Entering the room, Wang Guan asked again, "What about big brother? It's almost noon, why isn't he back yet?"

Wang Guan’s room was entirely dust-free, a clear sign it was cleaned regularly—no need to ask, this was all Mother Wang’s doing. As soon as she entered, she familiarized herself with the space, pulling out a feather duster from under the bed to sweep the slats before laying down a new mat.

"Your brother has something urgent at work; he won't be back for lunch."

Mother Wang said this while patting the quilt tucked inside a cardboard box, frowning slightly. "Look at you, you didn't say you were coming back ahead of time. Otherwise, I would have washed and aired these things out yesterday."

"It’s fine, they don't smell anyway. Just airing them out will do," Wang Guan chuckled, taking the quilt out himself and running up to the rooftop to hang it on the drying pole for some fresh air.

When he returned to his room, Mother Wang was tidying up and asked casually, "It's not a holiday or anything, why are you back now?"

"I quit my job," Wang Guan stated plainly.

A fleeting expression of worry and doubt crossed Mother Wang's eyes. "Didn't you say just two days ago that work was going well? You even mentioned the manager thought highly of you and intended to promote you. How could you suddenly resign?"

"A colleague was cooking the books, and I found out. I reported it to the manager."

Saying this, Wang Guan gave a helpless smile. "I never thought he was actually related to the boss. After that, the manager couldn't protect me either, so I had no choice but to resign."

Thinking back, Wang Guan felt incredibly wronged. He had only tried to perform better precisely because he knew the manager was going to promote him. Who knew this would become the catalyst for his unemployment?

Understanding the whole sequence of events, Mother Wang sighed, comforting Wang Guan. "A company that plays favorites has no future anyway. You quitting might be a good thing."

"It is definitely a good thing. Otherwise, I wouldn't have turned misfortune into fortune."

Wang Guan’s face was filled with smiles as he pulled out two bank passbooks and handed them over. He had opened these at a nearby bank yesterday when buying his train ticket, all for this very moment.

"What are these?"

Mother Wang certainly recognized the passbooks, but she couldn't grasp Wang Guan's intention.

"See for yourself," Wang Guan said with a smile, keeping silent.

Although his father wasn't home and it was just his mother, the feeling of surprise was somewhat diminished. However, realizing who truly held the financial reins of the household, he quickly reconciled himself to the situation.

"So mysterious..."

As she spoke, Mother Wang opened the passbooks. Squinting at the string of zeros on the first book, her initial reaction was that her eyesight must have deteriorated even worse.

Otherwise, how could she be seeing blurry numbers in broad daylight with ample light?

"Mom, look, this one is one million five hundred thousand, and the other one is one million two hundred thousand," Wang Guan laughed, his expression playful, like a child eager for his parents' praise.

Mother Wang’s hand trembled slightly, utterly disbelieving. She looked up. "Where did so much money come from? Did you win the lottery?"

This was the instinctive reaction of a mother seeing her child suddenly in possession of a fortune. She believed her child implicitly, assuming the money wasn't obtained through robbery or criminal means, but through legitimate, lawful earnings.

"It’s almost like winning the lottery," Wang Guan chuckled, then produced another piece of paper—the transfer agreement for the Yingqing small bowl.

For the next half hour, Mother Wang scrutinized the two passbooks and the transfer agreement repeatedly, even putting on her reading glasses, which she rarely wore, to carefully verify everything.

After a long, long while, Mother Wang was finally certain: this was all real.

Fortunately, information dissemination was highly advanced in this era. Newspapers and television frequently reported stories of people winning hundreds of millions in lotteries, or digging up a jade stone and selling it for tens of millions.

Events of sudden, overnight wealth were no longer uncommon in society. Thus, Mother Wang quickly accepted that her son was one of those lucky individuals.

Seeing her mother’s emotions stabilize, Wang Guan immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He had genuinely worried she couldn’t handle the shock.

"Mom, you keep this one for one million five hundred thousand. I'll hold onto the other one."

Simultaneously, Wang Guan voiced his suggestion: "The one million five, you and Dad can discuss how to spend it. Buy your brother a car, or maybe another apartment..."

"Discuss what?"

When it came to spending money, Mother Wang was completely alert. She shook her head. "What car? Your dad and brother both have cars. As for a house, we don't need to worry; our current one was built only a dozen years ago, it’s nowhere near retirement age."

"I meant a car..." Wang Guan weakly defended himself.

"What are we buying a car for? How big is the county seat? You can walk across it in a few steps. Besides, the gas prices are so high now. The television reports daily on the oil shortage, rising crude prices, refining losses, and so on."

Mother Wang was highly pragmatic. "If we buy a car, we have to maintain it too. It’s not cost-effective."

"Fine, the money is in your hands, you make the decision," Wang Guan conceded defeat.

A triumphant smile spread across Mother Wang’s face as she prepared to take the passbook back to her room to hide it in a secret place. Suddenly, she seemed to recall something and turned back. "Wait, what are you going to do with the remaining one million two hundred thousand? Carrying that much money on you isn't safe. Why don't I keep it for you? You can ask me when you need to use it."

"Mom..."

Wang Guan's scalp tingled. He quickly said, "I forgot to tell you, I’ve found a new job now. It’s at a very large antique shop. I plan to learn antique appraisal from a master, with the goal of opening my own shop someday."

"Learning antiques?"

Mother Wang was slightly confused, but she had her own way of processing things. After a moment of thought, she smiled. "Learning a trade is a good thing, but it will probably take several years before you open a shop. Why don't you..."

"Mom, since I’m back for a rare visit, I’m going to visit some old friends. I won't be back for lunch."

Amidst her murmuring, Wang Guan grabbed the passbook and bolted out the door.

"This child, he’s grown up, he’s getting harder to manage," Mother Wang frowned, though her eyes were filled with joyful satisfaction. She then picked up the passbook and the transfer agreement, examined them once more in secret, and quietly returned to her room to hide the items somewhere unknown.

Since it wasn't the weekend, Wang Guan’s friends knew he was back but couldn't free up time to accompany him, so they arranged to meet another day. Helpless, Wang Guan wandered around the county town, observing its development and changes.

Stopping and starting his circuit, by the time he finished, it was dusk, and Wang Guan returned home.

By then, his father and elder brother had also returned. Wisps of cooking smoke drifted from the kitchen, carrying an appetizing aroma that made Wang Guan’s mouth water and filled him with a profound sense of warmth.

"You're back."

His father and brother merely offered light smiles and nods in greeting. Unlike his mother, they didn't inquire about his job situation, as if his sudden return was an entirely expected event that raised no special questions.

Dinner was simple—enough plain rice accompanied by one vegetable dish and one meat dish. They hadn't slaughtered a chicken or duck because Wang Guan was back; the meal was not lavish.

Simple, ordinary, yet brimming with the flavor of home.

........................ New book, seeking bookmarks and recommendations, please give lots of support.