TEDWR: Chapter 13

Glossary

· Zhang Yansheng (张雁声): The female protagonist, the reborn eldest daughter.

· Zhang Huan (张寰): Zhang Yansheng's father.

· Liang Yingying (梁莹莹): Zhang Yansheng's stepmother.

· Zhang Shuocheng (张硕成): Zhang Yansheng's seven-year-old half-brother.

· Zhang Heling (张鹤翎): Zhang Yansheng's nine-year-old half-sister.

· Wang Yi (王姨): The nanny who cares for Zhang Shuocheng. Referred to as Auntie Wang.

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Chapter 13

Zhang Yansheng had once, by chance, overheard Zhang Shuocheng on the phone saying he paid someone to do his homework for him.

He complained that it was easier when he was younger; elementary school homework was simple, and the auntie they had at home back then would do it for him if he paid her. She had been helping him since first grade. But later, it didn't work anymore; the auntie's education level wasn't enough to handle the higher-grade assignments.

When Zhang Yansheng told Auntie Wang to supervise Zhang Shuocheng's homework, Auntie Wang hadn't taken it seriously. She thought, with both parents around, how could a young girl like her have any say in her brother's affairs?

Especially since they weren't even from the same mother.

Who would have thought Zhang Yansheng would directly expose her secret?

Zhang Heling stomped her foot. "How could you do his homework for him! Don't you know that's harming him?"

The little sister was both angry and anxious. This was her real sister, connected by blood; hearing this made her frantic.

"Even a third-grader understands this principle, but you, an adult, don't?" Zhang Yansheng sneered.

The mockery and contempt in her eyes were too obvious. Auntie Wang broke out in a cold sweat. Of course she understood; she had raised children of her own. If anyone dared do her child's homework, she'd chase them with a broom handle.

But that little devil Zhang Shuocheng was offering her crisp red bills to do it!

A hundred yuan for one homework session—such easy money, how could Auntie Wang not want to earn it?

In another household, with parents keeping a close watch, she might not have dared. But in the Zhang family, the man washed his hands of domestic matters, only concerned with making money outside. The woman? All made up and glamorous every day, out the door for the whole day, leaving the children to the nanny. So her courage grew.

Deep down, Auntie Wang wasn't unaware that such a thing would likely be discovered by the employer someday. But people just can't resist temptation.

Now, exposed and threatened by Zhang Yansheng, Auntie Wang's face turned pale.

Losing the job was one thing; she could find another. But if she had to pay compensation or even go to jail...

Zhang Yansheng suddenly let out a scoff, the corner of her mouth quirking up as she said slowly, "As I said just now, I don't care about what happened before. I'm only taking charge starting today. Understood?"

Hearing this, Auntie Wang felt as if a weight had been lifted. She hurriedly nodded. "Understood, understood."

Zhang Yansheng asked, "Where's Zhang Shuocheng? Is he up?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"He's playing in the backyard. He gets up early. He already had breakfast a while ago."

Zhang Yansheng said nothing, just glanced at the wall clock, then back at Auntie Wang.

A spark of understanding dawned on Auntie Wang. "It's study time now. I'll go call him right away!"

Auntie Wang rushed to the backyard. Zhang Heling, however, said, "Sister, this auntie is no good. Let's tell Dad about this and have him fire her."

Zhang Yansheng shot her a sharp look. "Who authorized you to handle this matter?"

Zhang Heling instantly wilted.

But Zhang Yansheng immediately regretted it.

When she died, Zhang Heling had been fifteen.

She should have been a bright, sunny teenager, but her personality wasn't great. She was too timid to speak up, couldn't express herself well, a bit meek. To put it more bluntly, she had a weak character. With Zhang Yansheng, a ticking time bomb, and a lawless tyrant like Zhang Shuocheng at home, Zhang Heling was like a little ghost, invisible, with no presence.

Even the nannies didn't take her seriously.

This kind of character was formed through long-term neglect by her family and, after entering adolescence, the constant belittling and scolding her mother heaped upon her.

Just like how Zhang Yansheng had, without a second thought, instantly dismissed her.

Remembering how her usually unnoticed younger sister had been weeping uncontrollably at her funeral, a rare pang of guilt stirred in the heart of this spoiled eldest daughter.

This half-sister before her eyes was actually the only person in the world who had genuinely been saddened by her death.

But Zhang Yansheng was also used to being flattered and coddled by a bunch of good-for-nothing friends. Her temper had always been bad, and she never apologized for anything.

Watching the little girl bite her lip and lower her head, the light gone from her brow, Zhang Yansheng averted her gaze.

But she was a reborn person, after all. She was already twenty-one, an adult. Was she really going to be awkward with an elementary school kid?

Zhang Yansheng stared at the ceiling for a moment, took a breath, and finally turned back, saying stiffly, "What you said isn't wrong."

Zhang Heling looked up.

The little girl's face was pink and tender, her eyes moist and bright. Zhang Yansheng's heart softened completely.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"Firing her is one option. But if she leaves, we'd have to find a new nanny to watch Zhang Shuocheng," Zhang Yansheng said. "With Zhang Shuocheng's mischievous energy, a new nanny might not be able to handle him. We could end up cycling through two nannies in three days—how annoying. This one, she's been with him for years, right? She knows all his tricks. She won't quit in a panic if he scratches or bites her."

Zhang Heling hesitated, wanting to speak. "But..."

Zhang Yansheng understood Zhang Heling's thinking. Kids see the world in black and white. People are either good or bad; things are either right or wrong.

Zhang Yansheng used to be an even more extreme person. Wanting Zhang Huan's attention, she'd acted out and caused all sorts of trouble.

In the end, she acted herself to death.

Also a child.

"She did do something wrong, but that works in our favor. I have leverage over her now, so she won't dare disobey me," Zhang Yansheng said. "Otherwise, do you think she would have listened to me before, the way things used to be?"

This Auntie Wang hadn't thought much of Zhang Yansheng before either.

She was hired back when Liang Yingying hadn't even entered the Zhang household, taking care of Zhang Shuocheng since his birth, then following Liang Yingying into the Zhang mansion. In her heart, she only saw Liang Yingying as her employer.

Zhang Yansheng and Liang Yingying had that stepmother-stepdaughter relationship. Doesn't the saying go, 'with a stepmother comes a stepfather'? Auntie Wang naturally felt she didn't need to pay too much heed to this daughter from the previous wife.

Anyway, her main job was taking care of Zhang Shuocheng, which had nothing to do with Zhang Yansheng.

Although no one had ever explicitly pointed these things out, Zhang Heling had actually sensed a bit of it. Hearing Zhang Yansheng explain it this way, she had a moment of sudden understanding and nodded. "So that's how it is."

"Don't you have anything to do?" Zhang Yansheng asked abruptly. "Have you finished your summer homework? Why are you sticking to me here?"

Zhang Heling stuck out her tongue. "Going to do it now." She turned to go upstairs.

"Zhang Heling!" Zhang Yansheng suddenly called her back.

Zhang Heling stopped and looked back.

Her big sister was sitting on the sofa, propping her cheek with one hand, her palm covering her mouth, nose, and half her face, but her eyes were looking elsewhere. As if she wanted to say something but couldn't get it out.

Zhang Heling: "?"

Zhang Yansheng struggled for a few seconds, finally overcoming her own resistance. She lowered her hand and looked at Zhang Heling.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"My attitude toward you just now wasn't good. That was my fault," she said. "If you have an idea, say it out loud like you did just now. Don't be afraid to speak up just because someone dismisses you. Only when you say it can others see and hear it, and only then will they notice your existence."

Zhang Heling understood only partly, but felt a vague sense of happiness inside. Zhang Yansheng speaking to her so amiably, so calmly, with guidance and instruction—this was truly the first time since the dawn of creation. A radiant smile broke out on her face as she said, "Okay, I understand."

The smile that blossomed on the young girl's face was as bright as sunshine, as clear as spring water, without a trace of shadow. It made the reborn one, once so biased, resentful, dark, and full of hatred, feel a sense of shame in comparison.

Watching Zhang Heling skip upstairs, Zhang Yansheng sat for a while longer before standing up. She planned to go upstairs to get her bag; she needed to go out.

But perhaps she had jinxed it. She had just mentioned Auntie Wang getting "scratched," and now Auntie Wang came charging back, holding up her arm.

"Miss Yanyan, look! It's not that I'm not doing my job! Look, look!" Her arm actually had scratch marks from Zhang Shuocheng. "I can't handle him. Look how he scratched me."

Zhang Shuocheng was only in first grade and already this lawless. Thinking of what he would do when he grew up, a layer of ferocity immediately clouded Zhang Yansheng's face.

"Where is he?"

"In the backyard sandpit."

That sandpit was built by Zhang Yansheng's mother for her when she was little. Later, when Zhang Yansheng grew up and stopped playing in the sand, it fell into disuse, the sand gradually hardening into dirt.

Later, after Liang Yingying moved into this house with Zhang Heling and Zhang Shuocheng, Zhang Huan had workers put in new sand for the kids to play with.

Zhang Yansheng strode past Auntie Wang, her steps vigorous, landing with purpose.

Auntie Wang clicked her tongue in secret amazement. This eldest young miss used to often argue with the mistress, but she was generally alright with the domestic staff, not taking her temper out on them.

She was just a child, and the daughter of the previous wife at that. Seeing how the current wife had borne a son, both she and the other nanny hadn't thought much of Zhang Yansheng, not taking her seriously.

Who would have thought the young miss would suddenly show her power yesterday? First, she gave that little devil Zhang Shuocheng a beating. When the master and mistress returned, she and the others had gathered in the hallway to watch the excitement, to see how this girl would get herself out of it.

They ended up witnessing the girl, who usually just punched her punching bag in silence, nearly choke her stepmother unconscious.

Even more unexpected was that the master didn't really scold her either, smoothing things over in a way that seemed to side with her more?

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

It felt like the dynamics in this house were on the verge of changing.

Clicking her tongue, Auntie Wang hurried to follow.

Zhang Shuocheng had scratched Auntie Wang. But Auntie Wang had said, "Your sister told me to call you to do your homework! Your big sister!"

Auntie Wang left. Though he hadn't moved and was still playing there, the moment he saw Zhang Yansheng appear in the backyard, he immediately sprang up and ran!

Zhang Yansheng turned her head and saw a knee-high hop ball in the toy chest under the eaves. The ball had two horn-like handles, which were for children to hold onto when riding it.

Zhang Yansheng grabbed one of the handles, tracked Zhang Shuocheng's movement trajectory, aimed ahead of where he was running, and flung the hop ball.

It landed perfectly right in front of Zhang Shuocheng.

Zhang Shuocheng, being just a child, didn't have quick enough reflexes. He stumbled right over the ball, instinctively grabbed the "horns," and hugged the ball as he rolled on the ground a couple of times. Just as he tried to get up, the collar of his shirt was grabbed by Zhang Yansheng.

Zhang Yansheng tried to lift him up by the collar, but Zhang Shuocheng was as slippery as an eel. He raised both little arms, and his body slithered right out of the shirt. Now bare-chested, he tried to make another dash for it.

Zhang Yansheng nearly laughed in exasperation. But her movements were agile, her reactions swift. She reached out and scooped Zhang Shuocheng up by the waist.

Zhang Shuocheng kicked his little legs wildly. "Let me go! Let me go!"

Then he yelled at the top of his lungs: "Mom! Mom!"

Zhang Shuocheng knew very well that at this hour, his mom was still home!

(End of Chapter)

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