Chapter 8

What is blood relation to humans?

Blood is thicker than water? A parent's deep love for their child? Or perhaps it's about choosing the right neighbors.

For Renyi, blood ties gave her a loving mother and father, as well as a lovely younger sister.

Although the family wasn't very wealthy, she felt quite happy.

But what blood ties brought to Ruan Mianmian was completely different from what she had experienced.

As a child, Ruan Mianmian's dream was to get into the Public Security University and work in criminal investigation in the future.

But at this critical juncture, her father committed the crime of intentional assault.

“It’s okay, I can wait until the college entrance exam results come out before choosing a school,” Ruan Mianmian comforted Ren Yi, who was worried about her. “It’s alright, it’s not a big deal.”

Her score differed from Ren's by only one or two points, and both of them filled in the same schools in their application forms. In the end, they were both admitted to the same university as they wished.

Later, after graduating from university, Renyi returned to the city and took the exam to become a primary school teacher. However, because she could not pass the political review, Ruan Mianmian chose to work as a teacher at an after-school tutoring institution.

In Ruan Mianmian's life, the question of "blood ties" was forever marked with a glaring cross.

After that incident, only one of her neighbors took care of her, leaving her all alone.

Even her mother remarried and moved to another place, and her peers openly and secretly ostracized her.

All of Ruan Mianmian's relatives avoided her, including her second and third uncles.

They even have the audacity to ask Ruan Mianmian for money.

They call it repaying the kindness of their parents.

As early as last year, they had already searched for Ruan Mianmian's workplace several times.

At first, he was polite in asking her for money, but later he became increasingly demanding and started asking her for the money directly.

Reasoning with her was futile, and she couldn't understand when she refused. In their minds, Ruan Mianmian was related to them by blood, so she had an obligation to give the money to her "family."

Of course, Ruan Mianmian could not agree to this. Once this kind of thing started, all that awaited her was a bottomless pit that could never be filled.

Unable to get the money, they relentlessly pursued Ruan Mianmian, demanding more.

Several people even ended up in the police station once.

"That young girl has no reason to give you money, do you know that? There's never been such a requirement under the law." The gray-haired policeman took a sip of tea and patiently explained the reasoning to the man who was older than him.

Upon hearing this, the two men immediately became restless.

“She should give it! Why shouldn’t she give it! Back then, our whole family supported my older brother to do business in the city. He sent all the money he earned back home. She is my older brother’s daughter, and she has an obligation to help the family!”

“In the past twenty-odd years, we have never asked her for money. Now that our family is in difficulty and our children need to go to school, what’s wrong with us asking her for some money? Would she exist without my older brother? Would she exist without our whole family supporting my older brother?”

The second uncle's face was ashen, while the third uncle chimed in from the side.

Perhaps those warnings had an effect, and the hand gripping Ruan Mianmian's throat loosened its grip for a brief period of time.

Just before the end of the year, her second uncle once again brought Ruan Mianmian's cousin to ask for money. Ruan Mianmian still refused to budge, and the father and son made some harsh remarks.

"You won't give it to me? If you don't give it to me, we'll follow you to your house! We'll guard your door every day and make sure you can't celebrate the New Year!"

Yes, she still has a home.

Ruan Mianmian crouched in the corner, holding her head, as if she were immersed in ice water.

She could not compromise, nor could she allow Ren Yi and Ren Yunyou to be involved.

These people are like flies in the night; they won't cause much damage, but their incessant buzzing is enough to drive someone to a mental breakdown.

As Ruan Mianmian waited for the doctor to fill out the injury assessment form, she clenched her hands, forcing herself to detach herself from these memories that made her angry.

She removed the ice pack, and it seemed that no more fluid was coming out of her nose.

"It's just a ruptured blood vessel in the mucous membrane; otherwise, there's nothing seriously wrong." The doctor reviewed Ruan Mianmian's various examinations, filled out the injury assessment form, and wrote, "Minor injury."

At the same time, my second uncle finished his interrogation.

"You injured someone. If the victim doesn't accept a settlement, you will face detention, and in serious cases..."

"I'm her second uncle! Isn't it my right to educate her?! How dare she!" The second uncle slammed his fist on the table, filled with righteous indignation.

"Stop slamming your fist on the table! Show some respect!"

He was still cursing and swearing even after he entered the mediation room.

Ruan Mianmian glanced at him but didn't say anything.

The mediation process proceeded normally, and Ruan Mianmian nodded from time to time, seemingly cooperating well.

Seeing her leniency, the officer in charge didn't say anything more and prepared to have someone bring the relevant documents for Ruan Mianmian and her second uncle to sign.

"It's a blessing that someone is looking after you." Seeing her change in attitude, her second uncle relaxed and pointed at Ruan Mianmian.

He seemed pleased that his discipline had finally worked on the rebellious younger generation.

"The most important thing in being a person is to be filial."

"Heh, is that so?" Ruan Mianmian finally couldn't help but sneer, "Should I thank you, Second Uncle?"

She tore open a clean, damp cloth and gently wiped the bloodstains off her clothes.

The movements were gentle, and the tone was mild.

"Officer, I never intended to settle."

"Everything is done in accordance with the law. Thank you for your hard work."