TPW – Chapter 79

Ding-a-ling-ling—ding-a-ling-ling—

“Qiao Lu, I’m home.” Xu Haizhou came home early today. As soon as he entered the courtyard, a little firecracker came charging at him like the wind.

“Daddy—” Kicking aside the little ball he was playing with, Qiao An ran to greet him.

Compared to when they first got married, Qiao An had put on some weight—he wasn’t light anymore. With that kind of momentum, Xu Haizhou had to take two steps back from inertia before he could steady the boy in his arms.

Xu Haizhou smiled helplessly and picked him up, rubbing their cheeks together.

“Son, what were you playing with?”

The little guy cupped his face and gave him kisses, pointing to the ball that had rolled far away. “The little ball you bought me! I play with it every day!”

“Wow, I’m honored. Next time I’ll get you some other toys.”

The little guy bounced happily in his arms. “Okay!”

Inside the house, Qiao Lu came out beaming and hooked her arm through his. “Haizhou, I’ve been thinking all afternoon and came up with a slogan!”

He looked at her curiously and set their son down. “What slogan?”

“Let me read it to you. Ahem—” She cleared her throat and declared loudly and energetically: “Purple Dragonfly! I say it works!”

Pfft—

“Hahaha! Sis-in-law, is that a slogan for a clothing brand or for health supplements?” Li Hongjun, who arrived fashionably late, had just caught that line and burst out laughing.

Qiao Lu couldn’t help laughing too and gave him a sidelong glance. “What do you know? It doesn’t need to sound fancy. The most important thing is for everyone—including the illiterate—to understand it! That’s how you get the best publicity results, you know?”

“Huh? It’s that complicated?” Li Hongjun chuckled as he began unloading goods.

But if she really wanted him to shout that slogan outside the shop every day, even his thick skin might not be enough—he’d be a little shy about it…

“I think it works—simple, catchy, and quite brainwashing,” Xu Haizhou supported his wife’s idea.

“Daddy, I think so too! I like it!” Qiao An chimed in and shouted the slogan: “Purple Dragonfly! I say it works!”

Qiao Lu couldn’t help but laugh and rubbed his face. “Exactly! That brainwashing effect is what we’re after.”

In the 80s, there was no need to advertise high-end products. What people had was the hunger of long deprivation, not the picky indulgence of a full belly.

What they wanted now were styles and novelty. Fashion and trends were in—quality wouldn’t become a primary concern until the late 90s.

Especially for the youth market.

Li Hongjun sighed. “Alright, if you guys like it, I’ll go along… but if I really have to shout it, it’s kinda embarrassing.”

Qiao Lu laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Hahaha, get over it! Even someone as shy as Haizhou yells it for me. Come on, I believe in you, good buddy!”

“Uncle! An’an believes in you too!” Qiao An raised his hand happily, echoing his mom.

Li Hongjun: “……”

Great, now this family of three has backup and they’re ganging up on a single guy like him.

He dropped off the goods and hopped on his bicycle with a wave. “Not chatting anymore—heading home to lie down. I’m exhausted today.”

“Alright, take care on the road!”

“Bye, Uncle~”

As they watched him ride off, Qiao Lu turned back and was about to take her husband and son inside when a few neighborhood kids ran up.

“Qiao An, what were you guys talking about? What’s ‘Purple Dragonfly’?”

“My mom gave our clothing brand a pretty name—‘Purple Dragonfly,’” Qiao An proudly lifted his chin, holding Qiao Lu’s hand.

Qiao Lu ruffled the kids’ heads. “Kangkang, Nannan, help spread the word about our shop when you have time, okay?”

Even a mosquito is still meat—while kids had limited spending power, word-of-mouth cost nothing.

Getting people to associate “Purple Dragonfly” with their clothes through muscle memory—wasn’t that a kind of marketing, too?

“Purple Dragonfly?” The children looked at each other. Chen Nannan clapped joyfully.

“Sounds pretty! I’ve never seen a purple dragonfly before.”

“We’ll help you promote it! I’ll tell all my classmates your shop’s called ‘Purple Dragonfly’!” Chen Jingkang patted his chest with pride.

After all, he came over to watch TV at Qiao Lu’s place every day—helping out a bit was the least he could do.

The adults nearby had overheard and joined the fun. “Alright, we’ll help spread the word in the outer courtyard after dinner. Might as well tell the folks next door too.”

“Sis Qiao Lu, I’ll help you too. A lot of the girls at my high school like shopping on Baiyun Street,” said Fang Youwei, a little shyly.

Chen Jiamei’s second brother, Chen Ershun, added, “I’ll help too. I’ll spread the word at the factory tomorrow—there are lots of women working there!”

Tian Jianzhong didn’t want to be left out. “There are a lot of men at my factory, but they all have wives or girlfriends! I’ll help too.”

“Hahahaha—”

“Thank you! Thank you, everyone!” Qiao Lu was truly touched. Neighbors these days really were so kind and down-to-earth.

Qiao An said, “Mommy, everyone’s so nice.” They were all helping his mom promote Purple Dragonfly.

Qiao Lu replied, “Yes, helping one another is a traditional virtue of the Chinese people.”

Qiao An immediately raised his hand, “Mommy, I know this one! And also respecting the elderly, caring for the young, being frugal, being honest and trustworthy…”

He rattled them off in one breath without even pausing, and the neighbors all praised Qiao Lu for teaching him well.

Qiao Lu smiled modestly, clearly proud. “Oh no, not at all—it’s just that the kid has a good memory and is smart.”

And eager to learn!

Judging by her tone, she didn’t quite follow the typical Chinese parenting style of “humble downplaying.”

If it were someone else’s family, they’d probably be saying, “No, no, my kid is dumb, took ages to memorize that.”

That kind of parenting really dampens a child’s self-esteem. But many parents believed it was a way to teach humility and keep their kids from getting arrogant.

But humans are emotional creatures—constant criticism without any praise can create deep-rooted insecurity as they grow.

Whatever others did, Qiao Lu preferred positive reinforcement.

Just look at her little treasure—praise made him more lively and clever. What’s not to love?

Discipline when needed, but don’t hold back on praise!

After chatting with the neighbors for a while, the chicken soup in the kitchen was ready.

Qiao Lu went in to ladle the soup, planning to stir-fry a plate of greens in five minutes—then dinner would be ready.

At some point, Xu Haizhou had quietly entered the house and silently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

“I just need to stir-fry the greens—five minutes. Can you bring the bowls and chopsticks out?”

“Okay,” the man responded softly but didn’t move.

Qiao Lu elbowed him in the chest with a laugh. “Move it—aren’t you hot?”

“It’s hot—take off your coat.” The temperature in the kitchen was high enough that catching a chill wasn’t likely.

“I’m too lazy to take it off.” She handed over the chicken soup. “Take this out.”

Xu Haizhou walked out holding the soup, but not even a minute later, he slipped back in again. The kitchen wasn’t that spacious to begin with, and now it was so cramped it was hard to even turn around.

“What are you squeezing in here for?” Qiao Lu glanced at him with a smile while continuing to stir-fry.

“I want to tell you something,” he said.

“What? Can’t it wait till dinner?” She thought he was about to say something cheesy again—like “a day apart feels like three autumns,” or “hugging and kissing more makes love grow.”

Instead, he suddenly held her shoulders and bent down to whisper in her ear, “Didn’t we keep saying we wanted to buy a house in Nanhu Jiayuan? I’ll take you tomorrow.”

Turning off the gas stove, Qiao Lu spun around, delighted, and threw her arms around him. One foot popped up unconsciously in excitement, playful and cute.

“Really? We’re buying it tomorrow?”

These days, buying a house was a huge deal!

Back in the ‘80s, having ten thousand yuan made you a symbol of wealth. Right now, their assets made them modestly well-off, but a house in Nanhu Jiayuan would cost at least 13,000 yuan. Buying one would practically drain their savings and send them straight back to square one. With just 2,000 yuan left, they’d barely be “middle class.”

Xu Haizhou chuckled and pinched her cheek. “We’ll take An’an along tomorrow. Whichever one you like, we’ll settle it right there.”

They had more than enough savings in the bank.

“Daddy, we’re going to see a new house again?”

The little guy was just like his dad—always appearing out of nowhere. No one knew when he had crept up to the kitchen doorway, clutching the frame, his big grape-like eyes staring at the hugging couple.

Qiao Lu pushed Xu Haizhou aside and picked up their son, walking toward the inner room. “Haizhou, sprinkle some salt on the dishes and bring them out. Time to eat.”

“Okay.”

Qiao An had a strong impression of Nanhu Jiayuan. Just last year, they had visited the neighborhood three times.

Each time left a deep impression—he especially liked it there.

There were trees, flowers, and clean, open paths—not like messy courtyard neighborhoods cluttered with junk.

Most importantly, his mom had said that every unit there had its own private bathroom.

That meant if he ever had a tummy ache, he could get to the toilet in just a few seconds!

And the toilets were so clean—clean enough to take a bath in! No need to go to the communal bathhouse anymore!

His short legs bounced in excitement.

Qiao Lu pinched his cheeks and breathed in his milky scent. “We’re not just going to see the house—we’re going to buy it!”

The little guy flailed his arms and legs in glee: “Waaah—we’re finally buying a house! We’re gonna live in a big garden? Where are we buying it? Can we buy one behind the corner store? Then if we go downstairs, we can go straight to the store—so convenient!”

Qiao Lu laughed. “You want to live above the corner store? But that’s by the street. Once there are more cars, it’ll get noisy.”

“Mommy, you like quiet?” Qiao An tilted his head.

“Yeah, quiet helps you sleep.” She brushed the bangs off his forehead and smiled softly.

“Then…” The little one thought seriously and compromised. “Then let’s buy one farther in. I want Mommy to sleep well.”

Grown-ups work so hard. They need to sleep well at night so they can work hard during the day!

“Such a thoughtful son.”

“You’re the best, son.” Xu Haizhou praised him too. “Then we’ll pick one not too close to the street but still near the corner store.”

He put down his chopsticks and gave Xu Haizhou a tight hug. “Okay~ I love Daddy!”

“You little rascal, do you love me?” Qiao Lu ruffled his hair. Playing with her child was just too fun.

Qiao An nodded quickly: “Yes, yes~ Mommy’s getting us a new house~”

Qiao Lu tapped his nose. “Wrong. Mommy and Daddy earned the money together.”

“Daddy and Mommy are both amazing—I love you guys~” In the entire courtyard, they were the first family to buy a building unit. That was just too cool!

The house was filled with laughter and joy.

In ’84, very few people were buying houses, so good locations weren’t hard to get.

Qiao An liked the corner store, Qiao Lu liked quiet, and Xu Haizhou preferred good lighting… They ended up choosing a unit in the building behind the corner store—third floor, not too high or low, and just a four- or five-minute walk to the shop.

A rare win: all three were satisfied. The unit had north-south exposure with great natural light—bright even without turning on the lights. Plus, there was a little balcony off the living room, perfect for planting flowers.

Qiao Lu mentally took note of the floor plan and already began designing the interior in her head. What style would suit it best? Hopefully something classic that wouldn’t go out of style in a few decades.

After choosing the unit and wandering the complex a few more times, they finally locked in their decision.

Then, under a staff member’s guidance, they went through all the paperwork…

By the time the payment was complete and the contract signed, four hours had passed.

If you took out the house, Xu Haizhou and Qiao Lu would now have less money than Li Hongjun. They were basically on a “rich people trial card.”

Holding the property deed on the way home, Qiao Lu was so excited she could barely speak!

She remembered spending five million on a high-end apartment before she transmigrated—but she hadn’t been half this thrilled!

Now, they finally had a proper home for their family of three!

With a kitchen, living room, balcony, and bathroom—and it was even closer to Baiyun Street. Amazing!

“Haizhou, let’s eat out later to celebrate.”

“Sure.”

“Let’s tile the whole place, go with a white-and-blue theme, something fresh and airy. How about that?” Qiao Lu suggested, sitting in the back seat.

Xu Haizhou trusted his little wife’s taste. He didn’t really understand this stuff anyway, so naturally, he let her take the lead.

“Up to you. I’m fine with anything. Ask An’an what he likes.” Honestly, better to ask their son than him—he figured his job was just to be a quiet ATM.

“Forget it, asking you is pointless—you just say anything’s fine.” She laughed and gave him a playful punch on the back. “We both earned the money for this house—I can’t make all the decisions. You should be involved too.”

A happy home had to be built together to feel warm. Honestly, this man had no sense of romance—

Qiao Lu said, “Now that we’ve bought the house, we still have 2,000 yuan in savings. We can keep 800 or 900 as emergency cash and use the rest for renovations. But I’m worried the budget might not be enough.”

Xu Haizhou: “It’ll be fine. A thousand is more than enough. I’ll find the renovation crew.”

Finally, a task for him. Qiao Lu generously waved her hand. “Alright, it’s all yours.”

“It’s our first house, so I want to renovate it properly. No rush. Are you in a hurry to move in?”

Xu Haizhou shook his head. “I’m fine either way. However you want to plan it is fine.”

“Great. Then let’s take our time. After the renovation, let it air out for a month before we move in. Just to be safe.”

“Okay.”

The midday sun was blazing. After lunch at the state-run restaurant, it was only about one o’clock.

Xu Haizhou had the day off today, so only Li Hongjun was watching the store.

They had opened the shop at the entrance of the alley, but not the one at the back. The fitting room was still open though, so if customers wanted to try clothes, they could do it there. Yu Fan was helping out at the back, so no one would sneak off without paying.

On the way home, they passed a steep hill. Qiao Lu and their son had to get off the bike while Xu Haizhou got off too, pushing the bike up instead.

Halfway up the slope was a woman pushing a tricycle overloaded with goods.

There was so much stuff it was too heavy. The woman couldn’t keep it steady, and the tricycle started sliding back. She tried pushing with all her strength but couldn’t stop it.

Seeing this, Qiao Lu rushed over to help. “Haizhou!”

Hearing her call, Xu Haizhou dropped his bike and ran over to help. Only after they pushed the tricycle to the top of the hill did he finally catch his breath.

Qiao An was still on the slope, standing guard over his dad’s bicycle. He was afraid a bad guy might come and steal it!

Like a little prairie dog, he stood there blankly, hands clutched in front of him, anxiously watching the three adults—utterly adorable.

Xu Haizhou quickly trotted back down, took the bike, and began pushing it uphill. The little guy clung tightly to his dad’s shirt and followed close behind, step by step.

“Thank you, thank you! I’m so grateful! Oh—Boss Xu?”