Hard work after winning the lottery

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed this tranquil farmhouse in a gentle golden light.

Zhou Yanjin felt a calmness she had never experienced before.

Si'an's almost inaudible "thank you" was like a reassurance, finally bringing his anxiety, which had been hovering in mid-air for days, back to reality.

When they got home, Li Guifen and Hua Yun had already prepared dinner.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was still somewhat subtly strange, but it was a world of difference compared to the tense atmosphere of the previous few days.

Hua Shu still had a stern face, but when picking up food, she no longer deliberately avoided the plate in front of Zhou Yanjin.

After dinner, Huayun took the children to wash up.

Zhou Yanjin did not follow them in. He knew his limits; there were certain spaces that he could not enter right now.

He retreated to the courtyard, leaned against the old locust tree, and dialed Chen Xu's number.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"President."

Zhou Yanjin's voice was low, carrying the coolness of the night breeze, yet concealing a subtle gentleness.

"Do three things for me."

"The picture book that Sile is currently reading is called 'The Explorer on the Clouds.' I need the whole series and have it delivered to Baixi Village as quickly as possible."

"Secondly, which company makes Sitao's favorite Star Guardian robot? Send me information on all models."

"Third, research which brand of entry-level astronomical telescope is most suitable for children and beginners. It should have good performance and not be too complicated to operate."

Chen Xu, on the other end of the phone, paused slightly in his grip on the phone.

But he had no doubts and simply agreed professionally and quickly.

"Yes, President, I'll take care of it right away."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yanjin looked up at the deep blue night sky.

The nights in Baixi Village are free of light pollution, and the stars are incredibly bright, like a handful of broken diamonds, casually and luxuriously scattered on a velvet-like curtain.

……

The following evening, a truck marked "Same City Express Delivery" carefully parked at the entrance of the Hua family's courtyard.

The deliveryman unloaded a huge cardboard box and respectfully handed it to Zhou Yanjin.

This commotion immediately attracted the attention of the three little ones.

"Dad, what's this?"

Si Tao was the most curious and was the first to rush up, circling around the box that was taller than him.

Zhou Yanjin took out the prepared utility knife and cut open the seal.

A whole box full of beautifully bound picture books, vibrant in color, exquisitely printed, and exuding the fresh scent of new ink.

"Wow--"

Sile's eyes lit up instantly.

He rushed over, his little hands caressing the brand-new covers with obvious delight, his face beaming with undisguised surprise and joy.

"It's 'The Explorers on the Clouds'! And 'The Little Jellyfish in the Ocean'! And 'The Firefly Party in the Forest'!"

He read out the titles of the books one by one, his voice filled with excitement.

Zhou Yanjin looked at him, and the corners of her lips unconsciously curled up.

Si Tao wasn't very interested in picture books; his gaze had already been drawn to another, smaller but quite heavy box at the bottom of the main box.

Zhou Yanjin took out the box.

On the cover, a majestic robot is poised for battle.

It is the newest and most complex model in the Star Guardian series – the Arbiter 7.

Si Tao's breathing stopped.

He reached out his little hand and gently touched the box as if it were some rare treasure.

Then, he suddenly raised his head, looking at Zhou Yanjin with eyes full of ecstasy and disbelief.

"Is it...for me?"

"Mm." Zhou Yanjin nodded. "It's for you."

"Ahhhhh!"

Si Tao let out a scream, jumped up, grabbed Zhou Yanjin's leg, and rubbed against it with all her might.

"Dad, you're the best! You're the best dad in the whole world!"

Zhou Yanjin stumbled from the impact, but her heart felt as if it were filled with honey.

Only Si'an stood on the outermost edge.

He glanced at the pile of picture books and robots without showing any interest, then silently turned around and went back to his room to do his homework.

Zhou Yanjin's gaze followed his small figure, her eyes deepening.

That evening, after the children finished washing up, they lay in bed.

Zhou Yanjin walked into the room with a brand-new copy of "The Explorer on the Clouds".

"How about I tell you a story tonight?"

His voice was deep and magnetic, and it sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet room.

Sile immediately sat up excitedly, "Okay, okay!"

Sitao hugged his new robot, snuggled into bed, and looked on with anticipation.

Only Si'an turned over, her back to him, as if she had already fallen asleep.

Zhou Yanjin didn't mind. He moved a small stool, sat on the edge of the bed, and opened the picture book.

"High, high in the sky, lived a little boy named Mianmian..."

His voice, accustomed to issuing commands in conference rooms, sounded strangely incongruous as he recited these childlike and tender sentences.

He read the first few sentences somewhat awkwardly, as if he were reading a dry financial statement.

But gradually, looking at the lovely illustrations on the pages and feeling his son's focused gaze beside him, his voice unconsciously softened and became gentler.

He began to immerse himself in the story, even trying to imitate the little rabbit and the old tortoise in the book using different tones.

Si Le listened most attentively, practically clinging to Zhou Yanjin's arm, occasionally raising his head to ask a wildly imaginative question.

"Daddy, are clouds made of cotton candy?"

"Daddy, will the little boy fall down from the clouds?"

Zhou Yanjin patiently answered all her questions one by one.

As Si Tao listened, holding his beloved robot, his eyelids began to droop, and soon he fell asleep, breathing evenly.

Out of the corner of her eye, Zhou Yanjin kept an eye on the movements on the other small bed.

Si'an remained with her back to him, motionless, seemingly already fast asleep.

But Zhou Yanjin keenly noticed.

The story reaches the tense moment when Mianmian encounters a storm and falls from the clouds.

The tiny ear facing him twitched very subtly.

It happened so quickly, so lightly it felt like an illusion.

He calmly continued telling the story, his voice growing ever gentler.

Zhou Yanjin did not sleep well that night.

The next morning, with a faint bluish tinge under his eyes, he was pulled into the main room by Si Tao.

"Dad, let's build a robot!" the little guy exclaimed excitedly.

Last night, after the children fell asleep, he studied the thick instruction manual for a while.

Looking into his son's bright eyes, he did not refuse.

"it is good."

The father and son spread out a large mat on the floor and poured out all the hundreds of parts.

"Dad, no, this is an arm joint, not a leg joint!"

"Oh dear, Dad, you installed it backwards! This clip should be facing outwards!"

"Dad, you're so silly!"