TPW – Chapter 12 Fingers Intertwined

The neighbors had all followed along, crowding around the Qiao family’s doorway and peeking inside. Since they were her neighbors, Qiao Lu felt too embarrassed to drive them away and could only gently pull the door closed, blocking half their view.

Xu Haizhou’s entrance into the house was rather sudden. Faced with Qiao Lu’s older sister and brother-in-law, the three of them locked eyes, staring at one another. To put it simply… the atmosphere was awkward.

Ahem— Qiao Lu cleared her throat, breaking the “emotional tension” between the three.

Qiao Yan snapped back to reality and realized she’d lost composure. Her expression turned sheepish—she really hadn’t expected, at age twenty-eight, to be so stunned by a young man.

Her sister hadn’t been lying—he was even more handsome than the stars in magazines!

“You brought so much stuff?” Noticing all the bags Xu Haizhou was carrying, Qiao Yan hurriedly made room for him. “Come, come, just set them here. These must be heavy!”

Even Qiao Lu was dumbfounded—there were even more gifts than yesterday. He’d added a bag of apples and two unfamiliar boxes. Judging by the size, they looked like shoeboxes, but she wasn’t sure what was inside.

“It’s alright. Not that heavy.” He was tall and broad—this amount was nothing to him.

Qiao Yan quickly poured him a glass of hot water. “Here, Comrade Xu, have something warm to drink.”

Xu Haizhou took it and downed it in one go. “Thank you.”

Her gaze lingered on the gifts, and Qiao Yan’s heart trembled. She immediately nudged Qiao An’s shoulder. “Quick, Qiao An, bring a stool for your stepdad.”

The little guy ran off with a pitter-patter, not catching what his aunt had just called Xu Haizhou.

The first to notice, in fact, was Qiao Yan herself. Her heart skipped a beat.

Oh no! She had originally planned to give Xu Haizhou a bit of a hard time when he arrived, but now it was all messed up!

“Oh come on, you really didn’t need to bring this much just to pay a visit!” The gifts were piled up like a small mountain. How much must that have cost? She was so flustered, she couldn’t even figure out how to play the “bad cop” anymore.

Even though Xu Haizhou wasn’t her man, Qiao Yan—who usually lived frugally—genuinely felt a twinge of heartache on his behalf. He had really gone all out! If he’d just brought a small token gift, she wouldn’t have gotten so carried away and forgotten her original intentions.

Xu Haizhou didn’t mind at all and calmly began arranging the gifts one by one. Finally, he opened the two mysterious boxes—even Qiao Lu didn’t know what was in them.

“Second Sister, this is our first meeting and I didn’t know what you’d like, so I just picked something randomly.”

“Oh, come on! If this is random, then there’s no such thing as random in this world!”

As she spoke, the boxes opened—inside was a pair of high-quality cashmere leather boots!

From the doorway came the sound of someone sharply inhaling.

These were really good—better than leather shoes, even! Most families wouldn’t dare buy them lightly. Even if you had the money, you might not be able to find them. And even if they were available, they’d be long gone—scooped up by internal connections. Some well-off factories would give them out as a New Year’s bonus, but usually only for senior staff.

Don’t underestimate these fleece-lined boots—the inner lining was pure cashmere! The exterior was real leather. They were warm, insulated, windproof, and perfect for winter. What family wouldn’t want to get a pair of fur boots for their loved ones? Xu Haizhou really knew how to make a good impression!

“I guessed the shoe size and deliberately bought them a bit bigger. These have good stretch, and if they’re a bit large, you can just add an insole—it won’t affect the fit.”

The couple each took a pair from him. The women’s boots fit Qiao Yan perfectly. The men’s boots were one size too large, but perhaps because of the cashmere lining, they didn’t feel oversized at all.

Yuan Jianghe’s eyes lit up with appreciation. He walked back and forth a few steps in them. “These boots are great. I’ve wanted a pair for the past two years, but could never get my hands on them.”

Xu Haizhou smiled. “I only got them thanks to a friend. They’re hard to find in the market.”

Yuan Jianghe gave him a second look—his impression of him skyrocketing.

“You’re really something, kid.”

At thirty-four, Yuan Jianghe calling twenty-five-year-old Xu Haizhou “kid” wasn’t out of line. In fact, the tone carried a kind of friendly warmth—he’d clearly accepted him.

Qiao Yan, too, was grinning from ear to ear. These leather boots really were warm. The moment her feet slipped in, it was like stepping into a furnace—not even exaggerating! The only downside was that real leather wasn’t waterproof—she’d never bear to wear them out in the rain.

“Real leather and cashmere—so comfy and warm!” Qiao Yan grew more and more fond of them, and whatever prejudices she had completely vanished. “You really went overboard! Don’t do this next time!”

Next time…

Xu Haizhou smiled. “Qiao Lu told me you and your husband treat her well, so I’m just borrowing flowers to offer to the Buddha.”

Qiao Yan covered her mouth, laughing. “You’re too modest—you really know how to talk!”

Qiao Lu: “???”

Sister, didn’t you say you were going to act like the big sister?

Brother-in-law, weren’t you going to pull rank and intimidate him a little?

You’ve both defected?!

Qiao Lu covered her face.

Who would’ve thought that Xu Haizhou wasn’t a low-level player either? She had thought he was just a pure, innocent young man, but in reality, he was quite clever!

Actually, Qiao Yan and her husband weren’t the type to be dazzled by money. One was a workshop director at a chemical plant, and the other was a team leader—both were college graduates, people who had seen a bit of the world.

Back when Qiao Lu said she wanted to give it a try with Wang Bin, he actually brought quite a few gifts to the house. But Qiao Yan and Yuan Jianghe hadn’t seemed all that impressed. Wang Bin’s petty, vulgar arrogance was nothing like Xu Haizhou’s sincerity and thoughtfulness. Xu Haizhou embodied the concept of “a well-raised man” perfectly, leaving a much better impression.

Qiao Lu’s sister and brother-in-law were chatting away with him non-stop, and Qiao Lu felt like they might as well skip the meal altogether.

Still, since he came all this way on a rainy day with so many gifts, they had to go through the proper motions.

Qiao Lu tugged at her sister to pull her into the corridor—if they kept talking, they’d never get to eat.

“Alright, I’ll go make lunch with Qiao Lu. Jianghe, you take good care of Comrade Haizhou.”

Comrade Haizhou? Now that’s something.

While the two women cooked outside, Xu Haizhou stayed in to play chess with Yuan Jianghe. Qiao An wanted to follow his mom, but Qiao Lu thought the corridor was too crowded and didn’t let him come out.

It was cooking time, and being a weekend, the corridor was lively and bustling. As soon as Qiao Lu and her sister stepped out, neighbors swarmed around them with questions.

“Did I see that right earlier—leather boots? Fur-lined boots?”

Qiao Yan, in a great mood, beamed and replied, “Sheepskin.”

“Wow, how fancy! Not bad! Where did the guy come from?”

Before Qiao Lu could respond, Qiao Yan jumped in, “Sister Liu introduced them.”

“Ay, that Liu! Why didn’t she introduce someone like that to my daughter back then!” Aunt Zhao joked.

Someone chuckled, “Yeah, not bad at all! He looks so young too!”

Aunt Zhao’s daughter was around Qiao Lu’s age. A year ago, she was also introduced to someone through Sister Liu. It was a done deal after just one meeting—not like Qiao Lu, who had been so picky. If they’d waited, maybe she could have snagged that young man! But alas, it was too late now.

“Right? He’s only twenty-five—about the same age as my sister.” Qiao Yan smiled, then stuffed an enamel basin into Qiao Lu’s hands. “Go get some water.”

Qiao Lu obediently went off on the errand.

Song Yulian peeked inside the house and clicked her tongue. “So young? Was he divorced or widowed?”

Now that was a typical stereotype—everyone assumed that since Qiao Lu was a widow, she should be with a divorced man for it to “make sense.”

“What divorce or widowed wife? He’s never been married! This is his first!” Qiao Yan laughed helplessly. But seeing the shocked looks on everyone’s faces, she found it quite amusing.

She loved how unworldly they all looked.

“Really? That can’t be!”

“Isn’t your sister divorced? Then how come he…”

They were trying to avoid saying anything too unpleasant out loud, mindful not to damage neighborly relationships.

Qiao Yan just curled her lips slightly, still cheerful. “Who knows? That’s how the world is—some things just can’t be explained. When fate arrives, everything falls into place. Mysterious, isn’t it?”

Go on, keep marveling!

That one line shut everyone up. This is why you don’t mess with educated folks—they can talk circles around you with reason, and you’ve got no comeback!

There weren’t many entertainment options in those days, so gossiping about neighbors was the most interesting pastime. They kept at it until lunchtime, when everyone finally dispersed to eat.

Lunch was especially lavish today—one meat dish and three vegetable dishes. Qiao Yan had even sent Qiao Lu to the food shop to buy peanuts for deep frying. Fried peanuts would be considered basic street food thirty years later, but right now, it was top-tier guest hospitality.

Just think: peanuts, deep-fried, with sugar added! Crisp and fragrant—the perfect bar snack! But oil was so precious in those days. For a household of three, the monthly ration was just two to three jin of oil. Everyone had to scrimp and save. That’s how much Qiao Yan valued Xu Haizhou.

Yuan Jianghe opened the bottle of Jiannanchun liquor that Xu Haizhou had brought, and the two men drank together. Xu Haizhou looked mild and refined, but perhaps because he was from the North, he could really hold his liquor. He downed a large bowl without even a change in expression.

Yuan Jianghe, not wanting to lose face, kept pouring even after his ears turned red. Qiao Yan snatched the bottle away.

With a glare: “That’s enough. You’ve had more than your limit—no more drinking.”

A drunk Yuan Jianghe was the worst. He snored like thunder and couldn’t be woken even with a slap. The next day he’d be hungover, too tired to work.

Yuan Jianghe waved her off dismissively and tried to grab the bottle back. “It’s fine—it’s a happy day, just a few more drinks!”

“When are you not happy?” Qiao Yan spun around and shoved the bottle and his drinking bowl into the cabinet, locking it with a loud click.

So badass!

Yuan Jianghe, feeling helpless, pointed at Qiao Yan and said to Xu Haizhou, “Look at my wife—she wants to manage everything. She’s way too strict. When you and Qiao Lu get married, don’t be like me. A man should have some backbone!”

Qiao Yan chuckled and gave him a light smack on the shoulder. “Oh, you’re tough all right—just tough with your mouth.”

The remark made everyone burst into laughter, including Yuan Jianghe himself.

Though he complained about his wife being strict, deep down he was actually pleased. He liked this kind of thing—he enjoyed being managed.

It was all just a way to please his wife.

After a few drinks, Yuan Jianghe launched into an animated retelling of his and Qiao Yan’s love story to Xu Haizhou—from their chance encounter to getting to know each other, and eventually falling in love. It actually sounded pretty romantic.

“Back then, there were barely any college graduates at our factory, let alone anyone who actually read. Other people had notebooks, teacups, and pens on their desks—maybe a copy of Quotations from Chairman Mao at most. But her desk? Full of Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, Schopenhauer—too many to count.”

“I thought to myself, this woman’s something else! So different from the rest! I had to get to know her!”

Qiao Lu couldn’t help but giggle. “So that’s when you started pursuing my sister?”

“Yup, I started getting close to her, trying to find out about her story. After we got to know each other, we’d talk about everything—from Marxist philosophy to Tolstoy, from poetry and prose to flowers in spring and snow in winter. Your sister was captivated by my charming personality and fell head over heels for me.”

Qiao Yan rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back. “Yeah right! Don’t listen to him. He was relentless! I only agreed because he wore me down!”

As she explained, her face flushed red.

Yuan Jianghe grinned, clearly reminiscing fondly.

“I didn’t have any experience back then. But I heard someone say that even the strongest woman can’t resist a persistent man. So many guys at the factory liked you, but you always acted aloof. I knew you’d be hard to win over. So I did my homework, read all those foreign classics you loved, just so we’d have something to talk about. I had to stay close—what if someone else snatched you away?”

Despite being well into his thirties, he had no shame about his romantic confession. If not for this dinner, Qiao Yan wouldn’t have known her husband could be so thick-skinned—or that he didn’t even like those classics. He just read them to impress her, to “win” her over!

Qiao Yan was both exasperated and amused. If she had known all this before they got married, she probably would’ve been mad, maybe even reconsidered their relationship. But now, they’d been married almost three years. Yuan Jianghe treated her so well—well enough to cancel out all those little schemes from before.

“Didn’t expect my brother-in-law to have such a romantic streak,” Qiao Lu said. She set down her bowl and chopsticks, propped her chin on one hand, completely absorbed in their love story.

Xu Haizhou turned his head to look at her. Her serene profile came into view, her almond-shaped eyes curved in a smile like a blooming bud—sweet and lovely.

Almost involuntarily, his hand under the table reached toward her, his fingertips brushing lightly across the back of her hand. The touch was feather-light, like a soft paintbrush skimming across skin—ticklish and tingling.

Qiao Lu turned her head just in time for Xu Haizhou to clasp her hand. The sudden motion startled her, and she locked eyes with his, which were crinkled with a smile.

The ceiling light cast half his chiseled face in shadow and the other half in light. That single glance felt like it shot straight into her heart.

Qiao Lu never imagined their first time holding hands would happen like this.

Her first reaction wasn’t to pull away. Instead, she was thinking—Why is his hand warmer than a stove? Why is it rougher than mine? Why does it feel so good?

At that moment, only heaven knew how nervous she was. She hadn’t had a drop of alcohol, but she already felt drunk and dizzy.

A rush of nervous excitement and unfamiliar thrill surged through her. The air between them shimmered with a subtle, intoxicating tension, and her heart pounded wildly.

Maybe it was his warm hand, or maybe it was the emotional story of her sister and brother-in-law that got to her.

Qiao Lu gently tightened her grip, turned her hand around, and held his—small hand clasping a bigger one. Then with a final slip of the fingers, they interlaced them tightly.

His hand was bony and not exactly plush, not the most comfortable to squeeze—but she loved the feeling of it!