TPW – Chapter 69

“So yeah, he’s basically throwing a tantrum. I actually did consider swapping with him, but it’s not just up to me — I said we’d discuss it once you got back. But he kept pestering and making a fuss, so I had no choice but to call Caijun over to help keep things under control.”

It really was ridiculous. “After Caijun came, they quieted down for a few days. Now that you’re back, they’ll probably start causing trouble again tomorrow.”

Qiao Lu was stunned — she’d never heard such an outrageous request.

Abandoning a prime location just to switch to their remote little nook? If that’s not crazy, what is?

But after thinking it over, Qiao Lu suddenly realized something important: “Wait, how’s their business doing over there?”

“It’s alright. But to be honest,” Li Hongjun suddenly grinned smugly, “Ever since our overcoats gained a good reputation, business has actually been just as good as his. Customers only have to walk five minutes from the entrance of Baiyun Street to reach us. You could say it’s a bit remote, but not really. And besides — we’re the only ones on Baiyun Street who have fitting rooms.”

“Fitting rooms?” The couple asked in unison.

“That might be the problem,” Xu Haizhou said.

“Exactly. People aren’t stupid. Why would anyone trade a better place for a worse one unless there’s some benefit? Who does things for no reason?” Qiao Lu had also just thought of this.

Li Hongjun was a little confused.

“You’re kidding, right? Give up such a prime location over a fitting room?” Is that guy insane, or is he just the fool here?

Baiyun Street isn’t very big, and with more and more vendors crowding in, space is getting squeezed. A single store barely has enough room to stock goods, let alone carve out space for a fitting room.

Forget it — there’s simply no space.

There are always trade-offs. Xu Haizhou’s shop may be slightly off the main path, but at least it’s spacious. They already had two fitting rooms set up. If business got even better, they might even squeeze in a third.

If that day ever came, their monthly net profit might hit two to three thousand yuan.

“I’ll go over tomorrow to see what’s going on. Let’s not talk about him anymore for now.”

“Alright.”

After dinner, the family of three took a walk in the park. When they got back, they went straight to the bathhouse. Xu Haizhou bathed with their son and finished faster than Qiao Lu did on her own. By the time she came out, the father and son had already been waiting at the door for about seven or eight minutes.

“You must’ve waited long? Come on, let’s go home.” She flicked her still-damp hair aside, carrying a bucket in one hand and holding her son’s hand in the other.

“Mama, I’m a big boy. I’ll carry it for you.” The little guy stretched out his arms. He was surprisingly strong and lifted the empty bucket high above his head.

Qiao Lu affectionately ruffled his hair. “My son’s amazing. You’re helping Mama already. But carry it lower — lifting it that high is tiring.”

“Okay~” he responded proudly, striding ahead.

When they got back, the neighbors pulled them into the courtyard to chat. It was hard to refuse such hospitality, so they ended up talking about the funny things that had happened in the Northeast. By the time they finished, it was nearly 8 p.m. — quite late.

Just as they were about to go to bed, someone knocked on the door.

Xu Haizhou was already in bed, and Qiao Lu was at her vanity, applying face cream. She got up and went to the outer room to open the door.

“Youwei?”

It was the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, and schools in Lian City hadn’t started yet. Qiao Lu hadn’t seen Fang Youwei at all today, so she figured he must’ve been holed up in his room painting.

“What’s wrong? Do you need something?”

Though it had only been half a month, the boy looked different — still the same person, but with a stronger spirit. He no longer looked timid in front of Qiao Lu and now radiated a quiet confidence.

He beamed brightly, like seeing a big sister: “Sister Qiao Lu, you know how my mom sent me to take art lessons, right? It’s been a month, and I don’t know if I’ve improved. I wanted to ask if you had time right now — I’d really like to show you my drawings.”

Qiao Lu was slightly surprised, then smiled. “When does your school start again? Aren’t you going to the training class during the holidays?”

Technically, his teacher should be the one helping him, so why come to her — a mere “middle schooler”?

The boy scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “You mean the Youth Center? It doesn’t start until the ninth. I’ve been drawing on my own at home these past few days. No one else in our courtyard knows about art — I didn’t know who else to ask.”

He sounded a little embarrassed.

“Oh, I see,” Qiao Lu understood. She wiped her damp hair and smiled. “Alright, let me have a look.”

He had already brought the drawings, so at the very least, she’d take a look — but the moment she opened the sketchbook, she was amazed.

Fang Youwei’s progress wasn’t just from a level of 1 to 10 — it was like jumping from 10 to 100.

He already had a foundation, and after studying with a teacher for nearly a month, it was as if his meridians had been unlocked. He’d broken through a bottleneck, and his skill had exploded in growth.

“Impressive — you’ve improved a lot,” Qiao Lu examined them repeatedly, genuinely impressed. “If you perform like this in the exam, you’ll definitely get a high score.”

She wasn’t just trying to be nice. Fang Youwei had real talent.

This—this is what they call “accumulated strength for a sudden burst”!

“Then I’m relieved.” As if getting Qiao Lu’s affirmation was even more exciting than receiving praise from a teacher.

“Sister Qiao Lu, and also this—remember the dress you showed me last time? I had some free time, so I drew a version of it myself.” He handed over another sketchbook.

She opened it to see a dress similar to the square-neck long dress she had shown him before. But the waist had been altered—it now had a drawstring design. After tightening, there was still a bit of string left that could be tied into a bow or whatever style you liked.

Qiao Lu was genuinely impressed: “You drew this yourself? Without reading any books?”

“Didn’t you show me yours last time? I just drew something kind of similar.”

Oh my god—he had only seen it that one time, and he already learned how to adapt and innovate. Not only that, he improved upon her design—it was more refined, more creative.

“This isn’t just ‘similar’—you made quite a few changes. It’s more unique than mine. Not bad at all. You—” She looked him up and down and teased with a smile, “Do you go shopping with your girlfriend a lot?”

Fang Youwei’s face instantly turned bright red: “N-No… no, I just thought the dress looked nice… so I randomly drew it.”

He didn’t dare linger and quickly turned to leave. “Sister Qiao Lu, if you like it, you can go ahead and make it. I’m heading home.”

“Hey—” Qiao Lu called after him. “But this is your work. If I make it into a finished product, I should share the profit with you, right?”

Fang Youwei waved his hands in panic: “No, no, I just drew it randomly. Feel free to use it. I won’t take any money.”

Besides, if his design could be turned into a real product—how amazing would that be? Even if he didn’t get paid, even if he had to pay for it himself, it would still be worth it!

“Alright, then I’ll accept it for now. Let’s see how well it sells later. Who knows, maybe you’ll make some side income from it.”

Since it wouldn’t be of much use in Fang Youwei’s hands, she might as well turn it into a real piece and sell it at a good price.

“Fang Youwei again?” Seeing his wife walk over slowly, Xu Haizhou frowned.

“Yeah, look.” She casually tossed the draft to him.

He took it and studied it carefully. Xu Haizhou raised an eyebrow in surprise. “When did you draw something new again?”

“I didn’t. It’s Youwei’s.”

“Fang Youwei?”

“Mhm.”

“Didn’t you say before that he was learning to draw? It’s only been a few months—he’s already this good?” Xu Haizhou didn’t have much artistic talent, but his sense of aesthetics was decent.

Even if he couldn’t judge the technical skill, he could still tell whether something looked good or not.

“He had training last month. He’s actually been drawing since elementary school. Self-taught. He’s pretty amazing. Been persistent all this time, has a lot of determination.”

“Then why did he leave this drawing with you?” Xu Haizhou was puzzled.

“He said if I liked it, I could turn it into a real product and sell it. He wouldn’t even charge me a licensing fee.”

“Licensing fee? What kind of fee is that?”

“He means he won’t charge me for the design. Basically, it’s a selfless contribution. Get it?” Qiao Lu raised her eyebrows at him.

He chuckled and tossed the design aside. “He’s got too much free time.”

That tone sounded… a little off.

Qiao Lu laughed, then applied some lip balm and climbed into bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re the one with too much free time. Youwei’s great! Giving me such a beautiful dress design for free. I’ll make it tomorrow when I have time—it’s sure to look amazing.”

The man hooked an arm under her armpits and lifted her up a bit. They sat face-to-face. He pecked her lips and ended up with a mouthful of lip balm.

He smacked his lips—it was quite fragrant.

“You’ve drawn so many designs yourself. Why not make those first?”

“What’s the rush? One step at a time.” It’s not even summer yet, so no need to hurry.

“Then why are you in such a rush to make his?” Xu Haizhou countered. His tone didn’t sound too happy.

“Uh…” Qiao Lu scratched her cheek in confusion. “I just think… he drew it pretty well. I’m kind of looking forward to it, I guess?”

As soon as she said that, Xu Haizhou got jealous. He bit her lip. “What’s there to look forward to? It’s just a dress.”

Qiao Lu laughed and leaned back. The man followed her down, holding the back of her head as he went in for another kiss.

Little Qiao An, who was lying on the small bed, stared in wide-eyed shock.

“Daddy…”

Both adults froze in place. Xu Haizhou released her and covered his mouth with a cough. “Ahem, An’an, you’re not asleep yet?”

“I am sleeping. I already got into bed.” Qiao An blinked. “Then I saw Daddy, um… kissing Mommy.”

“Cough—” This time it was Qiao Lu who couldn’t hold it in.

“I’ll kiss you too, okay?” Qiao Lu asked him.

“Yes!” The little one raised his hand.

She got off the bed, bent down to kiss him on the cheek, and patted his belly. “Alright, bedtime now. We’ve kissed, so time to sleep, okay?”

“Okay, Mommy.”

“Sleep now. I’m turning off the light, alright?”

“Mm… okay then.”

She turned off the lights and left the child’s side in less than five minutes.

The man, who had been waiting for a while, swiftly and expertly pulled her into his arms.

His face buried in the crook of her neck, sniffing her like a little puppy.

“Don’t bite! Hey—don’t leave bite marks all over my neck! How am I supposed to face people tomorrow morning?”

“No problem, just wear a scarf. No one’ll see.” His voice muffled.

“Get lost, you.” Qiao Lu shoved him away playfully. “I’m not wearing a scarf. You’re not allowed to bite me.”

He chuckled and whispered in a low voice, “Then I’ll bite somewhere else.”

“Get lost…” Qiao Lu barely had any strength left. “I’m beginning to suspect you’re some kind of fox spirit.”

“Huh? Why?” Xu Haizhou looked up, confused.

“Every time, you kiss me, bite me, suck on me—if you’re not a fox spirit, what are you? After you’re done, I’m totally drained. You’ve sucked out all my life force!”

Xu Haizhou laughed, clearly amused by his little wife. He admitted, “Then I guess I am… a fox… spirit.”

He was getting more and more used to teasing his little wife like this.

Tonight, the moon was full. The curtains hadn’t been properly closed, and a beam of moonlight slipped through the gap, shining directly onto Qiao Lu’s face.

The light divided her face in half — one side soft and radiant, the other almost bewitching. Her dewy eyes shimmered with an alluring charm.

She was truly beautiful.

The man’s eyes gradually turned red. He wrapped his long arms around her tighter and sighed softly.

“Qiao Lu…”

That night, the cool air was like water. Through the gap in the window, one could even catch a glimpse of starlight. The sky was filled with brilliant, glimmering stars — just like that night when he told her he loved her.

The next morning, sunlight flooded the room. Xu Haizhou, unusually, didn’t wake until eight-thirty. His little son, who at some point had climbed out of the small bed, had his little head poking through the curtains, bum raised, watching the courtyard scenery from the window.

Qiao Lu slept in until noon. Her body was sore and aching, and she didn’t feel like moving at all, let alone making clothes for Fang Youwei. She decided to postpone that.

Since there didn’t seem to be anything urgent, after breakfast and tidying up, she simply went over to the apartment building to visit her second sister and little nephew.

“Come on, An’an, let’s go visit your second aunt and the baby.”

The little guy happily put on his panda hat and big cotton coat, then rushed over to grab her hand. “Okay~ I miss Second Aunt! I miss the baby too~ Has the baby grown up already?”

Qiao Lu laughed out loud. “It hasn’t even been a month yet, probably still a tiny thing.”

Thanks to the attentive care from her in-laws and Yuan Jianghe, Qiao Yan was absolutely glowing. Her face had visibly plumped up.

When Qiao Lu arrived at the apartment, Qiao Yan was just drinking the nourishing chicken soup her mother-in-law had cooked. Half a chicken was stewed each day, all the meat removed, and only pure chicken broth served — a super supplement, so much that it might “cause a nosebleed.”

A day or two might be fine, but drinking it for a whole month? She’d definitely want to throw up!

“Fish soup tomorrow, pork trotters the day after… gosh, just thinking about it makes me feel sick…”

Qiao Lu felt the same. That purine content — better not get sick from it!

Just then, Yuan Jianghe’s mother came into the room. Qiao Lu could only smile and say, “Some people would kill for this kind of treatment. You don’t know how lucky you are.”

In these times, eating meat even once was a luxury. Qiao Yan really was “blessed but unaware of her blessings.”

“Great, anyone who wants this kind of blessing can have it,” Qiao Yan mouthed quietly.

Only one more week until her postpartum confinement ended. Qiao Yan had been lying down so long her back felt like it was breaking.

The little baby lay sleeping next to his mother. He was nearly a month old and had grown into his features — no longer looked like a wrinkly little monkey. It wasn’t clear who he resembled, but he was very cute.

“Auntie, can I kiss him?” Who could say no to such an adorable little bundle?

“Go ahead, go ahead. After you kiss him, pray that my baby becomes as cute as you.”

Smack — a soft kiss landed on the baby’s cheek, and An’an danced with excitement. That joy would probably last all day!

During her postpartum confinement, Qiao Yan was watched strictly by her mother-in-law. Besides lying in bed reading the newspaper, she was allowed to do almost nothing.

While chatting with her sister about some amusing things from the northeast, Qiao Lu happened to notice a stack of old newspapers on the bedside table.

The top one just happened to feature news about the Spring Festival Gala.

There was a photo — some of the performers from the gala. Though black and white, you could still clearly see everyone’s faces and clothes.

The picture wasn’t big, about two inches in size. What immediately caught Qiao Lu’s eye were two women. One was the female host — seemed to be named Lu Jing. She had a graceful, dignified appearance that fit the national aesthetic perfectly.

The other woman was a performer who sang Huangmei opera. Her name was Ma Lan. She had a baby face — her skin looked so soft you could almost pinch water from it.

A sudden flash of inspiration — a business opportunity!

“Sister, are you done with this newspaper?”

“Already read it, don’t need it. Why? You like it? If so, take it.”

“Great.” Qiao Lu gleefully stuffed it into her pocket, not wanting to waste even a second. “Sister, I’ll come see you next time. I have something to do at home.”

“Eh — you just got here and you’re leaving already?” Qiao Yan said reluctantly.

Qiao Lu waved her hand. “Next time!”

With that, she scooped up her son and ran off.

“Auntie~ I’ll come see you next time~”

Once home, she cut out the image, but it was too small to be of any use.

“An’an, stay at home for a bit. Mommy’s going out to make a copy of a photo. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, Mommy, I’ll be good and wait at home.”

To keep him from getting bored, Qiao Lu suggested, “Go play with the other kids.”

“Okay.”

So she dropped him off at the Chen household and left with peace of mind.

In this era, copy shops were rare. Qiao Lu rode her bike around town for a long time before finally deciding to go to a photo studio.

“Mister, can you take a photo of this image from the newspaper and print it? As big as possible, please.”

The young man took it and examined it carefully. “Hey, isn’t this that… that woman…”

“Lu Jing — the female host from this year’s Spring Festival Gala!” Qiao Lu reminded him.

The young man suddenly understood and smiled sheepishly. “Oh yeah, Spring Gala. I just saw it recently!”

Qiao Lu laughed and asked again, “So, can you do it?”

“What do you want this for?” he asked, holding the small piece of paper and looking at it repeatedly. “This is from a newspaper, right?”

“It’ll be useful. But this is too small — I need to enlarge it.”

“What for?” He looked at her, full of curiosity.

Qiao Lu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Can you just tell me if you can do it? If not, I’ll go somewhere else.”