TEDWR: Chapter 23

 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.

· Liang Zheng (梁征): Liang Yingying's nephew.

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Chapter 23

Zhang Heling went to the kitchen to get ice cream and overheard her mother talking on the phone in the hallway.

"Liang Zheng? What does he want?"

"Really, always causing me trouble."

"What do you mean, my word doesn't count? Of course my word counts!"

"Don't let him come yet. I need to arrange things first! What are you talking about? Even if my word counts, arrangements still have to be made! He can't just show up!"

"Alright, alright, I know. I'll do it as soon as possible. Wait for my news."

Holding two cartons of ice cream, Zhang Heling trotted over, went upstairs, and knocked on Zhang Yansheng's door.

Zhang Yansheng opened the door. "What is it?"

Zhang Heling held up her hands. "Sister, I got ice cream. Do you want some?"

The young girl's big eyes blinked, sweet and well-behaved.

Zhang Yansheng: "..."

Well, she already brought it.

"Come in," Zhang Yansheng said.

Zhang Heling hopped into Zhang Yansheng's room. The two sisters sat on the sofa eating ice cream. Zhang Yansheng set up her tablet and played an animated film.

"Sister, it seems my cousin is coming," Zhang Heling said between bites.

Zhang Yansheng made a noncommittal sound. A moment later, she processed it, paused, and asked, "Liang Zheng?"

"Sister, you know my cousin?" Zhang Heling sounded surprised. She had only met that cousin a couple of times when Liang Yingying took her back to her maternal grandmother's side for New Year.

But since entering the Zhang household, she had only gone back twice. She wasn't very familiar with her grandmother's family and didn't know this cousin well.

Zhang Yansheng didn't answer. The corner of her mouth twitched into a cold smile.

Liang Yingying was a child born to her parents late in life. She had an older brother more than ten years her senior. This brother had been spoiled rotten by the family. When her mother unexpectedly became pregnant with her, it was like the family decided to start over with a new account and had her.

When she was born a girl, the old couple was somewhat disappointed. But having something was better than nothing. Since she was born, they raised her, thinking at least she could earn money and support them in their old age.

Liang Yingying's older brother was idle and aimless, but he was decent-looking and quite skilled at picking up girls. He got someone pregnant early and had to marry, giving Liang Yingying a nephew only seven years younger than herself.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

The old couple got a grandson and were overjoyed. They doted on him and spoiled him, and he finally tested into a prestigious university... for a three-year college program. The old couple thought he was the family's golden phoenix and that their hardships were finally over.

As for their daughter, she had a fruitful womb, married into a wealthy family, and should help out her brother and nephew.

On the phone, Liang Yingying boasted to her family that her word carried weight and told them to wait for her to arrange things. In reality, she didn't mention a word about it to Zhang Huan that day.

She hadn't gotten her Ferrari yet! Wait until the sports car is in her hands, then talk about the nephew!

That night, she served Zhang Huan well again, making him comfortable. The next day, she immediately gathered her girlfriends to go car shopping. Amid the envy of her friends, she picked one and called Zhang Huan.

"Got it. Send the account details. I'll have finance transfer the money," Zhang Huan said impatiently.

When the salesperson informed Liang Yingying the payment had gone through, she reveled in the limelight in front of her friends. She waited another two days, until her family called to urge her once, before finally bringing it up to Zhang Huan: "My nephew has graduated from university. He wants to come to K City. I was thinking, why not let him join the family company? Honey, can you arrange something for him~"

This wasn't a big deal. In a company, especially a private one, having connections was unavoidable.

Zhang Huan didn't mind. "Fine, let him come."

With his approval, Liang Yingying called her family triumphantly. "Let Liang Zheng come."

Her parents praised her over the phone. The Ferrari dealership also called to say, "It's cleared customs. You can pick it up in a few more days." Liang Yingying felt life was at its peak; she practically floated as she walked.

Even when she ran into Zhang Yansheng at home and saw that cold face, she could still manage a smile, choosing not to provoke this particular ancestor.

For Zhang Huan, this summer vacation was exceptionally peaceful, serene, and pleasant.

One weekend, Zhang Yansheng returned from outside to find the living room full of people. All the Zhang family members except her were there.

"Yanyan, you're back. Come here, come here. Meet someone. This is your Aunt Liang's nephew, Liang Zheng," Zhang Huan called to her, then introduced her to the young man on the sofa. "This is my eldest daughter, Zhang Yansheng. Come on, get to know each other."

Zhang Heling also enthusiastically went to pull Zhang Yansheng over. "Sister, this is my cousin."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Shuocheng sat on the sofa playing with his newly purchased, latest-model game console, too engrossed to pay attention to anyone else.

Liang Zheng had the Liang family's delicate, good-looking features, but his gaze was unpleasant. Shifty and unstable, flickering with petty schemes—clearly not a steady, sincere person.

"Little Sister Yanyan, I'm Liang Zheng. My, you've grown so much. Last time I saw you, you were just a little girl," Liang Zheng said with forced familiarity, wearing an expression of deliberate, slick smoothness.

The "last time" he referred to was when Liang Yingying entered the Zhang household.

With two children already, a middle-aged man like Zhang Huan had no sense of ceremony. He wasn't keen on weddings and such, so he didn't hold one for Liang Yingying, only registering the marriage. But the Liang family had all come for a few days.

However, Zhang Yansheng had protested fiercely at the time. So Zhang Huan didn't let his new in-laws and their family stay in the house, only arranging a hotel for them.

The Liang family came from a small place. Seeing this son-in-law was generous, putting them up in a luxury hotel, arranging a car and driver to take them around, and letting them buy whatever they wanted, they were grinning from ear to ear. The Liang family didn't mind, but Liang Yingying inwardly felt she had lost face and held a deep grudge against Zhang Yansheng.

Facing Liang Zheng, Zhang Yansheng gave a slight nod of her chin and said flatly, "Hello."

In Zhang Huan's mind, after her rebirth these past days, Zhang Yansheng had created an impression of having "grown up" and "become sensible." Her words and presence carried more weight than before. Zhang Huan explained to her, "Xiao Liang just graduated from university. I've arranged for him to do an internship at the company, to start with."

A seasoned player never made definitive statements. Connections could be arranged, but it was always "to start with," to be evaluated later.

Zhang Yansheng nodded and asked Liang Zheng, "Which university?"

Liang Zheng puffed out his chest proudly. "H University!"

Usually, upon hearing this, people would praise him a little, since it was a prestigious university. Who would ask further whether it was a bachelor's degree program or a three-year college program?

Liang Zheng always introduced himself this way, mentioning only the university, maybe the major, but never specifying bachelor's or college.

Who would have thought this pretty girl from the Zhang family would ask directly, "Bachelor's degree or college program?"

Liang Zheng was stunned.

This girl, how can she be so tactless? Okay, so he was only in the college program, but who asks people point-blank whether it's a bachelor's or college degree?

But Zhang Huan, holding a cigarette, was also looking at him with a smile. Liang Zheng had interviewed at other companies before coming and knew that any company would require submitting educational certificates and copies. He couldn't hide it. He had to grit his teeth and answer, "Col... college program."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Yansheng let out a long, drawn-out "Ohhh...", deeply meaningful.

To Liang Yingying and Liang Zheng, it was extremely grating.

Yet they also thought, What does Zhang Yansheng, a junior high graduate, know? At her age, she's probably only concerned about the high school entrance exam, not the college entrance exam stage yet. They felt they were overthinking it.

This dead girl couldn't possibly be intentionally mocking. Besides, could she have known Liang Zheng was in a college program beforehand?

She's just tactless!

What an idiot!

"Ahem, it's all the same," Liang Yingying hurriedly said. "You probably don't know, but H University is very famous, ranked nationally."

In Liang Yingying's family, her parents were typical small-town folks, her brother was an idle ruffian, and her sister-in-law was lazy to the core. This nephew was the only somewhat presentable one in the whole family, at least a university student. And no matter what conflicts she had with her family internally, when facing outsiders, she was more defensive of them than anyone.

Liang Zheng changed the subject. "Little Sister Yanyan, are you in high school yet?"

See, this is why nephews are better, asking such thoughtful questions. Liang Yingying immediately smiled and said, "She'll be starting tenth grade this fall. She's going to No. 1 High. You don't know, that's the best high school in K City. It costs a lot to get in."

Liang Zheng also let out a drawn-out "Ohhh..."

Zhang Yansheng saw that although Zhang Huan still held his cigarette and his smile remained, his eyes had cooled.

Zhang Huan cared about face too.

Having it revealed in front of a new relative that his daughter was unimpressive and couldn't get in on her own didn't just embarrass Zhang Yansheng alone.

Zhang Yansheng smiled slightly and said, "I'm not impressive. I couldn't get in on my own. My dad spent money to get me in. Right now, I'm cramming like crazy, hoping to get into a better class when school starts."

Hearing this, Zhang Huan felt deeply comforted.

If the child was determined to study hard, and entering a good environment like No. 1 High, she was bound to do well. Yanyan had clearly had good grades when she was little. It was all because of the impact of her mother's passing that she fell behind.

In his mind, of course, he would never think Zhang Yansheng's later decline in grades was because he married a troublemaker and brought two out-of-wedlock children into the house.

It was never his own fault.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Huan flicked his cigarette ash and asked Liang Yingying with a smile, "Where will Xiao Liang be staying?"

Liang Yingying said, "He just arrived in K City, doesn't know anyone or the place. I was thinking of letting him stay at home..."

"Fine, he can stay for a few days temporarily, no problem," Zhang Huan waved his hand. "Find an apartment as soon as possible. Young people need more experience. Leaving home, they need to taste both the sweet and the bitter."

Liang Zheng was dumbfounded.

His aunt had been very confident on the phone before, saying he could just stay at home. During his last visit to K City, he had been deeply impressed by the Zhang family's massive mansion. Before coming this time, he had already told his friends he'd be living in a mansion in K City, and many were waiting to envy him.

He was very displeased, frequently shooting looks at Liang Yingying.

Liang Yingying was also stumped.

She had mentioned staying at home to Zhang Huan before. Zhang Huan had been in a post-coital, indifferent state and had casually said, "Fine." She thought it was settled. She hadn't expected Zhang Huan to suddenly change his mind.

She gave Liang Zheng a reassuring look and said, "Xiao Zheng is still young. I was thinking maybe..."

"He's not young. He's already graduated from university," Zhang Huan said with a smile. "When I graduated from high school, my dad gave me a company to practice with. Parents need to learn to let go. Don't always think about taking care of every little thing for him. Boys need experience; they need to suffer a bit."

The old fox directly blocked Liang Yingying's words.

Liang Yingying was left speechless.

(End of Chapter)

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