KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 21 — A woman in China who took cover from a sudden downpour inside a lottery shop ended up walking away with a one-million-yuan (US$140,000 or RM590,000) prize after buying a scratch card.

According to the South China Morning Post, the incident happened on August 8 in Yuxi, Yunnan province, when the woman, who has not been identified, stepped into the shop in Hongta District. 

She reportedly asked the store owner if scratch cards were available, remarking: “Since I am stuck in the rain, I might as well play a little.”

She purchased a full booklet of around 30 tickets, each priced at 30 yuan for a total of 900 yuan. 

On her sixth card, she uncovered the one-million-yuan prize.

“My hands and legs went weak. I never imagined this even in my dreams. Maybe it is because water brings prosperity,” she was quoted as saying.

The shop owner confirmed the win was processed through official lottery procedures. 

The woman later told Jiupai News that she sometimes buys scratch cards and had only just finished lunch when the rain began.

By chance, the shop was also running a promotion — “Spend 50 yuan, get 20 free; spend 1,000 yuan, get 1,000 free” — which encouraged her to purchase the entire booklet. 

After claiming her prize, she gave the shop owner a cash-filled red envelope and a silk banner in thanks.

She chose not to publicise her win online, saying she preferred to stay low-key. 

“One million is not much. I did not post about it. I just went back to work as usual. I do not dare to lie flat or be lazy,” she said.

The story sparked wide discussion on Chinese social media, with many linking her good fortune to the idiom “encountering water brings fortune”. 

“The rain must have been sent by the God of Wealth!” one user commented, while another joked: “If rain brings fortune, I am heading straight to a lottery shop the next time it pours.”