Hard work after winning the lottery

A tremendous sense of acceleration pushed me back into the air, and the plane lifted its head, soaring into the dark clouds.

Zhou Yanjin turned to look out the porthole.

Outside the window was a thick, impenetrable darkness, with only the navigation lights on the wings flashing rhythmically.

The city's dazzling lights gradually transformed into a luminous net beneath my feet, growing smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared.

Zhou Yanjin looked away and took out her phone from her pocket.

According to regulations, the phone should be turned off or put into airplane mode at this point. Before turning on airplane mode, he lingered on the photo set as his wallpaper for a long time.

That was a group photo.

The background is a small courtyard in Baixi Village covered with the character "福" (fortune/blessing).

In the center of the photo, Hua Yun is laughing carefree, making a tacky peace sign, her eyes curving into crescents. Next to her are two old men, Zhou Yinchuan and Hua Mutou, their faces full of wrinkles from laughing, fighting over a chicken leg.

At that time, she hadn't gone back to her parents' home for so many days without speaking to anyone.

"You heartless little brat."

Zhou Yanjin cursed under her breath, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously curved into an extremely gentle smile, "If I don't go and catch you, it's because you really don't miss me."

These past few days, she's been sending fewer and fewer messages.

When asked what she was doing, she would either say she was sleeping or eating.

In the past, Zhou Yanjin would have thought she was being too ambitious. The unexpected sneeze a few days ago, coupled with the inexplicable unease he'd felt these past few days, made him feel like something was out of his control.

Could this girl have gotten him into some trouble in the village?

Or……

Zhou Yanjin's eyes darkened.

12:30 a.m.

The plane landed on time at the provincial capital airport.

The moment the cabin door opened, a biting gust of cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, slipped in through the gaps in the jet bridge. Even before leaving the cabin, one could feel the piercing chill.

The temperature here is a full ten degrees lower than in the city where we left.

Zhou Yanjin wrapped her cashmere coat tightly around herself, buttoned it up, and resumed her aloof and dignified image as President Zhou. She then walked out of the arrival gate with the flow of people.

Although it was the early hours of the morning, the airport arrival area was still bustling with activity.

Many people waiting to pick up passengers were bundled up in thick down jackets, holding signs or flowers, eagerly anticipating their arrival.

Zhou Yanjin's gaze swept across the crowd.

I didn't see Hua Yun.

Of course, he didn't expect that lazy girl to come pick him up at the airport in the middle of the night. In this cold weather, if she got cold, he would be the one who would feel sorry for her.

He sent a message to Hua An before boarding the plane.

"Brother-in-law! I'm here! Brother-in-law!"

A loud shout pierced through the noise of the crowd and precisely reached Zhou Yanjin's ears.

Zhou Yanjin looked in the direction of the sound.

At the very edge of the exit, a figure wearing a military green cotton coat, a Lei Feng hat, and wrapped up like a ball, was excitedly waving his arms.

The boy's current appearance is completely different from when he was studying in the big city. His cotton overcoat looks quite old, and there are stains on the cuffs that are hard to tell if it's paint or mud. The two ears of his Lei Feng hat droop down and sway with his movements.

Although it's old-fashioned, it looks festive.

A hint of a smile flashed in Zhou Yanjin's eyes as she pushed the suitcase over.

"Brother-in-law! Oh my god, I've been waiting for you!"

Hua An rushed forward, wanting to give Zhou Yanjin a bear hug, but after glancing at Zhou Yanjin's six-figure coat and then at his own dusty cotton-padded jacket, he abruptly stopped the car, just rubbing his hands together with a sheepish smile.

"You've had a long wait." Zhou Yanjin patted his shoulder, seemingly unconcerned. "Have you been waiting a long time?"

"No, no, no, it'll only take half an hour." Hua An chuckled and naturally took the luggage from Zhou Yanjin's hand. "Come on, come on, the car's over there. It's freezing outside, all ice crystals."

The two walked out of the terminal.

The snow outside had been shoveled to the roadside and piled up into small hills. The reflection of the water on the ground made the entire parking lot as bright as day.

The cold wind howled, cutting my face like a knife.

Zhou Yanjin followed Hua An to a corner of the parking lot.

There was a Great Wall pickup truck parked there...it looked like it had seen a lot of the world.

The truck bed was piled with all sorts of odds and ends, covered with a blue and white striped plastic sheet, which was covered with a layer of snow.

The car was covered in mud, and only the license plate was barely legible.

This stands in stark contrast to the taxis and private cars parked around it.

"Brother-in-law, please make do with this." Hua An scratched his head a little embarrassedly, opened the passenger door, and said, "The roads around here are difficult to navigate, especially after a heavy snowfall. Our sedan has a low chassis and can't get up those hills at all. This old buddy is really reliable, four-wheel drive, it's awesome!"

Zhou Yanjin looked at the pickup truck that exuded a "battle aura," raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and straddled it with his long legs.

The car had the heater on, although along with the engine roar, there was a faint smell of diesel fuel and... roasted sweet potatoes in the air?

Here, brother-in-law.

As soon as Hua An got into the driver's seat, he pulled out an old-fashioned thermos with a big red peony printed on it from his pocket and handed it over. "My sister specifically asked me to bring this before I left. It's brown sugar ginger tea, still warm."

Upon hearing the words "my sister specifically asked me to bring it," Zhou Yanjin's previously stiff expression instantly softened.

He took the somewhat rustic thermos and unscrewed the cap.

A rich, spicy ginger aroma mixed with the sweet fragrance of brown sugar wafts up.

Zhou Yanjin usually hates eating ginger.

But at that moment, he tilted his head back and took a big gulp without hesitation.

The scalding liquid slid down my throat, and the spiciness exploded in my stomach, dispelling the chill I had been carrying.

"Is it good?" Hua An asked, glancing at Zhou Yanjin's expression through the rearview mirror as he started the car.

"Mmm. Delicious." Zhou Yanjin screwed the lid on, hugged the thermos to her chest, and said, "Let's drive."

Hua An chuckled, shifted gears, released the clutch, and stepped on the gas.

"Alright! Buckle up, brother-in-law! We're going home now!"

The pickup truck roared off the airport expressway and onto the national highway leading to Baixi Village.

The road ahead was relatively easy to travel, but the further into the mountains we drove, the more complicated the road conditions became.

Although de-icing agents have been applied to the national highway, many shady areas still have a layer of dark ice.

Hua An seems carefree, but he drives surprisingly steadily...

"Sizzle—"

The wheels rolled over a patch of snow, making a sickening sound.

Zhou Yanjin glanced at the withered trees rushing past the window and said calmly, "Drive slowly, there's no rush."

"Don't worry, brother-in-law, I know what I'm doing!" Hua An said confidently, even swaying his head to the tune of "Phoenix Legend" playing on the car stereo. "I could drive this road with my eyes closed. Besides, we need to hurry. When I left, Mom was still nagging me, saying she was waiting for me to come back and cook dumplings."

Zhou Yanjin's gaze fell on a small patch of road illuminated by the car headlights ahead, and her brows furrowed slightly.

"Is everything alright at home?"

He finally couldn't help but ask.