Hard work after winning the lottery

That promise, "At least we won't go this year," was like a reassurance, not only calming the three frightened children but also giving Hua Yun herself a chance to catch her breath.

The days slipped by unhurriedly amidst the bleating of sheep in Xishan Ranch and the shimmering waves of Baixi Lake.

Spring goes and autumn comes, another year and a half has passed.

The baby who used to need to be held and comforted has now grown a lot taller, like three saplings growing strong.

A four-and-a-half-year-old boy is at the age when even cats and dogs dislike him; his energy seems inexhaustible.

They are no longer the little ones who could only follow behind their mothers and express their wishes with reduplicated words and babbling.

The triplets now speak clearly and logically, and can "negotiate" with adults on a back-and-forth basis.

The sun was shining brightly that afternoon.

Hua Yun sat under the grape trellis in the yard, watching her three sons chasing and playing on the lawn.

Si'an was holding an insect guidebook and explaining the different kinds of butterflies to her younger brothers with great seriousness.

Sile, holding an insect net, jumped around, trying to put her brother's theory into practice.

Si Tao, always a man of action, was already lying on the ground, carefully observing an ant that was moving house.

Looking at their focused and energetic appearance, Hua Yun's heart was filled with a warm feeling.

That thought, buried deep in my heart, quietly resurfaced once again.

She cleared her throat, speaking in an extremely soft voice.

"Si'an, Si'le, Si'tao, come here for a second, Mom has something to ask you."

The three little heads turned around in unison.

They dropped what they were doing, and with their short legs, they ran to their mother, looking up at their three identical little faces with bright, sparkling eyes.

Hua Yun gently patted each of their fluffy heads and asked softly, "Babies, do you remember Grandma Wang's house at the east end of the village, where there's a little boy named Shitou?"

Sile eagerly answered, "I remember! He can make little water guns out of bamboo!"

Hua Yun smiled and continued to guide the conversation: "So where does Brother Stone go during the day now?"

"Kindergarten!" This time, all three answered in unison.

"Yes, kindergarten." Hua Yun looked into their eyes, her tone tentative. "Then...would you like to go to a place with lots and lots of toys, lots and lots of friends, and teachers who will teach you to sing and draw?"

She held her breath, her heart pounding in her throat.

I was terrified of seeing resistance and fear on their faces again.

However, to her surprise...

In those three large, dark, grape-like eyes, there was no longer resistance, but pure curiosity and longing.

The composed Si'an tilted her head and asked earnestly, "Mom, are there any books in kindergarten that are bigger than my insect encyclopedia?"

Sile jumped up excitedly, her face flushed: "Are there really a lot of children? Can we play cops and robbers together?"

Si Tao was the most direct. He grabbed Hua Yun's arm and shook it hard: "Mom! Is there a slide? You know, the kind in the park, really, really tall!"

Seeing their excited chatter and chatter, Hua Yun's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

She knew that the children had truly grown up.

The "running away from home" incident that was planned because of fear of going to kindergarten seems to have faded into a vague adventure in their young memories.

Hua Yun deliberately brought it up: "Do you guys remember that one night when the three of you were playing hide-and-seek in the haystacks at the sheep farm?"

Si Tao's eyes lit up, and she immediately replied, "I remember! It was dark inside that haystack, but it was warm! We even heard Uncle Sheep bleating!"

In his description, the search that terrified the entire village turned into an interesting nighttime adventure.

There was no fear, no tears, only childlike curiosity about the unknown.

Hua Yun felt both sorry for him and amused, and gently scratched his little nose.

"That's a very dangerous game. You're not allowed to play it anymore, understand?"

"Okay, Mom!" The three little ones nodded obediently.

Having received a positive answer, Hua Yun decided to strike while the iron was hot.

A few days later, she drove her family car, carrying her three carefully dressed little ones, to the town's central kindergarten again.

Before the car had even come to a complete stop, the scenery outside the window immediately caught the triplets' attention.

A brightly colored castle-like gate, a huge combination slide in the courtyard, a colorful windmill spinning in the wind, and the clear singing voices of children coming from the classroom.

All of this acted like a giant magnet, exerting a fatal attraction on them.

Hua Yun unbuckled her seatbelt and looked back at the three little faces in the back seat, their eyes wide open as they clung to the window. The smile on her lips deepened unconsciously.

"How is it? Do you like it here?"

"like!"

This time, the answer was louder and more eager than the last.

After getting off the bus, Hua Yun took their little hands and led them into the kindergarten.

The last time they came, they clung to her trouser leg like three frightened little animals, refusing to move forward an inch.

But today, it was the three of them who were dragging Hua Yun forward.

A kind teacher was leading a group of young children in a game in the yard. Upon seeing them, she greeted them warmly.

Sile, the little cow, had already broken free from her mother's hand and ran over with her short legs, curiously watching the group of children playing Eagle Catches Chicks.

Sitao's gaze was completely drawn to the huge climbing frame. He pointed at it, turned around, and asked loudly, "Mom! Can I play on that later?"

Only Si'an was still holding his mother's hand, but he wasn't afraid. Instead, he was carefully observing his surroundings, his little brows slightly furrowed, like a little adult surveying his territory.

Hua Yun crouched down to look him in the eye: "Si'an, what are you looking at?"

Si'an pointed in the direction of the classroom and whispered, "Mom, I heard a teacher telling a story inside, it sounded like it was about dinosaurs."

His eyes shone with a thirst for knowledge.

Hua Yun's heart was finally at peace.

She knew that her children were ready to embrace this new phase of their lives.

After the inspection, the decision to admit the child to the park was made.

On the weekend, Hua Yun specially set aside a whole day to take the triplets to the city's largest shopping mall.

This was their first major purchase for their own business.

In the past, Hua Yun made all the decisions when it came to buying things; the others were only responsible for nodding or shaking their heads.

But today, Huayun has given them full autonomy.

"You'll be kindergarteners soon, so you should choose your own things, okay?"

"good!"