Hard work after winning the lottery

On the way back from the hospital, Si'an leaned against Hua Yun's chest, but her little hand never let go of one of Hua Yun's fingers.

Small, bearing the weakness of post-illness, yet stubbornly hooking.

Zhou Yanjin drove the car, holding the steering wheel steadily.

Since then, some things have undergone earth-shattering changes without anyone noticing.

Si'an remains the same quiet and reserved child.

But the way he looked at Zhou Yanjin was no longer scrutinizing and distant.

In those clear eyes, there was a hint of dependence that had never been there before.

He no longer deliberately avoided Zhou Yanjin.

Sometimes when we bump into each other in the yard, he will stop and look up at us with his little face. Although he doesn't speak, his quiet gaze is a silent form of communication.

Zhou Yanjin's study became a place that Si'an would occasionally visit.

It was evening.

Zhou Yanjin was processing an urgent document on a cross-border merger and acquisition. The English data and legal provisions scrolling on the screen were all related to the flow of hundreds of millions of yuan.

He was engrossed in reading when he suddenly felt something being gently placed on the corner of the table.

He raised his head.

Si'an appeared there at some point, placing down a small cupcake, which was a snack given out by the kindergarten in the afternoon.

The child's face was still a little tense, as if he felt a little uncomfortable about taking the initiative.

He put down his things, glanced at Zhou Yanjin, said nothing, and then turned and ran away with his short legs.

Zhou Yanjin's gaze was fixed on the small cake.

A lone red cherry is stuck in the cream.

It's very ordinary, even a bit rough.

But Zhou Yanjin felt that it was hotter than any priceless contract on his desk.

His heart felt as if it were being slowly soaked in warm water, gradually swelling and softening.

He picked up the cake and took a careful bite.

The sweetness of the cream melts instantly on the taste buds.

He never liked sweets, but at this moment, he felt that this was the most delicious thing he had ever eaten in his life.

Since then, this silent "feeding" has become the norm.

Sometimes it's a small cookie.

Sometimes it's a piece of candy that he himself can't bear to eat.

On Zhou Yanjin's desk, there would always be these snacks that didn't belong to him.

He never pointed it out, but every day he would eat the "gifts" the children left him with anticipation.

Si'an encountered difficulties in her studies.

It was an extremely complex mathematical problem. Hua Yun and her grandparents studied it for a long time, but they still couldn't figure it out.

Si'an, clutching her workbook, lingered at the study door for a long time.

His small eyebrows were furrowed, making him look like a little old man.

Zhou Yanjin heard the noise at the door, looked up, and saw her son's conflicted little face.

He closed the document in his hand, waved to Si'an, and spoke in a gentle voice that he himself did not realize was unusual.

"Come here, what's wrong?"

Si'an hesitated for a moment, then took small steps over and handed the workbook to him, pointing with her little finger to the problem covered with auxiliary lines.

"No... here."

Zhou Yanjin took it, glanced at it, and immediately understood.

He didn't tell Si'an the answer directly.

Instead, she pulled over a blank sheet of paper, picked up a pen, put down all her valuable work, and devoted herself to being her son's tutor.

"Look, An'an, we can break this shape down first..."

His voice was deep and magnetic, and he explained things with great patience.

He would draw simple diagrams and use the simplest metaphors to dissect complex logic bit by bit.

"It's like building with blocks; if we lay a solid foundation first, it becomes much easier, doesn't it?"

Si'an tilted her head back, looking at the man's focused profile under the light, watching his well-defined hand holding a pen, drawing clear lines on the paper.

At that moment, Si'an felt that there was no problem in the world that this man couldn't solve.

The light in his eyes was focused and bright.

After Zhou Yanjin finished speaking, she gently rubbed his head.

"Do you understand?"

Si'an looked at him and nodded heavily.

That day, the sun shone brightly and the breeze was gentle.

Zhou Yinchuan suggested that the whole family go to the grassy slope at the west end of the village to fly kites.

Sitao and Sile had already run out excitedly, holding colorful butterfly kites in their hands.

Si'an, carrying her own blue eagle kite, followed silently behind.

Zhou Yanjin was dressed casually today, wearing a simple white T-shirt and dark trousers, which made his figure look even taller and more slender.

His gaze, however, remained fixed on Si'an, who was walking ahead.

The wind was strong on the grassy slope.

The children ran across the grass, pulling on the kite strings, their laughter as clear and crisp as wind chimes.

Si'an was very clever and quickly mastered the technique. Under his control, the blue eagle flew higher and higher, like a real eagle soaring in the sky.

A rare, radiant smile appeared on the child's face.

But just then, a turbulent current struck.

The kite string suddenly tightened, and Si'an couldn't hold on.

The blue eagle broke free of its restraints, spun around, and plunged headfirst into the fork of an old locust tree not far away, where it was firmly caught.

Sitao and Sile's kites also fell down, but they both landed on the grass.

Only Si'an was trapped.

Her smiling face, which was just a second ago, instantly fell apart.

He looked up at the kite hanging high in the tree branch, his lips pressed into a stubborn line, but his eyes couldn't help but redden.

That was his favorite kite.

Zhou Yanjin walked over and followed his gaze.

The tree branches were very tall, at least five or six meters high, and the trunks were not very thick. There were also no footholds around for climbing.

"It's okay, Dad will take it down for you."

As he spoke, he began to examine the tree.

Hua Yun said worriedly from the side, "It's too high. Maybe we should just forget about it and go buy a new one."

Zhou Yanjin turned around and glanced at her son's eyes, which were filled with disappointment and longing.

He shook his head, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"No, it has to be this one."

After saying that, he took off his phone and watch and handed them to Hua Yun, then stretched his wrists.

He took a few steps back, took a running start, grabbed the lowest tree trunk with both hands, and with a push of his long legs, nimbly climbed up.

His movements were swift and powerful.

His muscles, usually concealed by a suit, were on full display at this moment, exuding masculine tension.

Hua Yun watched from below the tree, her heart pounding with fear. She instinctively told him to be careful and not to fall.

Si'an was so nervous that she clenched her little fists and stared intently at the figure in the tree.

Zhou Yanjin moved with extreme caution with each step she took.

The bark of the old locust tree is very rough, and in some places it is even covered with moss, making it very slippery.

He finally climbed to that spot, holding tightly to the tree trunk with one hand, and stretching out the other to reach the tangled kite string.

Just as his fingertips touched the kite, a thin twig under his feet made a crisp "crack" sound.

broken.

His body suddenly sank down.