TPW – Chapter 87

“You bought a house too?” Zou Yinghua finally caught the key point in Li Hongjun’s words.

These days, what kind of people could actually afford to buy a house…

“Yeah, look—right across the street, second floor.” Li Hongjun answered openly and casually, showing no hesitation in telling his girlfriend of less than a month that he had already bought a place.

Now that he’d bought the house, just like Xu Haizhou, he had become one of those “no-savings” poor folks. He didn’t even have the money to renovate it yet. On Qiao Lu’s side, most of her savings had also gone into renovations; they only had enough left for daily expenses. They were planning to make a big profit from the first wave of autumn arrivals—there was no room for sloppiness.

“That’s amazing.” It wasn’t just that he could afford a house—but in Nanhu Garden, no less!

What kind of incredible guy had Sister Liu introduced her to?!

Zou Yinghua, who already had a crush on Li Hongjun, now looked at him with eyes full of admiration and envy.

Suppressing a smug smile, Li Hongjun casually slung an arm over Xu Haizhou’s shoulder and asked, “So when are you two moving? If you’re short on hands, I’ve got a few buddies who can help.”

Qiao Lu smiled and replied, “Not yet. We’ve only moved in the big stuff like the sofa, wardrobe, and bed. The smaller things—like tables, stools, and all the miscellaneous bits—still haven’t been brought over.”

“Well, better move soon. The sooner it’s done, the sooner you can start living there.” If it weren’t for the tight finances, he’d have started renovating already.

“We’ve got someone to help. I’m just trying to figure out how to match everything together, so we’re not in a rush.”

Li Hongjun raised an eyebrow and gave Qiao Lu a look of admiration. “You’re already pretty enough—what more are you trying to match?”

Qiao Lu laughed. “It’s the first home Haizhou and I bought together, after all. Of course I want to put real thought into it.”

“All the furniture is new?” he asked, then muttered, “No wonder it cost so much.”

He himself couldn’t bear to spend that kind of money. Just slap some white paint on the walls, throw in some basic furniture, and call it a day. Why bother being so picky? Everything gets messy after a while anyway, and he certainly didn’t have the time to keep things tidy… Wait a minute—if he got himself a wife, wouldn’t he have someone to help with all that?

He turned to look at Zou Yinghua. She definitely had that gentle, domestic vibe…

But marriage? Not yet. Still too early. Better to keep dating for now.

“The old furniture at the courtyard house is too outdated—it doesn’t match the new apartment’s style at all. We’ll just leave it there.”

Strictly speaking, the furniture in the courtyard house wasn’t really Xu Haizhou’s. It belonged to the old Li family. Even if the house was now legally his, the furniture wasn’t.

Come to think of it, it made more sense to buy a completely new set—furniture that truly belonged to them.

As for money? They could always earn more. Even if furniture was expensive now, it would be even pricier thirty years later. Buying now was practically a bargain!

“Fine, fine, you two rich folks. Just ignore everything I just said.”

It was the first time he was meeting Li Hongjun’s girlfriend today. As longtime friends, he figured he should at least treat her to a meal.

Besides, they needed to discuss the new autumn inventory anyway. So he invited the couple over to the courtyard house for dinner.

Just then, Qiao Lu turned to Li Hongjun and said, “Hongjun, can I trouble you to go and bring Yu Fan over?”

“Huh?”

The familiar name made Li Hongjun’s heart skip a beat. “Who?”

“Yu Fan. I want to talk with her about the new stuff for the clothing store.”

He inexplicably let out a breath of relief. “We’re talking about our shop’s new inventory—what does Yu Fan have to do with it?”

Li Hongjun was confused.

Qiao Lu explained, “Didn’t I go to Baiyun Street yesterday? She mentioned her business hasn’t been doing well lately, and her boyfriend is going off to college in Lükou City. She wants to save money to go visit him. Since we’re preparing to launch new products, I suddenly thought of a way we could collaborate.”

Actually, Xu Haizhou had been there too. The idea wasn’t hers—it had been Xu Haizhou’s.

After a few years of experience in the business world, and having worked with Qiao Lu for a while, he had developed a natural instinct for marketing strategies.

And now—an opportunity had presented itself.

“Isn’t she selling silk? How can our two businesses even collaborate?” Li Hongjun curled his lip, baffled.

“Of course we can. Just go—don’t you know where she lives?” He had walked her home last time after they’d been out drinking, after all.

The couple refused to reveal what kind of collaboration they had in mind, keeping Li Hongjun in the dark.

Scratching his head helplessly, he said, “Alright, I’ll go get her.”

After giving the house one final cleaning, the group set off in high spirits toward Xu Haizhou’s courtyard home.

While Li Hongjun rode off on his bike to fetch Yu Fan, Qiao Lu took the chance to discreetly ask about Zou Yinghua’s background.

Turns out, the girl really was young—not just pretending to be. She was only nineteen.

She had a junior high school education and was currently working at a tobacco factory, earning forty yuan a month. She had two older brothers. And within the large courtyard community that spanned over ten miles, her family was considered one of the more well-off ones.

After 1984, the societal disdain for businesspeople gradually diminished, especially in the large courtyard where the Haizhou family lived. With the couple’s example leading the way, no one looked down on street vendors anymore.

Liu Xiaohong had worked as a matchmaker for over ten years, after all. With Li Hongjun’s financial condition, she had to find him a woman who was at least somewhat “well-off” and matched in status.

The young woman was an honest one, with a gentle personality and a soft, quiet way of speaking. The moment one saw her, a single phrase came to mind—“virtuous wife and loving mother.”

Or more precisely, the kind of person who would become such a wife and mother in the future.

She seemed great in all respects, with only one thing that even Qiao An found a bit odd.

“Mama, why is this big sister always so shy? I talked to her, and her whole face turned red,” he whispered to his mother.

Qiao Lu laughed and patted his head. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s just her personality.”

After drawing water at the well and washing all the vegetables, she sent Xu Haizhou back to the market to get three more dishes. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be enough food for everyone.

About twenty minutes later, just as Xu Haizhou returned with the groceries, Li Hongjun brought Yu Fan into the courtyard.

Her voice came before she appeared.

“What kind of wind blew today that Li Hongjun would come and personally invite me over, saying you two are treating me to a meal?”

The two of them walked in chatting and laughing, catching the attention of the curious neighbors in the courtyard.

It wasn’t Yu Fan’s first visit—she had come once before to go with Qiao Lu to the police station. But it had been a rushed trip, and she had no recollection of where exactly Qiao Lu lived.

This time, she strolled in leisurely, taking in the surroundings. Only now did she notice how much cleaner and tidier this courtyard was than hers. Not bad at all—actually, really impressive.

To think even courtyard homes could vary this much. As they say, comparisons are odious.

Once she entered the inner yard, something about it struck her as familiar.

Just as Qiao Lu finished washing vegetables and stood up with the basket, Liu Xiaohong came out of the house across the way carrying a large bowl of food.

“All done? Then I’m coming over.”

“Sure, Auntie, go ahead.”

As they spoke, Yu Fan turned her head and noticed something about Liu Xiaohong’s side profile looked familiar. She looked closer—wasn’t that… Fang Youwei’s mother?

Her heart skipped two beats.

So Qiao Lu and Fang Youwei were neighbors?

What a coincidence!

Did Qiao Lu know that she had dated Fang Youwei?

The thought made her feel uneasy. She instinctively covered part of her face and quickly walked past Liu Xiaohong.

“Hey! What’s the rush? In a hurry to be reincarnated or something?” someone joked.

Hearing the voice, Zou Yinghua came out cheerfully to greet her.

“Yu Fan! Over here, over here!” Qiao Lu waved to her.

She really liked this cheerful and straightforward woman.

Yu Fan quickly ran into the house in a few steps, with Li Hongjun trailing close behind. Zou Yinghua fluttered over happily like a little sparrow.

“Hongjun, have some water.” No one noticed when Zou Yinghua had poured the drink—so thoughtful.

It reminded Qiao Lu of her own husband, also a very considerate man. Were these two truly in love?

“Come in, have a seat.” She pulled her gaze back and quickly invited the three to sit down.

“Wow, Qiao Lu, did you put on makeup today?” Yu Fan immediately noticed the difference and grabbed her for a closer look. “You look amazing! Did you do it yourself?”

She had some serious makeup skills—the eyes looked noticeably bigger and brighter, her eyebrows were long and curved like willow leaves, and her lips were a bright, rosy red. Her cheeks, powdered with duck-egg paste, were soft and white like a baby’s.

Qiao Lu teased, “If I didn’t do it myself, who else could? Are you talking about Haizhou?”

As she spoke, she poured her a cup of tea.

Xu Haizhou laughed helplessly and playfully pinched her shoulder when he heard his wife teasing him.

Yu Fan took the cup and gulped down the tea in big sips. “Forget it, what man knows how to do makeup anyway?”

Even as she spoke, her eyes didn’t leave Qiao Lu’s face. She kept glancing at her, clicking her tongue. “You really are beautiful. That face is so delicate—doesn’t look like a mom at all. You look more like a fresh college graduate!”

“Sis-in-law looks good even without makeup,” Li Hongjun chimed in with a compliment.

The two of them echoing each other made Qiao Lu feel a little shy.

She had already been constantly praised by her husband and son, and thought she was used to it by now. But it turned out that being complimented still made her heart flutter. Not bad at all.

“Okay, enough with the compliments.” She turned to look for her son and waved him over. “An’an, where’s your snack stash? Bring some out to share with everyone.”

“Okay, Mama~” He put down his little ball and bounced off toward the bedroom.

He opened the cupboard and pulled out his treasured snack box hidden at the bottom. It was a huge stash, and a bit heavy. He grunted as he lugged it out.

Yu Fan quickly stepped up and took it from him. When she opened it, she was dumbfounded.

“All this is just your son’s snacks? That’s way too extravagant!”

She rifled through the contents—biscuits, candy, cakes, dried fruits… all kinds of shelf-stable goodies were packed inside!

People really do die from comparison. When she was little, she never got this kind of treatment!

The kid was only five, yet he lived more lavishly than she did in her twenties! Sigh… the gap was real.

“It was my mom and dad who bought it for me,” the little guy added fuel to the fire.

Yu Fan gritted her teeth and pinched his chubby cheek.

“So jealous I could die!”

Qiao An didn’t understand what Yu Fan meant by that, so he pushed her hand away, opened a pack of dried figs, climbed up on a stool, and placed the snacks right in the center of the table. “For you to eat.”

Qiao Lu smiled, picked her son off the stool, and rubbed his little shoulders. “An’an is very disciplined. Even if we moved the whole snack shop home, he wouldn’t eat more than he’s allowed. Sometimes he doesn’t even eat one a day.”

“Why not? If you buy them and don’t let the kid eat them, that’s not right,” Li Hongjun didn’t catch her meaning. He picked up a strip of dried fig and tossed it into his mouth—it was sweet and sour, very appetizing.

Xu Haizhou explained, “What Qiao Lu means is that An’an has great self-control. He’s allowed three snacks a day, so he never exceeds three packs. He won’t sneak more behind our backs.”

Too many snacks aren’t good for a child’s development, so Qiao Lu had set limits.

She’d even considered getting a lock at one point, but their obedient son was so self-disciplined that it seemed unnecessary.

“I see.” Everyone looked at Qiao An with a bit more admiration.

So young and already so well-behaved and sensible—no wonder the parents doted on him so much.

After some light teasing, Yu Fan finally noticed Zou Yinghua. She hadn’t spoken at all, blending into the background.

To be fair, Yu Fan was a bit rough around the edges and hadn’t really paid her much attention.

“And who’s this?”

“She’s Zou Yinghua, Hongjun’s girlfriend,” Qiao Lu explained.

Yu Fan stared in surprise, pointing at Li Hongjun in disbelief. “You have a girlfriend?!”

“Mhm.” Li Hongjun raised an eyebrow and slung an arm around Zou Yinghua’s shoulders. “If even you can get a boyfriend, why can’t a handsome guy like me have a girlfriend?”

Zou Yinghua blushed and snuggled closer into his arms.

Yu Fan burst out laughing. “Of course you can, of course you can. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I don’t remember you ever mentioning it.”

“It’s just dating, what’s there to announce?” Li Hongjun shoved his hands into his pockets and scoffed.

Yu Fan gave him a sideways glance and chuckled. “That’s not like you.”

“Pfft—whatever, I’m not wasting words on you.” Li Hongjun rolled his eyes.

After a few polite exchanges between the women, Qiao Lu sent the two men off to the kitchen to cook.

Li Hongjun groaned but still went—and even volunteered to be the head chef, claiming he’d show off his cooking skills. Xu Haizhou was assigned as his assistant.

Back in the living room, the three women and the child began to chat, the topic naturally shifting to Zou Yinghua.

“How did you meet Li Hongjun?” Yu Fan asked while cracking sunflower seeds.

Amidst the crunching sounds, Zou Yinghua smiled shyly. “A matchmaker introduced us.”

“A matchmaker?” Yu Fan was surprised. “Oh, I get it. So you two are dating with marriage in mind?”

If there was already a matchmaker involved, they must be serious.

Zou Yinghua smiled sweetly and didn’t deny it. “Mm… yes, sort of.”

Yu Fan nodded and spat out a seed shell. “That’s great. Date for a year or so, then get married and have a baby. Hongjun knows how to make money, so I bet your future life will be just as happy as Qiao Lu’s.”

At her words, Zou Yinghua blushed a deep red and grew too embarrassed to speak. Her voice got softer and softer, until it was almost inaudible…

Yu Fan had never interacted with such a demure, delicate woman before. All her female friends had personalities similar to her own. So being around someone like Zou Yinghua made her feel oddly uncomfortable and out of place.

The conversation slowly lost momentum, and the topic naturally shifted to Qiao Lu.

“Oh right, Qiao Lu, I have a friend from Hong Kong who often comes to the mainland. Want me to ask him to bring you some cosmetics? They’re really good.” Then she added, “Not like you’re short on money anyway.”

Qiao Lu’s eyes lit up immediately. “Sure, that’d be great! I’ve been frustrated with how limited the options are at the department store.”

Even Zou Yinghua looked at Yu Fan in surprise.

Hong Kong? This young woman didn’t look very old, but she sure had some connections.

Wow, the people around Hongjun were all something else—each more impressive than the last!

She silently felt even more grateful to Liu Xiaohong for introducing her to such a great guy.

After chatting a while longer, Qiao Lu glanced at the wall clock—it was already 6 o’clock.

“An’an, it’s six. Turn on the TV.”

“Okay~” The little guy pattered over and skillfully turned on the television.

With a “click,” like a magic spell, the sound drew a group of kids from outside.

Almost immediately, several children rushed in. “Is it TV time? Qiao An, we’re here!”

The kids sat down in rows. A few adults had wanted to join too, but seeing Qiao Lu had guests, they gave up. At least they had that much sense.

From the small kitchen outside came the rich aroma of meat, making the women inside subconsciously take a deep breath.

Qiao Lu laughed and called out, “Haizhou, take notes. You’re cooking for me next time!”

A loud response came from the kitchen. “Got it!”

They all laughed, and Qiao Lu turned her attention back.

“You don’t have this many kids over to watch TV every day, do you?” Yu Fan asked, taking a big sip of tea.

“Oh, we do. It’s fun with more people—they’re all An’an’s friends,” Qiao Lu said cheerfully.

“Tsk, you two really spoil him.”

If it were Yu Fan, she wouldn’t be happy about so many kids coming over to watch TV. She hated noisy children—always gave her a headache.

Thankfully, the show airing at this time was a cartoon, a foreign import called Mickey Mouse. The kids were totally engrossed, not willing to miss a single frame. There was no way they’d be making noise now.

After one episode of the cartoon, it was time for dinner. The kids didn’t want to leave, so they silently moved their little stools away from the table and sat at the doorway to watch from a slant, not getting in the adults’ way.

Qiao An sat at the table, one hand holding a bowl, the other gripping chopsticks—his eyes and hands equally busy.

Qiao Lu usually didn’t let him watch TV while eating, but today was an exception.

After all, Mickey Mouse only aired once a week—on Saturdays…