Chapter 3: An Unpleasant Sight

Dressed in a crisp white shirt tucked into military green pants, with a tall stature and long legs, the figure exuded an air of confidence. With one hand casually tucked into a pocket, they walked through the solemn and austere hospital environment, appearing relaxed yet capable. Chen Xiaohui couldn’t fathom how Ye Fan managed to carry herself this way, but this was precisely the kind of person she had always aspired to be, both in her previous life and in this one.

In her past life, the Ye family had always favored Ye Fan, and Chen Xiaohui had harbored a deep resentment, wishing to undermine her completely. She had never truly taken the time to observe Ye Fan closely. If she were in Ye Fan’s position, with the same upbringing and opportunities, she would likely show bias toward Ye Fan as well, given the circumstances.

Reflecting on this made Chen Xiaohui feel weak and powerless. Why was it that despite being given a second chance at life, she still found herself outshone by Ye Fan?

“Xiaohui, are you feeling unwell?” Zhao Rujing quickly supported her, noticing her unsteady demeanor.

Chen Xiaohui turned her head, wanting to say something, but tears had already blurred her vision. She opened her mouth, but the more anxious she became, the harder it was for her to speak. Seeing this, Zhao Rujing quickly reassured her, “Don’t rush, don’t cry; you have Mom and Dad here. Mom and Dad will make the decisions for you.”

Chen Kuanren had always thought that Ye Fan, being frail since birth, would not grow up to be strong. Over the years, he had treated Chen Xiaohui like his own daughter, showering her with affection. In this life, Chen Xiaohui had never confronted him directly. Just a short while ago, she had mentioned that she met a youth traveling north on the train, who remarked how she looked just like Tao Chunlan. The youth even mentioned that Tao Chunlan had spent a few years in Shen City. When Chen Kuanren heard this, he couldn’t hide the truth any longer and hurriedly admitted that there had been a mix-up during the chaotic moments of her birth. Curious, Chen Xiaohui had expressed a desire to see Tao Chunlan, and Chen Kuanren had shown no signs of doubt at all.

It was evident to the naked eye that Ye Fan was unable to recognize Chen Xiaohui. Chen Kuanren thought to himself that he should seize whatever opportunity he could. Noticing that Chen Xiaohui was genuinely upset, he softened his demeanor and, together with his wife, began to comfort her. He assured her that if the Ye family dared to bully him, he would make a big fuss, putting up posters to publicly denounce the Ye family for not recognizing their biological daughter.

Chen Xiaohui felt a surge of anxiety. The downfall of the Ye family wouldn’t be beneficial for her: “Dad, I’m relying on the Ye family for my job.”

Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing exchanged glances, realizing how fortunate they were to have a daughter like her. Just a few words from her were enough to intimidate anyone. It was nothing like that Ye Fan, who had a metaphorical gun in her hand, ready to threaten them both. “Dad will think about it later. We, with nothing to lose, aren’t afraid of those who have everything,” Chen Kuanren said, moving to support Chen Xiaohui from the other side. “Can you walk? If you can’t, you’ll stay another night. After all, we shouldn’t waste Ye Fan’s money.”

Chen Xiaohui wanted to say that it was Ye family’s money being spent.

In her previous life, the Ye family typically didn’t give money to the younger generation, but every year during the New Year, they would give out large red envelopes to the children. Chen Xiaohui remembered the first time she received a thick stack of lucky money from a child’s hands. It struck her even harder when she recalled that the most she had ever received as a child was only one hundred yuan. After Ye Fan had a child, the Ye family raised the New Year’s gift amount to two thousand yuan, which left Chen Xiaohui feeling upset and unable to sleep the entire night.

“The hospital isn’t exactly a pleasant place,” Zhao Rujing remarked. “Aren’t you afraid of the bad luck? Wouldn’t it be better to use that money to buy some nice food instead?”

Chen Kuanren interjected, “Is she the one buying it?”

Zhao Rujing had seen the children of high-ranking officials in Shengcheng, who often flaunted their parents’ high salaries by spending lavishly…

Like flowing water. Ye Fan’s shirt was so white, and her pants fit perfectly, clearly purchased and tailored to her specifications.

The cost of altering the clothes might have been enough to buy another entire outfit.

Zhao Rujing said, “She doesn’t look like someone who manages a household. Just let her buy it, okay? Xiaohui, you’re Tao Chunlan’s child, and the Ye family is all at home. She wouldn’t dare treat you poorly. Just tell her you want something nice to eat—let’s see… you could say you want to drink malt milk essence.”

Chen Xiaohui felt suffocated. Ye Fan had already taken care of the discharge procedures; after all this time, the best she could think of was malt milk essence. Why not just mention the famous Shengcheng specialty, the White Rabbit candy?

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

Not to mention that the Friendship Store offers Suzhou’s double-sided embroidery, Hangzhou’s brocade, watches, whiskey, and even cola, pastries, and luncheon meat. Wait a minute, she couldn’t possibly not know that there’s a Friendship Store in the capital. It’s a place where foreign friends, diplomats, and even government officials can shop.

The more Chen Xiaohui thought about it, the more she felt she had come to a realization.

“Do I really have to take the malt milk essence back to the Ye family to drink?” With fruits and snacks in hand, and not having eaten a single bite, she was already contemplating the humiliation of needing malt milk essence after being discharged. No matter how she looked at it, it felt embarrassing to be so needy.

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

Chen Kuangren said, “You can go back if you want! Just seeing that Ye Fan annoys me. She really is as her name suggests.”

In fact, Ye Fan was originally meant to be named “Ye Fan”, where “Fan” means “prosperous” or “abundant,” symbolizing a life filled with blossoming flowers. However, she was often sick and showed signs of an early demise. Tao Chunlan, a staunch materialist, couldn’t help but wonder if her name was too grand for her circumstances. After much consideration, the family held a meeting and decided to change her name from the flourishing “Fan” to the troublesome “Fan”.

Zhao Rujing chimed in, “Staying in a guesthouse doesn’t cost money? Do you think you’re rich?”

Chen Kuanren opened his mouth to reply, “No, no. Isn’t there a saying in the north, ‘If you don’t steam the buns, you’re just fighting for pride?’”

“What kind of pride is there in not taking advantage of a good deal? If you ask me, you’re just being stubborn about your pride and suffering for it!”

Chen Xiaohui felt a jolt of realization inside her. In her previous life, Zhao Rujing had repeated this line more than once. Ironically, she had always thought Zhao Rujing felt sympathy for her and her difficult life.

“Mom, stop arguing. You’ll just make a fool of us,” Chen Xiaohui forced a smile as she spoke.

Zhao Rujing nodded in agreement, saying, “We can’t let Ye Fan have a laugh at our expense. Otherwise, they might suspect that we’re just after the Ye family’s money.”

Chen Xiaohui wanted to retort, “Isn’t that exactly what we’re doing?” but the words caught in her throat, and she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Chen Kuanren glanced around and noticed that the only transportation available outside the hospital was an old bicycle: “How are we supposed to get back?”

A gust of wind swept past them, and they instinctively turned their heads. Ye Fan had rolled down the window of her car, one hand resting on the steering wheel while the other propped open the door. She threw a glance back at them and said, “Get in.”

The three of them stood there in stunned silence.

Ye Fan frowned, observing their reaction.

“Not only foolish but also hard of hearing, huh?”

“Xiaohui, what’s bothering you?” Ye Fan asked, trying to maintain her patience.

Chen Xiaohui suddenly snapped back to reality, stammering, “Y-You, you can drive?”

“What’s wrong with me driving?” Ye Fan replied, glancing down at herself. She was perfectly fine—no missing limbs or anything that would prevent her from driving.

Chen Xiaohui was momentarily at a loss for words, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief: “You—uh, how did your brother get home?”

“I dropped him off at the bus stop, and he took the bus back. What’s the matter?” Ye Fan asked, puzzled. “Is there something else?”

What kind of life had she led that she didn’t know Ye Fan could drive? Chen Xiaohui wanted to ask, “What else can you do?” but it felt inappropriate given the moment. She opened the car door and slid into the seat, while Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing awkwardly followed suit, clearly shocked by Ye Fan’s driving.

The ride was filled with a heavy silence. When they finally got out of the car, they stumbled slightly, still unable to wrap their heads around the fact that Ye Fan could drive.

The four members of the Ye family rushed out of the main room as soon as they heard the car, moving quickly with a mix of walking and running. Tao Chunlan noticed that Chen Xiaohui looked spiritless. “Fan Fan, why did you get discharged so quickly?” she asked.

“The doctor said it’s just malnutrition, not resting well, nothing serious. You, Dad, and even Brother and Sister-in-law are busy, and you all have malnutrition too,” Ye Fan replied, glancing at Chen Xiaohui and feeling a bit bewildered. “Are you okay?”

Chen Xiaohui shook her head and made an excuse, “I’m just a bit car sick.”

Ye Fan’s sister-in-law chimed in, “Is it your stomach? Mom is retired now; I’ll ask her to take good care of you.”

A spark of excitement flashed in Chen Xiaohui’s eyes as she realized she had forgotten that Tao Chunlan was retired. In the future, when Ye Fan goes to the army and she works in the capital, she would be coming back every day, and spending more time with Tao Chunlan. Their relationship would naturally develop, and even if Tao Chunlan didn’t favor her over Ye Fan, it wouldn’t be the same as in the previous life where she favored Ye Fan so much.

“I’ll listen to my sister-in-law,” Chen Xiaohui said, habitually glancing at Zhao Rujing.

Zhao Rujing was very pleased. Her daughter had indeed been raised well, and she felt a strong sense of closeness to her.

Unbeknownst to Zhao Rujing, Chen Xiaohui felt a surge of anxiety at that moment, worried that the Ye family might misunderstand her intentions and think she was being unreasonable.

Ye Fan broke the silence, saying, “Let’s head inside.”

Tao Chunlan seemed to awaken from a dream, replying, “Right, let’s go inside. Even though summer is approaching, it can still be chilly on overcast days without sunshine.”

Ye Dage “Brother Ye” picked up the curtain that had just been hung a few days ago and gestured for Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing to enter first. Chen Kuanren walked in with his back straight and head held high, appearing quite proud, which made Ye Fan furrow her brows. Ye Fan’s sister-in-law gently grabbed her arm, shaking her head slightly with a smile as she caught up with him. “Xiaohui, are you thirsty? Let me make you a cup of milk. I heard milk is good for the stomach.” As she spoke, she reached for a can of milk powder nearby.

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

Ye Dage’s sister-in-law’s smile froze, and she awkwardly set the milk down.

“Powder.”

Zhao Rujing immediately felt quite pleased. Is having milk powder really impressive? The Ye family’s own child still doesn’t give you any face.

“Chen Xiaohui, you’re just like me in this regard. We’re not destined to live a life of luxury.” Zhao Rujing cast a disdainful glance at Ye Fan, not knowing who she resembled.

Ye Fan found it both amusing and infuriating. Tao Chunlan’s expression shifted slightly. Seeing this, Chen Xiaohui wanted to make amends but didn’t know how to smooth things over, feeling anxious and subconsciously picking at her fingers. Ye Fan couldn’t stand it anymore: “Diarrhea means you’re allergic. What does that have to do with living a good life?” What an ignorant fool!

What nonsense! Zhao Rujing found it ridiculous: “Can you really be allergic to milk?”

Ye Fan countered, “People can be allergic to eggs and tofu. Why can’t they be allergic to milk?”

Zhao Rujing felt embarrassed, her mouth moving as she stammered, “… Who said that? Is there any scientific basis for it?”

“Expert!” Ye Fan said succinctly, clearly annoyed.

Chen Kuanren sneered, “Just an expert who takes money without doing anything, right?”

Ye Fan nodded in agreement, “Exactly. They get paid without lifting a finger. Aren’t they full of themselves for being ‘experts’?”

“You—” Chen Kuanren raised his hand in frustration, but Ye Dage handed him a cup of water: “Uncle, drink some water. Ye Fan is just an ignorant little brat. Let’s not stoop to her level.”

Chen Xiaohui couldn’t help but glance at her older brother, who shared the same parents. In her previous life, he had always expressed disdain when talking about Ye Fan, yet he was polite to her. At first, she felt proud, thinking that the Ye family was bothered by Ye Fan. Later, she realized that they didn’t consider Ye Fan an outsider and treated her like a guest.

Ye Fan said, “Ye Jin, why waste your breath on him? Xiaohui, have you made your decision?”

Zhao Rujing quickly replied, “It’s all decided.” She looked at Tao Chunlan and asked, “Are we going back tomorrow?”

Tao Chunlan couldn’t help but inquire, “Why the rush?”

“There’s still a whole pile of things at home. We can’t afford to be slow,” Zhao Rujing said with a bitter smile. “The oldest child is starting elementary school, and the second child is in preschool. I need to cook for the older one and also pick up the little one. If the kids weren’t so young and I still had to work, we wouldn’t need to run this errand ourselves.”

Tao Chunlan looked at her husband and asked, “Should I go by myself?”

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

Ye Fan was tall like him, with a similar face shape, lean yet fleshy, resembling a goose egg. She also had big eyes and thick eyebrows like him. Their personalities were alike too—she seemed straightforward but was actually intricate. She appeared to be adaptable and worldly, yet she had principles and her own beliefs.

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

Chen Xiaohui seemed more mature than Ye Fan. Her face was strikingly similar to Tao Chunlan’s from thirty years ago, which Ye Father couldn’t warm up to; she was too clingy.

If she were one of his soldiers, he would have already slammed his hand on the table, glaring at them, telling them to get as far away as possible.

Although Ye Fan said she wouldn’t go to Shencheng, Ye Father still wasn’t reassured. “Is Fan Fan going?”

“Why would I go? I’m the daughter-in-law of the Geng family! After a hundred years, I’ll be buried alongside Geng Zhiyé.” Ye Fan turned to Chen Kuanren and Zhao Rujing, “Don’t think just because I’m decades younger than you that I’m not capable. In this lifetime, aside from official business, I won’t set foot on the soil of Shencheng before you both pass away! I, Ye Fan, always keep my word!”

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

“That’s even better!” Ye Fan looked at her older brother.

Ye Jin forced a smile, “I think you and Xiaohui were switched at birth.”

During this special period, Ye Father could not leave the capital at will. Ye Jin’s wife said, “My workplace is a bit more flexible. I can take another three days off to accompany Mom. Is three days enough for a round trip?” She asked Zhao Rujing.

Chen Xiaohui replied with some urgency, “It’s enough, it’s more than enough!”

Zhao Rujing and Chen Kuanren turned to look at her, and Chen Xiaohui instinctively lowered her head, unable to meet their scrutinizing gazes.

Ye Father, Ye Mother, and their son and daughter-in-law exchanged frowns, wondering why she was so timid.

If she was afraid of the Chen family, she should take this opportunity to resist and cut ties with them. In her own territory, would the Chen family’s old couple dare to bully her? Or perhaps Chen Xiaohui did not trust Ye Fan’s words and feared that if she abandoned the Chen family, the Ye family would mistreat her.

“Is everyone at home?”

A clear and slightly puzzled voice suddenly came through, startling everyone in the room. Ye Fan leaned against the door frame and was the first to see who it was: “Geng Zhiyé? Didn’t you say you would arrive in the afternoon or tomorrow?”

The newcomer was very tall, a head and a half taller than Ye Fan, with broad shoulders like a wall, and as he entered the doorway, the room instantly dimmed. He glanced at his watch: “It’s past two o’clock.”

Ye Fan rubbed her forehead, “I forgot.”

“Are there guests?” Geng Zhiyé noticed that his busy brother-in-law and his father-in-law, who was always dealing with a multitude of affairs, were both at home, and he couldn’t help but be curious about what kind of esteemed guest had arrived.

Chen Xiaohui looked over and suddenly widened her eyes—it turned out to be this Geng Zhiyé.

Seeing this, Zhao Rujing wanted to ask what she was looking at. As she squinted to get a better look, she was quite surprised. Geng Zhiyé had bright eyes, a clear forehead, and an upright figure; he looked elegant and refined, not at all like a soldier, and even less like a border guard stationed on an island.

Such an excellent son-in-law should have originally belonged to her daughter, Xiaohui.

Thinking of this, Zhao Rujing couldn’t help but smile, feeling that she finally found an opportunity to make things uncomfortable for Ye Fan: “I’m Zhao Rujing, Ye Fan’s mother, and this is her father, Chen Kuanren. You’re the young Geng, right?”

Young Geng listened to the Mandarin like it was a foreign language; the issue was that even if fighting were required, he was capable of several skills.

“Foreign language, how can I not understand it at all?”

This old lady might really be hysterical.

“Mom? Dad?” Geng Zhiyé looked around in confusion and turned to Chen Kuanren, asking who their parents were.

Zhao Rujing and Chen Kuanren immediately responded.

Ye Fan pulled him back with a hand. “What are you shouting about? This is my biological father and mother. From now on, just call them my biological father and mother. No, there won’t be a future; I won’t see them again.”

The pride on Zhao Rujing’s face instantly froze. Chen Kuanren almost exploded with anger 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 really knew how to infuriate people.

Geng Zhiyé was even more confused, looking at his brother-in-law with questioning eyes, trying to understand what was happening.

The situation was quite simple; Ye Jin finished explaining in just a few words. However, Geng Zhiyé felt as if he was listening to an incomprehensible text: “Can a child really be swapped?” He couldn’t believe it, especially since he had a 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 a child be swapped? When I was young, my health wasn’t good, you know. This couple was worried that they wouldn’t be able to raise me and didn’t want to suffer again by having another child—”

“Ye Fan!” Chen Kuanren interrupted.

Ye Fan gave Geng Zhiyé a look that said, “You understand now, right?” Geng Zhiyé understood, but he was still very worried about her and couldn’t help but hold her hand.

Ye Fan shook her head slightly to indicate that she was fine.

Geng Zhiyé considered the situation from her perspective. As the person involved, there were some things Ye Fan definitely couldn’t bring herself to ask: “So why think about switching back at this time? Is there some special occasion in the next few days?”

“Chen Kuanren knows; you can ask him,” Ye Fan said, nodding her chin at him.

Chen Kuanren turned his face away.

Ye Fan pressed, “You were told to speak, but you won’t? Are you too embarrassed to say it?”

Zhao Rujing couldn’t stand seeing her husband being repeatedly humiliated by a younger person: “Don’t slander others! If it weren’t for the coincidence of being on the same train as someone who just returned from the capital, they wouldn’t have thought of Xiaohui as resembling Sister Tao when they saw her. When Xiaohui got home and told us, we felt sorry for her for having to endure so much with us.

“Do you think we want to see you?”

“At your age, who are you trying to deceive?” Never have I seen someone so shameless. Ye Fan mocked, “Are you even aware of your own character? No matter how much you flatter yourself, you’ll never become a Buddha.”