Rebirth: Making a Fortune in Ancient Times

The oxcart slowly made its way back along the road it had come from. Although it was only March, the sun was shining brightly, and Jinghe felt warm and cozy in the sun. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep in Liu's arms.

Jinghe felt as if she had returned to her past life, standing on a bustling street with cars whizzing by. She drifted to the spot where she had bungee jumped in her past life, only to find that the once crowded place was now nearly deserted. Suddenly, she noticed a white banner with black lettering on the entrance, which read: "Heartless scenic spot, give me back my daughter's life!!!" Below the banner was a crystal coffin still powered on.

Under the shade of the trees on both sides of the scenic spot, she saw her second uncle and younger uncle, as well as her second maternal uncle, third maternal uncle, several cousins, and other relatives—two large groups of people. They were all sitting listlessly on the mats under the shade of the trees, playing on their phones, and some were even sleeping on the mats. Because their backs were to Jinghe, she couldn't see who they were.

Seeing this, Jinghe understood perfectly well that she had fallen to her death and her family had come to seek justice for her.

Jinghe sneered inwardly. She'd never been so precious to anyone before. All the men in his parents' families had been mobilized—didn't they all have work to do? She just wondered where her parents and younger brother were now.

Following her heart's desire, Jinghe suddenly found herself in a room where she saw her long-lost parents and her good-for-nothing younger brother who did nothing but eat and play video games. She also saw her uncle, aunt, and maternal uncle and aunt-in-law. On the other side of the table were what appeared to be high-ranking officials from the scenic area. It seemed they were discussing compensation for her.

"I only have one precious daughter. I finally managed to put her through university, and she's only been working for a short time now. She just came here for a visit and lost her life..." As she spoke, her mother covered her face and began to cry.

"My poor daughter, how can I live without you? Push me down too, I don't want to live anymore..." She cried uncontrollably, nearly fainting. Her aunts and uncles quickly helped her lie down on the sofa against the wall, and they surrounded her. They pleaded with her to take care of herself, otherwise her daughter wouldn't be able to leave in peace.

Jinghe stood in the corner, coldly watching everything unfold before her, her eyes filled with sarcasm as if she were watching a play.

The senior executives of the scenic area, observing the scene before them, spoke with heavy hearts: "All staff members of our scenic area deeply mourn the tragic death of Ms. Zhang Jinghe. We also bear responsibility for this incident. We're all here today to discuss our options and find a solution."

"Waaaaah...waaaah...my poor daughter, you're gone just like that, how am I supposed to live now...please take me with you, my precious darling..."

When the other party mentioned that they would make demands, his father and uncle lowered their heads and discussed it, while his mother just cried.

Looking at the scene before them, the other party felt there was hope for negotiation and wasn't in a hurry to urge them. They simply sat there and waited for the outcome of their discussion.

“My brother and sister-in-law supported my niece’s schooling, emptying their savings. Now that they can finally give back to their family, this happened at your scenic area. We just considered my niece’s income, her parents’ retirement, emotional distress, and lost wages, and we’ve decided to ask for no more than three million in compensation.” It was the eldest uncle who spoke. Her father, on the other hand, was looking at the ground with his hands supporting his head, looking very heartbroken. Her mother continued to wail.

"Ahem... is that so?" one of the representatives on the other side began.

“Actually, our scenic area requires individuals to purchase insurance when using this activity, but Ms. Zhang Jinghe refused to do so and signed an accident liability waiver. Furthermore, the cause of Ms. Zhang Jinghe's death is currently unknown, and you have refused an autopsy, so we also have concerns about Ms. Zhang Jinghe's health condition before her death. Therefore, what do you think of this compensation?”

"Ah...ah...I can't live anymore! My dear daughter, take me with you! My daughter, whom I've raised with such care since she was little, is now suspected of suicide by you! She was happily on vacation, how could she commit suicide? She's gone from your tourist area, and you even want to cut her open for a checkup! You heartless bosses, just kill me! I can't live anymore..."

Her mother's crying suddenly burst out from the sofa.

"I'm contacting the media right now. I want reporters to expose you heartless business owners. You're killing people for money, treating ordinary citizens like dirt..."

Her mother cried as she spoke, while searching for her phone, intending to expose the incident. Her aunt and two other women quickly stopped her from dialing, urging her: "Sister-in-law, we know you're heartbroken, but please bear with it a little longer. Aren't we discussing Jinghe's funeral arrangements right now? The child still needs you; you must hold on."

Actually, Jinghe was a bit confused when she heard the people at the scenic spot say that her cause of death was unknown. She had always thought she had fallen to her death, but from what they were saying, it seemed that wasn't the case. Although she had seen the crystal coffin outside the scenic area, Jinghe was afraid of seeing her own bloodied appearance, so she didn't look into the crystal coffin. So, her body was still intact.

Jinghe had always known that if she died at the scenic spot, her parents would definitely come demanding compensation, but she never expected to witness that scene firsthand. Jinghe suddenly felt utterly hopeless and wanted to leave this place. But for some reason, she was trapped in this room and couldn't get out. She could do anything inside the room, but she just couldn't leave.

Watching them haggle, Jinghe felt she might as well sleep. She looked around the room; her mother was occupying the sofa, so she went to a large chair next to the table against the wall, stretched her feet on the table, leaned back, and fell asleep. When she woke up, the lights were already on. Rubbing her eyes and stretching, she saw them signing a contract. Had they settled her price after she died? Curious, Jinghe went over and peeked at the contract: Wow, she hadn't realized she was worth so much—a million! The scenic area had actually compensated her parents a million.

No wonder her mother was chatting with her aunts and the others on the sofa; the sadness on her face was gone. Jinghe suspected that if the occasion weren't so inappropriate, her mother might have burst into laughter. After all, now she had the money to buy a house and a car for her precious son in the county town; even if she were alive, she couldn't possibly give her a million.

Jinghe felt a surge of resentment. Why hadn't she received any love from her parents while she was alive, and now, even in death, they were still exploiting her for a fortune? Just as a wave of anger was about to surge from her heart, she felt a sense of relief. There are gains and losses in everything. Now she had a loving father and mother, and a brother who always protected her. This million yuan would be a way of severing their ties of gratitude for her in her past life. From now on, she was Zhang Xiayu of Zhangjia Village, and Zhang Jinghe was truly dead.