Chapter 1 At 26, he bought a lottery ticket with cash and won 3...
Only Fireworks Know
By August Glutinous Rice Balls
August 20, 2025
—
Summer in September is always exceptionally long. Even in late September, the heat is still intense, like a group of reckless teenagers at the start of the school year, who, relying on the lingering power of the summer heat, rush in without a care, charging recklessly and unruly.
Jin Zhao left early in the morning, and when she arrived, the lottery center had just opened. The moment she pushed open the door, a blast of cold air hit her. She glanced at her reflection in the glass door: loose long clothes and trousers, a mask and sunglasses, a wide-brimmed sun hat on her head, and a ten-yuan canvas bag of the same color slung over her shoulder.
"Hello."
The lottery center staff greeted us indifferently, and when they casually put down their breakfast cups, the metal spoons made a clinking sound against the ceramic cup walls.
"Hello, I'm here to claim my prize." Jin Zhao approached, showing his ID and the winning lottery ticket. "I have an appointment."
The other party realized what was happening and exclaimed, "Ah! You mean Ms. Jin Zhao who won 30 million?"
Jin Zhao: "Yes."
It's her, Jin Zhao.
At 26, without relying on anyone, he bought lottery tickets outright and won 30 million.
The staff called over the supervisor, and the two of them verified her lottery information and identity. Jin Zhao followed their directions to the area under the surveillance camera.
"Now please write your ID number and bank card number on the back of the lottery ticket."
Jin Zhao took the black pen and asked, "Can I deposit the money into four different bank cards?"
The staff member was taken aback: "Is there a problem?"
"No, I checked some travel guides before I came. They said that conflicted people need guiding RMB, avoidant people need proactive RMB, love-starved people need attachment RMB, and irritable people need people-pleasing RMB." Jin Zhao took out bank cards from the four major banks from his canvas bag and laid them out on the table one by one. His fair fingers touched the slightly cool cards one by one. "Hey, guiding, proactive, attachment, and people-pleasing, I want them all."
The staff stared at her in disbelief.
Three seconds later, he nodded with great professionalism: "Okay, 30 million, 20% tax, 24 million in hand, deposited into four bank cards, 6 million per card on average. Please confirm that there are no problems, just write the account number on the back of the lottery ticket."
"OK, thanks."
Jin Zhao lowered her head and neatly wrote down her bank card account numbers for the guiding, proactive, attached, and appeasing types.
While carefully checking the figures a second time, I overheard a staff member turn to the supervisor and say, "This is only 6 million in a long drama; in a short drama, it would be at least 60 billion."
Supervisor: "That's right, inflation is rampant over there."
What about long dramas and short dramas?
Jin Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and just as he was about to turn around and ask, he suddenly heard an urgent shout in his ear—
Wake up!
Wake up!
Jin Zhao opened his eyes groggily, his gaze gradually focusing.
The driver, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and black-rimmed glasses, had one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the passenger seat. He turned to call out to her, "Young lady, wake up, we're here."
Jin Zhao was sleeping very soundly, still half asleep, curled up in the back seat without moving.
My gaze drifted blankly past the driver, through the windshield.
Ahead lay a straight asphalt road, flanked by lush plane trees. The morning sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled golden rays that swayed gently in the breeze, much like the glittering 30 million dollar fortune that beckoned to her in her dreams.
That was a wonderful dream; don't have it again.
The ride-hailing car sped away, and Jin Zhao stood there, staring at the plaque next to the school gate that read "Suiyi Normal University," feeling empty and melancholy.
She's 26 years old this year. She started kindergarten at age 2 and studied diligently for 24 years, spending all her savings to finally become a respectable person in the public eye, a university professor. She thought the sea of learning was boundless and hard work was the only way to success, but now that she's finally reaped the rewards, she looks up and suddenly realizes—
Oh my god, no one ever told me that after suffering the hardship of studying, you also have to suffer the hardship of being broke!
She started working at the end of last semester. When the first paycheck text message came in, she glanced at it and mistook the four numbers for a verification code. If it weren't for the subsequent message about her housing provident fund being deposited, she wouldn't have even realized it was a paycheck text message.
She quietly exited the app, intending to scroll through some short videos to calm herself down, but by sheer coincidence, she came across one—one about respectable but impoverished jobs.
The blogger's voice was full of passion as he counted down from tenth place, then ninth, eighth, and so on until finally, the liberal arts university teacher overtook all others and ranked first.
She calmly put down her phone, comforting herself that times have changed, academic qualifications are now much less valuable, and young teachers are bound to be poorer. But it's okay, she'll just focus on her research, get promoted, and get a raise; she should have a decent pension when she gets old.
The mere thought of retirement gives people something to look forward to.
Unfortunately, the recent news about delayed retirement has made her already impoverished situation even worse, and she has finally started daydreaming.
Jin Zhao felt embarrassed when he thought about that 30 million.
How dare she do that? She's never even been in a tissue box before.
Some people are born to be chosen ones, with luck that's almost unbelievable; others are born to be NPCs.
She is that NPC.
Fortunately, this daydream didn't delay her work; she even arrived at the classroom 5 minutes early.
The first two periods today are college English classes for second-year students.
8 AM, general education courses, and seasoned sophomores – just putting these keywords together would leave even veteran teachers speechless. But Jin Zhao is a freshman, and while the new teacher may be poor, he has inexhaustible enthusiasm and tries to influence the students, achieving a two-way exchange.
She always puts extra effort into interaction, such as using hot topics that everyone is interested in as an introduction, or designing interesting topics for students to discuss, so her students tend to be quite attentive in class.
Today's lesson is a short love story with simple vocabulary and basic grammar. The natural way to introduce the lesson is to give the microphone to the students and let them share their own love stories.
When it comes to love, the boys and girls get really excited. They used to secretly date a lot back in high school, and now that they can talk about it openly in class, everyone's hearts are fluttering with excitement. Jin Zhao gave them a little encouragement, and those lovebirds immediately stood up and started showering each other with affection.
Someone's English wasn't up to par, and halfway through their speech, they suddenly said, "My English is not okay, can I speak Chinese?"
Jin Zhao nodded, both amused and exasperated.
Once the Chinese language is opened up, things get lively. Some students who were planning to catch up on sleep just minutes before are raising their hands, those with partners are saying who they are, and those without partners are reporting who has a partner, pulling people up to talk.
Some laughed and cursed, some watched, and some fanned the flames.
Outside the window, the sky was blue with white clouds, and the sun blazed fiercely. The once lifeless students of the Eighth High School were now lively and cheerful, laughing incessantly.
Jin Zhao couldn't help but laugh, teasing those who "reported" them: "So you've been fed customized dog food too, haven't you?"
Unexpectedly, the boomerang pierced his own body.
The college student, in his early twenties and at the peak of his career, took advantage of being only six years younger than her. He didn't even call her "teacher," but instead addressed her as "sister," and said warmly, "We'd rather eat your dog food!"
Jin Zhao was both amused and annoyed, and joked, "Stop 'sister,' you're not a real estate agent, and I don't have the money to buy a house either."
Unfortunately, they couldn't get away with it.
Someone chimed in, "Teacher, you've heard our love story, now we want to hear yours too!"
Jin Zhao had no choice but to confess honestly: "I have never been in a relationship."
"I don't believe it! Teacher, you're so beautiful, you must have been a school beauty in your student days, how could no one have pursued you?"
"Forget about student days! Just last week I saw someone post a photo of their teacher on Xiaohongshu and ask if she was our school's most beautiful girl!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I saw it too! Teacher, did you see it?"
Jin Zhao: "..."
Don't even mention it, she didn't see it, but a teacher from her department saw it and forwarded it to her, she was so embarrassed.
"I didn't see it." Jin Zhao denied without changing his expression. "I was a very well-behaved student. I focused on my studies and was single-minded, which is why I'm still single."
The students let out a disappointed "Ah!", while others persisted relentlessly—
"What about unrequited love? Have you ever had unrequited love, teacher?"
The temperature was 37 degrees Celsius today. The air conditioner in the classroom was running at full blast, but the students still complained of the heat and turned on the overhead fans. The fan blades spun, and the wind blew across the textbooks spread out in front of Jin Zhao.
The thin pages were gently lifted, then fell silently back down.
Jin Zhao felt a moment of calm, then honestly replied, "Yes."
The disappointed geese suddenly perked up again, vying to ask more questions—
"Who is it? Is it a classmate?"
"To be liked by such a beautiful teacher, I simply can't imagine how handsome the guy must be!"
"Why does it have to be the man? Can't it be a girl?"
Don't argue with me—
Jin Zhao smiled calmly: "He is very handsome."
All general education classes were combined into one class, such as politics (three-in-one classes) and English (two-in-one classes), all in large classrooms, each equipped with a microphone for the teacher. Jin Zhao's soft and tranquil voice, coming through the microphone, easily silenced the laughing and noisy students below.
But the gossip enthusiasm of young people can't be suppressed—
"Then why don't you confess your feelings?"
"Is it because he's particularly awful?"
"Forget it then, I won't even date a scumbag, no matter how handsome he is!"
Feeling a bit tired from standing, Jin Zhao leaned gently against the edge of the podium, a faint smile on his face: "Not a jerk at all. On the contrary, he's very good, exceptionally good. Tall and handsome, although he looks cool and has a sharp tongue, making you worry that he might poison himself by licking his lips, he's actually very warm and soft-hearted. Apart from being occasionally silly and having a low alcohol tolerance, he has no flaws. He's even incredibly lucky; he's the luckiest person I've ever met."
"Wow!" a student suddenly whistled. "Teacher, we only said one word, 'scumbag,' but you've said so many words already?"
Immediately, someone burst into laughter and chimed in: "Your writing still loves him!"
Someone asked again, "Then why didn't you confess your feelings?"
The cicadas chirped incessantly outside the window, and the wind repeatedly turned the pages of the book in front of me.
Jin Zhao's almond-shaped eyes were clear, and when she smiled, her lower eyelids resembled a shallow crescent moon: "Because it's too good, we're not from the same world."
When it comes to dating, her students know more than she does. Someone, with remarkable insight, asked, "Has it crossed class lines?"
Jin Zhao was surprised. She had been confident that things had changed so much, that they would never see each other again, and that these children were two generations removed from him, so they would never cross paths again. That's why she dared to say so much. She hadn't expected her students to be so perceptive. She dared not say any more. If she were exposed, she would be doomed.
She pressed down on the pages of the book that had been blown about by the wind, and jokingly changed the subject: "Looking back now, I actually regret it a bit. I should have confessed back then."
"Wow!"
"Maybe his family will give me a card then, so I can leave him with cold, hard RMB." Jin Zhao said with a serious sigh, "Oh dear, I've missed out on getting rich quick!"
The students in the room laughed so hard they almost fell over.
*
Meng Zhuxi got into trouble again, and Meng Yanxi came to the school today to clean up the mess for her.
The Third Teaching Building and the Academy of Fine Arts are two connected buildings; the Third Teaching Building is in Building A, and the Academy of Fine Arts is in Building B, connected by a corridor. Today the sun was too strong, so after parking her car, Meng Yanxi, familiar with the area, entered through the nearest Third Teaching Building and took the elevator to the fourth floor.
Walking from the Third Teaching Building toward the Academy of Fine Arts, all I could hear were the teachers' enthusiastic voices, while the students below were as dull as robots, barely breathing. It was a very apt description of the saying: "Energetic elderly people and lifeless college students."
One classroom was particularly lively, with laughter audible from afar. That vibrant enthusiasm, echoing the incessant chirping of cicadas outside the window, made Meng Yanxi feel as if she had returned to her beloved high school.
Meng Yanxi walked casually down the empty corridor. Amid the noise, a quiet, sweet female voice suddenly rang out.
The sound, carried by the microphone and accompanied by a slight static, was clear and distinct.
Like a piece of jade thrown into a calm lake, with a "plop," clear spring water splashes everywhere, filling the world with a clear and delightful surprise.
Meng Yanxi stopped in her tracks.
A note from the author:
----------------------
The story has begun! The long-awaited "older brother" chapter of the Suiyi Trilogy! Jin Zhao x Meng Yanxi / Gentle on the outside, strong on the inside NPC x Prodigy/Sweet girl x Cool guy
Based on the experience of the previous book, to avoid confusion, let's further distinguish between the two names: Meng Zhuxi is the younger sister, the female protagonist of the previous book, "Is Money a Special Talent?". Meng Yanxi is the older brother, and he is the male protagonist of this book. The younger sister is Zhu, and the older brother is Yan!
The brother isn't a jerk; there's a reason he has a bad reputation with his sister. Chapters 35 and 44 of the book with the money are joint extras featuring the brother and sister.
This book has a slightly larger campus setting compared to the previous purely urban stories. Surprisingly, the playboy older brother in "Rich Man" is actually the one with the strongest youthful charm.
This chapter will give away 66 red envelopes!
—My next column, "Life Is Getting Better," is now available for pre-order—
Straightforward girl x Green tea childhood friend / Boy secretly loves girl
——
Song Ying never dreamed that she would end up with Meng Shiyan.
The two met by chance when they were young, but their meeting was purely accidental, and they were essentially completely unrelated.
Meng Shiyan was born into privilege, possessing superior looks and immense power; his greatest achievement in life was spending money.
Song Ying is obsessed with studying fortune-telling instructions and tries every means to get DeepSeek to tell her how to become rich overnight.
No need to work, no need for capital, no side effects, money comes from all directions, and it would be best if you could even find a romantic partner.
DeepSeek told her to go find Doubao.
After flirting with her crush for half a year, Song Ying finally decided to confess her feelings. On the day of the confession, Meng Shiyan drove her there, and it started to drizzle.
Song Ying: "It's a natural progression, a good omen!"
Meng Shiyan glanced at her expressionlessly: "Ying, fire. Water overcomes fire, so that man is your nemesis."
Song Ying called him a jinx.
Before the confession could even begin, Song Ying started arguing with Crush.
Meng Shiyan tried to mediate the fight, but was pushed to the ground by the scumbag. Glass shards cut his finger, which angered Song Ying so much that she broke off all ties with the scumbag on the spot.
Outside the pharmacy, Meng Shiyan let Song Ying tie his fingers into a bow, his expression remorseful: "I'm sorry, it's all because of me. I'll make it up to you."
Song Ying said, "No need, it has nothing to do with you."
Meng Shiyan suddenly leaned down and kissed him, repeating, "I'll make it up to you."
*
After the two got together, Song Ying recalled Meng Shiyan's actions and felt more and more familiar with them, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why.
Until one time when we were eating hot pot, the TV in the neighborhood shop was showing an idol drama. It was a scene where a scheming female supporting character was trying to break up the male and female leads, and the second female lead was pretending to be pushed to the ground by the female lead.
Song Ying suddenly realized and slapped her thigh.
When men become "green tea" (a manipulative woman), life gets better!
#GreenTeaChildhoodFriendDefeatsTheSuddenLover#
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