TPW – Chapter 54

After working the whole morning, the two men were so busy they didn’t even have time to drink water. Their mouths were so dry that their lips began to peel.

Qiao Lu changed fifteen outfits in the morning, and when she came back and saw the huge crowd, she almost thought she’d gone to the wrong place.

She finally squeezed her way in, and Li Hongjun quickly snatched the clothes from her hands. “Ah, sister-in-law is here! You didn’t come early, but you came at the perfect time. We’re almost out of stock here—you’re like delivering coal in the snow!”

The fifteen dresses were snatched up in an instant and sold out within twenty minutes.

Staring at the empty store, Qiao Lu was stunned, then burst into a helpless laugh.

Because the promotion was so aggressive, even customers who participated in the referral campaign didn’t get the free accessories or handbags—but no one complained. After all, compared to those freebies, money was what truly mattered.

“All right, everyone! That’s it for the morning event. We’re out of stock. The boss and I will go restock and grab some lunch. We’ll resume the event at 1:30 in the afternoon, okay?”

Who would say no to that? There was no stock left—they couldn’t just buy thin air.

“Okay, okay, we’ll go home and eat first. You bring more stuff back with you.”

“Sure, no problem!”

This referral event was really effective. Even though the profit per item was a bit lower, clothing had high margins. Even if they knocked five yuan off each item and then applied a 10% discount, it wasn’t a loss. Plus, with the volume picking up, they sold a month’s worth of stock in just one day. No matter how cheap it was, it wouldn’t lose money!

“Qiao Lu, stay here and keep an eye on things. Hongjun and I will go fetch more stock.”

“Hey—” Qiao Lu quickly stopped Xu Haizhou. “There’s not much summer stock left at home. I saw lots of people who still haven’t bought anything. Do you think that’s enough?”

“Take whatever we have. Bring autumn clothes too. It’ll be enough for the afternoon. If not, we’ll figure something out.”

“All right then.”

Qiao Lu was both thrilled and worried. Who would’ve thought that a marketing tactic so common in the future would have such a sensational effect in the 1980s?

They should strike while the iron is hot, but Lian couldn’t get more stock in time, and going to the special economic zone would take at least three days. By the time he got back, the “hype” would be over.

By around four in the afternoon, the entire stockpile had sold out again.

They finished early, and while they were happy, they also regretted not having stocked more beforehand!

But alas, there’s no such thing as knowing the future. Maybe everything really is destined…

The vendors looked at the empty Xu family stall like they’d seen a ghost.

They went home light as a feather, just carrying two empty sacks.

The sunset burned like blood, and the faded light poured down like water. Rows of apartment buildings were bathed in a fiery orange glow, as red as flames.

As they headed home that evening, a few people followed them at a not-too-close, not-too-far distance. If this had been before the nationwide crackdown on crime, someone might’ve already tried to snatch their bags. Thankfully, with the current crackdown and strict law enforcement, police patrols were a frequent sight on the streets…

Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun didn’t go home. They went straight to the bank—only after depositing such a large amount of money could they feel at ease.

In just one day, they had earned a full six hundred yuan! Six hundred in one day! Do you realize how crazy that is?

That’s the equivalent of a whole year’s salary for a regular worker! And they earned it in a single day!

The tragic part? They had zero stock left…

Xu Haizhou rushed home to have dinner, and as soon as he finished, he went straight to the county to find Yang Lidong. Thankfully, Yang had plenty of stock and was able to give him half to tide things over.

He returned drenched in sweat, but his body still felt cold. After untying the ropes, he carried the large sack into the house.

Qiao Lu quickly closed the door tightly behind him. The wind cut across her face, chilling to the bone.

Qiao Lu, dressed in just a tank top for comfort, sneezed as the breeze hit her. “Tsk—it really feels like the weather’s turning colder. You and Hongjun should bring back fewer summer clothes and more autumn and winter ones.”

“Mm. We’ll try to stock up more so we don’t have to make another trip.” A trip to the special zone was both physically and mentally draining—just riding in the bumpy bus felt like it shook your bones apart.

Qiao Lu thought for a moment and reminded him, “But don’t overstock either. This kind of promo works because it’s novel. If you want long-term development, you can’t keep running promos every day. Don’t end up sitting on unsold inventory.”

After all, new clothes weren’t a necessity. Most people would take advantage of a deal once and be satisfied. Wanting to do it again meant they’d be spending their own money to “save” more.

There’s a saying: Not buying saves you 100%.

No one’s stupid. No one’s going to blow their whole savings just to get a small discount. Even if a whole family came to buy clothes, given the material conditions of this era, it’d be one item per person at most—any more just wouldn’t happen.

So at most, this wave of promotion would stay hot for about a week. If they kept pushing at full force afterward, the scattered trickle of customers wouldn’t be worth it.

Xu Haizhou took enough stock from Yang Lidong for about a week—maybe four or five days under normal conditions. By then, he and Li Hongjun would likely be back.

With both of them gone, Qiao Lu would be handling business alone.

Before they left, they told her to be careful on the road. They didn’t even have time for a tender goodbye. At dawn, they helped Qiao Lu deliver the goods to the stall, then rushed to catch the earliest bus out.

Qiao Lu was right—nearly all the clothing vendors on Baiyun Street “coincidentally” adopted the same marketing method Xu Haizhou used yesterday. Those who didn’t manage to score a deal at Xu’s stall yesterday all flocked to other vendors today.

Qiao Lu’s stall was in a more remote location. With customers drawn away, foot traffic dropped sharply. Thankfully, the buzz created yesterday still helped—at least she could still get a sip of the soup even if the meat was gone.

Yang Lidong had good taste—no wonder he’d been in the clothing business for four or five years. He stayed on top of trends, and the clothes he stocked had both quality and style. Plus, Qiao Lu had something no other stall owner had—a fitting room. In the end, she still earned a decent amount.

She made sixty in the morning and forty in the afternoon, totaling one hundred yuan. After deducting costs, the profit was about seventy or eighty yuan.

Meanwhile, the clothing shop owners in prime locations had already counted so much money their hands were cramping. Their clothes had also sold about seventy to eighty percent—no worse than Xu’s stall yesterday.

The vendors were smug and, after closing up shop, eagerly discussed how much stock to hoard next.

Qiao Lu listened and couldn’t help but laugh.

Stock up, go ahead—convert all your cash into goods. Let’s see how long it takes before you earn it back.

Lunch was bought from a nearby place. Since they would be out for a long time today, they brought Qiao An along too. The little guy was obedient and quiet. When there were guests, he sat properly to the side without making a fuss—either practicing his writing or reading a book.

Only when Qiao Lu was no longer busy did he start clinging to her like sticky candy, pestering her to tell him a story.

Xu Haizhou was truly a thoughtful person. He had come back just for a meal yesterday before heading off to the county, yet somehow still managed to contact Hou Caijun. In the afternoon, when it was time to pack up, Hou Caijun came over to help her move the goods, saying it was at Xu Haizhou’s request.

Qiao Lu was immensely grateful.

It was the first time she’d seen Hou Caijun since the wedding banquet.

He looked more haggard than before. It seemed the recent crackdown had hit him hard. Still, the money he had saved up earlier was enough to let him live comfortably. The problem was, he wasn’t someone who could sit still. With too much time to think, anxiety naturally followed.

“Alright, sister-in-law, I’ll leave the stuff here for you. I’m off now. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow morning at eight.” He untied the rope and carried the goods into the house for her, wiped his sweat, and left with a flourish.

Qiao Lu called out to him, “Brother Hou! Come in and have a glass of water before you go!”

After carrying such a heavy load and biking for an hour, it must’ve been exhausting. It wouldn’t feel right not to even offer a glass of water now that he was here.

But Hou Caijun waved it off nonchalantly, ruffled Qiao An’s hair, and with a long stride, hopped on his bicycle and rode away.

“No need! I’ve got things to do at home!” He left in such a rush he didn’t even give Qiao Lu a chance to persuade him.

“An’an, quick, say goodbye to Uncle.”

“Goodbye, Uncle! Ride safe, Uncle! Take care on the road, Uncle!” The little guy even knew how to apply what he’d learned.

Hou Caijun gripped the handlebar with one hand and waved with the other. In no time, he disappeared down Ziyuan Street.

As Qiao Lu led her son back into the house, the little guy suddenly looked up and asked, “Mom, who was that uncle?”

Qiao Lu couldn’t help but laugh—he’d already said goodbye, yet he didn’t even know who he was talking to.

“Did you forget? That was the uncle you saw at the wedding banquet. He’s a friend of your dad’s.”

“I forgot,” Qiao An scratched his head, then asked again, “Mom, where’s Dad? Isn’t he coming home today either?”

“Dad went to restock goods. He’ll be back in a few days.” Qiao Lu walked into the kitchen, put on her apron, and got ready to cook.

The vegetables had been bought that morning from Baiyun Street, a district near the outskirts where farmers often came into the city to sell their produce.

“Okay then. I’ll miss him.”

With Xu Haizhou away, Qiao Lu didn’t feel like going out to buy meat. That evening, she simply stir-fried a plate of shredded lettuce stem and another of scrambled eggs with chive sprouts. Even though there was no meat, Qiao An still ate with gusto.

Dinner was done before six o’clock, and the neighborhood kids were already gathering outside the Xu household.

Wu Guifang’s daughter, Hu Fangxia, was the oldest child in the inner courtyard. She could read the clock and kept her eyes glued to the wall clock in the Xu family’s main room—tick-tock, tick-tock. As soon as it struck six, she immediately reminded, “Qiao An! It’s six o’clock!”

Qiao An perked up, ran inside and called out to Qiao Lu, “Mom! It’s six! Can we turn on the TV now?”

Qiao Lu looked up from the sewing machine and smiled, “Of course. Do you know how to turn it on?”

The little guy shook his head, “I don’t.”

Putting down her work, Qiao Lu demonstrated once and then had him try it himself.

“Got it?”

Qiao An nodded enthusiastically, “Yes! I got it, Mom! It’s easy!”

Once the TV was on, the courtyard’s children rushed in with their little stools, followed closely by the adults.

“Hey, Qiao Lu, still sewing? The show’s about to start, come watch with us!” Aunt Chen called out.

Qiao Lu didn’t even lift her head as she smiled, “It’s okay, you all go ahead. I’ll do a bit more sewing.”

She wasn’t really interested in old black-and-white TV dramas. Sewing was far more engaging.

Everyone in the inner courtyard—from kids as young as three or four to elderly folk like Liu Xiaohong’s grandmother—had gathered, eyes fixed on the screen, not wanting to miss a single second.

With the laughter and chitchat, it was lively and warm. It was during times like this that everyone’s hearts felt in sync. A word from you, a sentence from me, the atmosphere couldn’t have been better.

When it was over, they waved enthusiastically to Qiao Lu, thanking her.

“Feels a bit bad mooching off your TV like this,” Wu Guifang said as she carried her stool.

“It’s nothing. Whether one person watches or a bunch of people, it’s still just watching TV.” Besides, the TV didn’t play 24/7. It was just that short evening slot. Once it was over, everyone left—it wasn’t a big deal.

And it was more fun with more people. Discussing the plot together was quite enjoyable. Seeing the smile on her son’s face, Qiao Lu truly didn’t mind people coming over to watch TV at her house.

Just last night, the little guy had even told her he felt proud to invite his friends over to watch.

That night, Qiao An got to sleep with his mom again and was so excited he wasn’t sleepy even at nine. He asked if she could tell him another story.

Qiao Lu gave in and sang to him instead—slow, gentle lullabies that finally coaxed the little rascal to sleep.

The next morning, Hou Caijun arrived at the courtyard right on time at eight. He helped her haul all the goods over to Baiyun Street and then left in a hurry again.

“Thank you so much, Brother Hou!”

Hou Caijun waved it off and joked, “No trouble at all. I’ve got nothing to do lately anyway. If you’re too busy, I could even help you run the shop.”

She smiled and watched him go.

Running a shop was honestly boring, but thankfully, Qiao Lu had hobbies. She brought out pen and paper and continued sketching her designs.

The little guy imitated her, writing and drawing by her side.

He had even set a goal for himself today: to copy all twenty-six letters of the alphabet and have his mom dictate some pinyin and simple characters. After writing, he wanted to read the new picture book his mom had bought him. The illustrations were so vivid! But there were a lot of words he didn’t recognize, so he flipped through the pictures while asking his mom to explain the story.

“Your kid’s really well-behaved. Quietly writing and reading here, not making a fuss at all.” Their neighbor Yu Fan suddenly chimed in, breaking the peaceful atmosphere. “Honestly, I can’t stand kids—hate it when they cry and yell. But yours is cute and quiet… By the way, how old is he?”

Qiao Lu paused her drawing, ruffled her son’s hair, and smiled, “Four years old.”

The little guy looked up, having been so focused on writing that he hadn’t noticed their conversation. “Mom, why did you pat me?”

Qiao Lu chuckled, “Nothing, keep writing. Are there any words you don’t know how to write?”

He shook his head, “I know them all. I already memorized them.”

He was reviewing now. Once he was confident, he’d have his mom teach him new characters!

“Four? So smart already, and he can write?” Yu Fan was surprised and looked at the child more carefully.

This kid was clearly well cared for—his round, fair face showed just how much effort Qiao Lu and Xu Haizhou put into raising him. He also had a calmness and cleverness unusual for his age.

But Yu Fan suddenly realized something, “Didn’t you say you’re only 22? So you got married at 18?”

That was really young!

In Lian, newborns are considered zero years old, so if Qiao An was four, that meant Qiao Lu had gotten pregnant at 18.

Thinking it wasn’t some kind of secret, Qiao Lu didn’t hide anything and explained her relationship with Xu Haizhou. Only then did Yu Fan understand—it was a second marriage!

But if she hadn’t said so, no one would’ve guessed. The couple looked so happy and well-matched.

Plus, Xu Haizhou was so handsome, and their son was adorable. Qiao Lu was beautiful too. If anything, people would more likely assume it was a first marriage than a second!

For some reason, Yu Fan became very curious about their love story. Since there weren’t any customers around, she pulled Qiao Lu aside to chat.

There was nothing to hide, so Qiao Lu simply told Yu Fan about how she and Xu Haizhou met and got to know each other.

After listening, Yu Fan clutched her chest with both hands, sighing with emotion, “So lucky! If one day in my life, a man as decisive and handsome as your man confessed to me, I’d marry him on the spot too!”

At that moment, Yu Fan finally revealed a touch of girlish charm, which was rather at odds with her deliberately mature appearance.

“You don’t have a boyfriend?” Qiao Lu asked casually.

“Uh…” Yu Fan hesitated for a moment and blinked. “Actually, I do. But my boyfriend would never say such mushy things to me.”

As she finished speaking, Qiao Lu suddenly recalled the first time she met Xu Haizhou.

She could tell that he was shy around her—cautious in both speech and actions. Qiao Lu herself had been surprised: a man who seemed so pure and innocent had actually managed to say such sappy words of confession the very first day they met…

Now thinking back on it, why did it feel so sweet?

Could it be that love makes people brave?

Yu Fan sighed. “I was the one who chased him, and he’s younger than me. He’s still in school. Let’s wait until the college entrance exams are over—once he gets into university, we’ll make it public.”

“What?” Qiao Lu was startled by her words. “Your boyfriend’s in high school? Isn’t that a bit too young? Is he even an adult?”

Corrupting a minor boy—Yu Fan sure had guts!

“We got together when he was in the first year of high school. He wasn’t an adult back then. He just turned eighteen this year.” Yu Fan leisurely sipped her jasmine tea, rocking in her chair. “Actually, I really like him, and he likes me too. But he’s very reserved and timid, so I don’t think he’ll ever say things like ‘I’ll take care of you for the rest of your life’ like your man did.”

As she sighed, she rested her chin in her hand and dreamily said, “If only he could stand in front of everyone without hesitation and say to me, ‘From now on, I’ll take care of you,’ how happy would that be…”

Qiao Lu’s calm gaze fell on her profile. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she only said, “Everyone has their own kind of happiness. People express love in different ways. He may be reserved, but that doesn’t mean he loves you any less.”

“But I like men like yours.” Yu Fan’s own words stunned her. She quickly waved her hands, flustered. “I mean, I like that type of man—not your man specifically!”

Qiao Lu was also stunned for a few seconds, unable to tell if Yu Fan meant it or not.

After thinking about it, she simply said, “It’s okay. I understand what you mean.”

Although she wasn’t sure if Yu Fan had any ulterior motives, Qiao Lu had always trusted Xu Haizhou.

Besides, things like this couldn’t be guarded against entirely—they depended on one’s own discipline.

Yu Fan awkwardly fanned herself with her hand and stuck out her tongue—she had almost made a big mistake.

“As long as you get it. I was just worried you’d misunderstand.”

Xu Haizhou and Li Hongjun arrived at Lian City bus station on the morning of the fourth day, hurrying home with the autumn wind.

After getting home, they slept for a while. When Xu Haizhou woke up, it was around one in the afternoon. He took a shower, got ready, and rode his bicycle straight to Baiyun Street.

Before the man himself even arrived, his laughter could already be heard—Li Hongjun’s exaggerated and wild laugh echoed from afar.

“Sis-in-law! We’re back! I have something hilarious to tell you, hahaha!”

Seeing them, Qiao Lu happily got up to greet them. The little guy put down his pen and paper and rushed toward Xu Haizhou: “Daddy! Daddy, I missed you!”

Xu Haizhou bent down slightly—his tall frame curved as he picked up his son and kissed him several times: “Daddy missed you too. How were the past few days at home with Mommy? Did you watch TV at night?”

“Mm-hmm! We did! I even invited everyone to watch together. Brother Kangkang and the others said they were so jealous of me—they envy that my daddy bought a TV for Mommy and me.”

His tone was full of pride and joy.

What’s the point of earning money if not to give your wife and child a better life?

Xu Haizhou gently poked his little nose. “As long as you’re happy. That’s why I bought it—for you and Mommy to be happy.”

“Heehee~”

“Hahaha! Sis-in-law, come on, forget Haizhou for a second—I’ve got to tell you something hilarious that happened to us in the Special Zone!”

Taking the burlap sack, she began helping Xu Haizhou unpack the clothes one by one while pricking up her ears: “Go on, I’m listening.”

“Hahaha—” Though it had already been two days, Li Hongjun still found it hilarious. “So, on the first day we arrived in the Special Zone, we went to the factory to get stock. On our way back, we bumped into this wealthy-looking plump woman on the road—she had a gold necklace around her neck, you know? Just didn’t look like an ordinary person.”

“Mm-hmm, then?” Qiao Lu paused and leaned back on the small table, quietly waiting for the next part.

“Hahaha, that auntie—God knows what got into her—suddenly stopped us and asked if Xu Haizhou was a clothing vendor. I said yes, that we both sell clothes. Then she gave your man a full up-and-down look, smiling meaningfully, and said: ‘Come work for me. I’ll pay you two hundred yuan a month as my assistant.’”

“You know, we were both stunned! Haizhou reacted first and was about to refuse, but I stopped him and asked that auntie, ‘What kind of assistant work are you talking about?’”

“She said: ‘Just taking care of my daily life—being by my side at all times, serving tea, shopping with me, carrying my bags and such. The work is simple, the pay is good. I even give little gifts during the holidays. Two hundred a month is considered a high salary for mainland folks, right?’”

“Oh man, I said—doesn’t that just mean nanny? Hahahaha! What assistant? Sounds fancy, but she really just wanted a male nanny! Hahahaha—”

“Pfft—” In the next room, Yu Fan burst out laughing, spilling her jasmine tea everywhere.

She really couldn’t hold it in and quickly ran over. “Tell me—does Xu Haizhou look like someone who does housework?”

“No no no, Yu Fan, you’re just seeing the surface. That auntie? She had other intentions! Saying she wanted an assistant? More like she wanted to keep him! Hahahaha—”

Xu Haizhou: “…”

He turned to look at his wife. Her face was calm, lips slightly curved—a meaningful smile playing at the corners as she looked on like she was enjoying the show.

Then he looked at his son, who clutched Qiao Lu’s shirt hem and looked at him in confusion: “Daddy, what’s Uncle talking about? Who wants you to be a nanny? What’s a nanny?”

Xu Haizhou: “…”

Speechless.

Trying not to laugh, Qiao Lu asked, “So how did Haizhou respond? Surely he said something?”

“No no no, he did—let me act it out for you.”

He straightened up, imitating Xu Haizhou’s serious tone from that day: “…Sorry, I sell clothes, not myself.”

“Puhahaha—that’s hilarious! How are there people like that? She looked like she was in her fifties or sixties! Just goes to show—those Hong Kong folks really live wild lives—”

That auntie kept asking a few more times, but seeing Xu Haizhou’s firm attitude, she left in frustration. Being someone who cared about face, she threw two business cards and said, if he changed his mind, he could contact her. Too bad Xu Haizhou tossed them straight into the sewer.

“That face of yours—” Qiao Lu raised an eyebrow, deliberately dragging out the last syllable, “Not only attracts young girls, but even middle-aged ladies?”

She’d actually noticed something before: every day when they counted the cash, Xu Haizhou always made ten or twenty yuan more than Li Hongjun. It wasn’t hard to guess why.

Looking at her man’s face, she shook her head. “Tsk. A beautiful disaster.”

Xu Haizhou: “???” Caught strays while doing nothing—truly innocent.

“What?” He saw his wife staring at him and sighed helplessly.

Qiao Lu beckoned him to lean down, then pulled his cheeks wide with both hands. “Nothing, just reminding you to behave.”

Her movements looked fierce but were actually gentle—just a little bit of sting.

Qiao An covered his mouth and laughed gleefully. Seeing Mommy pull Daddy’s face until it was all distorted—so funny!

Xu Haizhou chuckled too, and when he smiled, it felt like even the light around dimmed. Sword eyebrows, starry eyes—his looks were truly flawless.

He lowered her fingers and gently kneaded them in his palm, his gaze full of doting warmth: “How was I not behaving?”

“Hmph, even if you behave, those other girls might not. Just be careful not to get entangled with some flirty birds, or else…”

“Or else what?” Honestly, with a wife as pretty as Qiao Lu, would Xu Haizhou even need to look elsewhere? He hadn’t had enough of her yet.

But Qiao Lu thought differently. In the 21st century, how many beauties had been cheated on by ugly mistresses? It wasn’t unfounded—being a little cautious never hurt.

“Or else you’ll go kneel on durians!”

“What are durians?”

“They’re fruits covered in spikes.”

Li Hongjun: “!!”

Yu Fan: “Hahahaha—”

Xu Haizhou: Cough cough, this wife… really is fierce.