TEDWR: Chapter 41

 Glossary

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

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

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

· 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.

· Auntie/阿姨: General term for the female household staff/nannies.

· Xiao Zhou (小周): One of the family drivers.

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Chapter 41

Zhang Heling dashed upstairs again to knock on Zhang Yansheng's door. "Sis! Sister!"

Zhang Yansheng opened the door to let her in. "What?"

"Wow, sis, you're still studying?" Seeing the practice problems Zhang Yansheng was working on at the desk, Zhang Heling was shocked.

It was summer vacation!

In this household, however, Zhang Heling was actually the current true academic achiever.

A little embarrassed and annoyed, Zhang Yansheng closed the exercise book. "State your business."

"Oh!" Zhang Heling snapped back to attention, remembering why she had come—to tell Zhang Yansheng the good news. "Dad just told me Cousin is moving out tomorrow!"

That really was good news.

Zhang Yansheng's mood improved, and she asked, "Why would Dad tell you that for no reason?"

He wouldn't just suddenly mention this to a child like Zhang Heling without a cause. Sure enough, Zhang Heling confessed honestly, "It was after I told him about you throwing cousin's phone this morning. Then Dad told me."

Zhang Yansheng: "..."

Zhang Yansheng poked Zhang Heling's forehead. "You and your fast mouth!"

She thought for a moment and went downstairs.

In the kitchen, the auntie had already started preparing for dinner.

Zhang Yansheng went in with a bowl of ice cream. "Auntie."

"That Liang fellow is moving out tomorrow," she informed the auntie.

The auntie craned her neck to look around, not seeing Liang Yingying, and dared to mutter, "Finally leaving."

This Young Master Liang had quite the airs while staying at the Zhangs. His attitude towards the staff the Zhangs employed was not great, and he was always trying to order them around. The aunties really couldn't stand him.

Even the driver, Xiao Zhou, had joined the aunties in complaining about him.

Zhang Yansheng said, "I'm here to give you a heads-up."

The auntie: "?"

Zhang Yansheng smiled slightly. "When he moves, the person should leave. But he shouldn't take our family's things with him."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

She looked steadily at the auntie.

The auntie also looked back at her, understanding dawning in her eyes.

The auntie got it!

At the dinner table, little Zhang Heling couldn't help herself and asked Liang Zheng, "Cousin, you're moving out tomorrow?"

Having been lectured by Liang Yingying, Liang Zheng didn't dare show his displeasure in front of Zhang Huan and listlessly said, "Yeah."

He glanced at her, seeing the little girl looking bright and lively. He paused, then shot a look at Zhang Huan and said to Zhang Heling, "We won't be living together anymore, so we can't see each other every day. Won't Heling miss her cousin terribly?"

Come on, come on, beg your big brother to stay!

"Not really," Zhang Heling said with utter sincerity. "Before, we also only saw each other once every year or two."

Zhang Huan turned his face away.

Zhang Yansheng also almost lost her composure.

Her sister! So blunt!

Liang Yingying glared at Zhang Heling. "If you don't know how to talk, talk less!"

No one showed any sign of wanting him to stay. Liang Zheng spent the entire meal feeling depressed.

He didn't expect something even more depressing after dinner. The auntie actually came to knock on his door.

"Mr. Liang is moving out, right?" the auntie said with a smile. "Please give the car key back to me. Not having the car these past few days has made grocery shopping quite inconvenient."

Having a nice BMW to drive was great. During summer vacation, things were busier, but once school started and Xiao Zhou dropped the kids off in the morning, and the master left for work very early, and after the mistress finished breakfast and went out, the aunties had a lot of free time!

As long as the household chores were arranged, before the kids came home from school, the aunties could drive the BMW to the supermarket if they felt like it!

How wonderful!

But then this Young Master Liang showed up and took over the BMW the aunties used. The aunties had long been fed up with him.

It was just that the car belonged to the Zhang family, not to the aunties. Since the employers hadn't said anything, the aunties couldn't speak up, no matter how they felt.

But Zhang Yansheng was different. Although she was young, she was the employer! She had come over in the afternoon and given a clear hint. The auntie understood.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

From the auntie's perspective, not only did Zhang Yansheng obviously dislike Liang Zheng, but the head of the household, Zhang Huan, surely didn't think much of him either. Otherwise, why was he being asked to move out after just a week?

It wasn't like the Zhangs had never hosted relatives before. Some relatives had stayed for a month. Zhang Huan had never kicked anyone out. On the contrary, he was quite enthusiastic, and none of the staff minded those guests.

So why was it that with this Young Master Liang, everyone found him unpleasant?

The auntie smiled, hand outstretched towards Liang Zheng.

Liang Zheng's face couldn't have looked worse.

Although he knew this BMW belonged to the Zhang family and he'd have to return it eventually, he had secretly planned to keep it as long as the Zhangs didn't ask for it back.

Zhang Huan, after all, cared about face and wouldn't nitpick over such a small thing. It was just a car for the aunties; most likely, he'd turn a blind eye and let it go.

To be fair, Liang Zheng's guess wasn't far off. Zhang Huan really hadn't planned to make an issue of a little old car.

But Liang Zheng had the misfortune of offending Zhang Yansheng this very morning.

Zhang Yansheng hadn't even planned to pay him any attention, but he had to go and secretly take pictures of her.

Zhang Yansheng was no saint, nor did she have to worry about face like Zhang Huan. What did Zhang Yansheng have to fear? She feared nothing less than tearing up appearances with anyone surnamed Liang. She wasn't even afraid of Liang Yingying, let alone Liang Zheng.

Besides, this was her family's car.

Cornered by the auntie demanding the car key right to his face, and in front of these "outsiders," he still had to maintain some dignity. He could only angrily fetch the keys and return them to the auntie.

Just as the auntie, smiling, took them and was about to leave, Liang Zheng suddenly had a flash of insight and stopped her, asking, "Who told you to come ask me for the keys?"

The auntie certainly wouldn't take this upon herself and create unnecessary animosity with an employer's relative.

Since Zhang Yansheng had explicitly told her, she brought Zhang Yansheng up: "It was Miss Yanyan."

Zhang Yansheng again! That damn baggage!

Furious, Liang Zheng slammed the door shut.

The auntie in the hallway pursed her lips, happily clutching the BMW key as she went downstairs.

Liang Zheng fumed all night. The next morning, he waited until his aunt Liang Yingying got up before dragging his suitcase downstairs.

Zhang Huan said with a smile, "Let the driver take you."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Zheng didn't feel like being polite in the slightest and said directly, "Okay."

Liang Yingying called for the two younger kids to "see Cousin Zheng off." She called out a couple of times, but only Zhang Heling came. The girl was well-behaved and polite, knowing she should see a guest off.

As for Zhang Shuocheng, Liang Zheng leaving was what kind of big deal? How could it interrupt his gaming!

It was Sunday today, and his eldest sister Zhang Yansheng had mercifully allowed him not to study on Sunday mornings!

"Really, nothing can stop him from playing games," Liang Yingying said, completely unbothered, laughing. "Forget it, he's still young."

Young, my foot! He's already in school! No manners at all!

Feeling deeply slighted, Liang Zheng cursed inwardly: Damn brat!

Bidding farewell to his aunt and uncle, he looked up one last time at this dream-like mansion. Young Master Liang, feeling utterly miserable and desolate, got into the Zhang family car and was delivered to the old, dilapidated apartment complex his aunt was paying for.

Xiao Zhou took a look. The young master only had one suitcase and one backpack. The building did have an elevator.

Xiao Zhou said, "Well then, Mr. Liang, I'll be heading back."

Liang Zheng watched with bitter resentment as the luxury car abandoned him, leaving him in this rundown complex.

Dragging his suitcase, he turned around. A bunch of elderly men and women were enjoying the shade, fanning themselves with large palm-leaf fans, watching him as if he were a monkey.

It was like falling from heaven straight into the muddy human world.

So bleak!

The agent from yesterday was also sitting in the shade, chatting with the elderly folks. Seeing a luxury car pull up, he thought it might be his client. When Liang Zheng got out, he saw it was indeed him.

He specialized in managing several complexes in this area. These were all old, dilapidated places. He was used to clients calling halfway to ask which bus stop to get off at. A client who arrived by luxury car both times was a first for him.

"Mr. Liang!" He waved his palm-leaf fan, stood up, took a couple of steps, then went back to return the fan to an old lady before coming over. "You're here. Come on, let's go upstairs."

He took Liang Zheng upstairs, confirmed the water and electricity meter readings in front of him, and said, "Bedding, pillows, basic daily necessities—I've got them all prepared for you. See if they're okay?"

After signing the contract yesterday, Liang Zheng had wanted Liang Yingying to accompany him to buy these basics. Liang Yingying had already wasted a day on him without going out to have fun; she certainly didn't have the time to do these things with him.

She didn't even have time for her own son, let alone a nephew? What a joke!

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Liang Yingying, with her wealth and confidence, tossed a few thousand to the agent. "Do me a favor, get everything set up for him. If it's not enough, tell me. Any extra is your tip."

The agent happily took on the task. Although the wealthy lady seemed quite well-off, he could also tell the tenant himself wasn't some high roller. Yesterday, he hurried over to a nearby large supermarket and bought everything in one go.

Supermarket goods—the quality was just so-so, the price was just so-so—just… passable.

Liang Zheng really wanted to ask the agent how much was spent in the end and how much he pocketed, but couldn't bring himself to ask. He could only watch as the agent left cheerfully.

Alone in the shabby apartment, he looked around… those supermarket goods—how could they compare to the Zhang family's refined taste?

So damn depressing!

Liang Zheng dropped his suitcase and threw himself onto the bed with its brand-new sheets!

The old box spring let out a loud creak.

The ceiling's suspended panel had already cracked.

The more Liang Zheng looked, the bleaker he felt. The more he thought, the angrier he became.

Thinking it over and over, it was all because of that girl, Zhang Yansheng!

All at once, the old and new grudges accumulated over the past week surged into his heart!

Malice rose in Liang Zheng's heart. He sat up abruptly, pulled out his laptop, and opened it, only to find… no Wi-Fi.

Dammit!

No matter, there was still his phone!

He used his mobile data to search, compared multiple sellers, and even went to forums for advice.

In the end, he spent money to buy a set of high-definition, remote, wireless mini surveillance cameras.

Little brat!

You think I can't handle you?

Hmph! Hmph!

I'll show you what it means to be beaten down by society!

(End of Chapter)

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