TPW – Chapter 53

“A suit jacket?” Qiao Lu was stunned. “It hasn’t even cooled down yet, and you’re already planning to wear a suit?”

After last year’s party congress, a “suit craze” swept through the capital.

Then, early this year—around March or April, when it was still pleasantly cool—that trend began to “head south,” reaching Lian. Men started putting on suit jackets to keep up with the fashion.

Suits were worn unbuttoned and open, with a keychain hanging from the waistband of the suit trousers. From a distance, people might even think you were some sort of “cadre”!

In reality, almost everyone had started dressing this way. In a crowd, it was like everyone had become a “cadre.”

But to be honest, people back then didn’t really know what a proper suit was. They didn’t understand what a suit should look like, let alone that suits needed to be custom-tailored to look good.

The ones flooding the market were one-size-fits-all knockoffs. Southern men weren’t as tall or broad as those from the north; they were often thin and wiry. On them, the suits looked baggy, sloppy, and unrefined—not quite cadre-like, and certainly far from exuding CEO vibes. People bought them just for the novelty and fun.

Even so, they sold like hotcakes. What could you do? You had to follow the trend and sell them too.

After all, when it comes to making money—who cares about pride or fashion sense?

Tian Jianzhong chuckled awkwardly, his features betraying a guilty conscience. “It’s almost cooling down. I just thought I’d buy one in advance—so I’ll have it ready when it gets cold.”

“Oh~ That works too. We’ve got summer clothes here, and autumn wear as well. In another two months when it cools down more, Haizhou will be getting a shipment of winter clothes too. You can come over to my place—we’ll have stock then.”

“Alright.”

He happily picked out a set and took it without even asking the price, paying promptly.

“Got a bag? Help me pack it up.” He was afraid of being seen.

She casually picked up a large canvas bag from the ground and handed it over. “Here, borrow this one. Just bring it back to me later.”

“Got it.”

As Tian Jianzhong left carrying the clothes, Xu Haizhou had just finished showering and was returning with his son. They brushed shoulders as they passed each other.

“Why was he here?”

The little one pattered into the room to look for a jacket. It had gotten a bit chilly in the evening, and he’d been shivering all the way home.

Watching Tian Jianzhong’s retreating back, Qiao Lu smiled meaningfully. “That guy… something’s up with him…”

Xu Haizhou looked baffled. He put down the wooden basin and walked under the eaves to hang the towel. “What’s up?”

Qiao Lu folded her arms and shook her head. “Don’t know, just feels odd. Hey, do you know what he just bought from us?”

As she spoke, Xu Haizhou walked into the room.

“What?”

“A suit!”

“A suit?” Xu Haizhou still didn’t get it. “Why would he buy a suit? I’ve never seen him wear one.”

Actually, it wasn’t just Tian Jianzhong. These suits had only just become trendy this year. The styles were modern, but few people were buying them. And with the weather still so hot, even fewer were interested.

“Who knows… but judging from the way he acted all bashful and awkward, I suspect…” Qiao Lu suddenly burst into laughter. “I think he might be… experiencing a boyish crush?”

Pfft—

Xu Haizhou was amused by her choice of words. Then he nodded in agreement. “Mmm… he’s already well into his twenties. It’s about time he found someone.”

Not that he cared whether Tian Jianzhong had a girlfriend or not. He already had a wife—that was enough for him.

As he thought this, his gaze unconsciously drifted to her face.

They’d been married a year, and she hadn’t changed at all—if anything, she had grown more charming and graceful. She dressed better too. Their relationship had also shifted from awkward new marriage to a passionate “old couple” phase.

His gaze slid from his wife’s jade-like face to her well-shaped chest, and finally landed on her slender, barely-a-handspan waist…

Twenty-two—a woman’s most beautiful age. How lucky he was to marry her at just the right time.

“What are you staring at me for?” Qiao Lu laughed, jabbing his chest with her elbow. It was firm.

He had just showered and was only wearing a thin vest and a light shirt—both white and faintly see-through.

The water droplets on his arms hadn’t been fully dried, and the thin fabric clung to his muscles—not overly ripped, but evenly toned and full of restrained strength.

“Just admiring how beautiful and virtuous my wife is,” he said, his voice husky and irresistibly alluring.

Qiao Lu chuckled and walked to the sewing machine, getting ready to clean up and take her own bath.

But then, without warning, her slender waist was scooped up, and she was pulled firmly into his chest.

What’s gotten into him today?

Qiao Lu shot him a glare, annoyed, and brushed back her tousled hair.

Just as she was about to get up, this rascal suddenly lifted her chin with his long fingers—in that classic flirty bad-boy move.

Qiao Lu stared at him, dumbfounded. Before she could say anything, a flurry of kisses rained down on her like a storm.

Breaths intertwined, soft and silky like fine satin, tangled together into one.

“Mmph—” This man… he’s getting more and more shameless about time and place!

Selling at the Baiyun Street stall was more physically tiring due to the commute, but mentally, it was much less stressful.

No need to constantly worry about city inspectors showing up at any moment. Plus, the more vendors that gathered, the more foot traffic there was.

On weekends, people even rode their bicycles for over an hour just to come browse Baiyun Street.

Sundays saw the highest customer volume, so both of them would usually be on duty.

During the weekdays, they took turns. If Xu Haizhou was there today, Li Hongjun would go tomorrow. The one not working wouldn’t just sit idle either—they’d take the opportunity to wander around different factory zones, trying to make connections and see if they could score direct goods. If they could find reliable suppliers, they wouldn’t have to source from the Special Zone anymore, which would make things much easier.

Out of the two large bags of “junk clothes,” Qiao Lu had already transformed about a quarter.

Each piece cost less than one yuan.

Almost every “little piece of junk” had her unique touch and design improvements, with no repeats, so they weren’t priced cheap.

Summer tops typically sold for five to eight yuan, pants went for six to ten, and dresses were a bit pricier—ranging from seven to twelve yuan.

And to be honest, with Qiao Lu’s designs and the two men’s sales pitches, they were selling surprisingly well.

The only challenge was that redesigning clothes was mentally exhausting. Sometimes she racked her brain so hard she thought her head would explode—and still couldn’t figure out how to alter a garment.

Xu Haizhou noticed and, without saying a word, somehow found out that royal jelly was a great supplement. One day, he suddenly brought home a huge jar of it.

Glass jar, cost twenty-three yuan! Super expensive! He said it was to “nourish her brain,” leaving Qiao Lu speechless and amused.

“How can eating sugar help the brain? It’s bad for the brain, not good!” What a silly man!

Little Qiao An stared at the royal jelly, drooling. “Mommy, sugar tastes good. Why is it bad for the brain?”

“Sugar is tasty, but eating too much is bad for your body.” Qiao Lu tapped her son’s round little nose. “Didn’t Mommy just teach you the other day? Eating too much sugar not only makes you fat but also causes…?”

“Hmm… cavities! Bugs will build a home in your teeth and eat them all up! Then your teeth will fall out!”

“Exactly.”

Xu Haizhou laughed helplessly and rubbed his son’s soft head. “So I bought the wrong thing?”

His good intentions backfired, and he felt a bit guilty.

“You’re not wrong. We could make honey chicken wings, or use the honey to make drinks. Honey water, honey lemon water—those sound great too.” Sweet and tangy—if only they had a refrigerator, it would be the ultimate summer heat remedy!

“Will it help the brain?” That was what Xu Haizhou really cared about.

Qiao Lu shook her head mysteriously. “Probably not. But it can…”

Xu Haizhou quickly asked, “Can what?”

Qiao Lu blinked and knocked her knuckles against his forehead. “It can make me happy, you dummy!”

Even if her husband was a bit naive and lacked “common sense,” his intentions were sincere. And that sincerity made Qiao Lu feel happier than receiving any expensive gift.

Looking at his playful wife, Xu Haizhou’s heart melted into a puddle.

“As long as you’re happy, then I guess it served its purpose.”

And so he ran around the market again. Without Qiao Lu knowing, he came back with a full two jin of lemons—eighteen of them!

My goodness! Just two lemon slices were enough for a cup of water, and they could even be reused once or twice.

Even with three people at home, everything had to be consumed in moderation. Qiao An would only get one glass a day, and the two adults, at most two glasses each. That meant they’d only go through half a lemon a day.

One lemon every two days… they’d be drinking this stuff until the end of time!

Qiao Lu held her forehead helplessly. When it came to her silly husband, she had a strong feeling he’d definitely pull even more “dumb stunts” in the future!

Xu Haizhou got up at 5 a.m. today. He didn’t tell Qiao Lu, but the rustling noises still woke her up.

“What’s wrong? Going to the bathroom?” she mumbled groggily, her eyes too sore to open.

“No, I’ve got something to do outside.” He tiptoed out of bed, tucked her blanket in, and headed to the wardrobe to change.

She could hear the soft sound of fabric rustling, then his footsteps gradually growing more distant. In her sleepy daze, Qiao Lu’s hand slipped out from under the covers…

Hiss—the temperature difference was huge! Freezing!

She wanted to say something else, but sleepiness won in the end. Within seconds, she was sound asleep again.

Xu Haizhou didn’t return home until almost 9 a.m.

At that time, the courtyard was filled with gasps of surprise and wonder.

“Wow—A TV!”

Thump thump thump thump—the sound of footsteps echoed everywhere.

“Holy moly! Haizhou, your family’s really getting rich, huh? Even got a TV!”

“Yikes! The radio wasn’t enough, now you’ve gone and bought a TV!”

Mother and son rushed out to see. Their shock was no less than the neighbors’. “Haizhou, you… you got up early just to go buy a TV?!”

Afraid something might go wrong on the way, Xu Haizhou hadn’t even taken his bike—he walked the whole way and carried the TV carefully back in his arms. He was panting from exhaustion but clearly exhilarated.

“I’ve wanted to get one for a while now. Just couldn’t get a ticket until now. I had to go early to get in line. By the time it was my turn, there were only three left.”

In those days, it wasn’t enough to have money and a ticket—you also had to queue early. Sometimes even if you got in line, the stock would run out before your turn, and you’d have to accept your bad luck.

Sigh. Buying a TV in those days was that difficult!

“I’m going in to tidy up—it’s a mess inside.” Qiao Lu didn’t have time to ask more questions and rushed inside to clean up.

Qiao An followed closely behind, sometimes curiously staring at the big box in his father’s arms, sometimes watching his mother busy at work.

“Aiya, stuff everywhere—I don’t even know where to put this!” Qiao Lu was sweating from the effort. She had no idea where to stash all the miscellaneous items.

Xu Haizhou chuckled. “Just clear out any spot and leave it there for now.”

Qiao Lu quickly ran back to the bedroom, dragged out the nightstand, and placed it against the wall by the door. After stabilizing the TV, she began plugging in the wires.

TVs in the 1980s didn’t have input jacks; they needed adapters to work. The back of the TV had a plug, and you had to connect it to a power socket through a converter. Then the satellite dish had to be placed where the signal was strongest outdoors. After adjusting the antenna, it was ready.

“All done. We’ll be able to watch tonight.”

TV programming back then wasn’t as rich as it is today. You could only get three channels: the central station, the provincial station, and the city station.

And nothing aired before 6 p.m. Even if you turned the TV on, all you’d see were dense black-and-white static “snowflakes.” At this hour, better to let it rest.

The new TV in the Xu household kept the entire courtyard buzzing with excitement all day long.

By around 5:30 in the afternoon, kids were already circling around the house, impatient.

“Hey—make way, what’s with all the people crowding the doorway? What are you all doing here?”

Li Hongjun returned from work with a load of goods, only to be stunned by the sight in the courtyard.

What the heck? Everyone’s gathered outside Haizhou’s door. Did something happen?

He charged in with a sack on his shoulder, and the neighbors quickly parted to let him through.

When he saw the scene inside, he let out a breath of relief. “Whoa, you really bought a TV?”

He casually tossed the sack aside and walked over to take a look. “Yo, it’s a Panda brand one. Nice!”

He gently patted the back of the TV, and Qiao An immediately tugged on his shirt. “Uncle, careful! Don’t break the TV!”

Li Hongjun chuckled and picked the little guy up, showering him with kisses and squeezes.

“Afraid I’ll break it? Huh? With a shell that thick, how could I?”

Qiao An wiped his face and said, “The TV is precious. We have to protect it.”

“Oh my, you even know the word precious? Who taught you that?”

He pointed at Qiao Lu with his little finger and said in a childish voice, “Mama.”

Qiao Lu came over, and the little guy reached out for her to pick him up.

Taking her son into her arms, Qiao Lu teased quietly, “Made all that money—what’s wrong with buying a TV?”

Li Hongjun raised his brows and gave her a thumbs-up. “Sis-in-law, you’re getting bolder with your words! Having money really does make people confident. Shows that money is your backbone!”

“Isn’t it though.”

While Xu Haizhou busied himself adjusting the TV, Qiao Lu held her son to the side and waited. The rest of the neighbors, with nothing else to do, just stood there watching him like he was some animal in a zoo.

Someone noticed the sack he brought back. “You got a lot of goods today?”

“Don’t even mention it. Only sold one item,” Li Hongjun said gloomily.

“What? But everything was going fine before.”

Li Hongjun scratched his head in frustration. “No idea. Maybe it was just the novelty at first. Now that the excitement’s gone, people stopped coming.”

Indeed, when it first opened, it was quite the novelty.

“No worries. Leave it for now. I’ll talk it over with Haizhou tonight—see what we can do.”

The location couldn’t be changed, so they’d have to come up with another plan.

“Alright. Leave the heavy lifting to me—you two can be the brains.”

Pfft—Qiao Lu burst out laughing.

“It’s time.” Like a spell being lifted, the moment those words were spoken, the crowd grew visibly excited—even without anyone saying more, the air was full of anticipation.

The energy surged.

“Come watch TV with us,” Qiao Lu said to Li Hongjun.

“Sure thing!”

The children eagerly asked, “Qiao An! Are you watching TV? Can we watch too?”

The little guy instinctively looked to Qiao Lu.

She scratched his chin. “Do you want to share the new TV with your friends?”

“Mm! I do.” He liked sharing with his friends.

“Then go invite them to sit down.”

Qiao An ran to the sewing machine and pulled out two burlap sacks for the kids to sit on, and just like that, they all sat on the floor to watch TV.

The kids sat in neat rows, and the adults stood behind them. The tiny room instantly became packed to the brim.

In the blink of an eye, under everyone’s expectant gazes, the screen finally lit up. Even though it was just ads, everyone watched with rapt attention, unwilling to miss even a word.

It just so happened to be Saturday. At this time slot, the most popular TV drama was airing: Huo Yuanjia.

The opening scene was an intense fight—fast-paced and dizzying. Everyone watched with bated breath.

Except for Qiao Lu, everyone else had the exact same reaction: the more they watched, the more enthralled they became.

Though she’d long been immune to this type of show, being immersed in the lively atmosphere made even this old TV seem kind of interesting.

Two hours later, the words “Goodbye” appeared on the screen. Still, no one wanted to leave. Not until the screen suddenly turned into a blur of black-and-white static did people finally start filing out reluctantly.

“That was great! Qiao Lu, can we come watch TV at your place again?”

“Sure, come by whenever you want. But I recommend bringing your own stool.”

“Hahaha—” No more need to go to Zhao Kuihua’s place in the outer courtyard to watch TV. They could watch right here, with fewer people and better seats!

“Alright, alright! Next time bring your own stools! Don’t stand and block the people behind you from watching TV!”

The air was filled with joy.

Reluctantly, the crowd dispersed. As they walked, they imitated lines from the TV show and discussed the plot. It was a rare moment when both adults and children shared a common topic.

After watching TV, they carefully covered it with the lace dust cloth that Xu Haizhou brought back from the department store—so thoughtful, even more attentive than caring for one’s own mother.

That night, after his bath, Qiao An unusually didn’t grab a book to pester his mother to tell a story, nor did he cling to her asking to learn a new song. He was still lost in the drama’s plot.

It was Qiao An’s first time watching TV. He had once been dragged by friends to peek at a TV at Sunflower’s house in the outer courtyard, but there were too many people, and being short, he could barely catch a glimpse of the blurry black-and-white screen through the crowd. He hadn’t really experienced it.

Now, his own family had a TV! And he could sit in the best viewing spot. It was too exciting, simply thrilling!

“Well? Do you like it?”

“Mm! I love it! Daddy, I super super SUPER love it! The clothes they wear are all different from ours!”

The background of Huo Yuanjia was set in the Qing Dynasty, and everyone wore traditional costumes. To Qiao An, who was seeing such a different style for the first time, it was like discovering a new world!

“Do you love Daddy or the TV more?” Xu Haizhou scratched his son’s chin and asked.

The little guy didn’t hesitate: “I love Daddy! TV is my third favorite!”

Without Daddy, he wouldn’t even have a TV to watch!

“Then who’s your second favorite?” Xu Haizhou continued.

Qiao Lu, who was applying face cream at her vanity, perked up her ears to listen.

The little guy pouted, torn: “Second favorite… I guess… I guess I love myself?”

“What about Mommy?” Xu Haizhou deliberately set a trap.

Without missing a beat, the little guy answered, “Mommy and Daddy are both number one!”

“You little rascal.” His mother wasn’t wrong—this kid was clever and never fell for their tricks.

Qiao Lu was quite pleased with the answer. She and her husband never forced their child to choose who he loved more—it would only upset him.

Because in a child’s heart, Daddy and Mommy are always equally important.

Now, without needing to be told, Qiao An climbed into his little bed, pulled up the blanket, and lay down obediently.

He had only one request: he had to sleep in the same room as Daddy and Mommy. If he was made to sleep alone in another room, he wouldn’t have it.

If there’s ever a moment when a man feels most proud, it’s when he can make his wife and child happy—when others envy them. What a sense of pride!

Xu Haizhou might have been a bit carried away tonight. Qiao Lu had only just gotten into bed when he rolled over and pinned her beneath him.

Qiao Lu shoved at him in annoyance, “What are you doing? An’an’s not asleep yet!”

She turned her head and met a pair of misty, wide eyes.

They’d forgotten to turn off the light. The little guy was staring at the two adults stacked on top of each other, blinking in confusion: “Daddy, why are you pressing on Mommy?”

“Ahem—”

Xu Haizhou quickly rolled off, squeezing Qiao Lu’s hand, his eyes speaking to her: Why didn’t you say An’an wasn’t asleep yet?

Qiao Lu shot him a glare: Don’t you always call his name before starting anything? Why didn’t you this time? Blame me?

Xu Haizhou: …

“An’an, go to sleep quickly. You’ll grow taller if you sleep early.”

“But Daddy, I’m just so happy today, I can’t sleep,” came the excited little voice.

“Then close your eyes. You’ll fall asleep after resting them a bit.”

“Okay.”

Sure enough, he obediently closed his eyes—but not long after, he spoke again: “Daddy, the TV show was so fun to watch.”

Just as Xu Haizhou was about to lean in close to his wife’s cheek, his body stiffened. “Mm, as long as you like it. Now hurry and sleep.”

“Okay~” He shut his eyes again.

Xu Haizhou let go of his wife’s hand, lips just about to brush her cheek, when—

“Daddy, is Huo Yuanjia still on tomorrow?”

Xu Haizhou: “…Yes. An’an, go to sleep. We’ll talk about tomorrow when it comes.”

“Okay~” This time, he really was going to sleep.

Click—he yanked down the lamp cord.

Qiao Lu bit her lip trying not to laugh, giggling so hard her belly started to ache.

Xu Haizhou’s eyes darkened. He angrily bit her lips, earning a soft squeal from his wife.

Then everything stilled.

Qiao Lu was in tears from laughing. Never mock a man—because you never know how he’ll get back at you!

Pinned beneath the blankets and kissed breathless, Qiao Lu thought she might suffocate. The air was already limited, and now he was aggressively attacking her!

Her cheeks flushed red from the heat, her body temperature rising—finally, he had mercy and threw the blanket off.

Panting, his dark eyes searched her face. Though he couldn’t see clearly in the dark, he could imagine just how dazed and charming she looked at that moment.

In the dead of night, he suddenly turned his head and called, “An’an?”

No response.

Great. He’s asleep. Which means… Mommy’s not allowed to sleep now.

“Mmm—”

Her arms clung to him weakly, letting herself drift with him.

“S-slower… slower… mmm…”

Because their shop was in such a remote location, just shouting outside wasn’t attracting enough customers. After seeing yesterday’s pitiful earnings drop to a mere “11,” the trio had to come up with more tricks to draw attention.

“Grand opening sale! Everything 10% off! Everything, I tell you! Doesn’t matter the price—if you buy, you get a free accessory! Buy one, get a gift! Buy one, get a gift!”

“Bring in friends and get rewards! One friend, 1 yuan off! Two friends, 2 yuan off… Up to a 5-yuan maximum!”

They picked Sunday—the peak of foot traffic. One after another, people wandered in, curiosity piqued.

“Huh? What do you mean by bringing in friends to get a discount?” asked an auntie carrying a veggie basket.

Li Hongjun explained, “It means, if you bring a friend to buy something, both of you get 1 yuan off. Bring two people, all three of you get 3 yuan off!”

“Four people, 4 yuan? Five people, 5 yuan?”

“Exactly.”

“Then with your 10% discount and 5 yuan off from bringing friends, can I get an even bigger discount?”

“Of course! If you really bring five people, we’ll give you a double discount—10% off and 5 yuan off!”

“For real? Things like this still happen in this world?”

“We believe in doing honest business—how could we cheat anyone? No pain, no gain!”

“If I bring 100 people, will you give me 100 yuan off?” the auntie asked naively.

Li Hongjun chuckled, speechless: “Aiya! You didn’t hear me clearly—I said five yuan max. Just five heads, that’s the cap, sister!”

“Ah, I thought so. Who does business at a loss?” Still, it sounded like a pretty good deal.

Five yuan—that’s two days’ wages!

Even she, who hadn’t planned on buying clothes, was interested now: “So how much are your clothes?”

Li Hongjun quickly guided her to Xu Haizhou: “Here, this is our boss. You can discuss the price with him.”

Once she was inside, he turned to bring in the next customer.

Everyone had their roles clear, and no matter how many came, they didn’t get flustered.

Probably because no one had seen such a creative marketing approach before, the results were incredible. All morning, customers were coming and going. After learning about the promotion, they would rush out and return moments later with their aunts, cousins, and in-laws—usually in groups of three or four!

What the heck was going on?

Other vendors stopped setting up their stalls and stared at Xu Haizhou’s booth. The entrance was packed with people.

Confused, they went over to ask what was happening.

Even Li Hongjun and Xu Haizhou were dumbfounded. They hadn’t expected such a reaction at all.

Turns out, it wasn’t that people were unwilling to spend money on clothes—it was just that the previous discounts weren’t generous enough!