TPW – Chapter 49

The couple had arranged to meet Li Hongjun at the entrance of the small commodities market on Baiyun Street.

The weather wasn’t too hot today—cloudy and a bit stuffy. It felt cool while riding the bicycle, but the moment they got off, their clothes clung uncomfortably to their bodies.

What came into view was a bustling little market, completely different from what Qiao Lu had imagined. It felt like stepping into a 1990s street market—but even messier and more chaotic.

The individual stalls were lined up in a row, most of the stall owners were men, and their attire was shockingly casual.

Some wore old undershirts and tank tops, some wore flip-flops, some only had on oversized shorts. They were either burly and rough-looking or sly and shifty-eyed. To an outsider, it might seem like they had wandered into a bandits’ den.

With the oppressive humidity of the lingering summer heat, a faint but distinct “manly” odor lingered in the air along the street—truly unbearable.

This place made the chaotic Qingteng Alley look downright orderly by comparison.

In 1983, the small commodities market in Lian City was still in a semi-unregulated state. Why semi? Because it was a street unofficially acknowledged by the government as a business zone. Occasionally, city inspectors would make surprise checks, but most of the time they wouldn’t bother, letting people do as they pleased.

As a result, the environment here was, to put it mildly, not ideal.

The street was fairly wide, its “bustling prosperity” tinged with a kind of shabby air. Shops were crammed together, brightly colored and all over the place. Most sold clothes, but there was no display sense—just random piles of fabric. As long as customers knew they were selling clothes, that was enough.

Some stall owners didn’t bother to keep clean—scraps of trash littered the ground in front of their shops.

Overall, the environment wasn’t promising, but the sheer liveliness hinted faintly at the early form of a future commercial street.

As for the location… if properly developed, this place might one day become a major commercial hub in Lian City.

Deeper inside the street, they saw a long row of shops stretching to a crossroads at the far end, which connected to another main road.

“The spots near the entrance and center are already taken. If we’re setting up now, we’ll have to go further inside.”

“But aren’t there a few empty shops here?” Qiao Lu pointed to a vacant one in the middle, puzzled.

Li Hongjun clicked his tongue. “Already asked. They said those are reserved—someone’s planning to set up there later.”

Looking around, this kind of space-hogging wasn’t rare. If you tried to argue about it, one wave of the hand and a whole crew of “brothers” would show up. No wonder they dared to claim all the prime spots—they had numbers on their side.

“The crackdown’s not even over yet. Aren’t they afraid, being this brazen?”

Xu Haizhou responded with a meaning-laden remark: “For some people, money matters more than jail time.”

Li Hongjun added, “Tch, what’s there to be scared of? This street’s Lian’s economic test zone—it’s meant to help small vendors like us make a living. The cops are swamped with work; they don’t have time to babysit small-time peddlers.”

Qiao Lu was speechless—clearly, things wouldn’t go smoothly. There weren’t any major problems, but the little issues were piling up.

“Alright, then just pick a spot—just try not to end up next to those messier stall owners.”

The group got back on their bikes and rode around for a bit, making several loops before settling on a spot near a corner.

“I think this spot’s great. A little out of the way, yeah—but it’s spacious. Next door’s a silk seller, a female shop owner—she looks gentle and well-mannered. Way better than those sloppy guys. Just look at those messy stalls—ugh.”

This wider space was purely because it was on the edge. To the right was the silk stall, to the left an empty lot—of course it was spacious!

As for the silk seller next door—a rare female boss—it was shocking how young she looked! At most twenty, but her clothing and style carried a maturity beyond her years.

Feeling the gazes of Qiao Lu and her group, the young woman lounged lazily on a long bench, slowly fanning herself, and returned a relaxed smile.

Qiao Lu smiled back faintly and looked away.

“It’s a bit off to the side, but honestly, there’s no better spot left. Any later, and even this one would be gone.” Competition for spots at the small commodities market was fiercer than Qiao Lu had imagined—this was the best they could do.

The group headed to the local administrative office to pay the management and rental fees—five yuan a month. A bit expensive, but there was no choice.

“Mama, there’s so many people here.”

As they walked, the little one looked around. Having grown up in the city center, young Qiao An wasn’t used to the chaotic scene of Baiyun Street.

“Yup, lots of uncles and aunties doing business here. It’s a little messy. What’s wrong? Not used to it? We’ll head back soon.”

The child shook his head, clutching his mother’s shirt hem tightly and leaning into her. “I can stay.”

Qiao Lu smiled and patted his little head. “Good boy.”

After renting the stall from the manager, their morning task was complete.

“Alright, let’s go with this for now. Next, we need to find suppliers and restock. Whatever’s popular on the market, we’ll get that. And when I have time, I’ll design a few pieces of my own. If they sell well, same old plan—we’ll find someone to custom-make them.”

“Mm.” Glancing at his watch, Xu Haizhou said, “We’re not going home for lunch today. Come on, my treat at a restaurant.”

After the meal, they all went back to rest before preparing to contact wholesale suppliers. The two men agreed to go together at 1:30 that afternoon.

Passing by the department store, they remembered they were out of shampoo at home, so the family of three dropped in for a quick browse.

The shampoo they used before was a random brand called “Egg Yolk.” It didn’t seem suitable for Qiao Lu’s hair—it left it feeling rough and dry. She wanted to switch to something better.

It was Sunday, so the mall was fairly crowded. Xu Haizhou shielded his wife and child as they squeezed inside. By the time they reached the inner section, not a single strand of Qiao Lu’s hair was out of place.

One hand looped through Xu Haizhou’s arm, she used the other to point at the products behind the glass counter.

“Hello, comrade, do you have any slightly more expensive shampoo?”

Back then, “shampoo” and “liquid shampoo” were terms that came into use in the late ’80s. Right now, it was called “shampoo paste,” and there was also shampoo powder, though the latter wasn’t as nice.

“Try this one, Wenabao.” Before the shop assistant could speak, a gentle female voice chimed in from the side.

The family turned toward the voice. Their eyes landed on a green bottle labeled “Wenabao” sitting inside the display case, then shifted to the woman who had spoken.

Qiao Lu’s eyes widened. “It’s you!”

Wasn’t this the same young woman selling silk at the stall next to theirs? Despite her youthful face, her clothing and demeanor were mature and stylish—at least five years older than her actual age.

Of course, this was based on the era’s standards of fashion. She wore a Dacron blouse with low-rise jeans, sported a head of permed curls, and stepped confidently in pointed leather shoes—undeniably a trendsetter of the times.

She had a sweet smile, pure with a subtle hint of flirtation. Her beauty was of a completely different flavor than Qiao Lu’s fresh and elegant style. One word came to mind: innocent allure.

Still, given the limited makeup and fashion options of the era, it was only so impressive.

“I use this one often. It’s a foreign brand—pretty good. One green bottle, one yellow. This is the shampoo; that’s the conditioner. They’re sold separately,” the woman said as she pushed the items toward Qiao Lu with a smile.

Surprised and grateful, Qiao Lu raised her brows and nodded. “Thanks! I’ll take it home and give it a try.”

“You’re welcome.” The woman flicked her hair, then glanced at the little one standing by Qiao Lu’s leg and the man holding the boy’s hand.

Her red lips curled into a teasing smile. She raised her brow. “Your man?”

“Mm. He’s my husband. And this is our son,” Qiao Lu replied with a smile.

The woman subtly sized up the father and son.

Then Qiao Lu turned to the shop assistant. “How much for one bottle?”

“Two yuan.”

“Alright. Please wrap it up for me.”

A two-yuan bottle of shampoo was definitely considered a luxury in the ’80s, but Qiao Lu didn’t hesitate at all.

The sales assistant, sharp-eyed as ever, could tell this customer wasn’t short on cash. She quickly packed the items.

“Would you like the conditioner too?”

“Yes, please. Wrap that up as well,” Qiao Lu replied, not even bothering to ask the price this time.

The assistant swiftly packed both items and handed them over. Qiao Lu accepted the bundle, nudged Xu Haizhou to pay, and once everything was done, took his arm and squeezed through the crowd. The woman in waves of curls followed close behind.

Her outfit drew a lot of attention in 1983. The clothes were passable, but the voluminous permed hair—just didn’t look “respectable.”

At least by the standards of many people at the time, it carried the wrong kind of implication.

“What are you selling at that stall you rented?” the woman asked casually as they walked.

“Planning to sell some women’s clothing, handbags and such,” Qiao Lu replied.

“There are already too many women’s clothing stalls on Baiyun Street—seven or eight, at least. And they all sell pretty much the same stuff. Your spot isn’t great either. You sure it’ll work?”

Qiao Lu glanced at Xu Haizhou and smiled lightly. “Whether it works or not, we’ll give it a shot. We just rented the stall, still figuring things out. We’ll see how it goes.”

After all, they had enough savings to afford a few mistakes.

“Alright then, we’re neighbors now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I’m Yu Fan.” She extended a hand, offering a friendly handshake.

“Qiao Lu.” Their fingers met. With her other hand, Qiao Lu brushed aside a wisp of hair near her cheek, releasing a subtle, effortless allure that left Yu Fan momentarily stunned.

It was the kind of elegance and charm she longed for but couldn’t yet achieve at her age—an unconscious allure, not a performative one.

This mom… was truly beautiful.

With a smile and a final glance at Qiao An and Xu Haizhou, Yu Fan waved and turned to leave.

Watching her slim, graceful back fade into the crowd, Qiao Lu sighed. “That girl’s really young. Starting out on her own like this—it’s not easy.”

Glancing in the direction the woman had gone, then turning to look at his own wife, Xu Haizhou suddenly smiled.

“No one in this world has it easy.”