Hard work after winning the lottery

She looked at it carefully.

Every number is a perfect match.

She doesn't believe it.

She closed her eyes and shook her head violently, as if trying to shake off this absurd illusion.

Then, she opened her eyes again.

I watched it again.

07, 13, 19, 24, 28, 31... Blue ball 16.

Just like before, exactly the same!

A third time!

She even extended her index finger, which was somewhat deformed from years of holding a pen, and pointed to each number one by one, muttering to herself.

When the last "16" was confirmed to be correct, Hua Yun felt as if all her strength had been drained away in an instant.

Her legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the bed behind her.

The lottery ticket in her hand floated lightly onto her lap.

She stared blankly at the note for a full half minute.

Then, an indescribable, enormous surge rushed from her limbs and bones to the top of her head!

That wasn't just simple joy.

It was a complex emotion mixed with shock, absurdity, disbelief, and immense ecstasy!

"ah--!!"

This time, she could no longer hold back, tilted her head back, and let out a scream that was almost a roar!

She suddenly jumped up from the edge of the bed and paced back and forth in the small room like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

She clutched her hair, laughing and crying at the same time.

"I won the lottery?"

"I fucking...won the lottery?!"

"This can't be real...this must be fake! I'm dreaming!"

She pinched her thigh hard, and the intense pain clearly told her that this was not a dream!

An overwhelming, unreal sense of happiness, like a tsunami, instantly engulfed her completely.

Just then, there was a loud banging on the door.

Outside the door, the anxious voices of family members could be heard.

"Yunyun! Yunyun, what's wrong? Open the door!" It was her mother, Li Guifen, her voice trembling with tears.

"Sis! Don't scare us! Open the door!" It was her younger brother, Hua An, whose voice was distorted.

"Child, tell Grandpa something, what happened?" It was Grandpa's calm voice, but one that couldn't hide his worry.

There was also a silent, forceful knocking on the door; Hua Yun knew it was her father.

The shouts of her family were like a bucket of cold water, pulling her back to a sliver of reason from her frantic emotions.

She stopped, staring at the closed door, clutching the thin lottery ticket in her hand—a ticket that could change her life forever.

Her face was still streaked with wet tears, but the corners of her mouth were uncontrollably turned up in a wild smile.

Outside the door was the entire Hua family home.

It was her warmest and softest concern in this world.

She couldn't let them worry.

Hua Yun forcibly suppressed the sobs and wild laughter rising in her throat and took a deep breath.

Another bite.

The wild beast pounding in my chest was finally calmed down for the time being.

She hastily wiped her face, clutched the thin lottery ticket tightly in her hand, and hid it deep in her pocket.

Then, she opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, four anxious faces instantly filled her field of vision.

"Yunyun! What's wrong with you? You scared your mother to death!" Li Guifen rushed over, grabbed her arm, looked her up and down, her eyes red.

Hua An squeezed in, his brows furrowed: "Sis, are you alright? You screamed so loudly just now!"

Although Hua Shu didn't speak, his bloodshot eyes and tightly pursed lips betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Grandpa stood at the back, his gaze calm, yet carrying a subtle, almost imperceptible scrutiny.

Seeing her family's genuine concern, Hua Yun felt a pang of sadness and almost blurted out the shocking secret.

But reason prevailed at the last moment.

No.

I can't say right now.

This matter was so significant that it overturned the perceptions of their peaceful little family.

She had to stay calm and come up with a foolproof plan.

Hua Yun's mind raced, her gaze sweeping across the room before finally settling on an old wooden box in the corner.

She cleared her throat, trying to make her voice sound normal, with a hint of lingering fear and embarrassment.

"No...it's okay, Dad, Mom, I'm fine."

She pointed to the corner of the wall and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Just now... just now I was about to sit down when I saw a huge black spider crawl out from under the box. It scared me... it startled me."

"Spider?" Li Guifen was stunned.

Hua An also looked incredulous.

Hua Yun gritted her teeth and continued to fabricate the story, delivering an unprecedentedly realistic performance.

"Yes, it was...that big!" She gestured with her hand to indicate an exaggerated size. "It was dark, furry, and ran very fast. It disappeared in an instant. I panicked and screamed."

This reason, though clumsy, carries a certain authenticity to rural life.

Sure enough, her family relaxed after hearing her say that.

Li Guifen's heart finally settled, and she lightly patted her arm in a slightly annoyed manner.

"You child! You scared me to death! A spider terrified you like this?"

Hua An also breathed a sigh of relief and exaggeratedly scoffed, "I thought it was something serious. My sister is a college student, and she's afraid of spiders?"

Grandma stepped forward, took her hand, looked at her face carefully, and gently scolded her with a smile.

"You're such a grown-up, yet you still act like a little girl, always making a fuss."

Grandma's voice was as gentle as the evening breeze, soothing the last vestiges of panic in Hua Yun's heart.

She leaned against her grandmother, her voice slightly coquettish: "I'm just scared."

She managed to clumsily gloss over the false alarm.

After giving a few more words of advice, the family members dispersed.

The younger brother went back inside to continue studying, the father squatted back under the eaves and lit his pipe, while the mother and grandmother tidied up and prepared to rest.

The courtyard has returned to its usual tranquility.

Hua Yun quietly closed the door. This time, she didn't lock it from the inside; she simply put the bolt on gently.

But her heart felt as if it were locked in an airtight box, pounding wildly.

She leaned against the cold wooden door and slowly slid down to sit on the ground.

Then, with an almost reverent gesture, she took the lottery ticket out of her pocket again.

Under the dim yellow light, the string of numbers seemed to possess magic, each one shimmering with golden light.

More than 20 million!

More than 20 million!

This number, like a huge mountain, crashed into her mind.

From this moment on, her life will be completely different.

She no longer has to endure being treated poorly in City A, or suffer endless overtime and cutthroat competition for a salary of a few thousand yuan.

She no longer has to worry about her brother's tuition and living expenses.

She could even buy her parents the best house in town, so they could leave this leaky mud house and enjoy their old age in peace.

And grandparents, they can receive the best medical care.

Most importantly, she now has the confidence to completely sever ties with Zhou Yanjin and the world that once made her feel so insignificant!

Excitement, ecstasy, bewilderment, and even a hint of unreal fear... all these emotions intertwined, like an impenetrable net, tightly enveloping her.

That night, Hua Yun stayed up all night.