TPW – Chapter 5 Innocent Virgin

These days, state-run restaurants didn’t have printed menus. All the dish names were written on a blackboard, and you had to walk up to the counter and tell the staff what you wanted.

Xu Haizhou pointed at the little blackboard and gestured for Qiao Lu to order.

Qiao Lu gave a shy smile and brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “You go ahead—I’m fine with anything.”

Xu Haizhou then turned his gaze to the child in her arms. “An’an, what do you want to eat?”

Since children couldn’t read, he patiently listed off the dish names one by one.

In this day and age, adults rarely considered what children liked when they took them out to eat. Especially for a three-year-old—kids didn’t get a say. Whatever the adults ordered, that’s what they ate.

Qiao Lu couldn’t help glancing at him a little more—this man was quite attentive.

Xu Haizhou eventually finished reading all the dish names, but little Qiao An didn’t react at all. Half his face was buried in Qiao Lu’s arms, with only his big, deer-like eyes peeking out, swirling with curiosity.

The foods he’d eaten so far were just cornbread buns and various pickled vegetables. Since arriving in the city, he’d had a few bowls of millet porridge and some boiled eggs. He had never even heard of these restaurant dishes, let alone knew how to choose.

Qiao Lu gently rubbed his head and spoke on his behalf. “An’an’s not picky. You can order.”

Xu Haizhou didn’t push the issue. He ordered based on his own preferences: one portion of Eight-Treasure Fried Rice, one cucumber and egg soup, stir-fried beef with celery as the meat dish, shredded potato in vinegar as the vegetable, and a side of steamed egg custard. The total came to three yuan and twenty cents.

For two adults and a child, two dishes would’ve been enough. Five dishes was actually quite a feast.

When Qiao Lu had gone on blind dates with state-owned enterprise workers before, they had also eaten in state-run restaurants. The meals weren’t bad—usually one meat, one vegetable—but compared to Xu Haizhou, all she could say was: this guy was generous.

For a moment, she began to question what Sister Liu had said about his “poor conditions.”

Before the food arrived, Xu Haizhou also ordered a sweet drink for each of them. Qiao An had a sweet tooth and eagerly slurped down half a bowl from his enamel cup.

Qiao Lu then pushed her own bowl in front of him. From the look in his eyes, you could tell he was excited, but he firmly pushed the cup back in front of her.

In a careful whisper, he said, “This is for Mama.”

Qiao Lu beamed and bent down to kiss his cheek. Xu Haizhou watched the entire exchange in silence, and a soft light quietly filled his gaze as he looked at the mother and child.

Since this was a blind date, she couldn’t spend the whole time just interacting with her kid. That would be a waste of the opportunity.

Qiao Lu pulled her gaze away from her son and got serious. “Ahem. Comrade Xu, let me tell you a bit about my situation first.”

But Xu Haizhou smiled faintly and spoke before she could continue. “Actually, Sister Liu already told me before I came.”

After all, this was a blind date. Naturally, the matchmaker had to make sure both parties were aware of each other’s circumstances before arranging a meeting.

Qiao Lu smiled, understanding. “Did she tell you I’m from the countryside?”

“She did.” Xu Haizhou nodded, looking directly into her eyes.

“Then do you know about my past experiences in the village?”

“I know a little,” he said, meeting her gaze. “If you’d rather not talk about it, that’s okay. I actually don’t mind.”

There was a seriousness in his expression that made it seem like he truly didn’t care about her past.

That only made Qiao Lu more curious.

“Then… why would a man like you—never married—be willing to go on a blind date with a rural woman who already has a child?”

Unexpectedly, Xu Haizhou just gave a soft smile and offered a simple answer:

“Marriage isn’t about all that. As long as there’s affection, then…”

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly paused. When he looked at Qiao Lu again, the smile at the corner of his lips faintly took on a trace of shyness—barely noticeable, but there.

Love at first sight?

Qiao Lu’s probing gaze felt almost tangible, like a hand brushing across his cheek, stirring heat behind his ears.

“Ahem—”

Their eyes met—then quickly, and in perfect sync, darted away.

“It’s like that, but… I still think I should be upfront about my own situation.” Qiao Lu averted her gaze and began to speak seriously.

She slowly told him about herself—or rather, about the original Qiao Lu’s past life in the countryside.

The story wasn’t long, but it was complicated. After she finished, the noisy world around them seemed to fall silent. It felt like a century passed before Qiao Lu finally looked away from Xu Haizhou’s eyes.

“You probably think I was really stupid, huh?” She certainly thought so herself. Being blindly in love never worked out, no matter the era.

But Xu Haizhou shook his head, his gaze sincere—not like he was trying to comfort her, but as if he truly meant it.

He said, “No. It wasn’t your fault—it was his.”

“Him?”

He probably meant Ge Wenrong, the educated youth who abandoned the original Qiao Lu.

“Pardon me for being blunt, but he was scum.”

Pfft—

That was… very direct. Qiao Lu almost thought she misheard him, but one look at his serious expression told her he meant every word.

Qiao Lu pressed her lips together. “Yeah, he was scum. But I…”

Xu Haizhou cut her off, his voice clear and firm. “You were the victim. If someone blames you for being naive, how are they any different from the scum? You were young and inexperienced. A man with character should protect the woman he loves—not hurt her.”

When he finished, Qiao Lu almost wanted to clap. This man… really knew how to talk.

Just a few words, and her impression of him shot straight up. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was being strategic—saying all the right things on purpose to win her over quickly…

But when she looked into his sincere eyes, she felt maybe she was just being too cynical.

“Ahem, then… can I ask…” Her voice softened, warm and gentle like a spring breeze. In his ears, it was like a teasing little paw brushing across his chest—making his heart tremble.

Xu Haizhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. His tone grew even softer. “I think you’re wonderful.”

Qiao Lu still couldn’t quite read his true thoughts, so she cautiously tested further. “Can you accept my child?”

Xu Haizhou looked at Qiao An with genuine seriousness, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Yes.”

“I’m from the countryside.”

Xu Haizhou said, “That’s okay.”

Not a single objection…

Qiao Lu felt like this was going too smoothly.

“I don’t have a job right now,” she added.

Xu Haizhou, still unfazed, replied with ease, “You can always find one.”

Qiao Lu froze in place, not moving for a long moment. Xu Haizhou couldn’t help but glance at her—those beautiful cat-like eyes were staring at him in a daze, charming and sweet, with an adorably confused look that tugged at his heart.

He smiled and asked, “Do you have any more questions?”

“Not for now,” Qiao Lu came back to her senses, her rose-colored lips curving into a smile.

“Alright.” Being stared at like that made Xu Haizhou feel slightly self-conscious; his cheeks flushed faintly.

Truth be told, he was quite happy inside. Qiao Lu’s appearance matched exactly the kind of woman he had imagined as a future partner. As shallow as it might sound, that was the truth—he had fallen for her at first sight. And he was extremely thankful that the two of them happened to be such a compatible match.

In this era, setting up a street stall was an extremely unstable line of work—and not a respectable one either. Most people in this business were bachelors, because very few women wanted to marry someone like that. Before Sister Liu introduced them, Xu Haizhou had never even considered looking for a partner.

If Qiao Lu weren’t from the countryside, if she hadn’t given birth out of wedlock, maybe she really wouldn’t have looked twice at someone like him. And in that case, they probably never would have crossed paths—let alone sat down like this for a blind date…

In a way, it was precisely these “flaws” that gave them the chance to meet in the same city.

Thinking this, Xu Haizhou felt secretly grateful. When his eyes fell on Qiao Lu again, a barely perceptible firmness welled up behind the gentle gaze.

He sat up straighter and began, “Comrade Qiao, then I’ll tell you about myself too.”

“My name is Xu Haizhou. I’m 25 this year. I graduated from high school and I’m from the north. My parents are still alive, and I have an older brother. They’re all still living up north. I came to Lian City when I was 19. I worked in a factory for four years, then quit and started running a street stall. It’s been about half a year now. I’ve never dated anyone, and I don’t have any female friends.”

“I don’t have many requirements for a partner. Just…”—he paused and snuck a glance at Qiao Lu’s expression before clearing his throat and continuing—“Just someone whose personality is compatible with mine, and who has good character. I don’t ask for anything else.”

Xu Haizhou introduced himself in all seriousness, a stark contrast to his earlier bashful demeanor. It was quite the contrast—like watching a sturdy ox turn into a gentle little lamb.

And it was precisely this contrast that made Qiao Lu suddenly realize—so this is what Sister Liu meant when she said he was a pure-hearted virgin!

Xu Haizhou had zero dating experience. He barely interacted with women.

At 25, he wasn’t exactly young, but not too old either. Still, in the 1980s, 25-year-old virgin men weren’t all that common. Regardless of their circumstances, most men would try to marry before 25—whether through blind dates or introductions from relatives or parents.

That was just how society worked. Seeing everyone around him getting married, building families, and living in harmony, it was only natural for Xu Haizhou to start thinking about settling down too.

When Xu Haizhou finished speaking, he noticed Qiao Lu hadn’t responded yet. His gaze shifted to the little one sitting quietly in her arms, drinking sweet soup.

Such a quiet, well-behaved child.

He smiled, paused for two seconds, and added: “I’m from the north. I don’t have a formal job. I live in a shared courtyard. Can you accept all that?”

“Of course I can.” If he were any more perfect, she’d be too scared to marry him.

Compared to the fact that she had a child, all of that was nothing.

Besides, if he could accept her mess of a life, then of course she could accept his little flaws.

“What about your family?” Qiao Lu asked. “Would they mind someone like me?”

Xu Haizhou smiled calmly. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he replied without hesitation:
“My marriage is up to me.”

That answer caught Qiao Lu off guard. She stared at him for a moment—just as Xu Haizhou looked back at her. His pupils were deep and dark, meeting her gaze directly, without any attempt to hide.

But his stare wasn’t offensive. On the contrary, it was pure—but not the kind of purity that came from naïveté. It carried a kind of quiet strength and cleverness. When he looked at you, it felt like he could see straight through everything.

He wasn’t a fool. He knew exactly what he was saying and doing.