When Su Wan flipped open the bank app, her heart sank—her balance read 9,800.35 yuan, with the most recent transaction showing up this afternoon: “Relative transfer of 3,000 yuan,” with the note reading, “Mom’s emergency matchmaking fund.” Her lips twitched; she could almost picture her mother, Lin Shengnan, muttering, “A girl has to know how to plan for herself,” as she sent over that sum.

Less than ten grand—what on earth is that good for? Just enough to buy a few decent gadgets and it’s gone! Relying on a credit card? No way—interest compounds fast; there’s no way she can keep up. She needs to make her first big buck as soon as possible, even if it means running a small side business or taking on some other part-time gig.

“Sister, didn’t you say you’d already nailed an interview for HR manager at a major company in City S? Why are you suddenly borrowing my phone and computer?” Su Chen’s voice came from beside her, laced with curiosity. “You’re not thinking of backing out of going to City S, are you?”

Su Wan had already picked up the fruit he’d left on the coffee table and was deftly testing the camera function, her eyes focused and bright—a look of ambition she’d never seen in her before. “That’s right, I’m not going after all. A HR assistant position paying five grand a month sounds nice, but really it’s just menial work. Might as well skip it,” she said softly, her fingers gliding across the phone screen as her mind began to map out her next move.

“Wanwan, stop playing with your phone and wash your hands—time to eat!” Lin Shengnan emerged from the kitchen carrying a tray of dishes, her voice clear and cheerful. “I went all the way to the market to pick up your favorite pork ribs and made black-bean steamed spare ribs. Eat up!”

The air was thick with the rich, distinctive aroma of fermented black beans and chili flakes, mingling together. The glossy, dark sauce coated the tender ribs, which glistened enticingly under the lights. As Su Wan stared at her beloved black-bean steamed ribs, only one thought crossed her mind: since things have come to this, might as well eat first!

“Mom, I love them too! Why are you only thinking about me?” Su Chen plucked a tiny rib and pretended to grimace as he complained.

Lin Shengnan smiled and turned around, casually tossing a few more pieces into his bowl before scooping up everything left on the plate and piling it into Su Wan’s bowl. Then she said, a bit more seriously, “Wanwan, let me tell you something—our neighborhood is scheduled for demolition next March. Your dad and I have already discussed it: when the time comes, we’ll get two relocation replacement units. If you stay in City A, one goes to you and the other to your brother. Think about it…”

Su Wan’s chopsticks paused mid-air, and the soy-sauce-based gravy spread out on the rice, forming a dark, circular stain. Demolition? How could she have forgotten such an important matter? In her previous life, because she insisted on going to City S, her parents gave up a relocation housing quota in order to support her dream—and ended up receiving 300,000 yuan instead. But in City S, that 300,000 wasn’t nearly enough to buy even a decent toilet.

And now… at this very moment, the demolition notice must have just been issued, so there’s still time to change things.

“Mom, has the demolition agreement been signed yet?” Su Wan put down her chopsticks.

“Not yet—we’re supposed to sign the letter of intent during the first week of December. Why do you ask?” Lin Shengnan looked at her daughter, who had suddenly become so interested in family matters.

Su Wan didn’t answer right away. Instead, she slowly scanned the living room: an old leather sofa with several deep cracks in its black surface; a square table that served as both a coffee table and a dining table, its glass top perpetually foggy no matter how hard she wiped it; and the family portrait on the wall opposite the TV—taken when she graduated from high school, back when her parents still had thick, black hair. Now their hair is turning gray, and the photo itself has faded.

In her last life, she spent years in City S, but in the end she was still rootless, like a duckweed drifting aimlessly. Though her childhood home was warm and cozy, it was undeniably old and worn. Bringing her gaze back to her family, Su Wan said, “If—just hypothetically—if we were to get three relocation units, how much more would we need to pay?”

Su Chen was sucking on a rib and nearly choked when he heard this. “Cough, cough… What? Three units? Including the 135 ping of the ground-floor storage room, to qualify for a third unit we’d have to make up for at least 60 ping in area difference—roughly another 300,000… Why are you asking this? Are you planning to chip in to buy a quota?”

“300,000…” Su Wan repeated softly—the exact amount of the down payment she’d lost in her previous life in City S.

End of Chapter 3: I’ve Been Reborn!