TPW – Chapter 35

Looking forward, looking forward—New Year’s Eve finally arrived.

The morning in Lian City was awakened by a string of firecrackers. As soon as they went off, it marked the farewell to the old year and the welcome of the new. Children gathered at the entrance of the courtyard, watching the adults down the alley setting off the fireworks. Once they were done, the kids—regardless of the cold—ran through the alleys searching for dud firecrackers, chasing each other in a lively and chaotic scene.

Because the activity was a bit dangerous, Qiao Lu wouldn’t let her son join in, although the neighbor kids from the Chen and Tian families were already out there.

Watching the commotion, Qiao Lu reminded Qiao An, “If you see the older kids setting off firecrackers later, make sure you run far away, okay? Be careful or you’ll get burned—it really hurts.”

“Okay! Mommy, I’ll stay very, very far away!” He was afraid of pain, after all.

In Lian City, there was a custom of bathing on New Year’s Eve—regardless of whether you had bathed the day before, you must bathe today to cleanse away the old year’s bad luck and welcome a fresh start.

By early evening, Xu Haizhou and Qiao Lu took their son to the bathhouse. Since children have delicate skin, Qiao Lu only bathed Qiao An twice a week to avoid him catching cold.

Father and son went hand-in-hand into the men’s bathhouse, while Qiao Lu went to the women’s side. They agreed to meet again in about twenty minutes.

After finishing their bath around five o’clock, the last bit of dusk was slowly swallowed by the horizon. The sky glowed its brightest at that hour, fiery clouds blazing orange-red, lighting up every face in the alley with a warm hue.

The family of three walked hand-in-hand through the narrow alleyways. Qiao An hopped across the patterned bricks one step at a time, getting faster and faster until he dashed ahead like a wild pony, leaving his parents trailing behind.

“An’an, slow down. Daddy’s carrying a bucket. Can’t you show a little sympathy?” Xu Haizhou called out.

Hearing that, the little one ran back with quick, lively steps, proudly lifting his arms and grabbing the metal handle of the bucket to help Xu Haizhou carry it.

“I am being sympathetic to Daddy!”

The couple couldn’t help but glance fondly at their son.

They had to admit—Qiao An’s transformation had been truly surprising.

When Qiao Lu had first arrived (from another time), he’d been a shy little boy who clung to his mother’s side, too timid to even run down an empty alley. Now he was full of life and energy, hopping from brick to brick. It was deeply moving.

This was proof that all of Qiao Lu’s painstaking efforts in parenting weren’t in vain—education rooted in love was indeed the best gift a child could receive.

On their way back, the family ran into Grandpa Chen Fugui from the Jiamei family.

“Ah, Haizhou! Out for a walk with the whole family, I see.” Chen Fugui loved teasing Qiao An and wasn’t about to pass up the chance now. “Xiao An looks so handsome in that blue jacket today—your mom made it for you, didn’t she?”

The little one proudly lifted his chin. “Mm! Mommy made it!”

Qiao Lu shook her empty bucket and smiled. “It’s too cold for a walk—we just finished bathing and are heading home.”

Chen Fugui squinted from smiling. “Oh my, very good, very good! The whole family bathing together, that must’ve been fun—ha ha ha!”

Qiao Lu chuckled awkwardly.

I mean… the men’s and women’s bathhouses are separate, right? How’s that “bathing together”?

…

This was the first Spring Festival they were celebrating as a family of three. During the day, they put up couplets, pasted the character “Fu” for good fortune, hung festive posters, and began preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner—three meat dishes, two vegetables, and a pot of egg drop soup. A feast, indeed.

Meanwhile, Qiao An had finished all the tasks he could help with and couldn’t wait to drag Xu Haizhou outside, clutching two boxes of pop-its and sparklers that his father had bought him.

“Brother Kangkang! I have them too! Brother Kangkang, look! My dad’s lighting fireworks!”

Xu Haizhou had said fireworks were too dangerous for kids to play with—they just had to watch from the side.

And so, somehow, Xu Haizhou became the “king of the kids,” performing firework demonstrations for all the neighborhood children. Every time a firework exploded, the kids cheered with joy.

And his own son? Grinning like a silly little bean.

The curve of Xu Haizhou’s lips grew wider and wider.

He looked up at the sky—a rare, rainless New Year’s Eve.

…

The day of New Year’s Eve was filled with cheer. After setting off fireworks, Xu Haizhou returned to the kitchen to help his wife with cooking. By late afternoon, the children, lured by the delicious smell of food, eagerly ran back to their homes.

The courtyard and alleys quieted down.

Though the Xu household only had three members, it didn’t feel quiet at all.

To keep up the festive spirit, Qiao Lu launched their very own “First Annual Family New Year’s Gala.” She was the host, Qiao An was the little singer, and Xu Haizhou played the audience—clapping and praising the little one.

When Qiao An heard he could be the family’s singing star, his little face flushed bright red with excitement.

Qiao Lu handed him a “microphone” made by rolling up a newspaper, instructing him to sing into it.

The little one was so nervous his hands started to sweat, soaking the newspaper mic. His long lashes fluttered non-stop. But with the encouraging looks from his mom and dad, he finally opened his mouth and belted out his first children’s song—“Little Swallow.”

Where there’s a first, there’s a second. After singing the first song and getting praised, he started singing with great gusto. And tonight, he wasn’t limited to just children’s songs—he even sang the love song he had learned from the tape recorder the other day. After all, it was just Mommy and Daddy here—he could sing anything he wanted.

The radio played, the brazier burned with hot coals, and the little one bounced and danced to the music while singing. His parents clapped along to the beat.

Who said their home was cold or lonely?

It was lively and full of joy!

Since Qiao An was still little, he couldn’t stay up late—he usually went to bed around 8 or 9 p.m. But on this special night, he was allowed to stay up one extra hour. When the clock passed nine, Qiao Lu stood up, fist at her lips:

“Ahem, ahem—Now I hereby announce, the First Annual Family Spring Festival Gala has officially ended! Comrade Qiao An, please take off your coat and get ready to wash up for bed immediately!”

Qiao An tossed down his makeshift microphone and raised his little hand. “Okay! It’s over! I’m going to beddy-bye now! Mommy, help me take off my shoes~”

The weather was cold today, and Qiao An had been bundled up like a little ball by his mom—he couldn’t even bend over properly!

Qiao Lu went to the kitchen to heat some water for his face wash and toothbrushing. Once the boy finished his simple bedtime routine, she tossed him onto the bed. He wriggled around, and before long, he’d burrowed himself right into the blankets.

He patted the pillow and called out to Qiao Lu: “Mommy, hurry up! It’s so cold in here!”

Even this little fireball had his moments of fearing the cold. Qiao Lu chuckled out loud.

“Wait, Mommy needs to brush her teeth first.”

When Qiao Lu got into bed, the little guy hugged her arm tightly.

“Got you! You’re not allowed to run away!”

Qiao Lu pinched his little nose. “So excited today, huh? Hurry up and lie down.”

With that, she snuggled into the quilt.

“Mommy, lie down too, lie with me.”

Qiao Lu reached over and pinched his cheek. “Lately you’ve been loving those cutesy word endings, huh? Be honest—did you learn that from your dad?”

Qiao An giggled and covered his mouth. “Mommy, how’d you know?”

Qiao Lu teased him. “What don’t I know about you?”

The little guy giggled again, but Qiao Lu ended the chatter before it dragged on too long. “Alright, that’s enough. Time to sleep.”

He yawned, and within five minutes, the little milk bun had drifted off. His breathing was soft and shallow, his chubby cheeks tinged with a pink flush. Up close, you could even see the tiny fine hairs along the sides of his face.

He seemed a bit fairer than when they first arrived in the city.

With such a pink little dumpling lying beside her, how could she resist stealing a kiss?

Qiao Lu planted a soft kiss on his cheek, her heart melting into a puddle.

Just then, Xu Haizhou came back from washing the dishes in the courtyard, bringing a rush of cold air with him.

He called Qiao An’s name a couple of times, and when there was no response, he quickly changed into his pajamas by the wardrobe. Without wasting a second, he bent down and scooped Qiao Lu into his arms.

Qiao Lu was caught off guard and almost yelped in surprise. She gave his chest a light slap, annoyed. “What are you doing? Not sleeping tonight?”

Unexpectedly, the man chuckled mischievously and pecked her lips. “Didn’t I have you make the bed in advance just for tonight?”

Qiao Lu gaped at him and poked his chest. “So you’ve been scheming, huh.”

The spare cot in the other room had been made up for days, but no one had used it. Qiao An was still young and refused to sleep alone in a separate room—it was like asking him to move out of the family. No way it was happening anytime soon.

As the saying goes: if the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain. If the kid won’t sleep in the other room, then they could just come over instead, right?

That night, the air was cool like water, and the silence outside was occasionally broken by bursts of laughter from nearby homes—clearly, most families were staying up late on New Year’s Eve.

“You sure he won’t wake up? What if he wakes and finds us gone…” Qiao Lu asked nervously as she was laid down on the cot.

“He won’t.” Xu Haizhou murmured reassuringly, kissing her lips. The sweetness made him linger, unable to pull away, and he was eager to move to the main event.

He quickly slipped out of his sleepwear and helped her with her buttons.

“If he wakes up and sees what we’re doing, that’s awkward. But if he just finds us gone… which is worse?” he asked, seeing her hesitation.

Every time they got frisky, they had to be careful because of the little guy sleeping next door—it was stifling.

Qiao Lu thought about it and had to admit—he had a point. In the end, it was the poor cot that bore the brunt of everything.

Their first time sneaking around behind their son’s back was… well, guilty pleasure would be an understatement.

But within two minutes of starting, all that guilt melted away. Qiao Lu was swept under by Xu Haizhou, adrift with no shore in sight…

Maybe it was the new setting, but their first round ended a little too quickly. They lay there for a moment, catching their breath.

Xu Haizhou rested his head on her shoulder. Qiao Lu patted his back and suddenly asked, “Hey, what do you think of that coat I wore to the wedding banquet last time?”

“It looked great.” He kissed her cheek. “Really beautiful—like a fairy.”

Qiao Lu beamed and rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek, but it had unexpected consequences—it fired him up again.

“Wait, not again! Slow down…”

Xu Haizhou panted, slowing his movements slightly.

After a while—

“So tell me,” Qiao Lu asked between breaths, “what do you think about me becoming a seamstress? Making clothes for people—is there a market for it?”

“Making clothes?” Xu Haizhou slowed his pace. “Nowadays, being a seamstress doesn’t make much money.”

Pretty much every married woman could sew. Who would go out and hire a tailor? It was mostly something for the wives of old-school officials or rich families.

“I know that. But the clothes I make are different. You saw it, didn’t you? That day after the wedding banquet, even at the photo studio—people were saying I could be a model! I think it’s the clothes. When the clothes are good, they make me look especially pretty.”

Xu Haizhou’s eyes crinkled with a smile. He kissed her lips. “Wrong. It’s because my wife is pretty. The clothes are just a bonus.”

Qiao Lu laughed with joy. “Now that’s what I like to hear. But you can’t deny it—that coat really made me look taller, slimmer, and more elegant! Way better than those bulky padded jackets, right?”

These days, especially with winter clothes, there’s no variety at all—it’s either gray cotton-padded jackets or floral ones. If that kind of coat could be mass-produced with affordable fabric, there’d definitely be a market for it.

Don’t be fooled by how thrifty everyone seems—urban living standards in the 1980s had improved a lot compared to the 70s. And girls, for the sake of beauty, are prone to impulse buying…

Of course, if you’re not going for volume, you can’t price things too low. The plan would be to take the high-end route. Even if no one ends up buying, it doesn’t matter—she’s got Xu Haizhou as her safety net. If worst comes to worst, he can support her. With such a solid fallback, what’s there to fear?

With that thought in mind, Qiao Lu felt even more confident about her plan.

“After the new year, I’ll see how things go and maybe give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll start small—like gloves and socks or something.”

“Mm, sounds good.” Xu Haizhou paused for a moment in his movements, then picked up speed again.

Qiao Lu grabbed his arm and forced back a moan rising in her throat. “Mm… I’ve been reading the newspapers lately, and I feel like this year won’t be too peaceful. Be careful when you’re out selling, and try to keep a low profile.”

Though reforms had already reached their home, the reality was still full of hidden undercurrents. Especially this year—anyone doing business had to tread carefully. It wouldn’t hurt to pause or scale back when necessary.

“Okay.”

Truth be told, even before marrying Qiao Lu, Xu Haizhou had always kept a low profile. In this day and age, you had to. Every now and then, the newspapers would report on someone getting arrested for “speculation and profiteering,” or for not having a business license…

There were plenty of unlucky folks. It all came down to whether or not you got caught.

“So you support me starting a business too?”

“As long as you like it, I’m fine with it.” Once a man gets going, he’ll agree to anything.

Qiao Lu couldn’t quite tell if he was thinking clearly or just lost in the moment.

“I think it’d be great if we could open a little shop—sell some clothes, some accessories… Something stable, without having to deal with the wind and sun.”

Speaking of which, Xu Haizhou’s skin was quite nice. If it got ruined from exposure, she’d feel heartbroken. These days, you couldn’t buy sunscreen, and too much UV could age you. She didn’t want her handsome man turning into a grumpy old guy while she was still in her prime…

“Mm…” He grunted low in his throat, clearly close to his limit. “Sounds good.”

Just as Qiao Lu was about to say more, Xu Haizhou suddenly bent down and sealed her lips with his, forcing her to immerse herself in his world.

Qiao Lu couldn’t form a coherent sentence, her words broken and breathy.

“Mm… you, you need to… Isn’t it taking a bit long today? What if our son wakes up…”

“He won’t.” It wasn’t easy to find a time when it was just the two of them. Xu Haizhou was at his peak—how could he possibly finish quickly? He wished he could slow down even more and savor every second of this addictive pleasure with her.

“He had a couple glasses of juice tonight. I’m worried he’ll get up to pee…”

“He won’t. He just fell asleep. How many times has An’an woken up in the middle of the night lately?”

“But… ugh… ah—”

Before Qiao Lu could finish, Xu Haizhou hit a deep spot and shattered her sentence into pieces.

“Stop, stop—”

Xu Haizhou chuckled lowly, “Weren’t you the one telling me to go faster?”

“When did you start listening to me so well? If you really listened, you would’ve stopped already.”

He breathed against her ear. “Can’t stop.”

Doing it here was even more satisfying—Qiao Lu’s moans were louder, more unrestrained. She didn’t notice, but Xu Haizhou definitely did.

Qiao Lu grew a little worried—was this house soundproof? What if the neighbors heard? Oh wait, the bedroom next door belonged to Wu Guifang, and the wall next to this side room was empty. So even if she got loud, no one would hear.

With that comforting thought, Qiao Lu unconsciously began to hum along with Xu Haizhou’s rhythm…

Ten minutes later—

“Mommy…”

Xu Haizhou: “?!!”

Instantly deflated.

“An’an?” Qiao Lu’s voice was hoarse, and she didn’t even notice.

Xu Haizhou didn’t even have time to turn his head. He scrambled to pull the blanket up to cover both himself and his wife.

“Mommy! Why are you here? I couldn’t find you!” The little one, rubbing his eyes, sounded so aggrieved. “I couldn’t find Daddy either. You both disappeared!”

“An’an, why are you awake? Stay right there! Don’t come over!” Qiao Lu quickly stopped him.

It worked. An’an didn’t dare move forward, just stood there looking pitifully in her direction.

He had good eyesight. In the moonlight coming through the window, he could see two shadowy figures on the small bed not far ahead—Mommy and Daddy.

“Mommy, wuwu—why are you sleeping here? Don’t you want me anymore? You don’t want to sleep with me?” Just woken up, An’an wasn’t fully aware, and the night made his insecurities feel even worse.

Qiao Lu, mortified and frustrated, kicked her husband: Look what you’ve done!

Xu Haizhou rubbed his forehead and took a deep breath, trying to sound gentle and calm: “An’an, why did you wake up? Do you need to use the bathroom?”

The little guy sniffled—maybe he had cried? His voice was all raspy: “Mm… Daddy, I need to poop.”

Qiao Lu nudged the man beside her: “Hurry and take him!”

Xu Haizhou stretched his long arm to grab the clothes hastily tossed at the foot of the bed, threw them on, and quickly got up to lead their son outside to the bathroom.

Even after they stepped outside, the little one still looked pitiful and aggrieved as he asked, “Daddy, don’t you want to sleep with An’an anymore?”

“Of course not. Why would I not want that?”

…

About twenty minutes later, Xu Haizhou returned home carrying Qiao An. His jacket was damp with the moisture of the night air—chilly and clammy.

“Mama!” The little guy slid down from Xu Haizhou’s arms and dashed to the bedside, pouncing on Qiao Lu.

“Mama, do you and Daddy not like sleeping with An’an anymore?” The child had started letting his imagination run wild again. “You and Daddy went to sleep outside and didn’t want to sleep with me. Mama, are you mad at me?”

Qiao Lu couldn’t help laughing and sighing. She pinched his cheek. “Where’d you learn to say that? How could Mama and Daddy be mad at you?”

“But Mama… Mama, you went to sleep with Daddy, and An’an slept all alone. Don’t you want me anymore? An’an is good, An’an is a good boy. Why don’t you want to sleep with me? Waaah—Mama…”

He was so aggrieved. Just utterly heartbroken.

Qiao Lu helplessly helped her son out of his coat and tucked him into the blankets. Xu Haizhou followed closely, wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist and gently explained to their son, “Mama and I are husband and wife. Husbands and wives sleep in the same bed. When An’an grows up, you’ll get married too, and then you’ll sleep in the same bed with your wife. But for now, you can still sleep with Mama and Daddy. When you’re a little older, though, you’ll have to sleep on your own.”

“I don’t want to! I want to sleep with Mama, not with a wife. Waaah…” The little one pouted, utterly confused and upset. “Then… then can An’an be married to you guys too?”

Pfft—

The little guy grabbed Qiao Lu’s hand and looked at her solemnly. “Mama, let’s be married too. I want to sleep with you forever.”

Qiao Lu nearly choked on her son’s words. “Cough, cough— My dear son, do you even know what it means to be married?”

Little Qiao An shook his head honestly. “No, I don’t.”

“Well… being married means—uh, it means I’m Daddy’s wife. Am I your wife?”

A tear hung from the tip of his nose and wobbled as he shook his head. He looked both cute and pitiful. “You’re my mama.”

Qiao Lu breathed a sigh of relief and gently stroked his head. “That’s right. I’m An’an’s mama. Mama can’t also be your wife, right? We’re mother and son, aren’t we?”

That seemed to make sense.

Qiao An nodded. “Mm, yeah… I guess that’s right.”

Then he snuggled tightly into Qiao Lu’s arms. “Mama, then I won’t be married to you anymore. But you’re not allowed to leave me. You can’t ever leave me behind.”

Qiao Lu didn’t get a chance to reply before she saw Qiao An wriggling uneasily in her arms, sniffing around her like a little puppy. Then he shouted indignantly, “Mama! You smell like Daddy!”

Qiao Lu: “??”

Xu Haizhou: “…”

“Ahem—” Xu Haizhou quickly reached over to hold his son’s hand, trying to change the subject. “We didn’t go anywhere, and we’re not mad at you either. Mama and I were just chatting outside. We didn’t want to wake you up.”

The little guy pouted again.

“You wouldn’t have woken me up… Please don’t go again, okay?” His fuzzy little head rubbed against Qiao Lu’s cheek as he clung to her, determined not to let her go.

Qiao Lu gently rubbed his back with her warm palm. “We didn’t leave you. Don’t you remember? Today’s Spring Festival—New Year’s. Mama and Daddy were keeping vigil for the New Year, chatting for a bit before coming back in.”

Qiao An whimpered, “Mama, don’t keep vigil. Just sleep with me.”

Qiao Lu sighed, “It’s tradition. Everyone does it.”

The little one looked up at her. The room was dark, with no lights on, and he couldn’t see her face clearly. “Then why… why didn’t I keep vigil? What does that mean?”

“Keeping vigil just means that the grown-ups stay up late on New Year’s Eve. But little kids can go to sleep if they’re tired—they don’t need to stay up.”

She lifted the curtain and pointed outside. Many lights in the courtyard houses were still on.

“See? Lots of people are still awake tonight, right?”

“Yeah.” Qiao An was successfully distracted. “Then are you and Daddy not sleeping tonight?”

“We will, in a little bit.”

“Then let’s sleep now, okay?”

Qiao Lu smiled and hugged her son close. “Okay, let’s sleep now.”

“Mm.”

…

For the entire following week, Xu Haizhou didn’t dare make a move on his wife. Several times, the little one would wake up in the middle of the night, his tiny hands fumbling around until he found Mama beside him—only then could he fall back asleep peacefully.

To put it bluntly: it was exhausting.

Eventually, they compromised by moving Qiao An’s little bed into the bedroom, right next to theirs. Then each day, they began his “brainwashing training.”

They gave him a small goal: since Qiao An was now three years old, they told him that when he turned four in two months, he’d need to start sleeping in his little bed next to theirs. And by the time he was five or six, he’d move to the outer room and sleep by himself.

By introducing the idea gradually, it reduced his psychological resistance. Occasionally, they let him sleep on the little bed for a night, helping him build a sense of ownership toward it. That way, he’d start to see sleeping there as no different from sleeping with Mama and Daddy—laying a foundation for independent sleep later on.

The little guy was well-behaved and understanding, nodding eagerly—so long as he didn’t have to sleep alone now, he was okay with it.

After hearing Qiao Lu’s plan, Xu Haizhou couldn’t help but give her a thumbs up again. The method actually seemed workable—it wouldn’t make the child feel abandoned too quickly or cause rebellion.

But it was tough on him. Night after night, he could cuddle his wife, but he couldn’t eat. Sigh… life is hard. Truly hard.