The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Zhao Weiguo, a sturdy man who had lived for nearly thirty years, felt stiff and awkward even though he was holding his own son in his arms.
Despite being his biological child, he still felt unsure of how to hold him properly.
"You can hold him" Xu Tao noticed Zhao Weiguo's awkwardness and smiled slightly.
Zhao Linan was forcibly moved into Zhao Weiguo's arms, and Zhao Weiguo, although taller, felt stiff and uncomfortable holding him.
Zhao Linan, who had just recovered from a fever, was limp and weak, his eyes filled with a sense of grievance as he looked at Xu Tao.
Xu Tao ignored their complaints and picked up the remaining steamed buns, walking out of the hospital observation room first.
Zhao Weiguo, helpless, followed behind Xu Tao, still holding Zhao Linan, but they didn't go home immediately. They stopped at the hospital pharmacy to get medicine, then took Zhao Linan's temperature again before returning home, waiting until his fever had subsided and his temperature returned to normal.
Zhao Weiguo adjusted quickly. In just a few minutes, he was able to hold Zhao Linan with one arm.
After leaving the hospital, he waved down a small tricycle, a common mode of transport in the rapidly developing city of Yangcheng, where small cars were numerous, but tricycles were more widely used for short to medium distances.
They were also cheaper than taxis, making them the preferred choice for many people.
"Driver, to Shuiyin Road, Old Eight Alley" Zhao Weiguo told the driver after handing Zhao Linan to Xu Tao and making sure she got into the vehicle.
Xu Tao was a bit confused by the address but didn't ask further, just quietly holding Zhao Linan. As the warm breeze blew, she and the still-weak Zhao Linan leaned against each other, drowsy from the day's exhaustion.
Zhao Linan, initially alert, looked out the window but soon fell asleep on Xu Tao’s lap. They both half-slept, the gentle bumps of the ride rocking them to their destination.
"We're here" Zhao Weiguo said as he got out of the tricycle and woke them both up.
"Hmm" Xu Tao said as she looked down at Zhao Linan. She was about to ask Zhao Weiguo to carry him inside, but Zhao Linan, half-awake, seemed to be getting ready for dinner, having slept through most of the afternoon due to the fever.
To avoid him staying up too late, Xu Tao decided to wake him up: "Xiao Nan, wake up, we're home"
Zhao Linan, still groggy, pursed his lips, his clear eyes full of confusion from just waking up. Zhao Weiguo reached out and easily scooped him up into his arms.
He had initially planned for Zhao Linan to walk, but seeing him so weak and listless, he quickly changed his mind.
The weather in Yangcheng, G Province, in July and August was scorching hot, but it was still bright out, though it wasn't too late. After getting off the tricycle,
Xu Tao saw an old-style alley with a few children playing and some adults sitting outside their homes, chatting with neighbors, creating an atmosphere of the 1980s as seen on TV.
In that moment, Xu Tao realized she had truly crossed into the book.
"This is where we live?" Xu Tao asked, following Zhao Weiguo into the alley, where they stopped in front of a small courtyard. He handed her the keys, prompting her to open the door.
"Mm" Zhao Weiguo nodded.
Xu Tao took the keys, opened the wooden gate, and saw a spacious courtyard with a small single-story house inside.
"You two sit and rest for a bit. I'll go buy dinner" Zhao Weiguo said.
Xu Tao, feeling exhausted from the long ride, wasn't in the mood for dinner but didn't refuse Zhao Weiguo's offer. She silently wondered about the situation.
The original character had come here with the child under military service, but this situation didn't seem to have anything to do with that. She wasn't sure what had happened.
"Xiao Nan, be good and sit here for a while. I'll go boil some hot water for you to clean up, okay?" Xu Tao arranged Zhao Linan on a stool in the living room, then looked around the house while speaking to him in a gentle tone.
Zhao Linan, a little shy in this unfamiliar environment, didn't respond to her but sat quietly on the stool, his gaze following Xu Tao as she moved around, occasionally glancing at the room.
The weather in Yangcheng was extremely hot in August, and while Xu Tao could manage washing herself with water from the faucet, she thought it best to boil water for Zhao Linan, who had just recovered from his illness. She fetched an aluminum kettle, filled it with water, and set it on the stove outside to boil.
Having never used a coal stove before, Xu Tao managed to find some old newspapers and lit the stove with matches, slowly getting the fire going.
Zhao Weiguo was only gone for a short while, but he was worried about leaving Xu Tao and Zhao Linan alone at home. He quickly returned with food after buying it. Xu Tao had just finished tidying up.
"I bought stir-fried eggplant and beef soup. Plus, the steamed buns from earlier, this will have to do for tonight" Zhao Weiguo said, taking the food into the kitchen.
"Okay" Xu Tao, who had just woken up on the train and had a bun earlier, wasn't hungry, but she agreed and helped settle Zhao Linan down for dinner.
So, the three of them, who were still very unfamiliar with each other, sat down for their first dinner together. At this moment, Zhao Weiguo finally decided to tell Xu Tao something that had been on his mind.
Zhao Weiguo, with a serious and solemn expression, spoke up: "Something happened on my side"
"What happened?" Xu Tao, though inwardly sighing, asked casually.
Zhao Weiguo lowered his eyes in silence. After a long while, he let out a faint sneer and spoke, his tone a mix of sarcasm and deep disappointment: "I’ve been discharged."
Xu Tao wasn’t very familiar with the military, but she knew that there weren’t many mandatory soldiers in this era, especially not someone like Zhao Weiguo, who had merit and seniority. It seemed unlikely that he would be suddenly discharged unless something had happened.
However, in the crazy male lead novel, most of the focus was on Zhao Linan’s emotional life and business empire, with very little information about Zhao Weiguo.
Hearing his words now didn’t surprise Xu Tao; instead, it gave her a sense of relief, as though the strange arrangements she had encountered after leaving the hospital had finally found an explanation.
"Three months ago, I went on a mission, and I got injured in my left leg. It was quite serious. The injury assessment report only came out yesterday. Although it won’t affect my ability to walk, I can’t continue serving. The higher-ups were planning to arrange for me to return home and become a local police officer, but I refused."
Zhao Weiguo spoke with a heavy, helpless tone, clearly worried that Xu Tao might have issues with his decision.
Xu Tao furrowed her brows when she heard this. "Why did you refuse?" She didn’t know much about Zhao Weiguo, but she didn’t understand why he would turn down the position of a local police officer. At least, in these times, it was a stable government job.
Zhao Weiguo put down his chopsticks, raising his hand to wipe his angular face. "I gave the opportunity to my old leader. He needed the job more than I do. He has an elderly mother in her seventies and three young children to support. His wife passed away years ago, and now there are many discharged soldiers in the army. Finding a job for everyone is not easy. Besides, he once helped me."
"Oh!" Xu Tao nodded calmly after hearing Zhao Weiguo’s explanation "Did you tell your family about your discharge?"
"I haven’t figured out how to say it yet" He didn’t know how to tell his family. He had left home to enlist when he was young, back when military qualifications were scarce. It took him over a decade to rise from a rookie to a regiment commander.
He was his father’s pride. Now, he had to be discharged because of an injury, and he had no idea how to break the news to his family.
He also didn’t want to return home like this. He had a wife and child to support, and his hometown was in a remote area with slow development. He had been stationed in G Province for more than ten years and had witnessed the rise of the region.
He knew that the area near Hong Kong had developed rapidly, and if he wanted to start a business, G Province was the best place to do so.
"Did you rent this house because you’re planning not to return home?" Xu Tao glanced around the room and, after feeding the adorable Zhao Linan two pieces of eggplant, asked.
"Yeah, I want to try and settle down here" Zhao Weiguo said, not hiding his intentions.
He had considered that if Xu Tao didn’t want to stay in the big city, he would arrange for her to go back in a couple of days. But he wouldn’t be content if he didn’t try to make something of himself.
Xu Tao wasn’t surprised by Zhao Weiguo’s decision. As someone from the future, she even admired his far-sightedness. G Province, particularly places like Yangcheng and Shenzhen, were the fastest developing areas.
In the early 1980s, many people had made their fortunes here. If he truly wanted to build a career, G Province was undoubtedly the best place to do so.
"Well, good luck," Xu Tao said calmly, nodding in encouragement. Then, she looked down at Zhao Linan’s belly and asked, "Are you full?"
Zhao Linan lifted his little face and nodded with his chubby cheeks.
This little male lead is so cute! Xu Tao couldn’t help but pinch his cheeks. Although she wasn’t married, she had no resistance to cute babies, especially those who were good-looking!
"By the way, how are we going to arrange sleeping tonight?" Xu Tao had accepted her situation in the book and Zhao Weiguo’s discharge, but she wasn’t mentally prepared to become a couple with him, especially to sleep in the same bed.
Zhao Weiguo looked at Xu Tao. "This house has three rooms"
The small courtyard had a decent amount of space, so it was natural to have multiple rooms. If Xu Tao wanted her own room for the time being, that was fine.
"Then… should we sleep separately for now?" Xu Tao hesitantly suggested, afraid Zhao Weiguo would disagree.
"Okay" Zhao Weiguo didn’t mind.
Xu Tao sighed in relief but then started worrying about clothes. On the train, she had been half-asleep and had lost both her and Zhao Linan’s luggage. Now, they didn’t even have spare clothes.
"Do you have fabric coupons? We lost our luggage, and we need to buy some clothes for both me and Little Linan. Also, since we’re staying here for a while, we’ll need to stock up the kitchen. We can’t just eat takeout every day"
When Zhao Weiguo went out to buy food, Xu Tao casually glanced around the kitchen. There was much more missing than she had expected, cooking even a simple dish would be a challenge.
"I haven’t bought clothes in years, and I still have fabric coupons. I’ll give them to you later. Tell me what the kitchen is missing, and I’ll go buy it tomorrow." Zhao Weiguo responded without hesitation. "Also, most daily necessities are easy to buy here in Yangcheng now."
"Alright, I’ll write a list for you tomorrow" Xu Tao said, not being shy.
"Mm"
"Then let’s rest early tonight!" Xu Tao was tired too. Looking down at Zhao Linan, who was sitting obediently on the chair with his little legs dangling, she asked, "Will you sleep with your dad tonight?" Although she asked this with a tone of inquiry, she was almost certain that Zhao Linan wouldn’t want to sleep with her.
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