Hard work after winning the lottery

The sun was shining brightly that afternoon.

Hua Yun took her three brothers to fly kites on the lawn by the lake.

Three identical little figures, dressed in matching blue tracksuits, ran across the grass like three happy little birds, their laughter ringing out.

"Mom, look! My little swallow is flying!" The eldest son, Hua Si'an, held up the coil in his hand, tilted his head back, and his face was full of pride.

"Mom, mine too! Mine flies higher!" the second child, Hua Sile, shouted, not to be outdone.

Only the third brother, Hua Sitao, ran around for a long time, but the butterfly kite in his hand was still wobbling and couldn't fly.

He stopped, somewhat dejected, his little mouth pouting, looking like he was about to cry.

Just then, a young couple of tourists passed by and witnessed this scene.

The girl smiled and walked forward, gently squatting down.

"Little friend, your kite won't fly. Is it because your dad isn't helping you?"

It was just a casual joke.

But when the three little ones heard the word "Dad," they all fell silent.

They exchanged a glance, their eyes revealing a tacit understanding that adults couldn't comprehend.

Hua Si'an was the first to react. He puffed out his chest and said to the girl earnestly:

"We have a dad!"

Hua Sile nodded in agreement, as if echoing her brother's words: "Yes! We have a father!"

The most direct one was Hua Sitao. He forgot to cry, pointed in a direction, and shouted with all his might:

"My dad owns a big company and makes a lot of money in a place very, very far away!"

The child's voice was clear and resonant.

The couple was stunned, then smiled awkwardly and didn't ask any more questions.

Hua Yun stood not far away, taking in all of this.

Her smile remained unchanged, but a complex and unreadable emotion flickered deep within her bright eyes.

Like the calm surface of Baixi Lake, occasionally a breeze blows, creating a very faint, light ripple.

She walked over and ruffled her three sons' fluffy heads.

"Alright, it's okay if the kite can't fly. Let's go home. Grandma made you some delicious osmanthus cake."

"Yay! Time for osmanthus cake!"

The children's attention was instantly diverted, and the little incident from before seemed as if it had never happened.

Holding their mother's hand, they skipped and hopped towards home.

Their laughter, as clear and crisp as wind chimes, was the most beautiful background sound in Baixi Village.

But nobody knew.

In the top-floor president's office of the Zhou Group, hundreds of kilometers away from Baixi Village in City A.

Zhou Yanjin has just finished a multinational video conference.

He wearily rubbed his temples, picked up the coffee on the table, and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Secretary Yingzhi Yao knocked on the door and came in, placing a document on the table.

"Mr. Zhou, this is information on several key cultural tourism projects that the group plans to invest in in surrounding cities next quarter."

"One of them, a project located in Baixi Village, has a potential rating of S."

Zhou Yanjin took a sip of coffee, her gaze still fixed on the bustling cityscape outside the window, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Baixi Village?"

"Yes," Ying Zhiyao added, "a beautiful village that has emerged in recent years is most famous for a brand called 'Xishan Muyun'."

"It is said that the sheep raised there and the roasted lamb are absolutely delicious."

Zhou Yanjin's hand, holding the coffee cup, paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

"Compile all the information for this project into the most detailed possible form and send it to my office in half an hour."

"Okay, Mr. Zhou."

Yao bowed and withdrew, gently closing the heavy office door behind him.

The entire top floor returned to absolute silence once again.

Outside the window, the city of A shines with its ever-burning lights, but Zhou Yanjin's thoughts drift to Baixi Village, hundreds of kilometers away, a place he has never set foot in yet feels strangely familiar to him.

Meanwhile, in Baixi Village.

Four years old is an age full of curiosity and a desire to explore.

Their own yard could no longer contain the three energetic "little tigers" of the Hua family.

Their world extended from within the courtyard walls to the entire Baixi Village.

As soon as Hua Yun or Grandma Li Guifen gives the order, the three little ones will rush out of the house like birds released from their cages.

They no longer need adults to follow them around all the time.

The eldest brother, Hua Si'an, was clearly the "commander-in-chief" of this trio.

He always walked at the front with his short legs, his little face serious, looking quite like a little adult.

"Sile, stay close, don't wander off!"

"Sitao, wipe your drool! We're out here on an adventure, not looking for food!"

Hua Sile is the team's mood maker; she has a sweet tongue and knows how to please people.

Hua Sitao is always the logistics supporter, always able to pull out half a cookie or a piece of candy from his pocket. The ultimate goal of his adventures is often to discover new delicacies.

Besides the three brothers, this small "Baixi Village Expedition Team" also has several regular members.

There was a grandson named Hua Tao from his uncle Hua Shi's family. He was just learning to walk and couldn't speak clearly yet, but he always liked to follow his older brothers around.

There's also the five-year-old boy named Dundun from Aunt Li's family, who acts like a big brother.

Their daily exploration tasks are varied and diverse.

Sometimes, they would go to the century-old locust tree at the entrance of the village to collect the most beautiful leaves.

Sometimes, it's a competition to see who can run to the big red flag in front of the village secretary's house first.

Recently, they have become fascinated with a new activity at Baixi Lake – watching people fish.

The ecology of Baixi Lake is getting better and better, and there are more and more fish in the lake.

There are always some retired old men or tourists who like to bring a small stool, cast a fishing rod, and sit by the lake for most of the day.

This should have been an extremely boring thing for energetic children.

But ironically, the three brothers showed great interest in it.

They would imitate the adults and tiptoe over.

Then, find a safe distance that is neither too close nor too far, and squat down in a row.

Three identical little heads huddled together, like three round mushrooms.

They didn't make a fuss, they just watched quietly.

Watching that thin fishing line being cast far into the heart of the lake.

Watching those colorful floats gently sway on the water's surface with the ripples.

Once you start looking at it, you can look at it for a very long time.

Even the old man fishing couldn't help but turn around and look at them.

"What are you three little devils looking at?"

"Grandpa, why is the fishing rod so long?" Hua Si'an asked first, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Because the lake is very big, and the fish are in very far places."

"Then why does the float move?" Hua Sile asked, pointing her little finger to the water.

"Because there are fish eating down there, they are sending us a message."

"Grandpa," Hua Sitao said, licking his lips, "was the fish delicious?"