Hard work after winning the lottery

5:30.

A sound came from the gate.

Zhou Yanjin pushed open the door and entered.

He had just rushed back from the company, his suit jacket draped over his arm, his tie slightly loosened.

As soon as he entered, he saw the scene that made him burst out laughing.

My grandfather, who is decisive in business and has the final say at home, is currently playing around with Sile, holding a cookie that Sile handed him, with cookie crumbs stuck to his mouth, looking completely unrefined.

"Ah! Great-Grandpa, run!" Si Tao excitedly patted the old man's back.

"You brat, be gentle! This is too much for your great-grandfather..." Zhou Yinchuan complained, but his face was beaming with joy.

"grandfather."

Zhou Yanjin changed her shoes, leaned against the entryway cabinet, and watched the scene with a half-smile. "Did you launch a surprise attack? Didn't we agree to go back to the old house this weekend?"

Zhou Yinchuan froze, quickly put Si Tao off his back, coughed lightly, and tried to regain some of his authority as the head of the family.

He dusted off his knees and glared at Zhou Yanjin: "What? Not welcome? This is my Zhou family's property. I'm the chairman. Do I need to give you a report beforehand just to inspect the assets?"

Zhou Yanjin walked over and naturally took the building blocks from the old man's hand, a smile curving his lips: "Welcome, of course you're welcome. It's an honor to have you here. But Grandpa, your inspection is quite thorough, it's even reached the carpet."

"Go away, stop being so cheeky." Zhou Yinchuan's face flushed slightly. To cover his embarrassment, he turned and shouted towards the kitchen, "Yunyun! Is dinner ready yet? I'm starving!"

"Alright, alright! Dinner's ready!" Hua Yun's cheerful voice came from the kitchen.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was more lively than ever before.

Zhou Yinchuan was clearly in a great mood and had a big appetite.

"Great-Grandpa, eat this! This meat is so tender!" Sile thoughtfully picked up a piece of stewed beef brisket for Zhou Yinchuan.

"Oh my, our Lele really cares about her great-grandfather." Zhou Yinchuan swallowed the food in one gulp and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

"Great-Grandpa, have some vegetables." Si'an picked up a piece of spinach with her chopsticks. "Mom said that older people should eat more vegetables, otherwise they will get constipated."

"Pfft—" Zhou Yanjin almost spat out the soup she had just drunk.

Zhou Yinchuan's face stiffened for a moment, then he burst into laughter: "Alright, alright! I'll listen to Si'an! If Great-Grandpa doesn't want to be constipated, Great-Grandpa will eat vegetables!"

"Grandpa, I made this lion's head meatball soup especially for you. Please try it and see if it's salty enough." Hua Yun served the old man a bowl of soup.

Zhou Yinchuan took a bite and nodded repeatedly, "Mmm! Authentic! Even better than the top chef at the old house! This is what home tastes like!"

He glanced at Zhou Yanjin, then at the virtuous and gentle Hua Yun, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Yan Jin, the best decision you ever made in your life was marrying Yun Yun," the old man sighed. "I used to worry that your cold personality would make life too bland. But now, life is like braised lion's head meatballs—warm and flavorful."

Zhou Yanjin put down his chopsticks, gently took Hua Yun's hand under the table, and said with tender eyes, "Grandpa is right. I think so too."

Hua Yun blushed slightly, glared at him reproachfully, and then picked up a piece of pork rib for him: "Even eating can't shut you up."

After the meal, the three children clung to Zhou Yinchuan, not wanting him to leave.

"Great-Grandpa, tell me another story about a war!" Si Tao said, clinging to the old man's arm.

"Great-Grandpa, I want to hear your story about being chased and bitten by a goose." Sile always had unusual interests.

They kept making a ruckus until 8:30 p.m., when the three little ones finally couldn't stay awake any longer. Their eyelids started to droop, and they yawned constantly.

"Alright, Great-Grandpa should go back now." Although Zhou Yinchuan was very reluctant, he knew he couldn't keep the child from resting.

He stood up, and Zhou Yanjin and Hua Yun quickly helped him up.

"No need to see me off, Old Li is waiting outside."

As Zhou Yinchuan reached the door, he stopped and looked back at the three little ones who were waving goodbye to their great-grandfather in a daze, his eyes filled with longing.

"Grandpa, if you miss the children, you can come anytime." Zhou Yanjin saw through the old man's thoughts.

Zhou Yinchuan's eyes lit up, but he still maintained his composure: "Hmph, I don't have that much free time to come here every day! I'm very busy!"

After saying that, he leaned on his cane and took seemingly steady but actually light steps to get into the car.

Watching the Rolls-Royce's taillights disappear into the night, Hua Yun leaned against Zhou Yanjin's chest and said with a smile, "I think there will be plenty of excitement around here from now on."

Zhou Yanjin hugged her tighter and kissed the top of her head: "Isn't this great? I used to think the old house was too big and Jingyuan was too lively. Now I feel that as long as you are here, anywhere is just right."

As it turned out, Zhou Yanjin had underestimated the old man's ability to act.

Since they can come to "inspect" on Wednesdays, can they also come to "show their care" on Mondays? And can they come to "pick up students" on Fridays?

……

Time passed slowly. Hua Yun had lived in City A for a year. This year, apart from Zhou's parents being abroad and unable to return for the Spring Festival, Hua Yun and Zhou Yanjin discussed it and decided to take the child and grandfather back to Baixi Village for the Spring Festival. They hadn't been back to Baixi Village for half a year.

The 18th day of the twelfth lunar month.

City A International Airport.

Although there are still some days until Lunar New Year's Eve, the air is already thick with the anxious anticipation of people wanting to go home. The sweet female voices urging passengers to board over and over again on the loudspeaker, mixed with the crying of children and the rumble of wheels rolling over the paved floor, have turned this high-class terminal into a bustling market.

Although the VIP lane wasn't as crowded, a short queue still formed.

Hua Yun squatted on the ground, a thin layer of sweat seeping from her forehead.

Si Tao in front of me is practically a hyperactive child. He just put on his down jacket, and in the blink of an eye, the zipper is open again, revealing a sweater with Ultraman printed on it.

"Don't move!"

Hua Yun grabbed the wriggling monkey and deftly pinched the zipper pull, pulling it all the way up with a "zip".

"Ugh—Mom, you're strangling me!" Si Tao protested, her little face turning red.

"Strangling is better than freezing to death." Hua Yun rolled her eyes at him, then grabbed the eye-catching red cashmere scarf, wrapped it around his neck twice, and finally tied a tight knot.

Now, Si Tao's round face was completely covered up, with only her big, dark eyes showing. She blinked and looked just like a wronged little rice dumpling.

After dealing with this "hyperactive monkey," Hua Yun was about to stand up and catch her breath when someone gently tugged at her clothes.

The force was not great, and it was a cautious, tentative attempt.

She looked down and met Sile's eyes, which were filled with tears.

"Mother."

The little guy pouted, clutching a toy tightly in his hand.

"Is Dad really not coming with us?"

This is the fifth time.

From the moment I left home and got on the bus, through the airport, and then through security, Sile was like a broken record, asking the same question every few minutes.

Hua Yun felt a slight pang of sadness. She reached out and gently rubbed her son's head; his hair was so soft and felt wonderful to the touch.

"Dad needs to earn money."

She explained patiently, her voice so gentle it could melt hearts, "It's the end of the year, and many uncles and aunties at the company are waiting for Dad to get his salary and come home for the New Year. If Dad leaves, they won't have money to buy New Year's goods, don't you think?"

Sile sniffed. Although she understood the reasoning, her little emotion of "wanting a dad" still prevailed.

"But...but I want Dad to come with us to Grandpa's house," Sile said, looking aggrieved.

Si'an, who had been silent the whole time, was carrying a black backpack that didn't quite fit his size and holding a "Junior Encyclopedia" in his hand. He glanced at his younger brother indifferently when he heard this.