AMRWFA -Chapter 164 My Younger Sisters

In her previous life, she had been too busy with work to care about such things. She had casually agreed, telling them to go ahead and look—she would return to take a look when she had time.

And then…

Back in the car, Ruan Yaoyao said to Lin Zhihe, “So? Feels like you’re from completely different worlds, doesn’t it?”

“Mhm…” Lin Zhihe’s voice was muffled, her mood heavy.

“This is what environment does. She’s lived in that kind of environment since childhood. Sure, she ‘went to school,’ but it was just a rural school, attending on and off—it only sounds nice when you say it. You can tell just by how she holds a pen, like a beginner. It’s obvious she never really did her homework properly.”

Over time, rustiness was one thing—but handwriting that looked like chicken scratches was another.

Ruan Yaoyao kept talking in fragments, saying that, in a way, her life wasn’t too bad—raising a child on her own outside. But the small monthly salary she earned was directly transferred to her mother-in-law’s account, and even her living expenses had to be given back to her by that same mother-in-law.

“With just that little bit of money, her biological parents still came knocking, demanding she support them in their old age. Otherwise, she’s ‘unfilial.’”

“What’s even more ridiculous,” Ruan Yaoyao sneered, “is that when her in-laws found out, they were afraid she’d give money to her own parents—so they gave her even less. Oh, and there’s someone around her who reports every little thing to her in-laws. But her own parents act like they don’t see any of this—they just pressure her for money. If she doesn’t give it, she’s unfilial.”

Lin Zhihe’s fists clenched involuntarily.

“The hundred yuan she manages to save in a whole month isn’t even enough for her parents to buy a single meal of KFC for their precious son.”

Lin Zhihe: That’s outrageous!

“In most families, older sisters pass down their used things to younger brothers. But in Luo Xiaohua’s family, it’s the opposite—new things go to the brother, and the sister picks up discarded clothes from others.”

Lin Zhihe froze. Her tightly clenched fists slowly loosened, replaced by a sense of helplessness.

“When people talk about Luo Xiaohua, she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong. You probably didn’t notice—when we donated things just now, even her daughter’s share ended up in her son’s hands. Those hair accessories? She traded them for lollipops… for her son.”

At that moment, Lin Zhihe seemed to understand the saying: Good advice cannot save those determined to perish; compassion cannot cross those who abandon themselves.

It was infuriating—anger at someone who refuses to fight for themselves.

The second sister was adopted, named Tong Yao. Her situation was much better than Luo Xiaohua’s.

When the Tong family found her, they had been suffering from years of infertility. Her arrival brought them immense joy, and her childhood was a happy one.

But that happiness didn’t last long.

When Tong Yao was five, the couple had twins—a boy and a girl.

The Tong family had never been well-off to begin with. After the twins, they even had another son. Four children in total.

With growing financial pressure and Tong mother’s health deteriorating after childbirth, Tong Yao, as the eldest, dropped out of school early to take care of the household.

One year, when Tong mother fell gravely ill, Tong Yao married a man from the same village, surnamed Ou, in exchange for a high bride price to cover medical expenses.

That man was no good—he had a habit of domestic violence. No normal family would marry their daughter to him.

But the Tong family had no money.

When Ruan Yaoyao and Lin Zhihe arrived, they happened to walk in on Tong Yao being beaten by her husband.

“What are you doing?!”

Lin Zhihe exploded with anger. Before the car had even fully stopped, she flung the door open, jumped out, and kicked the man to the ground.

What no one expected was that Tong Yao—who had just been beaten and crying moments ago—scrambled up the moment she saw her husband being hit, rushed forward, and tried to fight Lin Zhihe, demanding to know why she hit her husband.

Lin Zhihe was completely stunned.

Wait—I was helping you!

But Tong Yao didn’t care. All she knew was that her husband had been beaten.

Soon, the villagers gathered, taking advantage of the situation to demand compensation from these “rich outsiders.”

Lin Zhihe stood there dumbfounded, unable to believe what she was seeing.

In the end, Ruan Yaoyao handed over the supplies they had originally planned to donate, calling it “compensation,” and only then was the situation resolved.

After that, Lin Zhihe fell even more silent.

Back in the car, after a long while, she finally asked, “Why? I was clearly helping her.”

“Good advice cannot save those determined to perish; compassion cannot cross those who abandon themselves.”

She had just used those words to comfort herself—only to encounter the same situation again so soon.

A shadow settled over her heart.

She even began to wonder whether what Aunt Xu said about “seeking help oneself” had ever really happened. Did any of her sisters ever try to save themselves?

It wasn’t until they arrived at the orphanage and met the girl named Qiao An that Lin Zhihe found her answer.

There really were people who wanted to save themselves.

The girl, wearing a faded, washed-out pair of jeans, stood a little shorter than her. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was smiling as she chatted with younger children.

Her complexion was pale—she was clearly unwell.

The younger kids were very considerate, calling her “Sister An’an,” telling her to get more sunlight so she could recover.

Sensing someone watching her, Qiao An looked up. She saw a woman standing upright—though not in uniform, she still carried the unmistakable bearing of a soldier.

Qiao An immediately thought of those “lovely people” and smiled. She stood up and walked over.

“Are you here looking for someone?”

“Are you Qiao An?”

Qiao An paused, then nodded. “Yes, I’m Qiao An. Are you looking for me?”

Lin Zhihe’s eyes reddened.

In that moment, Qiao An realized something. A look of disbelief spread across her face—this was a day she had imagined countless times.

She had always wanted to know—had she been abandoned, or kidnapped? If it was the former, she wouldn’t disturb her original family. If it was the latter, she wanted to tell her parents that she was living well.

Even though she hadn’t grown up by their side, she had still taken very good care of herself.

Qiao An carefully studied Lin Zhihe’s face and noticed how similar their eyes were—even their eyebrows looked the same. They weren’t identical, but side by side, the resemblance was undeniable.

“You… you’re my sister?!”

So she had really waited for this day—family had finally come for her?

“Yes. My name is Lin Zhihe. I’m a soldier.”

“Really?! That’s amazing! I’ve always wanted to join the military, but my health isn’t great, and I’m a bit nearsighted, so I couldn’t. I didn’t expect my sister to be so incredible—actually a soldier… How did you find me? Where are Mom and Dad? Are they nearby?”

Lin Zhihe gently shook her head. “They don’t know I came.”

“I see… This is something so important—you’d definitely need to confirm it first,” Qiao An said, gradually calming down from her excitement. “Do we need to do a DNA test? I’ve heard that when people are found, they always do one first to confirm the blood relationship. You want to confirm it before telling them, so they don’t get their hopes up for nothing, right?”

“The DNA test has already been done. You are indeed my sister. But… I don’t plan to tell them. I’m afraid that if they find out, they might disrupt your life.”