TPW – Chapter 86

“You three are always here on Sundays—I just knew it.” It had become a habit by now.

“Oh my, even your little sweetheart is helping out! How wonderful.” The boss’s wife from the renovation team tapped the little paper hat on Qiao An’s head and laughed.

“Yes, you have to instill a work ethic from a young age,” Qiao Lu said with a smile.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the boss’s wife asked if they could take a few photos to use for advertising.

After some thought, Qiao Lu agreed, but only allowed them to photograph parts of the living room and kitchen. The rest was off-limits.

It didn’t take long—five minutes, and they were gone.

The family of three resumed cleaning, scrubbing every corner—even the ceiling—until they were completely exhausted.

Looking at the spotless, bright, and spacious new home, Qiao Lu felt indescribably happy.

After a short rest, she eagerly pulled Qiao An into the secondary bedroom opposite the master bedroom.

“Look, An’an, this is the room Mommy prepared for you. It’s blue—do you like it?”

The house was 90 square meters in total, with two small bedrooms, a large master bedroom, one kitchen, one bathroom, and a balcony—exceptional conditions for this era.

The secondary bedroom wasn’t large, around 12 to 13 square meters, decorated in a playful blue theme. Even the wardrobe was painted light blue.

Qiao An pressed his lips together, then suddenly gripped Qiao Lu’s hand tightly, nervous. “Mama, is this room just for me?”

“Yes.” Qiao Lu beamed.

Qiao An, who had been quite happy a moment ago, suddenly lost his enthusiasm and looked a bit down. “Can we move in a little later?”

Qiao Lu chuckled. “Didn’t you say you wanted to move into the new house right away? What’s changed now?”

“I want to sleep in the same room as Mommy.” Moving into the new house meant he’d have to sleep alone.

Qiao Lu smiled and said, “What’s there to be afraid of? I promise you—until you turn six, you can sleep in our room, okay?”

“Really?” Qiao An started counting on his fingers.

He was five now, one year until he turned six. That’s 365 days…

Didn’t sound bad at all.

“After I turn six, can I still sleep with you sometimes?” The little guy pushed his luck again.

Qiao Lu thought for a moment. “Hmm… occasionally, yes. But not all the time.”

“Alright then.” He was content. At least if he felt upset, he could still ask to sleep with Mommy.

They returned home happily and started preparing lunch. Suddenly, Xu Haizhou said to Qiao Lu, “I’ve been thinking about hiring someone to help run the shop.”

“Oh? You two can’t manage it alone anymore?” Qiao Lu asked in surprise.

Xu Haizhou shook his head. “Li Hongjun found a girlfriend. He’s dating now—how’s he going to court her without some time off?”

He couldn’t possibly flirt with her at the shop all day, could he? That would be ridiculous.

“Besides, with our current revenue, we could afford to hire not just one, but two employees without much trouble. That way, I can spend more time with you two.”

So that was part of the reason. This man was truly family-oriented.

Qiao Lu smiled sweetly, then remembered Li Hongjun.

The eternal bachelor actually found someone? She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of woman she was. She was genuinely curious.

She smiled and said, “Good idea. Go find someone, then. Let him go pursue his romance. As for the new hire… it’s best if they’re quick-witted and articulate. But be careful—don’t hire someone who’s all talk and no substance.”

Clever was fine, but no scheming types. Li Hongjun might act goofy sometimes, but when it came down to business, he was solid.

“Got it,” Xu Haizhou said.

Not only did he start searching himself, but he also asked neighbors to keep an eye out—ideally someone educated, but if not, at least capable.

Neighbors eagerly recommended people to the couple. They spent about three days looking, but didn’t find a single suitable candidate.

They evaluated about eight or nine people, and not one of them had the courage to speak up and attract customers.

If a salesperson is too self-conscious, how are they supposed to make sales?

Clearly, even in an era of endless opportunity, not everyone could seize it—even when it was handed to them.

The next day, under a clear blue sky, Xiao Zhou entered the courtyard cautiously with a vegetable basket on her arm. Qiao Lu saw her and assumed she was there to apply for the shop job.

But then she remembered Xiao Zhou already had a job—maybe she came to repay the medical fees?

Xiao Zhou’s eyes were red—she had clearly been crying before arriving—but she smiled when she saw Qiao Lu.

“How are things lately? Is Xiao Gao doing better?” Qiao Lu brought out a stool for her and asked warmly.

“Thanks,” Xiao Zhou said, shaking her head. “His hand’s permanently injured. He lost his job. The manager won’t let him work anymore—worried he’ll have another accident…”

Everyone on Ziyuan Street had heard about the trouble they’d had with those thugs. A few kindhearted folks had tried to help, but each time someone stepped in, the punks ran off faster than leopards.

“What? That’s… so sudden.” No job—how would they eat, how would they live?

They’d been struggling as it was.

As Qiao Lu sat in stunned silence, Xiao Zhou’s worried expression turned more serious. “Sister Qiao Lu, I wanted to ask—you make clothes here, right?”

“You want to make clothes?” So she wasn’t here to apply for the store job. Qiao Lu smiled and nodded. “Sure, register with me, take the materials home, and you can start.”

“Can I sew by hand?” Xiao Zhou scratched her face awkwardly. “Last week, I got married to Gao Xin, and we moved into his place. There’s no sewing machine at home, so…”

Married? She’d said at the hospital she didn’t dare to get married.

They didn’t have the courage to face outsiders, but their love for each other was unshakable.

Qiao Lu raised her eyebrows, her tone softening. “By hand? It’s not impossible. But you still have a day job, right? And our shop—Purple Dragonfly—has high quality standards. I’m not sure you could finish even one piece a day.”

“It’s fine, I’m not working now, so I have plenty of time to make clothes. Even if it’s all handmade, I can manage to finish one or two pieces a day.” Xiao Zhou pointed to a dress laid out on Qiao Lu’s sewing machine. “That kind of dress, right? I can make it, I’m quite skilled. Before I got married, I often helped make clothes for my younger siblings at home.”

Qiao Lu was distracted by the first thing she said and asked in surprise, “You’re not working anymore? I thought you were working at a bank?”

Xiao Zhou gave an awkward smile. “I resigned. That whole Qian Qiang mess had a big impact on me and my workplace, so I just quit. Anyway, Gao Xin said it was okay.”

Xiao Zhou had been forced out of her job by some local thugs. They kept showing up at her workplace causing trouble. Even though security would kick them out every time, it still had an effect. Who could keep working under the strange looks of their colleagues?

In short, Xiao Zhou couldn’t take it. Her mental endurance wasn’t as strong as she seemed.

Gradually, she began showing signs of depression. Gao Xin didn’t want to see her sink deeper and actually supported her decision to resign.

Keep in mind—he himself didn’t have a job at the time. With Xiao Zhou quitting, they had no income at all!

Who knows what kind of discussion the couple had, but in the end, Xiao Zhou quit her job and came to find Qiao Lu.

Qiao Lu sighed inwardly but didn’t show too much pity on her face.

Young people care about their pride—otherwise, she wouldn’t have wiped her tears away before coming over. She just wanted to appear dignified.

“Alright then, take this and make it.” Qiao Lu handed her enough fabric for two days’ work. “Make one piece first and show me. If it’s good, you can keep going.”

“Okay, okay, thank you, Sister Qiao Lu!”

Qiao Lu walked Xiao Zhou to the courtyard gate, only to find that Gao Xin was waiting outside.

Still riding that same old bicycle, his left hand completely crippled, hanging uselessly at his side. The bike’s handlebars could only be supported with his right hand.

To be honest, it was dangerous.

But what could they do? That was their only means of transport, and also the most valuable thing they owned.

When he saw his wife and Qiao Lu, Xiao Gao’s face lit up with a bright smile. He waved, “Sister Qiao Lu.”

After a few polite exchanges, the young couple took their leave. Before they left, Qiao Lu asked Xiao Zhou again:

“By the way, have those thugs been bothering you lately?”

Xiao Zhou shook her head and gave a self-deprecating smile. “They haven’t shown up since I quit. Maybe they think I’m doing too poorly to even be worth their time.”

That scumbag Qian Qiang caused all this trouble, and it ended up hurting an innocent girl. Even in death, he left a mess behind.

“Don’t be scared of them. If they show up again, do what my husband does—grab a bike or any tool that works and scare the hell out of them. Those guys only bully the weak and fear the strong. The more you back off, the more arrogant they get. So don’t be afraid—just beat the crap out of them!”

That one statement was full of energy and lit a fire in Gao Xin.

“Alright, Sister Qiao Lu, we’ll follow your lead.” His eyes welled with tears, his voice hoarse.

Qiao Lu patted Xiao Zhou on the shoulder with a sigh. “Do a good job. Try to save up and buy a sewing machine. You’ll be able to earn more that way.”

She pointed behind her toward the courtyard. “You know Wu Guifang, right? She’s also a full-time housewife with no job. She uses a sewing machine to help me make clothes every day—at least 4 yuan daily, guaranteed.”

Xiao Zhou and Gao Xin were both stunned. They covered their mouths. “That much?!”

Qiao Lu narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Yep. So if you do well, it won’t be worse than working a job.”

“Mhm!” Xiao Zhou was instantly filled with energy, her eyes shining with hope. “Thank you, Sister Qiao Lu!”

Golden October. The autumn heat lingered fiercely like a tiger baring its fangs. It wasn’t until late October, after a heavy rain, that the temperature finally began to drop.

Renovations were nearing completion, but arranging the furniture still required quite a bit of effort.

Qiao Lu was also preparing the autumn collection for the November release. With so many things to do, she simply handed off the quality control of the clothing to Wu Guifang.

In the whole compound, Wu Guifang was the one she trusted most and was closest to.

Two yuan per day, Wu Guifang didn’t even hesitate before agreeing.

All she had to do was take a bit of time out of her sewing work each day to check the garment quality, and she’d earn two yuan on top—such an easy gig, why would she say no?

With Wu Guifang happy, and Qiao Lu no longer needing to oversee every detail herself, things became a lot easier. Win-win.

By late October, they started moving in large furniture. Once everything was set up, the whole family came to the new house to do some cleaning. They’d slowly move things in like ants, and after a while, they could officially move in!

Today, Li Hongjun brought his girlfriend over to visit the Nanhu Home complex. She was a timid and shy young girl.

Wearing a simple short jacket, her hair was styled into two thin braids on either side of her ears, each tied with a little plastic daisy.

She looked about eighteen or nineteen, with big eyes, delicate brows, a small frame, and a slender figure. Not bad-looking—maybe a 6 out of 10. With makeup and a little dressing up, she could easily be a 7 or 8.

“Her name is Zou Yinghua.” Then he pointed at Qiao Lu and her husband. “Yinghua, you’re younger, so call her Sister Qiao Lu and him Brother Xu.”

The young girl obediently nodded. “Mm, Brother Xu, Sister Qiao Lu.”

Where did he find such a well-behaved young woman? Qiao Lu looked at him teasingly.

“Come, sit.” Qiao Lu studied them as she invited them in.

Li Hongjun plopped down heavily on the sofa. The cushions were soft and bouncy, and his eyes lit up as he pressed down on the seat beneath him. “What kind of chair is this? So comfy—and it bounces too! Yinghua, you’ve gotta try it!”

He pulled the girl by the arm and gently pushed her onto the couch. With a soft thump, she bounced slightly from the impact.

“It’s comfy, right?” Li Hongjun grinned.

Zou Yinghua shyly tucked her hair behind her ear and nodded. “Mm, it’s amazing.”

She had never seen, let alone sat on, a sofa like this. Was this really a chair? Why was it so big? You could probably even sleep on it.

And thinking back to the grand entrance gate of the complex, with its classy name… Could Brother Xu and his wife be some kind of big-shot leaders or wealthy bosses?

In this day and age, ordinary families absolutely couldn’t afford such a luxurious piece of furniture. Some hadn’t even seen one in their lives, let alone owned one.

The little one happily kicked off his shoes and started jumping on the sofa. Li Hongjun scooped him up and held him in his lap, giving him a playful rub.

“You’re so lucky, little one. Uncle didn’t have such a cozy childhood. You’ve got a nice house, new clothes every month, and parents who adore you.”

Qiao An tilted his head and replied in a crisp voice, “Then you have to work hard too, Uncle—so your future baby can also live in a big, pretty house.”

“Hahaha—” What a clever kid. He really knew a lot.

Despite all the admiration, Li Hongjun relaxed into the sofa and sighed contentedly. “This is so nice. But how much did this cost?” He guessed it couldn’t be cheap.

And sure enough—

“Two hundred. Had someone buy it from the provincial capital. The delivery fee alone cost thirty.”

“Not bad at all—super comfortable, Haizhou.” Expensive, sure, but worth every cent.

He looked around. It wasn’t just the sofa—the whole place was beautifully renovated.

The balcony faced south and had no door, letting in floods of natural light. The creamy white walls made the interior bright and warm. No need for lights during the day at all.

Then he looked at the ceiling light fixture. A simple begonia chandelier—elegant and tasteful. Between the living room and kitchen was a passageway, meant to serve as a dining area. There was even a chandelier above the dining table!

Wow, just wow—what taste!

Thinking about his own yellow lightbulb at home, and how some families in the courtyard were so poor they still used kerosene lamps—or worse, candles…

From Li Hongjun’s perspective, this place wasn’t an ordinary home—it was like a luxury palace made for entertaining government officials!

He smacked Haizhou on the shoulder, eyes still glued to the house. “Your wife is amazing. Seriously. I’m going to copy this entire setup for my place!”

A one-to-one replica!

Then, remembering something, Li Hongjun leaned in and asked in a low voice, “By the way… how much did all the renovation cost?”

Xu Haizhou glanced at him sideways and stealthily held up two fingers.

“Tsss—” Li Hongjun’s eyes immediately widened.

Alright, alright. Half of it will be enough.