TPW – Chapter 46

“No, Daddy and Mommy will always love An’an. It’s just that if we have another little brother or sister, we might have to share some of the love we give you with them.”

Qiao An, rarely hesitant, listened to the whirring of the electric fan. After a long while, he suddenly turned and hugged Xu Haizhou tightly around the waist, nestling his head against his chest anxiously like making a solemn vow, conflicted yet serious:

“Mm… Mm… Daddy, I think it’s okay. I’m willing to share your and Mommy’s love with my little sister!” Because she would be his sister, and sisters are the dearest family too. They’re both Daddy and Mommy’s little treasures, and they both deserve their love.

“If only An’an gets love and not my sister, An’an would be sad too. We should love An’an and also love my sister. Daddy and Mommy’s love should be fair. I like fairness!”

That’s how Qiao An thought—pure and earnest, without a trace of falsehood, making one’s heart ache.

Xu Haizhou’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly wiped the corner of his eye—it was actually wet.

“Is that so? Then An’an is truly a very generous little boy. Daddy is so proud of you.”

There had never been a moment like this when Xu Haizhou felt that even if he had only Qiao An as his son for his entire life, it would be more than enough—truly.

When Qiao Lu came home after her shower, she found Xu Haizhou lying on the bed playing horse for Qiao An. What a rare sight! Normally, the man would spoil the kid, but at most he’d lift the boy onto his shoulders to ride. Doing something so out of character? Honestly, he’d never done that before.

“An’an, why are you riding Daddy like a horse?” She shook the water from the towel and hung it on the bamboo pole under the eaves. In this weather, it’d be dry by morning.

Qiao An turned and giggled: “Mommy, I’m not riding Daddy like a horse—we’re just playing!”

In a child’s eyes, Daddy couldn’t be a horse. They were just playing around, and he loved playing with Daddy!

Seeing Xu Haizhou’s indifferent expression—alright then.

Let them play however they want, there’s no one else around anyway.

After Qiao Lu finished applying lotion and climbed into bed, the little guy slid off Daddy’s back and paid with a kiss: “Thank you, Daddy. I’m so happy!”

“Mm, as long as my good boy is happy.”

“Hee hee~” He wriggled into Qiao Lu’s arms, following his tightly scheduled routine like always.

“Mommy, when I turn five, can I still have a birthday cake? I want to save a piece for Auntie.” Just thinking about that sweet, delightful taste made Qiao An crave more.

He claimed he wanted to share with Auntie, but really, it was mostly because he was greedy. Qiao Lu couldn’t help but laugh as she sat at the vanity applying body lotion: “Of course you can.”

Qiao An tilted his head and looked at her: “Then what about when I’m six?”

“You can still have one.”

“And seven?”

Here we go again—an infinite loop. Qiao Lu playfully pinched his cheek. The fragrant cream on her fingertips left a faint mark on his soft skin—so smooth.

“If you like it, Mommy can buy you one every year on your birthday.”

He hugged her from behind, his crisp laughter audible even through a half-closed door.

“Thank you, Mommy~ I love you so much~”

“You little flatterer.” She patted his bottom and lifted him into the small bed beside the big one. The electric fan could blow on him until he fell asleep, but after that, it had to be moved or he’d catch a cold—just like last month when he had to go to the clinic because of it.

“You’re so happy today. How about sleeping in your own bed?”

“Huh? I have to sleep in the small bed again today?” He clung to her sleeve unwillingly. Qiao Lu tried tugging a few times without success, so she sat down on the small bed with a sigh.

“What do you mean again? You haven’t even slept in it once this month. You only used it twice last month. Is that a lot?”

“Mm, kind of a lot.” The little guy nodded solemnly.

Qiao Lu: “……”

“My good boy, you’re four years old now. Isn’t that more grown up? What man is afraid of sleeping alone?”

Qiao An giggled and pointed at her: “The man in Mommy’s house.”

Qiao Lu frowned and tapped his nose: “Nope. Not in Mommy’s house, not in Daddy’s house either. Only you, little rascal, are afraid of sleeping alone.”

He pouted and gave in: “Yeah, I… I am a little scared. So… can I sleep with Mommy?”

Alright, now he was admitting it openly. Where did that proud little An’an go?

Honestly, having a son this smart was a double-edged sword. But still—he’s only four! Why is he already so hard to trick?

“Nope. A four-year-old man sleeps on his own.”

“Then can I not be a man anymore?” Qiao An suddenly realized that being a man was no fun. He couldn’t sleep with Mommy, couldn’t cry whenever he wanted—Mommy would just say, “Men don’t cry.”

Sigh, he wasn’t sure he wanted to be a man anymore.

“Should I say you’re cunning or clever?”

A glint of mischief sparkled in his clear eyes: “Mommy, I’m clever. I’m smart.”

Qiao Lu chuckled: “Then my clever little baby, time to sleep. Mommy will stay here until you fall asleep, okay?”

“Mm… mm… Is that the only option? Can we still negotiate?”

He really had quite the vocabulary. Qiao Lu firmly shook her head: “No negotiation. Sleep now. Either I stay till you fall asleep, or you sleep on your own.”

Her compromises always got him to give in, and this time was no exception: “Okay then… but if you leave before I fall asleep, I might cry.”

“Alright, I won’t leave. Close those little eyes and sleep.”

Within two minutes of closing his eyes, the “little man” secretly peeked through a slit in his eyelids. Qiao Lu was counting—eight, nine, ten times now.

When Daddy finally turned off the light, he opened his eyes, but couldn’t see Mommy anymore. He could only vaguely sense her comforting scent lingering in the air.

Her gentle hand was patting his belly.

That night, the air was cool like water.

Xu Haizhou liked to sleep shirtless in summer, which gave Qiao Lu the perfect excuse—she couldn’t keep her hands off his abs.

A few days without touching, she found his muscles even more defined.

He had a habit of night runs and playing basketball. He said that back when he lived up north, he met a retired soldier and they’d often work out together. Over time, it became routine, and he never lost those abs. Now that he wasn’t working the street stall lately, he’d even go for a run before making breakfast for his wife and kid. He was in amazing shape.

Qiao Lu was impressed: “You’re so disciplined. It’s a shame you never joined the military.”

Xu Haizhou laughed: “I actually thought about it. But back then, my older brother was still in the countryside. If I enlisted, who would take care of our parents?”

Luckily, he met that retired soldier and got to hear about life in the army—he considered that a fulfilled dream.

“Really? Then I think you’ve sacrificed a lot for your family.”

“It’s not about how much. Everyone gives up something. You don’t know my big brother—he’s endured just as much.”

“I don’t care about your big brother. I just know you’ve suffered, and I feel bad.”

She bit her lip in frustration, tracing lazy circles on his chest with her finger.

Xu Haizhou took a deep breath and grabbed her wrist: “That tickles.”

Qiao Lu slapped his chest lightly: “Too bad. I’m not done touching.”

Xu Haizhou couldn’t help but laugh: “You’re unreasonable.”

Qiao Lu glared at him playfully: “I’m your wife—who needs to be reasonable?”

Xu Haizhou was speechless, afraid she’d start overthinking. So he pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair gently.

“Forget about my brother. Do you know what An’an told me just now?”

“What?”

“He said we should have a little brother or sister for him.”

“Seriously?” Qiao Lu was skeptical.

“If you don’t believe me, ask him.” His voice held a teasing edge.

Qiao Lu pushed him away: “He just fell asleep, and you want to wake him up?”

Then she turned over to face the wall. “Forget it. Let’s sleep. Whether we have another kid or not, just leave it to fate.”

She might’ve been ready to sleep, but Xu Haizhou wasn’t. Their son had been going to bed late, and the two of them hadn’t had any alone time in three or four days. No matter what, tonight had to happen!

Thinking this, he quietly hugged Qiao Lu from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder, his breath warm.

“Don’t mess around. Go to sleep.” She figured An’an probably wasn’t fully asleep yet and didn’t dare make a move.

He kissed the top of her head, freshly washed and scented with jasmine shampoo.

“I’m not messing around. Let’s give An’an a little sister.”

“Didn’t we say we’d let it happen naturally? Why rush?”

“An’an’s in a rush.”

“Liar. You’re the one who’s rushing.”

Even though she turned her back to him, she underestimated the cunning of a man in “mating mode.”

So… how come… from behind… it works too…?

Letting him have his way meant the next morning she woke up sore all over. Without An’an in the way, Xu Haizhou had switched positions all night—Qiao Lu seriously suspected he wasn’t making love but attempting to break some kind of world record!

After torturing his wife all night, Xu Haizhou felt a little guilty. The next morning, not only did he handle breakfast, but he also cleaned the house until it was spotless.

Today, he planned to visit Hou Caijun to get some fabric for his wife to make new clothes. Before leaving, he lifted Qiao Lu’s shirt, pressed his ear against her belly, and murmured softly:

“Is our little baby already asleep in there?” Last night, he’d released wave after wave of “little seeds,” and he felt confident that even a random guess this time would hit the mark.

Qiao Lu’s cheeks flushed crimson. She kicked at him. “Get lost!”

The sun scorched the earth mercilessly. The sycamore leaves by the roadside curled in the heat, the pavement shimmered with white light, and the southern-facing plexiglass windows of the chemical factory’s production workshop looked as if they’d melt in the next second.

Walking down the workshop corridor, Qiao Yan was the clearest and most striking figure of early autumn.

“Look quickly, it’s Qiao Yan.”

“Wow, is that really Qiao Yan? When did she become so feminine?”

Feng Zhenhua hurriedly pulled her colleague along, her eyes full of admiration. “Is our mom-to-be wearing a new dress today? So pretty! Did you get it at the department store?”

Gao Jinghua also praised, “This pattern is really fresh, haven’t seen it in the market before.”

Yesterday, Qiao Yan had specially applied to the factory committee for permission to wear dresses during the latter half of her pregnancy, figuring that since she worked in an office, it wouldn’t affect anything. Besides, she was Director Yuan’s wife—leadership didn’t fuss much and approved it right away.

Blinking playfully, she revealed a rare mischievous side. “You guessed right. You really can’t buy this at the department store—it was a gift from my little sister!”

New dress, new mood—wearing something pretty lifted her spirits.

She gently caressed her belly. In every movement, Qiao Yan exuded a motherly aura.

Feng Zhenhua clicked her tongue in admiration. “Your sister is so sweet. This dress is gorgeous—must’ve cost a bit, right?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen anything like it. Her man got it for her. My brother-in-law is quite capable, knows a lot of business owners, got it through a private channel.” Qiao Yan admitted she had a small ulterior motive—partly showing off in front of her coworkers.

What’s wrong with running a street stall? Technically, that’s a small business too—not really lying.

Feng Zhenhua was instantly taken with the dress, a flash of envy in her eyes.

“Do you think your brother-in-law can get more? I really like it and kind of want one.” She covered her mouth and laughed, a little embarrassed.

As the leader of Team 2 in the production workshop and someone Qiao Yan got along with, she readily agreed. “Of course. Twenty yuan apiece. If you want one, I’ll have her bring it for you.”

She didn’t hesitate at all when making up the price.

“Wow, that’s not exactly cheap.” Feng Zhenhua blinked in surprise.

“Of course not—feel this fabric.” Since it was for a pregnant woman, the fabric prioritized comfort over style.

Feng Zhenhua didn’t hold back, rubbing and squeezing the material. Female coworkers nearby casually edged closer.

“So soft and smooth.” The fabric felt amazing against the skin. The tie-dye effect was unlike anything they’d seen—white and green, unexpectedly pleasing to the eye. Wearing it felt like it chased away the summer heat instantly.

After mulling it over, Feng Zhenhua still decided to buy one.

If even Qiao Yan looked good in it while pregnant, how could she, with her slim figure, look any worse? Definitely not.

“Alright then, I’ll take one!” She gritted her teeth and made the decision. She was only 21, had just started dating someone last year, and this dress would be perfect for visiting his family. Talk about good timing!

“I’ll ask my sister to give you the friend discount.” Qiao Yan smiled slyly.

“Oh, I’d love that!” The hesitation Feng Zhenhua had over the price instantly vanished. She happily hummed a tune as she returned to her workstation.

Accountant Liu came to the workshop to pick up some files. She was tempted too when she saw the dress. She gently touched the fabric—it really was silky smooth. In the heat, it felt like wearing nothing at all—light and breathable!

“My daughter’s going on a blind date next week. She’s slim—this dress should look good on her, right?” The guy was Director Qiu’s nephew, and they had to make a good impression.

Qiao Yan smiled. “Of course. Is it Haitang going on the date? That girl’s gorgeous and slim—she’ll wear it even better than me.”

She really had a talent for sales—the flattery flowed effortlessly.

“Alright then, have your sister bring me one too.” Back then, no one cared about wearing the same outfit as someone else. In fact, matching with others showed good taste!

“No problem.” Qiao Yan pulled a small notebook from her office drawer and unclipped her Hero fountain pen from her chest pocket. “Anyone else want one? I’ll write it down so I don’t forget.”

“Can I get the discount too? If so, I’d like one.”

“Me too! I’m 1.5 meters tall—small size, please.”

“What about you, Team Leader Tang?” she asked, glancing at the middle-aged woman at the opposite desk, buried in paperwork.

This woman had always been at odds with Qiao Yan. The reason was simple—conflict of interest. A couple of years ago, Tang’s husband had competed with Yuan Jianghe for the director position. Qiao Yan’s husband won, and hers became the deputy director. One character apart in title, but a huge difference in power.

Let Qiao Yan get her a dress? And pay twenty yuan for it? That would be infuriating.

Just as she was about to refuse, Qiao Yan drawled slowly, “A dress is less than twenty yuan—it shouldn’t be expensive for you, right? Deputy Director He surely wouldn’t refuse to buy you a dress.”

What’s the most satisfying money to earn? Your enemy’s. Qiao Yan was delighted.

“Of course not. It’s just that I already have too many dresses at home—can’t even fit them all in the closet,” Tang replied with a faint smile.

But her eyes sparkled with suppressed fire as she looked at Qiao Yan.

“Well then, what’s one more? Are you buying or not?”

In the office, all the female coworkers stared at Tang Xue, waiting for her answer. She could already imagine their scorn if she said no. After all, she was the deputy director’s wife—how could she not afford a dress?

She snorted haughtily. “Fine, I’ll buy one!”

After work, Qiao Yan was escorted by Yuan Jianghe to the big courtyard on Ziyuan Street, where she handed the list to Qiao Lu.

At first, Qiao Lu was confused. After hearing Qiao Yan’s explanation, realization dawned. She looked at her second sister with astonishment.

Especially when Qiao Yan described Tang Xiaoli’s frustrated expression—Qiao Lu nearly burst out laughing.

Qiao Lu was baffled—was Qiao Yan always this scheming? She remembered her sister as someone straightforward, disinterested in playing games like this.

“You think maybe I have a bit of a knack for business?” Qiao Yan looked quite pleased with herself.

Qiao Lu made red sugar water for the two of them. “Not bad, not bad. You might have a talent for it. My sister really is a college student—sharp mind.”

Speaking of sharp minds, an idea flashed in Qiao Lu’s head. “Sis, from the way you’re talking, could it be you want in on this too?”

“Oh, please. Your hot potato of a business—why would I join? I’ve got a comfy office job, and you think I’d give that up to join you? I’d have to be crazy.” She patted her belly and lazily leaned on Yuan Jianghe like a human cushion. “Look at my big belly—how can I run around in this heat?”

“Who said anything about running? I don’t either. Xu Haizhou and his friend do the running. We just stay home and make clothes.”

“But I don’t have your skills!” Ever since moving to the city, she’d only worn ready-made clothes or stuff her mother-in-law made. Her sewing skills were rusty and clumsy.

“No worries—if you’re not good with your hands, use your mouth. You definitely have your strengths.” Qiao Yan was good at talking—college educated, confident, and even more so after marrying Yuan Jianghe. Sometimes she came off as quite arrogant.

When Qiao Yan didn’t respond, Qiao Lu grinned. “Actually, I’ve been thinking of opening a store. If you’re interested, I could hire you as my manager!”

In recent months, Xu Haizhou had shown Qiao Lu a lot of newspapers about current policies. Things weren’t as tense as they were back in August.

The papers said that it wasn’t illegal for ordinary people to do business—it was only illegal to speculate and hoard or go beyond the allowable scope. As long as they kept things low-key, it should be fine.

With that, Qiao Lu’s inspiration surged.

She planned to design a few pieces and sell them in nearby streets and alleys. If people liked them, it would prove her eye for fashion. She had some savings and could use it to open a clothing shop.

The store would offer two types of clothes: one category would be the popular styles from the market, the other would be her own handmade designs—more expensive and targeting wealthier customers. Even if they didn’t sell in bulk, the profit margins would be high. Later on, if things went well, she could build her own brand.

Not just clothes—she’d also sell bags. She had decided not to sell small accessories anymore, but there was still some leftover inventory, including women’s socks stuck with Li Hongjun. Since the cost was low, she decided to give them away as freebies.

Right now, everyone in business was feeling their way forward. Ordinary folks didn’t understand the power of giveaways. But Qiao Lu was ahead of her time, grabbing an incredible first-mover advantage—it would be hard not to succeed.

“What? You were just running a street stall, and now you’re opening a store? Won’t you need to rent a space? How much is that per month?”

“No idea, probably a few yuan to maybe a dozen—not that much.”

“Still, that’s not cheap.”

“It isn’t, but think about it—once the store opens, Haizhou won’t have to work under the sun anymore, and he’ll have more time to spend with me and An’an.” Qiao Lu poked her sister’s shoulder. “Just yesterday, you and my brother-in-law were joking about us having a second child. If he’s never home, how am I supposed to raise two kids alone? Opening a shop has so many benefits—what’s a little rent?”

Thinking about it, that made sense.

“You’re right. Go ahead and open it. I’ll help you spread the word. If anyone at the factory doesn’t know about your shop, that means I didn’t do a good enough job!”

“Thanks, sis~ Love you~” She squatted down to give her a hug, making Qiao Yan chuckle in amusement.

“Alright, don’t act like a kid.” She pinched her hand, then stood up and stretched. “We’re off.”

Linking arms with Yuan Jianghe as she walked out of the courtyard, Qiao Lu called out, “Once I finish the dress, I’ll deliver it straight to the factory for you. You won’t need to make a trip.”

Qiao Yan waved her hand. “Mm, then thank you for saving me the trouble.”

One dress sells for twenty yuan, and the cost is just under three—so each one nets a profit of seventeen. Five dresses means eighty-five yuan profit. One dress takes six hours to make, and if you work overtime you can finish two a day. That means you’ll finish in two and a half days. Rounding it up, you’re making thirty a day—that’s more than half a month’s wages for most people!

Stretching lazily, she muttered to herself, “Ah, I don’t even want to make bags anymore. Making one dress a day is enough to eat and live well.”

Low prices have their benefits—low cost of living means earning a few dozen yuan can already provide a comfortable life for a while.

“Mommy! Is that enough for us to buy a beautiful new house?” The little one peeked over curiously.

Qiao Lu gently stroked her son’s head. “Oh right, we also have to buy a new house for our An’an. Then Mommy has to work extra hard, how about I try to make one more dress each day?”

After thinking it over, the little one shook his head. “No. I don’t need a new house. I just want Mommy not to be so tired.”

She was used to her son’s considerate nature by now. People say daughters are little padded jackets and sons are drafty jackets, but clearly, it depends on the person.

“My sweet boy is so thoughtful. With you saying that, Mommy feels full of motivation!”

“What does ‘full of motivation’ mean?”

“It means feeling energetic and wanting to work hard to earn money!”

“Then let Daddy earn money too.” Mommy shouldn’t be the only one working hard.

Qiao Lu held back a laugh and kissed his little face. “Daddy earns money outside, so you don’t see it. He works very hard too.”

Indeed, Qiao An hadn’t really seen Daddy working hard. But he often saw Mommy busy in front of the sewing machine, working all morning or all afternoon—it looked very tiring.

Leaning on the sewing table, Qiao An said softly, “Then Daddy works hard too. I hope both Mommy and Daddy won’t be tired.”

“If we’re not tired, where would the money come from?”

“Does money have to come from being tired?” His big black eyes blinked in confusion.

“Yes, earning money step by step, steadily and honestly, is tiring. We’re not making quick money. Without labor, how could we have any harvest?”

“Mm, only work brings reward. I feed Bubble and Little White every day, and they gain weight—that’s the reward of labor!”

She rubbed his bright little head. “That’s right, An’an is amazing—you even know how to draw analogies now.”

The little one proudly puffed out his chest.

Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun had lunch and then went to the city center to look for a shop. They didn’t return until 6 p.m.

Evening heat was still intense, and the two men were gasping for breath when they came back, drenched in sweat.

“It’s way too hot today!” The heat hit them the moment they stepped inside.

Xu Haizhou wasn’t too bad—just sweating, but standing near him wasn’t unbearably hot.

Qiao Lu quickly poured the cold boiled water she’d prepared and handed it to them, then brought the electric fan from the bedroom to cool them down.

“How did it go? Did you find anything?”

Li Hongjun gulped down a whole bowl of water and rushed to answer: “We saw quite a few. Wrote down some addresses—there’s one on Jinlin Street, one next to the department store, and one across from Qingshui Temple… We picked three places. You can come with us tomorrow to check them out, then decide whether to rent or not.”

“Alright.”

Making money was addictive. Qiao Lu gradually forgot how she once advised Xu Haizhou to wait a year. She herself started feeling restless after reading a few newspapers.

“What about the prices?”

Xu Haizhou replied, “The prices are manageable. All in the city center, about ten yuan give or take—not expensive. We can afford it.”

“That’s good.”

The next morning, after breakfast, the couple went to the city center to view the shops. On the way, they delivered the finished clothes to the chemical factory—payment in hand again. On the way home, they planned to buy a roasted goose from the deli as a treat.

The little one wanted to stay home to take care of Bubble and Little White, so he didn’t go with them.

“Then stay home and be good, don’t run off.”

“Mm! I’ll be good. I’m staying here with Bubble and Little White to sunbathe.”

Qiao Lu glanced at the enamel basin and reminded, “Don’t stay in the sun too long. It’s hot.”

“Okay~”

Before leaving, she asked Aunt Chen next door to keep an eye on the child, then left with peace of mind.

Today, Bubble was sick. When poked, it didn’t move at all, just lay there belly up, occasionally flipping over. Qiao An was a little anxious. Following Xu Haizhou’s suggestion, he carried the enamel basin into the yard to give Bubble some sun.

Tian Jianzhong walked over and poked the two little fish. Suddenly, he scooped up Bubble and gave it a prod. The little guy didn’t move at all—just weakly flicked its tail a couple times. Otherwise, it looked practically dead.

Frowning deeply, Tian Jianzhong pointed at Bubble’s swollen belly. “Qiao An, how much do your two little ones eat each day? Did this red one eat too much?”

Qiao An quickly explained, “No, no! Bubble just got chubby! It didn’t eat too much!”

Pfft—

“Getting chubby is eating too much. Same thing.” He playfully pinched Qiao An’s cheeks with two fingers.

Qiao An pouted and swatted his hand away. “What’s ‘same thing’? What does that mean?”

Glancing at the lifeless-looking Bubble, Tian Jianzhong clicked his tongue. After a moment of thought, he decided to tell him the harsh truth.

“It’s over, Qiao An. Cherish the last moments with your Bubble. It probably doesn’t have much time left!”

After saying that, he turned and walked back inside. The little one panicked and tugged at him. “What do you mean, big brother?”

Tian Jianzhong looked at Qiao An’s face and suddenly smiled meaningfully. Then, without saying anything more, he left.

Scratching his face, Qiao An had a bad feeling in his heart.