TPW – Chapter 67

With the mental burden lifted, the journey back to Lian City felt much more relaxed to Qiao Lu and Xu Haizhou than their previous trip north.

Qiao Lu didn’t ask her husband what his brother had said to him, and the two of them tacitly maintained their understanding.

After going through this experience, she could clearly feel that the two of them had grown closer. It was as if she had truly stepped into his world—into all of his world—with nothing left out.

After squeezing onto the train, they looked for seats. The layout was the same as before, except this time both of their beds were the lower bunks, facing each other, which was much more convenient.

After putting away their luggage, they went to look for the dining car. Thanks to their previous experience, they knew there were many delicious dishes available, so the dining car had become An’an’s favorite place.

He wanted to eat all the tasty food he had missed last time!

After ordering, they patiently sat at the table waiting for the food to be served, enjoying the scenery outside the window in the meantime—it had its own kind of charm.

About five minutes later, a plate of pork jelly was brought out. An’an eagerly poked a piece. It was cool, savory, and full of flavor. The texture was bouncy and springy, and there was even a delightful crunch while chewing.

“Yummy! Mommy, eat some! Daddy, eat some too~”

“You go ahead, we know it’s good.” She smiled and brushed aside the bangs covering his eyes.

Hmm, it’s about time to give their son a haircut.

Suddenly, the chair behind them was pulled out, and a passenger sat down. Qiao Lu and her husband didn’t think much of it at first, until a man’s voice came from behind.

“Comrade, is this all the food you have?”

The attendant responded with a polite smile, “Yes.”

“No mantou or porridge or anything like that?” the man asked again.

Still smiling, the attendant replied, “Sorry, we don’t have those.”

Then came a very soft female voice, a bit nervous: “Huzi, maybe… maybe we shouldn’t eat here. We still have a few pancakes in the bag, we could just…”

Qiao Lu instinctively glanced back and met eyes with the couple.

Huh? Isn’t that…

“Haizhou, look behind us.”

Only then did Xu Haizhou notice the couple—it was the same man in military uniform who had slept in the bunk next to theirs on the previous train ride.

He wasn’t wearing his uniform today, just an old cotton jacket. The woman beside him leaned very close—she looked to be around twenty-four or twenty-five and had both hands clutching his sleeve tightly.

The two were practically glued together. The woman looked very insecure, with nervousness written all over her face.

The man held his wife’s hand, hesitated for a moment, and then reassured her, “Let’s just order one dish, one’s fine. It won’t cost much.”

Judging by how they interacted, they were indeed a married couple. The man who had eaten nothing but pancakes for three days and nights last time was now taking his wife to the dining car—this must be true love.

Probably because the couple was staring so intently, the man noticed Qiao Lu and her husband. When he saw the soft, cute little dumpling sitting next to Qiao, he excitedly approached them.

“Hey—hey—it’s you guys? What a coincidence!”

“It really is you, comrade.” Qiao Lu greeted him with a smile.

If she hadn’t experienced it herself, Qiao Lu wouldn’t have believed such coincidences actually happened in the world.

The man’s wife looked at them in confusion, nervously clinging to his hand. “Huzi…”

Chen Hu introduced them to his wife: “I was on a train before the New Year. The organization bought me a sleeper ticket, and I happened to sleep next to these two comrades. They even gave me a portion of braised pork. Good people.”

Hearing the words “good people,” the woman finally relaxed her guard.

With a constant smile on his face, the man finished the introductions, then ordered stir-fried cabbage with shredded pork and two bowls of white rice. The couple then sat down at the table behind.

“Comrade, didn’t you say you were retiring and going home to farm? Are you heading back to the military now?” Qiao Lu asked.

Chen Hu scratched his face sheepishly and shook his head. “No, I’m fully retired now. There’s no going back. I just had a bit of a disagreement with my family, so I’m planning to take my wife south to start a small business. Still going to Longkou—lots of old comrades there who can help out.”

“That sounds great. There are more opportunities in the south. Starting a business is a good idea,” Qiao Lu encouraged.

“You guys are heading south too?” he asked.

“Yeah, we’re settling down over there,” Qiao Lu replied.

“Nice, that’s really nice.”

After chatting for a bit, the dishes Qiao Lu had ordered were all served. They ate leisurely while admiring the scenery.

When they finished, Chen Hu and his wife had also completed their meal and were getting ready to return to their car.

They walked back one after the other, and only then did Qiao Lu realize that this time Chen Hu wasn’t in a sleeper compartment but in a hard seat.

It was understandable. Last time, the sleeper ticket had been arranged by his unit. Now that he had completely retired, he no longer had that kind of support, and sleeper tickets were difficult to get—and expensive. People in their situation likely couldn’t afford it.

On the way back, Qiao Lu sighed emotionally.

“I’ve realized that compared to most people, our life is really too comfortable.”

“Comfortable! Mommy, we’re all so comfortable!” Her son, holding her hand, lightly hopped.

Qiao Lu scratched his chin. “Good, as long as we’re comfortable. That’s what earning money is for—to let us live comfortably.”

“Heehee~”

Squeezing her hand gently, Xu Haizhou said, “It’s still not enough.”

Qiao Lu laughed. “How is it not enough?”

“I still want to buy a big house for you and An’an. I want to buy a vehicle—a motorcycle, and then when we have more money, a small car. I want to take you two traveling—Tibet, Xinjiang, places like that. I hear the scenery at the borders is amazing. If we can, I’d even like to take you and An’an abroad someday. Even though I’ve never been.”

“Wow—you’ve got so many ideas?” Qiao Lu was truly surprised. “I thought earning money was your only hobby.”

Xu Haizhou chuckled helplessly. “It used to be. But now I feel like there are things more important than making money.”

“Like what?”

He bumped his forehead gently against hers and nuzzled her twice. “Spending time with you two.”

Qiao Lu’s heart melted with sweetness.

There wasn’t much entertainment on the train. Holding a copy of Selected Folk Tales that she had bought in Ancheng, she told An’an three stories. They went to bed before eight o’clock.

After tucking the child into bed and covering him with a blanket, they went over to the opposite bunk. Xu Haizhou naturally wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace.

In such a setting, of course, they couldn’t do anything intimate as husband and wife. The two simply leaned against each other, enjoying the night scenery outside the window.

Tonight was a full moon, the night sky was bright, and after several hours of travel, they hadn’t yet left the northeast.

They were still in the north. There was no heavy snow, but light snowflakes drifted down, falling on the withered branches and leaves. The mixture of yellow and white created a desolate kind of beauty.

“Can’t sleep. Let’s watch the night scenery for a while.”

“Okay.”

Qiao Lu gently leaned her head against Xu Haizhou’s chest. After two years of marriage, such intimacy was second nature. Xu Haizhou relaxed his muscles to welcome her, his hand firmly cupping her shoulder, his face resting against her temple.

He only needed to lower his head slightly to kiss her lips.

The spot where she leaned was right against his ribs—right over his heart.

The two of them watched the stars in silence. It was already late, and the older passengers in the carriage had dozed off, so they refrained from talking too much, not wanting to disturb others.

As they watched, Xu Haizhou suddenly covered her eyes with his hand.

“What’s wrong?” Qiao Lu was puzzled but found it amusing, a smile curling up on her lips.

He didn’t answer. She reached up and happened to touch his chin, brushing against a bit of stubble that had just started to grow.

She gently rubbed it, but suddenly her fingertip was caught between his teeth and couldn’t move.

Qiao Lu laughed—her laughter crisp and clear. Suddenly, the man behind her leaned forward and kissed her cheek, then released her hand.

“Look, up in the sky.”

Qiao Lu opened her eyes and gazed at the brilliant night sky. Countless dazzling stars sparkled with pure light.

The train headed southward, its body swaying. Looking at the sky made it feel like the stars were moving with them.

Xu Haizhou pointed in a direction. “See that? The Big Dipper.”

Following his finger, she saw a line of stars brighter and more orderly than the rest, neatly arranged in the dark sky.

“Yeah, I see it. What about it? Why are you showing me the Big Dipper tonight?”

Was today a special day? Did the Big Dipper have some special meaning?

His lips moved to her ear, and his hot breath, like silk, intertwined with hers—intimate and lingering.

He asked, “Don’t you think stargazing is a boring thing to do?”

“Hmm… most of the time, yes. But not tonight.” As she spoke, she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, her warm breath brushing against his cheek. “Because you’re with me. We’re watching the stars together. It might be a little boring, but with you here, it feels kind of fun.”

Qiao Lu always shared a tacit understanding with him, countless times over—and still, he always felt pleasantly surprised.

“That’s exactly what I meant.” He gently stroked the back of her head, and Qiao Lu let out a content hum.

There were no lights in the train car. Only by the moonlight could he see her features—so beautiful it felt unreal.

Looking into her eyes, he said:

“Even if we were just sitting here aimlessly, watching sunrises, sunsets, and stars together, I’d still find it meaningful.”

Heavens—was this what people called a straight man’s kind of romance? So cheesy, yet so moving.

“Qiao Lu, I really love you.”

Whoosh—something surged through her chest, and joy flooded her entire being.

Qiao Lu hugged him tightly, her happiness overflowing.

Even though she didn’t know why this man suddenly decided to confess out of the blue, she was just happy. That was enough.

“I hope we can keep walking this boring yet interesting road together.”

“We will.”

The evening breeze brushed her hair, carrying the scent of the wilderness.

With a sky full of stars above and his strong arms behind her, she completely melted into a puddle of spring water, lying softly in his embrace.

After a long while, the couple’s breaths synchronized.

The train arrived in Lian on schedule. The moment their feet hit the ground, it felt like seeing the sun again after a long absence.

February in the south was a bit warmer than the north. Thick cotton coats were still needed, but they no longer had to wrap themselves up like bears.

Outside the station, a crowd of tricycle drivers waited for passengers. Xu Haizhou casually hailed two, and the family set off for Ziyuan Street.

After just half a month away, the neighbors had all started missing the little baby!

“You’ve been gone for what, two weeks? We missed you so much, little Bao!”

“Come here, Auntie wants a kiss. You even gained weight on your northern trip. Look at those chubby cheeks! How come the northern wind didn’t give you rosy red cheeks like you’d get on the plateau?”

“You saw your grandpa and grandma, right? Did they like you?”

One by one, they gathered around, fighting to hold, kiss, and lift up Qiao An.

The overwhelming enthusiasm frightened the little one, who kept retreating into his mother’s arms.

Helpless, Qiao Lu quickly intervened, scooping her son up into her embrace. “Sister, Uncle, let’s talk later. I need to unpack and clean up first. The house must be full of dust.”

“Alright, we’ll talk tonight!” They reluctantly watched the little one leave.

Once home, they cleaned all the rooms. Xu Haizhou carried a small bag of blood sausage and sticky rice dumplings to Li Hongjun’s place.

After all, the shop had been relying on him for the past half month—he definitely deserved a small thank-you gift.

When he returned, Li Hongjun came with him. Before he even reached the door, his loud voice rang out: “Little baby! Uncle’s here! Did you miss me, sweetheart?”

Qiao An turned around, but before he could get a good look, he was lifted into the air, hoisted by his armpits, and tossed up twice, making him giggle with delight.

“Come give Uncle a kiss!”

Qiao An shook his head and tried to dodge backward, but Li Hongjun clicked his tongue. “Come on, just one kiss. Why are you dodging?”

The little guy wasn’t too happy about it, but under Li Hongjun’s enthusiastic insistence, he reluctantly let him plant a kiss on his cheek.

Afterwards, he struggled to get down and, seizing a moment of inattention, quickly wiped his cheek with the back of his hand and darted into Qiao Lu’s arms.

She gently rubbed his blushing cheek, deep in thought.

While the two men talked shop inside, Qiao Lu headed into the kitchen to cook. She steamed six sticky rice dumplings. Since the stove was occupied, she had nothing to do and waited by the side.

Qiao An, wearing his new cotton jacket, was showing off in front of Chen Jingkang and the other neighborhood kids. Qiao Lu waved him over.

“An’an, come here.”

He came immediately, his little feet pattering like a sparrow, flying into her arms.

“What is it, Mama?”

“Let’s talk about something.” Qiao Lu pinched his cheek.

“Talk?” Qiao An jumped up excitedly. “Mama, are you going to tell me a story?”

Qiao Lu was helpless. She knocked his forehead lightly with her knuckle. “All you ever think about is stories. Mama’s going to talk to you about something real today.”

“What kind of real thing?” He tilted his head, eyes full of innocence.

Sigh. Her son was too kind and pure. That could easily get him hurt.

“Just now, when Uncle Li kissed you, you didn’t really want him to, did you?” she asked with a sigh.

Qiao An was confused, not understanding why his mom was asking this all of a sudden.

He scratched his face, wrinkled his little nose, furrowed his brows, and scratched his head—it looked harder than answering the classic dilemma of who to save first, mom or dad.

“It’s okay, just tell the truth. Mama won’t scold you,” she said as she massaged his shoulders to help him relax.

“Then why are you asking, Mama?” Clever at the right time.

“Just answer.”

He thought for a long time, clearly hesitant to speak.

“It’s okay. It’s just you and Mama here. Whatever you say, no one else will hear, and Mama won’t tell anyone either.”

Qiao An drooped a bit, rubbing his little hands together anxiously. After a while, under Qiao Lu’s patient gaze, he carefully spoke up.

“Um… besides, besides Papa and Mama, I don’t really like being kissed by other people.” Not even Grandpa or Grandma. He just didn’t like it.

He sometimes tolerated Second Aunt—because she smelled nice and was his third favorite person in the family.

“Then why did you let Uncle Li kiss you today?” Qiao Lu asked again, her voice soft, not at all accusatory.

Since Qiao Lu was squatting, the little guy slowly bent down, hugging his mom’s neck.

It looked like he was being sweet. His little face nuzzled against her ear.

“I… I… because, because Uncle Li is Papa and Mama’s friend, someone we know, so I… I didn’t really want him to kiss me, but…”

Qiao Lu gently cut in, “But you thought, since he’s a good friend of Papa and Mama, you should let him kiss you anyway, right?”

Though he didn’t want to admit it, he also didn’t want to lie to Mama.

Qiao An nodded, whispering, “Mm…”

“So, do you like him kissing you, or not?”

Biting his lip, struggling for a long time, Qiao An finally said dejectedly, “I don’t like it.”

“If you don’t like it, shouldn’t you say no to Uncle?”

At this point, Qiao Lu suddenly felt heartache.

Heartache for her son—always cautious, gauging her expression with every word he said, constantly afraid of making her angry or sad.

“Mm… is that okay?” He clutched her collar, his voice barely a whisper.