"Kid, this is unbelievable!"
"I’ve been running this Lottery Store for so many years, and I’ve never seen a stack of scratch tickets contain two grand prizes!"
After recording his TikTok video, the owner cashed out both grand prizes for Li Zhiyan first.
Xu Qianqian, who’s always unable to stand seeing Li Zhiyan succeed, quickened her pace, desperately hoping to scratch her way to the ten-thousand-yuan prize.
If she could win ten thousand yuan, this month’s loan repaynt would be almost settled.
But after scratching through an entire stack, Xu Qianqian hadn’t managed to uncover anything worthwhile.
"Boss, another stack!"
Li Zhiyan quietly scratched the scratch tickets, setting aside all the winning ones together.
All the way up to the very last ticket, he hadn’t hit the hundred-thousand-yuan grand prize.
This made Li Zhiyan feel a bit uneasy—could it really be missing?
But as he scratched the last ticket, the hundred-thousand-yuan figure appeared in his view.
Li Zhiyan finally felt completely at ease! The shop owner, who had been watching him closely, also noticed this mont.
"A hundred thousand! Kid, your luck is off the charts!"
At this mont, across from him, Xu Qianqian had just finished scratching through her second stack only to co up empty again, and yet she heard Li Zhiyan had won a hundred thousand!
Her face contorted with frustration.
"Kid!"
"I’m going to put up a banner for you!"
"Let record another TikTok video first."
As the shop owner, he was absolutely delighted whenever a custor won big—it was basically live advertising. Each ti soone hit a jackpot, it boosted business for a while.
The sign at his storefront about a fifty-thousand-yuan scratch ticket win dated back two years ago; finally, he had fresh material for promotion!
Under Xu Qianqian’s extrely pained gaze, Li Zhiyan left the Lottery Store.
After Li Zhiyan left, Xu Qianqian was so angry she started shaking uncontrollably.
In her heart, she looked down on Li Zhiyan the most, and she couldn’t bear to see him do well.
"Qianqian, are you okay?"
"Let buy you another stack. Maybe we’ll hit a jackpot too."
Ah Fei glanced at his WeChat balance and decided to buy his goddess another stack of scratch tickets to cheer her up.
...
Redeeming at the lottery center went very smoothly too.
At noon, in a Sha County Noodle Bar.
Li Zhiyan ordered a plate of scallion oil noodles, a serving of stead dumplings, and a bowl of spare rib soup.
Looking at the balance on his WeChat account.
He felt a deep sense of security and confidence in his heart.
"Seems like a man really needs money."
Li Zhiyan recalled a line from a TV show: A man without a woman is still a man.
But a man without money is like a spineless creature, unable to stand tall for his entire life.
Money—it’s truly the most important thing!
"Twelve thousand yuan... Once I pass my driver’s test, I can consider buying a car."
Though the main mission of one million yuan in cash and a villa was still far away, Li Zhiyan was already feeling excited about it!
He was even starting to think about what gifts to bring his parents the next ti he went ho.
What thrilled him the most, though.
Was Xu Qianqian’s miserable expression as she watched him win.
The look on the face of the person he disliked the most gave him a strange sense of ntal satisfaction. Though his "golden finger" wasn’t imnsely overpowered, Li Zhiyan was filled with confidence and anticipation for the future.
...
anwhile, Zhao Shumin was sitting in a small eatery eating the cheapest lunch available.
To save money for her son Shang Shunsheng’s marriage, she had been tirelessly working and living frugally.
Whenever the company asked her to work overti, she never complained, rushing over imdiately.
Today was Zhao Shumin’s birthday, and deep down she wanted to celebrate with her son and Liu Yan. Though she and Liu Yan were often at odds, she had always treated Liu Yan as part of the family in her heart.
"Maybe I’ll call my son."
"My son might at least buy a cake."
Zhao Shumin rembered how one of her colleagues celebrated her birthday a few days ago, her son gifting her a nineteen-inch cake.
Along with a pair of high heels worth over two thousand yuan.
Such extravagant gifts were beyond Zhao Shumin’s imagination.
Even if Shang Shunsheng bought her sothing similar, she would have him send it back without hesitation.
Yet deep down, she still longed for a birthday cake.
After all, ever since her mother passed away when she was ten years old, no one had said "Happy Birthday" to her again.
She dialed Shang Shunsheng’s number; at that mont, Shang Shunsheng sounded obviously annoyed.
"What’s up?"
"Son, what are you doing?"
"Eating. What else would I be doing? Just say what you want."
Sothing about Shang Shunsheng’s tone caused Zhao Shumin to feel an unavoidable pang of disappointnt.
From the ti he was young, Shang Shunsheng was a rebellious child who had never treated her kindly. Now grown up, he was still the sa.
Especially after he found Liu Yan as a girlfriend.
"Here’s the thing."
"Today is mom’s birthday. Tonight, mom will co over and cook sothing tasty for you."
As she spoke, a trace of hope flickered in Zhao Shumin’s heart.
Surely her son and future daughter-in-law would at least prepare a cake—it was her birthday, after all.
"You’re already how old, and still celebrating birthdays?"
"Aren’t you embarrassed?"
"Liu Yan and I are busy—don’t co over."
"What birthday? Seriously."
With that, Shang Shunsheng hung up.
At that mont, Zhao Shumin fell into silence. She could hardly believe her own son would say such a thing.
A few days ago, Shang Shunsheng had spent an entire month’s salary on a bracelet for Liu Yan’s birthday—she rembered clearly.
But now, he was telling her not to bother with her own birthday.
Staring at the disconnected call.
Zhao Shumin’s heart ached deeply, crushed by an overwhelming sense of loss.
So, her son truly didn’t care about her birthday at all?
At that mont, Zhao Shumin’s entire being seed utterly defeated.
That afternoon, back at the company, the boss stepped into the office.
"We’ll be working overti until midnight tonight."
"Get your act together. Everyone knows most companies are laying off workers nowadays, so count yourselves lucky to still have a job."
His tone revealed that no overti pay would be provided.
Yet no one dared to utter even the slightest objection.
After all, finding a job now was incredibly difficult.
The boss shot a sleazy glance at Zhao Shumin’s chest before turning around and leaving the office.
Seated, Zhao Shumin felt an intense urge to break into tears.
Her birthday, and her own son didn’t even want to celebrate with her.
Even after she explicitly told him.
And now she was expected to work overti until midnight—a profound sadness and sense of emptiness consud her, making her want to cry her heart out.
In this world, it seed like nobody truly cared about her.
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