After dinner, Xu Haizhou went to wash the dishes while Qiao Lu was cleaning the dining room. She happened to see the bag that he had casually thrown on the ground. When she opened it, she found that most of the accessories had been sold, with only one third left.

Xu Haizhou walked into the house while wiping his hands. Qiao Lu turned around and smiled at him: "Business is very good today. We have almost sold out everything."

Xu Haizhou twisted his neck: "Well, recently a student helped me put up an advertisement in school and made a lot of money."

"Student?" Qiao Lu stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Female?"

"Um."

Qiao Lu raised her eyebrows and pretended not to care and replied, "Oh."

Picking up some small ornaments and playing with them in her hands, she asked, "Are they going to restock the goods?"

“Yes, the goods will be delivered tomorrow.”

"Is there enough money?" she asked.

Xu Haizhou: "Enough, the account has been coming in recently."

I had a stack of Mao Zedong's banknotes in my pocket. I took them out and counted them. I had saved more than sixty yuan. It's only been about a week since we got married. I made a lot of money!

According to the current prices, Xu Haizhou's income is enough for mother and son to live comfortably. If Qiao Lu wasn't too idle, she would really like to take her son to make salted fish.

"These are for you." He counted out fifty and put them in his pocket to purchase goods for tomorrow, and gave the rest to Qiao Lu.

Qiao Lu did not refuse and happily accepted it: "Okay, we can eat more luxuriously at home. I will cook a big meal for you two tonight!"

Xu Haizhou smiled and said, "Okay."

While the young man was teasing Bubble Xiaobai in the bedroom, Xu Haizhou was distracted, and after struggling for a while, he decided not to waste such a good opportunity, so he stretched out his arms, pulled his wife into his arms, and kissed her again and again.

My wife is so sweet, so sweet—I can never get enough of her.

Finally, we reluctantly parted...

"I'm leaving."

"Well, be careful on the road."

Watching Xu Haizhou's figure getting farther and farther away, Qiao Lu thought of that "female student". She wondered if she should pick a day to go to Qingteng Lane for an "inspection"?

…

The sun was moving westward, and the old setting sun shone on the streets and alleys, flashing mottled yellow.

It was the rush hour for people getting off work and leaving school, and Wisteria Lane was gradually becoming lively. Bicycles were passing by one after another, and the clear ringing of bicycles reminded pedestrians in the blind spots to pay attention and avoid them. The ringing sound was particularly crisp, and compared with the shrill car horns that filled the streets thirty years later, it made people feel inexplicably soft and warm.

After dinner, neighbors would gather under the loquat tree to chat as usual. This was usually the time when the inner and outer courtyards were most crowded.

Qiao Lu was operating a sewing machine at home this evening. Ten pairs of gloves can be finished in about two days. She asked Xu Haizhou to take Qiao An to play with the neighbors under the loquat tree, which would be a good opportunity for the father and son to be alone together and cultivate their relationship.

At this moment, a big and a small appeared under the tree. The big one was tall and handsome, while the small one was well-behaved and cute, attracting the attention of everyone present.

Especially for female comrades with excessive maternal instinct, look at this soft, white and tender little ball. If Xu Haizhou had not been present, her tender face would have been rubbed bald by the aunts.

Qiao An was a little overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of the uncles, aunts, grandpas, grandmothers and aunts, and tried hard to snuggle into Xu Haizhou's arms.

The sweet smell of dad is soothing, but when I smell it carefully, why is there also the smell of mom?

Qiao An took a deep breath. Yes, it was the smell of his mother. It was so strange... But he liked it very much. This way, as long as his father was around, he could smell two scents at the same time!

"You're still shy after all these days?"

Xu Haizhou smiled and lifted the child up, placing him on his lap. The child automatically wrapped himself around his neck.

"Yeah, I'm very shy, but it will be fine after a while."

When the father and son first met, the child didn't even want to walk with him, and only felt safe with Qiao Lu between them. Now he can snuggle in his arms calmly, which is really a relief.

"Boys should be more active. Strong-skinned boys are less likely to get sick."

"I don't get sick easily either..." Little Qiao An pouted, disagreeing with Auntie Tian's words.

"Hahaha, that's even better! Auntie means that you should run and jump more. Boys are more popular when they are more lively!"

He doesn't want to be popular, having a mom and a dad is enough... Qiao An thought so in his heart.

She pouted her little mouth, hugged Xu Haizhou's neck, and buried her face in his shoulder, showing only the back of her head. Even so, her round head attracted many people's attention.

Auntie Tian's two sons are both naughty kids who can run and jump. The older one has grown up to be a boy of 1.78 meters or almost 1.80 meters tall, tall and strong. Although the younger one is only in the fifth grade, he is also 1.67 meters tall. Which child can be raised as well as she is?

For this reason, Auntie Tian is still very proud and thinks that her experience in raising sons is very good, and she is especially happy to pass on her experience to new parents.

No matter what suggestions his uncles and aunts gave him, Xu Haizhou responded to them one by one with a sincere look on his face. As for whether he listened to them or not, it is unknown.

Later, everyone's attention was attracted by the pair of gloves worn by the father and son.

"These gloves look quite unusual. Can you let me take a look?" The first person to notice them was Wu Guifang.

The father and son looked at each other. Qiao An was not very happy about lingering in his arms. Xu Haizhou smiled, took off his own and handed it to Wu Guifang.

A group of female comrades gathered around and looked at it over and over again.

Wow, why is this style different from the ones sold outside? It actually has a flap. When the flap is closed, it can cover the fingers, and when it is taken off, the fingers can be used flexibly. Unlike the gloves they bought, they can't do any delicate work.

This is a really clever design. It doesn't look difficult, but why didn't they think of it?

"The gloves are really nice, they have flip-up covers. Where did you buy them?" asked Sister Liu.

"My mother made it." The boy, who was originally stage-shy, answered proudly when someone asked about the gloves, with an extremely proud expression on his face.

Xu Haizhou touched his face and smiled: "My wife made it."

Everyone was amazed: "Wow! Sister Qiaolu is so skillful and smart, why didn't we think of this approach?"

The outer layer is made of wool and the inner layer is made of plush. It is beautiful and practical. The key is that the material has a very high cost performance and they can all afford it.

"Where is your wife?" Wu Guifang asked.

Xu Haizhou pointed to the bedroom: "Inside."

"Okay, I'll go talk to her." Wu Guifang returned the gloves to Xu Haizhou, and Auntie Chen and Auntie Tian followed behind.

"I'm going too."

"Take me one."

Qiao Lu's gloves aroused everyone's interest. Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered the room, they saw her sitting under the sewing machine and operating it seriously. What she was holding in her hand was exactly what they were interested in.

When she walked closer, she saw three pairs of shoes on the panel and a half-finished pair in her hand. But there were only three people in the family. Could it be that they were made for her second sister and brother-in-law?

"Qiaolu, are you still busy so late?"

"Well, I'm rushing to finish the work recently."

Seeing the aunts, Qiao Lu looked outside the house. Xu Haizhou was still sitting under the loquat tree holding his son and chatting with some uncles. The little kids were excitedly looking at Qiao An, their mouths opening and closing, as if they were talking to him, but the little guy was lying motionless in his father's arms, not saying a word.

"Rushing the deadline? Who needs it urgently?"

Qiao Lu turned around, smiled at the ladies, and shook her head, saying, "I made it to sell."

"Oh, you're not selling small accessories anymore, you're selling gloves instead?" Sister Liu asked in surprise.

Qiao Lu shook her head and stepped on the pedal: "No, the accessories are still for sale. I just want to try the gloves. If they sell well, I will make more. If they don't sell well, I will use them as test pieces."

“So that’s how it is.”

Originally, Wu Guifang wanted to borrow a pair from her so that they could take them back and imitate each other, but the shoes were for sale, so would it be inappropriate for them to borrow them and imitate them?

"What's wrong?" Qiao Lu was puzzled. Why were they all surrounding her? They stood there for a long time without saying a word, just watching.

Several people looked at each other, feeling embarrassed.

At this time, Chen Jiamei suddenly appeared from nowhere and snorted: "My mother and the others want to ask you if they can borrow a pair of gloves to learn how to make them."

Several women shuddered as if possessed by ghosts. Jiamei's mother slapped her in annoyance and said, "Hey, girl, we just came here to take a look. What are you talking about?"

Her second sister-in-law Song Qingping pushed her sister-in-law away in disgust: "Go back and do your homework, don't wander around!"

Adults are so hypocritical! Chen Jiamei complained in her heart, took a last look at the gloves, turned around and walked away unhappily.

Actually, she was also interested in the gloves, but since they were made by Qiao Lu, she didn't want to ask for them. It was just a flap glove. She could still make an identical one even if she didn't have the real thing.

Qiao Lu understood immediately. After frowning and thinking for a moment, she generously handed a pair of gloves to Aunt Chen. She had not yet had time to thank her for blocking the hole in the glass with the newspaper that night.

Besides, she is a newly married daughter-in-law, and she has to maintain good relations with her neighbors. After all, this is the 1980s, not the 21st century. Although gloves are used for business, she still has to take care of the relationship with her neighbors. They have no business acumen and will not take them out for sale. She might as well just go with the flow and do a favor...

"If you want to do it, take it and study it."

"Oh, this is not good." Aunt Chen was still polite at the end.

Sister Liu also said: "Yes, it is important for you to do business."

Auntie Tian's eyes lit up and she took her hand: "What's wrong with that? Just take it if Qiao Lu gives it to you. I also want to do it."

Aunt Chen smiled cheerfully: "Haha, then let's do it secretly. We won't show it to outsiders before Qiao Lu sells it."

So as not to delay other people's business.

There was immediately more admiration in Qiao Lu's eyes when she looked at Aunt Chen.

Aunt Chen has high emotional intelligence and is very good at dealing with people. She has considered every detail for Qiao Lu. But how could such a versatile woman give birth to a straightforward girl like Chen Jiamei?

I can only say that genes are sometimes unreliable.

"Okay, thank you then, auntie."

"Look at what you said, we should be thanking you!"

"Hahaha." Everyone said goodbye with laughter.

…

At his wife's request, Xu Haizhou went to the bookstore before closing his stall and bought a book for children to learn to read. After washing up in the evening, Qiao Lu leaned against the bedside table and taught Qiao An to read.

Start by learning the twenty-six letters, then learn pinyin, and finally learn to recognize words.

Qiaoan showed great interest in learning to read. He gritted his teeth and followed his mother's instructions, reading out each sound in a soft voice. Several times, neighbors passed by and looked into the house curiously. When they saw the harmonious mother and son, they all smiled.

After reading the letters three times, little Qiaoan actually memorized all the letters. He held the booklet and flipped through it over and over again, and he never got tired of reading it.

Qiao Lu taught him to sing the alphabet song again. It was simple, easy to remember and catchy. He memorized it after two times. When Xu Haizhou finished washing up and returned to the house, he excitedly ran over in his woolen slippers and said, "Dad, I'll sing the alphabet song for you!"

Before Xu Haizhou could react, he was "forced" to appreciate his son's "heavenly music".

"ABCDEFG..."

After the song was over, he received great praise from Xu Haizhou. The little guy excitedly climbed onto the bed, hugged Qiao Lu, and kissed and nibbled her.

"Mom, I still need to learn!"

Qiao Lu laughed so hard that tears came out of her eyes. She squeezed his tender face with both hands. Even when it was deformed, he was still so cute. She really wanted to swallow his head in one bite.

"That's enough for today. You can study tomorrow. There's plenty of time. Don't worry."

The boy rolled off his mother's body in dismay and huddled under the covers: "Okay, I'll remind you tomorrow."

He needs to fall asleep quickly. After falling asleep, time will go by at double speed. In the blink of an eye, it will be tomorrow, and then he can continue studying!

Qiao Lu smiled and tucked the quilt for him: "Okay."

…

The moonlight was bright, casting a refreshing air over the winding residential alleys.

Qiao Lu put on her cotton shirt and walked out of the bedroom. At this time, the crescent moon in the night sky looked like a wolf's tooth, half hidden behind the clouds, revealing the color of gold. The air was very good in the 1980s, and the sky was full of stars so many that they were almost distorted, and they were also filled with water.

Qiao Lu's husband was now standing under the bright crescent moon, washing clothes in the yard with water. She had saved the clothes for washing tomorrow...

This man...how come he is more diligent than her?

Qiao Lu felt warm inside and called out to him, "Come in quickly after you finish hanging up the clothes. You might catch a cold."

"good!"

After returning, Qiao Lu sat by the dressing table and looked at herself. She saw a beautiful woman in the mirror wearing only a suspender. The dim light could not blur her face.

Her skin is as white as freshly fallen snow, her lips are red, her teeth are white, and she is beautiful and graceful. When she casually looks up at you, her hope is full of life.

Not to mention men, even she herself would blush after looking at her for too long sometimes... For such a beautiful woman, if she had no one to protect her and was born in the countryside, it would not be a blessing but a disaster, and she would be "destroyed" in any era.

In addition, the original body was a love-minded person, which also doomed the tragedy that followed...

With a sigh, Xu Haizhou walked behind her without knowing when, bent slightly, and held her petite body into his chest.

"Why don't you wear a coat? Be careful not to catch a cold." His hot palm gently stroked her arm.

Qiao Lu smiled, turned around and hugged his neck. A pleasant grass scent came from his body, and a faint smell of milk could be smelled. It was probably because she had hugged Qiao An for too long, and the smell came out...

Qiao Lu laughed softly: "You only sat there for two minutes and then went back. You were too lazy to change clothes."

Anyway, I have to take it off later.

This little sling was made by Qiao Lu using some scraps of cloth on the day after her wedding. She likes to wear a sling to sleep no matter it is winter or summer, because the less cloth the more comfortable it is. This is a habit she has maintained for more than 20 years.

For Xu Haizhou, this habit is quite good, really nice.

The young wife is already well-looking, and with this "breathtaking" suspenders, one can catch a glimpse of her breathtaking shape when she lowers her head.

Xu Haizhou's mind was distracted, his Adam's apple rolled, then he stretched out his long arms, hugged her horizontally, and they both got on the bed, covered with a quilt, and he immediately held her in his arms.

He has now gotten into the habit of hugging his wife when he goes to bed. It's so sweet, so soft, and even her sweet dreams are so sweet.

"I saw you chatting with them for a long time just now. Have you become familiar with your neighbors so quickly?" Xu Haizhou asked, stroking her temples from time to time.

"That's about right." Qiao Lu found a comfortable position in his arms and rubbed her body against his. This action was a bit like Qiao An, who also liked to lie in the arms of adults.

"Women can quickly become friends once they have something to talk about, and everyone is very enthusiastic," said Qiao Lu.

"I was worried about it before," said Xu Haizhou.

Qiao Lu looked up at him: "What are you worried about?"

Xu Haizhou ruffled her hair and said, "I'm worried that the new daughter-in-law will be bullied and that you will not be happy here."

After all, Qiao Lu had a child. The word "widow" was a very controversial topic these days. These two words always made people think about things, and he was worried that Qiao Lu would be wronged.

Qiao Lu was more carefree than he had imagined: "There's nothing to worry about. We just have to adapt slowly."

"Well, just get used to it slowly. I'll take care of everything."

Kissing her on the forehead, Qiao Lu smiled and said, "I lent a pair of gloves to Aunt Chen today. I guess everyone in our courtyard will have the same style tomorrow."

Xu Haizhou paused and said, "It's okay, just lend it. They make them for themselves, not for sale. Let's do them a favor. Maybe they can even help us promote our products."

"Yeah, I thought so too, so I didn't hide it." The couple's idea coincided with each other.

Xu Haizhou smiled and kissed the top of her head: "My wife and I are very close."

Qiao Lu punched him with a smile, then she remembered something: "Oh, by the way, isn't it time for a wedding? I want to go to the department store to buy some cloth and make a new dress for the wedding. What do you think?"

Although Qiao Yan bought new clothes for her and her son when they first came to the city, there was only one piece, which was not enough for them to change into. The family was not very poor now, so at least they should have two cotton-padded jackets. As for the old cotton-padded jacket from the countryside, it was patched here and there and had tears there, so it was really embarrassing to wear it out, otherwise people would think that Xu Haizhou was abusing his wife.

Xu Haizhou naturally had no objection, and even particularly agreed to let his wife make new clothes, and make as many sets as possible. With such a beautiful wife, if conditions permitted, he would like to let his wife wear new clothes every day, and different clothes every day.

"If you want to make it, buy it. Do you still have cloth coupons? If not, I'll go get some."

Most of the transactions at Xu Haizhou's stall are in cash, and the tickets he uses in daily life are all exchanged on the black market. The prices are a bit high, but who told him that he is a private trader?

"Also, I think it's enough for me to stretch another six or seven feet. But I also want wool and tweed fabrics, which are hard to get. Can you get them?" In the 1980s, woolen fabrics were already popular in Hong Kong and Taiwan. They were also available in mainland China, but they were rarely seen in small cities.

My mind quickly searched my memory, but I was not sure if I could find it, but I had to do whatever it took to fulfill my daughter-in-law's request.

So he nodded and said, "I'll try and give you an answer tomorrow."

"good."

At last, Xu Haizhou told her very seriously: "Make one for An An as well."

Qiao Lu chuckled and pinched his cheek. There was quite little flesh on it, so her son's cheek was better to pinch.

"Don't worry, he won't be missed."

How could a mother not be as considerate as him?

But he always thinks about Joan, which touches Qiao Lu's heart. Doesn't it prove that he treats Joan as his own son?

Qiao Lu was delighted and gave him a kiss.

"I'll make one for you, too."

Xu Haizhou's eyes sparkled and his heart was filled with joy: "Thank you, my wife."

Qiao Lu's face suddenly became hot, she buried her face in his chest and hugged his shoulders: "Go to sleep."

When the light cord was pulled, the room was plunged into darkness.

"An'an?" For safety reasons, Xu Haizhou called his son in a low voice.

No one should... probably fell asleep.

She laughed softly, her sexy voice mixed with a barely perceptible joy, and Qiao Lu's face turned red when she heard it.

As his mind was in a mess, Xu Haizhou pressed forward, his breathing quickened, and he looked very anxious.

"An An has fallen asleep, we..." He said with his hands and feet moving in a disorderly manner.

Qiao Lu's heart was boiling with anger. She turned her head away and said reluctantly, "Why are you so naughty..."

"With a beautiful woman in my arms, I can't help myself."

In the end, he grabbed her lips accurately like a leopard hunting.

Qiaolu wondered how he knew where her mouth was in such a dark place...

As early as the hug under the dressing table, Xu Haizhou had reacted.

At this moment, kissing my wife and savouring that familiar sweet breath, my long-lasting longing is finally relieved, like a cool breeze full of moisture blowing suddenly in the desert, the heat in my body dissipated a little, and I feel so comfortable.

Xu Haizhou inhaled and exhaled freely, his breath lingering and penetrating into every bone marrow.

However, this appetizer was not enough for him and he wanted more...

When the kiss reached a passionate climax, Qiao Lu pushed him away a few times, but he grabbed her wrists and twisted them behind her head.

His eyes were red, as if he had lost his mind, which made Qiao Lu tremble in her heart... What he said was right, before and after... he was completely two different people!

After the kiss, the volcano in their bodies was ready to erupt at any time. Xu Haizhou suddenly turned on the flashlight on the bedside table. The light was not as bright as an electric lamp, but it was just enough for them to see each other's faces.

Xu Haizhou panted, his black eyes moved to her face, he saw his wife's rosy face, her sweat-stained hair tangled in her temples, her absent-minded and watery eyes... the red in his eyes became even more intense.

Qiao Lu also closed her eyes, deeply engraving his moving picture in her mind. His breathing lingered in the quiet environment, like a soul-stealing devilish sound, striking her nerves and reason.

When you reach the end of the water -

Qiao Lu pinched his hot shoulders, showing her bare teeth and biting her lower lip hard.

Then, looking at the dark ceiling, she seemed to see the sky under the moon tonight, the crescent moon half covered by dark clouds, and countless stars dotted around the moon, so harmonious, strong, and brilliant...

A white light suddenly appeared, and a cloud of mist moved like a dragon under the crescent moon, slowly encircling the beautiful golden color. Qiao Lu could no longer see the scene in front of her, and it gradually blurred into a beautiful painting...