The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
"I know that" Xu Tao nodded calmly.
Zhao Weiqiang was Zhao Weiguo's younger brother. His marriage had been arranged before Xu Tao brought Zhao Linan to Yangcheng, and she also remembered the wedding was set for the end of the year.
"Uncle." Zhao Linan had a good memory. Maybe back in their hometown, Zhao Weiqiang had somewhat taken on a fatherly role.
After graduating from junior high, Zhao Weiqiang started working at a shoe factory in the county town of Wenshi. The factory was doing well, and he had climbed from a regular worker to a team leader. His salary was stable, and when he came home after work, he would often bring snacks for his little nephew, Zhao Linan. Because of this, Zhao Linan had a deep impression of his uncle.
"You still remember your uncle!" Xu Tao chuckled, tapping the little boy’s nose.
"Yeah, yeah."
Being so young, Zhao Linan was barely tall enough to reach the table and loved joining in the fun. He sat on a stool, holding a small ball of dumpling dough that Xu Tao had given him, rolling and flattening it in his hands.
Maybe because he still couldn't quite reach the table while sitting, the two-year-old began to get restless and started finding ways to solve the problem. Unconsciously, he stood up on the stool.
Xu Tao watched nervously, pausing her dumpling-rolling: "Xiao Nan, you can't stand on the stool."
Getting the stool dirty was the least of her worries. The real concern was that the stool wasn’t short, and the energetic little one could easily fall. What would they do if he got hurt?
"Mama, just for a bit" Zhao Linan said innocently, holding the dough and looking at Xu Tao, trying to persuade her.
"Xiao Nan won’t move" He blinked cutely, as if making a promise.
"No, get down" Xu Tao firmly rejected him.
She wouldn’t be lenient about this. If he accidentally fell and hurt his head, it would be serious. He was only two years old, and there were no safety measures behind the stool. It was too dangerous.
"Let him stand. If he falls once, he'll learn his lesson" Zhao Weiguo said casually, trying to comfort Xu Tao.
"You’re really careless" Xu Tao glared at Zhao Weiguo as if he were a stepfather rather than the real father. "What if he actually falls?"
Zhao Weiguo sighed helplessly. "I’ll watch him. If he gets too rowdy and falls, he won’t dare to do it again. Otherwise, he’ll keep doing this."
"..."
Xu Tao looked at Zhao Weiguo, realizing he was serious. She glanced back at Zhao Linan, who had hopeful little eyes and flashed a toothy grin at her. "If you fall, don’t cry to me."
"Hehe, I’m a man. I won’t cry" Zhao Linan giggled happily, knowing Xu Tao wouldn’t let him sit on the stool anymore.
Originally sitting and wrapping dumplings, Zhao Weiguo quietly changed his position after saying he’d watch over Zhao Linan while continuing to make dumplings.
Seeing that Zhao Weiguo was genuinely prepared to protect Zhao Linan, Xu Tao let it go. Forcing him too much might trigger rebellion. Don’t be fooled by his two or three years of age; he was already starting to be difficult to manage, about to enter the notorious "troublesome age." She had to be careful.
Thinking this through, Xu Tao continued rolling dumpling skins and brought up Lin Fang.
"This afternoon, the police station took Lin Fang next door in for questioning."
"Yeah, I know." Zhao Weiguo, holding onto the situation reported by Xiao Baogui to the police station, naturally knew what Xiao Baogui had confessed.
"I almost died laughing. It was so hot that everyone was resting at home. If she had quietly gone to the police station, no one would have known. But that old lady from the Lin family wailed and refused to let them take her away, causing the whole alley to know that Lin Fang was summoned by the police" Xu Tao said, unable to hide her schadenfreude.
Xu Tao generally had a clear sense of right and wrong and rarely mocked others unless she truly couldn't help it.
To Xu Tao, the Lin family was a complete mess. She had never encountered people like them before. In her impression, people in this era were mostly kind, simple, honest, and warm. But the Lin family shattered that perception and completely ruined her expectations.
Moreover, Lin Fang had tried to harm her. If Zhao Weiguo hadn't returned in time, something terrible could have happened. Just thinking about it made Xu Tao grit her teeth in anger. Laughing at them a little wasn't too much, right?
"Too bad there's no solid evidence of her instigating anything. At most, she'll be detained for two days" Zhao Weiguo said regretfully.
"I know." But that didn't stop Xu Tao from feeling pleased.
Bang!
At that moment, Zhao Linan, who was standing on the stool, lost his balance. The little boy clearly couldn't stay still on the stool. Xu Tao had been worried he would fall, and he really did. However, Zhao Weiguo reacted quickly, pausing his dumpling-making to grab one of Zhao Linan's legs.
"..."
Zhao Linan was hanging upside down, his limbs stretched out as Zhao Weiguo held him by one leg like a little fish.
The loud noise had been frightening, but Zhao Weiguo's quick reflexes prevented any injury. He casually held the child in mid-air.
Xu Tao was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.
"Waahuaa!" Zhao Linan was scared and immediately burst into tears.
Xu Tao quickly put down the rolling pin, wiped her hands on her apron, and rescued Zhao Linan from his upside-down state.
"Hiks... hiks..." Zhao Linan, feeling wronged, buried himself in Xu Tao's arms.
Zhao Weiguo calmly looked at his crying son and asked, "Will you still stand on the stool again?"
"No!" Zhao Linan shook his head vigorously, tears streaming down his face.
Good, the scare worked. He definitely won't dare to do it again! Zhao Weiguo nodded slightly.
"..."
Seeing Zhao Linan's lingering fear, Xu Tao also felt deeply shaken. She understood why Zhao Weiguo had let Zhao Linan be reckless to teach him a lesson, but it still made her nervous.
As a father, Zhao Weiguo was more relaxed, thinking it was normal for boys to get bumps and bruises. He had been ready to give Zhao Linan a clear life lesson.
Zhao Weiguo saw nothing wrong with it. He himself had nearly fallen off a stool before. One experience like this would surely make Zhao Linan never dare to stand on a stool again.
Xu Tao knew this method was effective, but she still didn't fully agree with it, though she said nothing.
"There, there, don't be scared" Xu Tao cooed, kissing Zhao Linan's cheek and softly comforting him.
Zhao Linan clung to Xu Tao, sniffling pitifully. He wasn’t the type of child to throw a big tantrum; his earlier crying was purely out of fear. Now that he was in Xu Tao's arms, he quieted down, only letting out soft sobs.
“Mommy, I won’t step on the stool again” Zhao Linan promised Xu Tao.
“Good, Xiao Nan is the best.” Xu Tao praised him encouragingly.
Zhao Weiguo watched as Xu Tao held and comforted Zhao Linan with kisses and hugs, patiently soothing him. Meanwhile, he calmly continued making dumplings.
It didn’t take long for Zhao Linan to recover after the scare on the stool. Soon enough, he was happily eating dumplings.
After dinner, while Zhao Weiguo was bathing their son, Xu Tao picked up a letter from her family and began reading.
The letter was filled with everyday family matters—her mother had been feeling a bit unwell recently, and her younger brother, Xu Jiadong, had just graduated from middle school and was worried about finding a job.
After finishing the letter, Xu Tao casually wrote a reply and handed it to Zhao Weiguo before heading off to take a shower.
“Daddy, bedtime! Mommy will tell us a story.” Early that morning, Zhao Linan had been playing around with Zhao Weiguo. Now, after his bath, he excitedly invited his father to sleep with him.
Zhao Weiguo had already planned to stay over, so he gladly accepted his son's invitation, and they both lay down on the bed.
When Xu Tao returned from her shower, she found both father and son waiting for her on the bed. The moment they saw her, their eyes lit up, making Xu Tao feel strangely uneasy. She secretly shot Zhao Weiguo a glare.
“Aren’t you going back to your own room?” she asked, rubbing her nose as she tried to shoo him away.
She didn’t think there was anything wrong with Zhao Weiguo staying with them last night. Tonight, she wasn’t afraid either, knowing Zhao Weiguo was just next door. Besides, Zhao Weiguo had stirred things up yesterday but managed to cool things down himself, so she had no problem kicking him out now.
After all, they weren’t going to do anything, and with the bed being so small, squeezing together in this hot weather would be uncomfortable.
“So heartless. You’re already kicking me out today.” Zhao Weiguo chuckled softly, unsurprised by Xu Tao’s reaction.
She wasn’t the soft type. He had abruptly put on the brakes yesterday, which had definitely upset her. He hadn’t done it to tease her but simply because he felt it wasn’t appropriate.
“The bed’s too small. It can’t fit three people” Xu Tao argued.
“It can! Mommy, tell a story!” Zhao Linan, however, became Zhao Weiguo’s little helper. The boy defended his dad and eagerly urged Xu Tao to tell them a story, his excitement clear on his face.
Hearing this, Zhao Weiguo couldn’t help but chuckle softly. Looking at his son, he felt that the little guy was unexpectedly clever this time.
“You even know how to tell stories?” Zhao Weiguo teased Xu Tao.
“I don’t” Xu Tao huffed back, acting playfully stubborn.
Zhao Weiguo looked at her with an attentive expression as if ready to listen. Although Xu Tao wasn’t too eager to tell a story, Zhao Linan’s eager and hopeful eyes made it hard to refuse.
“Mooommmy!” the little boy called out sweetly.
"Coming." Xu Tao sighed, turned off the light, and walked to the right side of the bed to begin telling the story of Little Red Riding Hood.
In the darkness, accompanied by the chirping of insects and birds outside, Xu Tao softly narrated the story. She deliberately slowed down her pace, and her gentle tone made it easy for anyone to relax.
As Xu Tao told the story, Zhao Linan occasionally asked curious questions. But before long, by the time the story ended, Zhao Linan had already fallen asleep peacefully.
Knowing her son’s sleeping habits, Xu Tao stopped telling stories once he was asleep. She gently pulled the small blanket over his belly and turned over, preparing to sleep.
"Xu Tao" Zhao Weiguo softly called her.
"... " Xu Tao pursed her lips and pretended not to hear.
Zhao Weiguo remained silent for a moment. Then, Xu Tao heard subtle movements as Zhao Weiguo quietly shifted Zhao Linan to another position.
Again? Was he planning to light a fire and slam the brakes like last night?
"Zhao Weiguo, go away!" Xu Tao felt him getting closer and tried to push him away with a soft, whiny tone.
She was still holding a grudge over last night!
"Should we go to the room next door?" Zhao Weiguo murmured as he hugged Xu Tao from behind, his large hand sliding over her slender waist, pulling her small hand to rest on his abdomen.
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