Ye Weiliang’s words cut into their hearts like a blade.
Especially Song Jingfang—each sentence pierced her heart, as if carved by a knife.
The daughter they had cherished like a treasure was someone else’s child.
And their own daughter was suffering unimaginable abuse in another family. How could she not be heartbroken?
This was the daughter she had longed for, so how could she have been swapped?
And how had they not recognized it?
Although everyone knew Ye Shiwang didn’t look like their family, no one ever doubted anything.
The commotion here had awakened a few people on the other side, who came over to the Ye family and saw the scene. Naturally, they were puzzled.
This girl looked exactly like Song Jingfang—how could it not cause surprise or suspicion?
But they didn’t speak; they just watched silently.
Ye Weiliang saw them too but paid little attention, focusing on the Ye family instead.
“Nanny, my nanny… it’s Mommy’s fault, I was blind, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Song Jingfang sobbed.
Ye Jianjun’s eyes reddened.
“Nanny, Daddy…”
Ye Weiliang frowned.
“Stop. Didn’t you hear what I said? I didn’t come here for family reunion; I came to watch you all make a fool of yourselves. The daughter you treasured for over ten years isn’t even yours! Hahaha, isn’t this hilarious? Isn’t this joke funny? Why aren’t you laughing? Were you born not to laugh?”
Her words shocked the others. So Ye Shiwang really wasn’t a Ye family child?
“No, no, that’s not my daughter. You are—you are!”
Song Jingfang went a bit mad, shaking her head desperately, as if that could deny she had raised the wrong child.
“How isn’t she? Weren’t you worried about how she would live over there? Didn’t you arrange all those resources and backup plans so she could have a better life? She…”
Ye Weiliang sneered bitterly.
At last, she fell silent. It felt pointless to say more. The anger in her chest belonged to Ye Erya, not her.
She glanced at them once and quickly left.
Ye Jianjun wanted to stop her but realized he couldn’t catch up.
He ran out, following her from a distance until he saw her enter the Youth Placement Institute. Only then did he realize she had gone down to the countryside as an educated youth.
He returned to the cowshed, dazed.
“Nanny? Where’s my nanny?” Song Jingfang asked, seeing Ye Jianjun return alone.
He patted her back.
“She’s a newly arrived educated youth. I followed her all the way and saw her enter the institute.”
“Wuwu~~” Song Jingfang covered her mouth, crying.
“How could I have been so blind? My child was swapped, and I didn’t even know. My child suffered so much at another home, while I pampered the other child like a treasure. I really deserve to die!”
As she spoke, she beat her own head.
Ye Jianjun embraced and comforted her.
“It’s my fault. I wasn’t watching you two in the hospital, letting evildoers do evil.”
“Third brother, send word to the eldest and second siblings. All the resources directed toward Ye Shiwang—pull them back. From now on, Ye Shiwang is no longer a member of our Ye family. Tell them everything. We will properly take care of our nanny, and all resources should go to her.”
Ye Guoliang sighed. His granddaughter, whom he had cherished for fourteen years, turned out to belong to another family—the child of the people who had swapped theirs. How could he not feel hatred?
Their family had only this one granddaughter for generations, yet she had been swapped under their noses. As a former military district commander, he had been truly blind and oblivious.
Ye Jianjun nodded. His nanny—he would use every ounce of his strength to make it up to her.
Jing Zhenggan and Bai Xiuxian patted their old friend’s shoulder in reassurance.
As for Ye Shiwang, the child they had watched grow, they had always sensed her was morally questionable, her gaze unclear, but because she was the granddaughter of an old friend, they had never spoken.
Dou Yi and Zhong Yaofan patted Zhao Yuan’s back, comforting her.
Bai and Yi exchanged glances with Du He, seeing the shock in each other’s eyes.
Fortunately, none of them liked Ye Shiwang anyway. The fact she wasn’t a Ye family child pleased them even more.
The young girl from earlier had clear eyes, a sweet voice, and an unassuming yet dignified demeanor. Though her words were full of scorn, her manner was endearing.
Ye Weiliang had no idea what this group planned to do next.
Returning to the Youth Placement Institute, Li Xingxing rubbed her eyes.
“Liangliang, did you go to the latrine?”
“Mm, did I wake you?”
“No, go rest. Work starts tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
Ye Weiliang closed her eyes. The block of anger in her heart had dissipated completely after speaking about those events.
Wasn’t Ye Erya supposed to have reincarnated? Why did this lingering resentment remain?
But since it had dissipated, there was no reason to dwell on it.
She slept until five o’clock, then got up to exercise.
Work started at six. After half an hour of exercise, she began cooking dumpling soup.
“Liangliang, sorry, I overslept,” Li Xingxing said in a rush, seeing Ye Weiliang cooking.
“No worries, Sister Xingxing. Go wash up quickly. After breakfast, we need to work.”
Li Xingxing glanced at the next room.
“Should we wake her?”
“You can knock. If she doesn’t get up, there’s nothing we can do.”
Ye Weiliang waved. She wasn’t going to indulge this young lady.
Li Xingxing knocked on Yi Manyu’s door.
“You, get up. Work starts soon.”
There was a mumbled response, but no movement.
“You, get up…”
“Shut up! Don’t disturb my sleep!” Yi Manyu snapped, frightening Li Xingxing into silence.
Ye Weiliang pulled Li Xingxing back and urged her to drink the soup.
“Don’t mind her. She doesn’t want work points; there’s nothing we can do. Drink quickly, or we’ll be late.”
Li Xingxing stopped paying attention to Yi Manyu and hurriedly drank the soup. It had cooled enough to drink quickly.
After breakfast and washing the bowls, they headed to the assembly point.
By then, the production team members had arrived.
Most of the male educated youth had also arrived, except Shao Song, paired with Yi Manyu.
Li Xingxing was surprised Ao Jiarui had also gotten up.
Seeing the two girls arrive, people whispered among themselves.
“These girls are really pretty. They look delicate, not the type to work hard.”
“Exactly, don’t let the men at home help them.”
“Is there another female educated youth? Hasn’t she come?”
“Who knows? That one’s even more delicate.”
Besides the aunts’ whispers, there were the young men of the production team’s gazes.
Ye Weiliang and Li Xingxing ignored both.
They stood aside, waiting for the team leader to assign tasks.