Identity: Which family did she switch with?
The village cadres had their suspicions but didn’t voice them. It wasn’t unheard of for biological siblings to look vastly different.
Under the leadership of the highly respected elder Lin Yan, the Xie family’s division was discussed.
In most cases, dividing a household wasn’t this complicated. Families usually settled matters privately, each minding their own business. However, disputes over family divisions had become more frequent in recent years, sometimes escalating to physical fights. Unequal distributions often left siblings estranged. As a result, village cadres and respected elders were called in to act as witnesses to ensure the process was amicable.
“The family’s savings will be split as follows: three parts to the parents, three parts to Second Brother’s family for future caregiving, one part to Third Brother’s family, two parts to Eldest Brother for his contributions over the years, and one part to Fifth Brother,” Elder Lin explained, outlining Old Man Xie and Sun Mei’s distribution plan. But as he spoke, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
The Xie couple’s blatant favouritism was glaringly obvious. Of the four sons, nearly 60% of the savings were allocated to the second son. Were they really content to forsake any future support from their other sons?
“I’m not moving out. I’ll stay with our parents,” declared Third Brother Xie, his face sour.
“Then only the eldest and youngest sons will be separated,” Sun Mei said dismissively, her expression full of disdain. If it were up to her, she wouldn’t give these two even a cent.
“There’s not much money left in the family,” Sun Mei added irritably.
Eldest Brother Xie Jianping pulled a stack of remittance receipts from his coat and showed them to the gathered witnesses. “Here are the receipts for all the money I’ve sent home over the years.”
Seeing those receipts, Sun Mei’s face turned panicked. “You wretched bastard! What are you trying to do?”
“Mother, the money I sent home was half to support you and Father and half to provide for Xiuying and the children. Yesterday, Xiuying and I calculated that I’ve sent at least three to four hundred yuan home annually. The children didn’t use much of it—you said you were saving it for them. I intend to leave that money for their education.”
Xie Jianping’s words caused a subtle shift in the expressions of those present.
While Xie Jianping might have been unaware of the village gossip, it was no secret that the money he sent home had largely been used not for his own wife and children, but to support his younger brother instead.
Truly pitiful.
“It’s gone!” Sun Mei snatched the receipts from his hands. “You wouldn’t understand the cost of running such a big household. That money’s been spent—end of discussion.”
“How could it all be gone? That money was meant for Xiuying and the kids,” Xie Jianping pressed, his tone sharp.
Sun Mei threw the receipts onto the table in a huff. “What do you mean, ‘for them’? Did I not raise your children? They lived under my roof and ate my food, didn’t they? And what about their clothes? Did those not cost money?”
“And now you want to divide the family and ask me for money? You ungrateful son! Heaven help me, this is what I get for raising you!”
“Fine! There’s still 800 yuan left—take it all if you want! Drive your parents and siblings to their deaths, and maybe you’ll finally be satisfied!” she spat venomously.
As the mother and son quarrelled, others tried to mediate. Xiuying came out with the children, gently tugging at her husband’s sleeve, urging him to let it go.
As an orphan, Xiuying lacked the confidence to stand her ground. She had endured years of mistreatment in silence, believing that as long as her husband was back and the family was divided, they could move on.
Seeing her speak up, Sun Mei launched into another tirade. “It’s you, isn’t it? Stirring the pot, fanning the flames! You and your husband are nothing but heartless leeches, scheming to rob your old mother!”
“You ungrateful brat!” Sun Mei screeched. “How dare you come back only to demand a family division? You’re no son of mine!”
Su Xiaoman listened to Sun Mei’s rant with a cold smile. Women like Sun Mei excelled at twisting narratives, turning the tables, and distorting the truth. Even after exploiting her children’s earnings and mistreating her daughters-in-law and grandchildren, she could paint herself as the victim, claiming they were in the wrong.
But Xie Jianping wasn’t one to back down. He unearthed another 500 yuan—what Sun Mei had referred to as her “coffin money.” That brought the total family savings to 1,300 yuan, ready for division.
Sun Mei’s eyes burned with fury.
“You wretched son! You wretched son!”
Xie Jianping fought for justice, not just for his own family but also for Xie Mingtu. He had seen Sun Mei’s mistreatment of Xie Mingtu over the years. Now that his younger brother was married, the family hadn’t even helped with the customary bride price. As the eldest brother, he felt it was his responsibility to make amends, suggesting that 500 yuan be set aside for Xie Mingtu as a wedding gift.
Knowing he wouldn’t be able to reclaim all the wages and stipends he had sent home over the years, Xie Jianping couldn’t help harbouring resentment toward his mother. He had been powerless to intervene from afar, but he was determined to ensure his younger brother wasn’t treated unfairly during the division.
“Before dividing the family, set aside 500 yuan for the fifth brother. That money should have gone toward his wedding. Consider it my token of brotherly support,” Xie Jianping stated firmly.
The village cadres nodded in agreement. Xie Jianping’s words were measured and reasonable, showing his sense of responsibility as an elder sibling.
Many in the village were aware of Sun Mei’s favouritism and had witnessed her injustices over the years. They felt sorry for Xie Jianping, stuck with such a mother, but they respected his actions in standing up for his younger brother.
Sun Mei, however, was livid. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head at the mention of giving Xie Mingtu 500 yuan.
“Not a chance! I won’t give that brat a single cent!” she screeched.
Su Xiaoman stepped forward. “Why can’t Mingtu get his share? Didn’t Big Brother just say it’s his token of goodwill for his younger brother?”
“Bah! Su Xiaoman, you’re asking for it!” Sun Mei lunged at Su Xiaoman, hand raised for a slap.
Xie Mingtu grabbed Sun Mei’s wrist, causing her to wince in pain before he firmly pushed her back.
When she looked up again, Xie Mingtu, tall and imposing, was already standing protectively in front of Su Xiaoman.
Sun Mei was so furious she felt like biting her own tongue off. “Xie Lao Wu! Xie Mingtu! How dare you call yourself Mingtu? You’re nothing but a dog-born bastard—”
Her words became increasingly harsh, causing the onlookers to exchange uncomfortable glances. Some even chuckled quietly, wondering if she had inadvertently insulted herself.
Su Xiaoman, on the other hand, grew colder with each word.
“Mingtu, how could you betray this family? After all these years, this family fed and clothed you, and how do you repay us? You’re completely under that Su Xiaoman’s thumb now, aren’t you?” Sun Mei shouted, spitting accusations one after another. Yet to her surprise, the Xie Lao Wu who used to bow his head in silence now stood tall, looking ahead without flinching.
“Forget about the money! The silk quilt and sewing machine must stay with the Xie family!” Sun Mei declared with a tone of finality, having already discussed with her daughter Xie Caixiang the need to secure these items.
“She hasn’t fulfilled a single duty as a daughter-in-law since coming here! Fine, you want to divide the family? Then get out! Both of you, just get out!” Sun Mei yelled.
Xie Mingtu replied calmly, “That’s impossible. Those things belong to Xiaoman.”
“If it came into the Xie household, it belongs to the Xie family! If you take it, you’re nothing but thieves.”
Su Xiaoman scoffed coldly. “We’re not thieves. But I think some people are natural-born thieves.”
“What do you mean, Su Xiaoman? Do you think you have the right to speak here?”
The elders and village cadres exchanged glances, whispering among themselves.
“This Xie family’s division is turning into a real spectacle.”
“Mother and sons fighting like enemies.”
“Well, Sun Mei’s blatant favouritism is partly to blame.”
Sun Mei was livid. “Xie Mingtu, how could you betray this family? How could you betray us?” she screamed hysterically. “Fine! If you want to divide, you can take fifty yuan, nothing more!”
Xie Mingtu stared at her, his expression unyielding. “I’ve never betrayed the Xie family. Only the Xie family betrayed me.”
Sun Mei roared, “What did you say?!”
Onlookers tried to mediate. “Xie Lao Wu, you shouldn’t talk to your mother like that.”
Even Xie Jianping frowned. “Laowu!”
“Your mother may have her flaws, but she worked hard to raise all of you—”
Sun Mei stomped her foot. “Xie Mingtu, you have no conscience!”
Su Xiaoman’s tone turned icy. “Some people are just born heartless.”
“Su Xiaoman, you’re stirring up trouble again!”
Xie Weiqiang, the second brother, stepped forward to show his authority, but before he could act, Xie Mingtu grabbed his wrist, twisted it with a sharp crack, and dislocated it. Xie Weiqiang cried out in pain, his face contorted as tears streamed down his face.
“You dare lay a hand on your elder brother!” Sun Mei screamed, jumping to her feet. “Call the police! Report this to the authorities! This bastard must be arrested!”
Xie Jianping stepped in to calm her down. “Mother, don’t be impulsive.”
“Let’s handle the division peacefully. Why resort to violence? Laowu, what’s gotten into you?”
Even Elder Lin tried to mediate. “Xiaoman, persuade him to settle down.”
But Sun Mei wasn’t done. “How could she persuade him? That troublemaker Su Xiaoman has ruined him! Look at what Laowu used to be, and now see what he’s become after marrying her. She’s nothing but a curse!” Xie Weiqiang’s wife, Xu Yanlan, added fuel to the fire.
Outside, the villagers, eagerly watching the drama, began to chatter among themselves.
“This Xie family’s division is truly chaotic.”
“Just the other day, the third brother divorced, and the baby was aborted.”
“The eldest brother isn’t happy either.”
“And now Laowu got physical!”
“This family is just—”
“It’s what happens when the elders don’t treat their children fairly. You watch—Sun Mei and Old Xie won’t have any peace in their old age.”
Xie Weiqiang, still clutching his wrist in agony, was finally helped by an elderly villager skilled in bone-setting. The pain of having his wrist realigned left him sobbing uncontrollably.
“I don’t want to see Xie Mingtu anymore! Divide the family and get him out!” Xie Weiqiang wailed.
“Xie Mingtu, what’s wrong with you?” the village cadres urged. “Settle this calmly and get the division over with.”
Xie Mingtu remained unmoved. He turned to Sun Mei and coldly said, “That night, I heard everything.”
“What are you talking about?” Sun Mei’s face paled as she stammered, “Heard what?”
Xie Mingtu’s voice was calm but sharp, each word cutting through the room like a blade. “If I were truly heartless, I would’ve strangled that baby the moment he was switched. Why should I raise someone else’s child?”
His words struck like thunder, silencing the entire room. Everyone froze, trying to make sense of the explosive revelation.
A dark secret had surfaced, one that no one could ignore.
Upon hearing Xie Mingtu’s words, Sun Mei felt as if struck by a thunderbolt on a clear day. He knew. He knew everything. The bastard, the ungrateful child—he was here to steal her son’s rightful identity.
Sun Mei immediately lunged at him. “I’ll kill you! Why didn’t I just strangle you when I had the chance?!”
Others rushed to restrain her.
“What’s going on?” Xie Jianping and the others were stunned. They couldn’t make sense of the sudden chaos.
“Switching children? Strangling him?” someone murmured in disbelief.
Su Xiaoman’s voice rang cold and cutting. “Sun Mei, how could someone be as vicious as you? Years ago, you switched Xie Mingtu with your own child. You brought him home only to subject him to a life of beatings, humiliation, and abuse. Did your conscience get eaten by dogs?”
“No,” she continued, her tone sharper. “A person like you doesn’t even know what a conscience is. Your heart was born black. Your thoughts are more poisonous than venomous snakes.”
Old Man Xie, who had been silent throughout the uproar, suddenly crouched down, covering his face. It was over. Everything was exposed. How could they hold their heads up in this village anymore? And what about that unacknowledged child…
“Su Xiaoman!” Xie Jianping growled, his brows furrowed in anger. “How dare you say such things? Where’s your evidence?”
“We have it, of course.” Su Xiaoman smirked, producing a blood test report. “This test confirms that Xie Mingtu and Old Man Xie are not biologically related.”
“Who knows if this so-called test is real?” someone doubted aloud. The concept of paternity testing was foreign to most villagers in this era.
“Do you even need proof?” Su Xiaoman retorted. “Look at Xie Mingtu and his so-called brothers. Anyone with eyes can see they don’t resemble each other at all. He’s clearly not part of this family.”
Elder Lin, one of the witnesses, tried to mediate. “Even if he’s not their biological child, the Xie family raised him for over ten years. He shouldn’t forget their kindness.”
Su Xiaoman scoffed, her voice biting. “Kindness? Do you even know what kind of life Xie Mingtu had before Sun Mei swapped him? He was born into a cadre’s family in the city. After Sun Mei took him, he endured a childhood filled with beatings, scolding, and neglect. You call that kindness? If it were me, I wouldn’t just refuse to repay them—I’d stab them in the back and be done with it.”
She sneered. “Why don’t you call the police? Let’s see who ends up in jail. Sun Mei’s swapping of children could be considered child trafficking!”
“Shut up! Shut up!” Sun Mei was hysterical, spitting furiously in Su Xiaoman’s direction. Her face was twisted in rage. “You’re just trying to steal my son’s identity. You think you can take what’s his? You lowly bastard, you want to steal my son’s rightful place!”
“Your son’s ‘rightful place’ is stolen to begin with,” Su Xiaoman retorted coldly. “And you have the audacity to play the victim?”
The room fell silent. The elders and onlookers were stunned. They had come to witness a simple family division and now found themselves entangled in a scandal involving child-swapping.
Could it be true? Was Sun Mei capable of such a thing? Judging by her reaction, it seemed highly likely.
“Su Xiaoman,” one of the onlookers asked, “if Sun Mei swapped children, then whose child did she switch him with?”
Su Xiaoman smiled faintly. “Her biological son is right here in our village. I bet some of you have already guessed who it is. Look at the resemblance among the Xie brothers and think about who else in the village might look like them. Pair that with Sun Mei’s unusual behaviour recently, and you’ll know the answer.”
The crowd murmured in hushed tones, piecing together the puzzle.
Sun Mei’s face turned ashen. Her body trembled, her lips quivering as she tried to protest. But her protests only solidified the truth in the minds of those present.
In the corner, someone finally whispered, “It’s Jiang Yantang, isn’t it?”
All eyes widened as the revelation spread through the room like wildfire. Jiang Yantang—the educated youth who had come to their village, praised for his refinement and intellect—was Sun Mei’s biological son?
When compared, his facial features bore an uncanny resemblance to Xie Jianping and Xie Weiqiang. If one stripped away his polished demeanour and city clothes, he would fit seamlessly among the Xie brothers.
Sun Mei had been visiting the educated youth compound frequently lately, behaving unusually meek and ingratiating. It all made sense now.
Jiang Yantang wasn’t just another educated youth—he was Sun Mei’s flesh and blood. Meanwhile, the boy she raised as her own, Xie Mingtu, was the stolen child who had been cruelly robbed of his rightful life.
Yes, Xie Mingtu has such an outstanding appearance and has been a pretty baby since he was young. When he was a child, there were people who speculated whether the Xie family had secretly brought back a child from another family. But when Xie Mingtu grew up and became more and more shabby and slovenly, gradually no one talked about this matter anymore.
**Nomad: Hi everyone, many of you may have noticed that some novels haven’t been updated for a while. I struggled to regain access to my account after my site went down, which took some time to resolve. I’m also in the process of moving the website to a different hosting plan, which I’ve been handling manually in the background. This has taken up a lot of my time, but I’m almost done. You might notice the website going down for a few hours now and then while everything gets sorted. Sorry about that!**
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