Hard work after winning the lottery

While giving instructions, Si Tao deftly corrected Zhou Yanjin's mistakes, uttering a series of merciless complaints.

Zhou Yanjin, with his tall frame, sat cross-legged on the ground, holding two small parts, with beads of sweat even appearing on his forehead.

If it were anyone else, he would probably have already turned cold after being called "stupid" by his son to his face.

But now, listening to Si Tao's childish complaints, he felt no anger at all, but rather... found it somewhat amusing.

He looked up at his son's slightly pouting lips and bright, expressive eyes, which were filled with concentration.

He chuckled softly.

"Yes, Dad is a little slow."

His tone carried a hint of indulgence and pampering that he himself was unaware of.

"Then... Ms. Sitao, could you teach Dad how to assemble this?"

Si Tao raised her chin, looking every bit the little adult, and proudly took the parts from his hand.

"Look carefully, it's like this..."

Sunlight streamed in through the window, elongating the shadows of the father and son, creating a warm and harmonious scene.

……

Zhou Yanjin was not in a hurry to achieve anything with Si'an.

He knew that this son was the most thoughtful and the most guarded, and any deliberate attempt to please him might provoke his resentment.

He simply observed silently.

He noticed that after finishing her homework, Si'an always liked to move a small stool to the yard, sit there, look up at the sky, and stay there for a long time.

The astronomical telescope that Zhou Yanjin had asked someone to buy arrived on a clear evening.

It was a well-made refracting telescope, with a white tube and a black tripod, exuding a high-tech feel that clashed with the artistic style of this farmhouse courtyard.

As night fell and the stars filled the sky, a person silently set up a telescope in the center of the courtyard.

He took out his phone, opened the Star Chart app, and pretended to adjust the focus and finder scope by referring to the instruction manual.

He didn't look at Si'an, or even glance into the room, as if he were simply immersed in his new hobby.

really.

Not long after, a small figure quietly walked out of the house.

Si'an's footsteps were light, like a wary kitten.

He didn't approach, but stood far away in the shadow of the eaves, curiously craning his little head to watch the man fiddling with the strange, large thing in the yard.

Zhou Yanjin pretended not to notice him.

He deliberately let out a slightly distressed sigh.

"Strange, the Big Dipper... it should be in this direction."

The small figure seemed to hesitate for a moment.

Then, he started walking, inching his way toward the telescope.

He walked closer and closer until he stood next to Zhou Yanjin.

He remained silent, only tilting his head back to look at Zhou Yanjin, then at the dark lens, his clear eyes sparkling with barely suppressed curiosity.

Zhou Yanjin slowly squatted down, her gaze level with her son's, and extended an invitation in the most casual and natural tone.

"Want to take a look?"

Si'an's eyelashes trembled.

He pursed his lips, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Ultimately, curiosity about the unknown starry sky overcame the resistance in my heart.

He nodded very slightly.

At that moment, Zhou Yanjin's heart seemed to be instantly lit up by fireworks in the night sky.

He suppressed his excitement, patiently adjusted the height of the binoculars, and aimed the eyepiece at Si'an's eyes.

"I've aligned it with the moon for you, take a look."

Si'an leaned closer and carefully placed her eyes on the eyepiece.

The next second, his small body suddenly stiffened.

Through the lens, the moon, which usually appears as a bright disc, was now clearer and larger than ever before.

The cratered craters and the vast lunar maria—every detail was breathtaking and awe-inspiring, bursting into his field of vision.

"Wow……"

A very soft gasp, almost carried away by the wind, escaped from his lips.

Zhou Yanjin then took the opportunity to explain things to him.

"Look, that's the surface of our moon..."

Si'an listened intently.

That night, for the first time ever, Si'an stayed in the courtyard for a full half hour longer.

He didn't say a word more, but his eyes shone brightly when he looked away from the telescope.

Like stars that have been lit up, they shimmer with a pure light belonging to those who seek knowledge.

As the days passed, Si'an remained a man of few words.

But when Zhou Yanjin was telling stories to his younger brothers, he would quietly move a small stool, sit in the farthest corner, and listen intently.

When Zhou Yanjin frowned because he couldn't peel the apple properly, he would hand him a fruit knife from the side and gesture with his eyes for him to change direction.

These subtle changes, like ice and snow melting quietly in spring, happen silently yet undeniably.

All of this was observed by another pair of weathered eyes.

Zhou Yinchuan sat on the threshold of the main room, puffing on an old pipe, his gaze following the figures of one adult and three children in the courtyard through the wisps of smoke.

He looked at his once arrogant and aloof grandson, who was now kneeling on the ground, letting Si Tao tuck a small wildflower into his suit pocket.

But more than anything, it's a deep-seated anxiety.

Simply repairing the father-son relationship isn't enough.

The invisible barrier between Sunzi and Yunyatou was more rugged and difficult than the mountain road leading from Baixi Village to the city.

No, he has to give it a push.

That evening after dinner, Hua Yun was cleaning up the dishes in the kitchen.

Zhou Yinchuan, leaning on his cane, strolled in slowly, his face showing an unusual weariness.

"Yun girl."

The old man's voice sounded somewhat weaker than usual.

Hua Yun turned around at the sound, wiped her hands, and asked, "Grandpa Zhou, what's wrong?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Yinchuan frowned, covered his chest with one hand, and swayed slightly.

"Ouch……"

He let out a suppressed cry of pain and used his other hand to steady himself on the stove next to him.

"These past two days, I've been feeling a tightness in my chest, like I can't breathe properly."

Hua Yun's expression changed, and she quickly stepped forward to support him. "Grandpa, don't scare me! Are you feeling unwell?"

Zhou Yinchuan waved his hand, panting, but his eyes accurately glanced at Zhou Yanjin who walked in after hearing the sound.

"It's an old problem, nothing serious."

"I just want to... I want to go to a big hospital in the city for a checkup, and I want Yan Jin to come with me."

As he spoke, he grabbed Hua Yun's hand again, his grip light but carrying an imperative that left no room for refusal.

"He's a grown man, so careless, I don't trust him. Yun'er, why don't you come along too?"

Hua Yun supported the old man, feeling the slight tremor in his palm, and her heart skipped a beat.

Feigning illness?

The thought immediately popped into her mind.

The old man is in such good spirits; he was even able to go for a walk in the mountains with Hua Mutou just a couple of days ago.

But seeing his pale face, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and his weak and powerless appearance, her doubts wavered again.

What if it's true?

As people age, their health is unpredictable.

The words of refusal rolled three times on the tip of my tongue, but I finally swallowed them down.

Looking into Zhou Yinchuan's expectant, cloudy eyes, she couldn't bring herself to say "no."

"...Okay, Grandpa Zhou, I'll go with you."