TPW – Chapter 14 This Is My Brother-in-Law

From Lian City to Qishui Village was a full twelve kilometers. Riding a bicycle all the way, with frequent stops, they had only covered half the distance after an hour. The road wasn’t entirely paved with smooth cement; once they entered the outskirts, it became rough and bumpy.

In these times, public infrastructure was underdeveloped. Buses connecting cities and rural areas hadn’t yet been established. For villagers wanting to enter the city—or city dwellers going to the countryside—the only options were to walk or ride a bicycle.

Back when Qiao Yan returned to the countryside to fetch Qiao Lu, she’d also come by bicycle —though it wasn’t her riding. She had sent Yuan Jianghe to bring her sister back.

That time, Qiao Lu was also returning to the city with her son and carrying some luggage—not much, but enough to be a burden. The round trip had worn Yuan Jianghe out completely, and he swore he’d never go back to the countryside again.

“Thanks for doing this. Conditions in the village are rough, and when we get home, there probably won’t be anything decent to eat,” Qiao Lu said.

“It’s no problem,” Xu Haizhou replied. It wasn’t like he had to make trips like this every day—he could put up with one or two. Besides, this trip was to fetch his bride. Just thinking about it made him feel energized, not tired.

Qiao Lu took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. Xu Haizhou stopped walking, only continuing once she had finished.

“Let me carry your coat for you,” she offered.

Xu Haizhou was getting warm and shrugged off his thick cotton coat. With five kilometers still to go, he knew he’d be sweating even more.

He didn’t insist on doing it all himself—after handing over the coat, he continued pushing the bike. Since the road was unpaved and unsuitable for riding, he had to walk. He couldn’t even walk side by side with Qiao Lu and her son; she led the way, the boy in the middle, and Xu Haizhou followed behind.

Little Qiao An wasn’t a fussy kid. Though he was puffing and panting from the exertion, he didn’t complain.

Rural dirt roads were hard to walk on, especially after the rain. They tried to step only on dry patches, but if they accidentally stepped into mud, it took real effort to pull their feet free.

Though Qiao Lu was a born-and-raised city girl, she wasn’t having an easy time with the road either. Every step felt like a struggle.

“Are the rural roads up north this muddy too?” she asked.

Xu Haizhou shook his head and wiped more sweat from his brow. “Not really sure—I haven’t spent much time in the countryside.”

“I thought all the educated youth were sent to the countryside back then. You didn’t go?”

Xu Haizhou shook his head again. “I was in school at the time, so I didn’t go. There were other reasons, too—not easy to explain in one sentence.”

In short, he didn’t go.

Qiao Lu didn’t press the issue. Whether she knew or not didn’t really matter to her.

Whenever they got too tired, the three would stop and rest. Luckily, they had the bicycle—at least they could sit on it for a break. The three of them huddled together like a little family, creating a warm, cozy scene that seemed to wash away some of their fatigue.

The final five kilometers took another two hours with all the stops. All in all, it took about three hours from the time they left Lian City until they finally saw the big banyan tree that marked the entrance to Qishui Village.

Their footsteps grew lighter with excitement.

Winter was a slack season in the village. Aside from turning the soil each day to prepare for the coming year’s crops, most villagers had more free time than usual.

Sure enough, as soon as Qiao Lu led Xu Haizhou into the village, a row of eyes turned to follow them.

They were still some distance away, and Qiao Lu squinted in their direction. It was a group of young villagers—seven or eight of them—all people she knew. None of them seemed bothered by the cold.

She was dressed beautifully today, a far cry from her drab village clothing. And walking beside her was the tall, sturdy Xu Haizhou. Some recognized her face but hesitated to confirm it because of the unfamiliar man. It wasn’t until the couple had already walked past them that someone finally voiced their suspicion.

“Was that woman just now… Qiao Lu?”

“Looked like her. But who’s that guy?”

“No idea.”

“Didn’t they have a kid with them too? Wow, I think that really was Qiao Lu!”

The group of young people suddenly stirred, keeping a distance of about seventy or eighty meters as they trailed behind.

Qiao Lu turned back, glanced at them, and quickly looked away. “They probably think I look familiar but aren’t sure. Afraid to call out.”

Compared to the fashion-forward trendsetters emerging in Lian City, the villagers of Qishui looked incredibly plain. The entire scene was full of dark gray, black, or indigo-dyed cotton-padded coats. Qiao Lu’s flowery cotton coat stood out vividly.

Xu Haizhou turned to look back and chuckled. “That means you’ve changed a lot.”

“Have I? It’s just a different coat,” Qiao Lu replied, smiling as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

Xu Haizhou glanced at her again, and every time he did, he couldn’t help but sigh in his heart: My girl really is beautiful.

The Qiao family’s home was considered average for Qishui Village. They weren’t starving, but they weren’t well-off either. The household was known to be stingy—they hadn’t even bothered to build a courtyard wall.

Once inside, Xu Haizhou parked the bike by the entrance.

The door to the main room was open, and they immediately saw her sister-in-law squatting and shelling peanuts.

She had a round face and thick lips, wearing a patched gray cotton coat and an apron. The woman noticed the light dimming at the door and looked up. Upon seeing them, she let out a sharp shriek.

“Ah! Mom! Mom! Little Sister is back!”

A woman hurriedly came out of the bedroom connected to the main hall, followed closely by a little girl around six years old. She had big eyes, an apple-shaped face, and slightly rough wheat-colored skin. As soon as she saw Qiao Lu, she ran toward her with open arms.

“Auntie!”

The girl rushed straight into Qiao Lu’s arms. Luckily, Qiao Lu wasn’t holding Qiao An at the moment—otherwise, the mother and son might’ve been knocked over by the enthusiastic child.

“It’s only been a month, but our Minjuan looks like she’s grown taller again,” Qiao Lu said, rubbing Qiao Minjuan’s head with a smile.

“Really? I’ve grown taller again? Then I must be taller than Wang Mengmeng now!”

“That’s amazing.” Qiao Lu looked up, her face glowing with joy as she greeted Lu Xiuhua: “Mom.”

“Qiao Lu, is it really you?” Her mother was still in disbelief, wondering if she was seeing things.

Qiao Lu gave a helpless laugh and walked over to embrace her. The familiar scent of fresh grass drifted into her nose—it was faint and soft, just like in her memories.

“Do I look like a fake to you?”

Looking up again, Lu Xiuhua’s eyes were misty with tears. She patted her daughter and said, “Real! Even more real than gold! My daughter has finally come home.”

“Grandma…”

At the sound of the child’s voice, Lu Xiuhua finally noticed Xu Haizhou standing behind, holding Qiao An in his arms. She was instantly overwhelmed with emotion. “My precious grandson is back too! Wonderful, just wonderful! Come in, come in, have a seat. You’ve come such a long way, you must be tired. Grandma will get you something to drink.”

Once they were all seated in the main room, Lu Xiuhua poured some water before finally noticing Xu Haizhou. She pointed at him and asked her daughter, “Eh, and he is?”

“Mom, this is my fiancé, Xu Haizhou.”

Lu Xiuhua’s heart skipped a beat. And not just hers—Niu Qiaoli and Qiao Minjuan were both curiously sizing Xu Haizhou up as well.

“Oh! So… you’ve got yourself a man?” Niu Qiaoli clapped her hands and stood up, giving Xu Haizhou a thorough up-and-down look. “Looks pretty decent! Taller than Ge Wenrong, too.”

Talk about hitting the sore spot. Why bring up that scumbag Ge Wenrong out of nowhere? This sister-in-law really had a knack for stirring trouble for no reason.

Lu Xiuhua was a bit displeased as well and quickly ushered her daughter and Comrade Xu to sit down.

“Comrade Xu, right? Here, have some water.” Lu Xiuhua passed him an enamel cup. “Must’ve been a tough trip. How did you get here?”

Xu Haizhou pointed to the bicycle in the courtyard. “We biked.”

“Oh wow, that’s not easy either.”

Xu Haizhou gave a small smile and opened a bundle he had brought along. Inside were gifts prepared for the Qiao family.

Brown sugar, peach crisps, a few bags of wedding candies, and two jin of pork. Because the journey was long, they couldn’t bring much else—just a few food items considered valuable in the countryside.

Initially, Xu Haizhou had felt that these little snacks seemed insincere. But Qiao Lu stopped him from bringing more. She said her sister-in-law didn’t get along well with the family and would just hoard any good stuff for herself.

Niu Qiaoli had married into the Qiao family at eighteen. After the wedding, their parents handed over the family finances to the eldest son, who in turn let his wife manage all the money. As a result, even something as small as a box of matches or a new pair of pants had to be approved by Niu Qiaoli before money could be spent.

Neither Qiao Lu nor her sister Qiao Yan liked their sister-in-law. Their memories of her weren’t exactly fond.

Qiao Lu clearly remembered that when she was eleven and had just entered middle school, she got her first period. At the time, all the money in the house was controlled by her sister-in-law. Qiao Lu asked for a bit of money to buy a sanitary belt, and she actually refused to give it.

Her older brother only gave the occasional symbolic gesture of comfort to his two younger sisters. Behind his wife’s back, he would secretly save up to help them a little, but he never dared say a word of criticism about his wife in public.

“We came back in a hurry this time, so we didn’t bring anything fancy—just picked up a few snacks.” Xu Haizhou handed the items over. Niu Qiaoli took them as a matter of course, without the slightest hesitation. In her mind, she was the mistress of the Qiao household, after all.

After accepting the gifts, Niu Qiaoli’s attitude flipped instantly. She snatched the teapot from Lu Xiuhua and began pouring water for everyone.

“Honestly, why’d you bother buying stuff? We’re all family—what’s the point of snacks? Waste of money!” she nagged while her hands never stopped moving. “Come on, have some water—you must be exhausted from the trip.”

“Thanks, Sister-in-law,” Qiao Lu said with a forced smile as she accepted the teacup. She gave her son a sip before drinking herself.

“Wow, Auntie, did you bring all food? What’s in there?” Qiao Minjuan leaned over the table, her eyes fixed curiously on the cloth bag.

“What are you looking at? You think you’re getting some?” Niu Qiaoli snapped, acting all serious—as she always did best. “That’s for New Year’s guests, not for you!”

As she spoke, Niu Qiaoli hurriedly took the bundle of food inside and locked it away.

She said it was for guests, but the truth was she was too stingy to actually share it. She knew exactly who it was really being saved for.

Qiao Lu had always wondered where her brother had found such a “capable” wife.

Lu Xiuhua wasn’t too pleased by the scene either, but couldn’t say anything directly. Instead, she turned to her granddaughter and said, “Juan’er, quick, go call your dad and your grandpa back.”

“Okay!”

It was the winter off-season for farming, and the end of the year was the most leisurely time. The two men weren’t doing anything urgent today; they were just digging winter bamboo shoots on the hill behind the house.

The little girl darted off like the wind. Meanwhile, Lu Xiuhua grabbed Qiao Lu’s hand—there was so much she wanted to say.

“Are things going well in the city? Is your second sister treating you right?”

Qiao Lu said, “Come on, you know my second sister. Of course she treats me well.”

“Good, good, as long as you’re doing well. While you were away, I couldn’t eat or sleep properly. I was just hoping to get a letter from you.”

Qiao Lu: “Mom, that was my oversight. I forgot to let you know I was safe.”

Lu Xiuhua let out a long sigh. “As long as you’re doing well, I’m relieved. A letter costs as much as a box of matches these days, huh?”

“Maybe,” Qiao Lu smiled. Honestly, she didn’t know—she’d never mailed a letter before.

Qiao Minjuan, nimble from years of running mountain roads, returned in under five minutes. Proudly, she announced, “I called them! They’re right behind me. So slow!”

Qiao Lu laughed and waved the child over, giving her two fruit candies—orange-flavored.

She had expected her sister-in-law wouldn’t share the treats with everyone, so she had tucked some away just in case.

“Wow! Candy!” The little girl grabbed it excitedly, peeled one quickly, and popped it in her mouth. “So sweet! So sweet! It’s delicious!”

Niu Qiaoli glared at her. “What’s a little girl like you doing eating candy? Save it for your dad!”

Honestly, Qiao Lu’s sister-in-law’s only redeeming quality might be how well she treated her husband…

Qiao Minjuan was used to her mother’s attitude. She stuck her tongue out, stuffed the other candy into her pocket, and skipped out of the yard. “I’m going to play!”

As she stepped outside, she ran right into Qiao Lu’s older brother Qiao Guobin and their father Qiao Yuefu, rushing back home.

They tossed down their hoes and bamboo shoots and hurried inside. “Qiao Lu’s back? Qiao Lu?”

“Dad! Brother!”

Though it had only been a month, Qiao Guobin was more emotional than their father. His eyes were red-rimmed.

“You’ve been gone for a whole month. Why’d it take so long to come back? I thought you might never return. I was even thinking of visiting you in the city.”

Qiao Lu smiled. “Well, here I am.”

Qiao Guobin nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes. It’s good you’re back.”

“Are you leaving again after this?” After watching the siblings catch up, Qiao Yuefu finally spoke.

“Yes,” Qiao Lu said, taking Xu Haizhou’s arm and bringing him forward. “Dad, big brother, this is my fiancé, Xu Haizhou. We plan to get married. We came home today just to see you all and pick up my household registration booklet. We need it to get a letter of introduction from the village secretary and register for our marriage license.”

Strictly speaking, marriage was supposed to be discussed with parents first, but the Qiao family was a special case. After Qiao’s parents handed financial control over to the eldest son and daughter-in-law, their opinions at home didn’t carry much weight anymore.

The old couple were soft-spoken and passive. Even if they didn’t agree with something, no one would care.

Compared to her parents, Qiao Yan—her second sister—was actually more respected and feared by the original Qiao Lu. After Qiao Yan got married, her word became law in the family. Once she made a decision, no one dared to object.

Why? Because Qiao Yan married well! She married a city man with a government job—he was even a mid-level official. Who wouldn’t want to curry favor?

So really, whoever controlled the money in a household basically controlled its voice.

Xu Haizhou gave a slight smile. “Nice to meet you.”

The two Qiao men stared at him in astonishment, scanning him from head to toe, impressed and a bit puzzled.

“Didn’t Qiao Yan say she was taking you to the city to work? How come this…”

Qiao Lu laughed. “Didn’t find a suitable job, but I did find a suitable partner. So I figured I might as well get married first. I can look for work after.”

“Oh? Well, that’s fine too…” Qiao Guobin nodded, then looked at Xu Haizhou again. “He’s from the city?”

Qiao Lu: “Yes.”

Xu Haizhou had strong, defined features, a tall and upright posture, and carried a natural sense of authority—so much so that one might suspect he had a military background.

The Qiao family members were all thinking the same thing: this guy seems really impressive—good-looking, good demeanor, and from the city!

For a man like him to be willing to marry Qiao Lu, even with her child in tow, the Qiao family naturally had no objections. In fact, when they heard how much he earned, they were all for it—urging them to get that introduction letter and marriage license ASAP!

The Qiao family continued asking Xu Haizhou questions about himself. Once they’d had a rest, Qiao Guobin took the couple to the village secretary’s house for the introduction letter.

On the way, they ran into quite a few villagers. Qiao Guobin didn’t miss a chance to brag. “This is my third sister, Qiao Lu—she’s back. And this is my future brother-in-law, from the city!”

“Oh? Qiao Lu has a fiancé? From the city? Which city—Lian?”

Qiao Guobin grinned proudly. “Yep, same place as my second sister’s husband.”

“Wow, she’s something else! Didn’t she already have a kid? Is the man divorced too?”

“Nope! First marriage!” Qiao Guobin looked even prouder. “He doesn’t care about that stuff. He just likes my sister!”

“Wow!”

Before long, word spread like wildfire. The whole village knew that the youngest Qiao daughter—who had gotten pregnant before marriage—had landed a city man. A tall, handsome one at that. And with good prospects too. Looks like Qiao Lu is about to marry into the city and start living the good life!