TEDWR: Chapter 14

 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.

·Xiao Zhou (小周): The family driver.

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Chapter 14

"Didn't you understand when I told Auntie Wang to call you to do your homework?" Zhang Yansheng barked. "What were you running from? Did you think you could run away from this house?"

"I won't do it! Mom! Mom!"

"Let your mother sleep well. You have an older sister now. From now on, I'll be the one managing you!"

These siblings had despised each other their whole lives, never truly seeing the other as family. Right now, Zhang Yansheng referring to herself as "older sister" carried a distinctly sinister edge.

In any case, Zhang Shuocheng shivered violently.

As she spoke, Zhang Yansheng carried Zhang Shuocheng towards the house.

Zhang Shuocheng sensed disaster, feeling like a lamb being led to the slaughter. He struggled with all his might, and in a moment of carelessness, Zhang Yansheng got scratched by his claws.

A sharp, stinging pain!

Furious, Zhang Yansheng yelled, "You've gone too far! Attacking people at the drop of a hat!"

She squatted down right there, pinned Zhang Shuocheng face-down over her knee with his arms behind his back, and without any tool this time, raised her hand and delivered several sharp smacks directly to his little bottom.

Zhang Shuocheng screamed hoarsely, "Mom! Mom! Zhang Yansheng is hitting me!"

Another firm slap landed, making Zhang Shuocheng yelp in pain.

"Did you forget what I said yesterday?" Zhang Yansheng said coldly. "Are you allowed to call me 'Zhang Yansheng'?"

Zhang Shuocheng stiffened his neck. He didn't stop wailing, but the content changed: "Mom! My sister is hitting me! Mom!"

"Shut up!" Smack, smack! Two more.

But Zhang Shuocheng's cries weren't in vain this time. A third-floor window suddenly opened, and Liang Yingying, dressed in a lacy, suggestive nightgown, leaned out, shouting angrily, "Zhang Yansheng! You let go of my son! Stop that right now!"

She had been sleeping soundly when she heard Zhang Shuocheng's howls. She had just pulled the air-conditioned quilt over her ears, not wanting to get up at all. There were nannies, after all; if Zhang Shuocheng was making that noise, a nanny would surely go deal with it.

But then she listened more closely. What? Zhang Yansheng was hitting Zhang Shuocheng?

Liang Yingying shot right up! Pushing open the window, she nearly fainted from rage at the sight!

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Not only was Zhang Yansheng hitting Zhang Shuocheng, she had stripped off his shirt. Zhang Shuocheng was bare-chested!

This was beyond insulting!

Zhang Yansheng glanced up at Liang Yingying's chest, pale and glaring in the sunlight, and let out a derisive snort.

She looked back down and asked by Zhang Shuocheng's ear, "How long do you think it will take your mom to rush down from the third floor? How many more times do you think I can hit you in that time? Did you forget yesterday's lesson already? Counting on your mom to save you? When I pinned her down yesterday, did you see her have any power to fight back?"

"So, what'll it be? Do you want to keep getting spanked? Or do you want to go do your homework obediently?"

This woman was a demon! Zhang Shuocheng thought. Definitely the worst villain in the world!

But Zhang Shuocheng's bottom really hurt right now. It wasn't as bad as yesterday's beating with the clothes hanger, but it still hurt. Remembering yesterday's thrashing and how his mom had been pinned helplessly on the sofa by Zhang Yansheng, he ultimately backed down.

"Don't... don't hit me anymore~" he said with a sob. "I'll do it, I'll do my homework!"

The corner of Zhang Yansheng's mouth twitched upward.

"Where is she? Where did she go?"

By the time Liang Yingying charged into the backyard, Zhang Yansheng and Zhang Shuocheng were already gone. She spun around on the spot, angrily grabbed her hair, thought for a moment, then turned and rushed back into the house, running right into Zhang Yansheng on the stairs.

"Where's Shuoshuo! What have you done to him? Zhang Yansheng! Let me tell you, if you dare lay a hand on my son again, I won't let this go!" Liang Yingying pointed a finger at Zhang Yansheng, shouting sharply.

Zhang Yansheng looked at the finger almost poking her nose.

It was a rather nice hand, with long nails, meticulously done, adorned with tiny crystals, all bling-bling.

Zhang Yansheng lifted her eyelids and suddenly reached out, grabbing that finger and bending it backward!

Liang Yingying let out a yelp and dropped to her knees instantly. To relieve the pain in her finger, her body twisted with Zhang Yansheng's force, practically sprawled on the stairs.

"Let go! Let go now! Ah—" The last sound carried a hint of tears.

It hurt.

Zhang Yansheng held the finger. "Who taught you to point at people when you talk? Your mother?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Yingying shrieked, "It hurts! Ah! Ah! It hurts! Let go!"

"My mother taught me from a young age to have self-respect and self-regard. I cannot tolerate anyone pointing their finger at my nose like that," Zhang Yansheng said. "I don't care who taught you such poor manners. Go point at that person when you talk! If you dare point your finger at me like this again, you won't need this finger anymore."

"I haven't done anything to your son. I just spanked his bottom a few times, that's all," she continued. "My dad said you don't know how to manage children, that Zhang Shuocheng is getting out of hand, and he asked me to take over. I agreed. I've made it clear to Zhang Shuocheng: homework every morning this summer, play only in the afternoon. He agreed. I'm going out now. If he hasn't finished today's homework by the time I get back, I'll spank him again."

Having said her piece, Zhang Yansheng finally released her grip.

Liang Yingying immediately clutched the finger that had been bent painfully, sucking in sharp breaths.

Zhang Yansheng stepped over her body and continued downstairs.

Liang Yingying was in so much pain that her nose was running. She spent a long time blowing on her finger before the pain subsided somewhat.

Zhang Yansheng had long since walked out the main door. Fuming, Liang Yingying got up, sniffled, and went to the third floor.

Zhang Shuocheng was actually in his room doing homework. The moment he saw Liang Yingying, his mouth quivered. "Mom, my sister hit me—"

After two beatings, he had finally learned his lesson, not daring to call her "Zhang Yansheng" directly anymore.

Liang Yingying's heart ached for him. "Let me see."

She pulled down Zhang Shuocheng's pants to look. His little bottom was pale and unmarked; even the red welts from the previous day's beating were gone. A child's recovery ability was truly remarkable.

Liang Yingying: "..."

Liang Yingying was furious again! Without even a trace of evidence, she couldn't present a decent case if she wanted to complain! That easy-going Zhang Huan would definitely just say, "It's fine, it's fine" again!

"Mom, I don't want to do homework! My sister is forcing me! She said she'll hit me if I don't finish!" Zhang Shuocheng shook Liang Yingying's hand as he tattled.

"She wouldn't dare!" Liang Yingying cursed. "Don't be afraid of her. Mom absolutely won't let her hit you again!"

Zhang Shuocheng's eyes lit up. "Then don't go out today! Stay home and protect me!"

Liang Yingying choked.

How could Liang Yingying not go out? That would practically be the death of her.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"I have plans with your Auntie Lisa..."

Before she could finish, Zhang Shuocheng threw a fit. "If you go out, my sister will hit me! You can't go, you can't!"

He grabbed and tugged at Liang Yingying's nightgown.

As the nightgown swayed, it was so short it barely covered her rear. Liang Yingying's black thong underwear and pale bottom flashed intermittently.

Actually, if Liang Yingying normally went downstairs in her nightwear, she would wear a silk robe over it. Today, she had been so agitated and in a hurry that she came down directly in her lace nightgown.

Fortunately, there were no other men in the house, and Zhang Shuocheng was still young.

But Auntie Wang, standing to the side, rolled her eyes hard, thinking to herself: How indecent!

Zhang Shuocheng threw a tantrum, forbidding Liang Yingying from leaving. Annoyed, Liang Yingying smacked his bottom twice and yelled at him, "Enough already! Don't you know Mom has things to do? Go do your own thing! Come here, come here! Do your homework!"

Today was probably Zhang Shuocheng's unlucky day. He didn't know what was wrong with the women in the house; one after another, they were spanking his bottom and forcing him to do homework.

Zhang Shuocheng lay on the floor crying, refusing to get up.

Even so, Liang Yingying wouldn't skip her outing for him. She called to the nanny, "Watch him. Don't let him cry for too long."

Glancing at the time, she grew anxious. "If I don't start doing my makeup now, I'll be late!"

She hurried upstairs to wash up and put on her makeup.

Zhang Shuocheng lay on the floor, bawling without tears.

Throwing himself on the floor during a tantrum was a regular occurrence at home. Auntie Wang had seen it plenty of times and wasn't flustered. Sitting to the side knitting a sweater, she said, "You'd better hurry up. You're so slow with your homework. Your eldest sister said it must be done by noon. She wants your second sister to check it. If you don't finish, your second sister will definitely tell your eldest sister. Then your eldest sister will spank you again."

Zhang Shuocheng said, "My mom said she wouldn't dare!"

Auntie Wang said, "She's hit you twice now, yesterday and today. Do you think she dares or not?"

She added salt to the wound: "And look, your mom was home just now, and you still got spanked, didn't you? It's no use. Your mom and dad can't stop her!"

Zhang Shuocheng: "..." He stopped his fake crying.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

"Hurry up. Look what time it is already. Chinese, math, English—you have three subjects' worth of homework!" Auntie Wang said. "I certainly don't dare do it for you anymore. Your eldest sister said it's a crime. If I help you with your homework again, she'll send me to the police station! Oh dear, that's too scary. I hear they put kids in one jail cell and adults in another, with police watching you do your homework!"

Zhang Shuocheng: "..."

Auntie Wang kept muttering, "If you keep lying there, your eldest sister will be back. Hurry up..."

Finally, with a resentful huff, Zhang Shuocheng got up.

Auntie Wang also found it strange. In the past, who in this house could make Zhang Shuocheng comply so quickly? This Zhang Yansheng was quite formidable.

She pulled a tissue and wiped Zhang Shuocheng's tears and snot. "Get to work."

Liang Yingying washed her face, changed clothes, did her makeup, slung her expensive bag over her shoulder, and was ready to head out, looking all glamorous. But when she walked out of the house, the car and driver were nowhere to be seen.

The driver knew her daily routine and would usually have the car waiting by the entrance at this time.

Liang Yingying was a bit angry. She took out her phone and called the driver. "Hello, Xiao Zhou, where are you? Bring the car over right now. I'm in a hurry!"

On the other end, the driver replied helplessly, "Miss Yanyan asked me to drive her to take care of some business."

As he spoke, he instinctively glanced up into the rearview mirror.

The teenage girl in the back seat also lifted her eyelids and looked at him. Even though she was just a middle school student, her icy gaze was somehow terrifying.

Xiao Zhou quickly looked away and answered the phone again. "Huh? Now? No, that won't work. We haven't arrived yet. How long? I'm not sure either."

The girl in the back seat suddenly spoke, her voice cool and clear. "Tell her to drive herself. I'm using this car today."

If she hadn't been reborn, Zhang Yansheng would never have known that the domestic staff had held her in such low regard when she was in her teens.

Auntie Wang had always kept her distance and been casual in her attitude. But in the past, Zhang Yansheng herself had wanted nothing to do with Liang Yingying and Zhang Shuocheng's side, hardly speaking to Auntie Wang, so she never noticed.

It was only after being reborn that she realized something was off.

A mere employee, and yet she dared to treat her with such contempt? With such disregard?

Today, when she walked out the main door, it dawned on her that her fifteen-year-old self didn't have a driver's license and couldn't drive herself.

But conveniently, the family car was parked right at the entrance, and the driver was relaxing and smoking in the shade of the portico.

She went over and said she needed the car.

She never expected the driver would dare to refuse her.

(End of Chapter)

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