The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Although He Hua played with the boys every day and had a bit of a tomboyish personality, she was still a girl at heart and naturally loved cute things. Seeing the little pig-shaped bun that Xu Tao made, she hopefully tugged at Xu Tao’s skirt.
“Auntie, Hua Hua likes bunnies.” Her round eyes were full of expectation.
“You like bunnies? Then Auntie will make a little bunny for you, okay?” Xu Tao smiled and skillfully crafted a bunny-shaped bun.
“Thank you, Auntie.” He Hua adored the little bunny bun. She hesitated several times to touch it but couldn't bear to let go. Smiling sweetly, she gently bit her finger near her lips.
“Auntie, I want a puppy!” Shi Tou excitedly chimed in after seeing the bunny.
Xu Tao happily made a little dog-shaped bun for him. Shi Tou was thrilled, staring at the lifelike puppy bun, nearly jumping with joy.
“Auntie, Xiao Nan likes Mommy. Make Mommy!” Zhao Li Nan joined in, the innocent little boy’s eyes spinning as he thought of his favorite animal but ended up blurting out a confession.
“You little rascal, calling me Auntie?” Xu Tao couldn’t help but pinch the little boy’s cheek, smudging some flour on his face.
Zhao Li Nan laughed and dodged, spinning around before running back to Xu Tao. “Mommy, Xiao Nan wants a piggy.”
Xu Tao then skillfully made another pig-shaped bun. Since all the kids in the alley were around, Xu Tao, having satisfied the few children’s requests for animal buns, naturally asked the other two boys and made a few more animal buns before continuing with the regular steamed buns.
Thanks to the children from the alley, the kitchen felt much warmer. Their innocent chatter and eager reactions made Xu Tao happy. Soon, she finished making the buns and swiftly placed them in a large steamer.
The kids were so excited about the steamed buns that they didn’t go back out to play. Led by Shi Tou, they happily stayed in the kitchen to help stoke the fire for steaming the buns. Their pure, lively conversations were amusing and delightful.
o0o
Zhao Weiguo finished work early that day. By the time he returned home, the sun hadn’t yet set. The warm sunset bathed his back, making the path home feel open and fulfilling.
Unbeknownst to Zhao Weiguo, a young woman not far behind had been staring dreamily at his figure for a long time. Just as he was about to step into his house, she hurriedly called out, “Excuse me, please wait a moment.”
“…?” Zhao Weiguo turned around curiously upon hearing the voice.
The tall man turned his head, and his handsome appearance immediately struck Lin Fang’s eyes. Bathed in the sunset glow, his figure seemed etched into the softest corner of her heart.
“Hello, are you the new neighbor?” Lin Fang tried to calm her racing heart, flashing what she thought was her perfect smile at Zhao Weiguo.
“Yeah.” Zhao Weiguo nodded.
“Oh, you really are the new neighbor! Hi, I’m Lin Fang. That’s my house over there.” Lin Fang grinned and eagerly pointed to her house, her expression as warm as could be.
“Hello.” Zhao Weiguo greeted her coldly.
Lin Fang’s eyes sparkled as she stared at Zhao Weiguo, completely satisfied with what she saw. His height, looks—everything about him seemed to match her ideal type perfectly.
“What’s your name?” Lin Fang asked excitedly.
“Zhao Weiguo.” Zhao Weiguo’s tone grew colder.
“Can I call you Zhao Gege?” Lin Fang still smiled sweetly, deliberately softening her voice and acting shy, though it came off quite unnatural.
“…?” Zhao Weiguo looked at her impatiently, wondering what she was up to.
“They say distant relatives aren’t as helpful as close neighbors. Zhao gege, would you like to come over and sit for a while?” Lin Fang shyly but eagerly invited him.
What on earth was this woman up to?
“No, maybe another time.” Zhao Weiguo replied briefly, having no desire to continue the conversation. He turned and walked into his house, casually closing the door behind him.
Lin Fang stared at the closed door, feeling a bit disappointed but also secretly excited. She then quickly turned back into her own house.
“Mom, did someone new move in across from us?” Lin Fang asked excitedly as she walked in, ignoring her nephew who had been crying for snacks in the living room. She went straight to ask her mother, Mrs. Lin, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
“Yes.” Mrs. Lin replied impatiently, already annoyed by her grandson’s tantrum, and now even more irritable.
“Really? Should we go say hello?” Lin Fang had been thinking about the tall, striking man since she got home. In Yangcheng, it was rare to see such a tall and spirited man. The fact that he was now her neighbor made her inexplicably excited.
"Why bother going? That family is so stingy. Our Xiao Qiang just wanted a little snack, and they wouldn't give him any. He's been lying on the floor making a fuss all afternoon" Grandma Lin said irritably, having a very poor impression of the neighbors.
Ever since she brought her grandson Xiao Qiang back home, he had been throwing a tantrum, lying on the floor and refusing to get up. His crying was giving her a headache, but since he was her precious eldest grandson, she couldn't bear to scold him.
Lin Fang, thinking about that handsome man she saw earlier, looked a bit displeased. Then she glanced disdainfully at her nephew, who was making a scene on the floor. "Mom, they're not close to us, so it's normal that they wouldn't share."
"I want something tasty! I want something tasty!" Xiao Qiang whined, rolling on the ground without caring if it was clean or not. His little nose twitched as he smelled the delicious aroma coming from next door, making him cry even louder.
"You little troublemaker! What’s the point of crying if they don’t want to give you any?" Grandma Lin snapped angrily, her temper rising.
"I don't care! I want it! I want it! Grandma, go and ask for it!" Xiao Qiang kicked his legs wildly, ignoring all reasoning and stubbornly demanding food.
Grandma Lin was furious. Lin Fang pressed her lips together, lowered her gaze, and looked at her nephew in disgust. Then, her eyes lit up.
"Mom, how about I go next door and ask? Letting Xiao Qiang cry like this won’t solve anything" Lin Fang said as she prepared to knock on the neighbor's door.
Grandma Lin looked at her grandson on the floor, then at her daughter heading out, and didn't stop her.
o0o
When Zhao Weiguo walked into the house, he saw the kitchen bustling with activity. Four or five children were gathered around, eagerly waiting for the steamed buns to be ready.
Xu Tao had timed the cooking perfectly, steaming the buns right before mealtime. When the buns were done, she opened the steamer, releasing a mouthwatering aroma with clouds of steam, exciting the children.
All four or five kids stood on tiptoes, craning their necks to look into the pot.
Xu Tao quickly used chopsticks to place a plate full of steamed buns on the table. "Two for each of you!" she said as she handed the plate to Shitou.
"Thank you, Auntie!" Shitou, being the oldest, took the plate and nodded crisply. Then he led the younger kids to the main hall, fearlessly dividing the buns—two for each.
"Be careful, they're hot!" Xu Tao reminded them, watching the kids handle the buns without hesitation.
The children eagerly held their buns, unbothered by the heat. Especially Shitou, a bold seven- or eight-year-old boy, who grabbed a bun and stuffed it into his mouth, blowing on it while taking big bites. He finished one bun in just two bites.
"Meat! So tasty!" Shitou exclaimed excitedly after finishing one.
"Mhm, mhm" the other kids nodded, too busy eating to respond properly.
Zhao Linan ate more delicately, but kids love to compete. Seeing the others eat so quickly, Zhao Linan opened his small mouth and took big bites of the bun, laughing along with everyone.
"The house is lively today!" Zhao Weiguo spoke up after standing in the courtyard for a while.
"You're back" Xu Tao greeted him casually, having vaguely heard his voice earlier. "Dinner's steamed buns tonight, fresh out of the pot. Want to try some?"
"Yeah." Zhao Weiguo nodded naturally.
"Hello, Uncle!" Shitou greeted Zhao Weiguo politely.
"Hello, Uncle!" the other kids echoed.
Shitou led the greeting, and the other children, noticing Zhao Weiguo, quietly followed suit. The children naturally felt a sense of fear toward Zhao Weiguo, who carried a certain air of authority.
"Hello, kids." Zhao Weiguo nodded in response to the group and then spoke to Xu Tao, "I'm going to wash my hands" as if he couldn't wait to try the soup dumplings.
"Wow! Little Nan, your dad is so tall!" Shitou, who had been excitedly eating the dumplings, glanced at Zhao Weiguo washing his hands in the yard and spoke to Zhao Linan with a bit of envy.
"Mm." Having once been lifted by Zhao Weiguo to see the view from above, Zhao Linan nodded while munching on his soup dumpling.
"You're so lucky. Auntie is pretty, cooks delicious food, and your dad is tall." Shitou looked admiringly at Zhao Weiguo's figure, deeply impressed by the tall, sturdy man.
"Mm-hmm." Zhao Linan agreed with Shitou's words and kept nodding.
"Little Nan, your dad is really handsome." He Hua, a little girl only four years old, commented softly. Despite her young age, she could distinguish between good looks and otherwise.
In this alley where most residents were ordinary folks, Zhao Weiguo stood out with his tall and robust build, exuding masculinity and a perfectly handsome appearance.
"Mm-hmm!" Zhao Linan kept nodding, pleased with the compliments.
Xu Tao naturally overheard the little ones' conversation. She placed a few more soup dumplings onto a plate and glanced toward the man washing his hands in the yard.
Indeed, Zhao Weiguo had striking features. His buzz cut, sharp facial features, thin lips, high nose bridge, and deep-set eyes gave him a sharp appearance. However, his face shape softened this sharpness, preventing him from looking too cold. His years in the military added an aura of righteousness to his presence.
If his complexion were a bit fairer, he would perfectly fit the image of a male lead in a novel.
Knock, knock, knock—
Just as Zhao Weiguo finished washing his hands, the courtyard door was knocked on. With a puzzled expression, the man calmly walked over to open the door.
o0o