Choice: We can’t agree on anything.
Old Man Xie arrived at the educated youth station. It was his first time stepping into this place to meet the Jiang educated youth, someone he had barely seen before. He couldn’t help feeling flustered.
He had never imagined that this young man from the city could be his biological son. Even though Sun Mei had orchestrated the child-swapping years ago, this child had grown up to be so outstanding, and more importantly, his brilliance was a reflection of their Xie family’s excellence.
Thinking of this, Old Man Xie’s broken heart felt somewhat healed. He was filled with hope. Perhaps, just as Sun Mei had said, if Jiang Yantang pleaded for mercy, and if their family apologized, the Jiang family might let go of the past.
After all, Sun Mei had taken Xie Mingtu and raised him well without any major harm. The Jiang family, in turn, had raised their son Jiang Yantang, giving him a life of privilege. It was a fair exchange. If they knelt and admitted their fault, surely the Jiang family wouldn’t press charges?
After all, Sun Mei was Jiang Yantang’s biological mother. He couldn’t possibly watch his own mother go to jail. Besides, Sun Mei had done it all for him—switching the children to give him a life of wealth and privilege that his brothers could only dream of.
Old Man Xie hunched his back as he stepped over the threshold of the educated youth station. In the courtyard, a few educated youths were gathered. Seeing him enter, they exchanged glances but said nothing.
A few days ago, the mother had come to cause trouble, and now the father was here.
Two of the female educated youths couldn’t bear it and felt a wave of nausea rise in their chests. They didn’t know why they reacted this way; they had once secretly admired Jiang Yantang.
Previously, they had thought Jiang Yantang was perfect in every way, but now, thinking of how he resembled the timid and sneaky Old Xie, their admiration wilted. Coupled with the image of his crazy mother yelling, “You can’t let him take your identity!” and “You can’t arrest me; my son’s father is a high-ranking official!”—it was too much.
This family was shameless.
Yes, shameless.
They had stolen someone else’s child and still claimed it was their right.
The two women turned away, unwilling to witness whatever mess would unfold next.
A male educated youth pointed Old Man Xie in the right direction. Old Man Xie spat into his hands, rubbed them together, and mustered his courage.
He always felt nervous and cautious around these young people from the city.
Swallowing hard, Old Man Xie followed the directions to Jiang Yantang’s room. When he saw the figure inside—a figure that closely resembled his second son—his eyes instantly welled with tears.
This was his biological son!
Old Man Xie was overcome with a mix of guilt and hope. His eldest, second, and third sons were all unreliable. The eldest was cold and distant, siding with his wife. The second was an ungrateful wolf, raising an even more ungrateful grandson. The third was a useless wreck.
Among his sons, the most capable and dependable was the one before him—Jiang Yantang.
“Yantang, my son, I’m your father.” Tears streamed down Old Man Xie’s face as he spoke.
Jiang Yantang stared back expressionlessly, his eyes unblinking as he gazed at the emotional Old Man Xie. A wave of irritation and disgust welled up in his chest.
“Go to the county and visit your mother. No matter how many mistakes she made, she’s still your mother…” Old Man Xie pleaded, his voice choked with emotion.
Jiang Yantang listened to his pleas for a long time, unmoved. “I won’t go.”
He felt nothing but disdain for someone like Sun Mei. He couldn’t accept that this person was his biological mother.
He was an adult now, capable of making his own decisions, no longer needing anyone to shelter him.
If he wasn’t a Jiang, he could leave the Jiang family, but he would never acknowledge the Xie family.
He found the Xie family revolting.
“Don’t call me by my name. I have nothing to do with you,” he said coldly. The Jiang family had raised him; the Xie family hadn’t contributed to his upbringing and shared only a thin thread of blood.
“I’m your father, your biological father who gave you your flesh and blood…” Old Man Xie tried to appeal to him, still hoping Jiang Yantang would care for them in their old age. Now that his other children were unreliable, his hopes rested on Jiang Yantang.
“You abandoned me over ten years ago,” Jiang Yantang said flatly.
“But your mother did it so you could have a better life. The life you’ve lived is something your brothers could never even dream of. Among all her children, you’ve always been her favorite. You’re destined for great fortune…”
Jiang Yantang pressed his lips together. “I’d rather not have lived that life.”
“You say that now, but if you had grown up with us, you’d know how hard life could be—going hungry, not having enough clothes. Your mother sent you away to spare you from suffering.”
“Spare me from suffering? Ha.” Jiang Yantang laughed coldly, recalling the shouting woman. She wasn’t scheming; she was malicious.
Spare him from suffering? More likely, she found it hard to raise him and decided to toss him aside, stealing a healthier child to replace him.
Old Man Xie heard this laugh and panicked. He knelt before Jiang Yantang, begging, “My youngest son, you can’t just stand by. Help your mother. She was blinded by greed, but she didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Please, plead with the Jiang family to let her go.”
“She’s already old. She shouldn’t be suffering in jail. She should be enjoying her children’s care, not enduring this. Our grandchildren shouldn’t have a grandmother with a criminal record…”
“I’m begging you, even if you don’t acknowledge us as your parents, help her.”
No matter how much Old Man Xie begged, Jiang Yantang had only one response: “Leave.”
He drove Old Man Xie out of his room.
Yes, Sun Mei might be his biological mother, but she had done this terrible thing and deserved punishment, even if she claimed it was for his sake.
Though he rejected Old Man Xie, Jiang Yantang still felt uneasy. He left the youth station and headed toward the old Su family house.
On the way, he ran into Zhang Lili, who looked flustered.
Zhang Lili hesitated as she looked at Jiang Yantang. The events of the past few days had left her completely bewildered. How could such an earth-shattering scandal have happened? How could Jiang Yantang possibly be part of the Xie family!?
And Xie Mingtu—he had turned out to be part of the Jiang family.
It was impossible. It had to be a ridiculous mistake. Zhang Lili had initially thought it was a rumour spread by Xie Mingtu and Su Xiaoman, but now, with Sun Mei already taken away by the police, the situation had spiralled beyond recovery.
Jiang Yantang… he truly was the Xie family’s child.
He bore such a striking resemblance to the Xie brothers.
How could this be? Zhang Lili shivered involuntarily. In her past life, even after Jiang Yantang returned to the city, he was always a member of the Jiang family. There was never any mention of a Xie Mingtu, Zhou Mingtu, or Xu Mingtu…
But now, Xie Mingtu was the real Jiang family child!
All these changes began because, after her rebirth, she stopped Jiang Yantang from rescuing Su Xiaoman. This led to Su Xiaoman marrying Xie Mingtu and ultimately discovering that Xie Mingtu was the real Jiang family son.
Yes, “It must be Su Xiaoman!” Zhang Lili exclaimed loudly.
Everything had changed because of Su Xiaoman. If Su Xiaoman hadn’t married Xie Mingtu, none of this would have happened. Jiang Yantang wouldn’t have been…
Hearing her words, Jiang Yantang was momentarily stunned.
Su Xiaoman?
What did this have to do with her?
At the old Su family house, Jiang Yantang saw Su Xiaoman tending a small vegetable plot. When she stood up and turned to look at him, her delicate face was just as radiant as he remembered. Unlike other village girls, her naturally fair skin remained unblemished by the sun. Even when she perspired, her cheeks glowed with a faint pink hue. He could still hear her calling out behind him, “Educated youth Jiang, Educated youth Jiang …”
The past came rushing back vividly. He remembered Su Xiaoman’s shiny black braids swaying in the hot summer wind, her hair dishevelled, and beads of sweat running down her peachy cheeks.
But now, the Su Xiaoman standing before him was far more mature and composed. If she had once been a budding flower, she was now in full bloom.
Yet this flower bloomed not for him, but for someone else.
Perhaps she was like a peony born in the wilderness, destined to be cherished and nurtured by someone wealthy.
“Jiang Yantang?” Su Xiaoman, holding a handful of chives, glanced at the unexpected visitor.
“Are you here to see Mingtu?”
Jiang Yantang shook his head. “I’m here to see you.”
“What do you need from me?” Su Xiaoman stood up, brushing the dirt from her hands as she faced him directly.
She wasn’t too keen on seeing Jiang Yantang either. The whole village had been saying how much he resembled Xie Weiqiang, who had often ogled her shamelessly. Seeing Jiang Yantang now made her feel uneasy.
“You chose Xie Mingtu because of this, didn’t you?”
“What?” Su Xiaoman thought he was about to say something meaningful but was instead met with this out-of-the-blue accusation.
She chose Xie Mingtu? Because of what?
“Because you knew he was the real Jiang family child, so you married him willingly, planning to move to the city and live a better life.”
Su Xiaoman was so angry she laughed. Was there something wrong with Jiang Yantang’s brain? He was blatantly implying that she was a shallow gold-digger who only liked Xie Mingtu for his newfound family background.
“I think you’ve misunderstood. I like Xie Mingtu, and it has nothing to do with who his parents are. I just like him.”
She didn’t choose Xie Mingtu because of his identity as a cadre’s son. Identity? Who was nobler than whom? Even if Xie Mingtu were an ordinary farmer’s son, his abilities alone promised a bright future.
Besides, Su Xiaoman was someone who had transmigrated to the 1970s. Did she really need a man to secure wealth for her? If she wanted riches, she’d rely on herself—grabbing opportunities, buying property, investing in stocks, and eventually diving into the internet age. She wouldn’t have to worry about money.
Not to mention, Su Xiaoman had a talent for Su embroidery. Though she often lamented that Xie Mingtu was a genius, her own skills in embroidery were equally extraordinary. She just didn’t dare to reveal them now.
Honestly, Su Xiaoman would have preferred it if Xie Mingtu were just a regular farmer’s son. Life would be less complicated after they split from the Xie family.
With his intelligence, Xie Mingtu didn’t need family connections to succeed. Did he?
“And if he weren’t the real Jiang family child, would you still like him?” Jiang Yantang pressed.
“Of course.” Su Xiaoman replied decisively, then added coldly, “The one who needs family connections is you, Jiang Yantang.”
Su Xiaoman felt nothing but disdain for the so-called male lead standing before her. She, too, was once a prodigy. Had she not been switched at birth and instead grown up with her biological mother learning dance, she would have become a star in the dance world. Her talent far surpassed her mother’s, and she’d once been scouted by a renowned teacher, only to be forced to give it up by Madam Su, who deemed it inappropriate for women to perform publicly.
And that Xue Zhenzhen—uncoordinated and talentless—had wasted her resources. As for the wealthy Su family, they were nothing more than a gilded cage that stifled her potential. Not just in dance—her talent in embroidery had also been shackled, relegating her to the role of a decorative young lady.
Who needed a family with thousands of rules and little money? She could earn as much herself.
Su Xiaoman had once bottled up her frustrations, but she now loathed those who squandered resources.
“Jiang Yantang, you really should feel inferior. If Xie Mingtu had been raised by the Jiang family, with his talent, he wouldn’t have turned out as mediocre as you.”
“You’ve enjoyed countless privileges—good food, good clothes—but what do you have to show for it? What achievements or contributions have you made? Besides being a cadre’s son, what have you accomplished on your own?”
“Not liking you has nothing to do with his family background. It’s because you’re a useless, superficial decoration.”
Su Xiaoman smirked, adding, “And now I see you’re petty and prone to maliciously assuming the worst of others.”
Jiang Yantang was stunned by her words. “Su Xiaoman, you’ve completely misunderstood me.”
But inwardly, he protested: No, she’s wrong. He was the praised genius from childhood.
If Xie Mingtu had been a Jiang, he’d probably just be another troublemaker for the family, another headache for his mother, Xie Yanzhi.
Even though he was the swapped child, he had given Xie Yanzhi comfort, allowing her to be the proudest mother in the courtyard.
—How could Xie Mingtu ever compare to him?
He’d probably be like the eldest and second brothers, whom Xie Yanzhi found unremarkable.
The educated youths at the station had been whispering these past few days:
“Even if Jiang Yantang isn’t the biological Jiang family child, he’s still excellent.”
“Xie Mingtu is just good-looking, that’s all.”
“…”
“Honestly, isn’t Xie Lao Wu just an elementary school graduate? Even if he’s their real son, do you think his parents would really want to acknowledge him?”
“Compared to Jiang Yantang, he’s like heaven while the other is earth.”
“This whole situation is such a tragedy.”
Jiang Yantang silently agreed with Lin Baijun and the others. He was better than Xie Mingtu—his only shortcoming was his parents’ origins. But now, as a Jiang family child, he was a standout praised by everyone. Even if he had grown up in the countryside, he should already be attending university.
Unlike Xie Mingtu…
Su Xiaoman, with her lower education, probably only saw Xie Mingtu as remarkable because of his status as the Jiang family’s biological son. If one didn’t have personal ability, even as the real son, shortcuts were impossible.
Grandpa Jiang tolerated no nonsense.
“Su Xiaoman, you’ve completely misunderstood these things,” Jiang Yantang said, shaking his head and sneering at her naivety. “Don’t think that just because Xie Mingtu is now part of the Jiang family, he’ll suddenly soar to great heights and become some brilliant golden son.”
That was impossible.
Even among children from prominent families, many turned out to be useless and incompetent, barely relying on their parents to get by.
“Then just wait and see,” Su Xiaoman thought to herself. Even if Xie Mingtu didn’t become a Jiang family member, he would still rise to the top. Perhaps it wouldn’t be instant, but step by step, he would get there.
She had no interest in continuing the conversation. Talking to him felt like a waste of time.
“If you came just to say this, you can leave now.”
Jiang Yantang froze, wanting to bring up Sun Mei but ultimately swallowing his words. Without another word, he turned and left.
He wouldn’t visit Sun Mei.
Sun Mei had committed a crime and should face the consequences.
Su Xiaoman crouched back down to plant her chives. As she silently counted to ten, a familiar figure suddenly appeared beside her, as if conjured by her thoughts.
Xie Mingtu showed up and began helping her plant the chives. He asked earnestly, “Manman, do you need water?”
Su Xiaoman chuckled, “Where were you eavesdropping this time?”
“I wasn’t hiding or eavesdropping,” Xie Mingtu replied, shaking his head.
“Oh? You didn’t overhear my conversation with Jiang Yantang?” Su Xiaoman asked with a raised brow.
Xie Mingtu pointed to a distant tree, “I was just over there.”
Su Xiaoman: “…So, you’re saying you weren’t sneaking around; you were openly listening.”
Xie Mingtu sighed dramatically, “I couldn’t help it. Manman’s voice just flew into my ears.”
“You’re blaming me now? You little rascal!” Su Xiaoman laughed, smearing mud across Xie Mingtu’s handsome face with her dirty hand.
Xie Mingtu let her rub his face without protest, his deep, dark eyes fixed on her with innate affection that made his peach-shaped eyes look even more tender.
Feeling a little guilty about teasing him, Su Xiaoman cupped his cheeks with her muddy hands and gave him a kiss on his forehead.
“Manman, kiss me again.”
“Nope,” Su Xiaoman refused immediately. “I just want to know what you thought of my conversation with Jiang Yantang. If there are any misunderstandings, you need to speak up instead of stewing over it.”
“There’s no misunderstanding,” Xie Mingtu replied with a smile. “Manman, I will be better than Jiang Yantang.”
He still felt awkward mentioning that name, but he said it with confidence.
“That’s the spirit!” Su Xiaoman encouraged. “And I’m sure you’ll be better than him.”
Xie Mingtu nodded earnestly.
Su Xiaoman: “…”
There it was. A glimmer of overconfidence. Just a while ago, he was all “Manman this” and “Manman that,” doubting his worth. Now, he seemed full of himself.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t turn into an insufferable braggart.
Still, a bit of confidence wasn’t bad.
“Alright, Manman thinks you’re very talented. Now come help me plant the chives,” Su Xiaoman said encouragingly.
“Chives look like orchids when they grow. In the courtyard, you can pretend they’re non-blooming orchids.”
“Manman, should we plant radishes? What about peas? Or peanuts?” Xie Mingtu asked enthusiastically while deftly planting a clump of chives, already planning in his head to buy more seeds and seedlings.
Su Xiaoman: “…” Their small plot wasn’t big enough for all that.
“By the way,” she added, “you should bring back the chickens you’ve been free-ranging in the mountains. Maybe a few rabbits too.”
“I also want a dog.”
“Alright,” Xie Mingtu agreed with a grin. He leaned in, gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, and dashed away before she could react.
Su Xiaoman wiped the mud off her face with the back of her hand, and within seconds, he had vanished.
He really did run faster than a rabbit.
She smiled and muttered, “Stupid mutt!”
Meanwhile, Jiang Leiyan, who had taken leave, arrived in Qiao Xin Village. Before arriving, he had visited Xiejia Town, where another paternity test had confirmed the results: Jiang Yantang was not the Xie family’s child.
His father had called him the day before, saying they were preparing to tell his mother, Xie Yanzhi.
The thought of how Xie Yanzhi might react sent a shiver down Jiang Leiyan’s spine.
But there was no avoiding it. The scandal had already grown so large that it was only a matter of time before it spread to the Jiang family compound. It might have already spread, but no one dared discuss it openly yet, as Xie Yanzhi was still in the dark. Better she hear it from her own family than from outsiders.
His father had sent him to Qiao Xin Village to meet his biological brother and his sister-in-law for the first time. Apparently, their education levels weren’t high—they were just two rural people with elementary school educations.
Jiang Leiyan sighed. He didn’t even know how to process this situation. That wicked woman, Sun Mei, had ruined his brother’s life with her crimes.
The Jiang family, too, was becoming a laughingstock.
Swallowing hard, Jiang Leiyan couldn’t picture what his brother or sister-in-law would look like. He hadn’t even married yet, and here his not-yet-nineteen-year-old brother was already married. Who knew—maybe there was even a child on the way.
But he was still a Jiang family child. He couldn’t be left to fend for himself. His father had sent him to bring his brother home, to make up for the hardships he had endured.
Meeting his brother for the first time, Jiang Leiyan couldn’t help but feel nervous, unable to imagine what he’d be like.
Growing up in such a poor countryside, he was unlikely to be as accomplished as Jiang Yantang.
That vile Sun Mei deserved the harshest punishment.
Yet she was still Jiang Yantang’s biological mother.
“This is such a tangled mess…”
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