Hard work after winning the lottery

"Thank you too," Zhou Yanjin took a deep breath and continued, "for giving me a chance. For letting me, an incompetent father, into your life, into the hearts of your children. For letting me... have a home."

Hua Yun's heart felt as if it had been violently struck by something.

It's sour and soft.

She turned around and faced Zhou Yanjin.

Under the moonlight, the man's eyes were deep and gentle, filled with an intense and unwavering love for her.

She reached out and cupped his face, her thumb gently stroking the corner of his eye.

"fool."

"No need to thank me. This is not only your good fortune, but also mine."

Zhou Yanjin pulled her into his arms, his chin pressed firmly against the top of her head, his voice hoarse:

"From now on, I will always be with you. Watching the children grow up, watching Nuannuan get married, watching Si'an, Sile, and Sitao settle down and start their own families. We will grow old together."

Hua Yun laughed, her eyes slightly moist: "How many years would that take? Aren't you afraid of getting tired of looking at my face?"

"lifetime."

Zhou Yanjin answered decisively without the slightest hesitation, "If one lifetime isn't enough, then the next life."

"Will you look for me again in the next life?"

Hua Yun raised an eyebrow. "What if I'm born an ugly monster in my next life?"

"try to find."

Zhou Yanjin looked at her, his gaze as firm as a rock, "Even if you are at the ends of the earth, even if you have changed, I will still find you. Because my heart recognizes you."

These sweet nothings may be a bit corny, but they're incredibly effective.

Hua Yun felt as if the softest part of her heart had collapsed.

She looked up at the face so close to hers.

Those thin lips, that high, straight nose.

She leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips.

This kiss was devoid of any lust.

Gentle and lingering.

It was as if all the unspoken words, all the gratitude, all the love, and all the promises were poured into this kiss.

Zhou Yanjin responded to her, gently sucking on her lips.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

a long time.

The two then separated, panting heavily.

Forehead to forehead, nose to nose, their breaths mingling.

They could hear each other's thunderous heartbeats.

"Zhou Yanjin," Hua Yun called softly.

"Um?"

"I love you too."

This sentence is worth more than a thousand words.

Zhou Yanjin smiled, a smile like that of a child who had received candy.

The night breeze carried the unique fragrance of rice from the fields.

In the distant grass, a few fireflies flickered with a faint light, their glow changing as they fluttered about.

They nestled together quietly, gazing at the vast starry sky above and listening to the familiar croaking of frogs.

Enjoying this rare moment of peace and quiet that belongs only to the two of them.

Inside, the children were fast asleep.

In the warm little room, a dim nightlight was left on.

The little girl lay sprawled on her back on the small bed, the blankets long since kicked aside.

A little foot was dangling on the edge of the bed, and a trace of glistening drool clung to the corner of her mouth. Perhaps she was dreaming about the roasted lamb leg she hadn't finished eating.

Zhou Yanjin gently pushed the door open and came in.

Looking at my daughter's unguarded sleeping face, my heart melted.

He tiptoed over, helped Nuannuan cover herself with the blanket, and tucked her restless little foot under the covers.

Then he lowered his head and placed a very gentle kiss on her smooth, full forehead.

Goodnight, my little princess.

Hua Yun leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, quietly watching this scene.

Nuannuan didn't sleep soundly that night.

In her dream, all she could see was that sizzling, oily roasted whole lamb from yesterday. Just as the lamb leg reached her mouth, it sprouted wings and flew away with a "flutter," turning into a giant rooster that started crowing at her ear.

"Giggle giggle—!"

That shout was so powerful it seemed to pierce through the clouds and split rocks, striking straight to the soul.

The first ray of sunlight peeked through the wooden window frame, playfully dancing on Nuannuan's long eyelashes. The little girl wrinkled her nose sleepily, hummed softly, and instinctively reached out to the side.

empty.

It's cold.

The pleasant, unique scent of my mother had faded.

Nuannuan jolted awake and sat bolt upright. The floral quilt that had been covering her had slipped down to her waist, revealing her round belly clad in a duck-patterned pajama. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, looked at the empty pillow, and her little mouth instantly pouted.

Mom is missing.

My father is gone too.

Did you sneak off to eat something delicious without Nuan Nuan's knowledge?

The moment that thought popped into her head, all sleepiness vanished. Nuannuan scrambled off the bed, not even bothering to put on her slippers, and dashed out of the room with her bare pink little feet pattering.

As soon as I stepped out of the house, the cool morning air unique to Baixi Village rushed towards me, mixed with the earthy smell and the smoky aroma of burning firewood.

"Hey, that's not enough force. You need to lower your waist and use a little more skill in your wrists."

"Dad, you don't need to give orders. Back in the army, you were a gunman. Chopping wood requires good balance between your waist and stance."

The courtyard was bustling with activity.

Nuannuan stood on the steps and looked closely.

Good guy.

The father, Zhou Yanjin, who was usually dressed in a suit and tie and whose mere gesture could shake the business district of City A, was now wearing a gray cotton vest, loose sweatpants, and a pair of canvas shoes—it was unclear whether he had swiped them from his great-grandfather or maternal grandfather.

He was holding a heavy axe, struggling against an old tree root on a wooden stump.

With a crisp "crack," the firewood split open, revealing its white core.

Zhou Yanjin's arm muscles tightened and relaxed with each movement, and sweat dripped down his strong jawline, past his Adam's apple, and finally disappeared into the neckline of his vest.

The hormones were absolutely off the charts.

The person standing nearby, picking vegetables and pointing, was none other than her mother, Hua Yun.

Hua Yun wasn't wearing makeup today; her hair was casually tied into a bun, with a few wisps falling beside her ears. Against the morning light, she looked as gentle as a painting. If you didn't look at the finger in her hand that was about to poke Zhou Yanjin's arm...

At the kitchen door, Grandma Hua was bending over, and steam was bubbling from the large iron pot, the aroma of rice wafting powerfully into people's noses.

"Mother!"

Upon seeing this, Nuannuan's grievances vanished instantly, and she pounced over with her short legs.

That sweet, crisp little voice was both lovely and delightful.

Hua Yun often has a heavy little pendant on her leg.

She looked down and saw that the little girl's hair was a mess, like a bird's nest, and her feet were covered in mud. She was looking up at her with pleading eyes.

"Awake?"

Hua Yun bent down and pinched the chubby little face. It felt so bouncy, she couldn't resist pinching it again. "Why did you run out without shoes? Are you trying to practice Iron Palm or Iron Feet?"

Zhou Yanjin also stopped what she was doing, slammed the axe against the wooden block, propped herself up on one knee, and looked at her daughter with a smile in her eyes:

"Looks like they're drawn by the aroma of food."

Nuannuan buried her face in Huayun's legs and rubbed against them, saying in a muffled voice, "I thought Mom and Dad didn't want Nuannuan anymore."