TEDWR: Chapter 28

 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. Nickname: Hehe.

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

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Chapter 28

But Zhang Yansheng was no longer the foolish girl from the past who only knew how to yell at Liang Yingying.

To hit a snake, strike its head. Zhang Huan was Liang Yingying's head.

Zhang Yansheng gently stroked Zhang Heling's hair. She lifted her eyes, not to look at Liang Yingying, but to cast a cold glance at Zhang Huan.

Zhang Huan received that look.

He saw his younger daughter, who had been excited and happy just moments ago, her little face now dimmed, leaning softly and limply against her older sister. The older sister gently smoothed her hair, saying nothing, yet looking at him.

He had initially only found Liang Yingying's words a mood-killer, but being coldly looked at like that by his eldest daughter—a look that seemed mocking, disdainful—made him feel... strangely uncomfortable. All the little grievances Zhang Huan had accumulated against Liang Yingying throughout the day suddenly coalesced and erupted.

Flustered and angry, he said, "What's the matter? My word doesn't count anymore? Who are you to make arrangements for me?"

Liang Yingying was baffled, not understanding why Zhang Huan was suddenly angry. But being scolded like this in front of the three children and a family member was humiliating. She tried to explain, "No, I was just saying she's a kid..."

"You know she's a kid? She wants to go to the amusement park, and you won't take her? What kind of mother are you!" Zhang Huan berated her.

Completely forgetting to consider what kind of father he himself was.

Liang Yingying felt wronged. She'd never seen Zhang Huan care much about Zhang Heling, that little money-loser, before. Why had he suddenly turned into some kind of world's best dad? What kind of madness was this?

She opened her mouth to speak again, but Zhang Huan was already impatient. "Enough, enough, stop talking. Pay more attention to the kids from now on."

Liang Zheng, seeing the situation wasn't great, coughed and stepped in to smooth things over. "Uh, Uncle, how are we getting to the company tomorrow?"

Zhang Huan thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow's your first day, you can come with me."

Zhang Huan's dialogue with Liang Yingying didn't explicitly confirm whether the amusement park trip was still on or not. To a child like Zhang Heling, it was essentially left unclear. Zhang Heling felt disappointed and wronged.

Zhang Yansheng held her small, slender frame and patted her shoulder gently. Hearing Zhang Huan's reply to Liang Zheng, she gave Zhang Huan a surprised look.

In her past life, Liang Zheng hadn't managed to annoy Zhang Huan on his very first day. Zhang Huan's attitude towards him had been quite tolerant initially, given he was a junior relative.

It was only natural that Liang Zheng rode with Zhang Huan to the company on his first day of work.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

But Liang Zheng, completely lacking a sense of boundaries, actually rode with him for a full week. That's when Zhang Huan started getting annoyed with him.

Zhang Huan had money and didn't mind helping out a poor relative or two. The house was big, with plenty of rooms, so he didn't mind a relative's child staying temporarily. The family had a company, so he didn't mind arranging a position for a relative's child, even if it was a sinecure, paying them for doing nothing.

But the car's space was limited. With an hour's commute from home to the office, Liang Zheng having no tact and acting like some young master of the Zhang family, hitching a ride with Zhang Huan every day—that annoyed Zhang Huan.

After all, when one's private space is invaded, anyone would feel uncomfortable.

The second week, Liang Zheng stopped riding with Zhang Huan—there were several cars at home. Zhang Yansheng didn't know if it was on Zhang Huan's instruction or if Zhang Huan had complained to Liang Yingying, but in any case, Liang Yingying gave Liang Zheng the cheapest BMW to drive.

Liang Zheng drove the BMW, posing as a rich, handsome young man, feeling quite pleased with himself.

Later, he genuinely tried to pose as a rich, handsome guy to pursue a wealthy, beautiful girl outside. It was to maintain this lie that he stole Zhang Huan's watch.

By then, he had been living with the Zhangs for nearly half a year and had asked Zhang Huan for a promotion several times. Zhang Huan had long been fed up with him, so when the incident happened, he simply kicked him out.

Liang Yingying was left embarrassed by this family member, losing a lot of face.

In this life, everything was so much earlier?

Liang Yingying bought the car earlier, flaunted wealth in front of Liang Zheng earlier, letting him know how much Zhang Huan's watch was worth. And Zhang Huan? He was already annoyed with Liang Zheng earlier, drawing the line right from the start by clearly stating Liang Zheng could only ride with him on the "first day."

Zhang Yansheng didn't know if Liang Zheng understood the implication, but she certainly did. She found this series of advancements rather astonishing.

Before Liang Zheng could reply, Zhang Shuocheng started making a fuss. "I want to go to the amusement park! I want to go to the amusement park!"

"Alright, alright, little ancestor!" Liang Yingying hugged him. "We'll take you, we'll take you!"

Liang Yingying gave her confirmation, but Zhang Heling didn't become happy.

Every time it was Zhang Shuocheng's birthday, he got whatever he wanted.

In the past, Zhang Heling's trips to the amusement park were always riding on Zhang Shuocheng's coattails. She just wished that once, even just once, the whole family would go for her sake.

Her heart felt sour, her eyes even reddening.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Suddenly, a hand brushed past her eyes with its knuckles, wiping away the tear that was about to fall.

Zhang Heling looked up at Zhang Yansheng. Zhang Yansheng was frowning, looking back at her.

All of Zhang Heling's inexpressible grievances suddenly found an outlet.

She had been leaning limply against Zhang Yansheng; now she simply opened her arms, buried herself in Zhang Yansheng's embrace, and even wrapped her arms around her waist.

Zhang Yansheng felt a surge of irritation.

What was up with this girl? Just today, she kept breaking through her defenses, initiating intimate contact again and again.

But she was such a small thing, wronged and pitiful. Pushing her away... felt heartless! This was a child who had a mother in name only, not much better off than herself, who had no mother at all.

Stiffly, Zhang Yansheng extended an arm, encircled Zhang Heling's shoulders, and half-embraced her.

Over there, Liang Yingying had calmed Zhang Shuocheng down. Liang Zheng continued asking Zhang Huan, "Uncle, what position will I have at our family's company?"

Zhang Yansheng had no interest in their conversation. She put her arm around Zhang Heling and led her away.

From behind, she heard Zhang Huan say thoughtfully, "For young people like you, it's best to start as an intern..."

Walking up the stairs, Zhang Yansheng said to Zhang Heling, "Why the long face still? Didn't your mom say you're going?"

Zhang Heling said listlessly, "My mom agreed to go because of Shuoshuo, not to celebrate my birthday."

Zhang Yansheng understood. She climbed two more steps and snorted. "So what? You're going anyway."

She stopped and turned around. "Let me teach you a life lesson—Never! Ever! Let someone else make you unhappy! Got it? Especially when that person is your mom. If you let her make you unhappy, you're a fool. In this house, when has your mom ever made anyone happy besides my dad and Zhang Shuocheng?"

Having said that, she continued upwards. She was tall with long legs and walked fast.

Zhang Heling was short with skinny legs and chased after her.

"Sister!" she asked. "Do you really hate my mom?"

Zhang Yansheng didn't conceal it. "Is that even a question?"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Over the past few years, Zhang Yansheng and Liang Yingying had argued countless times in this house. Their mutual dislike really didn't need stating.

"Then, sister..." Zhang Heling continued, "...do you hate me?"

Zhang Yansheng stopped and turned her head.

Zhang Heling looked up with her palm-sized face, her dark, bright eyes—still slightly red-rimmed—gazing at her pleadingly. She seemed a little nervous?

Zhang Yansheng gritted her teeth. "I hate you!"

She reached out and poked Zhang Heling's forehead. "Hate you! Hate you! I hate you the most! Always clinging and being mushy."

With each word, a poke. With each word, a poke.

She withdrew her hand and stomped up the stairs resentfully.

Zhang Heling clutched her forehead, which had been poked sore, grinning from ear to ear, and chased after her. "You don't hate me!" She was delighted.

Children's emotions changed so fast. Who was the one about to cry from just a moment ago?

Tch.

Zhang Yansheng looked down on Zhang Heling especially. "All you know is to shed tears, so weak. If your mom makes you unhappy, have the guts to argue with her. What's the use of feeling委屈 and crying by yourself?"

Zhang Heling felt even more wronged. "I don't dare. She'll pinch me then, and it really hurts."

As she said this, she stretched out her arm for Zhang Yansheng to see. Sure enough, there was a blue-black bruise on her arm. It hadn't been there when they were buying clothes in the afternoon.

Zhang Yansheng remembered Zhang Heling's cry of pain when walking ahead before dinner.

"Why did she pinch you again?" Her face darkened.

"She said what I was wearing looked terrible." Zhang Heling was indignant. "It's so pretty! The auntie at the shop today said we both looked great dressed like this!"

Zhang Yansheng understood perfectly. Liang Yingying wasn't upset about the clothes; she was unhappy to see her daughter being close to Zhang Yansheng.

Matching sister outfits—wouldn't that stick in Liang Yingying's eye?

The corner of Zhang Yansheng's mouth lifted. Instead, her mood improved.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

She took out her phone, pulled up Zhang Heling's sleeve to photograph the bruise, and sent it directly to Zhang Huan. "Have some heartache for your younger daughter. She is, after all, your own flesh and blood."

She was starting to understand a bit now. In Zhang Huan's heart, he himself came first, then his son, then his daughter, and only then his wife.

A wife who was married into the family was placed after his own children. After all, if a couple divorces, they become strangers, but your own flesh and blood remains your own for life.

Men kept these petty accounts very clear in their hearts.

Putting away her phone, she ruffled Zhang Heling's hair. "Alright, ignore her from now on. She just likes to see you unhappy."

She regretted the last sentence as soon as she said it. When pondered deeply, its meaning was heartbreaking.

Fortunately, Zhang Heling was still young and couldn't yet taste the heartbreaking, painful meaning in those words. Seeing Zhang Yansheng about to return to her own room, she called out, "Sister!"

Then she opened her arms to Zhang Yansheng, her dark, bright eyes full of expectation.

Zhang Yansheng: "..."

Zhang Yansheng had a very bad premonition!

"What?" she asked warily.

"A hug." Zhang Heling asked with hopeful eyes. "Can I?"

Didn't we just hug downstairs!

Zhang Yansheng looked up at the ceiling speechlessly, then looked down, her voice squeezed through gritted teeth. "Zhang Heling, don't push it!"

Before her words even finished, Zhang Heling had already thrown herself into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"Just one hug!"

This girl was getting out of hand, starting to act spoiled!

Just like downstairs, Zhang Yansheng went rigid all over. She held her arms open, unsure where to put them.

The small, slender figure in her arms said quietly, "My mom never hugs me..."

Zhang Yansheng froze, feeling as if her heart had been punched.

The punch was soft and weak, but it made her heart ache with a sour discomfort.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Yingying... indeed only hugged Zhang Shuocheng. At least, that's how it was in Zhang Yansheng's memory.

Actually, since her own mother passed away, Zhang Yansheng too... hadn't hugged anyone like this in a long time.

She cautiously, slowly tried to lower her arms, but then she heard Zhang Heling say...

"My classmates are all so jealous that I have a big sister. They all think having a big sister must be really great." She said, "I don't dare tell them my big sister is super—scary!"

Zhang Yansheng: "..."

Misplaced sentiment! Can I just fling this brat in my arms away now?

"I don't dare tell them my sister doesn't talk to me, doesn't pay attention to me. I just tell them my sister is really good to me..." the child in her arms murmured as if in a dream. "I never thought it would one day become true. I'm so happy!"

Zhang Yansheng was silent for a long time.

Her arms finally came down, both hands holding Zhang Heling in an embrace.

Fine, let it be. Even if she's a bit silly, she'll do. No flinging.

The two girls—one without a mother, the other neglected by her mother—held each other for a brief moment. What they gained was softness and warmth within their hearts. After Zhang Heling had already stepped into her own room, she heard Zhang Yansheng call her again. "Hehe!"

The little girl took half a step back, leaning out. "Hmm?"

Her sister was leaning against the wall with her elbow, looking a bit roguish and a bit cool.

She said, "Tomorrow, wear the one with the white background and gold pattern."

They had bought more than one set of matching sister outfits today. Zhang Heling knew which one she meant.

The child grinned, stretched out her hand, and gave a thumbs-up.

Her older sister also lifted the corner of her mouth and smiled.

Her sister looked really cool when she smiled!

(End of Chapter)

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