Transmigrated into the body of a villain, I became my sister's savior.

Xia Tingwan never expected that the home of the "colleague" Lin Jianshen mentioned would be in such a remote place.

This is a small fishing village that has been almost forgotten on the edge of the coastline.

Almost half of the houses in the village are abandoned, with peeling paint, crumbling courtyard walls, and overgrown weeds that are half a person tall.

Only the sea breeze tirelessly passed through the empty doors and windows, echoing like a sob.

The village is mostly populated by elderly people, and children are rarely seen.

Xia Tingwan never expected that the living conditions of someone would be so terrible.

Old Li's window was broken, so he covered it with plastic film, which rattled loudly when the sea breeze blew.

There wasn't even a wardrobe in the house; the family's clothes, regardless of the season, were all stuffed into a few bamboo baskets.

If there's not enough room, just pile it up on the bedside table.

An old-fashioned ceiling fan hangs on the beam of the main room. Half of the green paint on the fan blades has peeled off, and it makes a creaking sound when it turns.

Xia Tingwan was very worried that the fan blades would fall off.

A pair of swallows flew in and out, carrying fresh mud from somewhere, and built their nest on the roof beam.

When they're tired, they snuggle together and watch their love nest gradually take shape.

A blind old woman with cloudy eyes sat in a corner of the main room, wearing a very tacky bright green printed short-sleeved shirt and holding a stick in her arms.

He was holding a bag of cheap pastries in his hand, and he would sniff it every now and then.

He seemed to swallow hard, then put it back beside him.

After a while, I couldn't resist taking it out and smelling it again.

Xia Tingwan felt a pang of sadness and couldn't help but say, "Grandma, if you want to eat it, I'll help you open the packaging, okay?"

The old lady looked over at the sound, but her eyes weren't focused at all. She gave a kind smile and said, "She's a kind girl, but no need."

"My late husband especially loved eating the pastries from this store, but we were poor when we were young and couldn't afford to eat them, so we only ate them a few times in total."

"Later, as he got older, his blood sugar rose, and he couldn't eat anymore. Alas, there was nothing he could do in his life."

Old Li walked over at some point, and upon hearing her words, he said with a hint of helplessness, "Mom, why are you saying all this? They're just visiting."

The old lady was criticized and mumbled, "Yes, yes, look at my mouth... I'm sorry, young lady, I'm just getting old and I like to ramble on."

"It's mainly because we haven't had any guests at home in a long time, and it hasn't been this lively. I couldn't help but think of the times when he was here."

"When he was still alive, the house was always lively."

Old Li shook his head helplessly and went to the kitchen to cook.

Xia Tingwan squatted down beside the old woman's knees and looked at her.

She was like a withered branch.

Who knows when a gust of wind will come and break it off from the treetop.

Xia Tingwan suddenly asked, "Grandma, when he's with you, are you happy?"

The old woman raised her empty eyes, seemingly glancing at her, and the wrinkles at the corners of her mouth slowly parted to reveal a gentle smile.

Then came a sigh that was almost a whisper: "Happiness."

Poverty, disease, separation... none of these could obscure the glimmer of light that shone through their lives, supporting each other.

Who can say they aren't happy?

When she married him, he carefully cupped her face in his hands and gently called out, "Wife."

That sound still seems to echo in my ears.

A timid little girl came over and brought Xia Tingwan a cup of tea.

He was about seven or eight years old, or maybe a little older, but he looked smaller because he was thin.

She was holding a colorful rag doll in her arms.

His face was sickly pale, his cheeks were sunken, and only his large eyes were clear and bright. At this moment, he was secretly observing Xia Tingwan with a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.

"Thank you." Xia Tingwan took the disposable plastic cup and smiled gently at her.

The old lady heard her footsteps and asked softly, "Niu Niu, how are you feeling today?"

Niu Niu answered softly, "I don't feel uncomfortable at all."

"Grandma, can I play with this pretty lady?"

Her eyes shone with longing: "Just for a little while."

She gently shook the rag doll made of different fabrics: "I took Lele out, so I can play house with my sister."

The old lady shook her head: "Go back to your room and lie down. You'll be having surgery in a few months, so don't overexert yourself."

The light in the little girl's eyes quickly faded, her face filled with disappointment, but she said nothing, simply responded, and went back to her room.

After the little girl closed the door, the old lady sighed, "It's a problem she was born with."

"It wasn't obvious when I was little, but I found out I had a heart problem when I grew up. Sigh, there's nothing I can do about it."

Xia Tingwan asked, "Why didn't I see her mother?"

"Her mother works in a factory and only comes back during the month of Chinese New Year each year."

"The rag doll named Lele that she was holding in her arms was made for her by her mother when she came back. She treasures it like the plague."

The old lady sighed again, saying that her daughter-in-law was really hard-working, working more than ten hours a day on the assembly line.

People under forty years old have already turned mostly white at the roots of their hair.

Mothers will do anything for their children...

The old lady sniffed the pastries again.

Xia Tingwan remained silent, thinking of her mother.

Lin Jianshen stared blankly at the swallows on the roof beam, lost in thought.

They each have their own joys and sorrows, and they cannot share them at this moment.

The old fan was still creaking and groaning overhead.

Swallows chirped and chattered near their nearly completed nest.

"Dinner's ready." Old Li's voice finally broke the dull atmosphere from the kitchen.

Wang Yong brought the dishes out of the kitchen and placed them on the table in the main room.

The group took their seats.

Wang Yong had been tending the fire on the earthen stove in the kitchen, sweating profusely. This was the first time he had seen Xia Tingwan.

He blurted out, "Hey, Xiao Lin, is this your sister-in-law?"

Lin Jianshen shook his head: "My sister."

Wang Yong slapped his forehead: "Oops, sorry, I spoke too quickly."

He chuckled and said, "It's mainly because you two don't look alike at all, haha."

Xia Tingwan looked at Lin Jianshen and emphasized, "We're not related by blood. I was adopted."

Lin Jianshen lifted his eyelids and glared at Wang Yong.

Wang Yong pretended not to see it, quickly invited everyone to sit down, and then poured Sprite for himself and Lao Li.

"Oh dear, your brother doesn't drink either, so I, the guest, don't know what to drink. I'll just have some Sprite to tide me over."

Old Li, holding his cup, jumped up and said to Lin Jianshen, "Little Lin, I have to toast you! Really... thank you! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be sitting here..."

Lin Jianshen stood up: "Old Li, you're exaggerating."

Xia Tingwan asked him why he wasn't going to work.

His answer was that he made a mistake at work and was fired.

The main reason was that she was going to take the college entrance exam, and the secondary reason was that since she was going to leave sooner or later anyway, she might as well leave early and give the promotion opportunity to Lao Li.

Xia Tingwan is a cunning girl; if she picks up on something from her words, it'll be troublesome.

This is also why he didn't want Xia Tingwan to come.

He didn't want her to feel guilty.

Moreover, he had already noticed that she seemed to have developed an unusual feeling for him.

It seems there's a bit more than a normal sister's affection for her brother.

This trend is extremely dangerous and must not be allowed to continue.

The two clinked glasses and each drank it down in one gulp.

There are quite a few varieties of vegetables today.

Fish, ribs, pork, chicken, beef, and various vegetables.

However, the taste wasn't very good. Lin Jianshen could tell as soon as he tasted it that it was because the seasonings were incomplete, resulting in a very ordinary taste.

He stuffed a piece of pork rib into his mouth, chewed it thoroughly, and then gave Old Li a thumbs up: "It tastes good."

Old Li beamed with joy.

Xia Tingwan suddenly asked, "Uncle Li, why didn't you let Grandma and Niu Niu come over for dinner?"

Old Li was taken aback, then explained, "My mom is old and doesn't have many teeth left, so she makes a smacking noise when she eats."

"Niu Niu ate with her inside, and I left some for them."

Xia Tingwan looked at Old Li with sincere eyes: "If Niu Niu is feeling well, let her come and eat."

"Kids always love excitement."

"Neither my brother nor I mind that the elderly person makes a smacking sound while eating."

Lin Jianshen glanced at Xia Tingwan and nodded in agreement.