The Ye family was now too busy to care for anything else. Even Old Madam Ye, who had always doted on her the most, was struggling to deal with the red armband group.
Ye Yingyao clenched her teeth. “I am not this family’s biological child. If you want to arrest someone, go find Ye Cai’e. If you touch me again, I will report you.”
The fear from her previous life made her deeply afraid of these people. It was as if those scenes were replaying right before her eyes. If she was even a step too slow, she would fall back into the abyss again.
She watched helplessly as a man wearing a cap took a pink box out of her parents’ room. That had to be the item her parents had told her they would give her to rely on.
But she was not ready to leave yet. The things she had just bought yesterday had all been extorted by Ye Cai’e. If she left like this, then the biological parents she had not even met in this life would certainly not treat her well either.
Thinking this, she rushed forward and snatched the pink box from the man’s hands. “This is mine. I am not a member of the Ye family. Please let me leave.”
How could the man agree? Whoever it belonged to, everything in here was a product of capitalist tendencies.
“You say these things are yours?” he said as he opened the box. “This small gold bar is yours? This jade pendant is yours too? Do you know that privately possessing gold is illegal?”
Ye Yingyao had not expected him to be so unyielding. She had been praised for her beauty her whole life. How could this man be so insensitive?
She felt wronged but did not dare push it further. She shook her head and loosened her grip. “I… I was mistaken. But I really am not this family’s daughter. Their real daughter is Ye Cai’e. I will take you to find her.”
At this moment, Ye Cai’e was standing at the doorway. She figured the timing was about right and came over directly to watch the show.
The newspaper announcing the severing of ties had officially been published a few days earlier. She had even bought a copy on purpose when she came.
With such a big commotion at the Ye household, many people had gathered around. Standing among the crowd, Ye Cai’e was not immediately noticed.
She slowly walked inside, wearing the same slightly short, patched clothes, holding a steamed bun in her hand.
The leader of the red armband group saw her come in and did not look pleased. “Hey, what are you here for?”
Ye Cai’e kept a stiff expression and looked utterly shocked. “Comrade, I… I am the daughter this family drove out. I really could not survive anymore, so I signed up as an educated youth and am preparing to go to the countryside to help build the nation. I am leaving soon. I used my last money to buy this bun and came to see them. Wh-what is going on here?”
The red armband leader’s gaze immediately changed. The report letter had been very clear. The Ye family maintained a capitalist lifestyle and treated their biological daughter, whom they had taken back, like a servant. Despite having immense wealth, they would not even buy her a new set of clothes. She was treated worse than people like them who had very little money, at least they could still eat a full meal from time to time.
The leader was nearly forty. Looking at Ye Cai’e was like looking at his own daughter. He could not help but feel sorry for her. “You are still so filial. Take the bun back with you. Since you have already severed ties, do not come here again. Whatever happens to the Ye family in the future has nothing to do with you.”
He spoke tactfully, not wanting a young girl with aspirations to suffer such a heavy blow.
But Ye Wenbin and his wife had no intention of letting her go.
“Ye Cai’e! Was it you? You rotten-hearted little bastard. I dragged you back from that mountain ravine and even got the wrong one? Let me tell you, if the Ye family goes down, you will not escape either. Comrade, she is my biological daughter. Our family assets are meant to be left to her in the future. She cannot leave.”
Ye Wenbin was already half-mad. He could not understand why the Ye family had suddenly run into trouble and could only lash out blindly.
Besides, if Ye Cai’e had not stirred things up a few days ago, how could they have been exposed so quickly?
He did not know that this time, he had actually bitten the right person.
Ye Cai’e stepped forward two paces. “Dad… Uncle, you were the one who said you wanted to sever ties with me. Now you say all the assets are mine. If they are mine, then why have I not enjoyed even a bit of them?” She spoke through tears.
The red armband group felt deep sympathy for this girl who had never lived well since childhood. Looking at her too-short clothes and pants, and the fresh and old scars covering the exposed skin, they had also heard that she had been pushed down the stairs just a few days ago, her face covered in blood.
She walked up to Ye Wenbin without any obstruction and whispered softly, “You old bastard, I wish your whole family missing limbs, living worse than death.”
Ye Wenbin’s eyes widened, filled with rage. He had known long ago that this girl was no good. How could she be so vicious? They were all her family.
Ye Cai’e stepped back a little and continued crying. “It is her. She is your real daughter. Why is it that once something happens, you only think of me? I take all the blame, and then you are happy, is that it? Will Mom love me then? Will Grandma dote on me then?”
“This is the last time I will call you Dad, Mom, and Grandma. We severed ties completely long ago. It was me who still longed for family affection. From now on, I will devote myself fully to national construction and will never have any expectations of you again.”
At this point, Ye Wenbin also reacted. “Comrade, it is her.” He wanted to drag Ye Cai’e down with him and accuse her of stealing a lot of family assets, but everyone knew what had happened that day.
All he could do was spout nonsense and make baseless accusations.
Unfortunately for him, no one believed a word he said anymore. A red armband standing nearby stuffed a rag he had picked up into Ye Wenbin’s mouth. He was simply too noisy.
The neighbors watching from the doorway all burst into applause. Shao Zheng was an old acquaintance of the red armband leader. When their eyes met, he gave him a thumbs-up.
A single report letter was of course not enough for them to arrest people so directly.
After receiving the letter, the relevant departments had already begun investigating. It was Shao Zheng who provided solid evidence, allowing them to appear so quickly.
“Girl, I heard you are going to the countryside as an educated youth? Good. Uncle could tell at first glance that you are not one of those delicate city kids. If you run into any difficulties in the future, write to Uncle,” Shao Zheng said. He had been worried that the red armband group might indiscriminately take Ye Cai’e as well, which was why he stepped in to speak to her.
At this time, even the onlookers were standing far away, afraid of being implicated in the slightest.
Very soon, the Ye household was turned completely upside down. Everyone in the Ye family, including Ye Yingyao, was taken away.
As for this house, no one knew how many families would end up living in it in the future.
Ye Cai’e wiped away her two crocodile tears and left without looking back.
There was no rush. In the end, everyone would still be going to the same place. When that time came, it would not be too late to take revenge. Besides, that would feel even better.