"You drunkard! Did you steal my money to buy booze again?"

In the biting wind of Shengjia Village, Du Xia brandished a rattan cane in the courtyard, her eyes blazing with fury.

Slumped against the wall, the drunken Sheng Zhichuan clutched a bottle of cheap liquor, a mocking grin twisting his lips. "Like you're one to talk... gambling away your days... What's wrong with me having a drink?"

"Shut your mouth! I'll spend my money however I damn well please—none of your business!"

Seething, Du Xia lashed the cane across Sheng Zhichuan's body. But he was too far gone to feel it, his drunken stupor leaving him numb to the red welts rising on his skin.

Inside the house, Sheng Wenqi held his little sister close, gently covering her ears. His eyes darkened with helpless sorrow as he watched the scene unfold in the yard.

"Big brother... I'm scared..."

Sheng Xiaoyang trembled in his arms, her tiny frame shaking as tears welled up in her eyes. Even with her ears covered, the shouts from outside pierced through.

Kneeling down, Sheng Wenqi pulled her tighter. "Don't be afraid, Xiaoyang. I'm right here. Once I earn enough money, we'll move out—just you and me. Okay?"

"Mm-hmm..."

She clung to his neck, her voice trembling with tears. "I want to stay with you forever..."

In the dim, cramped room, such fights had long become routine.

Staring at his six-year-old sister Sheng Xiaoyang, Sheng Wenqi felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart.

At her age, she should have been basking in the warmth of her parents' love, growing up carefree and happy. Instead, she was forced to endure the shadows of a broken family, bearing the scars of emotional trauma day after day.

As someone who had been reborn, it had taken Sheng Wenqi nearly a week to fully accept this reality.

Gazing at his sister’s innocent little face, he silently vowed that in this life, he would protect her at all costs. He would never let that tragedy happen again.

Even now, the memory of that nightmare—December 10th in his past life—still made his heart ache.

That day, Du Xia, as if possessed, had taken Sheng Xiaoyang to gamble at someone else’s house. No one could have predicted that this single decision would lead to disaster.

By the time Du Xia realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

When Sheng Zhichuan, the alcoholic wreck of a father, heard the news, he flew into a rage and stormed into the other family’s home to confront them. But years of heavy drinking had ruined his body. Not only did he fail to seek justice for his daughter, but he was also brutally beaten.

Sheng Wenqi, who had been pulling an all-nighter at an internet café, rushed home upon hearing the news. Overwhelmed with regret and fury, he realized—if only he had been home that day, his mother wouldn’t have taken his sister gambling.

He could never forgive himself for his carelessness, nor could he accept the cruel reality.

Blinded by rage, he barged into the bachelor’s home, and tragedy struck.

In the end, he was sentenced to ten years in prison for the crime.

In prison, Sheng Wenqi managed to earn his college diploma through sheer determination.

Yet reality dealt him a harsh blow. With a criminal record shadowing his life, he faced rejection at every turn in his job search. Left with no other options, he turned to writing online novels.

Through relentless typing, he did manage to save up some money.

But fate had other plans. In a cruel twist, he collapsed from exhaustion in his rented apartment and never woke up again.

Unlike those who are reborn with cheat-like abilities or destined for immortality, Sheng Wenqi's second chance at life came with nothing but thirty years of hard-earned experience.

Though he knew full well that real estate prices would skyrocket and the internet industry would flourish, he couldn’t even scrape together the most basic startup capital.

After much deliberation, Sheng Wenqi decided to return to his old trade—writing novels.

The year was 2003, a time when online literature was just taking its first steps. The earliest paid works had only recently appeared on certain platforms.

Back then, the online fiction community was small, with few authors and fresh, unexplored genres. Compared to the cutthroat competition of later years, this was an era where standing out was far easier.

Though he hadn’t achieved great success in his past life, in this budding age of web novels, opportunity wasn’t entirely out of reach.

He knew time was running short.

He had to earn enough money within six months—enough to take his younger sister far away from their unbearable family situation.

*Bang!*

The stench of alcohol filled the air as Sheng Zhichuan staggered through the door.

His glazed eyes swept absently over Sheng Wenqi and his younger sister sitting by the table before he collapsed heavily onto the kang, snoring within moments.

Du Xia stormed in right after him, her face twisted with fury.

She pulled a crumpled twenty-yuan bill from her pocket and slapped it onto the table in front of Sheng Wenqi.

"School starts tomorrow. This is your food money for the week," she snapped, her voice sharp. "Hide it well. Don’t let your drunkard father find it, or he’ll just waste it on his precious liquor."

Without another word, she turned and marched out of the room.

Sheng Wenqi stared at the money, a storm of emotions churning inside him.

Sure, Du Xia was always out gambling, but at least she remembered his tuition and living expenses.

Even if she had to borrow, she’d find a way.

That alone gave him a flicker of hope.

In this second chance at life, he silently vowed not only to protect his little sister but also to pull his parents out of their personal hells.

He believed that with the right approach, he could help them break free from their addictions—gambling for her, alcohol for him.

This twenty yuan had to be spent wisely. After all, it was the "seed money" for his future as an online writer.

He remembered that Qidian would start its paid subscription system in October. Now was the perfect time to launch his book.

"I’ll write something great," he thought, determination hardening in his chest. "I’ll make sure I’m among the first batch of paid authors."

Sheng Wenqi was lost in thought.

Turning to his younger sister with a gentle smile, he said softly, "Little Lamb, how about coming to play in my room?"

Clutching her brother's large hand tightly, Sheng Xiaoyang followed him step by step back to his room.

Just as the two were having fun, Sheng Wenqi suddenly froze, remembering the pile of untouched summer homework waiting for him.

Known as the school's notorious troublemaker, Sheng Wenqi had spent his days either getting into fights or setting new lows in every subject's exams.

Had he not later regretted his ways behind bars, he might never have understood the importance of studying.

"Little Lamb, play by yourself for a bit, okay? Big brother needs to do his homework," he said tenderly.

Given a second chance at life, he no longer wanted to be the hopeless student who made everyone shake their heads in disappointment.

He wanted to lead by example and set a good role model for his sister.

"Okay! Go for it, big brother!" Sheng Xiaoyang cheered sweetly.

For Sheng Wenqi, who had been reborn, this middle school coursework was a piece of cake.

After just over two hours of focused work, he finished all his assignments in one go.

Just then, Sheng Xiaoyang, sitting beside him, rubbed her growling stomach and gazed at him with pleading eyes. "Big brother, I'm hungry..."

"Don't worry, I'll make you something delicious right away," Sheng Wenqi replied affectionately, ruffling her little head with a warm smile.

Sheng Xiaoyang nodded happily, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.