China man wins lottery; doesn't tell family because they might become too carefree and lazy
A man from China won nearly 220 million yuan (P1.76 billion) in the lottery. He, however, kept it secret from his wife and child because he was afraid that they might become too carefree and lazy.
South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the man, under the alias "Li," bought 40 lottery tickets worth 80 yuan (P640) each in the autonomous region of Guangxi Zhuang. Every ticket had the similar seven numbers.
All seven numbers hit, according to the local Nanning Evening News, as cited by SCMP. Bloomberg also reported that the numbers he's playing for years, or "alaga" in local parlance, were: 2, 15, 19, 26, 27, 29, and 2.
Li's windfall gains amounted to 5.48 million yuan per ticket, or under 220 million.
Upon hitting the jackpot on Oct. 21, Li couldn't sleep and took a train to the region's capital Nanning the very next morning. SCMP reported that he stayed in a hotel for the weekend, for fear of losing his tickets.
He went to Guangxi Welfare Lottery Distribution Center in the city on Oct. 24 to collect his winnings. During the check presentation ceremony, he dressed up in a cartoon costume, one of the country's popular ways of protecting lottery winners' identities according to SCMP.
While the stroke of luck made him so excited, Li didn't share the good news with anybody, including his very own family.
“I am concerned that they might feel superior to other people and will not work or study hard in future,” he is quoted as saying.
In any case, the lottery money will be considered a joint asset with his wife. A lawyer told local outlet Jiupai News, as cited by SCMP, that Li might be violating local marriage laws for “infringing on his wife’s right to know."
Li said he's a "loyal fan" of lottery, having bought tickets regularly for over a decade. He noted that he doesn't "spend much" on it, and that his family "does not care" about it.
Though he only won a few dozen yuan in the past, Li kept his "alaga" as the numbers, he said, "looked pleasing."
"The lottery provides a ray of hope for me," he is quoted as saying.
Li will take home some 171 million yuan (P1.37 billion) after paying taxes and donating 5 million (P40 million) to charity, SCMP reported.
Asked how he will spend his money, Li said he hasn't decided yet and will "take some time" to plan things.
