TEDWR: Chapter 29

 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 from her hometown.

·Teacher Yang (杨老师): Zhang Yansheng's former piano teacher, now teaching Zhang Heling.

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Chapter 29

On Monday morning, Zhang Huan was having breakfast in the dining room when he heard footsteps. He turned to look.

Two daughters, lovely as flowers, dressed exactly alike, walked into the dining room one after the other. Fresh, clean, and beautiful—it was a sight for sore eyes.

On this Monday morning, it really put one in a good mood.

"Up so early? Couldn't sleep a bit more?" Zhang Huan asked with a chuckle.

"Need to keep a regular schedule. Can't stay up late and sleep in just because it's the holidays," Zhang Yansheng said.

In her past life, she had reveled night after night, living a life of decadence and day-night reversal. Young as she was, no expensive eye cream or serum could erase the darkness under her eyes, much less the emptiness in her heart.

She sat down and slapped Zhang Heling's back. "Chest out, don't slouch."

Zhang Heling was wearing her new bra and felt a bit shy, unconsciously hunching her shoulders. Slapped by her sister, she finally straightened up.

Zhang Huan loved seeing this scene of sisterly affection and care. He asked Zhang Heling kindly, "Is your arm okay? Let me see."

Zhang Heling didn't immediately understand what he meant. Zhang Yansheng pulled up her sleeve for Zhang Huan to see.

On the fair, slender little arm was a purplish-red mark, clearly from a pinch. Zhang Huan felt a pang just looking at it and said angrily, "I gave your mom a good scolding last night. If she dares pinch you again, come and tell me. Who does she think she is!"

Zhang Heling just said, "Oh."

As they were talking, Liang Zheng arrived, full of energy, greeting everyone loudly with a "Good morning!"

He was dressed in a suit and tie, more formally than Zhang Huan, who was only wearing a polo shirt.

Zhang Heling returned a "Morning." Zhang Yansheng merely nodded.

Liang Zheng silently criticized Zhang Yansheng's coldness, but today was his big day for starting work, so he let it go. He ate his breakfast quickly and asked Zhang Huan, "Uncle, when are we leaving?"

Zhang Huan said, "I usually leave a bit later, but since I'm giving you a ride today, we can leave early."

The corner of Zhang Yansheng's mouth twitched slightly. She said to Zhang Heling, "Go and haul Zhang Shuocheng down."

"Okay! He wakes up early; he's definitely playing in his room." With that, Zhang Heling got up and left. Her skinny little legs ran swiftly.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Zhang Huan called out, "Don't run right after eating!"

By the time Zhang Heling dragged Zhang Shuocheng down by the scruff of his neck, Zhang Huan had already left with Liang Zheng. Zhang Shuocheng was grumbling, sitting on his chair and swinging his little legs, looking very unhappy.

"Your sister has piano class later. You do your homework properly by yourself. I won't go up to the third floor to watch you; I don't have the time for that," Zhang Yansheng said. "But I'll have your sister check at noon. On Wednesday, your sister and I are going for afternoon tea and to play VR. If you want to come with us, behave well. Even if you don't want to go, if you don't do your homework properly, you won't like what happens."

"Just the ruler, or a taste of the bamboo!" Zhang Heling also took the chance to scare him.

Zhang Shuocheng shrank his neck at his sisters' words.

The aunties serving him his breakfast heard it all, covering their mouths to laugh. They said in the kitchen, "Finally, someone can keep him in line."

Zhang Yansheng said to Zhang Heling, "Teacher Yang is very patient. If you have any questions, just ask her."

Previously, Zhang Yansheng had given Teacher Yang's contact to Zhang Huan. Pressured by his daughter, Zhang Huan had to contact Teacher Yang personally. Upon hearing it was Zhang Yansheng's parent, Teacher Yang readily agreed and expressed regret that Zhang Yansheng refused to continue her lessons, repeatedly saying, "Yansheng is a very hardworking and disciplined child."

Parents love hearing teachers praise their children. Zhang Huan kept nodding in agreement. When Teacher Yang asked how to schedule Zhang Heling's time to avoid conflicts with her other classes, Zhang Huan was dumbfounded. How would he know what other classes Zhang Heling had?

He made a few vague replies first, then dumped the task on his secretary.

The secretary contacted Liang Yingying, who couldn't explain clearly either—she was only responsible for paying. Finally, the call was transferred to Zhang Heling herself. The child had a clear grasp of her own schedule and told the secretary everything.

The secretary, of course, wouldn't tell Zhang Huan, "Your wife is also an irresponsible muddlehead." He only praised, "Hehe is such a sensible child."

Zhang Huan felt proud again.

Zhang Yansheng now studied behind closed doors every morning.

Once the door was shut, isolating her from the messy nonsense of the household, her mind settled, and her focus was good. She could now very calmly see herself as a middle school student again.

In the middle of her studies, she went downstairs once to check on Zhang Heling's piano lesson and greeted Teacher Yang.

Teacher Yang said she wanted to meet with a parent, either the father or mother, to discuss things.

Liang Yingying wasn't even up yet at this hour. Zhang Yansheng said, "You can tell me, and I'll pass it on."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Teacher Yang, familiar with her, explained, "There are quite a few mistakes in her fingering. We'll need to correct them slowly."

Zhang Yansheng knew this was the fault of the previous teacher and said, "It's fine, no hurry. Just correct them slowly."

She paused, knowing that for these small, detailed matters, neither Zhang Huan nor Liang Yingying could be relied upon. In the end, she told the teacher, "From now on, just tell me about any issues with her studies."

Teacher Yang had been hired by Zhang Yansheng's late mother and had taught Zhang Yansheng for many years. She knew the family situation was somewhat complicated. Moreover, from her previous phone call with Zhang Huan, she could tell he wasn't the type of parent who paid meticulous attention to his children. As for Zhang Heling's mother... Teacher Yang had hardly ever met her.

Hearing Zhang Yansheng's words, she nodded. "Alright."

After Zhang Yansheng left, she patted Zhang Heling's head. "Your sister seems quite concerned about you."

Zhang Heling smiled happily.

Zhang Yansheng studied until noon. Zhang Heling's piano lesson also ended, and she ran upstairs to check Zhang Shuocheng's homework.

Zhang Yansheng called Zhang Huan's secretary. "August 2nd is my sister's birthday. My dad promised to take her to the amusement park. Could you please add this to his schedule for me, so he doesn't forget?"

The secretary agreed. After hanging up, he went to confirm with Zhang Huan, who exclaimed, "Oh! I really almost forgot. Quick, put it in my schedule. I promised my daughter."

The secretary smiled and flattered, "Miss Yanyan seems to have grown up a lot, taking care of her little sister now."

Zhang Huan was pleased to hear that.

Liang Zheng had previously complained to Liang Yingying about Zhang Huan making him start as an intern, feeling that as family, it was unnecessary. But when he returned in the evening, his mood was quite good. "Everyone was very polite to me once they heard I was the boss's nephew," he said with some pride.

In her past life, Zhang Yansheng had ignored him entirely because he was from the Liang family. She truly hadn't known this guy announced his family connections to everyone on his very first day at work. Hearing this now made the corner of her mouth twitch.

Even without any experience managing a company, she knew Zhang Huan would certainly dislike this.

It was a pity Zhang Huan was out for a business dinner and not home for supper. But it didn't matter; if he wanted to know, he'd find out eventually.

"You need to be sharp. Can't let people bully you," Liang Yingying said.

Zhang Yansheng's mouth had just finished twitching; now her eye started to twitch.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

From this kind of remark typical of a terrible parent, one could easily understand why Zhang Shuocheng later turned to crime.

"Of course not!" Liang Zheng said. "In our own family's company, how could I get bullied? I'd have to be incredibly stupid."

"Anyway, work hard. You need to make me look good." Liang Yingying was fairly satisfied.

Regardless of her relationship with her maternal family, when facing the Zhang family, she not only strongly sided with them but was also fiercely protective, especially afraid that the Zhangs, particularly Zhang Yansheng, would look down on the Liang family.

In her past life, during the half-year Liang Zheng lived with the Zhangs, she had several conflicts with Zhang Yansheng over him.

Liang Zheng then said, "Aunt, can you talk to Uncle again? We're family; interning is pointless. My expectations aren't high. After all, I just graduated. I'm not thinking about being a director or anything, but at least let me be a manager."

Zhang Yansheng really couldn't listen anymore. She put down her chopsticks and said to Zhang Heling, "I'm full. You eat properly." Then she got up and left.

Liang Zheng watched her retreating back. With Zhang Yansheng gone, he spoke even more without restraint, complaining outright, "This big sister really doesn't like me much."

Liang Yingying spat disdainfully. "Who does she like? She doesn't even like her own father!"

She very much wanted to talk about the time Zhang Yansheng almost strangled her to death on the sofa, but she was used to putting on a strong front in front of her family and couldn't ruin her own image. She held back and didn't say it.

Zhang Heling glanced at the two of them. She really wanted to say, "My sister likes me." But seeing her biological mother's furious expression, she lowered her head and also held back.

However, Liang Yingying caught that glance and immediately flew into a rage. "And this fool! Look at what you're wearing! I bought you so many pretty dresses, and you won't wear them! You have to dress like her little shadow! You want to piss me off to death, don't you!"

As she spoke, she habitually reached out toward Zhang Heling.

Zhang Heling shuddered and suddenly said loudly, "If you pinch me again, I'll tell Dad!"

Liang Yingying froze.

Last night had been utterly baffling too. Zhang Huan had suddenly thrown a fit over this little matter of her pinching Zhang Heling. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her pinch Zhang Heling before. Why did he care all of a sudden?

Zhang Huan had really been acting crazy lately.

But as Zhang Yansheng clearly understood, Zhang Huan was Liang Yingying's weakness. Liang Yingying's comfortable life for the rest of her years depended on Zhang Huan. She treated his words like imperial decrees.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

With Zhang Heling's shout, she really didn't dare pinch her. After all, a pinch left a clear blue-black bruise—evidence too obvious.

Furious, Liang Yingying poked Zhang Heling's forehead repeatedly. "Getting bold, aren't you! Daring to snitch on your own mother now! Was it you who told on me yesterday, getting me scolded by your dad?"

Zhang Heling already knew it was Zhang Yansheng who had taken the photo and sent it to Zhang Huan. But Zhang Heling was no snitch. The little girl wasn't stupid either. Her clear, bright eyes rolled, and she said, "Dad saw it himself! Look, it's this big and so obvious!"

She stretched out her arm. The mark had now turned purplish-red and was indeed very conspicuous. It was entirely possible Zhang Huan had seen it himself.

Liang Yingying snorted angrily and poked her twice more. "Think you're so clever!"

"Anyway, you can't pinch me!" Children have sharp intuition. Zhang Heling sensed Liang Yingying's hesitation and grew bolder. "If you pinch me, I'll go find Dad!"

Liang Yingying was livid. "Who gave birth to you! You ungrateful little thing! I wasted my effort having you!"

Before, Zhang Heling hadn't dared to talk back because she had no one backing her up. If she talked back to Liang Yingying and got pinched or hit, she just had to take it. But now it was different! She had her big sister! Even Dad was speaking up for her! Zhang Heling's courage grew; she wasn't as afraid of Liang Yingying anymore. Seeing that Liang Yingying, though not pinching her, was about to slap her, she didn't foolishly wait to be hit like before. She pushed her bowl away and ran off. "If you hit me, I'll tell Dad!"

Liang Yingying was furious. She said hatefully to Liang Zheng, "See? What's the use of having her! An ungrateful wretch!"

(End of Chapter)

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