Chapter 1Grandma's Soup for the Villain's Soul

The System assigned me to redeem the villain.

But when I time-traveled, I became a sixty-year-old woman.

Looking at my gray hair and aged body, the System fell into deep thought.

"Host, how about... we use points to exchange for a young, beautiful body first?"

I said confidently, "Think bigger. Redemption doesn't always mean romance."

Later, I opened a small eatery by the roadside.

In the snowstorm, I called out to the battered boy and gave him a bowl of hot soup.

Ten years later, he became the Prime Minister, personally requesting a title of nobility for me from the Emperor.

* * *

"Beat him to death!"

A thin boy in ragged clothes suddenly fell in front of my shop.

A group of people surrounded him, kicking and punching.

The boy's face was pressed into the ice shards, his expression twisted in pain.

"What are you doing!"

I walked out with a rolling pin and scolded, "If you want to fight, go somewhere else! Don't do it in front of my shop!"

The man who started it said, "This kid stole my buns! I'm going to beat him to death today!"

I was speechless. "He stole a bun, not your wife. Is it worth beating him to death?"

"Hey—you old hag—"

"Alright, alright." I waved my hand. "How much is it? I'll pay for him. Don't let him die at my door; it's bad luck."

The men looked at each other and thought for a moment.

"Two coppers."

I took two coins from my purse and threw them over. "Catch."

After the crowd dispersed, I looked at the boy lying in the snow like a dead dog.

"Can you get up?"

He struggled hard a few times but eventually collapsed weakly, his voice faint: "I... I'll pay you back."

I looked helpless and stuck the rolling pin back into my waist.

"Forget it. Let me help you up first."

The fifteen-year-old boy looked only twelve, thin as a chicken.

I lifted him up and dragged him into the house.

The hot aroma of bone broth drifted from the large pot, isolating us from the biting wind and snow outside.

I asked him, "Are you a thief?"

He didn't speak.

I continued asking, "A beggar? An orphan?"

"I'm not! I have a family!"

He pursed his lips stubbornly, his eyes full of anger and grievance.

"Alright." I smiled. "Then why do you look like this, without even a decent jacket?"

He glared at me for a long time but ultimately didn't curse the old hag.

The System inside me was anxious: "Host, why are you provoking him? Give him food and clothes quickly!"

I said slowly, "What's the rush? I'm not related to him. Suddenly being nice to him, does that make sense?"

The boy propped himself up and limped away.

I shouted from behind, "Drink some soup before you go."

His ears twitched, but he didn't look back.