Ye Weiliang went to find a guesthouse, but when they saw that she was only fourteen, they refused to give her a room no matter what.
With no other options, Ye Weiliang had to stay at the police station—it was the safest place.
Seeing Ye Weiliang enter with a small bundle of things, the police officers were somewhat surprised. “Ye girl, why are you back again?”
Ye Weiliang’s eyes were red. “Uncle Zhao, these are things I bought for the countryside. My home was emptied by someone. I have nowhere to go. My parents… no, they aren’t my parents…”
Zhao Youliang immediately sensed something was wrong. “What happened? Tell Uncle.”
“The day before yesterday I overheard them talking. They said I’m not really their child. When Liu Pandi worked as a nanny in another family, she swapped me with the child there. Sob… I thought, if we’re all her children, why can the eldest sister and second brother go out and play while I’m stuck doing chores? They get new clothes; I only wear their old ones. The eldest sister and second brother never got beaten, but I get hit every day.”
“I just went home, and the house had been emptied. They insist it was me and want me to return everything. This morning I went to change my name, then to the educated youth office to apply for rural assignment, and then to the department store—when would I have time to move things?”
“!!”
“!!”
Everyone in the police station was shocked. In their jurisdiction, there was actually a case of a child being swapped?
“Ye girl, do you know your biological parents’ names?” Zhao Youliang’s voice unconsciously softened.
Ye Weiliang shook her head. “I don’t know. I only know they went to Heilongjiang. I want to go find them there. They are my parents—I want to go home.”
“How will you find them?” Zhao Youliang looked at the little girl with pity.
Ye Weiliang said, “I probably look a lot like my mother. Otherwise, my foster mother wouldn’t have poured hot water on my face, saying, ‘What’s the use of this beautiful little brat?’”
“Gasp~~~”
Hearing this, everyone present couldn’t help but inhale sharply. That cruel? Really?
Immediately, some officers went to the Ye family and brought Liu Pandi over. This was considered child trafficking—a serious crime.
When Liu Pandi was brought in, she was still a bit dazed. She hadn’t done anything—why was she being taken by the police?
Seeing Ye Weiliang at the police station, Liu Pandi started cursing wildly: “You little brat! What are you doing at the police station? Did you call the police on me? I didn’t do anything! Make them release me now!”
“Quiet! Stop yelling. This isn’t a marketplace,” the officer banged the table, his eyes sharp on Liu Pandi.
Hearing Liu Pandi, Ye Weiliang pretended to shrink in fear.
The female officer present hugged Liu Pandi to calm her, but her eyes glared angrily.
Then Liu Pandi was taken into the interrogation room. She had never dealt with the police before, and within two minutes confessed everything—how she swapped children and tormented them.
Liu Pandi was sentenced on the spot to ten years of labor reform at a farm.
Following the leads, the police learned about the Ye family’s reassignment, but Ye family’s uncle was still in Beijing.
“Xiao Ye? Do you want me to inform your uncle?” Zhao Youliang asked.
Ye Weiliang shook her head. “Uncle Zhao, no. I want to go find my mom and dad first.”
Zhao Youliang didn’t know how to tell her that her parents had been sent away. Going to find them now would be courting death.
But looking at Ye Weiliang’s hopeful eyes, he couldn’t say a word.
“Uncle Zhao, can I sleep on this bench tonight? I’m leaving for the countryside tomorrow morning. My foster mother is locked up. If I go back, my foster father and brother will surely beat me to death,” Ye Weiliang said timidly.
“Don’t worry, Xiao Ye. You can sleep at my place tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take you to the train station,” Zhao Youliang said, feeling heartbroken for the fourteen-year-old who had already suffered so much.
Their crazy daughter was a few years older than Ye Weiliang, always out, no job, and if she were forced to go to the countryside, he wouldn’t be able to stop her.
Zhao Youliang took Ye Weiliang home. His wife, Bao Shuxin, was somewhat surprised.
He briefly explained Ye Weiliang’s background to his wife, who, unsurprisingly, cried out of pity.
“Stay here, tell Auntie what you want to eat, she’ll cook it for you.”
“Thank you, Auntie. No need, I’m not hungry,” Ye Weiliang said, embarrassed to eat their food. In this era, rations were carefully calculated.
“Don’t worry, you won’t go hungry at Auntie’s. Wait for Auntie to make you something delicious,” Bao Shuxin said, ignoring Ye Weiliang’s protests, and went to make a bowl of zhajiang noodles.
The noodles were all uniform in thickness, each strand coated in sauce. Though Ye Weiliang wasn’t very hungry, she couldn’t help swallowing.
“Ye, come eat,” Bao Shuxin said, placing the bowls on the table, one for each of the three.
Ye Weiliang felt embarrassed. “Thank you, Auntie.”
She planned to leave them money and train tickets before leaving tomorrow.
That night, Ye Weiliang slept in a warm big bed, feeling “parental” love for the first time.
Although Zhao Youliang and Bao Shuxin weren’t her real parents, she felt that care sincerely.
She truly thanked them.
In the middle of the night, Ye Weiliang was awakened by a faint sound.
She didn’t think anyone would steal in the police station’s family compound—probably Uncle Zhao’s daughter.
She had seen the family photo on the wall—a cheerful, bright girl.
Zhao Xiyuan opened the door and saw someone on her bed: “Ah, who are you? Why are you sleeping in my bed?”
“I’m Xiyuan Jie, right? I’m Ye Weiliang. Uncle Zhao brought me to stay for one night. Sorry for sleeping in your bed without permission,” Ye Weiliang said in her soft, sweet voice.
Although a girl, Zhao Xiyuan always wanted a little sister like a doll but never had one. Seeing this soft, sweet girl calling her sister, she thought, what’s the harm in sharing the bed?
Zhao Youliang and Bao Shuxin also came over: “Xixi, this is Ye Weiliang. She’s going to Heilongjiang tomorrow, staying with us tonight.”
“No problem, can I sleep with you?” Zhao Xiyuan’s eyes shone.
Ye Weiliang paused, then smiled. “Of course, this is your bed, Xiyuan Jie.”
“Ah, good little sister!” Zhao Xiyuan crawled under the covers, hugging the soft Ye Weiliang and giggling happily.
They chatted for a while, feeling very compatible.
“Liangliang, you’re leaving tomorrow. I’ll really miss you.”
“Xiyuan Jie can write me letters,” Ye Weiliang said with a smile.
Zhao Xiyuan paused. “Right! I can go to your countryside assignment too!”
Ye Weiliang: …This silly girl thinks going to the countryside is fun?
“Xiyuan Jie, you should find a job. You’re the only one at home; Uncle Zhao and Auntie Bao would never allow you to go.”
“I’d be contributing to the country! They’re all old-fashioned,” Zhao Xiyuan pouted and murmured.
Ye Weiliang sighed. This girl had been brainwashed. Going to the countryside wasn’t “building the country”—it meant becoming a village girl working the fields.
She didn’t know how to explain.
She’d subtly remind Uncle Zhao tomorrow morning. If Zhao Xiyuan really went, Auntie Bao would be upset.
Once she went to the countryside, returning to the city would be almost impossible—only ten years later, after the Cultural Revolution ended and the exams resumed, could one come back.
Zhao Xiyuan fell asleep. Ye Weiliang gazed at the moonlight outside.
In the future, she would definitely be a landlord who collects rent but does no work.
At this moment, she had already forgotten the vow she made to the cheap master.