. If these administrators encounter any difficult problems, they quickly and without hesitation report them to Li Xiangyue.

It is worth mentioning that each administrator manages approximately 20 to 30 caregivers, among whom there are not only male caregivers but also many female caregivers.

While this work isn't inherently complex or arduous—after all, its primary responsibilities are limited to providing the elderly with three meals a day and taking care of their daily needs, among other trivial matters—it can unexpectedly place an unbearable mental burden on those doing it.

Young and well-educated individuals often scoff at such a job. This is partly because they dislike the elderly's constant chatter and lack of attention to personal hygiene; partly because the salary offered is quite low. Consequently, those who ultimately decide to pursue this career are generally women or couples with limited education from mountainous areas like Hunan and Hubei, Guangdong and Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. Through referrals from fellow villagers and the collaborative efforts of relatives and friends, they have collectively supported the vast elderly care industry.

Each building holds a weekly rotating meeting for nursing staff, focusing on service, dedication, treating the elderly with kindness, and rewarding good deeds. They also practice service skills, provide hands-on instruction, and offer one-on-one instruction. What surprised Zhang Jing was that in addition to feeding the injured, changing clothes, and moving the elderly from wheelchairs to beds, they also help the elderly, who can't care for themselves, brush their teeth, change diapers, open suppositories, and manually clean their stools.

Zhang Jing's world is, of course, one of gray and gray. This kind of work isn't for everyone. She also has to let go of her gender barriers and, like a nurse, always remember that she's dealing with a human body, not a man or a woman.

I just came across a complaint about an elderly man who demanded that a caregiver remove his leather gloves while showering him. He also had to use his hands to clean and rub his genitals. The caregiver, a woman in her fifties, refused to compromise her principles, which angered the elderly man, who then went to the hospital office.

Li Xiangyue couldn't calm the old man down, so she called in a male supervisor. Zhang Jing, watching this, wanted to rush over and give the old man two slaps! She'd only been there a short time, but she knew the elderly suffered from many ailments, especially onychomycosis. It was so contagious, many caregivers brought their own leather boots and gloves, fearing they might infect them while showering.

"Although it is hard to make money, health is also important. Once a person is dead, no amount of money will be of any use!" This is also what they often advise each other.

The old man insisted, "I paid her money, so she has to do whatever I ask her to do! Otherwise, my money would have been wasted. My son's money didn't come from the wind!"

Everyone tried to calm the old man down, telling him that this was a new society and that caregivers were human beings too. They couldn't treat them like servants, let alone as non-human beings.

The old man was anxious. "She's a caregiver, a nanny. She gets paid to work, and I have the final say on how she does it. She doesn't respect me and even calls me a hooligan! I'm so old, how could I be a hooligan? She doesn't even look at herself. She's already a grandmother, why is she still pretending to be a chaste woman? I want her to scrub my body right now, and she's not allowed to wear gloves!"

The two sides argued for a long time without any conclusion. Li Xiangyue suggested that the nursing home give in and replace the old man with a male caregiver. The old man refused, "I don't want a male caregiver. Men's rough hands and feet hurt me. Besides, men have bad tempers, I can't stand it." He saw Zhang Jing and suddenly pointed at her and said, "How about giving her to me as a caregiver?"

Seeing the old man's wretched appearance, Zhang Jing was furious. "Old man, you want to be Huang Shiren's father, right?" The male supervisor also explained that Zhang Jing was not a caregiver and could not be assigned to him. The old man simply played dirty and said, "It's up to you. Anyway, I live one day at a time. I won't leave until the problem is solved."

After some discussion, the family finally summoned the elderly man's guardian, his son. Upon explaining the situation, his son felt awkward. He took his father aside and tried to persuade him, but still couldn't change his mind. Having no choice but to seek help from the nursing home, they said they would discharge him if they couldn't meet his father's demands. This was an outcome neither the nursing home nor the elderly man's son wanted.

The pressure was put on the caregiver again, but the old man's son was decisive and promised to increase her salary. He would give her an extra 500 yuan per month, so that she could let go of her shame and satisfy the old man's perverted desires before his death. The caregiver thought about it and agreed.

When I told others about it later, I said it was just like washing dead pork. There was nothing I could do, my family needed money!

Zhang Jing was deeply upset. She said to Li Xiangyue, "Sister-in-law, this is so hard for you! Fortunately, you're being transferred. If you keep doing this job for a long time, anyone would collapse!"

Li Xiangyue smiled tiredly, and suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, your brother and I arranged for you to stay here. We didn't even ask if you like it or if you're willing to do it. It seems this place isn't suitable either. I'll go back and discuss it with your brother, and we'll look for another unit to transfer you to. We'll just do it now, so don't mind what happened today."

Zhang Jing noticed her sister-in-law wasn't feeling well and hurried her to get some rest. She also snuck off to the rooftop to relax. "Elderly care is a social issue, and the silver economy it brings is indeed substantial. But the complications that arise are also manifold."

The scope for elderly care is vast. Regardless of one's pre-retirement occupation, everyone remains the same: an elderly person. The most equitable aspect of this world is that, barring any unexpected event, everyone will age and die. Faced with the impending aging and death, many people are reluctant and dread it. Consequently, responses vary, from those at home to those in nursing homes.

The director said that the most important things in this work are patience and love. Because everyone fears the unknown world after death, companionship in old age is particularly important.