Chapter 171 Zhang Ting introspects, fighting alone...
Zhang Ting hasn't reminisced about her past life in a long time.
These seven years have passed in a blur, yet they feel like centuries have gone by in a past life.
To summarize briefly, her short past life was one of solitude and loneliness.
She values kindness and a smiling demeanor, but her calculating nature and hypocritical flattery remain unchanged. She has business partners and all sorts of friends, yet she remains alone.
In those short thirty years, loneliness was her best friend.
At the time, I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. Isn't the only person in the world who is truly loyal to you yourself?
However, one day, she dramatically found herself here.
Zhang Ting has always believed that she is not a good person. All her actions are decisions made after careful calculation of gains and losses.
He saved Zong Suyi out of a small act of pity to make up for his own regrets, yet he clung to her like a lifeline, admiring her, longing for her, and seeing her as his salvation. But what about herself? She watched his vanity, his melancholy, his pain, like teasing a cat or dog, gently casting out bait, then watching him eagerly bite the hook, wagging his tail and waiting for his master's praise.
Making friends is about expanding one's network and accumulating resources for one's career. Each person is someone she has carefully considered and decided to associate with, and every step she takes is driven by self-interest. She watches them fall into the trap of her meticulously crafted persona, admiring, respecting, and liking her. Meanwhile, she has long since calculated the leverage each person possesses, using their strengths against them and leveraging their advantages.
Although the timing of her joining the sect was inexplicable, it was a decision she made after weighing the pros and cons. At that point in time, if Zhang Shu hadn't come, she would have gone to find someone else.
And those millions of ordinary people, in her eyes, are nothing more than a pile of cold, hard political achievements.
Yet it was this group of relatives, friends, and complete strangers who, in the face of danger, when she was powerless and had given up, stood in front of her without hesitation, doing everything they could to help her, build momentum for her, and clear her name.
Then, through the tireless efforts of countless people, the crown of victory was finally won, and the sweet fruit was silently presented to her.
It turns out that people can be connected not only by interests.
Zhang Ting had never experienced this feeling before. It was profound and expansive yet gentle and nurturing, carrying an unstoppable and powerful force. It was so shocking and mysterious that she still remembers it vividly.
She could even recall the moment when her cognitive framework, built up over many years, gradually collapsed.
So she was bewildered, stunned, and at a loss, feeling as if the whole world had been shaken.
In those short seven years, she not only experienced ups and downs and deceitful schemes, but also gained money, fame, and power, as well as countless unexpected joys.
She got married and had a lovely husband and children.
She became an apprentice and gained a respected teacher and fellow students who admired her.
She made friends and found partners she could rely on.
In addition, there were some ordinary people whose names were unknown who spontaneously ran around for her.
Looking back suddenly, she realized that she was no longer alone.
She wasn't fighting alone; she had family, friends, teachers, and countless strangers standing firmly behind her.
Zhang Ting recalled past events with a peaceful smile on her lips, but it was suddenly broken by a gasp.
"My lady, our child is crying again!"
She pulled the smile from her lips, stood up blankly and painfully, and said, "Here I am. I told you not to tease her like that."
...
The snow outside the window has melted, and new green shoots are peeking out from the branches.
It was early spring and the cold wind was blowing, but the servants couldn't help but smile as they worked.
Inside the window, the charcoal brazier warmed the room, filling it with a clean, ink-scented fragrance.
Zong Suyi held his daughter and teased her. The little one snored, and he reached out his slender hand to poke her pink cheek.
She opened her big, dark grape-like eyes and grinned, revealing her smooth gums. In that instant, she felt as if the world was bathed in the bright sunshine of spring, and her heart melted into a pool of water.
He patted the baby gently and said softly, "Is our little devil so happy? Is he happy for his mother's promotion too?" He lowered his head to sniff, and the soft, milky scent reached his nose.
"Eeya~ Gugu!"
Zong Suyi's heart melted upon hearing this, and she held the baby up to Zhang Ting to show her. "Look at your daughter, she's so excited today, like she's had something special."
Zhang Ting put one arm around his shoulder and teased the little one with the other, "You little rascal, you kept your parents up all night, are you smiling so happily after a good night's sleep?" Right now, he looks like a pure and lovely angel baby.
Seeing both his parents at once made Shile even happier. His eyes shone brighter than the stars in the sky, and he chattered away excitedly.
Zhang Ting and Zong Suyi's faces darkened, and they each wiped the saliva off their faces.
"As expected, a little rascal is a little rascal." Zhang Ting forced a smile, feeling her budding maternal love about to die. "If it weren't for my child, I would have given her a good spanking."
Zong Suyi was not to be outdone. She pursed her lips and solemnly suggested, "We can fight when they're older."
The two exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unwavering resolve. This family could not tolerate anyone worse than themselves.
The tiny, innocent baby in swaddling clothes was laughing to himself, completely unaware of what kind of family he had been born into.
Playing with the child all day long, oh, you get tired of not looking after the child. Zong Suyi called over a servant and had the child taken away.
The smoke from the charcoal fire made him feel languid and lethargic. He stretched and slowly walked over to Zhang Ting.
She was writing letters of thanks to her friends, teachers, and senior classmates in Kyoto, and happened to be writing to her younger sister, Ziju.
Zong Suyi lifted her eyelids, glanced at it, and curled her lips. What's so interesting about writing a letter to that round-faced brat?
He pulled the pen from between Zhang Ting's fingers, sat down in her lap like a puddle of water, and wrapped one arm around her neck.
"Writing letters is so boring, my wife, why don't you stop writing them?" She pouted and lightly swept the tip of her pen back and forth across her neck. "You haven't paid any attention to me for several breaths now."
Zhang Ting stepped back, speechless, and looked up at the sky. What kind of talk is this?
She explained earnestly, "Not to mention that Sister Ziju has helped me a lot this time, and I must express my gratitude. Furthermore, being in officialdom requires a solid political alliance to provide assistance, and relationships need to be maintained through frequent visits, and require time and money to cultivate and refine."
"Xiaoyi, don't be naughty."
Zong Suyi understood all the big principles, but he just couldn't stand that round-faced girl who kept pestering Zhang Ting, acting cute and silly, and refused to let her write a letter to Luo Zijun.
Even without that round-faced girl, the wife would surely have turned her fortunes around. Why bother getting involved with her again? That wretched girl looks cunning, humph!
"I don't want to, I don't want to," he said, wrapping his arms around her neck and looking at her pitifully with his beautiful eyes. "My wife, please just ignore her, okay? Come with me to read books, play chess, paint, go on spring outings, or... I'll do anything you want."
She blinked her eyes, her pupils sparkling with anticipation as she looked at her.
Zhang Ting snatched the calligraphy brush from his hand and drew an X on his face. "Of course not." Men are just spoiled.
Love is the spice of life, but people can't just eat seasonings; the staple food is even more important.
Zhang Ting told him to go play by himself, and if he was really bored, he could play with the little brat.
Zong Suyi was not giving up. She glared at her reproachfully, then leaned over her, pleading with the ink stain on her face, "My lady, please keep me company."
Zhang Ting remained expressionless as he tugged at her.
Zong Suyi hated that this woman insisted on being serious when she should have been being indecent!
As he moved, his collar was disheveled, revealing his snow-white collarbone, which was like warm, smooth milk and exuded a delicious fragrance.
Suddenly, her bright eyes darted around, and she leaned close to Zhang Ting's ear, biting her lip as she whispered, "Let's play a little game and give Shile a younger brother or sister, shall we?"
Zhang Ting raised an eyebrow and glanced at him; she could tell Zong Suyi was asking for trouble.
He flipped the man over, and in an instant, Zong Suyi felt as if the world had turned upside down. Before he could react, a burning pain shot through his buttocks.
When he came to his senses, his whole body bristled with anger. He climbed off the person, rubbing his buttocks with both hands, and said, "Fine, I won't sleep with you then. Who cares about you anyway?"
He was still furious after thinking about it over and over. He had given birth to such a lovely child for her, and in the end, he was slapped on the bottom. Zong Suyi wanted to rush up and scratch her wildly, but he stopped because of the imposing aura surrounding her.
He racked his brains and came up with the most vicious words, angrily cursing her: "Bah! Useless thing in bed, I'm not going to serve you anymore!" After saying this, he rushed out the door as fast as he could to escape.
"..."
Zhang Ting rubbed his temples, thinking that if Shi Le inherited Zong Suyi's foolishness, he'd see how he dealt with him.
After resting for a while, she picked up the pen and paper again, and suddenly stopped halfway through writing. Then her shoulders trembled slightly, and a light laugh escaped from her lips.
This is a really interesting life.
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