Chapter 12

Lin Nanzhi sighed.

In her past life, it was the same. Her older brother was in university, her younger brother had exams, and her older sister wasn’t around. She was the only one at home when her mother asked her that question. Back then, her mother said, “Your brother and younger brother will definitely follow your father. We can’t control your sister. What about you?”—and because of that, she chose Lin Mother.

Lin Mother’s meaning was clear. Lin Nanxun was a son and had to stay to continue the family line. Her sister had an untamable personality and was beyond control. As for her older brother, Lin Nanye, he wasn’t born to Lin Mother. That left only her—she had to choose.

She thought, if her younger brother went with their father, wouldn’t her mother be alone? What would happen to her in the future? So, she chose her mother. But now, she felt a little regretful and didn’t want to make the same choice again.

Lin Nanzhi stared at the divorce agreement on the table, lost in momentary silence.

The agreement was written clearly: she asked for nothing from the family, but Lin Father had to give everything to Lin Nanye and Lin Nanxun…

She had never considered herself, nor had she thought about Lin Nanxuan or Lin Nanzhi.

Since childhood, Lin Father had always loved Lin Nanxuan, his daughter, and Lin Nanye, his eldest son, the most.

Neither Lin Father nor Lin Mother had been in their first marriage. Both had remarried. Lin Father’s first wife died in childbirth, a tragedy that took both mother and child, leaving only their son, Lin Nanye. After that, he had no intention of marrying again, but Lin Grandmother forced him to take Lin Mother as his wife. They loved each other deeply, but because of his past trauma, Lin Father didn’t want more children. Unexpectedly, Lin Nanxuan was born.

At the time, he thought, “I already have a son and a daughter, and family planning policies are strict—we can only have one child.” So, he didn’t want any more and poured all his love into Lin Nanxuan and Lin Nanye.

However, Lin Grandmother and the elders believed “the more children, the better.” They strongly opposed stopping at two and secretly avoided the family planning bureau, leading to the birth of Lin Nanzhi and Lin Nanxun.

Lin Nanzhi and Lin Nanxun were born unwanted. But because Lin Nanxun was the youngest of the four, Lin Mother naturally favored him.

As for her, the second child, unexpected and unwanted, was dismissed by her grandmother as “just a girl.” Her position in the family was awkward—not the eldest, not the youngest. Unlike her siblings, she never cried for attention, so she was always ignored.

Even now, the only reason they were asking for her choice was because there was no one else left to ask.

But all that was in the past. Lin Nanzhi had long since come to terms with it. She no longer cared. Living a second life, there was no need to dwell on these things. She could support herself.

“I’m not going with anyone. I can live well on my own.” Lin Nanzhi said, picking up the pen and adding a clause to the agreement.

This time, she wanted no part in their personal lives.

Lin Mother hadn’t expected this answer. Her expression cracked for a moment, and a trace of disappointment flashed in her blue eyes. But she didn’t force her—she only asked her to accompany them to the civil affairs bureau.

She never considered what it meant to make a child witness her parents’ divorce firsthand—the impact it would have on her entire life.

Lin Nanzhi went with them to the city but didn’t follow them to the civil affairs bureau. Instead, she used the excuse of buying study materials and parted ways.

—-

Yesterday’s lottery numbers had been announced. When Lin Nanzhi checked that morning, she found out that her numbers had won first prize. She was beyond thrilled and was now heading to claim her winnings.

To avoid any potential trouble in the future, she disguised herself in a plush costume, making herself look much taller. Then, she went to the lottery center, handing over her ticket and necessary documents.

The staff looked at her in surprise, their eyes full of shock.

At first, they were puzzled by her strange attire. But when they saw the lottery information, they suddenly understood.

The first-prize jackpot was one unit. But Lin Nanzhi had bought 88 units—meaning she won 88 times the prize money. That totaled over 60 million yuan. After deducting 20% tax, she still had… (The author struggled with the math here, feel free to correct it.)

Oh my god, that’s a fortune!

The staff were envious but professionally helped her complete the process. While filling out her information, Lin Nanzhi was careful. The lottery center legally couldn’t disclose a winner’s identity, but she still needed to avoid the media.

Once her details and ticket were verified, the tax was deducted, and Lin Nanzhi donated the remaining two million.

Whether or not she donated didn’t really matter—it was her money. But donating a portion at least prevented people from criticizing her, and it made her feel at ease.

Of course, there would still be internet trolls saying, “She won 50+ million but only donated 2 million? She should donate more.”

Lin Nanzhi didn’t care. Those people were just jealous. If they won, would they be so willing to donate their own money? Probably not.

Holding the prize check and dressed in a mascot costume for anonymity, Lin Nanzhi took a quick photo and left swiftly. Then, she headed to the bank to open a new account.

She had a bank card that she got from Lin Father, but that wasn’t truly hers. So, she wanted her own account.

She remembered that kids could open bank accounts in her city as long as a guardian was present. So, she called her parents. With their company, she successfully opened an account.

As for cashing in the check… It was valid for a month. She could take her time. Today was for claiming the prize—going straight to the bank might attract reporters. She decided to wait a few days.

Lin Mother had finished her affairs and was preparing to leave that night by train.

Before she left, Lin Nanzhi handed her a small box and told her to give it to Lin Nanxuan. She didn’t explain further—just warned Lin Mother to be careful. Then, she watched her mother leave and returned home with Lin Father.

The car stopped at the highway entrance, and father and daughter walked home carrying groceries. Lin Nanzhi glanced at her aging father, hesitated, and decided to tell him the truth about the lottery.

With so much money, she wasn’t going to live a hard life anymore. She wanted to be a salted fish (live comfortably with no stress).

Besides, Lin Father was getting older, Lin Mother’s health was poor, and Lin Nanxuan was still childish, wasting her youth with bad friends—only realizing her mistakes years later.

So, she planned to tell Lin Father. That way, he wouldn’t have to work so hard, and Lin Mother wouldn’t have to worry about Lin Nanxuan.

Most importantly—she wanted a new house.

She used to be nostalgic about the past, thinking their home was wonderful. But now that she was back, she found it hard to adapt.

Climbing the stairs, she feared they would collapse. The second floor, made of wooden planks, creaked dangerously under her feet.

Even with windows and a skylight, the house felt dark. It was too small, making everything inconvenient. Once Lin Nanxuan and Lin Mother returned, there wouldn’t even be enough room for everyone.

The only good things were the memories… and how warm it was in winter and cool in summer.