TEDWR: Chapter 3

 Glossary

·Zhang Yansheng (张雁声): The female protagonist, the reborn eldest daughter.

·Zhang Shuocheng (张硕成): Zhang Yansheng's seven-year-old half-brother.

·Liang Yingying (梁莹莹): Zhang Yansheng's stepmother.

·Zhang Huan (张寰): Zhang Yansheng's father.

·Zhang Heling (张鹤翎): Zhang Yansheng's nine-year-old half-sister.

·Luo Yi (罗姨): The nanny who has cared for Zhang Yansheng since birth.

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Chapter 3

Zhang Yansheng wiped her face and stared at the little boy in front of her, feeling a shock of recognition—Zhang Shuocheng was still this small?

He was seven years old this year, right at that obnoxious age neither kids nor dogs could stand. Seeing his sneak attack succeed, he laughed a loud, cackling laugh, rocking back and forth with the exaggerated glee of a child acting up on purpose.

Back then, the fifteen-year-old Zhang Yansheng had chased him downstairs, yelling curses, then argued with Liang Yingying, who rushed to defend him. In the end, they were all delayed. By the time the family arrived, the birthday banquet for their grandaunt had already started, making the whole family terribly rude.

Grandmother had lost face in front of her sister and was furious. Liang Yingying, true to form, played the victim first and complained that it was all Zhang Yansheng's fault for making everyone late.

Even more hateful, Zhang Shuocheng had taken that little water gun to the banquet and ruined the second dress Zhang Yansheng changed into.

And at that time, Zhang Yansheng had only had eyes for hating Liang Yingying. Believing many witnesses could prove it was Zhang Shuocheng being a brat and not her fault, she had angrily dragged the boy over to confront her stepmother, completely ignoring the occasion.

It had, naturally, made Grandmother lose even more face.

The fifteen-year-old Zhang Yansheng hadn't realized back then that her extreme reactions were slowly pushing away the relatives who had initially felt pity and guilt toward her.

Like her grandmother. And her father.

Now, Zhang Yansheng stared at the seven-year-old Zhang Shuocheng and suddenly smiled.

"You're something else," she said, putting on a fierce act. "You dare do that again, and I'll... tell Dad to spank your bottom."

The threat was utterly hollow. The Zhang family didn't really believe in physical punishment, and Zhang Huan doted on Zhang Shuocheng as the apple of his eye. Even a child this young could see right through Zhang Yansheng's bluster.

The little terror wasn't scared of his sister's empty threats. He pulled his eyelids down and stuck out his tongue, taunting her openly. "Nyah nyah, come and get me!" Then he turned and ran.

"Don't be angry, don't be angry. He's just a child," Auntie Luo said, pulling Zhang Yansheng back into the room. "Don't stoop to his level. He's so young."

After hitting puberty, Zhang Yansheng's temper had grown worse. She fought with the woman surnamed Liang every few days. But she was still just a teenager—how could she win against a grown woman? Worse, Liang Yingying could whisper in Zhang Huan's ear at night, while Zhang Yansheng just shouted at her father in her rage, giving him headaches and making him avoid her more and more.

When it came down to it, Zhang Yansheng was the one losing.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Auntie Luo's grip on her arm was tight, and Zhang Yansheng knew why. In the past, Auntie Luo had always advised her not to confront Liang Yingying head-on—it was a losing battle. But she hadn't listened; she couldn't bear to back down.

In the end, she had ended up alienated from everyone. In this house, she felt like an unnecessary outsider, while the other four were a happy, loving family of four.

But I've grown up now, Zhang Yansheng told herself. I won't make the same mistakes again.

She patted Auntie Luo's hand calmly. "It's fine. He's just a brat. I can't be bothered with him."

Auntie Luo finally relaxed her grip, sighing in relief, and nudged Zhang Yansheng toward the walk-in closet. "Right, right. Just ignore him."

Zhang Yansheng changed inside the closet while Auntie Luo waited outside. Faintly, she heard the girl inside murmur as if to herself, "But someone has to discipline Zhang Shuocheng. Otherwise, who knows what kind of human garbage he'll grow into."

Auntie Luo tensed up again. "He has his father and mother. It's not your place to discipline him. You just focus on your studies. Do well to honor your mother's memory."

The closet was quiet for a few seconds before the rustling of clothes resumed.

A vague sentence seemed to float out: "Has a father for birth, but not for raising..."

Auntie Luo didn't respond.

What could she say? He was Zhang Shuocheng's father, but he was also Zhang Yansheng's father.

Zhang Yansheng changed into a new dress and walked downstairs. As she neared the first floor, she stopped and looked down at the people below.

Zhang Huan heard her footsteps and looked up, frowning slightly but trying to sound kind. "Yanyan, hurry up."

Zhang Yansheng walked down slowly and unhurriedly. Liang Yingying watched her and let out a dismissive snort.

Zhang Huan pretended not to hear and asked casually, "What took so long?"

Zhang Yansheng looked at this man, a tangle of indescribable feelings in her heart.

She used to argue, make scenes, cause trouble. She used to think Zhang Huan had wronged her and her mother, and she had the right to act that way. But now, looking back with a cool head, she finally understood. All the acting out of a rebellious child, in the end, was just a pathetic bid for a parent's attention.

Yes, it was that pathetic.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Now Zhang Yansheng saw it clearly. Everything she had done in the past, stripping away all the layers and excuses, what she truly wanted was just for this man to look at her more, to care for her a little more.

What she got in return was his impatience. When she died, he shed a few symbolic tears and gave her a "proper" funeral.

How laughable.

That heavily made-up, rebellious, and arrogant Zhang Yansheng was, in the end, just a child starved for love.

Ridiculous. Pitiful.

Under his daughter's gaze, Zhang Huan felt inexplicably uncomfortable. He forced a smile. "What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?"

He didn't know what was up with his daughter today. Just yesterday, she was screaming and fighting with his young wife, her shrill voice piercing his ears. Today, she was so quiet, her dark eyes watching him deeply, like two pools of unfathomable water.

It made him uneasy for no reason.

Zhang Yansheng lowered her gaze.

The desperate yearning for familial love and care from her previous life, which she hadn't even been aware of, had vanished. In this life, she asked for nothing from others, only from herself.

She would live well, on her own.

The family's hot-tempered eldest daughter looked up again. Her voice was surprisingly calm, even detached, as she explained plainly, "I changed and walked out, and Zhang Shuocheng sprayed me all over with his water gun. I had to change again. That's what delayed me."

The girl's composed coolness took Zhang Huan by surprise.

Zhang Shuocheng was at that universally annoying seven-or-eight age, and this kind of mischief happened almost daily at home, especially during summer break when the kids were all around. Normally, Zhang Yansheng would have started yelling immediately. But today... today his daughter was being sensible and understanding. It was a pleasant surprise.

If only she could talk this nicely all the time! The constant fighting was exhausting for everyone!

Zhang Huan immediately put on a stern face. "Shuoshuo! Did you get your big sister's dress wet?"

Zhang Shuocheng instantly replied without a blush or a pause, "I did not!"

Of course, everyone in the room knew he was lying—the pistol-shaped water gun was still clutched in his hand! And he had just run down from upstairs.

But his younger half-sister, Zhang Heling, spoke up. "It was him. He just told Mom he sprayed Big Sister."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Yingying was almost furious enough at her clumsy daughter's betrayal to spit blood. She immediately pinched the girl's arm. "Shut up. No one will think you're mute if you don't speak."

As the mother and daughter bickered, Zhang Yansheng's gaze fell on Zhang Heling.

Zhang Heling was six years younger than Zhang Yansheng, only nine this year. She had gotten all her new teeth last year and had finally become pretty again, an adorable, somewhat clueless little girl.

It was a pity Liang Yingying hadn't managed to marry into the Zhang family even after giving birth to her. It was only after having Zhang Shuocheng and outlasting Zhang Yansheng's mother that she finally got her position secured. Valued for giving birth to a son, Liang Yingying's heart held only her precious boy. As for Zhang Heling... well, the house had several maids anyway. She wouldn't lack for food or clothes.

Liang Yingying didn't pay her much mind.

Yet, this was the only person who had cried genuine tears for her after she died.

That girl had cried so heartbrokenly. Had she truly seen Zhang Yansheng as an older sister?

Liang Yingying was often frustrated by this foolish daughter who couldn't tell friend from foe, always undermining her and taking Zhang Yansheng's side. After pinching her arm, still unsatisfied, she reached out to twist Zhang Heling's ear.

Zhang Huan didn't approve of hitting children. When Zhang Yansheng's mother was alive, she had never laid a hand on her. Liang Yingying couldn't bear to touch Zhang Shuocheng but often manhandled Zhang Heling. It wasn't quite beating, but it was unpleasant to watch.

Zhang Huan was about to scold Liang Yingying when Zhang Yansheng suddenly reached out and grasped Liang Yingying's wrist.

Oh no, Zhang Huan thought inwardly, bracing for another fight right before they had to leave. Here we go again.

"Let go," Zhang Yansheng said coldly, but without raising her voice. "Ears are full of cartilage. What if you sprain it? Don't you feel sorry for your own child?"

When Zhang Yansheng's mother was alive, Zhang Yansheng had learned music, chess, calligraphy, painting, taekwondo, and sanda from a young age. Later—much later—as Zhang Huan gradually neglected her and the bitterness in her heart grew, she gave up on the refined arts but kept up with taekwondo and sanda.

Without some intense physical outlet, she couldn't vent the simmering anger inside.

Reverting to now, Zhang Yansheng's body was only fifteen, but thanks to years of consistent training, her strength easily overpowered the delicate, soft Liang Yingying.

Liang Yingying let out a delicate cry. "That hurts!"

Zhang Yansheng snorted coldly. "You know it hurts? Don't you think a child would?"

Liang Yingying had already released Zhang Heling's ear. "Let go! Let go right now! Honey! Honey! She's hurting me!"

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

His daughter was his flesh and blood; his young wife was beautiful and delicate. He was caught in the middle.

Zhang Huan stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, alright, that's enough. Both of you, let go. We need to leave now. If we're late and make my mother angry, we'll all get scolded, and no one will escape!"

Invoking Zhang Yansheng's grandmother made even Zhang Shuocheng shiver slightly.

That formidable old lady was the true head of the Zhang family.

The only one who probably wasn't afraid was Zhang Yansheng.

What was there to fear from someone who didn't love you and had come to resent you? The old lady had once sternly declared she would remove Zhang Yansheng from the will. She hadn't cared. She still had her mother's inheritance to fall back on; she wouldn't starve.

With a dismissive sound, she released her grip.

Zhang Heling had already ducked behind Zhang Yansheng the moment her mother let go of her ear.

She was both shocked and overjoyed today. Usually, even if she spoke up for Zhang Yansheng, her older sister wouldn't pay her any attention. She never expected that today, her sister would actually protect her.

Her mother always told her that she, her brother, and their mother were the real family, the closest ones, and that Zhang Yansheng was just an "outsider."

But her brother was truly awful, bullying her every day. And her mother never intervened, even praising him for being "lively and active."

"Boys should be like this," she would often say proudly, especially emphasizing the word "boys."

After all, her entire life's reversal hinged on giving birth to a son.

But for Zhang Heling, even though her older sister often fought with their mother and had a fiery temper and a scary voice, at worst she just ignored her. She had never actually bullied her.

So, between her brother and her sister, Zhang Heling would choose Zhang Yansheng.

As everyone started moving toward the door, a spark of hope ignited in Zhang Heling's heart. She gathered her courage and reached out to try and hold her older sister's hand.

Unfortunately, Zhang Yansheng stiffened slightly. Without looking back, she shook off the small hand and strode out ahead.

The little girl's head drooped in disappointment.

"Hurry up," Zhang Yansheng's voice suddenly came from ahead.

Zhang Heling's head snapped up. Zhang Yansheng had turned to look back at her, seeming impatient. "Come on, we'll be late."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

A light returned to the little girl's eyes. She scampered after her sister.

Zhang Yansheng gave a soft, unreadable snort and turned to walk outside.

(End of Chapter)

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