TPW – Chapter 44

“What? Something like that actually happened?” Such shocking news made everyone drop whatever they were doing and rush to surround Liu Xiaohong.

“It’s true! He was hacked right in his own home, just about seven or eight hundred meters from here. The police have been coming and going all morning!”

Auntie Chen slapped her thigh in alarm. “Aiyo, things are really getting more and more chaotic lately! Just the other day when I went out to buy groceries, someone stole the peach crisps from my basket! I was going to take them home for my three little grandkids to enjoy!”

“Who would do something so shameless!”

“Yikes, could it be true? I heard this morning when I went out that Old Zhou’s youngest daughter at the end of Liuxu Street was… well… assaulted!”

Auntie Tian, intrigued by the gossip, nudged Wu Guifang with her elbow. “Something like that really happened? Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”

Wu Guifang was timid and never one to gossip. “I wasn’t sure if it was true, so I didn’t dare to spread it. What if it’s false? That would ruin the girl’s reputation…”

“Then do you know if it’s true now?” Auntie Chen asked.

Wu Guifang frowned. “Still not sure. I’m only telling you all. But with something as extreme as murder happening recently, that matter with Old Zhou’s youngest… probably isn’t false.”

Just when the gossip should’ve reached its most feverish point, the crowd fell into an eerie silence instead.

The little one in Qiao Lu’s arms suddenly shrank back in fear and clung tightly to her, whispering like a mosquito, “Mama… who got chopped to death?”

“No one. It’s probably just a rumor.” Qiao Lu set the child down and gently nudged him. “Go back to the room and play with Bubble and Little White.”

“But I want to stay with Mama…” He bit his lip and clung to Qiao Lu’s leg, refusing to leave.

Qiao Lu gently stroked his head. “It’s okay. Go inside for now. Mama’s just talking with the aunties. Be good.”

Qiao An was always a sensible child. If he couldn’t make sense of something after asking once, he would never ask a second time.

This time was no different. Looking dejected, he walked back into the house. “Okay then… Mama, come back soon.”

After the child left, Qiao Lu immediately grabbed Liu Xiaohong and asked, “Sister Liu, that mail carrier you mentioned, Xiao Gao—is he the young man who delivered a letter to our house last time?”

“Yes, that’s him. Tall and thin, quiet and shy. He just started the job not long ago.”

“What?” That sudden?

Auntie Tian clicked her tongue repeatedly. “How did something like this happen… So young…”

As they chatted, Liu Xiaohong called in some neighbors from the outer courtyard to join the excitement. Coincidentally, someone who had just come back from Xiao Gao’s house confirmed the news was likely true.

“He’s still in the hospital, but it looks hopeless.”

Allegedly, it was because Xiao Gao stole the girlfriend of the man who did the hacking—Old Zhou’s youngest daughter. The man got jealous and argued with Xiao Gao, then lost control and attacked him with a kitchen knife. Afterward, he went to Old Zhou’s house. Taking advantage of the absence of adults, he… did that to the girl. That’s how the story goes, but no one knows how much of it is true.

“Xiao Gao really stole the guy’s girlfriend?” Auntie Tian was always focused on the weirdest details.

A female neighbor shook her head and sighed. “Who knows? Probably just a falling out. The guy’s been arrested. With something like this, he’s likely facing execution.”

After some sighing and chatter, everyone went home to make lunch. Before leaving, they all reminded each other to avoid going out at night and not to let the kids play outside alone. Even if they went out in groups, they shouldn’t go too far.

Liu Xiaohong turned away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Qiao Lu thought she saw her eyes turn red.

“Ah… two perfectly good kids… It’s my fault, all my fault.”

She returned home feeling complicated emotions. As soon as she walked in, little Qiao An, who had been waiting eagerly, ran up and hugged her tightly. “Mama! Are you done talking now? Who was the one who got chopped? Mama, are you scared? An’an is a little scared too, but we have Daddy. Daddy will protect us, right?”

Qiao An had always been a sensitive child. Sensing the fear around him, despite his own fright, his first instinct was to comfort his mother.

Qiao Lu’s heart melted. She must have done something incredibly good in her past life to have such a sweet child.

“Yes, Daddy will protect us.”

As she gently stroked his soft cheeks, the image of the young mail carrier floated into Qiao Lu’s mind.

She had seen him more than once. The first time was when a letter arrived from the north. After that, she would often spot him delivering letters door-to-door.

From a shy young man who barely dared to raise his voice, to someone who could now loudly announce his deliveries… He was just in his early twenties. His life had only just begun. So young, like a blooming flower…

That saying really wasn’t wrong: You never know which will come first—tomorrow or an accident.

Qiao Lu sighed deeply. But no matter how emotional she felt, life went on. She still had to return to her daily routine.

She cooked lunch in a daze and ended up slicing her hand. She quickly ran to the well to rinse it and then wrapped it with gauze inside the house.

Luckily, the little crybaby was in the room, sitting in front of the electric fan listening to The Story of Yue Fei. Otherwise, if he saw her get hurt, he’d definitely cry.

Just as she finished stir-frying the vegetables, Li Hongjun rode into the courtyard on his old bicycle. He was going so fast he nearly crashed into the step.

“Sis-in-law!” Li Hongjun parked the bike and burst into the house, looking for Qiao Lu but couldn’t find her.

Qiao An told him Mama was cooking, so he rushed to the kitchen.

Qiao Lu had been lost in thought. His loud entrance startled her so much that she almost dropped the enamel bowl filled with soup.

“Sis-in-law! Haizhou! Something big happened! Big news!”

“What is it? Haizhou isn’t back yet. Calm down and catch your breath before you speak.” She put down the enamel bowl and quickly pulled him into the room.

Li Hongjun, drenched in sweat and panting, blurted out,
“Ma—Ma—Ma Xiaoshuan is going to be—executed!!”

“What? Wait, wait—what did you just say? Who’s going to be executed?”

The amount of information Qiao Lu had received today was overwhelming, and she couldn’t process it all at once.

“Ma Xiaoshuan! The one who smashed your window that time!” Li Hongjun finally realized he hadn’t been clear and scratched his head. “Eh? Where’s Haizhou?”

Qiao Lu looked at him, confused. “Haizhou hasn’t come back yet. Weren’t you two together?”

Li Hongjun widened his eyes. “No! Weren’t we out of buttons at home? I went to the east side of town to get supplies. I told Haizhou to head back first. Then halfway back, I heard someone got arrested, so I rushed home to report it.”

Then, he exclaimed in shock, “Don’t tell me Haizhou got arrested too!”

What?

That possibility instantly sent a chill down Qiao Lu’s spine.

Thankfully, metaphysics hadn’t failed them—just as they were talking about him, Xu Haizhou appeared, like summoning a ghost.

Xu Haizhou rode his bicycle into the compound like a gust of wind. He was drenched in sweat, looking no better than Li Hongjun.

Upon seeing him, the two rushed forward, but Qiao Lu noticed something odd. The more she looked at the bicycle, the more something felt off. Was something missing?

Normally, it was impossible to sell all the goods in a single morning. That might have been possible in the past, but ever since pirated versions appeared, selling two bags a day was considered lucky.

“Where’s your stuff?” she asked, pointing at the bicycle’s handlebar.

Xu Haizhou panted heavily and only after parking the bike did he grab Qiao Lu’s arm and enter the house. Once the door was locked behind them, he lowered his voice and said, “Confiscated.”

“Huh?” Qiao Lu and Li Hongjun looked at each other, both seeing shock reflected in the other’s eyes.

“What happened? Have some water and explain slowly.” Qiao Lu poured him a glass of warm water. Xu Haizhou gulped it down, caught his breath, and finally spoke.

“The situation’s changed. Remember the policy that was rolled out before? Lian has officially started implementing it. The government is cracking down hard on speculative profiteering and all criminal activity. They chased me down several blocks. I only managed to shake them off by dumping the goods.”

Qiao Lu felt her heart sink.

So the day had finally come?

She regretted taking that risk. Bags don’t spoil over time—why rush to sell them all at the last minute?

Ah, what a mess… Even knowing the script in advance, she still made a mistake!

It just proves you should never be overconfident—too much cleverness brings its own downfall.

Her eyes reddened with guilt. Seeing this, Xu Haizhou gently squeezed her hand in his palm, trying to offer her some comfort.

Even though he was drenched in sweat from being chased, his hand was ice cold. Clearly, what he had just gone through was far worse than his brief description.

Xu Haizhou said, “It’s fine if we lost the goods. As long as no one got caught.”

“Mhm.” That was exactly what Qiao Lu had feared. Losing the goods was just a monetary loss. But if someone were arrested… Given the current crackdown, who knew what could happen…

Hearing the adults talk, Qiao An stopped listening to his storytelling tapes. He slipped out of bed, pattering out in his slippers, and flung himself into Xu Haizhou’s arms. “Daddy’s back! Mommy and I need Daddy to protect us! Can Daddy stay home with us more now?”

Xu Haizhou picked up the little guy and sat him on his thigh. With his warm lips, he kissed his son’s cheek. “Yes. This year, Daddy will stay home with An’an and Mommy, okay?”

“Okay!”

With one hand holding Qiao Lu’s and the other holding Qiao An’s, Xu Haizhou truly was the only person the mother and son could rely on. He was their source of security.

This was also one of the reasons Qiao Lu had chosen to marry him.

No matter what, his return had eased Qiao Lu’s anxious heart a little. They all sat down to hear Xu Haizhou recount the heart-pounding events of earlier.

“Sun Xun’s ready-stock inventory got raided. His warehouse was cleared out too. He’ll have to pay at least several hundred yuan. At worst, it could be over a thousand.”

Sun Xun was the knockoff vendor who had plagiarized Qiao Lu’s bag designs. After tasting profit, he had gone overboard trying to scale up, mass-producing ready-made stock and hoarding like mad. Who would’ve thought that a sudden policy shift would wipe him out completely? His little warehouse was cleared top to bottom!

By comparison, Xu Haizhou was very lucky. Due to a drop in sales, he hadn’t produced new stock recently, and there wasn’t much old stock left either. The loss was under twenty yuan—a mere scratch, really.

But Sun Xun had gambled everything. He even lost his underwear!

“Wow, that bad? He stockpiled that much with such high margins?” Qiao Lu asked, covering her mouth in shock.

“Don’t forget—once the stock was gone, he couldn’t recover the cost of materials or labor. And those two bicycles of his? Gone. The money he’d made before? He didn’t deposit it in a bank. I saw the officers take a pile of cash from his house… a lot of it. And that’s a conservative estimate.”

Li Hongjun couldn’t help but laugh gloatingly, wishing he could set off firecrackers right then. “Haha! Serves him right! That’s what you get for copying! That’s what you get for pirating! Retribution came knocking!”

But despite the laughter, the situation was no joke. The three-year-long crackdown campaign had truly begun…

A storm of purging was sweeping the country with thunderous speed. Relevant notices were plastered across every street and alley. Criminals from all walks of life were being rounded up—those who deserved jail went to jail, those who deserved execution were executed. No one would escape!

Recently, Xu Haizhou and his wife had suspended business and stayed home. With no orders and no reason to make more bags, everyone in the courtyard—aside from those with proper jobs—had fully gone idle.

At night, people gathered beneath the loquat tree to chat and gossip about the hottest news. Even the kids didn’t want to play anymore, preferring to sit nearby and listen to the adults talk about the latest big events.

“Xiao Gao didn’t die—he made it. His parents died ten years ago. He only had his grandma left. Do you know who’s taking care of him now?” His grandma was already in her seventies—she definitely couldn’t handle it.

“Don’t tell me it’s Lao Zhou’s youngest daughter?” Weren’t those two dating?

“Exactly!”

Everyone sighed. “Well, it’s only right she take care of him. If it wasn’t for her ex—what was his name? Qian Qiang—if he hadn’t gone around slashing people, would Xiao Gao be in this state?”

“What about Xiao Zhou? Did Qian Qiang really… you know?” Apart from life and death, people were most interested in juicy gossip.

“Who knows? I wasn’t there. But I heard when they were found, their clothes were all messed up. Xiao Zhou’s tough—she went straight to the police and reported Qian Qiang for indecency and attempted rape.”

“Ah, that girl… Some things are best kept quiet. Heaven knows, earth knows—as long as you don’t say anything, no one would ever know. That punk was going to be arrested anyway for assault.”

“Exactly. Now the whole neighborhood knows. How is she going to face people in the future?”

Listening to their conversation, Qiao Lu felt uneasy.

As the saying goes, gossip is a fearful thing. Xiao Zhou might not have been broken by a rapist, but what if she was crushed by the neighbors’ words?

“What about Ma Xiaoshuan? Any news on why he got arrested?” someone else asked.

“Got it all figured out. He wanted to date a female comrade. She said they could try. He got cocky and tried to kiss her. She refused, and he tried to force her—not just a kiss, he wanted to sleep with her too.”

“What? Not this kind of thing again! Can’t these men control their lower halves?” someone yelled.

“Did they actually sleep together?” Wu Guifang quickly covered her little daughter’s ears and motioned for Aunt Tian to continue.

“Of course not! If they had, they wouldn’t have just arrested him. I heard when they caught him, he was still shouting about how he’d take responsibility for Xiao Hui. Take responsibility? With what? His dad’s work injury compensation?”

Tsk tsk, the crowd clicked their tongues.

“That rotten kid! Ruining a girl’s reputation before she’s even married!”

“Who got married?” someone who’d missed the start of the story chimed in.

Aunt Tian patiently explained it all again.

“Aiya, Ma Xiaoshuan is Old Ma’s only son. Their house must be in total chaos right now.”

Everyone sneered in disdain.

“Wasn’t that guy close to Wang Bin? Wang Bin has a factory director brother-in-law. He’s got some pull, doesn’t he? Couldn’t he say a word for him?”

“Say a word? You think this is child’s play? Neighbors are all eager to distance themselves from him now. Who would dare to plead on his behalf—what, are they tired of living?”

“Tsk tsk, serves him right! That’s what he gets for doing bad things!”

The day Ma Xiaoshuan was executed by firing squad, the sky was overcast, and a light rain began to fall. Wang Bin was also there.

When the “old lovers” met, there was no dramatic confrontation—just a casual glance from Qiao Lu. Upon seeing him, she turned her head away and tightened her grip on her man’s arm, deliberately putting more distance between them.

It was said that on the day Ma Xiaoshuan was arrested, Wang Bin got his marriage certificate. There were even rumors that someone reported him for having an improper relationship with a female comrade before marriage—put bluntly, premarital sex.

Such a thing might not have drawn attention in the past, but during the current crackdown? No way. The authorities rushed to investigate. But when the police arrived, Wang Bin calmly pulled out his marriage certificate and said swaggeringly, “We’re legally married. What, are you arresting a husband and wife for being together?”

Not only did he avoid arrest, the person who made the report was scolded by the police: “Stop making random accusations! We’re busy with serious matters, not your petty grievances!”

Alongside Ma Xiaoshuan and Qian Qiang, six others were executed that day for various crimes. Their cases were serious enough to warrant public execution as a deterrent.

Qiao Lu and Xu Haizhou went to the square to see the scene, but they didn’t take Qiao An with them, fearing it might scare him and cause nightmares. Their neighbor Wu Guifang, who was timid, also stayed home to watch her child. Qiao Lu left her son with Wu Guifang for a while.

At the time, the square was packed with people. The couple couldn’t get close and only managed to catch a partial view from the outer edge.

It was Qiao Lu’s first time witnessing an execution in real life, and it was indeed gruesome. Even through the human wall, even nestled in Xu Haizhou’s arms, she could still smell the strong scent of blood.

This wasn’t just terrifying—it was a clear warning to potential lawbreakers.

And the campaign proved effective. For a long time afterward, more women dared to go out at night, and children could play outside without adult worries. The crackdown was in full swing—no one dared to commit crimes openly.

In the stillness, a voice came from above her head: “Look!”

“What is it?” Qiao Lu, curled up in Xu Haizhou’s arms, didn’t dare look directly. She squinted her eyes toward the distant scene.

Xu Haizhou suddenly raised his hand and pointed to someone lying in a pool of blood. “That’s Sun Xun.”

By midday, the sun had intensified, and Qiao Lu was drenched in sweat. But upon hearing that name, a chill ran through her from head to toe.

She clutched him even tighter.

Since Ma Xiaoshuan’s execution, a seed of unease had been planted in Qiao Lu’s heart.

She knew this era was difficult—but it was one thing to read about it in books, and another to experience it firsthand. It was far beyond what she could bear.

She couldn’t imagine what she would do if Xu Haizhou were arrested too. Would their hard-earned happiness vanish like a bubble, disappearing into thin air?

That night, after coaxing Qiao An to sleep, Qiao Lu lay awake. She clung to Xu Haizhou tighter than ever before.

“Haizhou, can we just lie low this year? Don’t go set up the street stall anymore, okay?” Her voice was full of pleading.

Xu Haizhou gently stroked her cheek. “What’s wrong? Didn’t we say once things calm down a bit, I could go back…”

“No!” Qiao Lu cut him off quickly. Realizing her reaction was too intense, she softened her tone. “I’m scared, Haizhou. I’m really scared.”

He sighed and held her tighter. “Silly girl, what are you afraid of?”

“Even Sun Xun was executed. I’m afraid you’ll be next…” Her voice trembled as she spoke.

“It’s not that bad. Sun Xun was an exception. He was too greedy.” The authorities had found a large amount of illegal goods in his possession, most of which were sourced through improper channels. Like Xu Haizhou—there was no way he had enough ration coupons to buy everything from official markets. Most of his supplies were bought on the black market. Sun Xun was the same.

So once they were caught, and in such large quantities, the consequences were severe.

“No, I’m still afraid.” The severity of the crackdown was something ordinary folks like them couldn’t withstand.

“At least for this year, you have to stay home. Please?” Qiao Lu remembered the campaign would last around three years. The first half was the most intense, and things would gradually ease later. Right now was the peak. She couldn’t let him take any risks.

She couldn’t gamble their family’s future.

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry.” He bent down and kissed her pale lips.

Lowering his eyes, he looked at her. Under the light, his lashes cast shadows that hid the somberness in his gaze.

They stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

Driven by reason, Qiao Lu pushed him away. “Don’t… If you don’t promise me, don’t even think about sleeping with me again.”

Xu Haizhou felt both helpless and amused. He pinched her earlobe gently. “That serious?”

Qiao Lu slapped his hand away, her eyes full of grievance. “What do you think? You think I’m joking?”

“No.” Xu Haizhou shook his head and kissed her forehead. “Alright, I promise. Even if I want to do anything, I’ll wait until after the New Year, okay?”

Both sides compromised—a middle ground.

Qiao Lu finally relaxed a little, curling up against him, shifting her head uneasily.

Her face nestled just below his chest. As she moved, the fire in his heart ignited, burning uncontrollably.

Xu Haizhou wanted to use intimacy to ease his wife’s fears and worries.

And he did.

As the spark grew into flame, their kisses turned fiery, consuming all restraint.

Qiao Lu felt as though a blinding white light filled her vision, leaving everything around her hazy.

On the narrow bed, their passion ran wild. Qiao Lu tried hard to suppress the soft moans rising from her throat…

The night was cool, cool as water.

The moon hung high above the treetops. Eventually, only the trembling of two tightly embraced bodies remained. Everything else fell silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the wind outside.

With her hair damp, Qiao Lu gently pressed her cheek against his chest—hard like forged steel—and listened to the lively, burning heartbeat beneath.

Only in this moment could she truly feel that he was there, alive and warm. He was her husband. He was An’an’s father.

She raised her hand slowly, her fingertip brushing his sweat-dampened jaw.

“Haizhou…”

She didn’t know why, but the more insecure she felt, the more she wanted to call his name, to hear him respond.

“Mm?”

Xu Haizhou also especially loved it when she called his name—those two syllables.

God knows, the way Qiao Lu softly called his name always made his whole body tingle.

Of course, his favorite was when she called him “husband.” He’d only been lucky enough to hear it twice. It took luck.

He shifted slightly, pressing their bodies even closer together. Then he buried his face in the crook of her neck—hot, burning.

Suddenly, he heard her muffled voice: “Haizhou, don’t make me worry.”

Xu Haizhou laughed helplessly, his eyes full of tenderness. “You’re still thinking about that? Don’t. Be good and sleep.”

“I’m really scared. I’m not joking.” She wrapped her arms tightly around him, unwilling to let go even for a second. “You have to be okay. You must be okay.”

Her clear voice struck his chest over and over. Xu Haizhou’s heart thundered. If they hadn’t just exhausted all their energy, he might have gone for another round right then and there.

He gathered his little wife in his arms and comforted her with a calm, gentle voice, like soothing a child. His warm palm lightly patted her back.

“Okay. I’m always here. Sleep now. Have a good dream.”

His voice was tender, like a stream flowing gently into her heart.

Qiao Lu finally smiled with relief and closed her eyes, sinking into sleep.

In her dream, the troubling scenes disappeared. All that remained was their happy family of three, a beautiful new house, a beautiful new car… and he was always there.