Chapter 1: The Real and Fake Ye Fan.

Tao Chunlan is strong and capable. Before the founding of the country, she was a fearless female warrior, and after the founding, she was a hardworking female comrade. At this moment, she looked tired, her normally straight shoulders now hunched, her eyes dark with bruises, and bloodshot, as if she hadn’t eaten or slept properly for many days.

“Fan Fan, what are you thinking?” Tao Chunlan gazed at her daughter, whom she had painstakingly raised, hoping she wouldn’t be caught in a dilemma, but the hope in her eyes betrayed her true thoughts.

This wasn’t something Ye Fan could decide on her own.

Moreover, Ye Fan wasn’t actually Ye Fan.

Ye Fan grew up in the twenty-first century, a small-town test-taker who worked her way through the big city—into a car, into a house, into savings, until she worked herself to death.

At the moment she lost consciousness, Ye Fan regretted it deeply. If she were to be reborn, she would take better care of her health and live well.

Then Ye Fan lived.

The good news was that Ye Fan became several years younger, living again in the body of an eighteen-year-old girl. The bad news was that she had traveled back over half a century, landing in the 1960s. The coincidence was that this girl was also named Ye Fan, but the unfortunate part was that the college entrance exams had been suspended. Ye Fan was now faced with three choices: join the army, go to the countryside, or get married.

Ye Fan had been frail and sickly since childhood. Tao Chunlan didn’t know how much money or effort she had spent to raise her to be like a normal child, so she could never bear to send her to the army. On the other hand, even if she could bear it, Ye Fan couldn’t withstand the intensity of military training. Tao Chunlan also didn’t want her to go to the countryside to do farm work, so she suggested an engagement first, hoping to delay marriage for a few years until the situation changed.

Little Ye Fan believed that if others could contribute to the modernization of the country, so could she. She even wanted to go to a remote and barren area. Tao Chunlan tried everything to persuade her, but Ye Fan was determined to go to the countryside. In a fit of rage, Tao Chunlan locked her in her room.

Tao Chunlan’s husband was in the army, and her son and daughter-in-law lived at the work unit. Tao Chunlan herself also had a job, and since there was food in the house and she wouldn’t go hungry, she didn’t pay much attention. When Ye Fan finally stopped making a fuss, Tao Chunlan opened the door, only to find that Ye Fan had not touched her meal. Ye Fan’s body was extremely weak. Tao Chunlan, in her concern, failed to realize that this Ye Fan was no longer the same Ye Fan.

Tao Chunlan, afraid of losing her daughter, decided to compromise, and Ye Fan first admitted her mistake. Tao Chunlan suspected that her daughter was using retreat as a strategy to escape, but Ye Fan raised a very practical concern: after missing several meals and fainting from hunger, she wondered if, in the event of floods or droughts in the village, they would have to tighten their belts, and whether she might starve to death in a distant place.

Tao Chunlan, realizing her daughter had finally grown up, immediately arranged a matchmaker for her.

Two years later, Ye Fan married. Her husband went to the army, and Tao Chunlan, worried that her daughter might not adapt to her in-laws’ home, brought her back to live with her. She stayed there for five years.

A few days ago, Ye Fan’s husband wrote to say he had been promoted to the regimental level, and the unit had a family housing area where Ye Fan could join him. He promised to come back on leave to bring her and the child. However, Ye Fan’s husband hadn’t returned yet, and the real Ye Fan had come back.

The real Ye Fan now went by the name Chen Xiaohui and was from Shencheng.

It was only when Chen Xiaohui arrived that Ye Fan learned Tao Chunlan and her husband had lived in Shencheng for a few years before and after the founding of the country. Also arriving with Chen Xiaohui were her adoptive parents, who were Ye Fan’s biological parents.

Ye Fan’s biological mother explained that on the day she gave birth, her husband was busy with work and, in a hurry, had taken the wrong baby.

Had Ye Fan grown up in the Ye family, pampered and unaware of the struggles of the common people, she would have likely believed such an explanation without question.

When Ye Fan was pregnant, Tao Chunlan repeatedly reminded her that while adults might be healthy, the child might not necessarily be, so she must rest well. Tao Chunlan had learned this the hard way, neglecting her own health when she was young, which had put Ye Fan in danger on more than one occasion when she was a child.

In her past life, Ye Fan was born in the year 2000, in the 21st century, where rural areas still had parents who would discard children who were weak and sickly. Moreover, Little Ye Fan was born the same year as the founding of the Republic. It was an era when even the rich couldn’t easily obtain good things. Judging by the way Little Ye Fan’s biological parents dressed now, one could guess they didn’t have money back then. And if they wanted another girl, what could be cheaper than just swapping babies?

Tao Chunlan had worked in intelligence when she was young, and just by looking at the three of them, she could tell there was more to the story. However, the situation was what it was. Digging into the details might hurt the feelings of both daughters, so Tao Chunlan had no choice but to pretend to completely believe Ye Fan’s biological parents.

The incident came suddenly, and neither Tao Chunlan nor Ye Fan was prepared. The only people at home were the two women and two children, and they were both in a state of panic. Tao Chunlan asked Chen Xiaohui and her adoptive parents to stay first, while she called her husband, son, and daughter-in-law to discuss what to do when they returned.

Ye Fan’s brother and sister-in-law, upon receiving the call, found the situation absurd. When they got home and saw Chen Xiaohui’s appearance, which resembled Tao Chunlan’s when she was young, the three of them fell silent.

Chen Xiaohui remained quiet, while her adoptive parents were too shocked by Ye Fan’s father’s military uniform to say anything. Tao Chunlan urged Ye Fan to speak, and Ye Fan first smiled and comforted Tao Chunlan, then said to her biological mother, Zhao Ruping, “It’s not as serious as we think.”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law immediately relaxed. Just as she had thought, even if it was the real Ye Fan, she wouldn’t be crying and throwing a fit. She had tried to convince her husband, but he yelled at her, saying she was just standing there, not feeling the pain.

“Mom—”

Tao Chunlan and Zhao Ruping both looked at her.

Ye Fan froze for a moment. Even though she had already considered everything over the past few days, she couldn’t help but smile wryly when faced with this scene. After thinking for a moment, Ye Fan said to Zhao Ruping, “I’ll call you both ‘dad’ and ‘mom.’ To me, both the birth and the upbringing are equally important. Just because you gave birth to me doesn’t mean you can neglect the parents who raised me.”

Tao Chunlan nodded with great satisfaction. Zhao Ruping and her husband smiled and nodded, “We’ll listen to you.” They looked at Chen Xiaohui beside them, “Xiaohui said the same thing.”

Ye Fan, who had a bad impression of Chen Xiaohui due to her evasive eyes the day she arrived at the Ye family, was taken aback by the remark and looked at Chen Xiaohui. Chen Xiaohui raised her head, her chin slightly lifted, with a proud expression, almost as if she were pleased with herself.

Ye Fan was puzzled, unable to understand why she would be so smug about this, but set it aside for now. “Mom, I, and Xiaohui are not young anymore. I don’t need to stay in the Ye family, nor do I need to go to Shencheng. Tomorrow, Geng Zhiyé, who might be home by this afternoon, can go with me to the army. My work can be transferred, and Xiaohui can just take over for me—”

“I’m not trying to steal your job,” Chen Xiaohui interrupted.

Ye Fan furrowed her brows. When did she say anything about stealing? “Xiaohui, you misunderstood. My colleagues can’t take over my job. Even if you don’t take it, they’ll still need to find someone. Instead of giving it to someone else, it’s better to let our own people handle it.”

Tao Chunlan agreed, saying, “Fan Fan is right.” She then asked Zhao Ruping, “What do you think?”

Zhao Ruping’s first reaction was to look at Chen Xiaohui.

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law raised an eyebrow at the sight, realizing that Chen Xiaohui, like their Ye Fan, had strong opinions. She had thought that since Chen Xiaohui was quiet and reserved, she must be shy: “Has Xiaohui already found a job? Ye Fan’s job is complicated, and Xiaohui might not like it. Mom, Aunt, let’s see what Xiaohui thinks.”

Chen Xiaohui was caught off guard by the question.

The Ye family had connections, and before coming, Chen Xiaohui had considered that Ye Fan might have a job, but she didn’t expect that after so many years of marriage, Ye Fan had married a soldier. From what she knew about Ye Fan’s parents, they wouldn’t have allowed her to marry a soldier. The couple living apart was one thing, but considering the unrest in the northern and southern regions, the instability in the skies, and the situations at sea, every young officer with a promising future could be sacrificed at any moment.

Chen Xiaohui never imagined that Ye Fan would casually suggest giving her the job, leaving her confused and stammering, “I… I haven’t decided yet…”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law gently asked, “Haven’t decided what you want to do?”

At twenty-five, not five, Chen Xiaohui felt like she was being treated like a fool, so she quickly said, “No. We didn’t know that Ye Fan was married and had a chance to follow her husband. I just wanted to see what my birth parents looked like. Otherwise, this thing would always weigh on my heart, and no matter what I do, it wouldn’t feel right.”

From Shencheng to the capital, thousands of miles, just to meet once, asking for nothing—was she lying? Ye Fan had disliked Chen Xiaohui at first and even doubted herself for being petty. But seeing things from Tao Chunlan’s perspective, Ye Fan decided to give her the benefit of the doubt: “Do you have a job in Shencheng?”

Zhao Ruping blurted out, “No!”

Ye Fan was instantly curious about what Chen Xiaohui was trying to do. “Since you don’t have one, then what are you still worried about?”

Tao Chunlan couldn’t help but ask, “Is Xiaohui worried that we might bully you?”

Chen Xiaohui quickly clarified, panicking, “No, no, it’s just… my household registration is in Shencheng. The registration system is strict now. Ye Fan’s household registration is here, can I still transfer mine?”

Worried about that? Ye Fan was surprised. “My household registration isn’t here.”

“Not here?” Chen Xiaohui was astonished. “But don’t you live here?”

Ye Fan replied, “My household registration is at my in-laws’ place.”

Zhao Ruping couldn’t help but ask, “Your household registration is at your in-laws’ place, so if Xiaohui transfers hers here, wouldn’t that mean we have no daughter?”

Ye Fan: “…”

What kind of thinking is that? No wonder she could come up with something as malicious and foolish as switching children.

Ye Fan suppressed the irritation rising inside her and said, “Even if Xiaohui doesn’t transfer here, does that mean she’ll never marry? Even if she doesn’t marry, her job still requires a household registration transfer. Besides, Xiaohui isn’t someone who hasn’t done it before.”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law, straightforward by nature and irritated by their back-and-forth, cut in, dropping her previous soft tone: “When going to the countryside, the household registration must be transferred to the rural area. This isn’t something Aunt should be unfamiliar with, right?”

Zhao Ruping immediately realized she had misspoken. “What I meant was, Ye Fan and Xiaohui are both in the capital, and it will be difficult for us to meet in the future.”

“Do you mean I should go back to Shencheng with you?” Ye Fan couldn’t help but ask.

Zhao Ruping nodded.

Ye Fan felt like cursing. Her sister-in-law, seeing her expression change, hurriedly grabbed her hand. Ye Fan took a deep breath. “My household registration is at my husband’s place. If it’s transferred, it would only happen with a divorce!”

“Isn’t there any other way?” Zhao Ruping looked toward Ye Fan’s father.

Was she asking her dad to use his connections? Has she lost her mind? Ye Fan frowned and replied, “Look at him, he can’t force me to divorce.”

“I’m not asking you to divorce,” Zhao Ruping quickly said when she saw Ye Fan’s displeased expression. “Well, then let’s not transfer the household registration for now. But you have to come back with us. Xiaohui came here, but if you don’t come back with us, what will the relatives and neighbors think?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

Zhao Ruping was momentarily speechless, then looked at Tao Chunlan. “Why is this child so sharp-tongued?”

Ye Fan was very annoyed, and couldn’t help but frown. “What do you mean by that? Are you saying my parents raised me wrong? Is there no possibility that you two have issues, and I was just born a bit off? It’s already hard enough for me to become who I am today.”

Chen Xiaohui was stunned. How could she speak to her elders like that?

Zhao Ruping struggled to breathe. Ye Fan’s biological father suddenly sat up straight, his body tense. Ye Fan’s sister-in-law, seeing this, quickly intervened. “Fan Fan, stop talking nonsense!”

“I can’t be bothered to waste time with you.” After half a day, they hadn’t gotten anywhere. Ye Fan had had enough. She looked at the Chen couple and said, “Although you’ve only been here a day and a half, today is already the third day. You were too tired to think on the road and didn’t have time to think last night before bed? The youngest here is already twenty-five, no one is a fool. Just say what you want. If I hear another word about what’s ‘for your sake,’ get out immediately!”

Zhao Ruping shuddered in fear. Her husband, Chen Kuanren, grabbed her hand. “Why are you yelling—”

“Shut up!” Ye Fan glared at him. “When my mom gave birth, my dad wasn’t around. A mother with no one to help couldn’t see what Xiaohui looked like, are you blind? Even if newborns look similar, the blankets used for wrapping babies are the same? You didn’t think about swapping us back for twenty-five years, and now you think you can just quietly find your way here? Who told you the Ye family’s address? If we don’t mention it, do you really think we’re fools? The world isn’t full of idiots, just because you two think you’re clever?”

Chen Kuanren, enraged, shouted, “I’m your father! Speak to me with respect!”

“Do you have proof? Are we supposed to admit Xiaohui is my mom’s child just because they look alike? There are plenty of people who look alike but aren’t related by blood. What will you do if we don’t acknowledge you?” Ye Fan couldn’t understand why the three people who had come prepared were still hesitating. Chen Xiaohui was born by Tao Chunlan, and Ye Fan wouldn’t argue with her. The child who was swapped was Chen Kuanren’s, and he and Zhao Ruping still wanted to extort money. Dream on!

Ye Fan asked again, “Do you want to do a blood test to prove the relationship, or do you have any witnesses?”

Chen Kuanren was left speechless. “I, I—”

“Get to the point!” Ye Fan said coldly.

Chen Kuanren, Zhao Ruping, and Chen Xiaohui all shuddered from her shout.

Tao Chunlan quickly tried to calm her down. “Fan Fan, speak calmly—”

Chen Kuanren stammered, “It’s just—”

“Is this the point?” Ye Fan asked. Chen Kuanren instinctively swallowed his words. Ye Fan turned to Zhao Ruping. “You were the ones who swapped Xiaohui, so logically, you should compensate the Ye family. Since you haven’t mistreated Xiaohui, let’s forget about money. If you really care about Chen Xiaohui, my mom will go back with you to Shanghai tomorrow to transfer her household registration.”

Zhao Ruping quickly asked, “What about you?”

Ye Fan gave a blunt reply, “I have in-laws to take care of and children to look after. I don’t have time to go back to Shanghai.”

Chen Kuanren said, “This is not acceptable.”