The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Zhao Weiguo used to frequently take long-distance trips. In the transportation company, long-haul freight was more common, and relatively, the income was also more considerable.
However, after experiencing an attempted break-in in the middle of the night, Zhao Weiguo discussed with the company and decided to only take short-distance transportation jobs in the future, mostly covering areas around Yangcheng in Province G, ensuring he could return home the same day whenever possible.
Zhao Weiguo's decision was unknown to Xu Tao.
She only knew that after a night of hard studying with Zhao Weiguo, she suffered from back pain throughout the entire day. By the evening, her period arrived along with dizziness, nausea, and severe stomach pain that made her doubt her existence.
"Mom?" Zhao Linan saw Xu Tao lying on the bed and curiously approached, placing his small hand on her cheek.
"Be good, go play by yourself. Mommy is not feeling well." Xu Tao, pale and exhausted from the pain, forced a few words to comfort her anxious child.
If it weren't for seeing her child about to cry from worry, Xu Tao wouldn't have even spoken; the pain was simply too much.
From the original host's memory, Xu Tao knew that the original Xu Tao had fallen into cold water during winter as a child. Combined with her naturally cold constitution, her period pains were always excruciating.
In her previous life, Xu Tao had been healthy, experiencing only mild mood swings during her period. This sudden and severe pain overwhelmed her to the point of tears.
Moreover, the pain was accompanied by nausea, making Xu Tao momentarily suspect she had developed a serious illness.
"Be good, Linan." Zhao Linan seemed to realize Xu Tao was unwell. He nodded obediently and pouted before kissing Xu Tao's cheek. "Mommy, I'll blow it away. No more pain!"
"Thank you, my son." Xu Tao barely managed to thank him, battling both stomach pain and nausea, feeling like she was suffering from heatstroke.
When Zhao Weiguo returned home after a trip, he expected to see Xu Tao preparing dinner with their son as usual. Instead, he was greeted only by his son sitting quietly on the doorstep, and the house was unusually silent.
"Where's your mom?"
"Stomach hurts, sleeping." Zhao Linan, though young, was articulate despite limited vocabulary. He clearly answered any questions adults asked.
"Huh? Your mom has a stomachache?" Zhao Weiguo frowned and quickened his pace into the yard with his son.
"Mm-hmm." Zhao Linan nodded, his little legs struggling to keep up with Zhao Weiguo's long strides, so he started running.
Entering the room, Zhao Weiguo saw Xu Tao lying pale on the bed, sweating from the pain, looking seriously ill.
"What's wrong? Where does it hurt?" Zhao Weiguo anxiously asked, immediately deciding, "I'll take you to the hospital."
"No need." Xu Tao weakly shook her head.
She hadn't expected her period pain to be this severe, but she didn't want to see a doctor just for this. It was an old ailment from falling into water as a child, something that had been treated before. Usually, she just had to endure it.
Moreover, due to her cold constitution from these period issues, doctors had told Xu Tao she might have difficulty conceiving. This was partly why she married Zhao Weiguo, who had been married before.
"You shouldn't ignore your health" Zhao Weiguo disagreed.
Lying in bed wouldn't solve anything.
"I'm fine, really. Just boil some water for me, and if possible, make some brown sugar water." Xu Tao spoke with effort.
"Brown sugar water? Is it period pain?" Zhao Weiguo asked, blushing slightly.
"Mm." Xu Tao closed her eyes and nodded.
Though slightly embarrassed, Zhao Weiguo still suggested seeing a doctor. "You're in so much pain; you should get checked."
Xu Tao, too tired to speak, rolled her eyes in protest and buried herself under the blanket, curling up from the pain.
"I'll make you some brown sugar water." Zhao Weiguo, understanding her refusal, scratched his nose and left the room.
There was no brown sugar at home, and Zhao Weiguo had no experience making brown sugar water. He skipped making dinner, told Zhao Linan to stay home, and hurried out to buy a whole pound of brown sugar, heading straight to the Ye family.
Over half an hour later, Zhao Weiguo returned with a large mug of brown sugar water. By then, it was already dark.
"Here, drink some brown sugar water and see if you feel better. If not, we'll go to the hospital." Zhao Weiguo carefully helped Xu Tao up.
"Okay." Xu Tao didn't refuse and began drinking the brown sugar water. She noticed two eggs floating in the mug.
"Why so much? And why eggs?" Xu Tao had never had brown sugar water with eggs but found it surprisingly good.
"I didn't know how to make it, so I bought the sugar and asked Sister Ye. She made it and said adding eggs is more nourishing for women."
Xu Tao felt a little embarrassed that Zhao Weiguo had troubled Wu Hui, but she couldn't deny feeling cared for. Women truly appreciate being thoughtfully pampered during such times.
"Oh." Xu Tao quietly drank from the large spoon.
However, the mug Zhao Weiguo brought was enormous. It wasn't a small modern teacup but a large traditional tea mug filled with brown sugar water and eggs. Drinking it all meant she probably wouldn't need dinner or even breakfast the next day.
"It's too much. I can't finish it."
"That's fine. Drink as much as you can."
"Okay." What else could she do but drink?
Though she complained about the large portion, Xu Tao still drank quite a bit. Seeing her complexion improve, Zhao Weiguo finally relaxed.
"Keep drinking. If you feel worse, call me. I'll start making dinner." Zhao Weiguo gently patted Xu Tao's head.
Xu Tao then realized Zhao Weiguo hadn't cooked yet. Zhao Linan must have been starving but still behaved so well.
"Go ahead! Linan must be starving. And don't add too much salt like you did at lunch." Xu Tao reminded him while holding the brown sugar water.
"Okay." Zhao Weiguo nodded.
During dinner, Zhao Weiguo had improved a lot compared to lunch. The presentation was acceptable, and the taste wasn’t bad either. Xu Tao drank a large jar of brown sugar water and ate two eggs. She had almost no appetite, so she just casually ate a bit of rice before happily curling up in bed to start her wellness routine.
Zhao Weiguo had no objections. Once he got home, he took charge of cooking, washing dishes, and even bathing and washing clothes for Zhao Linan.
Xu Tao was happy to let Zhao Weiguo handle all these chores. Since she wasn’t feeling well, she didn’t tell Zhao Linan a bedtime story as usual. Instead, Zhao Weiguo did.
After dinner, the family of three quietly lay on the bed. Little Zhao Linan lay in the middle, delighted, with his ears perked up, listening to the story.
Zhao Weiguo, with over a decade of military service, had spent most of his life in tough situations. This was his first time gently telling a story to his son. He racked his brain and ended up sharing some stories about the military.
In the dark, under the moonlight outside, the atmosphere was peaceful. Zhao Linan couldn’t quite understand the stories, and Zhao Weiguo’s tales lacked childish fun. Eventually, the little one lulled himself to sleep.
Xu Tao, on the other hand, enjoyed listening to Zhao Weiguo’s stories. His deep voice had a soothing, broadcast-like tone. Especially in the dark of night, it was very pleasing to hear.
"Finally asleep." Zhao Weiguo sighed after talking himself hoarse to lull Zhao Linan to sleep.
Hearing Zhao Weiguo’s sigh, Xu Tao found it amusing. But due to her period cramps, she couldn’t feel too happy.
Zhao Weiguo covered Zhao Linan with a blanket to prevent him from catching a cold at night. Then he got up and, in the dark, carried Xu Tao horizontally in his arms.
"What are you doing? I’m on my period. What do you think you’re doing?" Xu Tao lightly hit him.
"I’m not doing anything to you. The bed is small; let’s sleep in the next room." Zhao Weiguo calmly replied as he carried Xu Tao to his room.
"Fine!" Xu Tao sighed but didn’t argue.
After carrying her to his room and closing the door, Zhao Weiguo lay down next to her. His warm, broad hands rested on Xu Tao’s abdomen.
"Let me rub it for you. I heard a man’s hands are effective." Zhao Weiguo’s hands were large and hot. Xu Tao’s stomach had been cold since her period started. Even in the middle of summer, her abdomen felt chilly. As soon as Zhao Weiguo’s warm hands touched her, Xu Tao couldn’t help but let out a soft moan of relief.
"Who told you that?" Xu Tao asked curiously but had to admit that Zhao Weiguo’s hands really did help.
"My old roommate in the military" Zhao Weiguo answered honestly.
After serving in the army for ten years, military life was ingrained in him. While sharing a dorm with his comrades, they sometimes talked about their wives and children.
In a men’s dormitory, jokes were common, sometimes even crude. Naturally, women, wives, and kids would come up in conversations.
"You men actually talk about women in your dorm? Even about periods?" Xu Tao asked in surprise.
"Occasionally" Zhao Weiguo explained seriously.
Xu Tao pursed her lips and chuckled. She didn’t mind. Men talking about women was normal. Women in dorms also talked about men. Don’t be fooled by how shy girls seem in public—at night in their dorms, they often talk about things more boldly and explicitly than men.
"Move your hand here and rub this spot too." Xu Tao guided Zhao Weiguo’s hand to another spot on her abdomen.
"Okay." Zhao Weiguo obediently followed, gently massaging her abdomen. "Should we find time to see a doctor? It hurts this much; it doesn’t seem normal."
Earlier today, when he asked Sister Ye to help make brown sugar water, he also inquired a bit. It’s normal for women to feel uncomfortable during their period, but it’s rare to be in as much pain as Xu Tao.
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