Hard work after winning the lottery

"What are you planning to do about your dad and your grandfather?"

This question instantly pulled Hua Yun back to reality from that brief moment of warmth.

The color drained from her face at a visible pace.

Hua Yun subconsciously shook her head, a gesture that carried a hint of childlike helplessness.

"I...I haven't figured out how to tell them yet."

Her voice lowered again, and her gaze darted away, landing on the faded floral pattern on the bed sheet.

"You all know Dad's temper. If he knew I... he probably would have just grabbed a carrying pole and charged at me."

That's something Hua Shu would definitely do.

"And Grandpa..."

When her grandfather was mentioned, Hua Yun's voice carried a deeper sense of unease and bitterness.

"Grandpa Zhou... is Zhou Yanjin's grandfather. He and our grandfather were comrades-in-arms for decades, and their relationship was as close as that of brothers."

"When Grandpa Zhou came this time, Grandpa was as happy as a child, and he kept talking to him and playing chess with him every day."

"If he knew that his most precious granddaughter and someone else's most valued grandson had... had such an affair..."

"I'm afraid that my grandfather... he'll feel ashamed to face his old comrades, and I'm even more afraid that he'll get sick from anger."

That's the trickiest part.

The bond between the two old men was like an invisible net, tightly binding these two families, who should not have crossed paths, together.

What an embarrassing and awkward situation it will be if the truth is revealed.

After hearing this, Li Guifen's expression also became serious.

She was so focused on the injustice her daughter had suffered that she forgot about this complex relationship.

This is something that can't be forced.

"You're such a thoughtful child, you keep everything bottled up inside."

Grandma Hua, who hadn't spoken a word until now, reached out and tenderly poked her granddaughter's forehead.

"Your dad is stubborn, but he loves you the most."

"Your grandfather is concerned about his image, but he also knows how to distinguish between inside and outside."

"What could be more important than one's own granddaughter or great-grandchild?"

The old man made the final decision.

Her weathered face was full of unwavering confidence, as if nothing was a big deal.

She straightened her slightly hunched back and even patted her chest with a dull thud.

"Alright, just leave this matter for now."

"Don't rush to tell them yet, let them behave for a couple more days."

"In a couple of days, your mom and I will find a suitable time to give your dad a heads-up."

"As for your grandfather..."

Grandma Hua's eyes narrowed slightly, gleaming with wisdom.

"I, this old woman, will go and talk to him myself."

"If he dares to puff out his beard or glare at me, I'll twist his ear!"

The old lady's harsh words, half serious and half joking, carried an undeniable authority that instantly dispelled the last trace of tension in the room.

Li Guifen immediately chimed in, "That's right! Your grandma is twice as good as two! Your grandpa listens to her the most!"

Watching the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law working together so harmoniously, Hua Yun's anxious heart finally settled down.

This night is destined to be sleepless, but no longer because of pain and fear.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window and fell upon the octagonal table in the main room, this change began to unfold in a subtle yet unmistakably clear manner.

Everything seems to be business as usual.

The aroma of rice porridge cooked by Li Guifen still wafted from the kitchen, mixed with the smell of freshly baked scallion pancakes—the most ordinary and everyday life in Baixi Village.

However, when Zhou Yanjin sat down at the table, he keenly noticed the difference.

Li Guifen's movements were still swift as ever, placing the blue-and-white porcelain bowl steadily in front of him, but the warm "Yan Jin, eat more" from the previous two days was gone, and even the smile on her lips had completely disappeared.

On that weathered face, only the most basic politeness of hospitality remained.

Polite, yet distant.

Zhou Yanjin picked up the bowl, and the warm rice porridge slid down her throat, but the warmth failed to reach her heart.

His gaze swept over them imperceptibly, and just happened to meet Grandma Hua's eyes.

The old lady was feeding the child egg custard little by little with a small spoon, without even lifting her eyelids, as if all her attention was focused on her great-grandson.

But Zhou Yanjin knew that something was hidden in that seemingly casual glance.

It was an extremely complex examination.

There was weighing the options, observation, and even... a barely perceptible hint of resentment from an elder towards a younger person.

It's his fault, he made his granddaughter suffer for so many years.

Zhou Yanjin's heart sank slightly.

He was almost certain that Hua Yun had confessed to them last night.

This result was within his expectations, but it came faster than he had imagined.

He didn't reveal this subtle detail.

Instead, he adopted a more humble stance.

"Auntie, this pancake smells delicious," he exclaimed sincerely, his voice humble and gentle.

Li Guifen gave a curt "hmm," a lukewarm response that served as her reply.

She turned around and went back to her work, her back view revealing a deliberate indifference.

After breakfast, Hua Yun took the children to kindergarten, and Zhou Yanjin naturally followed, watching the children get on the school bus.

Grandma and the others didn't make a scene or interrogate him. Instead, they used this simplest, yet most challenging, method to observe and test him.

Let's see how much patience and sincerity he truly has.

After dropping off her child, Zhou Yanjin took the initiative to do chores.

Li Guifen was washing dishes in the kitchen, so he went over and naturally took the rag to help dry them.

"Auntie, let me do it."

Grandma Hua was about to get up to get her reading glasses when he quickly handed them to her first.

"Grandma, here you go."

Faced with the deliberate distance maintained by the two female elders, he tried to melt away the ice little by little with the most humble and polite actions.

This strange atmosphere lasted for two days in the courtyard.

The women knew perfectly well that Zhou Yanjin was fully aware of the situation, but the two men in the family were kept in the dark and completely confused.

Hua Mutou, also known as Grandpa Hua, was the first to lose his composure.

That evening, he saw his wife picking vegetables at the gate of the courtyard, so he went over and lowered his voice, like a thief.

"Old woman, come here, I have something to ask you."

Grandma Hua lifted her eyelids, glanced at him, and gave a curt "hmm".

"Just a few days ago, weren't you praising Yan Jin to the skies, saying she was perfect in every way?"

Hua Mutou looked puzzled and pointed in the direction of the house.

"Why have you and your daughter-in-law been treating him so coldly these past few days?"

"What did that kid do to you? I think he's still the same as before, polite and good at handling things."

He simply couldn't understand how the women in this family could change their attitudes so suddenly.

Grandma Hua paused in her work, then threw a rotten vegetable leaf, which she had picked off, heavily into the winnowing basket at her feet.