TPW – Chapter 45

In early September, the lingering summer heat was fierce. The sun felt like it could bite, and it was as sticky as melted malt sugar. Walking under the treeless sky felt like getting scorched alive.

Today was September 8th—Qiao An’s birthday. Qiao Lu specially took out the new clothes she had just finished sewing last week: a dress for herself and a short-sleeved shirt with a teddy bear pattern for her son.

Summer clothes for little boys didn’t have much novelty—just plain short sleeves with some cute, playful prints. But Qiao Lu’s new dress was truly beautiful.

It was a long blue dress with white floral patterns. The neckline had lace trim, and the cuffs were adorned with delicate camellia embroidery—vivid and harmonious without losing a touch of playfulness. In the summer heat, it looked refreshing at first glance. The dress featured a wide hem and a cinched waist, draping smoothly with a soft texture. As it fluttered in the wind, it seemed to have a lively and ethereal quality.

The moment she put it on, her mood lifted along with the swaying hem.

“Look here, the newspaper says—it’s not that doing business is banned, it’s that growing it big is. If it gets big, it’s labeled as profiteering, or taking the capitalist road… Here’s a classic case: someone selling sunflower seeds registered a trademark, opened a company, and hired workers. Made… a million? Well, no wonder then. The average salary right now is only about fifty yuan. A million… yeah, that’s a bit over the top. But I haven’t seen anyone running a small street stall getting arrested. Look at this one—hired ten people and was detained as an example. And this one here, that’s Sun Xun—made over ten thousand through unofficial channels. No wonder our business got taken over. I need to analyze this…”

“Alright, enough reading and analyzing. Look at me instead—do I look good?”

Ever since this man had stopped working, he practically treated the newspaper like his second wife! He held it in his hands all day, probably spending more time with it than with his actual wife.

Xu Haizhou wasn’t done yet: “I think we can plan for a reopening soon. Small accessories have low profit margins, so maybe hold off on those. But those bags? They’re good. No one’s tried selling in the north of the city yet. I’m thinking of doing a bag-and-hair-clip combo promotion. Bet we can earn a decent amount.”

“Do you know what day it is today? Can you focus on us mother and son for once?”

Qiao Lu gave him a look, snatched the newspaper from his hands, and twirled in front of him in her new dress. At first, the man stared blankly for two seconds, then his eyes lit up. He stretched out his long arms, pulled her into his embrace, and kissed her red lips.

After the kiss, he inhaled the fragrance of her hair and sighed with satisfaction: “Beautiful. My wife looks like a fairy.”

Life at home lately had been almost too leisurely. Tea and newspaper in hand, a lovely wife spinning around nearby, and a cute son often running over with storybooks asking for tales—it was peaceful and cozy, even better than paradise.

Qiao Lu, half amused, twisted his ear: “What are you doing? An’an is still here.”

The couple turned to look—Qiao An was jumping up and down with excitement. “I want kisses too!”

Qiao Lu: “……”

Trying to hold back his laughter, he scooped up the little guy and set him on his thigh. Xu Haizhou kissed his chubby cheeks. “Okay, Daddy will kiss our An’an too.”

He had shaved that morning, so the kiss felt soft and ticklish on the boy’s face. Qiao An giggled as he leaned back, his little arms wrapped tightly around his father’s neck to avoid falling.

Today, the father and son were especially affectionate, sharing kisses as if they couldn’t get enough.

Qiao Lu gave Xu Haizhou a light smack, pulling him away from their son’s cheeks, then slung a shoulder bag over her shoulder. “Alright, enough kissing. Let’s go, An’an—Mommy’s taking you to buy a birthday cake.”

“Okay!” The little guy broke free from Xu Haizhou’s grasp and dove into Qiao Lu’s arms. Dressed in their new outfits, the mother and son headed out to buy a birthday cake and some groceries.

Before leaving, she instructed Xu Haizhou, “Go steam the rice in the kitchen. When I come back, I’ll stir-fry the dishes. Don’t waste time.”

Xu Haizhou put down the newspaper he had just picked up: “Got it.”

It was the little guy’s first birthday cake in his whole life, and he was bursting with excitement all the way there. “Mommy, when are we going to eat it?”

His eyes were practically glued to the cake box.

Qiao Lu couldn’t help but laugh. “After lunch and a short rest—we’ll have it in the afternoon.”

The little guy clasped his hands together like he was making a wish to Buddha: “Okay, I hope time flies by and afternoon comes fast~”

Worried about grease stains on her dress, Qiao Lu decided on a simple lunch: pork ribs with winter melon and corn soup. Since there would be cake in the afternoon, there was no need to make too many dishes.

To be honest, ever since Xu Haizhou started handing over his entire salary, Qiao Lu had taken control of the family meals—and their food was no worse than what people ate in the 21st century. Just looking at how chubby Qiao An had become was proof enough that the family of three ate well every day.

Sometimes, when Qiao Lu spent all the meat and grain coupons too freely, she’d just send Xu Haizhou to the black market to buy things at higher prices. It was expensive, yes, but still affordable.

Outside their home, Wu Guifang and a few others stood at the courtyard gate eating from their bowls, catching the breeze as they chatted—an old habit of the neighbors.

Before long, they all headed toward the Xu family’s small house, their eyes lighting up like spotlights when they saw Qiao Lu and her new dress.

“Did you make that dress yourself again? Or did you buy it?”

Afraid of staining her dress with oily hands, Wu Guifang and the others stood to the side, admiring from a distance.

Qiao Lu glanced down at her dress and smiled. “Just whipped it up casually. Not bad, right?”

“Heavens, how come all your dresses look like something out of a movie?” Like in that film Romance on Lushan Mountain—the female lead wore at least thirty or forty different outfits. Totally dazzling.

Unfortunately, you could only watch that film once, and no matter how pretty the dresses were, you couldn’t copy them without having a sample to refer to!

Song Qingping sighed, “So it really is handmade? If you hadn’t said so, I would’ve thought you bought it at the department store. I just went shopping a few days ago and didn’t see this one!”

Wu Guifang stuffed a big spoonful of rice into her mouth and nodded repeatedly: “Amazing, just amazing! This blue really makes your skin look so fair. Say, if I wore it, would I look just as fair?”

Qiao Lu had cool white-toned skin. Wu Guifang had more of a warm yellow-white tone. Both looked fair to the eye, but the contrast was obvious when they stood side by side.

Sprinkling three spoonfuls of salt into the soup, Qiao Lu chuckled. “That, I can’t say.”

This dress would be considered completely ordinary thirty years from now, but in the 1980s, it definitely stood out—eye-catching and trendy.

The women exchanged glances, making faces and hesitating. They all wanted to say something, but no one wanted to speak first.

“Mom! Sis-in-law! I’ve got something hilarious to tell you!” Chen Jiamei had just come home for her lunch break, holding her stomach as she ran into the yard. “That Yan Jun from my class wore bell-bottom pants today. The teacher said it was a bad trend, called him a delinquent, and then cut off the bell part of his pants! Hahaha—too funny!”

“She used to go home with us after school every day, but today she slipped away alone. Probably too embarrassed to face anyone, hahaha—”

“A boy from the class next door bought a binoculars to show off, and their teacher stomped it into pieces, hahaha—”

“Little Mei! Little Mei! Come here, quick!” Song Qingping called out to her.

Chen Jiamei’s laughter froze on her lips, and she paused mid-run. Scratching her head in confusion, she asked, “What’s going on? Why are you all gathered here?”

Song Qingping, annoyed by her slow pace, grabbed her and pulled her over. Not far away at the Xu family’s small house, Qiao Lu had already brought out the food and was carrying it inside.

“Why are you pulling me?” Chen Jiamei rubbed her arm with a frown.

Her sister-in-law, Lin Caihe, pointed at Qiao Lu. “Jiamei, look quickly. That dress Qiao Lu’s wearing—doesn’t it look great?”

Chen Jiamei casually glanced inside and froze.

Wow, where did Qiao Lu get such a beautiful dress again? Look at that slim waistline, the flowing skirt, the unique neckline… even the cuffs had lace! Playful yet elegant…

Chen Jiamei pouted. “It’s nice. Looks really good. Just a bit of a shame.”

Song Qingping blinked. “What’s the shame?”

“It’s a shame it’s not on me!” Chen Jiamei huffed and turned to leave, only to be pulled back by her two sisters-in-law.

“Hey—don’t go!”

As they tugged her back a couple of steps, Chen Jiamei glared at them. “What are you doing? Trying to use me again? You never come to me for anything good, only when there’s trouble. Seriously…”

What, did they think she was stupid? Like she couldn’t see through their schemes?

“Oh come on! You’re just a kid, no one’s going to take it seriously.”

Chen Jiamei rolled her eyes. “I’m not a kid anymore. I’ll be an adult in two years, you know? And I already said I don’t like that Qiao Lu. If you like her dress so much, go tell her yourselves.”

“Yes, yes, we know. But go on, we’re all waiting.”

In the end, Chen Jiamei was shoved into the Xu family’s house by her two sisters-in-law.

“Jiamei?” At that time, the Xu family was eating dinner. Qiao Lu saw her and put down her bowl and chopsticks, pointing at a small stool. “Is something the matter? Come in and sit.”

Chen Jiamei awkwardly clutched the doorframe, not stepping inside. She stood in the doorway, backlit by the sun, so no one could see her expression clearly—only that she seemed hesitant.

“I-I’m not coming in. I just wanted to ask… about the dress you’re wearing…”

“What about it?” Qiao Lu asked, even though she had already guessed the reason for the visit.

“The dress… the dress…” Chen Jiamei met Qiao Lu’s puzzled eyes and silently cursed her sisters-in-law for the thousandth time. “It looks really nice.”

Just like that, the previous “cold war” between her and Qiao Lu was unilaterally broken. Complimenting the other’s dress—it practically screamed reconciliation. Ugh! How pathetic. It hasn’t even been that long… Chen Jiamei mentally scolded herself.

Qiao Lu raised her eyebrows, smiling slightly. “Thanks.”

Scratching her cheek, and sniffing the rich aroma of food in the air, Chen Jiamei lowered her voice. “So… I just wanted to ask… about your dress, um, could I maybe…”

“Could you what?”

Qiao An turned his head to look at her too, blinking his big curious eyes.

“I-I just want to borrow it for a bit. It’s really pretty, and I’ll return it tomorrow, okay?” By the end of the sentence, her toes were curling in embarrassment.

Qiao Lu paused for a moment, then smiled. “Well, actually, I was planning to make a few more of these to sell. If you like it, I can give you a neighbor discount—I wouldn’t feel right charging you too much.”

“Huh?” Chen Jiamei was caught completely off guard. “You’re selling clothes again? Weren’t you selling bags not long ago? Why the switch?”

Ignoring Chen Jiamei’s wide-eyed expression, Qiao Lu continued to smile. “Well, just trying to make good use of my time at home—making a few clothes to earn some spending money. Making bags takes a lot of effort and people. Clothes, on the other hand, I can make one or two and it’s enough to feed the three of us. Don’t you think?”

At the end of the day, Qiao Lu was a businesswoman, not a charity. If she lent out every piece for someone to copy, she’d basically become the neighborhood’s free designer. That kind of work just wasn’t worth it.

Chen Jiamei stood there frozen for a second, her face slowly turning visibly red, the blush spreading from her cheeks to her ears.

If she shamelessly continued trying to mooch, she’d really look like she had no shame.

Already intimidated by Qiao Lu, Chen Jiamei immediately backed off: “Oh, then… forget it.”

Her two sisters-in-law were waiting at the doorway. Seeing Jiamei return empty-handed, they had a bad feeling.

“What happened? She wouldn’t lend it?”

“She would!” Jiamei snapped, shoving the two aside and walking into the house. “Next time, don’t drag me into this. You all know it’s awkward—like I don’t?”

The sisters-in-law exchanged amused looks and followed her.

“What’s so awkward about it? So where’s the dress? Did she say when she’d give it to you?”

Jiamei pouted. “She’ll give it anytime. She even said she’d send one to you.”

“Wow, really? That good?” The sisters-in-law were surprised.

Jiamei crossed her arms and snorted. “Yeah, as long as you pay. She’ll bring you a brand new one.”

Lin Caihe and Song Qingping suddenly realized—they’d been roasted by their sister-in-law.

And in the blink of an eye—BANG!—the bedroom door slammed shut.

“Hey! Can’t you talk properly? Why the attitude?”

Worried that the cake would spoil in the heat, they lit the birthday candles around two in the afternoon, made a wish, and enjoyed the treat.

The cake cost five yuan, about six inches in size—definitely a luxury only wealthy families could afford at this time.

“Happy birthday, An’an! One year older again! Come on, make a wish and blow out the candles.”

The little guy tilted his head, fluttering his long lashes. “Do I make a wish like when we pray to Grandpa Buddha?”

“Yes, hands together. Go on.”

Qiao An remembered clearly that wishes shouldn’t be spoken aloud. He made his silently, then began blowing. His breath was small, so it took five or six tries to blow them all out.

Clapping her hands, Qiao Lu handed him the knife. “Birthday boy gets to cut the cake.”

His mouth formed an astonished “O”. He had never used a kitchen knife before—something so dangerous.

“Mom, you cut it.”

Qiao Lu pushed the knife into his hand. “It’s okay. You’re the birthday star, so you do it.”

Excited, Qiao An gripped the handle with both hands and carefully cut a slice. Since they didn’t have disposable plates, they had to use bowls.

Cutting cake was so fun! What an amazing experience!

“This one’s for Mama.” He handed the first piece to Qiao Lu—it had the biggest flower in the center.

Qiao Lu kissed his cheek. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

He shyly shrank his neck, then giggled. “This one’s for Daddy—an even bigger one!”

Because Daddy eats a lot—more than both Mom and An’an combined.

“Thanks, son.” Xu Haizhou accepted it and kissed the same spot on Qiao Lu’s cheek.

At the door, a crowd of children had gathered, no one knew when. They peeked in curiously and enviously.

Once Qiao An had his slice, Qiao Lu took the knife and cut the remaining cake into six equal pieces and handed them to her son.

“An’an, go share them with your little friends. Let them share in your birthday luck.”

A year ago, Qiao An would’ve hesitated, not wanting to part with the cake. But after Qiao Lu’s patient guidance, the little guy was now happy to share treats with his friends.

“Okay~”

He ran out with the cake without a trace of hesitation. Every child got a small piece—not very big, about two or three bites.

“Thank you, Qiao An.” Chen Jingkang took his piece and popped it into his mouth in one go.

Tears of emotion streamed down his face.

It was just too delicious! Qiao An always had an endless supply of sweets. What child in the courtyard didn’t envy that?

The little fellow stood tall and proud, brimming with confidence: “You’re welcome! This is the birthday cake my mom bought for me. She said we should share the little birthday star’s good fortune with everyone!”

“What’s a birthday cake?” Chen Botao had never heard of or seen such a thing.

Qiao An replied sweetly, “It’s a cake you eat on your birthday. You can only eat it on your birthday.”

“Then why didn’t I have one on my birthday? I’m going to tell my mom to buy me one too.” Chen Botao clenched his fists in indignation.

“Who’s the birthday star?” the others asked.

“It’s me! Today is my birthday!” Qiao An puffed out his chest proudly.

“Happy birthday, Qiao An!”

“Happy birthday!”

“Happy birthday…”

Chen Jingkang squinted as he smiled. “Happy birthday, Qiao An.” But the envy in his eyes overflowed, and as he smiled, he began to cry… sobbing, overcome by the difference between people.

“Thank you all~”

Children in this era were so easy to please. Though there wasn’t much cake and each only got two or three bites, they were thoroughly satisfied. Full of energy, they dragged Qiao An out to play.

Although Qiao Lu felt a little worried, she knew that truly loving a child wasn’t about keeping them tethered to your side, nor wrapping them up like a zongzi to shield them from all harm. It was about supporting them to venture into a wider world.

So she didn’t say anything to stop them. She only reminded them to be careful before they left.

…

In the sweltering heat of summer, the kids returned drenched in sweat and brimming with excitement, eager to share stories of the afternoon with their moms.

“I even picked some flowers for Mommy! I found them in the woods. I picked six—one for Mommy, one for Daddy, and… four left! I’m going to put them in the vase, okay?”

“Okay. Our An’an’s speaking skills have really improved. When it cools down in a few days, how about telling stories to everyone under the tree?”

The little guy hesitated, shyly wriggling: “Kind of want to… kind of don’t… because I feel a little embarrassed.”

“That’s okay. Aren’t you a little man?” She kissed his sun-warmed cheek and pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. Changing the subject, she said, “Quick, Daddy’s washing clothes outside. Go ask him to take you to the bathhouse after he’s done.”

“Okay!” He hadn’t rested more than a few minutes before he put down the flowers and dashed off again.

Qiao Lu placed the flowers in a vase and resumed working the sewing machine.

After Xu Haizhou took their son to the bathhouse, Qiao Lu headed over to the shared housing block to invite her sister and brother-in-law over for the little birthday star’s dinner. The two families hadn’t gathered in a while.

“Auntie! Auntie! I had birthday cake this afternoon!” As soon as Qiao Yan stepped into the Xu family’s tiny home, Qiao An threw himself into her arms.

“Careful, An’an, your second aunt has a baby in her belly,” Xu Haizhou gently pulled the little one back.

Yuan Jianghe quietly supported his wife’s lower back. Qiao An clung to his dad’s neck, flashing an embarrassed, slightly guilty smile.

“It’s okay, he didn’t bump into me. Besides, my belly isn’t an eggshell—it’s not that fragile.” Qiao Yan wasn’t bothered. She playfully poked Qiao An’s nose and teased, “You little rascal, always showing off. Why didn’t you wait for your second aunt to come before eating?”

The little fellow bit his lip, looking a bit troubled: “Um… um… sorry, Auntie. Next time it’s my birthday, I’ll save some for you.”

They’d already finished the cake. His mom wouldn’t buy another one. One cake cost five yuan, which could be used to buy An’an a whole summer outfit!

Since learning arithmetic, Qiao An now had a strong concept of numbers. He was quite good at comparing things.

“Alright, second aunt will remember. If you don’t save me some next time, I’ll spank your little butt!” Qiao Yan pretended to scold him.

But the little guy wasn’t scared. He knew his aunt wouldn’t really hit him. He giggled and ran into the room to bring out the enamel basin, proudly showing off his two little goldfish to his aunt and uncle.

It was Yuan Jianghe’s first time seeing Bubble and Little White. He smiled and praised Qiao An’s care. Noticing something, he casually asked, “This red-tailed one is Bubble, right? Its belly looks really round—did it eat too much?”

He poked his finger in the water a couple of times. Little White darted away quickly, while Bubble paused before sluggishly moving toward the edge.

Qiao An shook his head and smiled. “No, Bubble got chubby—just like me!”

Then he lifted his shirt and showed them the soft, pale belly fat on his stomach, making his aunt and uncle laugh non-stop.

That evening, besides catching up and celebrating the birthday star, most of the dinner conversation revolved around Qiao Yan’s pregnancy.

Talking about their unborn baby, Qiao Yan and Yuan Jianghe could go on for days.

“Haizhou, you and Qiao Lu have been married for half a year. An’an is already four. It’s about time for another baby. If you get pregnant this year, the age gap will be five years—that’s perfect.”

“Mm, we’re letting things happen naturally. We haven’t been avoiding it.” Glancing at his blushing wife, Xu Haizhou smiled.

He said it so matter-of-factly, it made Qiao Lu feel even more shy.

Under the table, she lightly kicked his calf. He glanced at her, and just that one look made her heart flutter. It felt like they were right back to the days when they’d just decided to get married—sneaking around under her sister and brother-in-law’s watchful eyes…

After some playful footsie under the table, Xu Haizhou’s gaze drifted to Qiao Yan’s belly. He watched as Yuan Jianghe gently lifted the hem of her shirt and placed his palm on it with a contented expression.

He had to admit, at that moment, he felt a little envious and began to yearn.

But then he looked at Qiao An, who was gnawing away at a chicken leg with full concentration…

Right. Why envy others? He already had a son.

Such a good and adorable one—others should envy him instead.

The dinner was full of warmth and joy. Afterward, Qiao Lu gave Qiao Yan a maternity dress she had prepared in advance.

“I started making this after I found out you were pregnant. The fabric is pure cotton with a tie-dye design. Haizhou helped me find safe dyes. The style’s designed too—the waistband is elastic, very stretchy and not tight.”

Qiao Yan wasn’t concerned about safety—what caught her attention was how beautiful the dress was. The patterns were free-form yet tasteful, with green streaks on a white background. It had a refreshing summer feel!

The more she looked, the more impressed she was. “You made this? Not store-bought?”

“You think I’m lying? Go check out the best mall in Li’an—Department Store. See if they sell anything like this.” Qiao Lu chuckled.

“Impressive! I never knew you were so skilled,” Qiao Yan marveled.

“What, I can’t learn something new?”

“Yes, yes, our Lulu is getting more and more capable, really becoming the ideal wife. This dress is perfect. I was just struggling with the heat and couldn’t find suitable pants!” Everything was either too hot or too tight. Loose work pants were too stuffy and made her chest ache.

She’d searched all over and couldn’t find maternity clothes in her size at the mall. She’d even blamed Yuan Jianghe for “feeding her too well”!

Honestly, this dress from Qiao Lu was a godsend—beautiful and practical, with a small pocket sewn on the belly, perfect for tissues and such.

She happily carried the dress home. Before leaving, Qiao An clung to his second aunt, reluctant to let go. He gently touched her round belly and asked with his tiny milk teeth showing:

“Auntie, when will the little sister come out of your belly?”

Qiao Yan looked at her little nephew with increasingly tender eyes. She hoped her baby girl—or boy—would be half as cute as Qiao An.

“Not for a while yet. A few more months. And it might not be a little sister—it could be a little brother. When the time comes, you can hold and kiss him.”

“Okay~”

…

The electric fan whirred, sending cool air over their bodies. The small window was open, letting in the refreshing night breeze.

That evening, while Qiao Lu showered in the bathhouse, father and son wrestled on the bed waiting for her return. Xu Haizhou tickled the back of his son’s neck, making him collapse in laughter.

After a while, Qiao An propped one foot up on the wall, the other caught in his dad’s hand as he continued tickling.

After laughing for a bit, Qiao An pulled his foot back and looked at Xu Haizhou with wide, innocent eyes: “Daddy, when will you and Mommy give An’an a little sister?”

Xu Haizhou froze in surprise. It took him a long moment to find his voice: “An’an, you want… Mommy to give you a little sister?”

The little guy nodded enthusiastically: “Mm! Then I can play with my sister! I have cakes and milk candies in my treasure box. I’ll give them to her!”

Xu Haizhou chuckled. Children’s thoughts were always so pure, without a trace of complexity.

“Aren’t you worried? If your sister is born, Daddy and Mommy might love you a little less.”

Qiao An furrowed his brow in confusion. He gripped Xu Haizhou’s warm hand, a little flustered: “Why? If the little sister comes, Daddy and Mommy won’t love An’an anymore?”