The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Xu Tao slept gracefully. At twenty years old, her fair skin was flawless. As she slept, gently hugging Zhao Linan, she wore Zhao Weiguo’s loose clothes, protectively wrapping her arms around the child.
Her pale, soft arm rested outside the blanket, appearing even more striking under the moonlight, making anyone who saw it feel a tightness in their throat and a sudden dryness in their mouth.
Zhao Weiguo, aware that his late-night gaze was inappropriate, calmly averted his deep, complex eyes. Only after suppressing his inner restlessness did his tall figure turn and return to his room.
The morning sun slowly rose, and Xu Tao was awakened by the lively and chaotic sounds outside. She didn’t stay in bed but stretched lazily, letting out a comfortable sigh.
After stretching, she noticed Zhao Linan rubbing his little face as he sat up. The sleepy child’s short hair was sticking up in all directions, making him look like an adorable kitten.
"You're awake?"
Hearing Xu Tao’s question, Zhao Linan, sitting cross-legged, blinked with a cute and dazed look.
Seeing this, Xu Tao reached out to touch his chubby cheek. “I’ll get your clothes.” She got up and brought back the clothes she had washed and dried the previous night.
"Can you dress yourself?" Xu Tao asked as she placed the clothes in front of Zhao Linan.
“Yes.” Zhao Linan, more awake now, nodded with his soft, childish voice. He took the clothes and tried to put them on obediently.
Though he claimed he could dress himself, his small hands didn’t quite follow his thoughts. Zhao Linan struggled for a long time but couldn’t button his shirt properly. Frustrated, he pouted, yet stubbornly continued his struggle, even falling over a few times on the bed.
“…” The little one let out an unhappy hum.
“Let me help you.” Xu Tao, after watching his serious yet adorable expression long enough, reached out to assist.
What seemed impossible for Zhao Linan was easily done by Xu Tao. She buttoned his shirt and even helped with his pants. “Go wash your face and brush your teeth. Your dad should be back with breakfast.” She gave his chubby bottom a light pat.
Blushing, Zhao Linan rubbed his little butt, giving Xu Tao a slightly accusing look. But as soon as she set him down, he shyly ran out of the room.
Zhao Weiguo had woken up early, a habit ingrained from his years in the military. He went out to exercise and bought breakfast on his way back.
After Xu Tao and Zhao Linan finished washing up, they sat down to eat breakfast.
Zhao Weiguo placed the food on the table and said to Xu Tao, “Write down what you need to buy later. I’ll get it.”
“Okay.” Xu Tao replied while eating the salty tofu pudding, a specialty of Province G. Though she was used to sweet tofu pudding, she surprisingly enjoyed the savory version.
But Zhao Linan wasn’t as accepting. After one bite, his little face showed clear dislike. “It’s not sweet.”
“You like sweet things?” Xu Tao laughed and grabbed the sweet tofu pudding from Zhao Weiguo. “Swap with your son.”
Though Zhao Weiguo also didn’t like the salty tofu pudding, seeing his son’s dislike and Xu Tao’s indulgent behavior, he resigned himself to eating it.
Zhao Linan, now with the sweet tofu pudding in front of him, smiled happily. He enjoyed it so much that his little legs kicked under the table in delight, radiating pure joy.
“Do you have plans today? I’m thinking of going to the wholesale market to buy some clothes.” Xu Tao wasn’t sure about Zhao Weiguo’s financial situation, so she planned to buy just a few summer outfits since the weather in Province G was hot.
In the 1980s, Province G’s wholesale markets were bustling and led fashion trends.
“My comrade recommended a job. I’m going to check it out.”
“Then I’ll go by myself. Can I bring Xiao Nan along?”
“Yeah. Call a tricycle taxi when you go out and be careful.” Zhao Weiguo hesitated for a moment before taking out a 100-yuan bill and placing it on the table. “I’m heading out now.” With that, his tall figure left the house.
Xu Tao glanced at the money on the table, then at Zhao Weiguo’s departing figure, smiling softly. She turned back and rubbed Zhao Linan’s head. “Hurry up and eat. Afterward, I’ll take you shopping for clothes.”
Zhao Linan was quietly eating his tofu pudding, albeit slowly. The little one ate gracefully and was still reluctant to talk. However, upon hearing that Xu Tao planned to go out to buy clothes, he noticeably quickened his pace in eating. Though he usually didn’t respond much to Xu Tao, he was being quite cooperative this time.
After breakfast, Xu Tao cleaned up the dishes and took Zhao Linan out. Exiting Shuiyin Road, Alley No. 8, she casually hailed a small three-wheeled vehicle and told the driver the address of the clothing wholesale market.
Xu Tao was unfamiliar with Guangdong Province, but in her previous life, she had lived in this city for a year due to work. She was familiar with its well-known places. Although she couldn’t speak Cantonese, she could understand simple conversations.
The small tricycle moved along slowly, and after about twenty minutes, they arrived at the bustling wholesale market. Xu Tao held Zhao Linan’s hand as they got off. Seeing the lively market, she was slightly surprised. She hadn’t expected that even in the early 1980s, the wholesale market in Guangzhou would already be this crowded.
“There are a lot of people here. Don’t run off, okay?” Xu Tao tightly held Zhao Linan’s hand. Although she knew the little one was as obedient as a quail, she still squatted down to remind him again.
Zhao Linan’s face was filled with unconcealable excitement. His big, dark eyes curiously glanced around, showing no signs of the high fever he had the previous day. “Mm.”
“Good boy.” Xu Tao patted his head and began inquiring about clothing prices in the market.
At this time, prices were quite low. In the more impoverished rural areas, shopping still required various coupons—for cloth, shoes, and more. However, in Guangzhou’s wholesale market, no coupons were needed, and prices were more affordable.
Children's clothing was relatively more expensive, usually around three yuan for a shirt or pants. Seasonal sandals ranged from one to two yuan per pair and were quite stylish.
“Do you like these?” Xu Tao asked after selecting a few sets of shirts and pants.
The little one nodded but couldn’t help glancing at a shirt with a little pig design nearby.
Xu Tao noticed his hopeful gaze and glanced at the shirt. Although its quality wasn’t great, the cute pig pattern clearly attracted him.
“This shirt with the little pig is very popular with kids! It sells well!” The shop owner, being a savvy businesswoman, noticed Zhao Linan’s gaze and started promoting it.
Xu Tao picked up the shirt and gently asked, “Xiao Nan, do you like this shirt? If you like it, Mommy will buy it for you.”
Zhao Linan looked at the shirt and then at Xu Tao. After some hesitation, he finally nodded.
“You need to tell Mommy if you like it or not. If you don’t speak, I won’t buy it.” Xu Tao didn’t force him to speak often, but now that he was interested in something, she wanted him to express himself.
Looking at the shirt, Zhao Linan reached out to touch the little pig and, as if making a firm decision, looked up and softly said, “…I like it.”
Hearing him speak, Xu Tao happily patted his head and asked the shop owner to include the pig shirt in the total.
“You bought three sets in total. That’s sixteen yuan, but let’s round it down to fifteen” the shopkeeper, a friendly woman, said warmly.
“Thank you.” Xu Tao paid without hesitation.
“You’ve bought quite a bit, so I’ll give you a pair of sandals for free. Do come back often!” The woman cheerfully added a pair of sandals.
She had been running this kids’ clothing shop for two years, both wholesale and retail. Customers like Xu Tao, who bought several sets without bargaining, were rare. Seeing Xu Tao being straightforward, the shopkeeper, also from the north, wasn’t stingy.
“Definitely.” Xu Tao smiled.
Xu Tao wasn’t used to the consumption standards of this era. Spending only fifteen yuan on three sets of clothes felt unbelievably cheap, making her forget to bargain. Realizing this, she felt a little regretful but didn’t show it.
Not that she cared much about the money—three outfits and two pairs of shoes for fifteen yuan weren’t expensive. Still, bargaining in markets like this was customary.
Not dwelling on it, Xu Tao went to a women’s clothing shop, casually picked two sets of clothes for herself for under twenty yuan, and prepared to head home as the sun climbed higher.
Crash!
Bang!
Holding the clothes and Zhao Linan’s hand, Xu Tao was about to hail a tricycle when she saw a huge pile of goods stacked ahead suddenly collapse, burying two workers underneath.
“Oh no! Two people are stuck under the pile! Someone help!” Panic spread, and people scrambled to move the goods.
Though the items were mostly clothes and shoes, the sheer volume could suffocate those trapped underneath. It was likely they would be seriously injured or worse.
Xu Tao's heart pounded with fear as she watched the scene unfold. Feeling anxious, she instinctively bent down and picked Zhao Linan up, holding him tightly in her arms to protect him.
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