TEDWR: Chapter 15

 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.

·Luo Yi (罗姨): The family nanny who has cared for Zhang Yansheng since birth. Referred to as Auntie Luo.

·Xiao Zhou (小周): The family driver.

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Chapter 15

"The mistress needs the car every day," the driver had said at the time.

He was a decent-looking young man in his twenties, surnamed Zhou. People who worked as drivers usually only had a high school education. In front of Zhang Huan, he was quite proper and respectful.

But in front of Zhang Yansheng, a "child," he was much more casual.

"First come, first served," she said. "She hasn't left yet, has she? I'm using it first."

"That won't do," Xiao Zhou said with a smile. "I'll get scolded later."

The dismissiveness in his attitude was exactly the same as Auntie Wang's.

The fifteen-year-old Zhang Yansheng hadn't noticed, but the reborn Zhang Yansheng saw it crystal clear. Her face immediately fell, as if covered by a layer of frost.

Xiao Zhou had also been hired by Liang Yingying. The original driver the Zhang family had employed for years, who had watched Zhang Yansheng grow up.

After Liang Yingying came into the household, that old driver had prioritized Zhang Yansheng's needs over Liang Yingying's several times. Liang Yingying prodded Zhang Huan into firing him and hired this younger replacement.

Zhang Yansheng had been young then, powerless in such matters. And back then, she hadn't realized the impact Liang Yingying's actions had on her.

Of course, now she did.

Among the domestic staff in this house, perhaps only Auntie Luo still truly regarded her as the young mistress. All these later hires looked to Liang Yingying as their leader.

"So, the driver our family hired is leaving me without a car to use, is that it?" she stared at Xiao Zhou and said, "Then you can get lost!"

Xiao Zhou was stunned for a moment.

The eldest Zhang daughter was said to have a bad temper. But Xiao Zhou had never seen it because he only drove her to and from school; he didn't interact with her at other times. Moreover, because Zhang Yansheng hated riding in the car with her step-siblings, she often called for separate rides after starting middle school to avoid them. Xiao Zhou had even less interaction with her.

She didn't talk much, had excellent manners herself, and was quite polite to the staff. Honestly, she was much better than that brat Zhang Shuocheng.

A rude phrase like "get lost" really didn't seem like something the eldest Zhang daughter should say. Especially to someone's face.

Zhang Yansheng had already taken out her phone. "I'll have my father settle your wages."

She was actually serious?

Xiao Zhou was dumbfounded.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

He had just been taking advantage of Zhang Yansheng's youth and supposed timidness. But if this really went before Zhang Huan, he would definitely be in the wrong. Zhang Yansheng might be young, but she had the right to request the car.

"Wait, wait!" Xiao Zhou quickly changed his expression, stopping Zhang Yansheng. "Where do you need to go? I'll start the car right now. Hold on, let me turn on the AC first!"

Zhang Yansheng glanced at him, finally put her phone away, and got into his car.

On the way, Liang Yingying called.

Having just experienced Zhang Yansheng's temper, Xiao Zhou braced himself and relayed her message to Liang Yingying: "Miss Yanyan says she's using the car today and that you should drive yourself..."

Most earphones leak sound a little. Xiao Zhou's leaked quite clearly.

Sitting in the back, Zhang Yansheng could hear Liang Yingying's sharp, angry cursing over the phone—in places where Zhang Huan couldn't see or hear, she could be utterly foul-mouthed.

"Hang up," Zhang Yansheng said. Her voice wasn't loud, nor hurried, but its meaning was clear.

Xiao Zhou raised his eyes and saw a pair of pitch-black pupils in the rearview mirror. For such a young girl, her gaze was somewhat frightening.

Xiao Zhou said into the phone, "Well, ma'am, I need to focus on driving now. I'm hanging up. Goodbye."

And he really hung up.

Zhang Yansheng no longer looked at him, turning instead to watch the scenery outside.

She had only been reborn six years into the past, so K City was basically unchanged.

But her heart suddenly stirred. "Go to Jianshe Road first."

Xiao Zhou asked, "Where on Jianshe Road?"

"Just Jianshe Road," Zhang Yansheng said without specifying a precise location. "Drive that way."

Xiao Zhou had no choice. He did as she said and headed to Jianshe Road. When they arrived, unsure of her exact destination, he reminded her, "We're here," and slowed down.

Zhang Yansheng didn't mention getting out either, just said, "Hmm," and then, "Keep driving, go all the way to the other end."

Baffled, Xiao Zhou maintained a slow speed as they drove from one end of Jianshe Road to the other.

Zhang Yansheng kept looking outside. She saw a ten-story building sandwiched between two others. But now, its exterior looked somewhat dated, and its signage showed it was just an ordinary mall.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

The later wildly popular Jinding KTV hadn't opened yet.

It was there, six years later, that someone would slip drugs into Zhang Yansheng's drink.

As he drove slowly, Xiao Zhou watched Zhang Yansheng in the rearview mirror. He saw the girl staring fixedly out the window.

Clearly still a teenager, her face was completely expressionless, her demeanor strangely at odds with her age.

He didn't know that at this moment, Zhang Yansheng was remembering the stranger who had stayed with her until the end in her previous life, holding her hand, gently comforting her.

When her soul had left her body later, she had seen him clearly.

That young man was in his twenties, tall and slender with deep-set, handsome features. His gaze as he looked at her was filled with pity and regret.

Zhang Yansheng had imprinted his face firmly in her mind.

"Miss Yanyan, we're about to leave Jianshe Road," Xiao Zhou said, seeing the road was ending, unable to resist reminding her.

Zhang Yansheng snapped back to reality and said calmly, "Alright, go to our original destination."

Xiao Zhou was speechless.

Did she make him come to Jianshe Road just to drive in a circle? Or was it deliberately to delay returning, to make sure Liang Yingying had no car to use?

Such a young girl, already so scheming.

Xiao Zhou shook his head inwardly.

Zhang Yansheng didn't have dinner at home that day. When she returned carrying a large number of shopping bags, Zhang Huan was already home.

Seeing her return, his expression was particularly amiable. "You're back. Where did you go? Have you eaten?"

"I have," Zhang Yansheng said. After all, she was still just a middle school student, not yet at an age to be completely free from parental oversight. It was reasonable for a father to ask where she went and what she did.

She answered him briefly: "Did some shopping, found a new sparring partner for practice."

The person she found was actually the same partner she would use consistently later.

Before, his number had been saved in her phone, and she could contact him directly when needed. Now, reborn, that contact wasn't in her phone yet, so she had to go find him in person. Luckily, he was there today, and she found him right away.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

He was a bit surprised to see she was a middle schooler. But Zhang Yansheng could afford his rates, and he gladly took her on as a client.

"Oh, good, keep at it," Zhang Huan said.

His expression was relaxed. Watching him coldly, Zhang Yansheng sensed his mood today was genuinely good.

Had Liang Yingying and Zhang Shuocheng not complained?

"Sis, you're back!" Zhang Heling ran down from upstairs and reported to Zhang Yansheng in a rapid-fire manner. "Shuoshuo was really slow. He only finished today's homework this afternoon after lunch, and only because I watched him. I checked it all for him and taught him the ones he got wrong."

"Where is he?"

"He's scared you'll hit him. He locked himself in his room and won't come out," Zhang Heling said gleefully.

"Yanyan," Zhang Huan interjected, "Did you hit Shuoshuo again today?"

He was smiling, not a hint of displeasure in his expression. Zhang Yansheng understood—he must already know everything. She had hit Zhang Shuocheng, and Zhang Shuocheng, unprecedentedly, had finished his homework.

The former was the cause, the latter the effect. The cause wasn't severe, but the effect was good, an outcome Zhang Huan was happy to see. Hence his good mood.

"Didn't hit him, just patted him lightly a few times," she said. "I set a rule for him: do homework every morning during summer break, only play in the afternoon."

Zhang Huan had already learned everything from Zhang Heling. Both the changes in his eldest daughter and his youngest son surprised and delighted him, putting him in an excellent mood.

Feeling deeply comforted, he said, "Good, very good. You really are acting like an older sister now."

Having seen through this man's mindset, Zhang Yansheng felt little interest in talking to Zhang Huan, no longer inwardly craving his attention as she once did.

She made a noncommittal sound and said, "I'm going upstairs."

Just as she reached the stairwell, Liang Yingying came down.

Liang Yingying glared at Zhang Yansheng.

Zhang Yansheng only gave her a faint, sidelong glance.

The two passed each other on the stairs.

"Sis, wait for me!" Zhang Heling chased after Zhang Yansheng upstairs.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Yingying grabbed her arm. "Where do you think you're going!"

Zhang Heling twisted her shoulder, escaping her grasp. "I need to talk to my sister!"

Liang Yingying ground her teeth in anger.

This daughter of hers was so foolish. Ever since bringing her to live here, she'd always wanted to treat Zhang Yansheng as a real sister. Infuriating. A worthless girl, utterly useless.

Watching Zhang Heling run upstairs after Zhang Yansheng, Liang Yingying fumed for a moment before going down to find Zhang Huan.

"A young girl, out so late," she went over to massage Zhang Huan's shoulders, saying in a coquettish tone, "Your daughter is getting older. Could she be seeing a boyfriend out there?"

"Impossible," Zhang Huan denied immediately. "Yanyan said she went out to practice. Yanyan isn't the type of child to lie."

At this point, Zhang Huan hadn't yet experienced the rebellious teenager she would become. In his mind, although Zhang Yansheng often clashed with Liang Yingying and her grades weren't as good as in elementary school, overall, she was still a good, innocent child.

Liang Yingying fumed silently. Finally unable to hold back, she complained, "She made Xiao Zhou go out with her and only came back now. She hogged the car all day herself, leaving me without one."

Zhang Huan understood the source of her unhappiness as soon as he heard.

"Aren't there other cars at home? You could drive yourself," he said. "It's not like you don't have a license."

Liang Yingying pouted. "Driving yourself isn't as convenient as having a driver. When shopping, they can help carry the bags."

Zhang Huan understood Liang Yingying's little motives perfectly. Compared to driving herself, she preferred having a driver as an attendant, which gave her more face in front of her girlfriends.

Zhang Huan felt a slight disdain inwardly.

But he thought for a moment and said, "Yanyan is older now. She'll be going out more often than before. She can't drive herself yet, so from now on, the family driver should prioritize her needs."

Before Liang Yingying could get angry, he added, "As for you, you have a license. Is it that you don't like the cars at home? How about this: I'll buy you a new one. How about a Ferrari?"

Liang Yingying was both shocked and delighted.

Zhang Yansheng's mother had been ill for several years before her passing and had been in a recuperative state. The cars at home were all for Zhang Huan's use, of course aligned with his tastes and preferences.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Aside from the two cars driven by the chauffeur, Liang Yingying didn't like any of the others—they were old-fashioned! Didn't match her youth and beauty!

Having her own Ferrari would be so impressive to drive out!

Overjoyed, she said, "I want a pretty one!"

"Understood. Go pick one out yourself later and let me know."

As soon as Zhang Huan finished speaking, Liang Yingying hugged him and planted two loud kisses on his cheek. "Thank you, darling!"

The children were upstairs anyway. Zhang Huan pulled Liang Yingying into his lap, kissing and fondling her.

But inwardly, he thought, if only his eldest daughter could be as easily pleased with money as his young wife. Zhang Huan wasn't short on money; he didn't want to expend more effort on things money could solve.

Unfortunately, family matters were precisely the kind that money couldn't easily solve, the kind that required the most care and attention.

He couldn't help but sigh a little.

Zhang Heling caught up to Zhang Yansheng. "Sis, there's a package for you. Auntie Luo put it in your room."

Zhang Yansheng acknowledged, "Got it."

Zhang Heling urged her excitedly, "Hurry up and open it to see what it is."

"Not in a rush," Zhang Yansheng said indifferently, stepping into her room.

Zhang Heling opened her mouth but held back.

Zhang Yansheng threw the pile of shopping bags onto the sofa and saw the package on the coffee table. Zhang Yansheng disliked others, especially Zhang Shuocheng, touching her things, so whenever she had a package, Auntie Luo would place it in her room.

Zhang Yansheng pulled a box cutter from under the coffee table, sliced through the tape, and opened the outer carton. Seeing the inner box containing the actual product, she realized why Zhang Heling had been so chatty earlier—the newest model game console she had bought for her had arrived.

She turned to call her over, but the space beside her was empty.

Looking up, she saw her sister standing at the doorway, her big eyes full of anticipation, staring eagerly in her direction.

But even though she was so eager, without Zhang Yansheng's permission, she hadn't dared to step into her room, standing obediently just outside the door.

Her docility was heartbreaking.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Yansheng was silent for a few seconds, took a breath, and said, "Come in."

Zhang Heling's slender legs quickly carried her inside. "Sis, is it my game console?"

Zhang Yansheng took the game console box out of the outer carton and handed it to her. Zhang Heling hugged the box and jumped for joy a few times. "Sis, thank you!"

The young girl couldn't wait to leave. "Sis, I'm going back to my room. I won't bother you. Rest early."

But Zhang Yansheng stopped her. "Come back here!"

Whoosh, the young girl darted back.

Zhang Yansheng: "..."

Zhang Yansheng rolled her eyes. She took a card from her bag and handed it to Zhang Heling. "This is for you."

Zhang Heling took it. "A bank card?"

She looked bewildered, not quite understanding.

Surprisingly, Zhang Yansheng found herself somewhat agreeing with Liang Yingying on the point that Zhang Heling "wasn't very bright."

"You'll be in fourth grade soon," she said. "It's time you had an allowance."

Zhang Heling's face lit up with sudden understanding, both surprised and happy. "Can I buy things myself from now on?"

If she wanted something and asked her dad, he would say, "Go ask your mom."

But asking her mom... for some reason, her mom always seemed reluctant to satisfy her. The family clearly wasn't short of money; Zhang Shuocheng could get anything he wanted immediately. But when it came to her, if she actively asked to buy something, her mom always seemed displeased, as if she owed her something.

As Zhang Heling grew older and began to have needs for spending money, the older she got, the less willing she became to ask Liang Yingying for money.

She had been shot down too many times.

"Use this card for whatever you want to buy. You're old enough to learn how to spend and manage money," Zhang Yansheng said. "But giving you an allowance isn't for you to spend recklessly. It's for you to learn how to manage your own finances. Do you understand?"

Zhang Heling nodded repeatedly, promising, "I won't spend it recklessly!"

Compared to the bratty younger brother, this younger sister was really well-behaved.

Zhang Yansheng was relatively satisfied, nodding as she crossed her arms.

"This card is under my name, so it's easy for me to see your spending records. You're still young, so I won't give you a lot of money..." Zhang Yansheng pondered for a moment, referencing her own childhood allowance, and decided, "I'll start with ten thousand a month for now."

(End of Chapter)

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