The day dragged on interminably; it was a relief when school finally ended.
Mufeng Su and Luoyi Zhao were on their way to the lottery shop when they passed through a snack street. Seeing the wide variety of tempting treats, Luoyi wanted to try everything. Mufeng proactively offered to buy her food and generously paid for it all. Luoyi happily picked out a mountain of snacks, and by the end, she couldn't finish it all and handed the leftovers to Mufeng.
"Oh, you've come to collect your winnings, young man! Is this your girlfriend? She’s a real beauty," the shop owner said, stepping out with excitement to greet them and patting Mufeng on the shoulder.
Luoyi’s face turned bright red, and she lowered her head.
"You’re teasing me, boss. She’s not my girlfriend yet. I’m just here to check the winning numbers from yesterday."
"Little brother, don't let a girl this lovely slip away. You’d better treat her well."
Although the owner tried to whisper, they were standing close enough that Luoyi heard every word clearly, and her blush deepened even further. Mufeng began to check the winning numbers one by one, and Luoyi picked up her own ticket to compare them. Suddenly, she grabbed his arm and shook him excitedly.
"Mufeng Su! Mufeng Su! Look, look, did this one win?" Mufeng turned quickly and took the ticket from her hands to verify it against the winning numbers.
"Aha!"
"It really won! Boss, check this ticket and see how much money it’s worth."
Both Mufeng and Luoyi were beyond excited. Mufeng called the owner over, who grew equally thrilled once he took the ticket. Fortunately, there were no other customers in the shop; if others had seen, they might have gone mad. Who would have thought that a young man just trying his luck would win a prize of 120,000 yuan?
"You’ve got incredible luck, kid. You’re the first person to win such a big prize here."
"This ticket won 120,000. One hundred and twenty thousand!"
Mufeng asked in disbelief, "Boss, when can I collect the prize?"
The owner thought for a moment and said, "You’ll have to wait a few days. I need to contact the headquarters; they’ll send someone specifically for the collection. Leave your phone number so we can get in touch, and make sure you keep that ticket safe—don’t lose it."
But Mufeng didn't have a phone. He suddenly remembered that Luoyi did.
"Luoyi, do you have a phone? Maybe we can leave your number?" Luoyi nodded, took out her phone, and gave her number to the shop owner. Then, the two of them walked out of the shop, side by side.
Even now, they hadn't quite recovered from the surprise.
"Luoyi," Mufeng murmured, "is this real? It’s 120,000 yuan!"
Mufeng patted his own face to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Luoyi pinched him, and Mufeng yelped in pain, realizing it was no dream—it was real.
"How can you be so lucky? Many people play the lottery their whole lives and never win a prize like this." Luoyi was genuinely happy for him; she felt even more joy than if she had won it herself.
Mufeng walked Luoyi to the bus station, and after she boarded, he walked home, still wondering if everything that happened today was real. The sudden windfall had disrupted his focus, leaving him unable to study as he remained immersed in his joy.
He suddenly remembered something: he had mentioned when buying the ticket that he was buying it for his family. He was still a minor and couldn't collect the prize himself, or it wouldn't be valid. He realized who he needed to call.
"Mom, can I use your phone?"
*Ring, ring, ring.*
"Who is it?" Chen Haoyu’s voice came from the other end.
"I need your help with something urgent. Tomorrow, find someone trustworthy to go to the lottery shop with me to collect a prize."
"What are you talking about? Lottery shop? Collecting a prize? You won?"
Mufeng had to explain the whole situation to him from start to finish. To his surprise, Chen Haoyu was even more excited than he was. He spent a full half-hour buzzing with enthusiasm before finally agreeing.
The next morning, Mufeng went to school as usual and brought breakfast for Luoyi, though today it was even more lavish than the day before.
"Luoyi, did the owner say when we can go to collect the prize?"
"The owner said we can go tomorrow," Luoyi replied. "I told him we’d be there around 6:00 PM."
Mufeng calculated the time; going straight from school tomorrow should work perfectly. After school the next day, the three of them took a taxi. Chen Haoyu sat in the front passenger seat, while Mufeng and Luoyi sat in the back. When they arrived, a man was waiting outside the shop.
"Cousin, sorry to keep you waiting," Chen Haoyu said, handing him a drink.
"You kid, how big of a prize is this that you need me to help you claim it?"
"It’s not mine, it’s my buddy’s."
The group entered the shop, and Mufeng handed the ticket to the cousin to handle the claim.
...
"What!"
"120,000!"
Once the process was complete, Chen Haoyu’s cousin was left stunned, though he admitted it felt pretty good to experience the thrill of collecting a prize. They went to the bank, withdrew the money, and handed it all to Mufeng. Chen Haoyu and his cousin left shortly after, as they had other things to attend to.
With the massive sum in hand, Mufeng carried his heavy backpack, deciding to open a bank account to deposit the money. Before that, the two went to a store to buy a new smartphone and get a SIM card.
Then, they went to handle the bank account formalities. Mufeng decided to give 30,000 yuan to his parents, and keep some for his daily expenses, depositing 60,000 yuan into the account. The clerk at the counter was surprised to see two such young people.
After everything was finished, Luoyi took Mufeng’s new phone and entered a string of numbers.
"That’s my number. It’s saved now. If you need anything, call or text me. It’s getting late, I should head back, or my family will get worried."
"Okay. Let me hail a taxi for you."
"Mr. Su, you’ve really become a big spender, haven't you? Everything is different now that you're rich," Luoyi teased.
"You bet. What do you want to eat tomorrow morning?"
"Let's skip it for tomorrow. I'll bring you breakfast instead."
"How about this? We’ll each take turns bringing breakfast from now on, so we can switch it up," Luoyi suggested.
"Sounds good to me."
Just then, the taxi arrived. Mufeng opened the door for her, shielding the frame with his hand.
"Stay safe. Send me a message when you get home."
"Okay, I will."
"Bye!"
After the taxi pulled away, Mufeng, for the first time in his life, took a taxi home as well.
"Son, why are you home so late? Did something happen today?"
Xu Shuxia had been worried for a long time. Mufeng usually arrived home early, but today he was nearly an hour late.
"Dad, Mom, I have something to tell you."
Su Muzhou and Xu Shuxia sat in their chairs, watching Mufeng. They didn't know what was wrong with their son. Suddenly, Mufeng pulled three stacks of red bills from his backpack and placed them on the table.
"Dad, Mom, I bought a lottery ticket a couple of days ago and won. At first, I thought it was a prank, but today, after collecting the prize, I realized it was real. That’s why I didn't tell you sooner; I was late today because I was at the shop collecting the money."
Mufeng pushed the 30,000 yuan across the table toward Xu Shuxia and Su Muzhou. They looked at each other, then at the money, taking a long time to process the news.
"Son, Mom trusts that you wouldn't do anything illegal. Mom will save this for you, and you can come to me when you need it."
They stayed in the room, filled with excitement, much like Mufeng had been when he first claimed the prize—starting with disbelief, moving to verification, and ending in pure joy. Mufeng thought about how this money would ease his parents' stress and provide a foundation for their future.