Although Xu Xiangmei had no idea what Jiang Xingyao was planning, whatever her daughter said was right in her eyes.
She immediately shoved Liu Zhilan.
“You vicious woman! How could you be so cruel? You tricked my daughter into donating bone marrow to your son, made her marry someone in place of your daughter, and then had her work like a servant in your house for an entire year.
“I was wondering how my daughter could possibly have been switched at the hospital when she had always been right under my nose. So it turns out the whole thing was your lie!
“You’ve caused my daughter so much suffering!”
She cursed and cried at the same time, pounding her fists against Liu Zhilan.
Zheng Qiuju chimed in from the side, “Exactly! Just look at Yaoyao. Those big eyes and high nose look like Brother Jiandong, while her face and mouth look like Sister-in-law Xiangmei. No matter how you look at her, she couldn’t possibly be a member of the Shen family.”
Liu Zhilan was just about to stomp her feet and launch into a furious tirade, but then she thought about it.
This little Jiang Xingyao had already donated her bone marrow to her son and married someone in place of her daughter. Keeping her around would no longer benefit the Shen family. Instead, she might even become a burden.
So Liu Zhilan lowered her head and pretended to be ashamed.
“Since you’ve all figured it out, I can only admit it. I was selfish. I wanted Jiang Xingyao to save my son, so I deliberately claimed that she and Lili had been switched at birth. In reality, she’s the biological daughter of the Jiang family.
“To make up for my mistake, I’ll consider the 2,000 yuan dowry I gave Jiang Xingyao compensation. From now on, our two families are even.
“Jiang Xingyao, whatever happens to you in the future, don’t come looking for me!”
The moment Jiang Xingyao heard this, she understood.
Liu Zhilan was afraid that after marrying a country bumpkin, Jiang Xingyao would have a miserable life and eventually come dragging her entire family to seek refuge with the Shen family.
That was why she wanted to sever their relationship right here and now.
If Liu Zhilan could put on an act, so could she.
Jiang Xingyao pinched herself hard, and her eyes immediately reddened.
“Liu Zhilan, you’ve made my life so miserable! Now everyone thinks I’m your family’s biological daughter and secretly calls me the child my own mother abandoned.
“I don’t care! Go to the neighborhood committee right now and write a statement confirming that I’m not your family’s daughter. Otherwise, I’ll go to the director of the textile factory and ask him to give me justice!”
Liu Zhilan thought about it.
Going to write such a statement might make people accuse her of being heartless.
But she had only done it to save her son’s life. Surely everyone could understand a mother’s desperation.
Besides, lying wasn’t against the law. If she were caught switching the babies, however, she could be sent to prison.
As long as she wrote the statement, not only could she get rid of Jiang Xingyao and her rural husband and his family, but the matter of the switched babies would also be buried forever.
This was a fantastic deal.
“Fine. I’ll go to the neighborhood committee and write the statement right now.”
“I’ll go with you,” Jiang Xingyao said.
On the way to the neighborhood committee, Jiang Xingyao deliberately chose the busiest streets.
When they passed the entrance of a small convenience store, several elderly men and women were sitting around chatting. Auntie Huang smiled and asked, “Zhilan, Yaoyao, where are you two going?”
Before Liu Zhilan could say a word, Jiang Xingyao immediately spoke in a wounded tone.
“I’m not a daughter of the Shen family at all. I’m the biological daughter of the Jiang family. Back then, Liu Zhilan deliberately claimed I was her biological daughter because she wanted to trick me into donating bone marrow to her son.
“Now I’m taking her to the neighborhood committee to explain everything.”
This was the busiest spot in the neighborhood, with people constantly coming and going. It was also the gathering place for all the gossipers in Rongfu Alley, practically an intelligence agency.
Whenever something interesting happened in someone’s family, once the news reached this place, it was as good as spreading throughout Rongfu Alley—and from there, it would make its way into all the major factories.
Jiang Xingyao had deliberately chosen this place to say it.
Auntie Huang clicked her tongue.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! Zhilan, how could you do something so heartless?”
The others immediately joined in, whispering and discussing among themselves.
“For the past year, Yaoyao not only donated bone marrow to the Shen family’s second son, she also ran around taking care of the Shen family and doing everything they asked. If she wasn’t their daughter, why didn’t they say so earlier? Wasn’t that deliberately hurting her?”
“That can’t be right. I think Yaoyao looks a little like Liu Zhilan did when she was young.”
“She looks about thirty percent like Xu Xiangmei too. Lots of people look alike. But in my opinion, Yaoyao absolutely can’t be the Shen family’s biological daughter. Who could possibly be so stupid that an entire family would dote on an adopted daughter while abusing their own biological daughter?”
……
Liu Zhilan hurriedly squeezed out two tears.
“I… I didn’t do it on purpose. How could a mother just stand by and watch her own son die? I was forced into saying those things…
“I know I was wrong, so I’ve already compensated Yaoyao. When she got married, I gave her 2,000 yuan as her dowry.”
Auntie Huang said, “For a bone marrow donation, 2,000 yuan isn’t bad. Yaoyao, congratulations! You’ve liked Hewen for so many years, and now you’re finally getting married.”
Liu Zhilan immediately sneered.
“She’s not marrying Hewen. She’s marrying some poor country boy. They’ve already registered their marriage, and I’ve already given her the 2,000 yuan.”
Everyone present was stunned.
Auntie Huang looked at Jiang Xingyao.
“Yaoyao, is what Auntie Zhilan said true?”
“Yes, Auntie Huang. This marriage was originally supposed to be Shen Jiaoli’s, but the Shen family looked down on the other party, so Auntie Zhilan made me marry him instead. That’s why she gave me the 2,000 yuan as my dowry.”
Jiang Xingyao was rich, had plenty of free time, and was in no hurry whatsoever.
She had all the time and patience in the world to deal with Liu Zhilan.
Since Liu Zhilan had been foolish enough to expose her own wounds in front of so many people, Jiang Xingyao naturally wasn’t going to pass up the chance to rub salt into them.
“My goodness! No wonder that woman can marry the deputy factory director. She’s got brains, she’s got schemes, and she’s ruthless enough. She used Yaoyao to the absolute limit and then kicked her aside.”
“Poor Jiang family. They’ve lived in the same courtyard as the Shen family and been pushed around by them for more than a decade. Now they’ve even drained their own daughter dry.”
“Yaoyao is the prettiest young woman in all of Rongfu Alley. Sure, she doesn’t have a job right now, but her father and three brothers are all permanent employees. If she wanted to find a worker’s son to marry in Beijing, it would be easy. And now Liu Zhilan has ruined her life by forcing her to marry into the countryside. That’s practically ruining her entire future.”
“The whole Shen family is vicious. They’ll get what they deserve sooner or later. Just wait and see. Shen Yunfeng definitely won’t be selected as factory director.”
……
Listening to everyone’s chatter, Liu Zhilan hurriedly grabbed Jiang Xingyao and dragged her away.
“You wanted money, and I gave it to you. You wanted to go to the neighborhood committee for a statement, and I agreed to go. So why are you still smearing our family?
“Jiang Xingyao, if you take things too far, you’re only cutting off your own path!”
She refused to believe that once her husband became the director of the textile factory, and once her Jiaoli married the son of the steel mill director, Jiang Xingyao wouldn’t bring her poor husband crawling to her knees and beg her to find them jobs!