A family of three talks lottery
Yue Meifen quickly put the ingredients from the pile of purchases somewhere safe, then carried the rest-the clothes, shoes, socks, and so on-onto the kang bed. Father and daughter watched her throughout, stunned by how nimble her legs had suddenly become.
Yue Meifen had been in a car accident a week before Chi Qing's college entrance exams. They had kept the truth from Chi Qing, telling her it was nothing serious, but Yue Meifen had actually had a narrow escape from death. Being able to run and jump now was already a tremendous blessing, though her legs still ached from time to time.
"Mom, aren't your legs aching anymore?" Chi Qing couldn't help asking as she watched her mother suddenly brim with vigor. "Never mind that," Yue Meifen replied imperiously. "Come on, tell us all about it. What exactly happened?"
Yue Meifen had always been brisk and cheerful, but years of financial hardship and pressure had gradually worn away her vitality. Although she still bustled about every day without stopping, there was a certain heaviness to it. The news that Chi Qing had won the jackpot seemed to have restored Yue Meifen's youth in an instant.
Women love money, men love beauty. Words of wisdom indeed, Chi Qing thought.
Note: "Women love money, men love beauty" is not meant disparagingly; it is biological instinct. Women have households to manage, and money represents a stable economic foundation, which is also the foundation of a secure, happy family. Food and sex are part of human nature, and men bear relatively greater financial pressure in life. Beauty can sometimes offer a diversion, but appreciating beauty does not mean doing anything immoral. So, provided there are limits and restraint, I believe women loving money and men loving beauty are both in keeping with human nature and beneficial to people.
"Come on, tell us all about it. What exactly happened?" Yue Meifen asked. "Mom, there's not much to tell. I won the lottery, then I went and claimed the prize."
"You've got some nerve, girl, going to collect that much money all by yourself. You should have told us so we could go with you," Yue Meifen said. "Oh, no one besides the two of us knows, right? You mustn't tell anyone else about this." As she spoke, Yue Meifen unconsciously lowered her voice further and further, as though someone were pressed against the window eavesdropping. Thinking back to Chi Qing's furtive behavior at the mall earlier, one could only marvel: what remarkable genes~
"Don't worry, Mom. It was very safe. These days, you can claim prizes anonymously, wearing a mask and stuff," Chi Qing made up offhandedly. "Besides, I'm not stupid. Only the three of us know. I haven't told anyone else."
"Good," Chi Yongliang muttered beside them. "Keep a low profile. We absolutely have to keep a low profile."
Chi Qing laughed. Birds of a feather really did flock together; her parents thought exactly as she did.
Then Chi Yongliang murmured again, seemingly unable to believe it, "You really won the lottery. Is it that easy to win?"
"Mom, Dad, it's true. I don't know why either, but I won. I'm telling you because I don't want you to have to work so hard anymore, or worry about me," Chi Qing said.
"We're not worried. It's not hard," Chi Yongliang said, while Yue Meifen's eyes began to redden.
"Dad, I've transferred 20,000 yuan to your account. Buy whatever you need. Don't begrudge yourselves the money." Seeing her mother's eyes redden, Chi Qing felt a little at a loss and hurriedly spoke while entering her password on her phone. "Ding." Before Chi Yongliang could say anything, the notification for a bank text message sounded.
"You don't need to transfer money to us. We have enough," Yue Meifen said. "Don't go spending recklessly. It looks like a lot, but it won't last if you spend it. Hurry and pay off your mortgage and everything first, then put the rest in savings and live off the interest. You won't have to worry after that."