Rebirth 08: A Happy Life Begins in Elementary School

"I didn't look at your computer, don't worry, Teacher Huang."

"That's not what I meant. I was worried that you might see something bad online." Huang Keyun took a sip of water, her chest heaving.

She seemed to be more emotional than Li Zhao.

"Thank you, Teacher Huang. I'll probably come over every few days to check things out. I don't know how to look at anything else. If you're not here, can I just use this?"

"..." Huang Keyun pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Actually, it's easy to guess. The teacher probably has some things saved on their homepage."

Huang Keyun straightened her back immediately.

"As a teacher, you need to maintain your image and prestige in front of your students, but you are also a woman under thirty, still very young, and it's normal to have your own hobbies, such as following celebrities and watching dramas."

Huang Keyun stared at Li Zhao in shock, her ears actually turning slightly red.

"I haven't seen and won't see what it is, but I want to say that these are all normal, and you don't need to feel any pressure."

"Li Zhao," Huang Keyun said, "Although your teacher knows you are special, a genius, and mature... you are only twelve years old, still a child. Being too mature is not necessarily a good thing."

Li Zhao was taken aback, and actually saw worry in Huang Keyun's eyes.

Why?

"Like what you just said, it sounded so old-fashioned." Huang Keyun frowned. "Childhood is carefree, it's the best time of life. When I was your age, I played with dolls every day and never got tired of it, but now I don't have that mindset anymore. You're right, I don't want you to see the web pages I've saved, I'm afraid you'll think I'm childish."

Li Zhao's lips suddenly trembled.

"There's a webpage inside that the teacher has saved for a very long time, showing all kinds of dolls. When I was little, I couldn't afford them, so when I played house with my sister, I could only use pillows and beanbags instead. Now I can afford them, but I'm too old to play house anymore."

Huang Keyun gently placed her hand on Li Zhao's shoulder. "You're a very, very smart child. Sometimes I even think you're more mature than your teachers. But some things can only be done when you're young, and some things aren't things you need to understand or consider at your age, you know?"

[Help from the teacher: Happiness +2, Total 7]

Li Zhao nodded.

"Go back and rest. If you need to use the computer, just use it if I'm not here. If any other teachers see this, just say I asked you to come and check the national competition information."

"Thank you, Teacher Huang."

"And another thing," Huang Keyun narrowed her eyes, pointing a finger at Li Zhao's nose, "you're still not allowed to look at my bookmarks, understand?"

"Don't worry, Teacher Huang."

As Li Zhao left the classroom, her nose suddenly stung with tears.

These words are actually misplaced.

Li Zhao is not a "precocious" child, but a reborn person.

The impact of Huang Keyun's words on him was not so much on her advice, but on the statement, "Teachers are no longer at an age where they can play house."

Actually, Li Zhao originally wanted to tell her before leaving, "We can play house anytime," but after thinking about it, he decided against it.

They were both adults, and Li Zhao and Huang Keyun both knew what they should do at each age.

The reason why childhood regrets can still sting adults is because they are ultimately irreparable.

Just like the grilled sausages that Li Zhao loved to eat in his previous life.

No matter how good the craftsmanship, how perfect the environment, how high-quality the ingredients, or how rich the combination, nothing tastes as good as the starchy sausage after it was reborn.

However, as a young and beautiful female teacher, who was not a homeroom teacher, he was still very touched that she could speak these heartfelt words to Li Zhao.

I really misunderstood Huang Keyun in my past life.

Li Zhao stopped at the corner of the corridor and walked towards a small platform.

This space is wasted purely for the sake of highlighting the exterior decoration; it's a place for teachers to chat or criticize naughty kids, and naturally, there's no one here at noon.

Li Zhao wanted to clear his mind and look at the scenery outside.

Qingqiao District is the oldest district in New Taipei City. It developed early and doesn't have the various urban villages that other districts have, but it has also lost the possibility of developing new construction.

Looking around, one sees a cluster of old residential areas, where high-rise buildings of twenty-something stories stand out, their architectural style largely stuck in the 90s. However, the buildings as a whole are quite grand, like those of old aristocrats.

People living in Qingqiao District consider themselves the most central group of residents in the provincial capital, enjoying the highest quality education and medical care. They live just a few steps away from government offices of New Taipei City or even Linjiang Province. They are proud of this while looking down on the Baijiang New City that is rising in the distance.

However, Li Zhao knew that many people, when chatting over tea in private, had often criticized Qingqiao District for not developing or renovating.

The major project that Li Zhao was about to take over before his rebirth was the urban renewal and renovation project of Qingqiao District.

Ugh.

Li Zhao sighed; his perspective was always too broad.

The scenery before me is clearly very peaceful.

The magnolia tree blocked the view a bit, and clothes were hanging out to dry on the iron shed windows of the old residential area. It was close to the Qingming Festival, and the sunlight was still acceptable, but the humidity was high. The atmosphere of a midday nap permeated the air. There were only occasional cars passing by on the road, so there was no need to honk the horn.

It's very comforting.

How others view Qingqiao District now, and what kind of changes in their mindset will occur in the next ten years or so, is not important.

The important thing is to feel yourself.

Just like making money. A sixth-grade student would have over 300,000 yuan in May 2008, and that 300,000 yuan was just the capital for an even more extravagant investment next time.

Having risked my life to make money in my past life, I know how difficult it is to earn money. Now, seeing my wealth grow rapidly due to information asymmetry and heading straight for financial freedom, the ease of subsequent operations and the sheer amount of future wealth are unbelievable.

However, having wealth is one thing, but knowing how to spend it is another.

Only when you learn how to spend money, and can spend it scientifically and enjoyably, does making money have meaning.

Different stages of wealth require different consumption habits. Ideally, consumption levels should increase along with wealth levels.

Five thousand, ten thousand, fifty thousand, one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, one million... With every expenditure, you can understand where the money went, feel the improvement in your quality of life, understand why good things are expensive, and what makes valuable things worthwhile.

However, in Li Zhao's previous life, his monthly expenses were already 4,000 yuan when he earned 10,000 yuan a month. Even with an annual salary of 2 million yuan, his monthly expenses still didn't exceed 10,000 yuan. He spent too little money on himself and invested all of it in big-ticket items.

In fact, Li Zhao is not good at spending money.

In his past life, he only focused on making money and achieving success, which not only caused him to miss out on many other people and things, but also caused him to neglect himself.

"Love yourself" is a very specific proposition.

Living a life defined by his parents, family, and society, Li Zhao's earnings lacked the meaning he himself gave to them.

This isn't just his own problem; otherwise, where would all those videos of "middle-aged men spending XX amount of money to treat themselves" come from in his past life?

Creating life experiences for oneself is wrong; saving money to buy a big house and a luxury car is right, regardless of whether Li Zhao actually loves luxury houses and cars or not.

In his past life, he would calculate the cost-effectiveness of a meal costing several hundred yuan, but he would throw away a house worth several million yuan without hesitation, just because "the house felt good." He didn't care if the renovation cost a few thousand or tens of thousands more here or there.

From this perspective, how is he different from Zhou Xiaoyun?

Zhou Xiaoyun compares prices at three different stores for a few cents' worth of vegetables, and throws away 40 yuan without a second thought. Li Zhao is only aware of this problem because he has had greater wealth in the past, and 40 yuan is still within his control.

He knows how to use that 40 to make more money, but if you ask him how to use that 40 to improve his happiness, he might be stumped.

People can't keep bottling things up forever.

Desires that have been suppressed for too long are difficult to awaken, and thus they devour reason in another form, leading to self-destructive consumer behavior.

Any expense is worthwhile if it's spent on yourself and makes you happy.

Spending money wisely makes earning money meaningful and leads to a happy life.

Li Zhao took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

"The important thing is to feel yourself, it's...life experience."

There is still so much he can do.

He is the undisputed absolute subject of his own life, and the only person who can define this part of his life is himself.

A smile unconsciously appeared on Li Zhao's face. He was very interested in what his happy life ahead would look like.