TPW – Chapter 19 Story of Ugly Duckling

The next day, the sky was bright and clear, not a cloud in sight.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks and fell on the woman’s face, revealing a glimpse of her neck. Her delicate, jade-like skin was marked with red, unsightly traces. Soft strands of hair clung to her smooth skin, the contrast of dark hair against fair flesh making her look especially alluring—radiant with a certain messy, seductive charm.

Qiao Lu was woken by Qiao An. The little guy was careful with his strength, patting her gently so he wouldn’t hurt her. But no matter how long he patted, she didn’t wake up. He grew increasingly anxious, his eyes turning red as he was just about to call for “Daddy.”

“An’an?”

“Mama!” Qiao An threw himself into her arms in surprise and joy, his little head nuzzling anxiously against her. “Mama kept sleeping and sleeping. I called you and you wouldn’t wake up.”

His little voice was full of grievance.

Qiao An had been scared. He thought Mama was sick, like how he’d been sick before—lying in bed listless, too weak to open his eyes.

Qiao Lu’s brain froze for a moment. When she snapped out of it, she chuckled—but the moment she shifted her body a bit, a sharp pain flared up from her lower half. She immediately stopped laughing.

God, just how intense had last night been?

“Mama, Mama…” Qiao An called again when she didn’t respond.

“Mama?” He poked her cheek with his finger.

“Mm?” Qiao Lu grabbed her son’s little hand and gave it a playful bite. His tiny hand was barely half the size of her palm—so small she could probably fit it entirely in her mouth if she balled it into a fist.

The little guy wiggled and climbed on top of her.

Qiao Lu took a deep breath. “Hiss—An’an, you’re pressing on me. Don’t move.”

Qiao An quickly climbed back down and nestled beside her, cautiously. “Mama, you’re still not getting up?”

Qiao Lu rubbed her temples and shook her head. “You go ahead and get up first. Mama will get up in a bit.”

“Okay.”

He slowly crawled out from under the covers and huffed and puffed his way to the wardrobe to find clothes. Qiao Lu had taught him last time, so this time he dressed himself rather skillfully—such a smart kid.

Xu Haizhou was long gone from the bed. Qiao Lu struggled to change clothes, then dragged her sore and aching body out the door.

Outside, the light was perfect. A hazy mist hung in the early morning air, while faint smoke drifted from the small kitchen.

The air was filled with rich aromas of food. Someone was stir-frying pickled vegetables, someone else was boiling porridge, and the sweet smell of roasted sweet potatoes wafted everywhere, making one’s mouth water.

Qiao An ran ahead into the kitchen, his excited little figure bouncing like a sparrow.

“Daddy!” He looked so happy.

Xu Haizhou laughed and scooped him up, lifting him by the armpits like they were playing a game, making the little guy giggle uncontrollably.

Ever since yesterday, when Qiao An refused to play with the neighborhood kids and ran inside with Xu Haizhou following after him, the two had grown surprisingly close.

Qiao Lu was a bit confused. When she asked, neither of them would explain. Xu Haizhou stayed silent, and Qiao An just said Daddy was great and that he liked Daddy—and that was the end of it.

Now, here they were, father and son shamelessly showing off their affection right in front of her.

“You’re up. Where’s Mama?” Xu Haizhou asked as he ruffled Qiao An’s hair.

“Mama’s behind me!” Qiao An pointed behind him, hugging Xu Haizhou’s neck. “Daddy, do you know what my little fish are called?”

This child had a great memory—he probably even dreamed about reminding himself to tell Xu Haizhou the names.

“Hmm… Bubbles and Little White, right?”

The little guy practically danced in his arms. “Yes! Did Mama tell you?”

“She sure did.”

Qiao An covered his little mouth and giggled softly. Mama didn’t forget—awesome.

Qiao Lu tiptoed into the kitchen with tiny steps. Xu Haizhou noticed she was walking a bit oddly, and something clicked in his mind. He quickly put the child down and rushed over to support her.

Lowering his voice, he asked, “You said it hurt last night. Does it still hurt now?”

Qiao Lu bit her lip and pinched his arm, both annoyed and amused. “Yes, it still hurts. You didn’t know how to be gentle at all.”

A hint of remorse flickered in Xu Haizhou’s eyes. “It was my fault. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Qiao Lu didn’t say anything—she just gave him a glare sharp enough to cut.

“Mama, what’s hurting?” the little one asked with his head tilted in confusion.

“It’s nothing.” Qiao Lu smiled and pinched his soft cheeks. “Mama just said Daddy really loves her.”

The little guy blushed instantly.

On the stove, a pot of congee was bubbling away at just the right consistency, sending out a mouthwatering aroma. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that he’d already prepared the main dishes: white steamed buns and a plate of diced radish on the small table, with three boiled eggs kept warm in a bowl of hot water.

Not a bad cook.

Xu Haizhou poured her a glass of water from the kettle and handed it to her. Qiao Lu took it.

“Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?” he asked.

Qiao Lu shook her head and downed the water in one go. “I was hungry.”

Xu Haizhou smiled. “Then go back to bed—I’ll bring breakfast to you.”

Her lower half still throbbed with a burning pain. After thinking it over, Qiao Lu didn’t argue. She accepted what would be the most “special” meal of her life.

“Daddy.”

“Hmm?”

The dining table had been moved into the bedroom. Qiao An held his bowl, sipping porridge while frowning. “Why is Mama eating in bed today?”

Xu Haizhou spooned some diced radish for his wife and replied with a smile, “Mama’s not feeling well.”

Qiao An’s face changed dramatically. He set down his bowl and spoon, kicked off his shoes, and scrambled onto the bed, throwing his arms around Qiao Lu. “Mama, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”

He mimicked what Qiao Lu usually did when he had a fever, placing the back of his hand on her forehead to check her temperature.

One had to admit—this child had an impressive ability to learn and remember.

Qiao Lu’s eyes curved into a gentle smile as she rubbed his head. “I’m fine. Mama just slept too long and got a little tired. I’ll be okay after resting for a bit.”

“Really? You’re not lying to me?” Qiao An’s misty eyes stared at her, as if he’d cry the moment she gave the wrong answer.

“Why would I lie to you, huh? You little crybaby.”

Sure enough, the little guy squeezed out two tears, lips puckered dramatically. “You’re not allowed to lie to me. I don’t want Mama to be sick.”

This child—his personality was really opening up. He was getting chattier by the day.

Qiao Lu felt both warm and amused inside.

“I’m fine. Just need to lie down for a bit. Be good, don’t worry.”

Later, when Xu Haizhou met Qiao An’s gaze, he suddenly felt a little guilty—after all, he was the reason Qiao Lu was “sick.”

They had to go set up their street stall today. It was already 8:30—any later, and all the good spots would be taken.

Before leaving, Qiao Lu gritted her teeth and got out of bed despite the discomfort. She tugged on his collar to fix it—it was still sticking up. If he went out like this, people might laugh at him.

“I wanted to fix this earlier. It was such a mess.”

Xu Haizhou gave a bright smile, feeling a rush of sweetness. He held her hand—it was soft and delicate, a bit cool to the touch.

“Women really are more detail-oriented.”

“We’re married now—what’s with the ‘women’ talk?” Qiao Lu shot him a look.

Xu Haizhou coughed and quickly corrected himself. “Ahem—my wife is detail-oriented.”

That one sentence made Qiao Lu blush. Was this what they meant by “suffering the consequences of your own actions”?

Still, despite everything, they both felt a quiet sweetness in their hearts.

Truthfully, Qiao Lu wasn’t the type to blush easily. A bit of sweet talk wouldn’t usually faze her. So… maybe she really did like him a lot now.

“You’re going to the stall today?” The honeymoon phase hadn’t even started, and now it was already over. Qiao Lu felt a bit down.

“Mm. For the sake of our home, saving a bit more money never hurts. Business has been slow lately—I’ll try to finish up early.” He hadn’t forgotten the promise he made to Qiao Lu and their son: to give them a good life, to make sure they could eat meat every day.

“Alright.” Qiao Lu gave a helpless smile and tiptoed to kiss him on the cheek—but since she wasn’t tall enough, she only reached his chin.

Fortunately, Xu Haizhou was tactful. He quickly bent down, letting his wife’s soft kiss land squarely on his cheek.

“Will you come back for lunch?” Qiao Lu asked.

“Of course.” His wife and son were at home—how could he not come back? “Oh, and I’ve already bought the groceries. They’re in the kitchen.”

After a moment’s thought, he added, “How about I come back and cook lunch? You should rest.”

Qiao Lu shook her head. “It’s not that serious. Cooking means staying in the kitchen—it’s not like I’m going for a run.”

Xu Haizhou stared at her for a moment, then gave in. “Okay, just take it easy. If you can’t handle it, wait for me to get back.”

“Got it. Be careful out there.”

Qiao Lu smiled. In the sunlight at the doorway, her beautiful eyes sparkled like stars, dazzling and bright.

His heart fluttering from her affectionate gaze, Xu Haizhou covered Qiao An’s eyes with one hand and cradled the back of Qiao Lu’s head with the other, leaning down to give her a deep kiss.

Mouth to mouth. Ahem—not suitable for children.

It lasted less than thirty seconds, and then he pulled away.

The little guy thought Daddy was playing with him and laughed cheerfully, “Let’s play more!”

Xu Haizhou laughed and rubbed his son’s head. “I’m off now.”

At the gate, he stopped and looked back. His wife stood at the doorway, holding their son’s hand, watching him leave.

A sudden wave of reluctance washed over Xu Haizhou.

The neighbors were off to work or school. After 9 o’clock, the compound quieted down completely.

Across the way, Liu Xiaohong—whom Qiao Lu knew well—had also gone to work. Next door, a housewife named Wu Guifang was busy with chores. Other than that, a few elderly residents were slowly strolling around the courtyard, basking in the sun.

With nothing else to do, Qiao Lu thought about tidying up the house—but the moment she moved, that spot ached faintly again, so she gave up.

There weren’t many kids in the inner courtyard around Qiao An’s age. In the outer courtyard, though, there were two or three kids his age who were currently running wild in the sun. Their laughter echoed even through the half-open courtyard wall.

“An’an, there are kids over there—do you want to go play with them?”

The little guy looked out the window, then shook his head. “No, I want to play with Bubbles and Little White.”

He gave the enamel basin a little shake, and the two little goldfish inside darted around in alarm.

“Why don’t you like playing with other kids?”

Qiao An lowered his eyes and bit his lip. “I—I like playing by myself.”

“Is it because Mommy didn’t let you play before, so now you’re scared?”

Back in the village, the kids were pretty much left to roam free. When Qiao An had just turned three, some older children—five or six years old—took him up the mountain to play. It had rained the day before, and the ground was slippery. The little guy slipped and fell into a mud pit, turning into a little mudman. When he got home, the original Qiao Lu was so furious she grabbed a wooden stick and gave him a good spanking. After that, she never let him go out alone again.

Qiao Lu wasn’t sure if that experience had left some kind of shadow in his heart.

But Qiao An shook his head and hugged her tightly. “It’s not Mommy. I just like being by myself.”

“Really? You’re not lying to me?”

“An’an is a good kid. An’an doesn’t lie.”

Qiao Lu laughed and pinched his nose. “You little rascal, you’re just too clever.”

Some reserved kids really do prefer being alone. Qiao Lu figured she’d respect his wishes for now—no need to rush it if he wasn’t ready.

Take it slow and steady.

“Alright then. How about Mommy tells you a story instead?”

It was the first time the little guy had heard a story from his mom. She told him the fairy tale The Ugly Duckling. The story was simple and easy to understand, and she finished in five minutes. Afterward, Qiao An gave his commentary.

“That story’s not very good. The little duck was always a swan, that’s why he turned into one. The duck and the duck mom were both really dumb.”

Qiao Lu was at a loss: “??”

Her son’s take was… a bit too unique, wasn’t it?

She remembered back in primary school, her language arts teacher had explained it as: “True gold will shine eventually.” Or “Don’t judge a book by its cover—good people will be rewarded.”

But now her three-year-old son had managed to surprise her with his rather original interpretation.

Seeing her remain silent, Qiao An poked her curiously. “Mommy, am I right?”

Qiao Lu’s eyes curved into a smile. “Yes, my son is very smart. That was a great take. Mommy thinks being able to share your own thoughts makes you better than lots of other kids.”

At her praise, Qiao An’s face lit up with pride.

“But the story of the Ugly Duckling can have other meanings too.”

She shared a few different interpretations with him. The little guy blinked, only half understanding.

“Mm… okay, Mommy, I get it.”

Qiao Lu hoped her son would develop independent thinking, but also learn to accept good ideas from others.

People should be well-rounded, not rigid thinkers.

Thinking of that, Qiao Lu told him a slightly deeper story: The Emperor’s New Clothes. Halfway through, Qiao An asked, “Mommy, what’s an emperor?”

“An emperor is… the highest leader in the country. Someone really powerful and respected, kind of like how we should respect Grandpa and Grandma.”

Qiao An nodded. Got it.

Qiao Lu continued the story, and when she finished, she asked what he thought.

The little guy paused to think, then said, “They’re all bad kids. They all lied to the emperor.”

Qiao Lu blinked, pleased. “Mm, and what else?”

He pouted and said, “If everyone lies, then nobody wears clothes! And when we go outside, we’ll see lots of naked people! They’ll say they’re wearing clothes, but I’ll secretly laugh at them.”

Pfft—

“Son, your imagination is incredible. Mommy’s impressed—haha!”

Kids really are adorable creatures. When they’re smart, they surprise you, and when they’re silly, they’re hilarious. Like that time he drank soda and asked if he was going to die—utterly dopey and cute.

“Mommy, are you complimenting me?” the little guy tilted his head and asked seriously.

He stared into Qiao Lu’s eyes, his gaze clear and dark, with the innocent purity only a child has.

Qiao Lu’s heart melted. She couldn’t help but squish his cheeks and kiss him. “Yes, of course I’m praising you, my precious~”

The little guy giggled with joy, hugging her neck and nuzzling her, planting kisses on both cheeks until her face was covered in slobber.

“Mommy, I praise you too! Your stories are so good!”

Qiao Lu laughed nonstop and playfully smacked his little butt. “Little rascal, didn’t you just say the Ugly Duckling was no good?”

“Heehee~”

After two stories, Qiao Lu was feeling a bit tired, though Qiao An was still full of enthusiasm.

Seeing her quiet down, he patted her hand. “Mommy, I want to hear more.”

Qiao Lu poked his nose and flopped back onto the pillow. “Mommy’s all out of saliva from talking. Do you want to wear me out?”

“I don’t want to wear Mommy out.” He shook his head and was just about to climb out of bed to pour her a glass of water when someone called from outside.

“Qiao Lu, you there? It’s Wu Guifang!”

Qiao Lu instinctively sat up straight. “I’m here! Come in!”