Second Brother: Satisfying my curiosity.
A stranger had arrived in Qiao Xin Village, immediately attracting the attention of the villagers.
In such a small rural village, it was rare to see an unfamiliar face. Everyone within a ten-mile radius shared some connection or distant kinship. Now, with a stranger who clearly wasn’t local—even by his accent—people were curious about his purpose.
What stood out most was the man’s height and presence. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with a strikingly handsome face and an air of competence. Some elderly villagers whispered that he must be from the military.
His bearing was even more commanding than the police officers who had visited recently.
Thankfully, he wasn’t wearing a uniform, just simple civilian clothes. Otherwise, his imposing demeanour might have been enough to silence crying children.
A group of kids playing noisily near the village entrance immediately quieted when they saw him. Instead of running up to ask questions, they scurried off to hide in a corner. Even the boldest kids followed suit.
“Young man, where are you from? You’re unfamiliar to us. Who are you looking for?” an elderly man with the surname Chen stepped forward to ask.
The older generation, accustomed to seeing all kinds of people, wasn’t intimidated by his presence.
“Sir, I’m here to inquire about the Xie family,” Jiang Leiyan replied.
His arrival in this village was challenging enough. Jiang Leiyan didn’t know whether he should first visit his biological brother, Xie Mingtu, and his wife, Su Xiaoman, or meet with Jiang Yantang, the brother he had grown up with.
The situation was still too chaotic, as the documents he’d seen had already hinted.
The old man raised his voice slightly. “Who are you? You wouldn’t happen to be one of the Jiangs, would you?”
“Yes, sir. How did you know?”
The old man guessed again, “You bear a resemblance to that Mingtu kid. You’re not his brother, are you?”
Jiang Leiyan thought to himself how accurate the guess was. Indeed, he looked a bit like his elder brother, and apparently, he also resembled his younger brother. Perhaps brothers naturally shared a certain resemblance.
“Yes, sir, you’re right. I’m his brother, second in the family, Jiang Leiyan.”
“Oh, so you’re Young Jiang.” The old man nodded knowingly.
He then gave Jiang Leiyan a peculiar look, sizing him up from head to toe. The scrutiny made Jiang Leiyan uncomfortable. “Sir, is something wrong?”
“Nothing,” the old man replied, “I’m just curious about city folks…”
Jiang Leiyan: “…?”
Forcing a polite smile, he asked, “So, what did you notice?”
“Well, if I may speak frankly, young man, don’t take it to heart,” the old man began cautiously, clearly holding back some thoughts.
“Go ahead, sir. I’m not someone who takes offense easily,” Jiang Leiyan assured.
The old man pointed to his own head. “I just can’t figure how someone like you—someone who seems smart—comes from a family so easily fooled. How could your folks get played by some country bumpkin woman? I’ve heard of people mistaking thieves for their fathers, but your family raised someone else’s child for years and even made him the best of the lot.”
The old man lowered his voice for the last part, as if it were too shocking to say aloud.
Indeed, the villagers had been whispering among themselves, doubting how Sun Mei and Old Xie could have produced a child as intelligent as Jiang Yantang. When Jiang Yantang first arrived, people had praised him to the skies.
“The best child of the Jiang family?” the old man muttered incredulously.
The idea left many villagers dumbfounded. How could biological children be overlooked in favour of someone else’s son? It seemed absurd. At least Sun Mei, no matter how wicked she was, treated her own son better.
Jiang Leiyan was speechless: “…”
The old man was essentially asking him outright if his family lacked common sense. How else could they raise someone else’s child so devotedly, even making him the best of the siblings?
Though exasperated, Jiang Leiyan didn’t get angry. He couldn’t speak for his father or brother’s intelligence, but he suspected his mother might genuinely have been somewhat gullible.
“I’d like to meet my brother and his wife. Could you point me in the right direction?”
Following the directions given, Jiang Leiyan made his way to the old Su family house. Along the way, he asked villagers about his brother and sister-in-law. To his surprise, everyone had nothing but praise for them.
They said Xie Mingtu was not only handsome but also skilled—he could even fix tractors. His wife, Su Xiaoman, was described as the village belle, a fantastic cook, and a talented embroiderer who made beautiful clothes.
As Jiang Leiyan walked, he tried to imagine what his brother and sister-in-law looked like based on the descriptions.
He pictured a simple rural couple: Xie Mingtu, tall and thin, with a slightly dishevelled appearance and a rustic air. He might have a sincere smile and be someone who obediently followed his wife’s lead. Su Xiaoman, the village belle, likely had glossy black hair, tanned skin from the sun, and healthy rosy cheeks. Her features would be fine, her smile dazzlingly bright, and she’d probably greet him cheerfully as “big brother.”
…
It wasn’t an unreasonable guess. During his own time in the countryside, he had seen many couples who fit that image—humble and warm-hearted.
“That’s the place ahead,” said the man guiding him. “Cross that ditch, and you’ll see a fence—they’re probably raising chickens and ducks. The woman in the yard is Su Xiaoman. You can head over. I’ve got other matters to tend to.”
After the man left, Jiang Leiyan followed the directions, easily stepping over the small ditch. He spotted the fence and, beyond it, a jujube tree with a few scattered fruits left, the ripe ones likely already harvested.
Inside the fenced yard were two or three simple houses. Amidst the sound of chickens clucking, ducks quacking, and insects buzzing in the nearby woods, there was a quiet, rustic tranquillity.
In the yard stood a young woman, holding a small black dog in her arms. She was stroking the dog when she heard Jiang Leiyan’s footsteps and turned to look at him.
For the first time, Jiang Leiyan saw her face—youthful and strikingly beautiful. She looked about eighteen or nineteen, with large, dark eyes, a delicate nose, and lips so red they appeared painted. Her skin was luminous, like freshly peeled lychee, with a few beads of sweat on her cheeks glistening like dew in the autumn heat.
She was, without a doubt, a very beautiful young woman. Based on what he’d heard, this was his sister-in-law, Su Xiaoman.
She was stunning—prettier than any of the women he’d seen in the art troupe. If the single men in his unit saw her, they’d undoubtedly flock to her with fervent attempts to impress.
But she was already married to his brother.
He hadn’t expected his biological brother to be so lucky, marrying such a beautiful woman even in the countryside.
Su Xiaoman, still holding the black dog, turned to look at Jiang Leiyan. She quickly guessed his identity—one of the Jiang brothers, likely the second one, Jiang Leiyan.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and exuded an aura of strength and maturity. Compared to Xie Mingtu’s youthful sharpness, Jiang Leiyan was a fully grown man. If the two brothers stood side by side, Xie Mingtu’s youthful naivety would be even more apparent. While the two shared some resemblance, Jiang Leiyan’s features were rougher and more rugged, lacking Xie Mingtu’s refined sharpness.
Xie Mingtu would undoubtedly envy his brother’s age and experience.
Su Xiaoman walked to the fence, opening the gate for him. The black dog whimpered in her arms as the chickens and ducks in the yard scattered in all directions, their short legs scrambling away from the commotion.
Everything in the yard—from the chickens and ducks to the rabbits in the corner—had been brought back by Xie Mingtu, bringing a vibrant energy to their little home.
The little black dog in Su Xiaoman’s arms was a tiny mutt with entirely black fur, barely weaned, and rescued by Xie Mingtu from a neighbouring village. Its whimpering was soft and endearing, and it clung to her for comfort. Su Xiaoman planned to raise it to guard the courtyard. She had been happily cradling it in her arms earlier, carefully grooming its fur.
This was her first time raising a dog, and she was thrilled. She hoped that, someday, her household would have both cats and dogs.
As Su Xiaoman walked toward Jiang Leiyan to open the gate for him, he couldn’t help but notice her movements. Her posture and demeanour were graceful, almost inexplicably captivating, exuding a charm that was pleasing to the eye.
She moved like a noblewoman, or perhaps a trained dancer, with a lithe figure and an elegance in her every action.
She looked nothing like a typical rural girl.
Nor did she resemble someone with only an elementary school education.
“You must be my sister-in-law, Su Xiaoman. I’m Jiang Leiyan, the second brother of the Jiang family,” Jiang Leiyan introduced himself.
Su Xiaoman smiled. “Hello, I’m Su Xiaoman.”
Recently, Su Xiaoman had undergone some changes. After her conversation with Jiang Yantang, she had resumed her old dance training. Every day, she set aside time to stretch, practice the basics, and improve her flexibility.
This had subtly transformed her aura. Su Xiaoman’s body was as naturally suited to dance as before, but lacking the foundational training of childhood, she could only progress so far.
Even if she wouldn’t perform on stage, in an era without smartphones or computers, it was an excellent way to exercise and entertain herself.
“Sister-in-law, you’re nothing like what I imagined,” Jiang Leiyan remarked, now curious about what his biological brother might look like.
Su Xiaoman shook her head with a light smile. “So, what do you think your brother looks like?”
“I can’t guess. Maybe he looks a bit like me. I’ve already heard from your villagers about him since I arrived.”
“Honestly, your villagers are quite interesting. Just now, one of them told me…”
Su Xiaoman asked curiously, “Told you what?”
Jiang Leiyan bluntly repeated, “They wondered if the Jiang family might not be very bright, raising someone else’s child for over ten years without noticing anything amiss.”
“And being completely outwitted by a woman from the countryside…”
Su Xiaoman thought to herself that these things were hard to judge.
She could already tell that this Jiang second brother was quite easy-going, even finding a trace of schadenfreude in his tone. It seemed he agreed with the villagers that his family might not be particularly clever…
Could it be that he didn’t like Jiang Yantang very much?
Su Xiaoman couldn’t recall much about Jiang Leiyan’s role in the original story. Then again, the storyline had already deviated far beyond recognition.
This Jiang second brother seemed like a rather interesting character.
Su Xiaoman guessed he might even enjoy stirring up trouble. After all, wasn’t it he who deliberately pursued and exposed the truth about the swapped identities in the original plot?
If the Jiang family were a bit foolish, Jiang Leiyan might be the most clear-headed among them.
“Second Brother, you’d better not meet Sun Mei. Otherwise…” she trailed off.
“Otherwise what?” Jiang Leiyan asked, puzzled.
“Sun Mei, the woman who swapped the children, was arrested recently,” Su Xiaoman explained.
“I know that. So?”
“Before she was arrested, she went to the educated youth station and shouted loudly that Jiang Yantang must not let anyone take his identity because she fought to secure it for him.”
Jiang Leiyan: “…”
“And on the day she was taken away by the police, she told them that her biological son’s father was a high-ranking official and that they shouldn’t dare arrest her or risk her son’s retaliation…” Su Xiaoman recounted, still unsure how to evaluate such absurdity.
This, perhaps, was why many villagers viewed the Jiang family as gullible victims.
Now, the villagers were waiting to see if the Jiang family would actually be foolish enough to rescue Sun Mei, who had not only swapped the children but also abused her biological son for 18 years.
If the Jiang family went so far as to forgive and even support Sun Mei, they would truly be beyond redemption.
It would be like the story of the farmer and the snake—taking Sun Mei back would be like rewarding her for swapping their “excellent” son for someone else.
After all, people said Jiang Yantang was the most outstanding of the Jiang brothers.
In that case, perhaps the Jiang family was just… lacking in judgment.
“Don’t think I’m exaggerating. You can ask any villager, and they’ll all tell you the same thing,” Su Xiaoman added.
If the Jiang family was truly this generous, the villagers might even start scheming to swap children themselves, hoping for similar results.
Jiang Leiyan was momentarily speechless. No wonder the villagers had been giving him such strange looks—perhaps they saw him as the latest spectacle in the saga of the gullible Jiang family.
“Rest assured, Sun Mei has already violated the law. With solid evidence against her, the court will give her the punishment she deserves. Her crimes are severe, and she won’t be let off lightly,” Jiang Leiyan said.
Then, with a hint of hesitation, he added, “But after raising my brother for more than a decade, I wonder if he might feel some emotional attachment to her…”
He feared his brother might write a letter of forgiveness.
“If you knew the kind of life Xie Mingtu endured growing up, you wouldn’t ask that question,” Su Xiaoman replied with a touch of seriousness. She gently stroked the little black dog in her arms to comfort it, then placed it on the ground. “Go play on your own.”
“Sorry,” Jiang Leiyan said, already understanding everything.
Not long after, Xie Mingtu returned home. The two brothers finally met for the first time, and while there wasn’t any dramatic confrontation, the meeting left an impression. Nearly 19 years old, Xie Mingtu was already a grown man. Seeing his elder brother, he couldn’t help but envy his age.
He couldn’t wait to turn 20 so he could register his marriage with Su Xiaoman.
“Brother,” Jiang Leiyan greeted, patting Xie Mingtu on the shoulder.
Meeting his biological brother face-to-face was a shock for Jiang Leiyan. He hadn’t expected a Jiang family man to look this good. If Xie Mingtu had been raised in the Jiang family, he would undoubtedly have been the most handsome of the brothers.
In the courtyard, no other family’s child could compare to him in looks.
If the girls from the nearby medical college saw him, they’d probably go crazy.
However, Xie Mingtu’s physique didn’t seem robust enough. Tall and lean, he didn’t quite have the sturdy build typical of the Jiang family men. Instead, he bore a striking resemblance to their second uncle, a man of refined elegance and a charming demeanour.
Their second uncle had studied abroad and was highly regarded by Xie Yanzhi. Unfortunately, his life had been cut short, leaving him a tragic figure in the family’s history.
Xie Yanzhi had always cherished memories of her younger brother.
If she met her youngest son, who resembled her second brother, she might find herself liking him immediately.
“You look just like Second Uncle,” Jiang Leiyan commented.
Xie Mingtu lowered his gaze slightly. He didn’t care much about who he resembled or didn’t resemble.
“You’re really quite striking—definitely worthy of being a Jiang family man,” Jiang Leiyan said as he studied his brother again. “But your physique needs work; you’ll have to train harder.”
“Really?” Xie Mingtu raised his head at the remark, the corners of his eyes curving upward, carrying a hint of challenge and defiance.
Meeting this suddenly appearing elder brother, so different from the likes of Xie Jianping, Weiqiang, and Huadong, left Xie Mingtu feeling uncharacteristically irritable.
His mind wandered to past grievances—being pushed into the water by Xie Huadong, enduring baseless accusations and ridicule. And now, this person with the Jiang surname inevitably reminded him of Jiang Yantang.
Like a wary young leopard, Xie Mingtu instinctively revealed his claws, his natural instinct preventing him from trusting this newfound brother.
“Huh,” Jiang Leiyan noticed the subtle challenge and defiance in his unfamiliar brother’s tone. This piqued his interest. Back in the day, he and his elder brother had shared a similar dynamic, albeit with reversed roles.
This little brother was turning out to be quite his style.
“Do you want to spar with me? Let me teach you a few moves—it’ll come in handy later,” Jiang Leiyan suggested, slipping into a mentor-like demeanour. Back in his youth, he and his elder brother were a pair of notorious troublemakers who prided themselves on their combat prowess. Sadly, the tradition hadn’t carried on to the youngest… or rather, Jiang Yantang.
“Sure,” Xie Mingtu agreed readily.
The two newfound brothers quickly decided to test their mettle.
Su Xiaoman was at a loss for words: “…”
Brothers meeting for the first time and immediately deciding to fight—what kind of logic was that?
Fine, let them be. Su Xiaoman could already predict that Xie Mingtu wouldn’t stand a chance. His elder brother looked like someone with professional training, radiating an intimidating aura.
Still, her little leopard wasn’t bad either. If he could knock out a 100-kilogram wild boar, he might not have any finesse, but he wasn’t weak.
Covering her eyes, Su Xiaoman looked on reluctantly, torn between wanting to watch and not wanting to. Having grown up in a different environment, she wasn’t used to seeing people engage in hand-to-hand combat.
What’s so great about men fighting anyway? Though… a little curiosity doesn’t hurt.
“Take it outside; don’t scare the chickens and ducks in the yard,” Su Xiaoman said, shooing them away. “And be mindful of Little Black—he’s just a pup. Not to mention the hens in the yard, even though they haven’t started laying eggs yet. Don’t frighten them into never laying eggs.”
Jiang Leiyan: “…”
Since when were chickens and ducks treated this well?
Xie Mingtu glanced at her, his expression as if to say, Yes, they’re treated this well.
The two men headed outside.
At over 1.8 meters tall, both brothers had long legs and broad shoulders, cutting striking figures as they walked side by side. Su Xiaoman, barely over 1.6 meters, couldn’t help feeling a vague sense of danger when standing next to them.
She had recently started stretching exercises, hoping to grow a few more centimeters, though that seemed unlikely.
Remaining in the yard, Su Xiaoman watched the two men outside.
The sight of these two towering figures sparring was almost too much for her to bear. She kept looking away, unable to watch for more than a few seconds at a time. The sound of fists and kicks colliding, thump, thump, thump, echoed in her ears.
What kind of brothers were these, throwing punches right after meeting? Just moments ago, Second Brother Jiang had seemed so friendly.
Hopefully, he wouldn’t go too hard on his younger brother. Xie Mingtu had been a little too full of himself lately—maybe he needed to have his ego checked.
Su Xiaoman turned away, half-dreading she’d see Jiang Leiyan pummel her husband into the ground.
But surprisingly, it was a close fight. Xie Mingtu wasn’t easy to take down, and Jiang Leiyan struggled against this wild, untamed younger brother.
However…
In the end, the younger brother still lost to his more experienced elder.
Su Xiaoman: “…”
She let out a breath of relief. At least they’d stopped now. Luckily, there was bruise ointment in the house.
Jiang Leiyan hadn’t won easily. Though the two brothers had avoided hitting each other’s faces, they hadn’t spared any other part of the body.
As he looked at his panting younger brother, Jiang Leiyan couldn’t help thinking, This kid is ruthless and unyielding—definitely a chip off the old Jiang family block.
With his physical talents, if Xie Mingtu trained more, Jiang Leiyan could foresee himself being overtaken.
The wave of the future will surely crush the wave of the past, he mused bitterly.
Little brat! How can you be this tough when you just met your older brother?
“I knew I’d like having a brother like you!” Jiang Leiyan exclaimed, throwing his arm around Xie Mingtu’s shoulder and pulling him into a bear hug.
The bruises on Xie Mingtu’s shoulder stung, nearly making him gasp, but he held it in, wrapping his arm around Jiang Leiyan’s waist in return.
“I like having a brother like you too,” Xie Mingtu replied, gritting his teeth through the pain.
Jiang Leiyan’s face twisted slightly in agony, but he forced a smile and pried his brother’s arm away.
When Su Xiaoman returned with the ointment, she overheard their sudden exchange of affection and thought:
Is this how brotherly bonds are forged—through fighting?
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