TPW – Chapter 62

Yu Zhilan laughed awkwardly twice. “Haven’t I always been thinking about finding a northern girl for Haizhou? I heard that southern girls are delicate and pampered, so I wasn’t very keen on the idea.”

She had made it up on the spot, but fortunately, the neighbors all believed her.

Xu Yonghe exhaled a puff of smoke, looked at his wife, and fell silent, lost in thought.

“You, really—what era are we living in? Still so prejudiced,” Yan Ni scolded her.

Suddenly recalling something, Yu Zhilan glanced at Qiao Lu and the little one curled up in her arms, and she couldn’t help but smile. “You’re right, just prejudice.”

“Alright, I won’t keep you any longer. I’ve got to hurry and make dinner for the kids.” She stood up, signaling it was time to see the guests off.

Long-time neighbors naturally understood the hint and began saying their goodbyes.

Once the people left, the house returned to a frighteningly eerie silence. Qiao An nestled in Qiao Lu’s arms, feeling a little anxious since none of the adults were speaking.

All the uncles, aunties, grandpas, and grandmas he’d met before loved to tease him. Why weren’t his real grandparents playing with him?

He had already prepared sweet things to say to make Grandpa and Grandma happy, but since they didn’t take the initiative, he was too shy to speak first.

Five people sat in the room, each with their own thoughts.

When they first learned that their son had married a divorced rural woman with a child, Yu Zhilan had been furious and utterly baffled. She had even wanted to buy a train ticket immediately and rush to Lian to stop Xu Haizhou.

But by the time the news reached them, the deed was already done. No matter what they said, it was too late. Yu Zhilan and her husband, along with Xu Haiping, had sulked in the north for nearly three months. In the end, all their anger was poured into a letter and sent far south.

From that time until now, it had been almost two years. Who could stay mad for two years straight?

Yu Zhilan couldn’t.

But the resentment in her heart had never truly dissipated. Yet on the day they finally met face to face, all of it vanished the moment she laid eyes on Qiao Lu and Qiao An—especially when the little one used his soft, milky voice to call her “Grandma.” Her heart melted completely.

Even so, at this moment, Yu Zhilan still didn’t know what to say to the mother and son. She suddenly turned her head and called out to Xu Yonghe.

“Go call Haiping and his wife over, quick!”

Xu Haiping and his family were now living in a dormitory building allocated by his workplace, about a kilometer away—not far.

After finishing his last puff, the old man still didn’t speak. He gave Qiao An a long, thoughtful look, put on his thick cotton coat, and slowly walked out the door.

After Xu Yonghe left, Yu Zhilan hurriedly tidied up the house. Then she put on her big coat again and her fleece hat.

“Wait in the house. I’m going out to buy more vegetables.”

“Mom, I’ll go,” Xu Haizhou stepped forward to help her.

Yu Zhilan shook her head, opened the door, and a sharp gust of cold air darted in, brushing her skin and making her shiver.

“No need. It’s cold outside. Stay home and keep your wife company. I’ll be back soon.”

Once the old couple had left, the house finally quieted down, and Qiao Lu’s taut nerves were finally able to relax.

“How is it? Still doing okay?” Xu Haizhou asked as he poured hot water from a thermos for the mother and son.

“What do you mean ‘still doing okay’?” Qiao Lu took the cup and sipped it carefully, her skin finally relaxing.

“I mean meeting my parents—how do you feel?”

Qiao Lu gave him a sidelong glance and forced a smile. “So far, it’s alright. Your mom seems pretty nice. When she smiles, she looks kind—not as scary as I thought. Your dad… well… he’s kept a straight face and hasn’t said a word. I feel like he doesn’t really like me.”

“Mama, I like you,” Qiao An couldn’t wait to cup his mom’s face and shower her with affection.

The couple couldn’t help but laugh. Each reached out and pinched one of their son’s cheeks.

“That’s just how my dad is. As long as he doesn’t start a fight, it’s all fine. I think he’s in a decent mood. If he really didn’t like you, he probably wouldn’t even have let you in the door.”

“Ah…” Hearing this didn’t reassure Qiao Lu at all. If anything, she felt more uncertain.

Xu Haizhou bent down and kissed her on the forehead in an attempt to comfort her.

“Don’t worry, I’m here.”

But the kiss didn’t work—Qiao Lu was still nervous. “What about your older brother? I’m scared of him too. He’s the one who wrote that letter. Just from the tone, I can tell he’s probably the one who dislikes me the most.”

“It’s fine. We’ll deal with it when they get here. They just can’t accept that I chose a single mother. As for you and An’an, they don’t really harbor any malice.”

The Xu family wasn’t entirely unreasonable—whether things would work out or not would depend on getting along over time.

“Mm… I hope so.”

After the elderly couple left, the first to return was Xu Yonghe—bringing back the eldest brother’s family.

Their voices arrived before they did. A clear and hearty voice rang out: “Haizhou’s back? And your wife’s here too?”

“Sister-in-law,” Xu Haizhou stood to greet them. “Big Brother.”

Sister-in-law Song Wenmin was six years older than Xu Haizhou and one year older than Xu Haiping. She had the classic strong features of a northern woman. She wore an ordinary blue cotton-padded jacket, her hair neatly tied into a low bun at the back, thick and jet-black. Though she had single eyelids, her pupils were dark and bright, and when she looked at you, there was almost always a smile in her eyes.

The first impression wasn’t like Xu Yonghe’s, who gave off an oppressive vibe right from the start. This man, smiling with squinted eyes, came across as genuinely friendly.

Qiao Lu quickly caught up and greeted with a smile, “Big brother, sister-in-law.”

Then she gently pinched Qiao An’s palm. “An’an, greet them.”

The little one finally reacted, pursed his lips, and said, “Hello, uncle. Hello, aunt.”

Noticing the timid little girl standing by the couple’s feet, Qiao An waved his hand warmly. “Hello, little sister~”

Song Wenmin nudged her daughter. “Come on, Mianmian, say hello to your brother.”

Xu Yimian was a shy little girl. Faced with strangers, she immediately hid behind her mother in embarrassment.

Watching this, Qiao Lu felt like she was seeing a reflection of Qiao An from a year ago—similarly shy and afraid of strangers. Time really flew by.

Seeing the little girl hadn’t responded, Qiao An took the initiative again and greeted her with enthusiasm, “Hello, little sister~”

“Come on now, your brother is saying hello to you,” Song Wenmin encouraged her.

The little girl resembled her mother in appearance, but her personality was more like her father’s—reserved and quiet.

Still unable to bring herself to speak, and pressured by her mother’s urging, she turned with a spin and hid behind Xu Haiping instead.

“She’s just shy,” Song Wenmin said with an awkward laugh, glancing reproachfully at her daughter.

“It’s fine.”

As soon as the sister-in-law arrived, the whole house’s atmosphere became lively. Outgoing and cheerful people really were naturally likable—this was exactly why.

Taking advantage of the fact that almost everyone had arrived, Qiao Lu opened the luggage. Right on top was the little dress she had prepared for Xu Yimian.

She picked it up and unfolded it. The fluffy skirt flared into a beautiful arc mid-air, and the hem was lined with a circle of shiny sequins—so bright and dazzling.

Smiling, she handed it to Song Wenmin. “Sister-in-law, we came in a hurry, so I didn’t have time to prepare much. I made a dress for Mianmian. She can wear it now that the weather’s getting hot.”

Song Wenmin was flattered and genuinely surprised that her sister-in-law had brought a gift for her daughter on this visit.

“Thank you, thank you! It’s beautiful. You really went out of your way, sister-in-law.”

Tucking some stray hair behind her ear, Qiao Lu gave a shy smile. “It’s our first time meeting—it’s only right.”

The shy little Xu Yimian’s eyes instantly lit up when she saw the dress. She gradually peeked out from behind her father.

No little girl could resist such a pink, poofy dress!

“Mianmian, look! Your second aunt gave you a dress. Isn’t it pretty? Do you like it?”

“I do…” It was impossible to resist. She touched the dress lovingly, wishing she could wear it right away—it was just too beautiful!

“Then quickly say thank you to your second aunt.”

Finally breaking her silence, she looked up at Qiao Lu. Her beautiful second aunt was smiling at her gently, and that warm smile made her feel a little shy.

Opening her little mouth, she softly said, “Thank you, second aunt.”

“Aww, that’s more like it! We’re all family, what’s there to be shy about, right?”

Hugging her new dress, Xu Yimian smiled happily, gradually warming up. She opened her big black eyes and started to curiously observe her unfamiliar second uncle, second aunt, and their fair-skinned little son.

When she learned that the dress was handmade by Qiao Lu, the two sisters-in-law happily started praising each other’s skills, chatting away enthusiastically.

Taking the opportunity, Qiao Lu gave Qiao An a signal with her eyes. The little guy ran over to the luggage, opening it piece by piece.

“This one’s for Grandpa and Grandma. There’s fluff inside—it’s soft and warm.” Hugging a wool sweater, he ran over and handed it to Xu Yonghe. “For Grandpa~”

Xu Yonghe paused, stunned in place.

Looking at the shy, hopeful smile on the child’s face, he finally took the sweater after a long moment.

His rough fingers gently stroked the cashmere. It was so soft and warm—he had never touched such a comfortable fabric before.

After accepting the gift, Xu Yonghe didn’t say a single word. Qiao An stood there expectantly, waiting for his grandfather to praise him or at least say thank you, but nothing came.

He started to fidget, twisting his little hands together in anxiety. Thankfully, Xu Haizhou spoke up: “An’an, don’t you have gifts for the others too?”

The little guy ran back, rummaged through the luggage, and held something out with both hands to Song Wenmin. “This is for Aunt. My mom made it too—she can make lots of pretty clothes!”

Qiao Lu’s little fanboy started praising her again in his sweet, adorable voice, making everyone laugh.

“Oh wow, sister-in-law, your craftsmanship is amazing!” Song Wenmin immediately took a liking to the woolen coat. Wasn’t it the same style Qiao Lu was wearing?

She had noticed it as soon as Qiao Lu entered and had planned to ask about it later when they got more familiar.

She never imagined Qiao Lu would gift her one outright. She was so touched she didn’t know what to say.

She hadn’t seen this kind of coat anywhere in Ancheng!

Qiao An kept handing out gifts, and finally handed one to Xu Haiping. “Uncle, this is a watch for you.”

Always treated like a transparent person, Xu Haiping was astonished. “For me too?”

Faced with this little milk-voiced child, the tall man suddenly grew awkward. With features about 70% similar to Xu Haizhou, his face twisted in discomfort.

Unknowingly, a thin layer of sweat had formed in his palm. He wiped it on his clothes before carefully accepting the gift.

It was a men’s Titoni brand watch—definitely not cheap. After working at the factory for so many years, he had always wanted one but couldn’t bear to spend the money, saving instead for a sewing machine or a TV for the family.

He gently rubbed the smooth metal surface of the watch, overwhelmed with emotion.

Before this visit, he had planned to put on airs in front of his younger brother’s rural wife, maybe even intimidate her a little, just to set the tone—but now, this sister-in-law not only didn’t resemble a rural woman in the slightest, her manners, speech, and even appearance and dress were all…

He had worked in the countryside and knew well what a typical rural woman was like—and Qiao Lu was nothing like that. The difference was worlds apart.

She wasn’t a village girl—she was more like a young lady from a well-off family!

He didn’t know how to respond anymore.

All the resentment in his heart finally turned into a single sentence: “Thank you… that’s very thoughtful.”

That one thank-you was enough to make Qiao An beam for the rest of the day, his face blooming like a sunflower. “You’re welcome, Uncle~”

That sweet little voice could melt anyone’s heart. No matter how much dissatisfaction he had inside, no one could be angry at such an adorable and well-behaved child.

Qiao An’s smile was like a golden ray of sunlight streaming through the forest, illuminating every dark corner.

Those once harsh thoughts, that letter filled with impolite words, now made Xu Haiping feel increasingly uncomfortable deep down.