Hard work after winning the lottery

In the end, it was Hua Mutou, the family's pillar who had been silent all morning, who broke the silence.

He cleared his throat, his voice carrying a hint of hoarseness from years of experience, yet remarkably steady.

"cough."

He placed the walnut in his hand on the table, making a soft sound.

All eyes were on him.

The old man's cloudy eyes took a deep look at Zhou Yanjin, then at his granddaughter who was still bowing her head.

He spoke in a deep voice:

"We heard what you said."

"That sounds very nice, and it seems very sincere."

"but……"

He changed the subject, his tone becoming serious.

"Although our Hua family is not a wealthy or noble family, the daughter we raise is not someone who can be manipulated at will."

Ultimately, it depends on whether Yun is willing or not.

His gaze fell on Hua Yun, filled with the loving care and protection of an elder.

"We, as elders, will not interfere with your decisions as young people."

"However, there is one thing."

Hua Mutou's voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable authority.

"We, the Hua family, will never let her suffer even the slightest injustice again!"

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This statement was both a final ultimatum to Zhou Yanjin and the strongest support for Huayun.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanjin felt a great weight lifted from her heart.

He felt no dissatisfaction whatsoever; on the contrary, he was filled with gratitude.

He immediately bowed slightly to Hua Mutou again, his posture humble and respectful.

"I see."

"Thank you, Grandpa Hua."

His voice carried a hint of relief in its hoarseness.

"I will use my actions to earn the recognition of Huayun and all the elders."

After that solemn conversation, the main room of the Zhou family seemed to have returned to its usual tranquility.

But everyone knew perfectly well that something had quietly changed.

The tense, imminent standoff in the air disappeared.

Hua Mutou still diligently played with his walnuts every day without fail, but the look in his eyes when he looked at Zhou Yanjin had become less scrutinizing and more complicated.

Hua Shu was no longer the man who seemed ready to throw a punch at any moment. He buried himself in farm work, saying little, but occasionally when he looked at his three grandsons, his gaze would inadvertently sweep over the incongruous man, carrying a hint of consideration that even he himself was unaware of.

Li Guifen and Grandma Hua seemed to have reached some kind of tacit understanding.

They remained enthusiastic, but cleverly gave Hua Yun and Zhou Yanjin enough space, neither trying to match them up nor hindering their relationship.

This is the most basic wisdom of the Chinese people.

Ultimately, children have to walk their own path.

What they can offer is that no matter which path she chooses, there will always be a home she can turn back to.

Hua Yun is undoubtedly the most central and also the most contradictory person in this storm.

Her heart was like a tangled ball of hemp thread, a jumble of thoughts that she couldn't unravel.

Every word Zhou Yanjin said that day was like a brand, deeply engraved in her mind.

respect.

appreciate.

Pursue.

marry.

These words, spoken by the man she had secretly loved for years and then resolutely left, carried a kind of magical power that made her heart flutter.

There were a few moments when she almost succumbed to the dizzying feeling of being treated with such seriousness.

But as soon as she sees the innocent faces of children, she is immediately pulled back to reality.

She is afraid.

I fear this is just a game played on a whim by a rich kid.

I fear that I will fall into the trap again and end up shattered to pieces.

What he fears even more is that his children, after experiencing the sweetness of their father's love, will be cruelly abandoned.

but……

When she looks at her three sleeping faces late at night and listens to their even breathing, Zhou Yanjin's words, "I will never let you and the children bear any storms alone again," will inexplicably echo in her ears.

She promised the children that she would find their father.

This idea, like a stubborn seed, took root tenaciously in the soil of contradictions.

Perhaps she should give it a try?

Not for my own humble love, but for the purest expectations in the eyes of the children.

Once this decision took root, it began to grow rapidly.

Hua Yun no longer deliberately avoids it.

Her change was subtle and gradual, seeping in from the smallest details.

In the afternoon, the sunlight in the yard was just right. She held a brightly colored picture book and told stories to the triplets.

The picture book depicts a tall bear father holding his cub high above his head.

"Mommy, when is Daddy coming home?"

The most lively Sisi pointed at the screen and asked in her childish voice.

In the past, Hua Yun might have given a vague answer, saying that her father worked in a very far place.

But today, she paused, her fingertips gently tracing the warm smile on the bear father's face on the screen.

Her voice was soft, carrying a gentleness she herself was unaware of.

Si'an and Si'tao also came over, their three pairs of clear, bright eyes staring intently at the painting.

Their eyes held a mixture of bewilderment, curiosity, and an innate longing.

Hua Yun felt a slight pain in her heart from that gaze.

Sitao continued, "When our dad comes home, will he fix the broken toys? Will he lift us up high so we can see far away? Will he secretly kiss our foreheads while we're sleeping?"

Si'an and Si'le looked at their mother expectantly, awaiting her answer.

Hua Yun's expression was complicated. "Daddy will be back soon. Si Tao can ask Daddy then, okay?" Hua Yun stroked Si Tao's hair.

Finally, Hua Yun, not knowing what to say, told the children to take a nap.

……

A few days later, Zhou Yanjin quietly repaired the old swing in the yard.

He replaced the wooden planks with sturdy hemp rope, reinforced them, and carefully sanded away all the burrs.

The children cheered and ran over as soon as they saw the brand-new swing.

Si Tao sat on it, while Si An and Sile pushed it from behind, their giggles like silver bells, filling the entire courtyard.

Hua Yun stood under the corridor, watching this scene, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into a smile.

She walked over to the children and casually mentioned it.

"Look, Uncle Zhou fixed our swing. We should thank him, okay?"

"Thank you, Uncle Zhou!"

The children shouted in unison, their voices clear and loud.

In their little minds, they may not have thought too much yet; they simply equated fixing the swing with Uncle Zhou being a good person.

It was another clear night.

The starry sky over the mountain village was exceptionally bright, with the Milky Way stretching across the sky like a luminous ribbon.

Zhou Yanjin found a telescope somewhere and patiently taught the children to identify constellations.

"Look, there, the brightest one is Polaris."

"Those seven stars over there, connected together, look like a dipper; that's called the Big Dipper."

His voice was deep and magnetic, possessing a calming power in the quiet night.

The children looked up, their little faces tilted back, listening intently, occasionally letting out exclamations of surprise.

Hua Yun crossed her arms and leaned quietly against the door frame, watching the tall figure patiently squatting down beside the three little ones.

The scene at that moment was incredibly harmonious.