AMRWFA -Chapter 170 The Aftermath of “Snatching Mom”

“Why did you suddenly want to take my surname? Wasn’t your old name perfectly fine?” Ruan Yaoyao asked, puzzled.

Although she could see most of the plot, she couldn’t constantly track the inner thoughts of the characters.

What’s more, because of her вмешling, she had already altered the storyline that originally belonged to Lin Zhihe.

【Oh, she’s called Ruan Zhihe now. I need to get used to it!】

【Ruan Zhihe!】

【Ruan Zhihe!】

【Ruan Zhihe!】
…

Ruan Zhihe herself: “…”

So this is what it feels like to hear Aunt Xu’s inner thoughts—so noisy?

“I acted on impulse,” Ruan Zhihe admitted honestly. She explained how her fifth younger sister planned to change her name and refused to share the surname of that awful couple.

Ruan Yaoyao immediately understood. Such wonderful daughters—those terrible parents didn’t deserve them.

It was good that they changed their surnames. A new name meant a new beginning.

“So your fifth sister is now called Ruan Xingxing? That’s a lovely name. My daughter is called Xu Nannan—if there’s a chance, I’ll introduce them.”

She then asked about Ruan Xingxing’s transfer, how she was getting along with Qiao An, and whether everything at the orphanage had been arranged.

Ruan Zhihe answered each question in turn.

Since Qiao An was at a critical stage in high school, Ruan Zhihe discussed it with her and decided not to rush her transfer. She would stay where she was.

As for Ruan Xingxing, she transferred there to be under Qiao An’s care. With the two sisters together, Ruan Zhihe felt more at ease.

Most importantly, there was a kind orphanage director nearby. She believed that in a new environment, Ruan Xingxing could grow into the person she wanted to be.

“As for that old pervert, don’t worry. The procedures are already underway. He’ll receive the punishment he deserves soon enough.”

“Mm! I’m not worried. It’s just a pity we can’t expose what he did to Xingxing.”

Ruan Yaoyao nodded in agreement. “Not exposing it is actually better. Xingxing is starting a new life—bringing it up would only hurt her. If she doesn’t want to mention it, then just act like you don’t know.”

【The fewer people who know about something like this, the better.】

【If too many people know, who knows what kind of people they are? What if someone with bad intentions befriends her…】

【And one day they dig it up and stab her with it—wouldn’t that be awful?】

【What should be buried should stay buried.】

“Mm! I understand, Aunt Xu. I’ve already talked it over with Qiao An. From now on, we’ll all pretend we don’t know.”

Ruan Yaoyao stepped forward, stood on tiptoe, and patted Ruan Zhihe on the shoulder. “That’s the right way! Life should move forward—let those things rot in the mud. Oh right, what are you planning to do about your parents?”

Ruan Zhihe let out a soft sigh. There was some unwillingness… but…

She couldn’t bring herself to be cruel to them. She would just treat them as if they were dead.

—

Lin Father and Lin Mother suddenly received news that their eldest daughter, Lin Zhihe—the one they were proud of—had “died in the line of duty.”

“What?! Dead?!” Lin Mother was shocked. She had seen her daughter just recently—how could she suddenly be gone?

Lin Father, however, was concerned about something else—how much compensation the country would give them.

“Only 200,000? That’s too little! It’s not even enough to buy a car…”

But when he called, the relevant department ignored him completely.

“Didn’t my daughter die on duty? Shouldn’t our family be recognized as martyrs?”

Still no response.

Angry, Lin Father wanted to file a complaint, but an old acquaintance of his advised him to drop it. He hinted that the circumstances of her death were probably not something that could be made public—otherwise, she would have been honored already.

“If you don’t make trouble, you might still get some money. But if you do, you might not even get that.”

“Think it through. We’re just ordinary people. You can’t fight those above you. Are you really going to go against them for your daughter?”

Lin Father didn’t have that kind of courage.

He had given birth to her but never really raised her. If she hadn’t been the eldest, she would have been abandoned just like the others.

“Sigh… what a pity.”

“Yes, she had so much potential. If she’d been married off, she could’ve brought in a high bride price.”

“What do we do now? Jiabao is still young—we were counting on saving up for a house for him.”

The couple fell silent for a moment, then thought of their remaining daughters—the third, fourth, and fifth—whom they had either abandoned or given away.

Maybe… they could try to “find” them and have them “fulfill their filial duty”?

After all, they gave birth to them. It was only natural for children to support their parents.

Ruan Zhihe: Sorry, the earlier ones you might find—but the later ones? I’ve already arranged everything. You probably won’t be able to find them.

Since you didn’t want daughters, then let’s never have anything to do with each other again. Just pretend they were never born.

—

At another social gathering, Ruan Yaoyao found herself being mocked again.

Especially by her longtime rival, Madam Ma—Hu Xiaoyan—who looked like she was furious at her incompetence, as if she wanted to pry open Ruan Yaoyao’s head to see what was wrong with her.

“Look at you! I told you long ago to keep your husband under control, but you wouldn’t listen. Now look—so many illegitimate daughters! What are you going to do?”

Ruan Yaoyao looked completely confused.

Seeing this, Hu Xiaoyan reached out and poked her on the forehead.

Behind her, Ruan Zhihe stared at Hu Xiaoyan’s hand, worried it might turn into a needle and pierce through Ruan Yaoyao’s head.

Ruan Yaoyao dodged, grabbed her hand, and asked what she was doing—why get physical when talking?

“I wish I could split your head open and see what’s inside!” Hu Xiaoyan gritted her teeth, while Ruan Yaoyao still looked utterly clueless.

Someone nearby leaned in and whispered a few words into Ruan Yaoyao’s ear. Only then did she understand.

【So those girls who changed their surnames… have been mistaken as my husband’s illegitimate children?!】

【What kind of rumors are spreading in this circle?!】

Just as Hu Xiaoyan was about to speak, she suddenly heard Ruan Yaoyao’s voice and froze.

Ruan Yaoyao turned back to glance at Ruan Zhihe, her expression aggrieved: 【See what happens when you change your surname without telling me? Now people are misunderstanding!】

Ruan Zhihe looked up at the sky.

She just didn’t want to share her scumbag parents’ surname—anything else didn’t matter.

“Ruan Yaoyao, and this is…?” Hu Xiaoyan finally noticed the person standing behind her.

For ladies like them, bringing someone along wasn’t unusual—but having a bodyguard still standing there inside the venue was.

“Oh, this is my bodyguard… Ruan Zhihe.”

Everyone turned to look, waiting for Hu Xiaoyan to respond.

Hu Xiaoyan: “She has the same surname as you?”