TPW – Chapter 83

When the son cried, the mother’s heart would soften—but she could only force herself to stay firm.

Stroking his round little head and pulling him into her arms, she said gently, “An’an is already five years old. You’ll only spend one year in kindergarten, and then you’ll be a primary school student. And kindergartens let out around four or five in the afternoon. After school, Mommy will come pick you up and bring you home.”

“No! I don’t want to! Waaaah—” The little crybaby burst into tears, clinging tightly to Qiao Lu and burrowing into her. “I don’t want kindergarten, I just want Mommy, I want Mommy…”

He cried so pitifully and sorrowfully, his voice thick with snot and tears.

“Ah…”

The child was dejected the whole day, and his tears never stopped.

That afternoon, when Xu Haizhou returned home from work, Qiao Lu brought it up with him.

To her surprise, the father was even more soft-hearted than she was: “If An’an really doesn’t want to go, then don’t send him. It’s just kindergarten—what’s the big deal? Spending another year with you is nice too. Once he starts primary school, he won’t have as much time with you.”

A child growing up is a gradual journey of drifting away from their parents—some just cling to home more than others.

“Besides, An’an is so smart. He’ll probably adapt easily to school life. Even if he goes straight to primary school, the problems you’re worried about might never happen.” Xu Haizhou pressed her shoulder gently, comforting her.

“He is smart, but he can be so stubborn sometimes. Really stubborn. And he’s always been against going to kindergarten. I’m afraid he won’t get along with other kids…” Qiao Lu frowned, her expression filled with worry.

Seeing the worry in her eyes, Xu Haizhou sighed and pulled her into his arms. “Let’s take it slow. Just like how we eased him into sleeping in his own bed—step by step. There are still three months. That’s plenty of time.”

They thought it over but couldn’t come up with a better solution.

To cheer up their son, that night Qiao Lu made an exception and let him sleep in the big bed with Mommy and Daddy.

Unexpectedly, there was no excitement on his face. He looked gloomy and downcast, with no energy.

“Mama, how long is three months?”

“Three months is quite long—90 days, 12 weeks… Look, An’an, you still get to stay at home for that long.” Qiao Lu exaggerated her surprise to lift his spirits.

“I think it’s not long at all.” The little guy shook his head and hugged her tightly. “If it were 900 days, that would be long.”

Nine hundred days? Why don’t you say nine thousand!

Qiao Lu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She gently patted his back. “Besides, you can learn a lot of things in kindergarten—things even Mommy can’t teach you. There are books you haven’t read, stories you haven’t heard.”

But Qiao An, who normally loved learning, wasn’t buying it today.

His warm little hand covered Qiao Lu’s mouth. “Mama is really smart. Daddy is smart too. You both can teach me lots and lots of things. I don’t want to go to kindergarten to learn.”

Qiao Lu rubbed her forehead helplessly. So… their knowledge was a burden now?

She sighed. “We’ll take it slow. Mommy can still stay with you. Don’t be scared. There’s nothing to be afraid of—Mommy and Daddy will always be here.”

“Mm… Mama… I like you. I like being with you…”

The little guy, exhausted from crying, clutched her shirt collar and pouted his red little lips. His long lashes trembled slightly as he drifted off to sleep.

To get their son enrolled, Xu Haizhou spent six days running around, finally using Hou Caijun’s connections to get him into a daycare affiliated with the nearby cotton mill. It wasn’t far from their courtyard—only 700 meters, just a few minutes’ walk.

It wasn’t just Qiao Lu who had to coax the child—Xu Haizhou did too. Sometimes when Qiao An was particularly clingy, it gave Qiao Lu a headache, but her husband never once complained.

The two parents took turns coaxing him for a whole month, and Qiao An finally began to slowly accept the idea of going to kindergarten.

They could only hope that the first day of school two months later would be just as “peaceful”…

Two months passed, and September’s school season arrived as expected.

The night before, the little one tossed and turned in Qiao Lu’s arms, unable to sleep, finally tiring himself out around eleven or twelve.

At dawn the next day, the little bean quietly woke up, got out of the big bed by himself, and crept out without waking his parents.

He climbed into his own little bed, which was right by the window. Lifting a corner of the curtain, he peeked outside into the hazy morning light. He saw Grandma Feng wobbling as she carried water into the kitchen, Brother Youwei waking early for school, and Brother Kangkang waking up from hunger… everyone had their own things to do.

Not like him—stuck to his mom every day… Could it be that school really was a necessary part of growing up?

When Qiao Lu woke up, what she saw was a little bum sticking up, with a small head half buried under the curtain.

Lifting the curtain, she found her little guy leaning on the window frame, gazing at the sky at a 45-degree angle with a melancholy look—what a “brooding heartthrob” aura.

“What are you looking at, son?”

“Mama.”

Qiao An turned around and pounced into her arms, rubbing his head against her. His already messy short hair now stuck up like a bird’s nest.

Qiao Lu snuggled him and kissed him, then gave his little butt a pat.

“Quick, wake Daddy up. Today, both of us will take you to kindergarten.”

The little guy reluctantly crawled into the big bed. Even in his sleep, Xu Haizhou instinctively pulled his son into a hug.

“Daddy wake up, Daddy wake up, Daddy don’t sleep anymore.” His little hands groped around, then he muttered, “Daddy’s not wearing clothes again. Daddy, shame shame.”

“Hm? An’an?” Xu Haizhou, groggy, thought someone was talking about him. He woke up, flipped over with his son in his arms, nearly squashing the little guy.

The family of three snuggled together for a while in warm, cozy silence.

Xu Haizhou got up to make breakfast. When it was nearly ready, Qiao Lu got up to help An’an wash up and brush his teeth.

Wanting to spend more time with their little one, the couple didn’t ride their bikes. Instead, one held each of An’an’s hands and walked him to school.

It was only a 700-meter walk, but they dragged it out like it was 7,000.

The little guy was gloomy on the way, his eyes brimming with tears, looking like he was on the verge of crying. The couple looked at him, their hearts aching but helpless.

“Isn’t your new backpack nice? Mommy spent two days making it for you.” Qiao Lu patted his little backpack, trying to distract him.

Even with tears in the corners of his eyes, Qiao An graciously said, “It’s pretty. The prettiest.”

Qiao Lu chuckled and smoothed his hair. “Next year you’ll be a primary schooler. An’an, five-year-olds have to be brave, okay?”

“Mama, I wish I could be four years old forever.” At four, he didn’t have to go to kindergarten and could stay with Mama every day.

Pinching his soft little hand, Qiao Lu laughed. “Silly bun, if you were four forever, Mama and Daddy would be terrified.”

He sniffled. “Why?”

“It would mean you weren’t a normal kid. Wouldn’t that scare Mommy and Daddy to death?”

Qiao An was briefly amused by Qiao Lu’s joke, but soon his pout returned.

At least he didn’t cry. Still clutching Mommy and Daddy’s hands, he asked gloomily, “Mama, Daddy, what time do I get off school?”

“Hmm… I think around four or five. Mama will ask your teacher later.”

“Can you both come pick me up together?” he asked cautiously, eyes wide like a little deer misted with tears.

Qiao Lu couldn’t help but laugh and rubbed his head. “Of course we can.”

“Can you be the first ones to come get me?” The little guy pushed his luck.

Qiao Lu was still smiling. “Sure.”

Xu Haizhou also nodded firmly. “Yes, we’ll be the first.”

Though he knew he couldn’t escape the fate of going to school, having his parents’ promise seemed to slowly dissolve the tight knot in his chest.

Held between Mom and Dad, his steps grew a little lighter. “Mom, this afternoon I kept looking at the gate. If you came, I’d be the first to spot you.”

“Alright.”

Seeing Qiao Lu agree so readily, Qiao An cheered up again. He looked up and smiled softly. “And ride the bike over, okay? Just one bike. The three of us can sit close together.”

This little rascal really had a lot of requests.

“Okay,” Xu Haizhou chuckled, bending down to pick him up. “We’ll try to meet all of An’an’s wishes—but you’ve got to be a good boy at school, alright?”

“Mhm, I will.” He hugged his dad’s neck and replied in a muffled voice.

They chatted all the way there. Qiao An hadn’t even had the chance to think of anything sad before they’d unknowingly arrived at the kindergarten.

The other kids curiously surrounded the unfamiliar Qiao An and his parents, whispering to each other, clearly intrigued.

“Bye-bye, Mama. Bye-bye, Daddy…” He pursed his lips, trying hard to hold back his tears.

Though reluctant, he didn’t cling to their legs upon arrival. Looks like all the comforting on the way did help a little.

The two adults stayed by the gate, uneasy, only leaving reluctantly once the school bell rang.

Qiao Lu looked up at the sky and wiped her eyes—only to find them damp.

She fanned herself and laughed at her own sentimentality. “A little dramatic.”

Xu Haizhou looked at her with deep affection and pulled her close in silent comfort.

A child growing up and starting kindergarten—how could it just be the child unwilling to let go? Parents couldn’t bear it either.

Especially with such a well-behaved little treasure like Qiao An.

That whole day, Qiao Lu did only two things—think about her son and talk about her son.

Every minute and second felt like she was watching the clock.

Before having a child, she’d lived freely and happily on her own. But now with a son, it was like a piece of her soul was walking around outside her body, tugging at her heart.

Truly…

She hadn’t had time to get ready in the morning while calming her son down, so in the afternoon she changed into her prettiest dress, applied some light makeup, and looked radiant—no trace of her earlier worry to be seen.

She and Xu Haizhou had agreed to pick up their son half an hour early. He even left work an hour ahead of time.

“You’re back so early? What about Li Hongjun? Didn’t he say anything?”

“Nope. What could he say? If he were dating someone, I’d give him time off too.” Xu Haizhou stopped his bike and smiled.

“Hasn’t Sister Liu been setting him up recently? Didn’t like a single one?” She mused—it had been three months, hadn’t it? Was he really that picky?

Xu Haizhou looked around and, seeing no one in the yard, eagerly wrapped an arm around his wife’s waist and gave her freshly painted lips a firm kiss. “Don’t know. Haven’t heard anything happen.”

Qiao Lu smacked his chest playfully, quickly dragging him into the house.

Once the door was shut, he pounced on her like a hungry wolf, nuzzling and kissing her lips.

“Wife, you look gorgeous today.” Usually, Qiao Lu only liked changing into pretty clothes but rarely wore makeup. This rare, fully dolled-up version of her made Xu Haizhou’s heart itch—he could barely restrain himself from doing something dangerous.

“Was I not pretty before the makeup?” Qiao Lu teased, giving him a little shove.

Xu Haizhou grinned and shook his head. “It’s a different kind of pretty. Without makeup, there’s this glow of motherhood around you. With makeup, you feel like you belong entirely to me—just my wife, you know?”

They’d been married two years, and their dynamic was already that of a seasoned couple. It had been a while since he said anything so sweet. Hearing it again brought her right back to their newlywed days.

Sometimes, a little effort in dressing up really does add some spark to married life—harmless and delightful.

Qiao Lu smiled sweetly, looped her arms around his neck, and tugged him down. “From now on, let’s rest every weekend and take An’an out. Doesn’t matter where, as long as it’s the three of us. I’ll do my makeup and make sure my boys are dressed handsomely too, okay?”

They’d been making money hand over fist this past year, but both were so busy with work they’d neglected to enjoy life.

“Okay,” Xu Haizhou said, planting a kiss at the corner of her lips. “I’ll make more time for you two.”

Business never truly stops—so long as the shop’s open, there’s always something to do. But making time for your wife is the real priority.

After speaking, his slightly calloused hand gently rested on Qiao Lu’s belly.

“Speaking of… we’ve been pretty diligent these past two years. How come our little seed hasn’t…”

Qiao Lu laughed and pushed him away. “Go on with you. I told you—leave it to fate. If it’s not meant to be yet, it’s not meant to be. Why are you so anxious?”

Xu Haizhou hugged her from behind. “I’m not anxious, just… expectant. You know what I mean? I’m curious to see what kind of little baby we’d have.”

“Definitely a good one,” Qiao Lu smiled, picturing a daughter who looked like a little version of Qiao An.

Xu Haizhou wasn’t any less handsome than Ge Wenrong, so their child would certainly be a looker too.

Yes—definitely adorable!

There was still about half an hour before kindergarten let out, so the couple set off together on a bicycle, slowly making their way to their destination.

Chatting and laughing along the way, Qiao Lu was in high spirits.

“Hey, how about we eat out today? I really don’t feel like cooking. Let’s take An’an for roasted lamb leg. He loves that fragrant grilled meat.”

Xu Haizhou picked up the hint and laughed. “You’re the one craving it, aren’t you?”

Qiao Lu gave his waist a little pinch. “So what if I am? Are you taking me and your son out or not?”

She hit his ticklish spot, making him laugh uncontrollably. “Of course, of course! One plate not enough, we’ll get two, okay?”

Using the same tone as when coaxing a child, Qiao Lu shot him a sideways glance and, satisfied, wrapped her arms tighter around his waist and pressed her cheek to his back.

After turning into a small alley, they would arrive at the factory’s kindergarten where Qiao An was. But unexpectedly, they ran into two people on the way—

“Xiao Gao? Xiao Zhou!” As she got closer and saw the situation clearly, Qiao Lu shouted loudly, “Hey! What are you two doing?!”

The two men beating up Xiao Gao hadn’t noticed Xu Haizhou because of the sudden arrival. He kicked one of them flying with a single blow.

With a muffled groan, the stockier man struggled up from the ground, cursing, “Damn! Who the hell are you, meddling in other people’s business?!”

As he spoke, the skinnier one also climbed to his feet. Both men, looking fierce and malicious, charged straight at them as if ready to fight.

Qiao Lu quickly took two steps back, only to see that Xu Haizhou wasn’t fazed at all—in fact, he directly swung his bicycle and smashed it toward the two men’s heads.

Seeing this, who would dare stand there and wait to be hit? The two turned around and ran off.

“Don’t let me see you again!” Xu Haizhou even shouted a threat after them…

Qiao Lu patted her chest, still in shock, but quickly set that aside and rushed forward to help Xiao Zhou up. “Are you alright?”

“Qiao… Sister Qiao Lu…” Xiao Zhou, with blood streaming from her head, trembled as she spoke.

Qiao Lu was now a well-known figure on Ziyuan Street. Who didn’t know about the “Purple Dragonfly” brand? Naturally, they also knew its founders—her and Xu Haizhou. So it wasn’t surprising that Xiao Zhou recognized her.

Before Qiao Lu could say anything more, Xiao Zhou burst into tears and ran over to where Xiao Gao lay collapsed, hugging him tightly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Gao Xin, I’m so sorry…”

“Don’t cry, it’s not your fault.” Despite his face being so battered it was barely recognizable, Xiao Gao still tried to comfort his girlfriend. This guy was deeply in love…

One had only minor scrapes and bruises, while the other was seriously injured. This was a secluded area and there was no help nearby, so they had no choice but to have Xu Haizhou take Xiao Gao to the hospital first, while Qiao Lu supported Xiao Zhou and slowly made their way there.

By the time the two arrived at the emergency department, Xiao Gao was already in surgery.

“It’s that serious? He needs surgery?” Qiao Lu asked, surprised.

Xu Haizhou stepped forward to help support her and looked toward Xiao Zhou. “Yeah, apparently he already had an injury on that arm before, and it got worse today, so…”

Before he could finish, Xiao Zhou couldn’t take it anymore and broke down crying, covering her mouth with her hand.

“It’s my fault, all my fault… I’m the one to blame… I let him down, I really did…”

After countless rounds of suffering, even someone as strong as Xiao Zhou couldn’t hold it together anymore. In front of the not-so-close Qiao Lu, she sobbed uncontrollably and told her what she had endured after being assaulted by Qian Qiang.

Rather than “living in torment,” it was more accurate to say she had lived in hell.

Though Qian Qiang had already been executed, before that, he had assaulted Xiao Zhou—and broken Gao Xin’s left arm…

Even so, the two people who loved each other did not surrender to fate.

Hand in hand, they pushed forward through hardship, determined to fight against destiny. But in the end, it was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree—futile.

Gao Xin’s family consisted of only his elderly grandparents, and the whole household relied on his meager income from delivering mail.

Xiao Zhou came from a large family, so she wasn’t required to be the breadwinner, but her household valued sons over daughters. Her parents had hoped she’d marry into a wealthy family, and were furious that she fell in love with a humble mailman. But she was stubborn, and nothing could break them apart.

Just as they were finally coming around, the Qian Qiang incident happened.

Even after his death, Qian Qiang’s influence lingered. His gang of scummy friends blamed Xiao Zhou for his demise and regularly harassed both families, seeking revenge and making their lives miserable.

Gao Xin’s grandparents were the first to cave under the pressure, urging their grandson to break up with Xiao Zhou—despite genuinely liking her.

But Gao Xin refused. He had stood by her all this time. He never expected that enduring and staying silent would only make things worse. Today, he almost died…

“I can’t take it anymore, I really can’t… We were planning to get married at the end of the year, but now, now I’m too scared… As long as I don’t break up with Gao Xin, they’ll keep coming… They’ll keep causing trouble, hitting people, they’re capable of anything…”

In truth, those thugs weren’t doing it out of some warped sense of loyalty to Qian Qiang. It was probably just personal vendettas, bullying the weak under the guise of revenge.

It just so happened that Xiao Zhou and Xiao Gao were the kind of honest people who let others push them around—so those bullies found enjoyment in tormenting them, again and again… In situations like this, being tough might actually turn the tide.

Such gangsters only preyed on the weak.

That’s how Qiao Lu analyzed it inwardly, but seeing Xiao Zhou in this fragile state… she decided to wait a few days, let the emotions settle, and revisit the topic later.

After comforting Xiao Zhou for a while in the hospital corridor, the couple suddenly remembered their original errand for the day.

“Oh no, our son!”

Around 5:30 in the evening, in Class A of the cotton mill’s staff kindergarten, there were only a few kids left—three, counting Qiao An.

A little boy with a buzz cut sat gloomily at the table playing with toys, and a chubby-faced girl with pigtails sat beside Qiao An, chattering non-stop, a sharp contrast to the quiet little guy.

The girl giggled and poked his cheek, tilting her head, “Don’t be sad! You look like you’re about to cry. What’s there to cry about? My mom always comes to pick me up last. I’m used to it, and I don’t even feel like crying.”

Qiao An sniffled. He didn’t want to respond, but when he thought of his parents, he argued back: “It’s different for us. My mom and dad promised to be the first to pick me up. They don’t lie…”

“Then how come they’re still not here?” the girl asked, glancing toward the kindergarten gate.

Qiao An looked up with wide eyes—he was already sad enough, did she have to poke his wound?

Just as he was about to reply, a familiar voice called from the gate.

“An’an!”

“An’an.”

“Mama! Daddy!” The little bean’s tears, which had barely been held back, burst forth again. “Wahhh—”

“Mama, Daddy, all the other kids got picked up already… I was the only one left… wahhh, Mama…”

He was supposed to be the happiest kid, but in that moment, he suddenly became the loneliest.

“I’m sorry, An’an, so sorry. We actually came half an hour early, but on the way we ran into some bad guys bullying the mailman—the one who always delivers letters to our house from Grandpa and Grandma in the north. Do you remember him? Daddy had to go help him, that’s why we were late. We’re really sorry, An’an.”

“Sorry, son,” Xu Haizhou added, looking guilty. He squatted down and kissed his son’s tear-streaked cheek.

The tears at the corners of Qiao An’s eyes stopped instantly, so suddenly that he even hiccuped from crying too hard.

“What?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and opening his mouth in disbelief. “R-Really? Daddy fought bad guys? Daddy saved the mailman?”

His dad… had just been a hero?