Chapter 3: Eating in an unsightly way.

The white shirt tucked into olive-green trousers, tall and long-legged, the figure straight and upright, with one hand casually in a pocket. Walking through the solemn and quiet hospital, they looked relaxed yet competent. Chen Xiaohui didn’t know how Ye Fan managed it, but this was exactly the image she had always wanted to become in both her past and present lives.

In her past life, the Ye family favored Ye Fan, and Chen Xiaohui hated him to the point of wanting to crush him into dust. She had never really paid attention to him. Chen Xiaohui put herself in the situation, diligently raising her own success, while not letting her emotions interfere with her actions. If it were her, she would have favored Ye Fan as well.

At this thought, Chen Xiaohui felt weak and powerless all over again. Why, even after living again, was she still not as good as Ye Fan?

“Xiaohui, are you feeling unwell?” Zhao Ruping hurriedly supported her.

Chen Xiaohui turned to say something, but tears blurred her vision first. She opened her mouth, but the more she tried, the harder it became to speak. Seeing this, Zhao Ruping quickly said, “Don’t worry, don’t cry, you have your parents. Your parents will take care of it.”

Chen Kuanren had always treated Chen Xiaohui like his own daughter, thinking that Ye Fan, who was naturally weak, would never grow up. In this life, Chen Xiaohui never questioned him. Only recently had she mentioned meeting a youth heading north on the train, who said she looked exactly like Tao Chunlan. He even mentioned that Tao Chunlan had stayed in Shanghai for a few years. When Chen Kuanren heard this, he couldn’t hide the truth and hurriedly admitted that he had made a mistake in a panic. Chen Xiaohui, curious, expressed a desire to visit and see for herself, and Chen Kuanren had no suspicion at all.

Ye Fan clearly didn’t recognize her, and Chen Kuanren thought that capturing anyone he could would be worth it. Seeing how upset Chen Xiaohui was, he no longer had his usual angry demeanor. Instead, he comforted her along with his wife, saying that if the Ye family dared to bully him, he would write a big poster denouncing them for not recognizing their own daughter.

Chen Xiaohui was anxious; the fall of the Ye family wouldn’t be good for her. “Dad, I still rely on the Ye family for my job.”

Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping exchanged a glance. This daughter was good—just a few words from her could scare them. Unlike that Ye Fan, who had a gun in hand and dared to threaten them. “Dad will handle it later. We’re not afraid of someone who wears shoes when we’re barefoot,” Chen Kuanren said as he helped Chen Xiaohui to the other side. “Can you walk? If not, we’ll stay another night. Ye Fan’s money isn’t free.”

Chen Xiaohui wanted to say that it was the Ye family’s money they were spending.

In her past life, the Ye family rarely gave money to the younger generation, but every year during the New Year, they gave the children a big red envelope. The first time Chen Xiaohui received a thick bundle of New Year’s money from the children’s hands, she couldn’t help but think about how her own child had once only received a hundred yuan at most. But after Ye Fan had a child, the Ye family raised the red envelope amount to two thousand yuan. It upset her so much that she couldn’t sleep the whole night.

“The hospital is hardly a good place,” Zhao Ruping said. “You don’t find it unlucky? With that money, wouldn’t it be better to buy some good food?”

Chen Kuanren replied, “She’s going to buy it?”

Zhao Ruping had seen children of high-ranking officials in Shanghai, spending money freely thanks to their parents’ high salaries. Ye Fan’s shirt was so white, and his trousers so well-fitted, it was clear they were bought and then altered.

“Maybe the money spent on altering the clothes could have bought another set.”

Zhao Ruping said, “She doesn’t look like someone who knows how to live wisely. Let her buy it, alright? Xiaohui, you’re Tao Chunlan’s daughter. The Ye family is all at home, and she wouldn’t dare treat you badly. Just ask her to buy you something nice to eat—hmm, let me think… just tell her you want some malted milk drink.”

Chen Xiaohui felt suffocated. Ye Fan had already completed the discharge procedures, and after all this time, the best she could come up with was malted milk drink? Why didn’t she just ask for Shanghai’s famous Da Bai Tu candy instead?

No wonder, in her past life, the Ye family looked down on the Chen family.

She didn’t even want to mention the Friendship Store, which had Suzhou double-sided embroidery, Hangzhou brocade, watches, whiskey, as well as cola, pastries, and luncheon meat… Wait, she couldn’t possibly not know there’s a Friendship Store in the capital, where foreign friends, diplomats, and even government officials could shop.

The more Chen Xiaohui thought about it, the more she felt she had figured it out.

“Do you have to bring the malted milk drink back to the Ye family to brew it?” With fruit and snacks in her hand, not having eaten any yet, and now she wanted malted milk drink right after being discharged? No matter how she thought about it, it just felt embarrassing and unattractive.

Zhao Ruping suddenly understood: “I almost forgot, we still have to go back to the Ye family.”

Chen Kuanren said, “If you want to go, then go! Every time I see Ye Fan, I get annoyed. Really lives up to her name.”

Actually, Ye Fan was originally supposed to be named “Ye Fan” (繁), meaning “blooming with flowers.” She was constantly sick and had a fragile constitution, showing signs of an early death. Tao Chunlan, a staunch materialist, couldn’t help but wonder if it was the big name that was causing all the trouble. After much thought and a family meeting, they decided to change the “blooming flowers” (繁) to “annoying” (烦).

Zhao Ruping said, “Don’t you have to pay to stay at the guesthouse? Are you really that rich?”

Chen Kuanren opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. “No, no, there’s a saying in the North, ‘Not steaming buns but fighting for face.'”

“Fighting for face over a good deal? If you ask me, you’re just forcing yourself to keep up appearances, suffering for it!”

Chen Xiaohui was shaken. In her past life, Zhao Ruping had said this more than once. What was laughable was that she had always thought Zhao Ruping pitied her for her hard life.

“Mom, stop arguing. You’re just giving people something to laugh about,” Chen Xiaohui forced a smile and said.

Zhao Ruping nodded. “We can’t let Ye Fan laugh at us. Otherwise, they’ll suspect we’re after the Ye family’s money.”

Chen Xiaohui wanted to say, “Aren’t we?”, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Chen Kuanren looked at the hospital entrance and saw only an old bicycle. “How are we going to get back?”

A gust of wind blew past them, and the three instinctively turned their heads. Ye Fan rolled down the car window, one hand on the steering wheel and the other bracing against the door, glancing back over his shoulder. “Get in.”

The three of them were stunned.

Ye Fan frowned. Were these three not only stupid but also deaf?

“Xiaohui, where are you feeling unwell?” Ye Fan asked, trying to be patient.

Chen Xiaohui suddenly snapped out of it. “Y-you, are you driving?”

“What’s wrong with me driving?” Ye Fan lowered his head and looked himself over, no missing limbs, so what’s the issue with driving?

Chen Xiaohui was left speechless. “You—uh, how did Big Brother get back?”

“I took him to the bus stop, and he took the bus back. What’s the matter?” Ye Fan looked confused. “Is there something else?”

What had her past life been like? How did she not know Ye Fan could drive? Chen Xiaohui wanted to ask what else he could do, but it didn’t seem appropriate. She opened the door and got in, and Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping followed suit, clearly startled by Ye Fan driving.

The ride was quiet for the three of them, and when they got out of the car, they stumbled a bit, clearly still unable to accept that Ye Fan could drive.

The Ye family’s four members heard the sound of the car and came rushing out of the main room. Tao Chunlan saw Chen Xiaohui looking listless and said, “Fan Fan, why are you out of the hospital so soon?”

“The doctor said it’s just malnutrition, not resting well, nothing serious. You, Dad, Big Brother, and Sister-in-law, all busy to the point of malnutrition too,” Ye Fan glanced at Chen Xiaohui, thinking she looked like a fool. “Are you okay?”

Chen Xiaohui shook her head, making up an excuse. “Just a bit carsick.”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law asked, “Is your stomach not feeling well? Mom’s retired now, she can take care of you and help you recover properly.”

Chen Xiaohui’s eyes gleamed with insight. How could she forget that Tao Chunlan had retired? In the future, when Ye Fan goes to the military, she will be working in the capital and coming back every day. If she spends more time with Tao Chunlan, feelings will naturally develop. Even if Tao Chunlan doesn’t dote on her, she couldn’t possibly favor Ye Fan like she did in the past life.

“I’ll listen to my sister-in-law,” Chen Xiaohui said, instinctively looking at Zhao Ruping.

Zhao Ruping was very pleased. After all, she raised this daughter, and it was clear she was still closest to her.

What Zhao Ruping didn’t know was that as Chen Xiaohui turned her head, she felt uneasy, worried that the Ye family might misunderstand her as someone who couldn’t tell right from wrong.

Ye Fan broke the silence. “Let’s go inside.”

Tao Chunlan seemed to snap out of a trance. “Right, let’s go inside. Even though it’s almost summer, it still gets cold when it’s cloudy and there’s no sun.”

Big Brother Ye grabbed the curtain that had just been hung a few days ago and gestured for Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping to go in first. Chen Kuanren walked in with his back straight and head held high, looking rather arrogant, which made Ye Fan frown. Ye Fan’s sister-in-law grabbed her arm, gently shook her head with a smile, and hurried to catch up. “Xiaohui, are you thirsty? Let me make you a cup of milk. I heard milk is good for your stomach.” She was already grabbing a can of milk powder from the shelf.

Chen Xiaohui blurted out, “I get diarrhea from drinking milk.”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law froze, her smile awkwardly fading as she set the milk powder down.

Zhao Ruping immediately felt quite smug. So what if there’s milk powder? Even if it’s from the Ye family, they still won’t give you face.

“Xiaohui is like me in this regard—neither of us are meant to enjoy luxury,” Zhao Ruping sneered, glancing disdainfully at Ye Fan, though she didn’t even know who Ye Fan resembled.

Ye Fan was both amused and irritated. Tao Chunlan’s expression shifted slightly, and Chen Xiaohui, seeing this, wanted to smooth things over but didn’t know how to salvage the situation. She became so anxious that she instinctively started picking at her fingers. Ye Fan couldn’t stand it anymore. “Having diarrhea means you’re allergic. What does that have to do with enjoying a good life?” she said, frustrated by the ignorance.

Utter nonsense! Zhao Ruping thought it was ridiculous. “Can you even be allergic to milk?”

Ye Fan retorted, “People can be allergic to eggs and tofu, so why can’t they be allergic to milk?”

Zhao Ruping was left floundering, her mouth moving but no words coming out. “…Who said that? Is there any scientific basis for it?”

“Experts!” Ye Fan answered crisply.

Chen Kuanren snorted coldly. “An expert who just takes money without doing anything, I bet.”

Ye Fan nodded. “Exactly. They get paid without doing any work, so aren’t they experts?”

“You—” Chen Kuanren raised his hand, but Big Brother Ye handed him a glass of water. “Uncle, drink some water. Ye Fan is just a clueless brat. Let’s not stoop to her level.”

Chen Xiaohui couldn’t help but glance at her older brother, who shared the same father and mother. It had been the same in the past life—whenever Ye Fan was mentioned, her brother would show an expression of disdain, while treating her with politeness. At first, she was quite pleased, thinking the Ye family disliked Ye Fan. Later, she realized that they didn’t treat Ye Fan as an outsider, but instead, regarded her as a guest.

Ye Fan said, “Ye Jin, why waste words with him? Xiaohui, have you made up your mind?”

Zhao Ruping quickly answered, “It’s decided.” She looked at Tao Chunlan and asked, “We’ll head back tomorrow?”

Tao Chunlan couldn’t help but ask, “So soon?”

“There’s still a lot to do at home. If we don’t hurry, we won’t be able to manage,” Zhao Ruping smiled wryly. “The oldest child is starting elementary school, and the second one is in kindergarten. I have to cook for the older one and pick up the younger one. If it weren’t for the kids, and if I weren’t working, we wouldn’t need to make this trip.”

Tao Chunlan looked at her husband. “Should I go alone?”

Ye’s father still couldn’t accept that Ye Fan’s real surname was Chen.

Ye Fan was tall like him, with the same face shape, thin yet fleshy like a goose egg. She had large eyes and dark eyebrows just like him, and her personality resembled his as well—appearing straightforward but actually quite subtle. She seemed worldly and smooth in all things, but she had her limits and firm convictions.

No matter how Ye’s father looked at it, he felt that Ye Fan was his own daughter.

Chen Xiaohui seemed more sensible than Ye Fan. Her face was strikingly similar to Tao Chunlan’s from thirty years ago, which Ye’s father couldn’t quite warm up to. She was clingy by nature, and if she were one of his soldiers, he would have slammed his fist on the table, glaring and telling them to get lost as far as possible.

Although Ye Fan had said she wouldn’t go to Shencheng, Ye’s father still wasn’t reassured. “Fan Fan, are you going?”

“What would I go for? I’m the wife of the Geng family! After a hundred years, I’ll be buried with Geng Zhiye,” Ye Fan turned to Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping, “Don’t think just because I’m a few decades younger than you, I can’t handle things properly. This life, aside from official matters, I will never set foot on the land of Shencheng before you die! I, Ye Fan, keep my word!”

Chen Kuanren snorted in anger, “Who cares if you go!”

“Even better!” Ye Fan looked at her older brother.

Ye Jin smiled bitterly. “I told you, you and Xiaohui must’ve been switched at birth. The leaders thought I came up with this ridiculous excuse to improve my meals at home, and they gave me two days off because of Dad. I need to be back at work before dinner. Tomorrow morning, there’s a batch of products I have to receive.”

During these special times, Ye’s father couldn’t leave the capital freely. Ye’s sister-in-law said, “My unit is more flexible, I’ll take three more days off and accompany Mom. Three days should be enough for a round trip, right?” She asked Zhao Ruping.

Chen Xiaohui urgently replied, “Yes, that’s enough!”

Zhao Ruping and Chen Kuanren turned to look at her. Chen Xiaohui instinctively lowered her head, not daring to face their scrutiny.

Ye’s father, Ye’s mother, and the son and daughter-in-law exchanged glances, wondering why she was so timid.

“If she was afraid of the Chen family, she should have taken the chance to rebel and cut ties with them. Could the Chen family still dare to bully her on her own turf? Or perhaps Chen Xiaohui didn’t believe Ye Fan’s words, fearing that if she left the Chen family, the Ye family would mistreat her.

‘Is everyone home?’

A clear, slightly puzzled voice suddenly came in, startling everyone in the room. Ye Fan, leaning against the doorframe, was the first to see the visitor clearly. ‘Geng Zhiyé? Didn’t they say he would arrive in the afternoon or tomorrow?’

The visitor was tall, half a head taller than Ye Fan, with broad shoulders, like a wall blocking the door. As he entered the room, it immediately darkened. The visitor glanced at his watch. ‘It’s already past two.’

Ye Fan rubbed his forehead. ‘I forgot.’

‘A guest?’ Geng Zhiyé, seeing his busy brother-in-law and ever-busy father-in-law at home, couldn’t help but wonder what kind of guest was so important.

Chen Xiaohui looked over and suddenly widened her eyes. It was this Geng Zhiyé.

Zhao Ruping, seeing her reaction, wanted to ask what she was looking at. After squinting to see clearly, Zhao Ruping was very surprised. With sharp eyes and sparse brows, his posture upright, his refined and elegant appearance didn’t seem like a soldier, let alone a border guard stationed on an island.

Such a good son-in-law should have been Xiaohui’s, after all.”

Thinking of this, Zhao Ruping couldn’t help but smile, thinking to herself, “Finally, I found a chance to annoy you.” She said, “I am Ye Fan’s mother, Zhao Ruping, and this is her father, Chen Kuanren. You’re Geng Zhiyé, right?”

Geng Zhiyé heard the Mandarin as if it were a foreign language. The problem was that he knew a few foreign languages from his military training, but he still couldn’t understand it.

This old lady must have some kind of hysteria.

“Mom? Dad?” Geng Zhiyé, completely confused, glanced around the room at Zhao Ruping before turning to Chen Kuanren. Whose parents were they?

Zhao Ruping and Chen Kuanren immediately responded.

Ye Fan reached out to pull him back. “What are you shouting for? My biological father, my biological mother—just call them biological father and biological mother. No, scratch that. There won’t be any ‘later,’ we won’t meet again.”

Zhao Ruping’s smug expression instantly froze. Chen Kuanren almost exploded with rage, but was held back by Chen Xiaohui sitting next to him.

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law wanted to laugh at the situation. Ye Fan sure knew how to annoy people.

Geng Zhiyé was even more confused and looked at his brother-in-law with questioning eyes. What was going on here?

The situation was simple, and Ye Fan explained it in a few words. But Geng Zhiyé, hearing it, felt like he was listening to a foreign language. “Is it possible to even mistake whose child it is?” He didn’t even believe it about his own two-year-old daughter!

His expression was too easy to read, and Ye Fan couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t listen to my brother’s nonsense. How could we have mixed up the child? I was in poor health when I was little, as you know. These two were worried I couldn’t take care of myself, let alone raise another child—”

“Ye Fan!” Chen Kuanren interrupted.

Ye Fan gave Geng Zhiyé a look, as if saying, “You get it now, right?” Geng Zhiyé understood, but he was still concerned about her, so he instinctively held her hand.

Ye Fan gently shook her head, signaling that everything was fine.

Geng Zhiyé tried to put himself in her shoes. As the person involved, there were some things Ye Fan would definitely find hard to ask. “So why think about switching now? Is there something special about these days?”

“Chen Kuanren knows. Ask him.” Ye Fan nodded toward him.

Chen Kuanren turned his face away.

Ye Fan said, “I told you to speak, but you didn’t. Too ashamed to speak?”

Zhao Ruping couldn’t stand seeing her husband being constantly ridiculed by a younger person. “Don’t slander us! If it hadn’t been for the coincidence of us returning from the capital on the same train with someone in the know, the moment they saw Xiaohui, they thought she looked like Aunt Tao. Xiaohui told us when she got home, and we felt sorry for her, thinking she had to suffer with us. Do you think we wanted to see you?”

“You’re both old enough, who are you trying to fool?” Ye Fan mocked, “Do you really not know your own character? No matter how much you flatter yourself, you won’t turn into a Buddha.”