The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
"Emm" Xu Tao looked at her arm and nodded aggrievedly.
Across two lifetimes, this was the first time Xu Tao had been struck with a bamboo stick. To be honest, it hurt—a sharp, stinging pain that made her eyes fill with tears.
"Coming to my house to cause trouble?" Zhao Weiguo frowned as he turned his sharp gaze toward Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu had stopped disciplining Zhou Haizhi the moment Zhao Weiguo appeared. Now, she stood frozen, still clutching Zhou Haizhi’s collar, her expression tense.
For some reason, she felt a pang of fear toward this man.
Zhao Weiguo sneered dismissively and, with a quick motion, snatched the bamboo stick from Zhou Yu’s hand.
"I’m not in the habit of sparing women," Zhao Weiguo said coldly as he examined the bamboo stick in his hand, toying with it briefly to feel its weight.
"What are you doing?" Zhou Yu demanded, her palm empty now. Her confidence wavered as she faced Zhao Weiguo’s intimidating presence.
Zhao Weiguo’s gaze was devoid of warmth as he raised the bamboo stick and, without hesitation, lashed it down.
plak plak plak!
Striking Zhou Yu’s arm three times in quick succession.
"Ow! Ouch!" Zhou Yu yelped in pain, jumping and flailing in reaction.
She had clearly not expected Zhao Weiguo to take the stick and turn it on her. Xu Tao was equally stunned. The pain in her arm seemed to fade as she watched Zhao Weiguo's actions, leaving her momentarily dumbfounded.
To be honest, she hadn’t expected Zhao Weiguo to beat Zhou Yu with the bamboo stick, but the sight of Zhou Yu being punished felt oddly satisfying.
"Wow! Daddy, you're amazing! Hit her! Hit her more!" Zhao Linan, standing beside Xu Tao, cheered enthusiastically. The little boy clapped his hands in excitement, jumping up and down.
His thoughts were simple, Zhou Haizhi’s mother was mean and had even hit his mother. His father was the best for standing up to her!
Zhou Haizhi, standing nearby, flinched slightly at the sight of Zhou Yu being struck. Her grip on his collar loosened instinctively.
"How dare you hit me?" Zhou Yu demanded, clutching her throbbing arm and glaring at Zhao Weiguo in disbelief.
"You come to my house to bully my wife? Of course I’ll hit you!" Zhao Weiguo sneered. He raised the stick and struck Zhou Yu twice more, each blow harder than the last.
Zhao Weiguo didn’t hold back. The strength behind each swing of the bamboo stick made Zhou Yu wince and grit her teeth. She quickly fled toward the door, stumbling as she ran.
"Are you even a man?" Zhou Yu shouted angrily after she reached the threshold and stood in the alley outside.
Zhao Weiguo’s cold gaze swept over her, silencing her instantly. But despite her fear, she wasn’t willing to back down completely. Standing at the door, she yelled toward Zhou Haizhi, "Zhou Haizhi, get out here right now!"
Zhou Haizhi flinched at the sound of his mother’s angry voice, trembling slightly.
Xu Tao felt her heart ache at the sight but hesitated. Zhou Yu was Zhou Haizhi’s biological mother. Could she step in to comfort the boy? Would it even be appropriate?
"Big Brother Haizhi, don’t go. Your mom is too scary" Zhao Linan said, walking over to hold Zhou Haizhi’s hand tightly.
The little boy believed that if Zhou Haizhi went to his mother, he would definitely be beaten.
"You ungrateful brat! If you don’t come out right now, don’t ever come back! I’ll act like I never gave birth to a debt-collector like you!" Zhou Yu shouted loudly, her voice full of venom.
Zhou Haizhi hung his head low, clutching the two hundred yuan in his small hand. His expression was full of helplessness.
"Big Brother Haizhi!" Zhao Linan looked up at Zhou Haizhi, confused by his silence.
Xu Tao also watched him, her heart breaking as she saw how defeated and lonely he looked standing next to Zhao Linan.
"Auntie, thank you," Zhou Haizhi said suddenly, turning to Xu Tao. His eyes carried a faint, melancholic smile. "If only you were my mother."
This was a thought he had entertained many times in the quiet of the night.
Why was it that while both were mothers, his was so awful, and Xu Tao was so kind? He didn’t understand.
Xu Tao froze at his words, her body stiffening. She opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. Her nose stung with the urge to cry.
Zhou Haizhi pulled his gaze away, pursed his lips, and seemed to come to a decision. He gently pushed Zhao Linan’s hand away, then stepped out of the Zhao family’s courtyard.
"Haizhi?" Xu Tao called softly, her voice tinged with sorrow, as she watched him walk away.
Zhou Yu stood in the alley outside, feeling a bit smug about Zhou Haizhi’s compliance. As soon as Zhou Haizhi came down, she immediately reached out and grabbed Little Zhi's hand, raising her hand to slap Zhou Haizhi’s head. “You didn’t listen, now give me the money.”
As an unqualified mother, Zhou Yu felt completely justified in taking the money.
Zhou Haizhi didn’t resist like before; he lowered his head in defeat and allowed the two hundred yuan to be taken from him.
Zhou Yu unfolded the bills in her hand. When she saw there was a note inside, she glanced at it briefly, then tossed it onto the ground, stuffing the money into her pocket.
“Hmph, ungrateful brat,” Zhou Yu muttered as she took the money and shot a defiant look toward Xu Tao.
Xu Tao bit her lip, her anger bubbling up. She hated this feeling of helplessness but couldn’t do anything about Zhou Yu.
People with moral boundaries are often hurt by those who have none, and this was just a common occurrence.
After getting the money, Zhou Yu turned and walked away, her pink polyester clothes making her look ridiculously pleased with herself.
Zhou Haizhi, however, bent down, carefully picked up the note from the ground, and turned to glance at Xu Tao. His eyes flickered with many complicated emotions, so complicated that Xu Tao couldn’t understand them.
“Auntie, Uncle, Little Nan, goodbye!” Zhou Haizhi straightened up and bowed toward Xu Tao’s courtyard.
The five-year-old child, with his skinny frame, bowed so maturely that it was unsettling.
“Little Zhi!” Xu Tao called in surprise, her voice filled with disbelief.
But Zhou Haizhi didn’t respond. After bowing, he stood up, clutching the note in his hand like a little lion and ran off, quickly disappearing around the corner of the alley.
Xu Tao watched his disappearing figure, stunned, and opened her mouth as if to say something, but she felt that Zhou Haizhi had made some important decision, yet she didn’t stop the child to ask.
Xu Tao felt a bit defeated and lowered her gaze.
“Let’s go, I’ll put some medicine on your arm,” Zhao Weiguo came over, pulling Xu Tao toward the small living room.
Xu Tao’s skin was fairer than most, especially compared to Zhao Weiguo’s darker complexion, making the red marks on her arm stand out even more.
“It’s fine, no need to apply medicine,” she said, feeling only a stinging sensation now, the red marks clearly visible due to her pale skin.
“No.” Zhao Weiguo refused.
He led Xu Tao to the living room and went to grab a bottle of safflower oil to rub on her arm.
“Don’t hurt anymore, mommy doesn’t hurt anymore,” Zhao Linan pouted as he blew on Xu Tao’s arm.
“Thank you, darling. Mommy feels better when you blow,” Xu Tao said with a surprised expression.
Zhao Linan immediately smiled with satisfaction, continuing to blow on her arm. When the safflower oil scent reached him, he frowned and took a couple of steps back, making a face. “Smelly.”
“Pfft.” Xu Tao’s heavy mood lightened immediately when Zhao Linan complained about the smell.
Zhao Weiguo, seeing that Xu Tao had regained her spirits, knew she felt sorry for Zhou Haizhi, but he didn’t say much. After applying the medicine, he patted her on the head and comforted her, saying, “Don’t think too much. For many things, we can only do what we can, and as long as we’ve done so with good intentions, that’s enough.”
Xu Tao looked at Zhao Weiguo and gently nodded.
Indeed, as a neighbor and an adult, she had helped Zhou Haizhi, and she hadn’t done anything wrong, so that was enough.
Xu Tao felt at ease, but after a moment, she suddenly scowled and shouted at Zhao Weiguo, “Zhao Weiguo!”
“Hmm?” Zhao Weiguo raised an eyebrow, confused by her sudden outburst.
Xu Tao called his name loudly, her voice resounding.
“You just applied safflower oil to me, and now you’re touching my head with your hands full of it?” Xu Tao realized that her hair must now reek of safflower oil too.
Safflower oil was effective, used by every household for treating bruises and injuries, but its smell… well, that was another story. Even Zhao Linan had backed away, unable to stand the scent.
“Yeah.” Zhao Weiguo smiled, not thinking there was anything wrong.
Xu Tao looked at him, and though he smiled so charmingly, as if his grin could heal her, her frustration disappeared.
Fine, fine, since you’re handsome and helped me with the medicine, I’ll let it slide.
“I’m going to wash my hair. You cook dinner!” Xu Tao quickly found an excuse to avoid cooking.
“Okay.” Zhao Weiguo would never refuse.
Xu Tao sometimes felt like Zhao Weiguo never got angry; his tolerance was so high that it seemed impossible for him to lose his temper. The only time she had seen him truly angry was that night when she had been scared.
Of course, the person who bore the brunt of Zhao Weiguo's anger that night, Xiao Baogui, ended up in quite a miserable situation. Xu Tao had asked Zhao Weiguo about it, but she didn’t know how he did it.
All she knew was that Zhao Weiguo somehow sent Xiao Baogui to the police station and had him sentenced to a year for trespassing at midnight.
Xu Tao was secretly pleased when she heard about it. After all, that night had left her with a psychological scar. Now, whenever night fell and she heard any noise, she would panic.
Thankfully, Zhao Weiguo rarely went on long trips and always returned home the same night. Otherwise, Xu Tao and Zhao Linnan would have been afraid.
"I bought some shrimp at lunch. You just need to blanch it and stir-fry some vegetables" Xu Tao said, assigning Zhao Weiguo the dinner task. The reason she asked him to cook was that the dishes were simple.
Blanching shrimp, stir-frying vegetables, and making soup were all things Zhao Weiguo could easily handle.
"Okay," Zhao Weiguo replied calmly as he walked into the kitchen to start cooking.
Xu Tao boiled a pot of hot water and began washing her hair. Her hair was long, and washing it was a hassle. However, the quality of shampoo in the packet nowadays was pretty good, though not as varied as in the future. But it worked well, leaving her hair smelling fragrant.
"Mom, let me pour water for you." Zhao Linnan, seeing Xu Tao washing her hair, immediately offered to help.
Xu Tao wanted to politely decline the child’s kindness, but couldn’t resist his enthusiasm. Zhao Linnan eagerly helped, but in the process, Xu Tao's clothes ended up completely wet.
"Xiao Nan, thank you, but don't help anymore," Xu Tao said, wrapping her hair in a towel and standing up.
Zhao Linnan giggled, still not listening, and continued trying to help, holding the water scoop.
"Mom, washing your hair..." Zhao Linnan said, laughing happily.
"Zhao Weiguo, come get your son!" Xu Tao, soaked, shouted, as Zhao Linnan's sleeves were also wet.
Zhao Weiguo heard Xu Tao’s call from the yard, came out, and picked Zhao Linnan up, his gaze lingering on Xu Tao’s wet chest.
"What are you looking at? Are you being a pervert?" Xu Tao noticed Zhao Weiguo’s gaze and gave him a look of disbelief.
"Isn’t it fine to look at my own wife? Don’t give me that expression as if I’ve never seen you," Zhao Weiguo said, carrying Zhao Linnan while raising an eyebrow at Xu Tao, casually adding, "I’ve seen it all, what’s not to see?"
Xu Tao blushed and stared at him, "How is it the same?"
It was like the difference between being seen wearing a bra and being seen in a bikini. If she was seen in her underwear, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, but wearing a bikini was a different mindset!
"What do you mean, not the same?" Zhao Weiguo said with a teasing tone, clearly ready to argue with Xu Tao.
"You two, go away." Xu Tao said, her hands holding the towel on her head, her chest sticking out. Her wet clothes revealed the outline of her black bra.
"Wet and seductive, not bad," Zhao Weiguo commented, carrying Zhao Linnan back to the kitchen.
"Dad, what did you say to mom? Why does mom look unhappy?" Zhao Linnan, now curious, asked. He didn’t understand their conversation but, being a child, asked anyway.
"Never mind, little kids don’t need to know," Zhao Weiguo said, not planning to answer.
Xu Tao stood in the yard, overhearing Zhao Linnan's question. She found it amusing and then poured the hot water from the stove into a bucket, heading to the bathroom to take a shower.
It was hot, and her clothes were soaked, so she decided to shower early.
Dinner ended, and the day wrapped up. At around 7 or 8 p.m., Xu Tao and Zhao Linnan waited as usual for Zhou Haizhi to come, but he didn’t show up.
Zhao Weiguo went to the end of the alley to check, but Zhou Haizhi wasn’t there.
The next day, Zhou Haizhi still didn’t come. The third day, the fourth day...
Several days passed, and Zhou Haizhi hadn’t shown up again at the Zhao household. Xu Tao and Zhao Linnan’s evenings returned to normal.
Xu Tao was still a bit worried about Xiao Zhi and occasionally walked slowly to the end of the alley, but she never saw Zhou Haizhi. Gradually, she gave up worrying.
That evening, Xu Tao noticed Zhao Linnan’s hair had grown a lot, so she took him to get a haircut.
"Mom, do I look good?" After getting his hair cut, Zhao Linnan asked, acting a bit vain.
"You look good," Xu Tao replied with a smile.
Zhao Linnan immediately became happy, and he held Xu Tao’s hand, skipping as they walked through Old Alley.
Click—
Just as they reached the end of the alley, Xu Tao heard the door of the Hu family open, and Zhou Yu came out angrily, pointing at Xu Tao.
"Where is Zhou Haizhi? Did you hide that little dog?" Zhou Yu asked angrily, her attitude very hostile, and her eyes full of fury.
Zhao Linnan immediately hid behind Xu Tao when he saw Zhou Yu, and his previous happiness vanished.
"What’s the meaning of this?" Xu Tao blinked and patted Zhao Linnan’s shoulder, signaling him not to be afraid. Her gaze turned to Zhou Yu as she tried to figure out the true meaning behind Zhou Yu’s words.
"Don’t act dumb with me. It’s definitely you!" Zhou Yu’s eyes burned with anger. "You’ve been so concerned about my son every day. Are you childless or what?"
"Zhou Yu, are you crazy? Blocking my way and saying all this nonsense?" Xu Tao rolled her eyes.
This woman was seriously sick!
"Then tell me, where is Zhou Haizhi? Where did you hide him?" Zhou Yu asked, looking very displeased. "Hand him over to me."
"Xiao Zhi is missing?" Xu Tao responded, showing a surprised look.
Zhou Yu stared at Xu Tao, seeing her confusion and feeling somewhat suspicious. Then she snapped, "Of course, you hid him. Don’t pretend you don’t know."
Zhou Yu was convinced that Xu Tao had hidden Zhou Haizhi. In this alley, many neighbors disapproved of her actions, but only this woman kept giving that little brat food.
She didn’t mind, since it wasn’t her money, but now Zhou Haizhi had disappeared for days and hadn’t returned home. She began to get upset.
She was still suffering at the Hu family, being squeezed by her mother-in-law, and her husband treated her badly. Yet, that little brat was avoiding home, living in luxury. Was he hiding at someone else’s house, eating better food?
Thinking about the 200 yuan she had found in the little brat’s hand, Zhou Yu began to think Xu Tao might know where the money came from. Perhaps she was trying to swindle it.
Zhou Yu's eyes became increasingly malicious.
"I’m telling you, hand him over now, or I’ll report you to the police" Zhou Yu threatened, already deciding Xu Tao was guilty.
"I don’t know where he is. I haven’t seen him since that day. If you want to report me, go ahead," Xu Tao replied, grabbing Zhao Linnan’s hand and trying to walk away.
"Stop right there. You’re not leaving until you hand over that little brat!" Zhou Yu blocked Xu Tao’s path.
o0o