Hard work after winning the lottery

Hua Yun's stomach looked like someone had stuffed a whole, enormous watermelon into it.

She sat in the armchair, her hands constantly supporting her abdomen, carefully adjusting her posture. If she relaxed even slightly, the aching sensation spreading from her spine to her lower back would surge like a tide, trapping her completely.

Beneath her feet were thick cotton slippers and a soft blanket, but even so, she could still feel a heavy swelling in her calves and ankles—her skin was taut and shiny, and every step felt like walking on clouds, yet it was accompanied by an indescribable dull pain.

"Mom, I'd like to drink some warm water."

Her voice was hoarse and soft, and she could hardly hear herself.

Li Guifen was busy cutting fruit when she heard the sound. She quickly put down her knife, poured a cup of warm red date and goji berry water from the thermos, and carefully handed it over.

"Slow down, honey, don't burn yourself."

Hua Yun took the cup, her two fingers clumsy due to swelling, and it took her a while to firmly place the rim of the cup to her lips, only able to take a small sip at a time.

The warm liquid slid into my stomach and was quickly devoured by the three mischievous little ones, leaving only a hollow feeling of hunger swirling inside.

But she knew that if she drank a few more sips, the triplets would start acting up again in less than ten minutes, making her feel nauseous and vomit up all the good stuff.

This kind of contradiction and helplessness is an ordeal that others can never understand—they are so hungry that their stomachs are practically sticking to their backs, yet they can't eat even a little bit more, as any more would be a burden; if they eat too little, they're afraid that their children won't get enough nutrition and will suffer.

Nighttime became the hardest time to endure.

The bed had long been replaced with a larger one, with several layers of bedding and pillows piled on both sides.

But every time night falls, she can't find a suitable place to put her body and her huge belly.

If we let them sleep on their left side, they all scramble to the right; if we let them sleep on their right side, it feels like we're squeezing one of the little ones, and there's always a spot that aches.

I dare not even try lying flat. Every time I lie on my back, I feel like my chest is being pressed down by a stone slab and I can't breathe. I can only lean against a few large pillows piled up high and barely close my eyes for a while.

I would wake up seven or eight times a night. Sometimes I would simply open my eyes and look at the moonlight outside the window, watching the time slip by little by little, and then wait for the rooster to crow at dawn before dozing off for a moment.

These days were truly tough, but Hua Yun rarely complained. Whenever she closed her eyes and gently covered her swollen belly with her palm, she could always feel the comfort of the life throbbing within.

Sometimes it's a series of small bumps, sometimes it's a sudden heavy blow, and sometimes it's three pushes and rolls coming from different directions at the same time, making the surface of the abdomen undulate like three pebbles thrown into a lake, each rippling out its own circle of waves.

On several occasions, she even suspected that these little ones had made a pact to take turns causing trouble.

"When are the three of you finally going to figure out a time to rest together?"

At this time, Hua Yun would helplessly rub her belly and chatter on and on to the little ones inside.

He said it, but his actions were extremely gentle—

If you press down slowly along the bulging corner with your fingertips, you can clearly feel a round, hard little head or a slender, bent little arm or leg.

Once, she even managed to stick her toes out in a perfect arc, playfully swaying them from side to side, as if playing hide-and-seek with her mother. Hua Yun couldn't help but chuckle, lightly flicking the bump with her knuckles: "You little rascal, is this your new trick? Take it back right now!"

Sunlight streamed through the glass into the room, making her pregnancy marks stand out clearly.

The aroma of crucian carp soup and goat milk porridge wafted from the kitchen—a new and delicious dish that Li Guifen made every day to supplement her daughter's nutrition.

"Sister, how are you today?" Hua An brought a bowl of hot, fresh corn porridge into the house and carefully placed it on the table. His voice was starting to change, but he couldn't hide his concern. "Would you like me to massage your legs? Our teacher taught us that this can help reduce swelling."

"Okay," Hua Yun winked at him, "Then I'll trouble our future academic genius!" Hua An clumsily but earnestly pressed on his sister's swollen calves with both hands. He couldn't quite get the pressure right; sometimes it was too heavy, making his sister grimace, and sometimes it was too light, having no effect at all.

The online store business remains booming, with daily orders constantly breaking records.

"We killed eight more today, and the freezer is almost overflowing. Orders are still coming in like snowflakes."

Hua Shu's voice revealed a weariness that made it hard to breathe from the immense workload.

"Your dad and I worked from four in the morning until dark, slaughtering, butchering, and deboning the sheep... our eyes were almost blinded by exhaustion."

"And your mom, your grandma, weighing, packing, labeling, their backs are so sore after a day's work they can't straighten up."

Li Guifen's voice came through, her worried gaze peering through the crack in the door and landing directly on Hua Yun's protruding belly.

"Yunyun's belly is getting bigger every day, and your grandma and I are afraid to leave her alone for even a moment, for fear that something might happen. But the work at the shop..."

Before he could finish speaking, a heavy pressure had already filled the entire room.

The online store business, like a wildfire that has been ignited, is spreading wildly at a speed that no one could have imagined.

From just a few orders a day at the beginning, to now 70 or 80 orders a day, or even over 100.

This overwhelming wealth left the Hua family dizzy and disoriented; after the joy came a deep-seated exhaustion.

We are severely understaffed.

Hua Yun slowly opened her eyes, her gaze clear and resolute.

She took Hua An's arm for support, using it to help herself sit more comfortably in the armchair.

"Dad, Mom, come in for a moment."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was like a pebble thrown into water, instantly silencing the conversation in the courtyard.

Hua Shu and Li Guifen walked in one after the other, their faces still bearing the lingering sorrow.

"Yunyun, are you feeling unwell?" Li Guifen rushed forward and reached out to touch her forehead.

"I'm fine, Mom." Hua Yun took her hand and patted it gently. "I heard everything just now."

She looked around at her family—her father's eyes were sunken, her mother's temples were streaked with gray, and even her usually robust grandfather looked tired.

"This can't go on any longer." Hua Yun said each word with conviction.

"Business is never-ending, but people can get exhausted."

She looked at Hua Shu: "Dad, besides you and Grandpa, who else in the village is skilled at slaughtering sheep?"

Hua Shu paused for a moment, then replied, "If we're talking about skilled craftsmanship and efficient work, then it has to be Uncle Hua Man."

"Is that Hua Yi's father?"

"Yes, that's him. He used to work at the town's slaughterhouse for several years. In terms of experience, he's more experienced than me."