137: Let your older brother pamper you from now on.

It turned out that Bai Yan's biological father had passed away in a sudden traffic accident when she was six years old.

Because the incident happened in a remote fishing village where there were no surveillance cameras, the culprit escaped, and years passed without any leads.

Before her mother had even finished the seven-day mourning period for her father, she was already busy preparing to marry Bai Jinkun, a man from the same village.

This action of hers caused the villagers to gossip viciously behind her back and curse her with terrible words.

All sorts of rumors spread rapidly.

"That woman is a slut."

"Her husband's body is barely cold, yet she has the mind to marry another. This is truly wicked."

"A woman like that is truly rare in this world."

"That woman is comparable to Pan Jinlian."

"She and Bai Jinkun have been having an affair for a long time."

"How do you know?"

"I saw them exchanging flirtatious glances."

... Unable to withstand the gossip of the villagers, her mother, Hu Xiaoqiu, finally brought Bai Yan to the home of her second husband, Bai Jinkun.

According to her original plan, she had intended to leave Bai Yan to be raised by her grandfather.

At that time, Bai Yan was still called Li Yan.

Bai Jinkun made a demand: Li Yan's name must be changed to Bai Yan.

Otherwise, she would not be allowed into the house.

Without a second thought, Hu Xiaoqiu went and changed the surname.

Even so, Bai Jinkun was thoroughly displeased with Bai Yan.

After all, she was not his biological child; he found her utterly annoying, clearly viewing her as nothing more than baggage, someone who was only there to freeload.

Naturally, he never gave her a pleasant look.

Hu Xiaoqiu was also very harsh towards her, constantly hoping that Bai Yan would drop out of school early so she could come home, work odd jobs, and help with the housework.

Hu Xiaoqiu loved playing mahjong; if she won, it was fine, but as soon as she lost, she would fly into a rage when she got home.

She would frequently beat and scold Bai Yan.

She would accuse her of doing everything wrong, treating her as a punching bag.

Especially after Hu Xiaoqiu gave birth to her younger brother Bai Ci and younger sister Bai Hui, Bai Yan's life became even more difficult.

Not only did she have to take care of her younger brother and sister, but she was also kicked out to sleep in the living room.

In short, she had a very hard life growing up and never felt the warmth of a home.

Only her grandfather consistently provided selfless help and insisted that she attend school, using the meager wages he earned from odd jobs to pay her tuition and fees.

If it were up to Hu Xiaoqiu, Bai Yan could have come home to work right after graduating from junior high.

She could cook, farm, and mend fishing netswhat was the point of studying?

Once she was old enough, she should find a slightly wealthier family to marry into, collect a dowry fee, and then the mission would be complete.

But in the end, due to the insistence of her grandfather Li Aiguo, Bai Yan was allowed to continue her studies.

Bai Yan was grateful to her grandfather and loved him; only her grandfather was truly sincere in treating her well.

Her grandfather was sick; how could she not save him?

Without her grandfather, her life would completely lose its warmth.

Therefore, she would rather sell herself than fail to save her grandfather.

The stubbornness in her heart was something no one could change.

"Brother Fan, do you think I did the right thing by saving my grandfather?"

She raised her tear-filled eyes and looked earnestly at Wu Fan.

Wu Fan gently wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "You did the right thing. You are very brave and very lucky. From now on, let your brother cherish you."

Bai Yan leaned tightly against Wu Fan's chest. "Thank you, Brother Fan."

In this moment, she genuinely felt secure and reliant on him.

She truly wished this transaction would never end.

"Sleep now."

Wu Fan held her entirely in his arms, gently stroking her smooth back.

Bai Yan looked up and kissed his cheek.

Soon after, the two fell into a deep sleep, entering dreamland... The next day, a ray of warm sunlight shone through the gap in the curtains.

Wu Fan glanced at Bai Yan, who was sleeping soundly in his arms, and smiled faintly.

[Ding, congratulations host, would you like to sign in for a random gift?]

Wu Fan silently thought, "Sign in."

[Ding, congratulations host, you have received 500,000 in cash. Current account balance: 9.496 million yuan.]

[Ding, congratulations host, you have received one Elementary Sea Fishing Skill Book. It has been stored in the system warehouse and can be accessed at any time.]

This skill book is good.

Wu Fan lived on an island and genuinely longed to try sea fishing.

Unfortunately, he never understood how to do it.

Now that he had the skill book, once he mastered the advanced level, getting a yacht and going out for a vacation and sea fishing should be very enjoyable.

He impatiently used the skill book, and some basic knowledge of sea fishing instantly appeared in his mind.

Bai Yan murmured and woke up too.

Wu Fan held her warm body tightly, unwilling to let go.

"Brother Fan, you're holding me too tight, I can barely breathe."

She let out a sweet laugh.

After Wu Fan gazed into her eyes for a few seconds, he leaned down and kissed her.

"Brother Fan..."

... Bai Yan's cheeks were flushed red, and she whispered sweetly, "Brother Fan, there are still 18 times left!"

Wu Fan pinched her nose. "You certainly remember clearly. Does your mother need ten thousand yuan?"

"Yes, I still have some left from the two million yuan last time. I have to pretend to be poor in front of my mother, or she'll bother me to death."

"You little slyboots, does Brother need to give you some more money?"

Bai Yan pushed away his hand. "No! Don't try to trick me."

"Hahaha, the little stubborn one is quite smart."

"Brother Fan, I'm thirsty, I want water." Bai Yan hid in his arms, acting a little spoiled.

Wu Fan patted her, got up, and poured a cup of warm water.

Bai Yan was still lying on her side, not wanting to get up... She sweetly said, "Brother Fan, that was delicious, I want more."

Wu Fan rubbed her pretty face and teased, "Aren't you ashamed?"

"Brother Fan, you are so good."

"What makes me good?"

"Everything about you is good."

Wu Fan kissed her thin lips. "Your little mouth is so sweet."

... When Wu Fan got up, he saw Bai Yan busy in the kitchen.

In the bowl next to her were two fried eggs and some ham sausage. The stew pot contained white fungus, red date, and goji berry soup, and several custard buns were steaming in a steamer.

Wu Fan wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind and spoke softly.

"Xiao Yanyan is amazing. The breakfast she cooked is excellent."

Bai Yan smiled happily. "I've been used to cooking since I was little, so making breakfast is easy. There's nothing to be done; children from poor families have to grow up fast."

Wu Fan kissed her earlobe and let go. "Do you need help?"

"You go sit down. The custard buns will be ready in one more minute."

"Mm."

Wu Fan patted her, then turned and left the kitchen.

After the two finished breakfast, there was still some ham sausage left over.

"Brother Fan, are you full?"

"Mm, I won't eat anymore."

Bai Yan casually said, "It would be nice if we raised a kitten or a puppy. We could give them the leftovers."

Wu Fan raised his hand and scratched her pretty nose.

"Silly Girl, nowadays, kittens and puppies need to eat specialized dog food and cat food; apparently, that's the only way their fur will look healthy. They wouldn't eat leftovers."

Bai Yan disagreed. "When I was little, I raised a stray white kitten that grew up entirely on leftover fish soup and rice from home, and it was very healthy."

"But later, my mother beat it to death..."

Wu Fan: "..."