Hard work after winning the lottery

But as soon as the three little ones heard that their father was coming back, they seemed to have planned it all out and refused to go to the children's room next door. They insisted on staying on their mother's bed, saying that they wanted to "guard the territory" for their mother.

Fortunately, the bed is big enough, otherwise it really wouldn't be able to accommodate these four large Buddha statues.

Zhou Yanjin walked quietly, as if afraid of disturbing them, and slowly made her way to the bedside.

The carpet swallowed the sound of his footsteps.

He knelt down on one knee beside the bed.

The line of sight should be level with the bed surface.

Looking at Hua Yun's sleeping face, which appeared exceptionally soft in the warm light, Zhou Yanjin felt his chest fill with joy.

This is his whole world.

He reached out, his fingertips hovering beside Hua Yun's face, wanting to touch her, yet afraid that the coolness of his fingertips would wake her.

Finally, he lowered his head.

His forehead gently touched hers.

The moment skin touches skin, the warm sensation travels through the entire body along the nerve endings.

Zhou Yanjin closed his eyes, greedily inhaling her scent in this warm tranquility. Then, he tilted his head slightly, and his warm, dry lips gently landed on her eyelids.

It felt like a feather brushing against your skin.

"Wife."

He silently shouted in his heart.

"I'm back."

Hua Yun seemed to sense something. Her eyelashes trembled, and she made a muffled sound. She shrank further into the blanket, rubbed against Zhou Yanjin's palm, and then fell into a deep sleep again.

Zhou Yanjin smiled silently.

He didn't dare to squeeze into the already crowded bed, but instead sat on the carpet by the bed for a while, watching the three children and the one big one, until the sound of wind and snow outside the window gradually subsided. Only then did he get up and make do with the folding bed next to him for the night.

The next morning.

The winter sun always arrives a little late, but the mornings in Baixi Village start very early.

The first rays of morning light shone through the bright red paper-cut window decorations, casting dappled patterns throughout the room and gilding the dust motes floating in the air with a golden edge.

On the big bed, the little dumpling with the most unrestrained sleeping posture stirred.

Si Tao rubbed his sleepy eyes and groggily sat up. With his hair a messy bird's nest from sleeping, he instinctively tried to snuggle into his mother's arms, but when he turned his head, his view was blocked by a dark figure sitting by the bed.

The little guy instantly became half-awake.

Backlit, the figure was broad and tall, dressed in dark clothes, looking down at something in his hand.

For a child, the sudden appearance of a strange man in their home is an extremely serious matter.

Si Tao blinked, a hint of doubt flashing in her large eyes that resembled Hua Yun's before she focused and fixed her gaze on that profile.

next second.

A high-decibel scream, loud enough to blow the roof off, rang out in the bedroom.

"dad!!!"

This shout not only startled the sparrows on the treetops outside the window, but also successfully switched the entire room from silent mode to vibration mode in an instant.

Zhou Yanjin had just changed his clothes and was sitting on the edge of the bed looking at company emails on his phone when, before he could react, he saw a small cannonball launch from the bed and pounce on him.

"Ouch!"

Zhou Yanjin reacted quickly, stretching out her long arm and catching the heavy meatball steadily.

"You brat, why are you so loud?"

Zhou Yanjin feigned disgust, but his eyes were full of laughter. He lowered his head and deliberately rubbed his stubble, which he hadn't shaved all night and was now showing signs of stubble, against Si Tao's delicate face.

"Ouch! It pierces! It's killing me!"

Si Tao giggled as Zhou Yanjin rubbed against her, frantically dodging and pushing his face with her chubby little hands. "Daddy's a big hedgehog! Help!"

The commotion was so loud that it woke up the other two people in the bed.

Si'an sat up groggily, without yelling like his younger brother. He rubbed his eyes and stared intently at the man holding his brother.

The little guy pursed his lips, not getting off the bed immediately, but kneeling on the bed, his phoenix eyes, which looked just like Zhou Yanjin's, carefully examining his father's face.

His gaze swept over the two dark circles under Zhou Yanjin's eyes that had not yet faded, and the weariness that could not be concealed between his brows.

"dad."

Si'an called out softly, her voice low but carrying a heart-wrenching tenderness, "Are you still awake? Your eyes look like a panda's."

Zhou Yanjin paused, her heart softening. She placed the still-fussing third child on her lap and used one hand to rub the eldest child's head: "Daddy's asleep. Seeing you makes me feel better."

"Liar." Si'an muttered softly, then crawled over, carefully approached, and blew on Zhou Yanjin's eyelids, "Whoosh, you won't be tired anymore."

In that instant, Zhou Yanjin felt that even giving away the entire Zhou Group wouldn't bring her the satisfaction she felt at that moment.

"What's all the noise about...?"

A lazy complaint came from under the covers.

Hua Yun was finally awakened by this scene of fatherly love and filial piety.

She struggled to peek out from under the covers, her long hair scattered messily on the pillow. The morning light shone on her profile, casting a soft glow on her already fair skin, making her look like a Persian cat that had just woken up.

"Honey, are you awake?"

Zhou Yanjin looked at her with eyes so tender they could melt your heart.

He held his two sons, bent down, and gently kissed their still sleepy lips.

Good morning, Mrs. Zhou.

Hua Yun squinted, taking in the handsome face magnified before her. A smile involuntarily crept onto her lips as she reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, her voice still hoarse and sweetly innocent: "President Zhou, what a surprise attack so early in the morning!"

"Daddy, you're so embarrassing!" Si Tao covered her eyes, but her fingers were wide open.

"Dad loves Mom," Si'an said calmly.

The room erupted in laughter.

Just then, a series of rhythmic "thump-thump-thump" sounds came from the direction of the main room. It was the sound of a kitchen knife striking the cutting board with a very rhythmic beat.

Then came Li Guifen's signature loud voice: "Are you up yet? The dumpling wrappers are all rolled out! Hurry up and wash your face and brush your teeth!"

Upon hearing the word "dumplings," Hua Yun's expression changed, and she sniffed, "What kind of filling did Mom make?"

Zhou Yanjin straightened up, taking out small socks for Sile as she replied, "I saw Mom making chive and egg soup just now, saying it's your favorite. There's another kind..."

He paused as he spoke, seemingly recalling the smell he had caught when he passed by the kitchen earlier, "It smelled like pork and scallions, something I prepared for Dad and Grandpa."

Upon hearing the word "pork," Hua Yun's brows furrowed instantly, and a familiar churning sensation rose in her throat.

"vomit……"

She covered her mouth, gagged, and her face turned pale.

Zhou Yanjin's expression changed, and he immediately put down the socks he was holding, anxiously supporting her: "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Did you catch a cold last night?"

Hua Yun waved her hand, suppressing the nausea, and leaned weakly against the headboard: "It's nothing... I just can't stand the smell of meat. Um, Yan Jin, go tell Mom that I don't eat minced meat, just make me some egg and sauerkraut, and add lots of vinegar."

Zhou Yanjin was taken aback.

Can't stand the smell of meat?

Do you want to eat sour things too?

These symptoms...

His usually shrewd eyes widened instantly, his gaze suddenly landing on Hua Yun's still flat stomach. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice trembled slightly: "Yunyun, you..."