The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
"Thank you, Auntie" A group of children lined up, each holding two soup dumplings and thanking her before dashing home.
With the children gone, the once noisy house quieted down significantly. Xu Tao glanced at Zhao Weiguo, who was standing nearby like a utility pole, and spoke irritably "Let's eat too!"
"Okay." Zhao Weiguo rubbed his nose and took the soup dumplings, leading his son out of the kitchen.
Xu Tao's soup dumplings were delicious. Zhao Linan ate several, and Zhao Weiguo, who naturally had a big appetite, devoured more than twenty dumplings. Xu Tao originally thought there would be plenty of leftovers, but by the end of dinner, only four or five dumplings remained.
"They taste great, perfect to eat in one bite." Zhao Weiguo commented quietly after finishing his meal.
"Aren't you worried about eating too much and feeling stuffed?" Xu Tao, who was full after just five dumplings, felt bloated just watching him eat.
"Nope." Zhao Weiguo was very satisfied. He stood up first and began clearing the dishes. Perhaps due to his many years in the military, where he got used to getting his own food and washing his mess kit, Zhao Weiguo always habitually washed the dishes after eating.
Xu Tao disliked cooking and washing dishes. Seeing Zhao Weiguo voluntarily clean up every time, she had to admit that although this man was merely diligent, it happened to soften her heart. Somehow, she felt that their daily life was quite harmonious and in sync.
"Did you bump into something today?" Zhao Weiguo asked while washing dishes.
"No, why do you ask?"
"I smelled medicinal oil and thought you might have gotten hurt."
"Oh, that's because Xiao Nan got pinched on the arm by that old lady next door, Mrs. Lin. I applied some medicated oil on him."
Zhao Weiguo paused his dishwashing and turned around "The old lady next door pinched Xiao Nan's arm?"
"Yeah! Can you believe it? That old hag actually laid hands on such a small child." Xu Tao's tone was disgusted, as if talking about trash.
"That old lady must be in her fifties or sixties, right?" Zhao Weiguo frowned.
"Exactly! A wicked old witch!" Xu Tao gritted her teeth at the thought.
"Is it serious?"
"Not really, the skin wasn't broken." The medicated oil was mainly to repel mosquitoes since the little one was prone to getting bitten.
"Alright." Zhao Weiguo resumed washing the dishes.
"Since you came home early today, why don't you bathe your son later?" Xu Tao leaned against the kitchen door, suggesting to Zhao Weiguo's back.
After kneading dough and making soup dumplings all afternoon, Xu Tao was quite tired.
Zhao Weiguo readily agreed "Okay."
"Not bad, not bad!" Xu Tao nodded in satisfaction. Honestly, suddenly being thrown into this book made her uneasy, but Zhao Weiguo's behavior eased her anxiety in many ways.
Now that the kid's bath was taken care of, she went back to her room to continue writing her novel.
After finishing the dishes, Zhao Weiguo started boiling water to bathe Zhao Linan.
The bond between father and son has always been a mysterious thing. Even though a father's role might not be prominent in many children's lives, boys tend to bond with their fathers faster than with their mothers. Maybe it's the natural kinship between men.
"Haha..."
"Heehee..."
While Xu Tao was writing in her room, she could hear the joyful laughter of the father and son from the yard.
Unlike Xu Tao, Zhao Weiguo wasn't as meticulous. He simply took his son to the yard for a bath. A large bucket of hot water sat beside them, and with a big red dipper, he poured water over his son's head. Zhao Linan, completely naked and dripping wet, was overjoyed.
"More!" Zhao Linan giggled, enjoying being drenched.
"Alright." Zhao Weiguo happily continued pouring water on his son.
In the courtyard, filled with laughter and playful splashes, Zhao Weiguo finished washing his son and carefully dried the little boy with a towel before carrying him into the room.
"I can't even tell if he was bathing or just playing with water" Xu Tao set down her pen and looked at Zhao Linan, who was placed on the bed by Zhao Weiguo. The little boy had so much fun during his bath that his entire face was flushed red.
"It was fun" Zhao Linan genuinely enjoyed himself.
"Of course, it was fun!" Xu Tao pinched the little boy's nose affectionately. Seeing how excited he was, she realized he had no intention of lying down obediently like he usually did before bed.
"Hehe!" Zhao Linan giggled foolishly.
"Looks like he won’t fall asleep anytime soon. You handle putting him to bed!" Xu Tao, feeling a bit of a headache, turned around to tidy up her pen and notebook before heading off to take a shower.
"Alright" Zhao Weiguo agreed without complaint.
Having not spent much time with his son in the past, he now cherished this bonding time. He gestured for the little boy to lie down and sleep.
"Daddy, sleep with me" Zhao Linan sat on the bed, patting it with his small hands, his face full of anticipation.
Zhao Weiguo glanced at his son, then quietly looked out the window at Xu Tao, who was preparing to take a bath. The tips of his ears turned slightly red.
To be honest, Zhao Weiguo didn’t quite understand himself. He wasn’t a young man anymore, nor was he inexperienced in relationships—after all, he already had a son. He had thought about whether he should live a normal married life with Xu Tao.
But he still felt a bit nervous and was afraid Xu Tao might not be willing.
"Brother Shitou said that dads and moms sleep together" Zhao Linan furrowed his little brows, trying to make sense of it.
Zhao Weiguo felt a bit awkward. "That’s because our bed is too small, only enough for two people." He casually made up an excuse, not putting much effort into convincing his son.
"Really?" Zhao Linan looked at his father suspiciously.
"Yes. So how about you sleep by yourself? Then Daddy can sleep with Mommy!" Zhao Weiguo suggested with a smile.
"Can’t we all sleep together?" Zhao Linan asked, face full of conflict.
"No."
"Daddy sleeps with Mommy, and I sleep by myself?" Zhao Linan asked again.
Not even three years old, the little boy thought seriously about the possibility of sleeping alone. Then, with a sigh, he reluctantly nodded. "Then Daddy can sleep alone!" His tone was full of reluctance.
Couldn't he sacrifice just a little for his dear father?
Zhao Weiguo sighed as he looked at his son, unable to help letting out a sigh himself. As a legal husband, he still couldn’t hold his wife while sleeping. Did you think he wasn’t anxious about that? No, he was more anxious than anyone, but he knew this couldn’t be rushed.
"Alright, you little rascal, go to sleep now!" Zhao Weiguo firmly laid the little one down and covered his stomach with a small blanket.
Zhao Linan lay down, glanced at Zhao Weiguo, and obediently nodded. The excitement from his bath had worn off, and resting his head on the pillow, he fell asleep effortlessly.
"He fell asleep so fast." Zhao Weiguo chuckled softly, watching his son.
He hadn't taken his own bath yet after bathing Zhao Linan, so he sat on the stool in the main hall, waiting for Xu Tao to finish bathing before it was his turn.
Xu Tao always took a long time to bathe, and Zhao Weiguo was used to it. Sitting calmly, he still felt unusually restless tonight.
Over half an hour later, Xu Tao finally finished. Her long black hair, usually braided during the day, was now loose, cascading down like a waterfall. Her clean, fair face, illuminated by the soft, warm light, made her look even more delicate and lovely.
"You..." Xu Tao was startled seeing Zhao Weiguo sitting in the main hall.
"Did I scare you?" Zhao Weiguo asked.
Wasn’t that obvious? Xu Tao puffed up her cheeks in frustration. "Why aren’t you sleeping yet?"
"I haven’t bathed yet"
"Oh." Xu Tao nodded in realization, awkwardly wanting to return to her room. "I’m done, you can bathe now. I’m going to sleep"
"Wait" Zhao Weiguo suddenly called out.
Xu Tao was slightly surprised but stopped in her tracks, turning to see Zhao Weiguo standing up and walking toward her step by step.
"Is something wrong?" Xu Tao asked, feeling uneasy in her simple pajamas. She couldn’t meet Zhao Weiguo’s eyes, sensing that his aura tonight was different, especially his burning gaze that seemed like it could swallow her whole.
Was this man about to do something to her?
Xu Tao had considered it before. They were legally married, so sharing a bed was normal. Over the past few days, they had tacitly slept in separate rooms, which relieved her, but now she felt a bit uneasy.
"Just now, Xiao Nan said the other couples in the alley sleep together. He asked why I wasn’t sleeping with you." Zhao Weiguo lowered his voice, stopping three steps away from her, his eyes intense.
"...That little rascal really knows how to cause trouble for me!"
Xu Tao pursed her lips. "What did you tell him?"
"I..." Zhao Weiguo deliberately trailed off, his deep voice teasing.
Xu Tao listened nervously, her heart pounding like a drum. Despite having dated before, she had never experienced a fiery romance. Her life had always been calm and orderly.
But now, facing Zhao Weiguo, she couldn’t help but panic.
"I couldn’t lie to the child! So, I had to tell him it was because someone was too timid to sleep with me."
"Nonsense!" Xu Tao instinctively refuted, but she felt guilty after saying it.
Gulp
Xu Tao avoided Zhao Weiguo's gaze, pursed her lips, and decided to flee back to her room.
Zhao Weiguo, patient as ever, only wanted to tease her and see her flustered. Watching her turn to escape, he reached out and grabbed her arm. "Nonsense? How am I talking nonsense?"
"L-Let me go!" Xu Tao felt uncomfortable.
"If I let go, you’ll just run back to your room" Zhao Weiguo loosened his grip but didn’t let go completely. His large hand held her slender wrist, his thumb gently rubbing her soft skin.
"You’re being a scoundrel!" Xu Tao felt ticklish from his touch and couldn’t stand it anymore, glaring at him. "How can a former soldier act so improperly?"
o0o