"I... I might not be a child of the Ling family," Ling Yifei said nervously, clutching the hem of her clothes.
"What's going on?" Old Mrs. Ling's face turned cold.
“It was my parents. They only wanted to claim kinship with the Ling family, and they were vague in their answers to my questions. They made me misunderstand things and think I was a child of the Ling family,” Ling Yifei said, her eyes red.
“I had a burn on my shoulder, but I didn’t have a birthmark before the burn. However, I couldn’t see behind me, so I asked my dad and mom, and they said I did. They even described what it looked like, and I believed them.”
"Moreover, the jade pendant around my neck was something I accidentally grabbed when I fell into the water. My parents took it and gave it to me as part of my dowry. So I assumed I was a child of the Ling family and that they had taken the jade pendant away."
“I didn’t mean to impersonate a child of the Ling family. My parents were also blinded by temptation when they arrived in the capital. They were in agony and couldn’t help but tell me.”
“I’m the kind of person who can’t tolerate any imperfections, and I can’t get over this hurdle in my own heart, so after thinking about it for a long time, I’ve come to you to be honest.”
Old Madam Ling slammed her hand on the table in anger. "Do you think you can fool our Ling family? What a pair of country bumpkins! You've made our entire Ling family run wild!"
"Is an apology all it takes to be over?"
"When our Ling family recognized you and brought you back, everyone in the four courtyards knew about it. Now, where is the Ling family's face?"
Ling Yifei pursed her lips, "Actually, the reason my parents were able to say the right thing so conveniently is all because there is such a person in the family."
Grandma Ling didn't care about her granddaughter admitting her mistake or saving face; she just wanted to take advantage of the situation. Little did she know, someone would drop a bombshell on her.
Who is it?
Ling Yifei chuckled and said, "It's precisely because this person is so capable that I don't want to delay you."
“I know very well that my family is struggling financially. A half-grown boy can eat his father out of house and home. I try my best to support my brothers, nephews and nieces, but my abilities are limited, and I can't compare to those who eat well every day.”
Grandma Ling stared at her. "Stop being so mysterious, just tell me who it is!"
Ling Yifei nodded. "We were originally the second branch of the Ke family, which means the fourth branch of the Ke family. That person is Ke Meiyu, who lives across the street from us. She has a small, bright red butterfly birthmark on her back, and the jade pendant is something she has worn since she was a child."
"If you don't believe me, ask around. Besides, my mother said that when I was born, my grandmother saw the old man of the house bring one back from outside. Otherwise, with my mother's knowledge, she couldn't have made up such a watertight story."
Grandma Ling was incredibly excited; her granddaughter had been replaced, and now it was the girl next door!
Who's across the street? She's a member of the prestigious Qin family. Not only is her granddaughter incredibly talented, constantly speaking foreign languages over the loudspeaker to everyone in the capital, but she also founded the first university for senior citizens in the country.
Even his grandson-in-law was an extremely capable man. He partnered with others to run a company, and he always drove a very respectable motorcycle, surrounded by people in the compound who fawned over him.
When the Qin family patriarch was alive, many people owed favors to the Qin family, and these favors would inevitably fall on Ying Yan. Every single one of these favors was enough to make the Ling family envious and resentful.
Furthermore, their family has a string of quintuplets, which is quite impressive and a sign of good fortune.
If Ke Meiyu is her own granddaughter, given how close and filial she is to the old lady of the Ke family, she probably wouldn't treat her own blood relative any differently.
"Since you're not a member of the Ling family, yet you've impersonated my granddaughter, you owe us an explanation, don't you?" Old Mrs. Ling said coldly. "The cost of living in Kyoto is very high, especially since our compound is located in the city center. The rent alone is a third of an ordinary worker's salary."
"Besides, Aunt Lu has taken good care of you three at home. Hiring a nanny outside would cost thirty or fifty yuan a month, not to mention someone as experienced and virtuous as her."
"You haven't lacked a single penny for food or clothing at home, and it's been over two years. How can you just say it's not true?"
“Your parents are deliberately trying to confuse everyone, and who knows if you really don’t know or are pretending not to know? If you don’t give us an explanation, we won’t have the face to come to your door to acknowledge Yu Bao’er.”
"If this doesn't satisfy us, I don't mind asking the officers in the station to intervene. The Ling family may not be what they used to be, but they can still punish fraudsters!"
Ling Yifei looked up abruptly, never expecting Old Mrs. Ling to be so ruthless.
Even though she wasn't family, I've never stopped showing her filial piety. After more than two years together, how come there's no affection left?
Ling Yifei didn't dare to be too tough, because she knew all too well that if she threatened her parents, those people who only had eyes for their son would probably reveal everything and even risk getting their daughter arrested.
“I have given you a lot of money and gifts every day, and each one cost a lot of money. This is more than enough to cover our daily expenses.”
“Aunt Lu was originally the family’s nanny. She only looked after us for a few days and helped out on weekdays. She couldn’t be considered to have served us completely.”
"I'll pay your rent," she said. If she didn't bleed a little, the Ling family probably wouldn't let her go.
The Ling family is rooted in Kyoto. They can't climb higher, but they can easily trample on a few ordinary people.
She didn't want to cause too much trouble with the Ling family.
The old lady said calmly, "Ten thousand yuan, no bargaining. From now on, we're on separate paths. Otherwise, your whole family should just go back to your hometown and stop embarrassing yourselves in Beijing!"
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