Reborn in the 1990s, I want my husband to live to be a hundred.

Chapter 158 People Need Friends

The next day, Deng Xiuzhen did not go to the shop, but instead took Wenxin to school.

Wenxin was somewhat happy, but also reserved, glancing at Deng Xiuzhen's expression from time to time along the way.

Deng Xiuzhen sensed something was amiss and felt a little awkward, but she didn't show it. She maintained her smile and escorted Wenxin to school.

I tripped and fell on the way back, which made me even more upset.

I was in a low mood after returning home. I had many questions in my mind, but I had no one to talk to and nowhere to ask. I felt very tired.

Since becoming rich, I've come to see everyone as someone who's after my money, and I always assume that whoever approaches me has ulterior motives.

She suddenly realized that she really didn't have a single close friend, and that she had never truly trusted anyone.

Even with Zhao Shuliang and Fang Mei, he only trusted them four-tenths and remained six-tenths wary.

I feel 70% safe with Qin Yanlin, but only 30% trust him.

The only person I trust nine-tenths of the time and am completely unguarded with is Wenjing.

But Wenjing is just a child, and there are some things she can't say to Wenjing. There are some things that Wenjing wouldn't understand even if she told her.

The generation gap is an objective reality.

Feeling down and having nothing to do, I rummaged through drawers and cupboards at home.

Suddenly a cell phone rolled out; it was the one Zheng Ying had given her. Because she hadn't used it and hadn't paid any attention to it, it was long dead.

Deng Xiuzhen charged her phone and made a call.

Zheng Ying was in a meeting when her phone rang. It was Deng Xiuzhen calling.

Her heart tightened; she had once told her: unless it was something very important, don't call or contact her.

Deng Xiuzhen never called her or looked for her.

A sudden phone call must mean something terrible has happened!

She hurriedly told her assistant to continue the meeting and rushed back to her office.

"Tell me, am I selfish too? Am I the same as everyone else?" Zheng Ying heard this question as soon as she answered the phone.

She had a gut feeling that Deng Xiuzhen might have suffered some kind of blow.

But what's the big deal about this? Is it worth making a special phone call to discuss?

Zheng Ying was getting impatient; today's meeting was very important.

Just as she was about to hang up the phone, she heard Deng Xiuzhen say, "I don't have any friends, I can't find anyone to talk to."

She was moved and didn't hang up. Instead, she replied, "Yes, I'm listening."

Deng Xiuzhen talked on and on, while Zheng Ying listened quietly.

It took Deng Xiuzhen more than an hour to stop.

Once Zheng Ying was sure Deng Xiuzhen was tired and didn't want to talk anymore, she said, "Everything in this world is a choice made after weighing the pros and cons. That's true, but the nature of the choices is different."

Human nature is selfish. Some people will intentionally harm others for their own benefit.

Some people make defensive choices out of self-preservation, while others choose selfishness by actively harming themselves or by passively protecting themselves. Those choices are definitely different.

If a person doesn't even know how to protect themselves and defend themselves, then that person is either a fool, a person without self-respect, or a short-lived person.

As for your relationship with your ex-husband, I can't comment, but I think he's treating you very well now and is genuinely trying to change.

Moreover, I believe that his change is largely due to your persistence and your decisive abandonment.

Interpersonal relationships involve mutual accommodation and testing of each other.

If you had tolerated him back then, he would most likely have taken advantage of you and become even more unreasonable, and might never have realized his mistake.

But you chose to give up without hesitation, and he knew that your bottom line couldn't be crossed, which made him re-examine his actions...

After their conversation, both of them felt much better and less stressed, and the sky outside the window seemed exceptionally bright.

The two came to the same conclusion: people need friends.

Zheng Ying suddenly had an idea: to change her identity and try living a different life. She wanted Deng Xiuzhen's help to come up with this idea.

Deng Xiuzhen was initially surprised. What did Zheng Ying need her help with?

He immediately agreed, saying he would help if he could, no matter what it was, and that Zheng Ying wouldn't mind if he couldn't.

Liu Qing and Hu Yue were arrested by the police station, and Deng Xiuzhen didn't come to work, leaving only Zhu Shanshan as the sole employee. Qin Yanlin had no time to go out and discuss business; he was busy as a spinning top in the shop.

He was thinking of hiring two people, and some people had come looking for work, but because of Liu Qing and Hu Yue's situation, he didn't dare to hire just anyone. He planned to wait until Deng Xiuzhen started working so she could hire people.

There are only two of us minding the shop today, and we're really too busy. I don't know if Deng Xiuzhen will come this afternoon. Should I give her a call to ask?

"Boss, are you hiring?" Qin Yanlin was busy when he suddenly heard someone ask loudly.

Qin Yanlin looked up and saw that the person was dressed simply, looked to be about thirty years old, and had an honest face. He thought the person was alright and quickly replied, "We're hiring. Come and try out tomorrow."

“Ex-husband!” Zheng Ying shouted loudly.

"Huh?" This "ex-husband" made Qin Yanlin subconsciously look up. He recognized the person in front of him, but couldn't quite place him.

“Ex-husband, I’m Xiuzhen’s friend, don’t you remember me?” Zheng Ying asked as she approached.

Upon hearing that he was Deng Xiuzhen's friend, Qin Yanlin became much more enthusiastic: "Oh, you're Xiuzhen's friend? What's your name? Are you here looking for a job?"

“My name is Chen Yin. I saw you at Sister Xiuzhen’s house last time. Are you hiring at your shop? If so, let me come. I’m pretty good at my job.” Zheng Ying gave herself a different name.

"Chen Yin, why don't you come this afternoon? Xiuzhen has to decide who's hiring at the shop." Qin Yanlin remembered who Zheng Ying was, but Deng Xiuzhen had called her Zheng Ying before. He thought it was Chen Yin.

"You're so busy right now, let me help you first," Zheng Ying said, and started working.

After finishing one section, the three stopped and Qin Yanlin went out. He quietly made a phone call to Deng Xiuzhen and told her to come over if she had time, as her friend Chen Yin had come and wanted to work at the store.

"Zheng Ying? She's working at the shop?" This news stunned Deng Xiuzhen.

Qin Yanlin sensed something was off about Deng Xiuzhen's tone and assumed that Deng Xiuzhen didn't like Chen Yin coming to the shop.

Although Deng Xiuzhen and Chen Yin seemed to have a good relationship that day.

But there are many plastic relatives, and plastic sisters are everywhere.

So he quickly said, "If you don't want her to come, I'll make her leave immediately, and pretend you don't know anything about this."

"No, just let her do it, I'll be right to the shop!" Deng Xiuzhen hung up the phone and hurried to the shop.

She agreed to help Zheng Ying with something, and when she was emotionally overwhelmed, she talked to Zheng Ying about her feelings.

But he just felt that he could say these things to Zheng Ying, because given Zheng Ying's conditions and personality, she wouldn't care about his money and wouldn't bother to laugh at him.

But how could she come to work in the store? Deep down, I'm still afraid of her. If I have to stay with her every day, won't I go crazy from the fear?

Deng Xiuzhen was both anxious and scared, so she walked very fast.