TEDWR: Chapter 27

 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. Referred to as Auntie Luo.

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

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

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Chapter 27

"Alright then, we won't buy anything for now. When you want something, just tell your dad," Zhang Huan said.

Zhang Yansheng suddenly remembered something and stopped walking. "Hehe's birthday is coming up soon."

"Huh? That's true, what date in August is it again?" Zhang Huan suddenly recalled.

"The 2nd," Zhang Yansheng said. "Her wish is to go to an amusement park. She really wants you to take her."

Hearing that his younger daughter had such expectations of him sounded rather nice. Zhang Huan smiled. "Sure, I'll have my secretary check my schedule later."

He then asked, "You'll come too, right?"

It was impossible to take Zhang Heling to the amusement park without Zhang Shuocheng. And since both the younger son and daughter were going...

Just then, Zhang Heling, who was walking ahead, let out a small cry of pain.

Both of them stopped talking and looked forward. They saw Zhang Heling rubbing her arm as she walked. Liang Yingying was right beside her.

Needless to say, Liang Yingying must have pinched Zhang Heling again for some reason.

Both Zhang Huan and Zhang Yansheng frowned.

Zhang Yansheng snorted coldly. "I won't appear at the same time as your concubine." She shot her biological father a look and strode ahead.

Her words were cleverly phrased, and Zhang Huan understood. He smiled. "Then it'll be just the two of us taking Hehe and Shuoshuo! Their mom can't get out of bed in the morning anyway."

Zhang Yansheng said, "You figure it out."

The bottom line was: if Liang Yingying was there, she wouldn't be; if she was there, Liang Yingying couldn't be.

Zhang Huan agreed with a smile.

But since his earlier attempt to buy something for Zhang Yansheng had failed—like love that couldn't be given—he asked, "Is your allowance enough?"

After Zhang Yansheng came of age in her previous life, Zhang Huan had given her all the money her mother left her, but she still often asked him for more. Even when their relationship had deteriorated to that state, Zhang Huan was still willing to give her money.

Giving her money made him feel lighter.

But still, who would ever think they had enough money?

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Yansheng said, "If you're giving, I'm taking."

Zhang Huan was pleased. He took out his phone, intending to transfer one hundred thousand, but then he remembered he had just bought Liang Yingying a three-million sports car. He deleted the one hundred thousand and entered two hundred thousand instead, then transferred the sum.

After sending it, he still admonished her, "Don't spend it too recklessly, though. Your mother said we mustn't let you develop wasteful habits." He wore a look of wistful reminiscence.

Zhang Yansheng glanced at the deposit notification. Actually, Zhang Huan had always been much more generous with money toward her than toward Liang Yingying. In her later years, her demands for money grew larger and larger, and he met them all.

Zhang Yansheng hadn't considered this in her past life. Thinking about it now, if money represented love, then it seemed Zhang Huan loved his daughter a bit more than his concubine.

It's just that when love is standardized and measured by money, it becomes hard to cherish.

She said offhandedly, "Thanks."

With that, she went into the house.

Zhang Huan stood there feeling wistful for a while, thinking his daughter wasn't as close to him as she was when she was little. When he bought her something or gave her extra allowance as a child, she would always give him a sweet kiss and say brightly, "Thank you, Daddy!"

It had been so long since she'd done that. He missed it.

Then it occurred to him that Yanyan was a young lady now, and she really couldn't be as physically affectionate with her dad as she was as a child. He felt relieved again.

This man could always find a reason, an excuse, or a method to ease the guilt in his heart.

During dinner, Zhang Yansheng listened as Liang Zheng relentlessly flattered Zhang Huan and Liang Yingying. It seemed the trip to pick up the Ferrari today had truly dazzled him.

"It's really nothing," Liang Yingying said happily, placing her hand affectionately on Zhang Huan's arm and telling her nephew with feigned nonchalance. "It's just the price of a couple of your uncle's watches."

Liang Zheng nearly dropped his chopsticks. His mouth fell open as he stared at the watch on Zhang Huan's wrist. "Un-Uncle, that watch... it's that expensive?"

Liang Yingying always reveled in these moments of spotlight in front of her friends or family. She opened her mouth to quote the price, but Zhang Huan waved his hand impatiently. "Eat, eat."

In Zhang Huan's view, Liang Yingying's blatant flaunting of wealth was utterly lacking in class. It's just that Liang Yingying loved this sort of thing.

Fortunately, Liang Yingying was familiar enough with Zhang Huan's moods. Sensing his displeasure, she quickly shut her mouth.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

A slight smirk tugged at the corner of Zhang Yansheng's mouth.

In this life, so soon?

In her past life, Liang Zheng had lived in this house for nearly half a year. The reason he left was because Zhang Huan lost a watch. It was worth over a million, so Zhang Huan called the police. Initially suspecting one of the maids, Liang Yingying had ranted at the aunties before the police arrived, telling them to hand it over now or she'd send them to jail.

Who knew that when the police arrived and questioned everyone, they quickly zeroed in on Liang Zheng? Using interrogation techniques, a few questions were enough to make Liang Zheng slip up. It turned out he was the one who stole the watch.

In incidents like this involving relatives living under the same roof, the outcome often depends on the victim's attitude.

Liang Yingying was stunned. Pulling Zhang Shuocheng along, she tearfully begged Zhang Huan to let Liang Zheng off. If her nephew went to jail because of her, she would have no face left when she returned to her hometown.

Zhang Huan held his nose and dropped the charges.

But Liang Zheng was also kicked out by Liang Yingying and slunk back to his hometown in disgrace.

Now, Liang Yingying had bought the car so early, and so early on, she was flaunting wealth in front of Liang Zheng, letting him know just how much one of Zhang Huan's watches was worth. What would happen now?

The corner of Zhang Yansheng's mouth twitched. She picked up a serving of green vegetables and put it in Zhang Heling's bowl.

Zhang Heling: "..."

Zhang Heling looked at her sister with pleading eyes. Zhang Yansheng raised an eyebrow. Zhang Heling made a bitter face and ate the vegetables.

Zhang Huan happened to see this scene—such sisterly affection, such a warm, everyday moment. He laughed heartily, pointing his chopsticks at Zhang Heling. "Eat more vegetables. They're good for your health."

Saying this, he also served Zhang Heling some vegetables, and gave Zhang Shuocheng a serving too. "Eat properly. No picky eating."

He looked every bit the doting father.

After dinner, Zhang Yansheng deliberately didn't go upstairs and followed everyone to the small living room. Seeing she wasn't going upstairs, Zhang Heling, like a little shadow, also followed to the small living room.

Zhang Huan's paternal affection hadn't finished playing out. With Liang Zheng, a "guest," present, it was also a good time for him to showcase his fatherly love. He led Zhang Shuocheng to the small living room and asked with a kindly expression if he had been studying hard lately—although he well knew that under his eldest daughter's supervision and his second daughter's oversight these past days, his youngest son didn't dare not study.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Shuocheng planted his hands on his hips. "I start doing my homework as soon as I get up every day!"

Zhang Heling immediately said, "You're lying! You play first every time you get up! I have to go upstairs and nag you before you start!"

Zhang Shuocheng said proudly, "But I still finish it all before noon!"

Zhang Heling scoffed. "If you dared not finish it, big sister would definitely beat you up. Of course you have to finish."

Zhang Shuocheng stuck out his tongue. "Nyah nyah nyah!"

In her previous life, Zhang Yansheng had never interacted peacefully with this pair of younger siblings. She ignored Zhang Heling, and Zhang Shuocheng's presence always caused chaos. Later, they grew to detest the sight of each other and avoided contact altogether.

Watching coldly now, Zhang Yansheng found it hard to superimpose the image of this still-small Zhang Shuocheng with the Zhang Shuocheng of later years.

It wasn't just because their appearances were so different, but also because their personalities weren't quite the same yet.

The later Zhang Shuocheng grew taller than her. After what he did, although Zhang Huan spent a fortune to settle it, he still came back and whipped him with a belt until his face was bloody.

But even that was useless. By then, Zhang Shuocheng was thirteen, already molded into that shape, nearly impossible to straighten out.

Even when Zhang Huan beat him with a belt and cut off his allowance, it was no use. He remained the same.

Besides, Liang Yingying couldn't help but secretly give him money.

The later Zhang Shuocheng was thoroughly ruined.

Back then, Zhang Huan had far more white hair at his temples than he did now. With three children, two utterly useless and one mediocre, Zhang Huan felt deeply defeated. He was past fifty then, his health and energy not what they were now. The focus of his life had finally shifted from himself to his children, only to be met with profound disappointment.

But there were no second chances in life. In the past, he hadn't wanted to bother with the children. Later, when he realized with a shock that he had to personally discipline Zhang Shuocheng, his energy could no longer keep up, Zhang Shuocheng was already set in his ways, too difficult to correct, leaving him utterly drained.

But the current Zhang Shuocheng was different.

Zhang Yansheng had initially thought he would be difficult to handle. She faced him with the attitude reserved for the later Zhang Shuocheng—the one who committed crimes, whose very bones seemed to ooze malice. She had even thought then that if this kid was still going to turn out like that, it might be better to just end him and be done with it, to save him from ruining some other girl's life in the future.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

But after actually taking him in hand and disciplining him, she found it surprisingly easy—a couple of beatings and he obeyed obediently.

He was only seven years old now, after all. A primary school student. Come September, he'd only be in second grade.

Everything was still possible.

He had also proven to Zhang Yansheng with facts that in this reborn life, some things could be changed.

"Sister! Sister!" Zhang Heling suddenly came over and grabbed Zhang Yansheng's hand, shaking it.

Zhang Yansheng snapped back to the present. "Hmm?"

"Daddy says on my birthday, he'll take us to the amusement park!" Zhang Heling's little face was flushed with excitement.

It wasn't just because of the amusement park, but also because Zhang Huan, who usually ignored her, was suddenly paying her attention, which made her feel both thrilled and overwhelmed.

"Oh. That's good." Zhang Yansheng didn't claim credit with the child. She just patted her head and said, "Have fun then."

"Sister, you'll come too, right? Let's all go together?" Zhang Heling asked eagerly.

Zhang Yansheng didn't promise her, only saying, "We'll see."

The child couldn't yet discern the true meaning of "we'll see" and felt that Zhang Yansheng's response... probably meant she agreed.

Just as she was getting excited, Liang Yingying came to pour cold water.

"Go to what amusement park in this heat," she said dismissively. "Have an auntie buy a cake, blow out the candles, that's enough."

That's how Zhang Heling's birthdays had always been celebrated in the past. No need for extra dishes at dinner because the usual meals were already lavish.

It was just an extra cake compared to usual. They'd blow out candles and make a wish, and there would be presents too. If Liang Yingying didn't remind him, Zhang Huan wouldn't remember Zhang Heling's birthday. He'd only realize it when he saw the cake and candles at dinner, then ask with a smile what Zhang Heling "wanted."

Zhang Heling would usually ask for something she wanted but that Liang Yingying deliberately refused to get for her. Zhang Huan would tell his secretary, who would buy it, and then Zhang Huan would bring it home for Zhang Heling.

Getting the thing she'd always wanted, Zhang Heling would be satisfied.

This child had never thought to remind her father beforehand, to tell him her birthday was coming, to tell him what she wanted.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Yingying's mentality of disdain and harsh treatment toward Zhang Heling struck Zhang Yansheng as utterly incomprehensible.

Especially as she watched the excitement and joy on Zhang Heling's little face vanish in an instant. The light in her bright eyes dimmed.

Zhang Yansheng felt a surge of fury rise from the depths of her heart!

(End of Chapter)

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