Hard work after winning the lottery

Li Guifen couldn't help but speak up and discuss the children's nutritional diet with him.

"Si'an's constitution is a bit weak; shouldn't she get more nourishment?"

"Yes, Auntie, I consulted a nutritionist. Protein and calcium are very important for children at this stage. I'll have Chen Xu bring some whole milk and cod over tomorrow."

"Okay, okay," Li Guifen replied happily.

Zhou Yinchuan saw all of this.

He often moved a reclining chair to the gate of the courtyard, watching the busy people inside and outside the house, and watching the three great-grandchildren who were doting on Zhou Yanjin. His face was all wrinkled from smiling like a chrysanthemum.

One evening after dinner, he took Hua Mutou for a walk in the village.

"Old Hua, look."

Zhou Yinchuan pointed to the small building behind him, which was lit with warm lights, his tone filled with undisguised emotion.

"The sound of children's laughter, the aroma of food, the busy work of men and women... this, this is what a home should be like!"

Hua Mutou silently smoked his pipe, the embers flickering in the night.

Looking at the harmonious scene in the distance, his face, which had been tense for a long time, finally showed a relieved smile.

He patted his old comrade-in-arms heavily on the shoulder, his voice a little hoarse.

"yes."

"The well-being of the children is more important than anything else."

That night, the stars shone exceptionally bright.

The evening breeze in late autumn carried a hint of coolness.

The children had played all day and went to bed early, their even breathing coming from the room.

After Hua Yun finished washing up, she stepped out of the house and saw Zhou Yanjin standing under the grape trellis in the yard, looking up at the sky.

She tiptoed over.

"What are you looking at?"

Zhou Yanjin turned around, the moonlight outlining his deep features, his eyes seemingly filled with starlight.

"Look at the stars."

He pointed to the night sky, "Sile asked me today why the stars in the sky twinkle."

Hua Yun looked in the direction he was pointing and smiled, "What did you answer?"

"I said, the stars are playing hide-and-seek with him."

The two stood side by side, speechless for a moment.

It was very quiet all around, with only the occasional chirping of insects and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

A peaceful yet subtle atmosphere permeated the air.

Zhou Yanjin turned her head to look at Hua Yun's soft profile in the moonlight, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow under her eyelids.

His heart inexplicably quickened.

These days, there's been an unspoken understanding between them; neither of them has dared to bring it up.

But he knew he couldn't wait any longer.

He mustered a courage he might never have had in his life, and slowly, he reached out and gently took her hand.

Hua Yun's hands were a little cold.

The moment her body was enveloped in his warm palm, she trembled almost imperceptibly.

She instinctively tried to pull away.

But his hand was firmly in his grasp, with an unyielding determination that left no room for refusal, yet gentle without a trace of coercion.

Her struggle gradually subsided.

In the end, she didn't move again.

Zhou Yanjin sensed her compliance, and the huge weight that had been hanging over her heart for so long finally lifted.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was deeper and gentler than the night.

"Hua Yun"

"Mmm," she responded softly, not daring to look at him.

"Thank you."

He held her hand and tightened his grip.

"Thank you for giving me a chance to make amends."

"Thank you for raising the children so well during the five years I was away. Each and every one of them is like an angel."

His words were filled with sincere gratitude and deep self-reproach.

Zhou Yanjin paused, his gaze becoming intense and focused, locking firmly into her eyes.

"I know I still have many, many shortcomings."

"but……"

He took a deep breath, as if to pour all his piety and determination into his next words.

"I hope that in the future, I can rightfully take care of you and love you."

His gaze was as deep as the sea, as if he wanted to suck her in completely.

"Hua Yun, are you... willing to give me this chance?"

He emphasized his words, speaking clearly and deliberately:

"It's not for the children, it's just for ourselves."

For ourselves.

These five words were like a key, instantly unlocking the last shackle in Hua Yun's heart.

She was always afraid that all his gestures of goodwill and all his changes were just out of a sense of responsibility and guilt towards the child.

She was afraid that she was just an appendage in this relationship.

But now he's telling her it's for themselves.

Hua Yun slowly raised her head and met his sincere and affectionate eyes.

There was tension, anticipation, and cautious pleading in it.

She thought about all the changes he had undergone during this time.

Scene after scene, like a slow-motion movie, replayed in her mind.

The last trace of hesitation in her heart, the layer of ice that had bound her for five years, finally vanished completely at this moment.

She looked at him, at the man she had loved and resented.

Then, under the tranquil starry sky, he nodded gently and solemnly.

There are no fancy words.

There was no grand ceremony.

There wasn't even a single "I do".

But that one nod was worth a thousand words.

A surge of immense joy instantly welled up in Zhou Yanjin's eyes.

He felt like a drowning man who had finally grabbed onto a piece of driftwood and breathed in fresh air.

The next second, he stretched out his arms and gently, yet tightly, embraced her in his arms.

His chin rested on the top of her head, his voice trembling slightly.

"Thank you... thank you, Hua Yun..."

Hua Yun leaned against his chest, listening to his steady and powerful heartbeat, and feeling the warmth of his embrace.

The tip of my nose smelled of his fresh and pleasant scent.

She slowly closed her eyes, reached out, and hugged him back.

That hug felt like a gentle pause for the past.

The morning sun the following day turned a new page for their shared future.

The establishment of the relationship was like a jar of gentle honey, quietly poured into the ordinary life of Baixi Village.

The air was filled with a faint, almost imperceptible sweetness.

At the breakfast table, Li Guifen habitually peeled eggs for the three children, then casually took one and placed it naturally into Zhou Yanjin's bowl.

"You should eat more too. You're always thinking about this and that, it's a waste of your brain."

This warm, homely advice made Zhou Yanjin pause slightly in her chopsticks.

He looked up and saw Hua Yun secretly watching him, a faint blush rising on her cheeks like the morning glow.

Zhou Yanjin's lips silently curved into an upward arc.

He didn't say anything, but just lowered his head and took a bite of the still-warm egg.

The soft, creamy egg yolk melts in your mouth, its sweetness reaching deep into your heart.