Hard work after winning the lottery

In City C, the night was as dark as ink, and neon lights cast dappled shadows on the damp, cold streets.

The glass curtain wall of the office building reflects the city's prosperity and indifference, forming a stark contrast with Hua'an's state of mind at this moment.

it is finally over.

The hellish project that had kept him working day and night for a whole month finally came to an end half an hour ago.

Hua An dragged his almost broken body back to his rented room like a wandering soul.

The key was inserted into the lock and turned twice, making a crisp "click" sound.

The door opened, and a musty and desolate atmosphere rushed out, mixed with the lingering smell of cooking oil from the neighbors.

He didn't even bother to turn on the lights, and casually tossed his heavy laptop bag onto the fabric sofa.

She felt like a lump of mud and slumped heavily into the soft embrace of the bed.

tired.

My bones ached, and my brain felt like it was being pricked by countless needles, throbbing incessantly.

For the past month, he has almost completely cut off all contact with the outside world.

My phone has dozens of unread group messages and various work email notifications.

But at that moment, he didn't want to see anything or care about anything.

In this deathly silence of darkness, his only thought was to hear the voices of his family.

I want to hear my mother's nagging, I want to hear my sister's gentle words, and I especially want to hear the three little ones' sweet, childish calls.

That was his sole motivation for struggling in this cold city.

Hua An took his phone out of his pocket, and the glaring light from the screen made him squint instinctively.

My fingertips swiped across the screen, expertly dialing the number I knew by heart.

"Beep...beep...beep..."

The sound rang three times.

Hua An adjusted to a slightly more comfortable position, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on his lips.

He mentally rehearsed who would answer the phone.

Perhaps it's a grandmother sewing shoe soles, or a mother busy in the kitchen?

Either way, it can instantly soothe his exhaustion.

The call was connected.

However, the gentle questioning from the elders that I had expected did not come.

Instead, a burst of cheering erupted, almost as if it would shatter the phone's speaker.

"Uncle! Uncle! Is that really your uncle?"

That was Si Tao's voice, clear and bright, brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

Hua An was startled by the sudden loud noise and almost dropped his phone on his face.

Before he could even respond, another voice entered his ears.

"It must be my uncle. Mom said he might call today."

It's Si'an. Although this child is young, he always speaks with the clarity and logic of a little adult.

Immediately following was a chaotic scramble, as if three little dumplings were vying for control of the phone and the right to speak.

Hua An's smile deepened, and his fatigue seemed to dissipate considerably at that moment.

"Slow down, your uncle is listening."

His voice was a little hoarse, but it was full of endless affection.

"Uncle! Uncle! We have some amazing news to tell you!"

Si Tao's voice rose another octave, as if he wanted to send the message directly into Hua An's mind via radio waves.

Hua An chuckled, switched the phone to his other hand, and casually asked, "What good news? Did you two make some new friends?"

“That’s not the case!”

Si Tao was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet; you could almost imagine it even through the screen.

"Uncle, we've found Dad!"

That shout was delivered with great force.

Hua An's smile froze instantly.

His brain briefly went blank; he seemed to understand every word, but couldn't put them together into a coherent logical whole.

Find...Dad?

What kind of father?

Before he could react, Sile's voice, filled with obvious joy, followed closely behind, bombarding him like a machine gun.

"Yes, yes! And Mom is getting married! She's marrying Dad!"

"We'll soon have a complete family!"

These two sentences were like two heavy hammer blows, slamming hard into Hua An's skull.

His expression completely cracked.

If it were just Sitao saying it, he could take it as a child's innocent joke.

Just then, the voice of the eldest brother, Si'an, came through the receiver.

Compared to her brothers' excitement, Si'an's voice sounded much calmer, but the expectation hidden in her tone was impossible to conceal.

"Uncle, when are you coming back for the wedding?"

"My parents are getting married in three months."

"Uncle, when are you coming back?"

Boom—!

Hua An felt as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning from the heavens, and he lay stiffly in the dark rented room.

My mind went blank, and my ears were ringing.

dad?

marry?

What is all this nonsense?!

He hasn't contacted his family much in just over a month, but it feels like he's missed an eternity.

Has the world changed?

Or did I travel to some parallel universe?

How come you're getting married so quickly?

And it's with that so-called "father"?

Hua An suddenly sat up in bed, the movement so violent that the bed frame creaked in protest.

He gripped his phone tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

The bastard who made my sister pregnant out of wedlock and subjected her to all sorts of scorn and hardship has appeared?

Not only did he appear, but he also wants to marry my sister?

This is absolutely ridiculous!

"Wait... speak slowly!"

Hua An's voice became dry and trembling due to extreme shock and anxiety.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down and sort out the chaotic flow of information.

"Who found their father? Who is that father?"

"Who is Mom going to marry?"

"What on earth is going on?!"

He spoke very quickly, firing off a series of questions in rapid succession.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, as if they were intimidated by the uncle's serious tone.

But just a second later, the three children started answering all at once.

Information, like fragments from an explosion, surged towards Hua'an in a chaotic and disorderly manner.

"That's Uncle Zhou! He's been living with us for a long time!"

Si Tao eagerly answered, her tone full of boastfulness.

"He was so good to us! He bought us a big cake and even took us horseback riding!"

"He's incredibly tall and handsome, even more so than the celebrities on TV!"

Sile, not to be outdone, added, "Great-grandfather and grandparents came too!"

"They all say Uncle Zhou is my biological father, and we believe it too."

"Because Si'an looks a lot like Uncle Zhou when he was a child!"

Si'an, standing to the side, gave the final concluding remarks: "Uncle, it's true."

As Hua An listened, his heart sank deeper and deeper.

An unnamed anger suddenly surged up from my chest and rushed to my head.

Uncle Zhou?

How long have you been living at home?

The whole family came?

This sounds like a melodramatic script about a scheming rich kid using money to seduce a simple village woman.

Since that man could abandon his sister and ignore her for so many years, what good intentions could he possibly have for suddenly showing up and being so attentive now?

They must be attracted by the children's cuteness, or perhaps they have some other ulterior motive!

Sugar-coated bullets!

This is absolutely a sugar-coated bullet!