Her words were sincere. The more of the Ye family’s assets that could be preserved, the more she would be able to enjoy in the future.
Ye Wenbin softened as well. He patted his daughter on the head. “Yaoyao really is sensible. You don’t need to worry about this matter. I’ve already made all the preparations. As for that other family, if you want to go back, Dad won’t stop you. I’ve prepared some things for you in your room. When you leave, take them with you so you’ll have something to rely on.”
Old Madam Ye’s eyes were already brimming with tears. “Let Yaoyao stay with us. Yaoyao is our real granddaughter.”
However, the moment the Ye family brought Ye Cai’e back, she had already transferred her name out of the Ye family household registry in Shanghai, without the slightest reluctance.
Back then, worried that she might feel wronged, Chen Yumei had even given her many gifts as consolation.
The Ye family discussed their future plans in low voices, while Ye Cai’e finally enjoyed a full night’s sleep and regained her energy.
The first thing she did after opening her eyes was activate today’s one-cent flash sale.
The page refreshed, showing completely different items from yesterday.
There was a bowl of braised pork, three ten-yuan bills from the third set of RMB, fifty steamed buns, a short-sleeved shirt, ten random national grain ration coupons, and ten packets of savory pickled vegetables at fifty grams each.
Ye Cai’e sucked in a sharp breath. Today’s flash sale quality far surpassed yesterday’s. It was almost too generous.
After hesitating for quite a while, she decided to choose the cash exchange. One cent for thirty yuan was like money falling from the sky.
There was still a heavy workload today. Let the Ye family jump around for one more day. Right now, nothing was more important than making money.
These were all capital for lying flat like a salted fish in the future.
So, without the Ye family knowing a thing, Ye Cai’e spent a day and a night single-handedly sweeping away all of the Ye family’s assets, leaving only the building they were currently living in.
After everything was collected, nearly half the space was filled. Without the expansion, she really would not have dared to take everything so recklessly.
She had no job and no place to live. Staying at an inn every day was not a long-term solution.
After much thought, Ye Cai’e felt that going to the countryside was her best option. If she volunteered, she could even choose the destination.
Thus, early in the morning on the third day after transmigrating, Ye Cai’e headed straight for the neighborhood educated youth office.
“You want to go to the countryside? Given your situation, you’re the only one left in your family, so you’re not required to go,” said the female clerk, who had also been a witness to the Ye family incident two days earlier.
“Comrade, thank you for your kindness, but I grew up in the countryside. I know it’s a vast land where one can accomplish great things. Responding to the nation’s call is what young people of our generation should do. I won’t freeload in the city. And… I don’t have a job. My parents…”
Ye Cai’e was still speaking passionately at first, sounding ready to devote herself wholeheartedly. Then her tone suddenly shifted, and she even shed a few tears of sadness.
At a time when educated youths were encouraged to go to the countryside, and with the clerk feeling deep sympathy for her, Ye Cai’e was even allowed to choose the production brigade herself.
Once everything was settled, Ye Cai’e felt light and free. Carrying immense wealth, she walked through the streets of 1960s Shanghai.
The cityscape was completely different from that of sixty or seventy years later, which she found novel. She did not linger though. She still needed to find the black market today.
Although she wanted nothing more than to live lazily and avoid places like the black market, she was short on cash. Exchanging two small gold bars would be enough. She swore she would never go back to such risky places again.
As a law-abiding citizen of the twenty-first century, that mindset was deeply ingrained in her.
Yet before she could even find the black market as described in the book, she ran straight into two black-hearted people.
Chen Yumei had brought Ye Yingyao out specifically to buy clothes and daily necessities. The mother and daughter were about to part ways, and she wished she could send her daughter off with every good thing possible.
Everything at home had been used already, and bringing those back would only invite ridicule.
Besides, her daughter could not let those country bumpkins look down on her. She had to be dressed bright and presentable.
At that moment, the two had just come out of the state-run department store, their hands filled with shopping bags.
“You heartless girl. You see your mother and don’t even call out. No manners at all,” Chen Yumei snapped when Ye Cai’e walked straight past them. Anger flared instantly. The more she looked at this girl, the more displeased she felt.
Ye Cai’e turned around. “Auntie, are you talking to me?”
Her expression was infuriating to the extreme.
“Well, look at you. You’ve only been gone a day and you don’t even recognize your own mother anymore. A real white-eyed wolf. Can’t you learn from Yaoyao? If you were even one-tenth as good as her, you wouldn’t be in this situation today. Go back, apologize to your father and grandmother, and apologize to Yaoyao too. Your room is still being kept for you.”
Chen Yumei made no effort to lower her voice. She even felt she was being generous as a mother, offering a way out.
Ye Cai’e recalled that tiny maid’s room, smaller than the studio she had rented in her previous life, and rolled her eyes hard.
It was a workday, yet there were still many people gathered at the entrance of the department store.
Some onlookers, unaware of the full story, began to criticize Ye Cai’e.
“This girl looks quite pretty. How can she be so unfilial?”
“Heaven and earth are big, but parents are the biggest.”
“If my child were like this, I’d have broken her leg long ago.”
“Parents raise you for a lifetime. What mistake can’t be forgiven? Girl, just apologize. You won’t lose anything.”
Ye Cai’e’s gaze swept over the crowd. She hated people like this most, those who loved to watch the excitement and stand on moral high ground without knowing anything.
“Apologize? Do you know how I lived those nineteen years in the village? Have you seen a single place on my body without scars? I’ve lived this long without ever eating a full meal. And you? If there weren’t at least two meat dishes on your table, you’d think you were being wronged. If I picked up a single piece of meat, it was like I’d taken your lives. Keep talking, and I’ll bury you both together.”
When everyone fell silent, Chen Yumei was left choking on her anger. Ye Cai’e continued, “You haven’t forgotten the scar on my head, have you? And you want me to apologize? Should I call the police again to make it clear who pushed me down the stairs and who owes whom an apology? Speaking of apologies, we were busy cutting ties last time. Now that there’s time, Ye Yingyao, I suffered for twenty years in your place, and you ate meat for twenty years in mine. Let’s talk about how you’re going to compensate me.”
Chen Yumei felt guilty and could not retort for a moment. Everyone’s gaze shifted to Ye Yingyao.
“Sister…”