The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Zhao Linan immediately started acting spoiled toward Xu Tao. "Mom!"
"Is Xiao Nan being disobedient?" Xu Tao looked down at the child, unwilling to back down over such a matter.
"..." Zhao Linan looked dejected but still didn't want to feed the chicks.
Xu Tao knew this was a trivial matter, but she didn't soften her stance because of it. She crouched down, pulled the sulking child closer, cupped his cheeks with her hands, and asked seriously, "Xiao Nan, let me ask you: were you the one who wanted to buy the chicks?"
"Yes." Zhao Linan avoided Xu Tao's gaze, feeling guilty.
"And did you promise Mom that you'd take care of feeding the chicks?" Xu Tao continued.
"Yes." Zhao Linan pouted in frustration. "But the chicks are annoying. I don't like them anymore." So, could he stop being their poop-cleaning servant every day? The child blinked as he explained, not realizing he was in the wrong.
"Then Mom doesn't like Xiao Nan anymore. Mom doesn't like children who don't keep their promises" Xu Tao said as she let go of Zhao Linan's face and stood up.
Zhao Linan immediately grabbed the hem of Xu Tao's dress.
Hearing her say she didn't like him made him anxious to the point of tears. "Mom, you have to like me!"
"Stand properly" Xu Tao said sternly, making Zhao Linan stand straight before pointing to the chicks wandering around the yard. "Xiao Nan, when you finish feeding and taking care of the chicks properly, Mom will like you again."
"..." Zhao Linan stood pitifully where he was, looking at Xu Tao as if trying to gauge the seriousness of her words.
Xu Tao quietly watched the child in return. Mother and son stared at each other, neither backing down.
"Hmph!" In the end, Zhao Linan admitted defeat. Huffing indignantly, he turned around and stomped off with his short little legs to feed the chicks and act as their poop-cleaning servant.
Xu Tao smirked at the sight of the angry child walking away. She turned back to her photo album with a smile, using her finger to tap on a photo where the child was grinning brightly.
"You little rascal" she muttered softly. Xu Tao carefully stored the photo away, deciding to buy a proper photo album to keep them safe in the future.
Most of her current photos were unlaminated and had to be stored cautiously, as they could easily get damaged.
Although Zhao Linan begrudgingly continued his chick-feeding and poop-cleaning duties, he was still reliable when it came to completing tasks. After finishing his chores, the boy dashed into the living room to talk to Xu Tao, who was busy writing her novel.
"Mom, I'm done feeding them! You like me now!" he declared as he stretched out his hands toward her.
Xu Tao, noticing the child's dirty hands, immediately felt a headache coming on. Just as his grimy little fingers were about to touch her dress, she swiftly grabbed his wrists and dodged.
"Mom!" Zhao Linan blinked innocently.
Taking a deep breath, Xu Tao said helplessly, "Xiao Nan, I know you love me deeply, but there's no need to express it with chicken poop, is there?"
This heavy, aromatic love was too much for Xu Tao, who had a slight cleanliness obsession.
"Mom" Zhao Linan puffed out his cheeks. "You have to like me!" He jumped up and down anxiously, desperate to throw himself into her arms.
"I strongly suspect you're doing this on purpose to disgust me, but I have no proof" Xu Tao said, pinching the boy's upturned nose as she dragged him to the sink in the yard. "Wash your hands. Wash them several times and make sure they're clean."
"Mom, you don't love me anymore" Zhao Linan muttered dejectedly as he lowered his head to wash his hands, feeling rejected.
The child looked like a little grievance-filled ghost as he rubbed and rinsed his hands. Xu Tao stood beside him, watching closely to ensure he washed them thoroughly before finally relaxing.
"From now on, after feeding the chicks, wash your hands immediately. Got it?" Xu Tao couldn't resist pinching the child's ear as a warning.
If this little rascal dared to smear chicken poop on her, she'd make sure he experienced a "complete childhood joy" in a way he'd never forget.
"Hmph" Zhao Linan snorted in response.
"Are you unhappy now?"
"Mom dislikes me" Zhao Linan accused with a wounded look.
"Mom doesn't dislike you. Mom just dislikes children who don't wash their hands or care about hygiene" Xu Tao said with a smile.
She knew Zhao Linan was actually very clean. Every time he returned from playing in the alleys, he'd wash his hands voluntarily. She had no doubt he'd been doing this on purpose just now.
"Oh." Zhao Linan muttered an "oh" walked over to the towel rack, dried his little hands on the towel, and then turned around. "They're clean now!"
"Good. My Xiao Nan is a clean child again." Xu Tao smiled as she cupped his face and gave him a kiss, successfully calming the boy's annoyance. A single kiss was all it took to soothe his dissatisfaction.
"Alright, go play now!" Xu Tao said, sending the now-happy child off to play.
With Zhao Linan out of the house, Xu Tao could finally sit down and focus on her writing.
Zhao Linan, having received permission, cheerfully carried a new set of glass marbles Xu Tao had recently bought and headed out to play.
In the alley of Old Eight Lane, Zhao Linan held the box of marbles and curiously asked, "Shitou-gege, what's wrong with you?"
Normally, everyone would be excited when Zhao Linan brought out toys to play with.
Today, however, as soon as he arrived, he saw Shitou and his little group sitting idly under the eaves. Shitou himself was leaning against the wall, dozing off.
"Sigh, I'm so tired. My little brother is too annoying" Shitou said, blinking sleepily. Ever since his little brother was born, Shitou had been distressed. He couldn't even muster interest in his toy cars anymore.
"I really want to throw him away" Shitou continued to complain, looking utterly listless.
Shitou had never imagined that his younger brother would cry so much—cry when he pooped, cry when he was hungry, cry all the time. His soft, yellowish little brother was not cute at all.
"You can't throw away your brother" the other kids quickly chimed in, trying to dissuade him from such a horrifying idea.
Zhao Linan nodded in agreement.
“I know.” This was exactly what Shi Tou found most annoying.
“Waaah waaah waaah—” Just as the group of children were talking, the sound of a child crying came from Shi Tou's house again.
“Crying again! Ugh, so annoying!” Shi Tou immediately collapsed, covering his ears with both hands and shaking his head, trying to shake away the piercing cries of the baby.
“Hmm, your little brother is crying” He Hua stretched her neck to look toward Shi Tou's house, then spoke quietly.
“Of course he is!” Shi Tou propped his chin on one hand, indicating that no one in the alley could cry as much as his little brother.
His little brother cried a lot, every day, for a long time, during the day and at night. He cried so much that Shi Tou couldn’t sleep. Poor him.
“Little brothers stop crying when they grow up” He Hua, being a little girl, was very empathetic. She spoke softly while patting Shi Tou's leg gently to comfort him.
Shi Tou waved his hand dismissively, lost in his frustration, not wanting to mention his brother anymore. He leaned against the wall and continued to doze off.
Ever since Fan Qiumei gave birth, she hadn’t had a good rest. Her husband, Sun Tonghai, couldn’t sleep either, and their son Shi Tou wasn’t getting any rest because their younger son cried almost nonstop, day and night.
The Lin family, who lived right next door with just a wall separating them, couldn’t escape the noise. In this era, houses didn’t have good soundproofing, and the Lin family’s house was an old building with broken, drafty windows. Any noise from the neighbors could be heard clearly.
Fan Qiumei’s younger son’s constant crying finally broke the patience of Lin Granny.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lin Granny, with a darkened face, grabbed a thick firewood stick and a large aluminum pot. She set up a stool, stood on it, and began pounding the pot loudly on the wall, the sound deafening.
“Crying, crying, crying! Crying all day and night! It’s so annoying! If you can’t take care of the baby, drown it in the toilet so it won’t bother people anymore!” Lin Granny stood in her courtyard, yelling loudly after banging on the pot.
Fan Qiumei lay in her bedroom. She was still in her confinement period after giving birth. Every time her baby cried, it gave her a splitting headache. Her younger son was clearly much harder to care for than Shi Tou had been. When Shi Tou was a baby, he mostly ate and slept, slept and ate. She had thought all babies would be easy to care for. But her younger son’s constant crying proved her wrong.
Though the baby was small, his cries were piercing, fraying everyone’s nerves. Fan Qiumei was on the brink of losing her temper.
With a deep sigh, Fan Qiumei picked up her son and unwrapped the cotton diaper he was wearing. She found that he had soiled himself and intended to change him. But when she looked around, she realized that all the diapers had either been used up or were outside in the yard waiting to be washed. Her husband, Sun Tonghai, hadn’t washed them, likely because he was either too busy with work or simply didn’t want to do it.
Fan Qiumei was both furious and frustrated. Her baby was crying again. Fortunately, the weather was warm, so she wasn’t worried about him catching a cold. She took one of her own pieces of clothing to use as a makeshift diaper and stepped out of the room to call Shi Tou to help watch his brother while she hurriedly washed the pile of diapers.
In this era, baby diapers were made from old clothes and had to be reused through frequent washing.
As Fan Qiumei reached the courtyard, a loud banging noise startled her. It was coming from the Lin family next door, and it was so sudden and loud that it nearly gave her a heart attack.
“Waaah—” Her baby, startled by the noise, let out a loud cry before falling silent again.
Fan Qiumei took a deep breath to calm herself, though her heart was still pounding. Hearing Lin Granny’s shouting, she couldn’t hold back any longer and yelled back at the wall, holding a soiled diaper in her hand. She flung it over the wall into the Lin family’s yard and shouted, “You old hag, just you wait! Scaring my son like that—I’ll make you pay!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lin Granny, seeing the soiled diaper thrown into her yard, grew even angrier and resumed banging on the pot in retaliation. If it weren’t for her fear of damaging the pot, she might have pounded on it all day just to annoy the neighbors.
“Shi Tou” Fan Qiumei called out from the gate, her head aching. “Shi Tou!”
“Shi Tou, your mom’s calling you!” one of his playmates reminded him.
Shi Tou sleepily opened his eyes and walked to the house. “Mom, what’s up?”
“Your brother’s soiled himself, and we’re out of diapers. Come home and watch your brother so I can wash the diapers” Fan Qiumei said with a tired face.
“Oh” Shi Tou replied reluctantly, trudging back home to look after his brother.
Fan Qiumei went to the yard to wash the diapers, feeling utterly defeated.
Her mother had once warned her not to marry into a family without a mother-in-law. Fan Qiumei had thought she was being clever by avoiding the usual mother-in-law conflicts, thinking she’d be in charge of the household.
When she had given birth to Shi Tou, her elder brother wasn’t married yet, so her mother came to help her during her confinement period. Back then, she recovered well and Sun Tonghai treated her nicely.
But when she gave birth to her second child, her brother’s wife happened to be in her own confinement period, so her mother couldn’t come to help. Now, she had to do everything herself. Sun Tonghai, being a man, didn’t know how to care for people and had never even washed a single diaper.
She understood that confinement was supposed to be a time to rest and recover, but that was only possible if conditions allowed it. With no clean diapers left, she had no choice but to do the work herself.
As she scrubbed the diapers, Fan Qiumei felt a deep sense of regret. If only she had listened to her mother’s advice and married into a family with a mother-in-law, she wouldn’t be stuck doing everything alone.
Sigh.
o0o
Xu Tao sat in the small living room of her home, writing a novel. The commotion next door was audible to her, but she paid it little mind.
Although Fan Qiumei's child, who lived opposite, often cried and fussed, the two households were separated not only by an alley but also by two courtyards. While the occasional sound of a child's cries reached her ears, it wasn’t particularly bothersome.
Besides, Xu Tao thought, even if the child's crying was severe, the way the Lin family’s old lady behaved was truly repugnant. And to top it off, the woman even hurled such venomous words.
Xu Tao shook her head silently and continued writing her novel in the living room.
Her current work, So Close Yet So Far, was originally planned to conclude in about three months. However, the publisher, observing the good reception of the serialized chapters in the magazine, suggested Xu Tao extend the storyline. This way, once the serialization ended, the novel would be long enough to be published in two volumes.
When Xu Tao heard it would be published, she decided to appropriately expand the plot. She added some angst-filled scenes to keep readers hooked. After all, in this era, plots featuring a tormented female lead, countless misunderstandings, and unresolved tensions weren’t as overused as they are today.
Xu Tao relished crafting the angst-filled moments; she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
When Zhao Weiguo returned home from work, Xu Tao had just finished writing the day’s updates. She was organizing the manuscript, ready to copy it neatly before sending it to the publisher.
“You seem to be in a good mood today” Zhao Weiguo observed, raising an eyebrow as he noticed the hint of a smile on Xu Tao’s face.
“Yeah, not bad” Xu Tao replied with a nod and a smile. She then pulled out a stack of photos and waved them in front of Zhao Weiguo. “The photos are ready. Want to take a look?”
“Let me see” Zhao Weiguo said, extending his hand to take the photos. He opened the yellow envelope containing them and poured the pictures out.
The three of them had taken over a dozen photos that day—individual portraits, couple shots of Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo, and a few family pictures.
Back in those days, photography studios didn’t have the same level of expertise as now. The quality of the photos depended heavily on the photographer’s skills and the subjects’ appearances.
“This one’s nice” Zhao Weiguo said after going through all the photos, holding up one of the family portraits.
Xu Tao leaned in for a glance and saw that it was a picture where Zhao Linan, their little rascal, had the biggest smile. Coincidentally, it was also the photo where both she and Zhao Weiguo looked the most natural.
“I like this one too” Xu Tao agreed with a nod. “I asked the photographer to make a few extra prints of this today. They should be ready by tomorrow.”
“This one of you came out great, too. Your smile is so sweet” Zhao Weiguo remarked, holding up one of Xu Tao’s individual photos and gazing at the image of her in a long dress, her face radiant with a smile.
“I think your solo photo is the best” Xu Tao countered, clearly favoring Zhao Weiguo’s individual portrait.
The man looked particularly handsome in his military uniform. While he appeared dashing in the family photo, the vibe was different—gentler, more approachable. But in his solo portrait, Zhao Weiguo exuded a sharp, commanding aura, like an unsheathed sword, exceptionally striking.
“You like this one?” Zhao Weiguo asked, wrapping his arm gently around Xu Tao’s waist as the couple cozily leaned against each other.
“Yes, I do” Xu Tao admitted with a nod.
Satisfied, Zhao Weiguo chuckled softly as he held his wife’s slender waist. “Then I’ll take more photos like this in the future.” He then changed the subject, asking about dinner: “What’s for dinner?”
“I bought a fish at noon and kept it in the water basin. How would you like it prepared?”
“Braised!”
“Alright, then make sure to clean the fish thoroughly” Xu Tao instructed.
Zhao Weiguo, having received his orders, went to the kitchen and took out the fish kept in a water basin. Holding a stick of firewood, he struck the fish on the head to stun it. After taking the large kitchen knife from Xu Tao, he was just about to gut the fish when Zhao Linan came rushing in, flustered.
“Dad, Mom, something bad has happened!” Zhao Linan cried as he ran to Zhao Weiguo and Xu Tao, his small mouth chattering non-stop.
“What’s wrong?” Xu Tao held the boy by the shoulders to calm him down.
Zhao Linan, still catching his breath, fixed his gaze on the sharp kitchen knife in Zhao Weiguo’s hand and stammered, “Dad, what are you doing?”
“Killing the fish. Why?” Zhao Weiguo replied, puzzled.
Could his son really be so scared of him killing a fish with a knife? Was his son that timid?
“Oh!” Zhao Linan let out a sigh of relief.
Seeing him relax, Xu Tao asked again, “What’s this ‘something bad’ you were talking about?”
The child had rushed back so anxiously, looking as though something major had happened. However, knowing how easily distracted Zhao Linan could be, Xu Tao patiently repeated her question, curious about what had caused him to panic.
“Sob, Mom, Brother Shitou is crying, his mom is crying too, and his dad is super angry. He said he’s going to kill Big Rooster’s mom, and now he’s sharpening a knife!” Zhao Linan explained, burying himself into Xu Tao’s embrace, clearly frightened.
Neither Xu Tao nor Zhao Weiguo fully understood the boy’s explanation.What’s this about Shitou crying, and Shitou’s mom crying too? What’s going on with Fan Qiumei’s family?
Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo exchanged confused glances, their expressions mirroring each other.
Spending more time with her son, Xu Tao managed to piece together a vague understanding of the situation from his rambling explanation.
“Let’s go check next door” Xu Tao suggested to Zhao Weiguo.
“Alright, I’ll go take a look.” Zhao Weiguo put down the knife, tossed the fish back into the basin, and quickly washed his hands.
Meanwhile, Xu Tao held onto Zhao Linan, who clung tightly to her, trembling. “Is Big Rooster’s mom that mean old granny?” she asked.
“Uh-huh.” Zhao Linan nodded vigorously. “Brother Shitou’s dad said he’s going to kill her.”
“….” Xu Tao was stunned, her eyes widening in disbelief.
Zhao Weiguo, overhearing the conversation, left without even drying his hands.
Carrying Zhao Linan, Xu Tao followed him outside, only to be met with the sight of Sun Tonghai holding a kitchen knife, his face dark with rage as he stormed out of his house and began furiously kicking Lin’s door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sun Tonghai kicked the door with all his might.
“Open the door! Open it now! Today, I’m going to kill that wicked, nasty old hag! My knife is sharpened, so if you’ve got the guts, come out and see if I dare or not!” Sun Tonghai bellowed in fury, kicking the door even harder as he cursed.
“I’ll kill you! If I have to, I’ll go to jail! Open the door! You scared my newborn baby half to death! You terrified my child, and now you’re hiding in your house? What, are you suddenly afraid to die?”
“Dad, sob, I’m scared!” Shitou stood behind him, sniffling and crying uncontrollably.
“Tonghai…” Fan Qiumei, holding Shitou, stood behind him, tears streaming down her face. She looked utterly distraught, still recovering from childbirth but visibly overwhelmed.
“Shitou, in the future, you’ll take your little brother and live with your mom at your grandma’s house. Be good, and don’t cry” Sun Tonghai said, his voice heavy with emotion as he heard his wife and children sobbing behind him. “Your dad may be powerless, but I can pay for it with my life. I won’t let you suffer this humiliation any longer.”
When he came home from work earlier, he learned that his wife and children, still in her postpartum confinement, had been bullied by the old woman next door. His newborn son had been crying and difficult to pacify, but the neighbor had banged on a large metal basin, startling the baby so badly that he fell silent. Now, the child wouldn’t even cry or make a sound.
Fan Qiumei had noticed the change when she returned from washing diapers and found her eldest son, Shitou, in the room with his brother. Shitou had happily remarked that the baby was finally quiet and well-behaved. However, Fan Qiumei quickly realized something was wrong when she tried to coax the baby, only to find that he wasn’t making any sounds, not even the usual babbling noises.
Panic-stricken, she uncovered the baby and gave him a couple of light spanks on the bottom, but there was still no response.
Her heart sank.
When Sun Tonghai returned from work, Fan Qiumei was on the verge of a breakdown, frantically explaining what had happened. Hearing this, Sun Tonghai’s pent-up frustration and anger boiled over.
As an orphaned man who had struggled through life without parents, he hadn’t always been the most sensible person in his youth. Now, his job at the factory provided barely enough for daily expenses. While he lacked the knowledge to properly care for his wife during her confinement, he couldn’t stand by and watch his family be mistreated.
Especially not his newborn son, only a few days old! Yes, the baby was difficult to care for and cried a lot, but wasn’t that normal for infants? The malicious old woman next door had deliberately banged on the metal basin, terrifying the child.
The more Sun Tonghai thought about it, the angrier he became. He stood in his courtyard and began shouting insults at the Lin family. The argument escalated until he fetched a kitchen knife and started sharpening it, preparing to confront the old woman.
Hearing the sound of the knife being sharpened and Sun Tonghai’s threats, the old lady from the Lin family panicked.
Though she was usually domineering, unreasonable, and spiteful, she was also deeply afraid of death. She immediately bolted her doors, cowering inside without making a sound.
Sun Tonghai, however, had clearly lost his grip on his emotions.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in confinement? Why are you out here?” Xu Tao had initially held onto Zhao Linan to prevent him from getting caught up in the commotion.
Seeing that the Lin family had locked their door and that Fan Qiumei and Shitou were crying uncontrollably, Xu Tao put down Zhao Linan and approached to ask what had happened.
“Wah…” Fan Qiumei, upon seeing Xu Tao and the other neighbors gathering outside, began crying even harder, unable to stop.
"My little Shù has been crying and fussing. This afternoon, old Mrs. Lin banged on a metal basin, scaring the child so badly he can't make a sound now" Fan Qiumei said helplessly. "Tonghai is worried about the child and got into an argument with the Lin family. He even said he would cut down that old woman."
Her youngest child was in distress, she was still in her confinement period, and her husband had lost his temper and was exceptionally furious. Meanwhile, Shitou, still a young and inexperienced child, could only cry amidst the chaos.
"You should go back to your room and stop crying. You mustn't cry during your confinement, or you'll ruin your eyesight" Yu Li said as she came over to support Fan Qiumei, attempting to coax her back into the room.
It had only been a few days into her confinement period, and she had already faced wind and tears. If this continued, she would inevitably suffer from confinement-related health problems in the future.
"But Tonghai..." Fan Qiumei still worried about her husband.
"Don't worry, there are several men there. Everything will be fine" Xu Tao reassured her.
The situation had escalated so seriously that many neighbors who were home had come out to see. Zhao Weiguo was present, as were other neighbors, including Yu Li's husband, He Xin.
Besides, the Lin family hadn't even opened their door. Even though Sun Tonghai was out of control, he wouldn't break down the door. A vegetable knife wouldn't be enough to chop down a big door.
"Alright" Fan Qiumei finally nodded and returned home.
Xu Tao and Yu Li escorted her back to her room and checked on her youngest child, who indeed seemed a bit listless.
"It seems like he was scared out of his wits" Yu Li said after touching the child.
Some children, especially those prone to crying and fussing, are easily frightened. When scared, they cry, but if severely frightened, they might fall silent. This situation was indeed concerning.
No wonder Sun Tonghai was so furious that he wanted to chop someone. Having a son is supposed to be such a joyous occasion, but if he's scared and can't recover, who knows what the future might hold?
Xu Tao and Yu Li exchanged helpless glances.
"What should we do?" Fan Qiumei couldn't hold back her tears again as she held her child.
"Ask the elders in your family for advice. They might know what to do. Old remedies may not always be reliable, but sometimes they work" Yu Li suggested.
"Yes, I'll ask my mom tomorrow to see if she knows any solutions" Fan Qiumei immediately agreed, nodding.
In these times, superstitions weren't openly discussed, but when it came to frightened children, there were indeed many methods for calling back their spirit.
o0o
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