Chapter 2 — Winning 5.8 Million Yuan Lottery, I Just Told My Parents I Won 200,000 Yuan

The first person to change color was her aunt. The smile on her face stiffened, her hand still carrying the milk carton.

"Gia Gia, what do you mean by that?"

"We came all the way to visit you, why is it so hard to hear your words?"

Uncle Hai also frowned.

"Having lived in the city for so long, is talking to family members still so grumpy?"

I didn't reply. Just turned to look at mother.

"Mom, say it."

Mother bowed her head, two fingers tightening the strap of the cloth bag.

"Let's go home first."

"Standing in the hallway for the neighbors to see is not good."

I smiled softly.

"Do you even know that this is not good?"

As soon as she finished speaking, her mother's face immediately turned red. The baby in their sister-in-law's arms began to coo. She quickly patted her back to comfort him.

"See, you scared the baby."

I took a step back.

"If you want to come in, just go in."

"But first let's make it clear."

"Today, whoever walks through this door, don't pretend you don't know what you came here for."

No one spoke up. But everyone still goes in one by one. Eight people crowded my living room, which was not large. The aunt put the milk carton on the tea table. Uncle Hai set up a bag of peanuts against the wall. Aunt Hai even walked around to the kitchen, looking and muttering:

"The cooking pots and pans are all brand new. It seems like life is quite good."

I poured myself a glass of water. Don't pour for anyone. When the aunt saw it, her face became even more unsightly.

"Gia Gia, on the way here, your mother even praised you for your understanding."

"Now it seems... it's true that money changes people."

Mother quickly spoke up to reconcile.

"He just woke up so his mind isn't clear yet."

I looked straight at her.

"Mom, what did I tell you last night?"

Mother's lips moved slightly. But couldn't utter a word. Uncle Hai sat down on the sofa and coughed.

"Okay, we're all one family."

"Winning the lottery is a happy thing."

"What's wrong with us coming to have fun and enjoy a little luck?"

I asked directly:

"How did everyone know about it?"

The living room fell silent again. Auntie raised her voice.

"Your mother is so happy, how about saying a few words?"

"Between relatives, is there anything that cannot be said?"

I nodded.

"So how much did mom say I won?"

Aunt Hai's eyes wavered slightly.

"It doesn't matter how much."

"The important thing is that you have money now, everyone in the family is happy for you."

My cousin sat in the dining chair, the tip of his shoe constantly scraping the floor.

"Gia Gia, I'm not beating around the bush."

"Your store is lacking working capital."

"I'll lend you 150,000 yuan in advance."

Their sister-in-law immediately responded.

"Our children are still young, milk and diapers are expensive every month."

"Please help me and my wife this time. When he grows up, he will be grateful to you for the rest of his life."

Uncle Hai raised three fingers.

"I don't ask for much."

"300,000 yuan."

"Renovate the old house so that the altar for grandparents can be more kind."

The aunt smiled faintly.

"That's fine at my house."

"My cousin is preparing to buy a house. I just need to give him 200,000 yuan as a deposit."

I picked up my phone and opened the calculator app. Plus the 5,000 yuan per month for milk that their sister-in-law just mentioned. Then Aunt Hai said she also wanted to buy a car for her youngest son. The aunt added another sentence, saying that the grandmother's side should also "be a little sincere". I calmly added up each account. At the end... A number appeared on the screen. 860,000 yuan. I turned my phone screen towards them.

"I just told my parents I won 200,000 yuan."

"And everyone just opened their mouths and demanded 860,000 yuan."

"Let me ask..."

"Who teaches people to count like this?"

No one spoke up. Mother's face turned white. The aunt gently nudged her with her elbow.

"What should I say?"

Mom raised her head to look at me, her voice trembling.

"Jia Jia... relatives are not outsiders."

"Everyone has difficult times."

I stared at my mother.

"So how much did mom say?"

Mother's eyes were red.

"I'm just saying... you won a big sum of money."

"Not specific."

At that moment, Uncle Hai suddenly burst out laughing.

"Sister-in-law, what you said is not okay."

He took out his phone from his pocket.

"The message I sent to the group last night didn't say anything like that."

Mom immediately rushed forward to stop him. But Uncle Hai pressed play on the recording. My mother's voice rang out on the phone.

"My family's son really made the family proud this time, winning 5.8 million yuan."

"He just told everyone he won 200,000 yuan, because he was afraid everyone would be jealous."

"But I'm his mother, don't I know?"

Mother's voice echoed throughout the living room. Every sentence, every word... It's like nails driven straight into my heart. I looked at my mother. She didn't dare look back at me. Uncle Hai pressed open the next recording again.

"Don't tell anyone else."

"Go up to his house tomorrow, let me talk to Gia Gia."

"She's very soft-hearted. If each family helps a little, it's definitely not a problem."

My hand holding the glass of water stopped in mid-air. The water surface is calm, without a single ripple. I slowly raised my head to look at my mother.

"Each family helps a little?"

"How much did you promise them on my behalf?"

Uncle Hai put his phone away and curled his lips.

"That... have to ask your mother."

Mother's lips began to tremble. At that moment, my aunt took out a neatly folded piece of paper from her bag.

"I was afraid you'd forget, so we wrote it all down."

The aunt spread the paper on the tea table. On it were a few words written in black ink. The writing is not beautiful, but each stroke is very strong. Uncle Two's house: 300,000 yuan. Aunt's house: 200,000 yuan. Cousin: 150,000 yuan. Milk fee for their sister-in-law's child: 5,000 yuan per month, given one year in advance. Buying a car for Aunt Hai's youngest son: 100,000 yuan. At the end of the paper there is one more line. The rest is for Ha Gia to arrange herself. I stared at that text for three seconds. Then burst out laughing.

"The rest is for me to arrange myself."

"Everyone is so thoughtful."

Cousin frowned.

"Don't say such sarcasm."

"We didn't rob you."

"Just... borrowed it."

"Where is the loan?"

Cousin immediately became speechless.