The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Xu Tao nodded. "Mm, I'll just write some things to pass the time."
Zhao Weiguo had no intention of discouraging Xu Tao. He didn’t have much of an opinion about her writing, but when he looked up and met her eyes, he saw her hopeful and sparkling gaze, and he nodded. "If you like it, then it's fine."
"Thank you." Xu Tao immediately showed a faint smile.
Zhao Weiguo watched her smile, his gaze deepening for a moment, then continued eating his noodles. Xu Tao happily put the watch she was holding onto her wrist. After fastening it, she raised her delicate white arm and asked, "Does it look good?"
"It looks good." The silver watch fit perfectly on her slender wrist, though the strap was a bit loose. "Do you want me to shorten the strap? It looks a little loose."
"No need, it's more comfortable if it's a bit loose." Xu Tao shook her head, clearly satisfied with the watch on her wrist. "You don’t know, when you pulled out the watch just now, I almost thought you were reading my mind."
"Why’s that?" Zhao Weiguo raised an eyebrow at Xu Tao.
Zhao Weiguo’s features were quite handsome, carrying a distinctly masculine aura unique to this era. He wasn't effeminate, but rather, his attractiveness was full of a rugged, charismatic charm. The way he raised his eyebrow was almost unfair in how it captivated.
This man was a dangerously charming anomaly!
Xu Tao paused for a moment. "I was planning to buy a watch these days when I had some free time! And now, you’ve already bought it for me."
Zhao Weiguo chuckled lightly after hearing that. Xu Tao had now put the watch on and was resting her chin on one hand, her tone softer and more relaxed than when they had spoken with a sense of distance before. Her expression was noticeably gentler.
It seemed giving her gifts could win her over!
"If you want anything in the future, just tell me, and I’ll buy it for you."
Almost every woman, in any era, couldn’t resist a man who would spend money on her, and Xu Tao was no exception. "Anything I want?"
"Anything I can afford, I’ll buy." Zhao Weiguo nodded. "You can also buy things yourself, since all the money at home is in your hands."
The man had little concept of money when it came to spending, and he certainly wasn’t stingy with his woman.
"What if I spend all the money? Buy clothes and shoes..." Xu Tao casually asked, wanting to see Zhao Weiguo’s reaction.
"Buy whatever you like." Zhao Weiguo answered without hesitation.
Xu Tao was surprised as she looked at him. After saying that, Zhao Weiguo continued to lower his head and eat his noodles, unaware of the complex look in Xu Tao’s eyes.
Zhao Weiguo usually ate quickly, and by the time they finished chatting, his bowl of noodles was already empty. He got up, took the bowl and chopsticks, washed them, and put them away, without needing Xu Tao to do anything.
"It’s getting late. I’ll go to bed now." Xu Tao said as she happily greeted him before heading back to her room to rest.
Zhao Weiguo watched Xu Tao go to her room, feeling that the way she closed the door was a bit quick. He scratched his nose, then lowered his eyelids and let out a quiet chuckle.
o0o
In the few days since arriving in Yangcheng, Xu Tao had already started adjusting to this calm life. Zhao Weiguo was busy every day, going out early and coming home late, while Xu Tao took care of Zhao Linan, handled meals, and let the little one play in the alley. Meanwhile, she continued writing her novel in the house.
Zhao Linan, with some snacks in hand, had successfully integrated into the local children’s group. A two- or three-year-old toddler, who had been soft and cute, now, after playing for a few days with the kids from the alley, was beginning to develop a bit of a mischievous streak.
However, Xu Tao was happy to see Zhao Linan becoming more lively.
"Mom..."
Xu Tao was writing a novel in the house, busy filling her fountain pen with ink when she suddenly heard Zhao Linnan’s voice from outside the house. The voice was full of urgency and grievance.
Xu Tao put down the pen, stood up, and walked to the yard. She saw Zhao Linnan, like a little cannonball, rushing towards her, slamming his head into her leg, his small hands clutching her blue and white checkered dress in a pitiful manner.
“What happened, Xiao Nan?” Xu Tao asked, bending down.
“Wuu... Mommy, the snacks are all gone” Zhao Linnan sniffed as he spoke.
“Finished eating? If you’re done, Mommy can make more for you” Xu Tao picked up the little one who was clinging to her leg, noticing his red eyes and pouty lips, looking extremely upset.
“Not... not that...” the little one shook his head violently in disagreement.
“Then what happened?” Xu Tao asked patiently.
“Granny grabbed it, and scolded Shitou Gege, pinched my arm...” Zhao Linnan’s voice was full of grievance, and as he spoke, tears started falling. He then stretched out his white, tender little arm to show Xu Tao.
Xu Tao looked at the little one’s arm, noticing a red mark with faint nail scratches. She immediately frowned, “Who pinched your arm?” she asked, walking towards the door.
Zhao Linnan was a boy with a good temperament. Xu Tao wasn’t stingy with snacks, and though she didn’t care for them herself, she always left them for the little one, giving him several pieces to share with his friends in the alley.
Shitou, the leader of the younger children in the alley, had always taken care of Zhao Linnan, and because of the snacks, he was even more protective of his younger brother. The other children in the alley never bullied Zhao Linnan, as food was scarce, and everyone was always craving snacks.
When Zhao Linnan went out to play, he’d take some food with him. Although not everyone could have a piece of the snack, if it was divided, everyone could at least taste a bit. Naturally, the children in the alley welcomed him.
Xu Tao had observed for a few days and knew these children played together in the alley. Although she didn’t like seeing Zhao Linnan get sunburned, she didn’t stop him from making friends. This way, the little one wouldn’t be bored, and she could concentrate on writing inside the house—truly a win-win situation.
“Granny pinched me, wuu... bad granny...” Zhao Linnan clung to Xu Tao’s neck, murmuring about the bad granny.
Xu Tao furrowed her brows tightly, not understanding who the “granny” was, “Be good, Xiao Nan, don’t cry!” She patted his head to comfort him.
At the gate of the yard, a group of little children stood there, all tilting their heads. Shitou had his hands on his hips, breathing heavily against the wall, his face full of anger, glaring at the house of Lin Shun.
“Shitou, what happened?” Xu Tao gently asked as she set Zhao Linnan down.
Shitou turned his head, seeing Xu Tao, and his eyes reddened. He lowered his head, feeling guilty, “Auntie, I didn’t protect my little brother well. I’m sorry!”
Xu Tao often gave them snacks and always spoke gently to them, never minding the noise of the children. She had asked Shitou to look after Zhao Linnan, and he had promised to do so.
As the older brother, he thought he should take care of his younger brother, but he hadn’t done so well, and now his little brother had been bullied.
“Shitou, can you first tell me what happened?”
Shitou nodded, “Just now, Lin Xiaoqiang saw us sharing the snacks, and Granny asked Xiao Nan to give some to Xiaoqiang. Xiao Nan didn’t want to, so Granny scolded us and grabbed the snacks. She even pinched Xiao Nan’s arm.” As Shitou spoke, the little boy, feeling wronged and guilty, started crying, a snot bubble popping out of his nose.
Xu Tao listened to Shitou and looked down at Zhao Linnan’s tender arm. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger.
She hadn’t expected that it was Lin’s grandmother who had pinched Zhao Linnan. She had seen unreasonable old women before, but this was the first time she encountered someone like Lin’s grandmother—someone so old and yet still resorting to physical punishment on a child.
“Auntie, I’m sorry. I didn’t protect my little brother well.” Shitou was deeply remorseful.
Xu Tao, whose sense of morality had just been shattered, took several deep breaths. Seeing Shi Tou crying and the other children nearby, some of whom were frightened, she felt a pang of sympathy and gently comforted him: "Shi Tou, you've already done very well."
They were just a group of children who needed protection from adults, facing an unreasonable old woman. Naturally, she felt heartbroken for them.
"..." Shi Tou still felt embarrassed and lowered his head.
At this moment, Lin Xiaoqiang ran out of the Lin family's yard. The chubby child, around four or five years old, looked quite unpleasant. He was eating a snack and when he saw Xu Tao, he wasn't afraid at all.
Instead, he smugly showed off to Zhao Li Nan: "Told you to give me the snack, but you wouldn't. If you don't listen next time, I'll have my grandma hit you."
"Good grandson, grandma isn't here, don't provoke those little brats. Be careful, or you'll get bullied" the Lin family old lady came out a bit later. She had intended to stop her grandson from showing off and wanted to call him back into the house.
At her age, she knew it wasn't right to steal things from children, but since her grandson had been fussing for the snack, and Zhao family's child had plenty of them at home but refused to share, she thought it would be fine to take a few pieces.
She hadn't intended to pinch the child, but when the little brat from the Zhao family stubbornly refused to let go of the snack, she pinched his arm to make him release it.
When the Lin old lady came out in a hurry to grab her grandson's hand and return home, she spotted Xu Tao's grim expression. She awkwardly spoke, "Oh, you're here too, dear!"
"Aunt, did you just take my little Nan's snack?" Xu Tao's expression was cold, her voice icy.
Xu Tao was delicate and fair-looking, always smiling when meeting people, so the neighbors generally had a good impression of her. However, the Lin family old lady didn't like Xu Tao, thinking she looked like a little demoness and was quite stingy. That day, she had simply wanted to get a few more pieces of snacks, but Xu Tao wouldn't give her any.
In the past, other people in the alley had come to ask for food, and if they said they had many people at home, they usually received some snacks in return.
But when she had asked Xu Tao, Xu Tao said there were no more snacks and left them for the little brat to lure the other children, making her grandson cry in frustration.
Today, she was irritated and pinched the child, because that little brat from the Zhao family, so fair and tender-looking, was simply annoying to her.
o0o