The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Xu Tao felt heartbroken when she saw Zhou Haizhi. The child was so obedient, how could Zhou Yu and the Hu family neglect a five-year-old child like this?
"Zhao Weiguo, go heat up some water for him to take a bath" Xu Tao said, holding a towel and wiping Zhou Haizhi's hair, not minding that the child had been picking up trash all day and had a dirty little face.
Looking at Xiao Zhi, so thin and wet, clearly at a loss but still offering her a pleasing smile, Xu Tao felt a lump in her throat. If she could, she even wanted to blow up the Hu family.
"Hmm" Zhao Weiguo responded and turned to head to the kitchen.
In the room, Zhao Linan, who was wearing pajamas and was almost falling asleep, heard a knock on the door. When he saw it was Zhou Haizhi, the child immediately became alert and ran out in his little slippers, "Xiao Zhi, what happened?"
"I..."
"Don't worry about it" Xu Tao rubbed Zhao Linan's head. She squatted down and continued to wipe Zhou Haizhi's hair.
"Auntie, I'm dirty" Zhou Haizhi said. After running around outside all day picking up trash, the child knew he was dirty and smelled.
"It's okay" Xu Tao smiled and shook her head. "Have you been home lately?"
Xu Tao didn’t know the specifics of Zhou Haizhi's situation. After all, they were just neighbors in the alley. The other neighbors knew Zhou Haizhi was a pitiful child, but Xu Tao was busy taking care of Zhao Linan and writing articles at home, so she didn’t pay much attention to what was going on in the alley.
Zhou Haizhi timidly shook his head when he heard the question.
"Sometimes mom locks the door, sometimes she doesn't" Today, maybe because it was raining and she was in a bad mood, she locked the door.
His mom hated rain. Whenever it rained, she would scold and hit him.
"Then when she locked the door, what did you do?" Xu Tao looked at the child with heartache, almost losing her mind. She hadn’t expected Zhou Yu to neglect the child to this extent, and this resilient child, who had fought so hard to survive on his own, was left out in the cold. A five-year-old child had nowhere to go at night.
Now, unlike later times, there were no cameras everywhere, and there were no streetlights in the alleys. After eight in the evening, the alley outside would be pitch black. Even as an adult, Xu Tao would be scared to walk the streets at night. How could a five-year-old not be scared?
"I sleep against a big stone at the door of my house. I call the stone 'Stone Brother,'" Zhou Haizhi said, not thinking it was hard or scary. His simple mind could even make light of it.
Xu Tao, hearing the child’s answer, almost wanted to cry. She could even picture the scene of the child curling up under the stone to sleep, and her heart trembled. After a moment, Xu Tao suppressed her emotions and asked, "Have you eaten? Are you hungry?"
She didn’t want to ask more. The more she learned, the more she couldn’t help but want to go to the Hu family and see if they slept soundly while their five-year-old child wasn’t home.
Before, the old people in the alley also couldn’t stand what the Hu family did. They spoke to Zhou Yu about it, but both the Hu family and Zhou Yu told them to mind their own business. They said it was their child, and they would raise him however they liked, and nobody had the right to interfere.
Zhou Yu was considered educated; she even graduated from junior high, but Xu Tao didn’t understand what went through her mind. Zhou Yu’s side of the family couldn’t stand her mistreating her nephew and had suggested taking Xiao Zhi in to raise him, but Zhou Yu refused. She said that Xiao Zhi was her child, and she had no reason to send him off to her side of the family.
She spoke kindly, but insisted on keeping Zhou Haizhi while neglecting him.
Zhou Haizhi was still trembling from the cold, his clothes wet, and he was hungry. Xu Tao gently asked him, and the child relaxed a bit and shook his head.
"Wait for a bit. You go with Uncle Zhao to take a bath. Auntie will make you some noodles to eat" Xu Tao stroked the child’s hair, stood up, and took his hand to lead him toward the kitchen.
"Auntie, you don’t have to trouble yourself" Zhou Haizhi said shyly.
He had only come to knock on the door because he was cold from the rain. Normally, the big stone he slept against couldn’t block the rain, so he thought he could sleep in Xu Tao’s living room, just to avoid getting wet.
"It’s not a trouble" Xu Tao smiled and replied.
Zhao Linan, seeing Xu Tao leading Zhou Haizhi by the hand, wearing only his little pants and slippers, ran over and grabbed Xu Tao’s other hand, a small sign of possessiveness, and smiled at Zhou Haizhi.
Zhou Haizhi looked at Zhao Linan, his eyes full of envy, then lowered his head.
Actually, all the children in the alley envied Zhao Linan. Whether their parents loved them or not, they all thought Zhao Linan was the happiest.
"The hot water will take a while" Zhao Weiguo had started the large stove, and the water in the big pot was heating up.
Life wasn’t convenient now, and there was no water heater. So even if they were in a hurry, they had to wait for the water to boil. Zhao Weiguo had also added a few big pieces of firewood to the stove, and soon the water was hot.
"I’ll take the kids to the bath" Zhao Weiguo said as he carried the hot water to the bathroom.
"Dad, I want to go too" Zhao Linan, always eager to join in, also wanted to follow Zhao Weiguo to the bathroom. Though he had already taken a bath earlier, he still wanted to go.
Xu Tao quickly grabbed the child, stopping him from going along. She pinched his nose and said, "Don’t make trouble."
"Mommy, I’m not making trouble" Zhao Linan pouted, looking at Xu Tao with a wronged expression.
"You’ll make trouble if you go" Xu Tao replied, not too kindly, and then asked, "Are you hungry? I’m going to make noodles for Xiao Zhi. Do you want some?"
"Yes!" Zhao Linan immediately responded, even though he had a small, round belly from his earlier meal.
"Alright!" Xu Tao, happy to indulge him, decided to make extra noodles.
"Mommy, what’s wrong with Xiao Zhi?" Though Zhao Linan was innocent and naive, he was still curious. While Xu Tao was cooking the noodles, he tilted his head and whispered, "What happened to Xiao Zhi?"
Xu Tao glanced at the noodles in the pot, then bent down to face the child directly. She liked to explain serious matters like this to Zhao Linan face-to-face. "Xiao Zhi’s mother is not good to him. He has nowhere to sleep tonight. After we eat the noodles, you and Xiao Zhi can sleep together. Is that okay?"
Though Zhou Haizhi had said he wanted to sleep in the living room to avoid the rain, the five-year-old child was too pitiful for Xu Tao to just ignore. As a normal adult, she couldn’t do that.
"Mm, Xiao Zhi can sleep with me! Yay!" Zhao Linan smiled broadly.
The child was used to his parents coaxing him to sleep, and he was unhappy waking up alone every morning. With Xiao Zhi sleeping with him, he thought it would make him very happy.
"Also, Mommy will give Xiao Zhi a set of your clothes to wear. His clothes are wet and he has nothing to wear. Is that okay?" Xu Tao continued, asking Zhao Linan’s opinion.
She wanted to give Zhou Haizhi a set of Zhao Linan’s clothes. They were about the same height, and Zhou Haizhi seemed even smaller and skinnier than Zhao Linan, so the clothes should fit perfectly. But Xu Tao, although an adult, still wanted to get Zhao Linan’s permission before using his clothes.
Xu Tao was usually open-minded in such matters and wouldn’t take Zhao Linan’s clothes without asking. Although she could make the decision herself, she didn’t want to upset him. Zhao Linan was always generous and probably wouldn’t mind.
"Okay, Mommy! Any clothes except the ones with pigs and dogs!" Zhao Linan, still reluctant to part with his favorite clothes, said.
The clothes with pigs and dogs were the ones Xu Tao had bought for him, and he had chosen them himself.
"Alright, my little Linan is great." Xu Tao praised him, kissing his cheek.
Zhao Linan immediately blushed and returned a kiss to Xu Tao. After they finished discussing, Xu Tao went to the room to get a set of Zhao Linan’s clothes and took them to the bathroom.
"Zhao Weiguo, I brought over a set of Linan’s clothes. When the bath is done, let Xiao Zhi wear them."
"Alright." Zhao Weiguo opened the bathroom door and took the clothes from Xu Tao.
After Xu Tao delivered the clothes, the vegetable and egg noodles in the pot were ready. She filled two large bowls with the noodles and placed two small bowls on the table outside.
Zhao Weiguo returned with Zhou Haizhi after they finished bathing. Zhou Haizhi was very obedient and usually didn’t need Zhao Weiguo’s help when bathing, but since he was still young, Zhao Weiguo helped out a lot. Zhou Haizhi had originally been a little scared of Zhao Weiguo. The boy had always been afraid and in awe of the tall Zhao uncle.
Zhao Weiguo wasn’t playful, and although he wasn’t overly serious, he still gave the children in the alley the impression of being quite formidable.
“We’re done washing up, come eat your noodles” Xu Tao said, seeing Zhao Weiguo carrying a water bucket and Zhou Haizhi wearing Zhao Linan’s clothes, which fit him well. She smiled warmly and called the child over.
Zhou Haizhi sat down at the table very carefully. This wasn’t his first time eating at the Zhao family’s house.
He had also come for dinner on Zhao Linan’s birthday, and it was from that day on that the Hu family started to stop feeding him regularly. Later, with no other choice, he began going out to collect trash and sell it for money.
Thinking of this, Zhou Haizhi couldn’t help but feel a little choked up.
“Thank you, Auntie” he said, and after thanking her, the child began eating the noodles with chopsticks.
The child seemed really hungry, and Zhou Haizhi ate quite quickly.
Zhao Linan was full after dinner and wasn’t that hungry, but still, holding his small bowl, he slurped up a noodle and smiled as he asked Zhou Haizhi, “Is it good, Little Brother Haizhi?”
Xu Tao found the child’s question funny. Fortunately, the child was innocent and naive, so he could understand the meaning. Otherwise, sometimes the things children say really needed translating.
“It’s delicious” Little Brother Haizhi replied, nodding as he understood Zhao Linan’s question.
“Mm, my mom makes the best noodles” Zhao Linan said, clearly happy that his mother’s cooking was praised.
“Eat more, Little Haizhi. Auntie made plenty” Xu Tao also sat beside them, watching the two children eat noodles. Zhou Haizhi ate quickly, and when his small bowl was nearly empty, Xu Tao filled it again.
Zhao Linan ate a little more than half of his bowl and then stopped, just holding his chopsticks and looking at Xu Tao. “Mom, I can’t eat any more.”
Xu Tao prepared well-balanced meals for three meals a day and went to bed early, so she rarely prepared any late-night snacks. Zhao Linan was accustomed to regular meal times and would already be in bed by this time. She could tell he couldn’t eat much now, and he was starting to doze off while still holding his chopsticks.
“Then don’t eat anymore” Xu Tao said, though she didn’t want to waste food. There was still half a bowl of noodles left in Zhao Linan’s bowl.
However, she didn’t want to pressure the child into eating more just to avoid wasting food. He had a chance to enjoy a late-night snack, but if he couldn’t eat, it wasn’t necessary to force him.
“Are you tired? Do you want to go to bed now?” Xu Tao wiped his mouth gently and asked softly.
“Mm, I want to sleep, Mom” Zhao Linan said, stretching out his little chubby arms in a playful manner.
Xu Tao had no choice but to pick up the child and carry him to his room. Zhao Weiguo continued sitting in the living room with Zhou Haizhi, keeping him company while he ate the noodles.
“Take your time, no rush” Zhao Weiguo said as he saw Xu Tao carry Zhao Linan to his room. Zhou Haizhi, who had been eating quickly, immediately slowed down at his words. He raised his eyes to look at Zhao Weiguo and softly said, “Thank you, Uncle Zhao.”
Zhao Weiguo nodded and motioned for Zhou Haizhi to continue eating.
Not long after Xu Tao took Zhao Linan to his room, the child was already asleep. His biological clock was quite punctual, and he fell asleep quickly.
When Xu Tao came out again, Zhou Haizhi had finished his meal and was about to clear the bowls to wash them. However, Zhao Weiguo stopped him.
“Little Haizhi, your Uncle Zhao will wash the bowls. You go to bed” Xu Tao called out, taking Zhou Haizhi by the hand and leading him into Zhao Linan’s room.
“Auntie, should I sleep with Little Linan?” Zhou Haizhi asked as he entered the room and saw Zhao Linan already asleep. “Actually, I can sleep outside…”
Xu Tao didn't give the child a chance to finish speaking. She reached out and picked him up, placing him on the edge of the bed, then took off his shoes, which didn't fit quite right.
"Quickly go to sleep, it's late. Be good" Xu Tao didn't say much else, only comforting the child, getting Zhou Haizhi to lie down, and covering him with a small blanket.
Zhou Haizhi hadn't slept on such a comfortable bed in a long time. He obediently lay down, his eyes gazing at Xu Tao, who was standing beside him, thinking that Xu Tao Aunty was especially beautiful. The pillow on the bed also smelled nice, and everything felt unreal, like a dream.
"Close your eyes and sleep" Xu Tao smiled at the child, then turned to turn off the lights and closed the door as she left.
Zhou Haizhi lay on the bed, watching the lights go out. He turned his head to look at the little Nan brother next to him, who was already asleep. Zhou Haizhi gently stroked the soft blanket and, without realizing it, fell asleep too.
Zhao Weiguo finished washing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen before returning to the room.
"Are they asleep?"
"Yes, they’re both asleep" Xu Tao nodded when she saw Zhao Weiguo come in.
She had only turned off the lights a short while ago, and Zhou Haizhi had already fallen asleep. The two children were sleeping soundly with their heads close together.
Zhou Haizhi and Zhao Linan were lying next to each other, and their obvious frailty and malnutrition stood out, making Zhao Linan look plump and soft like a little bun.
"At midnight, if you have time, wake up and check on them. Zhou Haizhi got caught in the rain and may develop a high fever" Xu Tao was still a little worried. Zhou Haizhi was already weak and malnourished, and no one knew how long he had been out in the rain. Although Xu Tao had given him a bowl of ginger soup, she still wasn’t completely at ease.
"Okay" Zhao Weiguo nodded in agreement.
"It's late, let's sleep" Zhao Weiguo turned off the lights and lay down on the bed, holding Xu Tao in his arms.
Xu Tao's back rested against Zhao Weiguo's chest. The two of them were used to this sleeping position. Xu Tao, too, was tired, yawned, and closed her eyes to sleep.
The sound of the rain tapping on the roof eased the heat of the night, allowing them to sleep peacefully.
At 2 a.m., Xu Tao, deeply asleep, was woken up by Zhao Weiguo.
"What's wrong?" Xu Tao, comfortable in her sleep, was awakened and spoke a little irritably to Zhao Weiguo, even pushing his face away.
Zhao Weiguo sighed helplessly. "Zhou Haizhi and Little Nan both have a fever."
"Huh? They have a fever?" Xu Tao opened her sleepy eyes, but her awareness gradually returned. "Little Nan too?"
Zhao Linan had always had a good constitution. After coming to Yangcheng, Xu Tao had taken great care of him. Since the high fever he had on the train, the child had been healthy, like a little tiger.
"Zhou Haizhi must have passed it on to him. Zhou Haizhi's fever is severe, Little Nan is better" Zhao Weiguo explained.
The two children had been sleeping next to each other, and it's common for sickness to spread.
"What should we do? Is it still raining outside?" Xu Tao asked anxiously as she got up.
"It's just light rain. We need to take the kids to the nearby clinic" the hospital was far, but there were small clinics near Shuiyin Road, which were very common. Most people went to them for minor ailments like headaches or fevers.
"Okay" Xu Tao had no objection and quickly changed into her sleepwear.
"Zhou Haizhi's fever is especially bad" Xu Tao went to the other room and felt the foreheads of the two children. Zhou Haizhi was clearly much hotter.
"Mm, you carry Zhou Haizhi, he’s thin, lighter" Zhao Weiguo had carried Zhou Haizhi before and knew that although Zhou Haizhi was two years older than Zhao Linan, he wasn’t as heavy as him.
It wasn’t that Zhao Linan was fat, the child was actually of perfect size. Zhou Haizhi, on the other hand, was so skinny and weak that his bones were all too apparent. Zhao Weiguo had been the one to bathe him and was very aware of how frail he was.
"Okay" Xu Tao agreed, then picked up Zhou Haizhi.
In the middle of the night, Xu Tao held an umbrella and carried Zhou Haizhi in front, while Zhao Weiguo carried Zhao Linan in the back, also holding a flashlight to help Xu Tao find her way.
Zhou Haizhi, burning with fever, was in a dazed state. He could only feel someone holding him, hearing the sound of heavy breathing and the rain hitting the umbrella, its steady pattering.
"Auntie..." Zhou Haizhi murmured with his eyes half-closed, sensing the familiar and comforting scent of Xu Tao.
"Hmm, I'm here, don't be afraid, Xiao Zhi" Xu Tao heard his small voice and gently reassured him.
The clinic on Shuiyin Road was run by a middle-aged man and dealt with simple ailments like headaches or fevers. The doctor lived upstairs, so when Zhao Weiguo and Xu Tao arrived, Zhao Weiguo knocked on the door to wake the doctor up.
The doctor seemed used to being disturbed at night, as there were many children in the old alley on Shuiyin Road. It wasn’t uncommon for them to be brought in during the night for urgent care. The clinic was well stocked with fever-reducing medicine and injections.
He quickly took the temperatures of Zhou Haizhi and Zhao Linan. Zhou Haizhi had a very high fever, 39 degrees.
Zhao Linan was better, just a little higher than his usual body temperature due to the passing illness. Xu Tao had always taken great care of the children, so Zhao Linan was only slightly warmer than usual.
"This one has a severe fever, he'll need an injection. For this one, just give him some medicine" the doctor said.
Zhou Haizhi leaned into Xu Tao's arms, feverish and groggy after getting an injection. The normally strong and well-behaved child whimpered in her embrace, calling out for his mother in a faint voice.
Xu Tao couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she held Zhou Haizhi. The child clearly longed for his mother's love, but unfortunately, Zhou Yu had failed to be a good mother and had not been able to care for him properly.
After giving Zhou Haizhi a fever-reducing injection at the small clinic and feeding Zhao Linan some fever medicine, the couple took the children back home.
The rain was even heavier when they returned, and by the time they got home, both Zhao Weiguo and Xu Tao were drenched.
"Quickly change your clothes" Zhao Weiguo said. He was strong, but his leg had been injured before, and he always felt pain during rainy weather. Today, he had even carried the child back and forth to the clinic, so by the time they returned home, he wasn't feeling well either.
Xu Tao, having gotten soaked in the rain, immediately began preparing ginger soup to drink, all the while keeping an eye on Zhou Haizhi and Zhao Linan. She hardly slept through the rest of the night.
"Does your leg hurt?" Xu Tao asked, having finished her ginger soup and seeing Zhao Weiguo sitting on the bed, massaging his leg.
Xu Tao suddenly remembered that Zhao Weiguo had been discharged from the army because of this leg injury. Normally, Zhao Weiguo lived a completely normal life, and at night, his energy was always high. When it came to their intimacy, he was especially manly. Xu Tao had almost forgotten that Zhao Weiguo still had this leg injury.
"Is it really painful?" Xu Tao asked, walking over to him with concern.
"It’s fine" Zhao Weiguo smiled at her.
This leg pain was bearable, but it was the first time he felt it during the rain. For the first time, he felt the sharp pain in his leg, and Zhao Weiguo didn’t know how to react at first.
When he retired from the army, he had seen his injury report. His leg hadn't hurt for the past few months, and walking normally felt just like before. He had even begun to doubt the validity of the military’s report, harboring some lingering doubts. But now, feeling the pain, Zhao Weiguo finally understood and gave a bitter smile.
"Lie down and get some sleep" Zhao Weiguo pulled Xu Tao to sit down next to him. "Aren’t you tired?"
"It's almost dawn. You should sleep a bit; you need to rest before driving tomorrow. If you don't sleep well, it might be dangerous while driving" Xu Tao insisted, trying to get Zhao Weiguo to rest.
She was a little tired, but she could catch up on sleep during the day. After spending most of the night awake and drinking a large bowl of ginger soup, she didn’t feel like sleeping right away.
"Let's sleep together" Zhao Weiguo said, pulling Xu Tao into bed and wrapping his arms around her slender waist.
Xu Tao, lying next to him, didn't get up. Even though she wasn't sleepy, she stayed there to keep him company.
Zhao Weiguo didn't sleep either. His leg occasionally hurt, so he tried to distract himself. He gently held Xu Tao's waist with his large hand and kissed her soft neck.
"Stop it" Xu Tao shrunk her neck, feeling ticklish.
Zhao Weiguo didn’t press any further. He stopped his playful teasing when Xu Tao protested.
"Zhao Weiguo, I’m thinking about adopting Zhou Haizhi. He’s too pitiful" Xu Tao said, her voice filled with discomfort as she spoke.
"Then let's adopt him" Zhao Weiguo replied casually.
"You don't mind? Adopting a child comes with a lot of trouble" Xu Tao hadn’t expected Zhao Weiguo to answer so easily.
From Zhao Weiguo's tone, Xu Tao could tell that he was completely at ease with the idea. He had no hesitation in his response.
"I know. I trust you've already considered it" Zhao Weiguo said. Xu Tao was a careful person, and if she hadn’t thought it through, she wouldn't have mentioned it. Since she had, he had no objections.
The child was truly pitiful. The first time Zhao Weiguo saw him, he was so thin, it looked like skin and bones. Even though he was two years older than Zhao Linan, he wasn’t as healthy as Zhao Linan.
"Actually, with our financial situation, adopting Zhou Haizhi isn’t a big problem, but..." Xu Tao still had some reservations.
Adopting a child was not the same as raising a pet. Even raising a pet required careful consideration. She couldn't make a hasty decision that might end up hurting the child later.
Zhou Haizhi had suffered so much. If she brought some light into his life only to extinguish it later, it would be even more cruel.
"Forget it, maybe we want to adopt him, but the Hu family, Zhou Haizhi’s mother, might not agree!" Xu Tao spoke her thoughts aloud without waiting for Zhao Weiguo’s response.
"Mm." Zhao Weiguo nodded.
Actually, in rural areas, it wasn’t uncommon for children to be adopted, but these adoptions were usually for very young children with special circumstances. In such cases, the child would often sever ties with their original family.
Zhou Haizhi's situation was indeed special. After all, he still had a stepfather and biological mother. Even if they wanted to adopt him, it would be difficult.
"Sleep now, I’ll stay with you" Xu Tao turned and nestled into Zhao Weiguo’s arms.
The rain outside had lightened, and the room felt much cooler. Snuggled up against Zhao Weiguo, the temperature was just right, and Xu Tao couldn’t resist burrowing closer to him.
"You sleep too!" Zhao Weiguo gently kissed Xu Tao on the forehead.
"Okay" Xu Tao yawned and replied.
This time, neither Zhao Weiguo nor Xu Tao got up. The couple slept for a while, and when daylight came, the rain outside had finally stopped. By five or six o’clock, the sun had risen.
Xu Tao got up as usual to make porridge, and Zhao Weiguo followed her.
"Big Brother Zhou!" Zhao Linan woke up. He usually woke up alone, but today he was surprised to find Zhou Haizhi still lying beside him. The little boy smiled with joy.
Zhou Haizhi had actually been awake for a while. Seeing Zhao Linan still asleep, he didn’t disturb him. He vaguely heard the sounds of cooking coming from the kitchen, knowing that Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo were up.
He wanted to get up too, but he was reluctant to leave the warm, comfortable bed. So he lay there with his eyes open, telling himself to stay for just a little longer, until Zhao Linan finally woke up.
"Are you awake?" Zhou Haizhi asked softly.
"Mm." Zhao Linan nodded. He sat up on the bed and called out, "Mom!" Usually, he would get up and look for his parents.
Today, seeing Zhou Haizhi there, the little boy happily played with his "big brother" on the bed for a while before calling out loudly for Xu Tao.
o0o