The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
The sudden drop in temperature in Yangcheng caught everyone off guard. That night, with only a thin blanket and a quilt, Xu Tao couldn’t ward off the cold and was abruptly woken up by the chill in the middle of the night.
Shivering all over, Xu Tao woke up, groggily hearing the strong wind howling outside. She curled up and leaned closer to Zhao Linan.
At that moment, she deeply regretted not preparing a winter blanket in advance.
She had to admit, sometimes she could be quite careless.
"Why are you awake?" Zhao Weiguo asked Xu Tao.
"You’re awake too" Xu Tao replied in surprise, "Why is the wind so strong outside?"
The wind was so fierce it sounded like a ghostly howl.
"That's just how it is in Yangcheng" Zhao Weiguo responded calmly, comforting Xu Tao. He wasn’t scared by the howling wind outside.
Zhao Weiguo had been in Yangcheng for over ten years and wasn’t easily frightened.
"It’s so much colder than earlier!" Xu Tao trembled, hugging Zhao Linan. She could barely use the child as a small heater to warm up. Zhao Linan was still sound asleep, soft and warm, and holding him made her feel a little better.
"Hmm, the temperature has dropped. Do you want to come into my arms?" Zhao Weiguo’s voice became especially deep in the darkness.
Xu Tao’s eyes lit up, wondering what was going on.
She was used to being held while sleeping, and without him hugging her, she found it hard to fall asleep.
Zhao Weiguo didn’t wait for her answer and immediately reached over to feel his son Zhao Linan’s temperature. The child slept soundly and rarely kicked off the covers, so Zhao Weiguo naturally moved him to another position.
Now, instead of caring about his son, he wanted to hold his wife who was feeling insecure!
After adjusting his son’s position, Zhao Weiguo snuggled up next to Xu Tao. Xu Tao was indeed cold. Due to a past accident, she became especially sensitive to the cold in winter.
Zhao Weiguo was like a human heater and was noticeably warmer than Zhao Linan. Xu Tao immediately snuggled into his arms.
"You’re really warm" Xu Tao said, marveling and enviously, burying her face in Zhao Weiguo’s chest, her cold hands pressed against his chest.
"Are your hands and feet always this cold in winter?" Zhao Weiguo also noticed how cold she was, no wonder she had woken up from the cold.
"Yeah" Xu Tao answered softly.
"Then how do you cope with the weather back in your hometown in Wen Province?" Zhao Weiguo asked out of concern.
She was so afraid of the cold, and Wen Province was humid and chilly, her little hands and feet must get unbearably cold there!
"In Wen Province, winter is the hardest time for me. I have to soak my feet before bed every day, or else my feet will be so cold I can’t sleep" The cold in Wen Province wasn’t dry like in the north, but bone-chilling, with a misty air that made it even worse.
Xu Tao thought about how the original owner of her body used to suffer through cold winter nights, her hands and feet frozen by morning, and couldn’t help but press her feet against Zhao Weiguo’s legs.
After all, Zhao Weiguo was warm, and her feet were so cold.
Zhao Weiguo felt her small feet touch his legs, and since they were already cuddling, he reached down and gently held her feet.
Xu Tao, who was cold and curled up in his arms, felt the warmth of his hands on her feet and couldn’t help but give in to the soothing feeling.
No wonder so many wealthy women dream of having a man warm their bed. Xu Tao now deeply understood the psychology behind it; men could really be quite useful at times.
"Sleep now" Zhao Weiguo said as he warmed one foot and then switched to the other, his other arm around Xu Tao’s waist.
"Mm, make sure Xiao Nan doesn’t get cold" Xu Tao mumbled sleepily, only having been woken up by the howling wind outside.
"Okay" Zhao Weiguo responded casually.
Xu Tao nestled against his chest, feeling the warmth of his body, and soon found the most comfortable position, closing her eyes to fall asleep peacefully.
The night in Yangcheng was still filled with a cold wind, but when they woke up in the morning, the sun was shining brightly outside. Despite the sunny weather, the wind still blew fiercely.
Xu Tao, grinning, remarked, "I’ve never seen weather like this"
"I have to go to the transportation company for work today. I won’t be able to take leave until tomorrow. I was supposed to go to East City today, so don’t wait for me for lunch" Zhao Weiguo was someone who made decisions quickly.
After breakfast, the three of them sat down together. Zhao Weiguo was ready to head to work and take a few days off.
"Okay" Xu Tao waved goodbye to him along with Zhao Linan.
Both Xu Tao and Zhao Linan were used to Zhao Weiguo leaving for work every morning, so they were both calm when he left.
After Zhao Weiguo left, Xu Tao cleaned up the dishes and took Zhao Linan out to buy some notebooks. She also planned to call the editor of the publishing house.
Xu Tao had the publishing house’s contact number, but she rarely called. Normally, she would send her manuscripts on time and handle all the publishing matters through letters.
She wanted to call the publisher now because she was planning to start a new book.
She wanted to rest for a few more days, but since she had tricked Zhao Weiguo into agreeing to take over the taxi company, the couple would have to bear the huge repayment pressure every month.
This made Xu Tao feel like there was no way she could slack off.
Of course, calling the publisher was also to confirm the payment for the manuscript, as she had previous serialization experience, and her first book Destiny Is So Close had quite a few readers.
Although the publisher had increased her payment later on, which was relatively good, Xu Tao felt that she could still try to get a higher fee.
"Come on, sweetheart, let's go out and make a phone call" Xu Tao said as she prepared to leave the house, now almost always taking Zhao Linnan with her.
One reason was that Zhao Linnan, being a child, wasn’t safe alone at home, and the other reason was that Zhao Linnan had been quite bored lately. The children in the alley had also been influenced, and the liveliness that had been there when they first moved into the alley was no longer the same.
Xu Tao couldn't help but feel a bit nostalgic; how happy those carefree, joyful childhood days had been!
But then she thought, they probably wouldn’t live in this old alley for much longer. Once the taxi company business stabilized, and if all went well, they would probably be able to buy a house next year.
"Alright, Mom" Zhao Linnan replied, stepping in small shoes and holding his little belly, walking over to Xu Tao and grabbing her hand.
The mother and son walked together to the phone booth. They were wearing matching little jackets, and when the strong wind blew, Zhao Linnan staggered and hid behind Xu Tao.
"Mom, the wind is going to blow me away!" Zhao Linnan said as the wind was quite strong, almost knocking him over.
"Yes, hold onto me, okay? The wind’s too strong. Never mind, I’ll carry you" Xu Tao said. She did feel a little regretful now, thinking that if she had known the wind was so strong, she wouldn’t have gone out. Making the phone call could be done at any time; there was no need to do it today.
But since they were already out, Xu Tao didn’t have the idea of turning back immediately. After all, the only problem was the strong wind, nothing else unusual.
She bent down and picked up Zhao Linnan, carrying him all the way to the phone booth on Shuiyin Road.
"Hold onto my leg and don’t let go, okay? Mom needs to make a phone call," Xu Tao said, holding the phone to dial the provincial number while reminding the child by her side.
"Okay, okay," Zhao Linnan replied.
Xu Tao listened patiently to the voice on the other end of the line as she waited for it to be picked up.
"Haisheng Publishing House."
"Hello, I’m the author of Destiny Is So Close, Traveler" Xu Tao said into the phone.
Traveler was Xu Tao’s pen name, derived from the fact that she had transmigrated into the book.
"Traveler! Hello, hello, I’m the editor-in-chief of Haisheng Publishing House, Feng Yuanyuan" the editor-in-chief, Feng Yuanyuan, greeted excitedly upon hearing Xu Tao’s voice.
The other staff members at the publishing house, upon hearing Feng Yuanyuan mention Traveler, all perked up with excitement. They were all fans of Destiny Is So Close.
Before, Xu Tao had always communicated with the publisher via letters, handling all the complex matters related to publication and serialization.
This was a very common communication method, but the editors had been eager to meet her in person, knowing that she might be poached by other publishers if they didn’t act soon.
Though they had hoped to meet Traveler for a while, they were aware that many authors could be quite peculiar.
Moreover, Traveler had been consistent with her submissions, always sending the manuscripts on time, and even when slightly delayed, there had never been any issues with the magazines or newspapers.
Now that Destiny Is So Close had been serialized and is scheduled for publication, the publisher was very concerned about when her next project would begin, what genre it would be, and more.
After all, they were eager to find a talented author like her who could craft a story that made readers laugh, cry, and feel tense all at once.
"Hello, I’m planning to start a new work and wanted to ask if the publisher could offer a higher price for the manuscript" Xu Tao said. If money weren’t an issue, she wouldn’t have minded, but with the huge loan she was about to take on, she had to find ways to earn more.
"Of course, of course. The price will definitely be increased. How about this, would you have time to meet with us? We’d like to sit down with you, discuss the price in detail, and also finalize the publication details" the editor-in-chief proposed kindly.
"Sure!" Xu Tao didn’t mind meeting with the publisher.
"Great, please give me your address in Yangcheng, and we’ll arrange for someone to meet you there. Is that okay?" Feng Yuanyuan asked warmly.
"Alright, let me give you the address" Xu Tao said, giving them time to take note before providing the address: "Shuiyin Road, Xiuyue District, Yangcheng."
"Okay, thank you so much, Traveler" the editor-in-chief said politely before ending the call.
After hanging up, Xu Tao looked down at Zhao Linnan, who was holding onto her leg and staring longingly at the ice cream box at the small shop.
"Let’s go home, Linnan" Xu Tao reminded him, playfully pinching his ear.
Zhao Linnan looked up at her and said, "Mom, ice cream," pointing towards the ice cream box.
"Mm" Xu Tao noticed the box as well.
The weather in Yangcheng had suddenly cooled down the day before, but the old ice cream still sold well.
"Mom, I want ice cream" Zhao Linnan tugged at Xu Tao’s hand, acting cute.
"No, it’s too cold" Xu Tao replied, noting the chilly weather and strong wind. The child still wanted ice cream, which wasn’t a good idea.
"I want it, Mom, I want ice cream," Zhao Linnan continued, seemingly just liking the feeling of desiring ice cream no matter the weather.
"Aren't you afraid of the cold? Aren't you afraid of freezing your teeth off?" Xu Tao was helpless against the child's coaxing. She bent down, squatted, and pinched his cheek with a serious expression, trying to scare the child a little.
It was cold enough, and the wind was strong. She had originally planned to buy some notebooks to write her novel, but now she had decided to go another day.
Zhao Linan wasn't the type of child to often ask for things. Like when they were at the cotton candy shop yesterday, the child thought the quilts were made of cotton and wanted to eat cotton candy, but Zhao Linan didn't throw a tantrum.
Now, however, he was clinging to her and acting spoiled, which showed that he really wanted to eat it.
Xu Tao could understand the feeling of wanting an ice lolly more in cold weather. Before she started reading novels, she liked to have ice cream even in the middle of winter.
"Give mommy a kiss" Xu Tao poked her own soft, fair cheek and stretched her neck.
Zhao Linan immediately hugged Xu Tao’s neck and planted two quick kisses on her cheek, his face full of urgency and eagerness.
"Ha, men!" Xu Tao felt the child’s nonchalance and hurry, and after standing up, she helplessly complained about the child.
"Huh?" Zhao Linan blinked and looked at Xu Tao, as if thinking, “Mom, you’re not going to deceive my feelings, are you?”
Xu Tao didn’t say much to the child and pulled him toward the small convenience store: "Go ask yourself"
Since he wanted an ice lolly, Xu Tao didn't mind letting the child practice a little courage. She had never let Zhao Linan buy anything by himself before!
Zhao Linan held Xu Tao’s hand, feeling a little scared. He had no experience buying things alone.
"Mom, you help me buy it" Zhao Linan requested, feeling helpless.
"No, mom won’t help. If you want an ice lolly, I can give you the money, but you have to ask the uncle yourself. Ask him how much the ice lolly is. Here, this is a dime. Little Nan, go ask the uncle yourself," Xu Tao said, standing by.
Zhao Linan hesitated, feeling conflicted, but in the end, the desire to eat the ice lolly won. He nervously walked over, holding the money.
"Uncle, how much is the ice lolly?" the child asked in a tiny voice.
"The old ice lolly is three cents, and the milk flavor is five cents. Which one do you want?" The uncle in the convenience store had seen the child before, so it wasn’t surprising.
These days, kids a little older would run around on their own to buy ice lollies, though no child had the cautious, shy look Zhao Linan had.
"Hmm, which one should I buy, mom?" Zhao Linan looked back at Xu Tao.
"You have to choose yourself!" Xu Tao maintained her attitude of letting the child make his own decision.
She only allowed the child to eat the ice lolly because it was his first time buying something. Otherwise, she would never have agreed to let him have it in this chilly weather.
"Uncle, I want the milk flavor" Zhao Linan decided after some thought.
The child had never had the milk flavor before and was curious to try it!
"Alright" the uncle immediately opened the foam box.
Zhao Linan excitedly leaned close to the box, staring at it until the uncle took out a milk-flavored ice lolly. The child happily took it and turned to show Xu Tao with pride.
"Mom, look, this is the ice lolly Xiao Nan bought!"
"Mm, but you haven’t given the uncle the money" Xu Tao reminded him.
"Oh! Right, uncle, here’s the money" Zhao Linan happily handed the dime to the uncle.
The uncle quickly took some change from a small box and handed Zhao Linan a five-cent coin.
Zhao Linan held the money in one hand and the ice lolly in the other, grinning from ear to ear. It was clear that he was enjoying his first purchase.
"Here, mom" Zhao Linan happily gave the five cents back to Xu Tao, preparing to peel off the ice lolly's paper wrapper with both hands.
Xu Tao casually put the five cents in her pocket, looking down at the child. Once Zhao Linan had peeled off the paper, she took his hand and led him home.
Earlier, Zhao Linan had been hiding behind her to shield himself from the wind, but now, with the ice lolly in hand, he was holding it tightly in both hands, trying to keep it from getting blown away or dirty.
Very good! He’s definitely going to be a foodie when he grows up.
"Be careful and watch the road" Xu Tao reminded as they walked. She looked at Zhao Linan eating the ice lolly despite the cold, even shivering from the chill, but he kept eating. It made her both amused and helpless.
"Mom, it’s delicious" Zhao Linan said excitedly to Xu Tao.
"Mm" Xu Tao nodded.
"Mom, you eat too," the child tugged at Xu Tao's sleeve, eagerly wanting to share the joy of eating the ice lolly.
When Xu Tao heard the child ask her to eat, she suddenly felt her teeth start to chatter.
"Mom won’t eat it, you eat it yourself," Xu Tao said, patting the child’s head.
The weather made her crave ice cream, and if she didn't have the aftereffects of a previous fall into the water, she probably would have eaten ice cream with Zhao Linan.
In her past life, she used to enjoy ice cream in the dead of winter, finding ways to have it even when conditions weren't ideal.
"Mommy, take a bite," Zhao Linan said, standing on tiptoe and trying hard to share with Xu Tao.
Xu Tao couldn't help but smile helplessly, squatting down to take a small bite of the ice cream. Surprisingly, this five-cent ice cream actually tasted quite good. The milk flavor was strong, not at all sour, and very sweet, just like the creamy ice cream from her memories.
"Delicious" Xu Tao praised after swallowing the bite.
"Hehe" Zhao Linan grinned happily. "Mommy, keep eating."
"I can't, my head hurts from the cold" Xu Tao replied, her teeth chattering as she spoke.
Zhao Linan didn't insist further. The child happily continued eating the ice cream all the way home.
After the fallout between Sun Tonghai and the Lin family, they had become increasingly hesitant to keep their doors open. While Sun Tonghai’s youngest son seemed to have recovered recently, not as scared as before, the conflict between the two families still remained.
Old Lady Lin was also afraid and often kept the door shut. However, today, despite the bad weather, the Lin family still had their door open.
When Xu Tao and Zhao Linan returned home, they coincidentally bumped into Lin Xiaoqiang, a child who had a runny nose and was leaning by their front door.
Upon seeing Zhao Linan with the ice cream, his eyes immediately lit up with desire, and he began to swallow his saliva.
Zhao Linan glanced at Lin Xiaoqiang but didn’t say anything, obediently following Xu Tao back home. After finishing the milk-flavored ice cream, Zhao Linan’s hands were cold and sticky.
"Wash your hands" Xu Tao called out as she poured hot water from the thermos.
Zhao Linan was still eating the ice cream with cold, sticky hands, and Xu Tao was worried about the child getting sick from it.
"Okay," Zhao Linan obediently agreed, going to wash up.
Fortunately, the child’s constitution was good. Even after eating the ice cream, Zhao Linan was still full of energy.
Xu Tao then handed him a fountain pen to practice writing pinyin while she herself filled the pen with ink, preparing to start a new novel.
This time, she was aiming to challenge a different writing style with a completely new story.
The first book was a childhood friends-to-lovers trope, while this one was about a marriage and romance plot.
The title was "Thirty-Six Strategies of Love," a bit cheesy, but filled with various small tricks of love and marriage, and the beginning was quite interesting.
"Mommy, I’m done" Zhao Linan said as he put down the pencil after finishing his pinyin practice, feeling lazy.
"Then how about you read a picture book?"
"Mommy, my head hurts" Zhao Linan said, leaning weakly against Xu Tao.
Xu Tao immediately became concerned. She carefully touched Zhao Linan’s head and felt that he had a slight fever.
Without thinking, Xu Tao wanted to scold him for insisting on eating ice cream in such cold weather. Now look at him! But seeing Zhao Linan looking as limp as a wilted eggplant, she didn’t say anything. She quickly picked him up and rushed out.
"Mommy" Zhao Linan called her.
"Don’t worry, Mommy’s here! It’s Mommy’s fault, I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted and let you eat that ice cream," Xu Tao said, blaming herself, as she hurried to the clinic with Zhao Linan in her arms.
"Doctor, he seems to have a slight fever. Please check his temperature."
"Okay" The doctor, who was the same one as before, took out a thermometer and handed it to Xu Tao. "Let him keep it under his armpit for ten minutes."
The doctor saw Xu Tao was in a hurry and calmly reassured her, "It’s been cold since yesterday, and many children aren’t feeling well today. Don’t worry too much."
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