The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
"What a pity! I don’t even know when I’ll be able to get married" Qin Yubin sighed, shaking his head as he grabbed the brush and continued painting the wall.
Qiu Tianyong watched as Qin Yubin was chased away by Zhao Weiguo. He moved closer to Zhao Weiguo, nudging him with his shoulder. "Weiguo, is your wife really that amazing?"
Qiu Tianyong still found it hard to believe that Xu Tao was so capable.
No wonder the old saying goes, 'When choosing a wife, find a virtuous one'.
Qiu Tianyong glanced at Zhao Weiguo, then at Xu Tao, who was sitting by the table outside the window, elegantly sipping water from a cup.
At that moment, he genuinely admired Zhao Weiguo’s luck.
His friend had married a woman who excelled in every way—looks, personality, business acumen—everything about her was outstanding.
Then, thinking about his own wife, Qiu Tianyong couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated.
Driving a taxi with Zhao Weiguo earned him a monthly salary of thirty yuan plus a fifteen-yuan housing subsidy, totaling forty-five yuan.
Moreover, driving a taxi was a respectable job. He and Hua Ge, along with a few others, all thought working for Zhao Weiguo was a good deal.
However, his wife, Zhang Shufen, had a very narrow view. She believed that transportation jobs had better profits, while driving a taxi had no future.
To her, taking a taxi was too expensive—a three- to four-kilometer ride costing two to three yuan seemed unreasonable.
Zhang Shufen thought from her own perspective, convinced that few people would be willing to spend money on taxis.
Recently, she had been complaining that Zhao Weiguo was not an honest person.
She had already mentioned at dinner that she hoped he would get into the transportation business, yet now they had given the transportation work to Li Jianshu instead.
This made Zhang Shufen very unhappy, and she kept urging him to talk to Zhao Weiguo about it.
Zhang Shufen had not received much education. She had only completed three years of elementary school before she had to start helping with farm work at home.
Her limited education had shaped her worldview, but that did nothing to diminish her stubbornness. She firmly believed in what she thought was right.
"Of course my wife is amazing!" Zhao Weiguo nodded, looking extremely proud "Now hurry up and keep painting"
After showing off for a moment, Zhao Weiguo raised an eyebrow at Qiu Tianyong before glancing toward Xu Tao outside the window, his mood visibly brightening.
With several men working together, the pace was quick, and they coordinated well while painting.
It only took about twenty minutes to finish applying putty to one room. As the putty dried, the once old and shabby room immediately looked brighter and more refreshed.
In a couple of days, once the putty had dried, adding a few desks would complete the transformation. Taoyuan Taxi Company would finally start looking like a real business.
"Weiguo, once we put two desks here in a few days, it’ll really feel like an office" Liao Tuhang said, gesturing at the space.
"Yeah" Zhao Weiguo nodded with satisfaction. The Taoyuan Company was finally starting to take shape. It felt great.
"Alright, the rest is up to you all to handle. I’ll take my wife and child home first" Zhao Weiguo saw that things were more or less settled and left the finishing touches to everyone else.
"Got it, Brother Guo, you go on home!" Liao Tuhang and the others nodded.
After applying putty to the room, Zhao Weiguo went to the nearby faucet to wash his face, trying to clean off the dust.
"It's cold, don’t use cold water to wash your face. Isn’t there hot water?" Xu Tao watched as Zhao Weiguo rinsed his face directly under the tap and couldn’t help but shiver on his behalf.
It was no longer summer. At this time of evening, even if the water had been exposed to the sun, it was still icy cold. For someone like Xu Tao, who dreaded the cold, it was unbearable.
"It’s fine, it’s not cold" Zhao Weiguo didn’t mind at all.
"Lower your head a bit" Xu Tao noticed that after washing, there was still some putty powder clinging to his face.
There wasn’t a mirror in this old, run-down building, so Zhao Weiguo hadn’t realized his face wasn’t completely clean. Xu Tao rose onto her tiptoes and motioned for him to bend down.
Zhao Weiguo complied immediately, leaning down close. Xu Tao raised a hand and gently rubbed his face, wiping away the remaining powder.
"All done" Xu Tao finished calmly.
"Mm" Zhao Weiguo straightened up, the corners of his lips curving into a faint smile.
"Ohhh!!!"
Inside the room where the putty was being applied, Liao Tuhang and Qin Yubin had been keeping an eye on what was happening outside. The moment they saw Zhao Weiguo and Xu Tao being all affectionate, they started making a fuss, their voices exaggeratedly loud.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Tao had initially thought wiping Zhao Weiguo’s face was a normal thing. But the teasing made her ears flush red.
"Let’s go home" In a hurry, Xu Tao turned, grabbed the two books on the table, picked up her small cloth bag, and rushed off.
Zhao Weiguo turned his head and bared his teeth at the two, cold and threatening. As a man, he didn’t mind the teasing; he had thick skin and didn’t care.
But his wife was shy! He shot them a fierce warning glance, then grinned and went after Xu Tao.
"Xiao Nan, stop playing. It’s time to go home" Xu Tao called out to Zhao Linan as she walked across the yard.
Zhao Linan was fascinated by the car, running circles around it as he examined it, seemingly never getting bored.
"Mommy, big car! Xiao Nan likes!" Hearing Xu Tao’s voice, Zhao Linan ran out from behind the vehicle and clung tightly to her leg.
"You like it? Then let your dad buy one for you" Xu Tao patted the child’s head, egging him on.
"Really?" Zhao Linan’s eyes lit up, and he dashed straight toward Zhao Weiguo. "Daddy, buy a car!"
The way the child called out "Daddy" was full of heartfelt emotion, and the words "car" were spoken with perfect clarity.
Zhao Weiguo looked at his son rushing over and effortlessly scooped him up. "What did you just say?"
"Mommy said you should buy me a big car" Zhao Linan pointed at the Polski Fiat nearby, his eyes brimming with anticipation and excitement.
A big car!!!
"All of these are for you. When you grow up, they’ll be yours to play with" Zhao Weiguo glanced at the car, then at Xu Tao, who was trying to hide her laughter.
He rubbed Zhao Linan’s little face, which was slightly dirty from running around the car, and casually threw out some sweet talk.
"Really?" Zhao Linan didn’t fully trust his father.
"Yes, really"
"Then Xiao Nan needs to grow up fast!" Zhao Linan said, kicking his little legs excitedly in Zhao Weiguo’s arms.
Zhao Weiguo chuckled, holding his son close as he strode to catch up with Xu Tao. With the setting sun casting a warm glow, the three of them headed home, accompanied by the innocent chatter of a child.
"I’m really jealous of Brother Guo" Qin Yubin and Liao Tuhang watched the family leave. Thinking about how they would be going home alone, with no one to prepare their meals, life suddenly felt a little miserable.
"Yeah, we’re not getting any younger either. We need to hurry up and figure out how to get married"
"No rush. Once we start making money from the taxi business, I’ll go home for the New Year and have my mom find me a wife. Heh heh" Qin Yubin spoke as if he had already found the perfect match, grinning ear to ear.
Nearby, Qiu Tianyong hesitated before turning to Ye Zhenhua. "Brother Hua, my wife wants me to switch to doing transport runs. Do you think I should bring it up with Brother Guo?"
Ye Zhenhua wasn’t entirely sure about the taxi business either. They hadn’t actually started driving yet, so it was unclear how much money they could make in a day.
But compared to hauling heavy goods at the market, Ye Zhenhua felt that following Zhao Weiguo in the taxi business seemed more reliable.
"I believe Weiguo will lead us to earn big money"
"Sigh, I believe it too, but my wife doesn’t" Qiu Tianyong sighed, almost scratching his head bald from frustration.
After a long day at Taoyuan Company, Qiu Tianyong returned home covered in putty dust, looking quite disheveled.
At home, Zhang Shufen was preparing dinner. The moment she saw the state he was in, her expression darkened.
"Weren’t you supposed to be driving a taxi? Why are you covered in putty dust? Did you end up as a wall painter instead?" Her tone carried a hint of mockery.
"Isn't driving a taxi supposed to require pre-employment training? Besides, there's still a batch of new cars that haven't arrived yet. For now, just help with repairing the company's small building and applying putty powder over the next couple of days" Qiu Tianyong explained truthfully.
"Will there be a wage subsidy for these days? When can we start driving and making money?" Zhang Shufen threw out two more questions.
She was terrified of being poor. She and Qiu Tianyong barely had a few yuan left. Daily expenses and the upcoming rent were all financial burdens, and Zhang Shufen was genuinely anxious.
Previously, Qiu Tianyong had at least earned a daily income by working at construction sites, carrying bricks, sand, or stones, which helped ease their financial situation.
Now, he was spending every day helping Taoyuan Company with free renovations.
His monthly base salary was only thirty yuan, and since he rented his own place, even with the fifteen-yuan subsidy, it only added up to forty-five yuan. The rest was supposedly commission-based on passenger fares.
How much commission could that bring in? Taking a taxi was so expensive, just one ride cost several yuan. Who had that much spare money to take taxis? Life was already hard enough.
Thinking about this, Zhang Shufen grew increasingly anxious and even more frustrated with Qiu Tianyong.
"Wei Guo and I have been comrades for years. He needs drivers and is willing to give me a stable job. What's wrong with me helping him out for a few days? Why are we even talking about money? Besides, Wei Guo already said the company will open as soon as the new cars arrive by mid-month" Qiu Tianyong reasoned.
He knew Zhao Weiguo had taken out a bank loan of several hundred thousand yuan.
Zhao Weiguo was actually more anxious than anyone. He wanted to start making money as soon as possible—after all, he had to pay off thousands in loan installments every month!
Thinking about this, Qiu Tianyong felt that his own problems were insignificant in comparison. Compared to Zhao Weiguo's situation, his issues were nothing at all.
"You two have been comrades for years, and I won’t stop you from helping him, but you need to take care of your own life first. You keep thinking about how he's your comrade and want to lend him a hand. But when he had that great job in transportation, he didn’t even think about keeping it for you. He just gave it straight to Li Jianshu!" Zhang Shufen was fuming at the thought of it.
Only a fool like Qiu Tianyong would believe Zhao Weiguo was good to him. It was clear as day that Zhao Weiguo was just taking advantage of his honesty.
A transportation job like that paid at least a few hundred yuan a month. It was way more promising than driving a taxi!
Yet Qiu Tianyong still didn’t see the bigger picture and thought Zhao Weiguo was a good man, what an idiot.
"I told you yesterday to talk to Zhao Weiguo about changing jobs today. Did you say anything to him or not? Are you planning to keep living like this?" Zhang Shufen shouted angrily.
She had been about to cook dinner, but she was so furious that she threw the spatula aside.
"Of course we’re living! But I still think driving a taxi is a respectable job!" Qiu Tianyong was truly torn and helpless.
"Respectable doesn’t matter! Making money does. Qiu Tianyong, think carefully! There are less than two months until the New Year, and rent is due soon. Do you really want our family of three to be kicked out by the landlord during the holidays?" Zhang Shufen was practically shaking with anger.
"Fine, fine! I’ll talk to Wei Guo tomorrow, okay? Just stop yelling" Qiu Tianyong squatted in the courtyard, grabbing his head in frustration.
Zhang Shufen looked at him with utter disappointment, feeling incredibly stifled. She was already making plans to talk to Xu Tao personally tomorrow.
She didn’t trust a single word coming from Qiu Tianyong anymore, this man was completely unreliable.
o0o
While Qiu Tianyong and Zhang Shufen were having their argument, Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo were happily heading home with Zhao Linan, stopping by the market to buy groceries along the way.
Despite carrying thousands of yuan in loan debt every month, the couple didn’t seem bothered at all.
They still ate and drank as usual, without any thought of saving on food. Their meals always included fish and meat, and that wasn’t about to change.
"The shrimp look good. Boss, give me a pound of shrimp" Xu Tao said to the shrimp vendor while walking through the market.
Zhao Linan sat on Zhao Weiguo’s shoulders. It was his first time riding on his father's neck, and he clutched Zhao Weiguo’s chin, looking down at the market from above with pure delight.
"Should we buy some ribs?" Xu Tao asked after buying the shrimp, glancing at the fresh pork at a nearby stall.
"Let’s get a pound"
"Alright, boss, a pound of ribs, please" Xu Tao said to the butcher.
After strolling through the market, the family of three headed home. By the time they arrived, the sky had already darkened.
Xu Tao started cooking in the kitchen while Zhao Weiguo helped with the fire. The two of them had always divided household tasks efficiently. As they cooked, they talked about their day.
"When I was renting the employee dormitory yard today, I also checked out another house. The rent is ten yuan more than this one, but the layout is similar, and the furniture is more complete. I think it’s pretty good. You can go take a look tomorrow if you have time"
"Alright, the address is on Zhonglin Road, the second house in the ninth alley. I even asked a small shop owner nearby today, and he said that the neighbors in the alley are quite easy to get along with"
"Alright, I have nothing to do tomorrow, so I'll take Xiao Nan to check it out" Xu Tao nodded in satisfaction at Zhao Weiguo.
She and Zhao Linan had gone to many places today without any success, yet Zhao Weiguo had already found a suitable house.
Not bad. Xu Tao couldn't help but praise Zhao Weiguo in her heart for being reliable.
To be honest, after being used to the unreliable men of the modern era, meeting Zhao Weiguo made her feel that it was completely worth it that she had never married in her past life.
Perhaps it was all meant to happen so that she could transmigrate into this book and meet Zhao Weiguo!
It was fortunate that she had met Zhao Weiguo. If it had been someone else, just thinking about it made Xu Tao uncomfortable.
Most men of this era did not listen to women, and their male chauvinism was particularly severe.
^Chauvinism is the belief that one's own group is superior to others. In terms of male chauvinism, it refers to the idea that men are better than women, often leading to the dismissal of women’s rights or views.
Many of them lacked capability yet had excessive pride and cared too much about saving face. Luckily, Zhao Weiguo had none of these flaws.
After Zhao Weiguo told Xu Tao the house address, he left early the next morning after breakfast to get to work.
Xu Tao, as usual, lingered in bed for a while. The weather was getting colder, and even when she woke up, she would stay in bed for a bit before finally getting up past nine to eat breakfast.
After breakfast, she took some time to write a few thousand words for her novel before heading out with Zhao Linan to check out the house Zhao Weiguo had mentioned.
She had memorized the address Zhao Weiguo told her last night, so today she took Zhao Linan directly there by taxi.
Since Zhao Weiguo had informed the landlady in advance that Xu Tao would be coming to see the house today, the landlady had been waiting since early morning.
The landlady led Xu Tao around to look at the house. Its general layout was indeed quite similar to the one in Lao Ba Alley, which was expected, as most houses in this era had similar layouts.
Xu Tao had no objections to the house. She chatted with the landlady and learned that she lived right next door, making them neighbors.
Since her family owned two houses, one for herself and the other left vacant, she figured that instead of letting the house sit empty, it would be better to rent it out.
That way, she could collect some rent while also keeping the house lively with people.
A house that is lived in does not deteriorate as quickly, whereas an unoccupied house easily falls into decay and disrepair.
The house was suitable, not too far from the market, and relatively convenient. The alley outside was also wider than Lao Ba Alley on Shuiyin Road.
When she had walked in with Zhao Linan earlier, she had seen a few children playing outside, giving it a similar atmosphere to the old Lao Ba Alley.
Seeing that Zhao Linan seemed to like it as well, Xu Tao handed ten yuan to the landlady, with the rest of the rent to be paid after moving in.
After paying the ten yuan, Xu Tao left with Zhao Linan. However, she still felt a little uneasy. She had been traumatized by Old Lady Lin’s family, leaving her with lingering psychological shadows.
Even though Zhao Weiguo had asked the small shop owner and confirmed that the people in this alley were decent, she still couldn't feel completely at ease. So, she decided to take the initiative and knock on the doors of a few neighboring houses.
In truth, a few simple exchanges with the neighbors wouldn’t fully reveal their true character. After all, when Xu Tao had first arrived at Lao Ba Alley, she hadn’t known that Old Lady Lin was so terrible either.
But she believed that people could at least get a sense of someone through first impressions. After knocking on the doors of two households and chatting briefly, Xu Tao felt that they all seemed quite nice, which finally put her at ease enough to take Zhao Linan home.
After leaving the ninth alley on Zhonglin Road, Xu Tao and Zhao Linan sat in a taxi while she made her plans.
She wanted to move before Taoyuan Company officially opened, while Zhao Weiguo was still not too busy.
Otherwise, once the taxi company started running daily morning and evening shifts, Zhao Weiguo would probably be swamped with work.
By then, the burden of moving would fall entirely on her shoulders.
Just thinking about the exhausting task of carrying two thick quilts that day made her feel that the move couldn't be delayed any longer.
Xu Tao had taken a taxi both to and from the house with Zhao Linan. The fare was quite expensive, not cheap at all, but the comfort was worth it.
Zhao Linan especially loved big cars. Sitting inside, the child was incredibly excited. Even after getting out, he reluctantly waved goodbye to the taxi.
"Shufen Sister-in-law?" Xu Tao was holding Zhao Linan’s hand on their way home when she spotted Zhang Shufen sitting on her doorstep with her son, Qiu Zhenghao.
"Sister-in-law, you're back!" Zhang Shufen immediately stood up with Xiao Hao, smiling as she patted her own hips.
"Sister-in-law, sorry, I didn’t know you were coming, so I took Xiao Nan out to look at rental houses. My apologies, please come in and have a seat" Xu Tao said as she took out her keys and opened the door.
"I didn’t inform you in advance either, so it’s not your fault" Zhang Shufen smiled, watching Xu Tao open the door, then led her son Qiu Zhenghao inside. "You went to look at houses—are you moving? Where are you planning to go?"
"Near Taoyuan Company" Xu Tao gave her the address.
"Oh" Zhang Shufen nodded.
"Sister-in-law, have a seat first. I’ll get you some water" Xu Tao went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water for Zhang Shufen.
Then, she filled a basin with warm water, used a towel to wipe her face, and also wiped Zhao Linan’s little cheeks. After going out, freshening up a bit always felt much more comfortable.
Zhang Shufen sat in the small living room, watching as Xu Tao tidied herself up and wiped Zhao Linan’s face as well. She was surprised by Xu Tao’s meticulous cleanliness.
"Sister-in-law, did you come over for something today?" After washing her face, Xu Tao glanced at Zhao Linan, who was happily chatting about toy cars with his older brother Qiu Zhenghao. She smiled and turned back to ask Zhang Shufen.
"It’s like this, younger sister, your husband Wei Guo used to do transport work, right? Do you think that job could be passed to my husband Lao Qiu? I’d like him to do transport work" Zhang Shufen got straight to the point.
She had already made up her mind before coming, so she didn’t care whether it seemed thick-skinned or not.
"Do you think driving a taxi isn’t suitable?" Xu Tao was slightly stunned.
When Zhao Weiguo handed over the transport job to Li Jianshu, Xu Tao knew Zhang Shufen wouldn’t be happy about it. But driving a taxi was clearly a promising job too.
She had assumed Zhang Shufen would accept it. She hadn’t expected that Zhang Shufen was still thinking about having Qiu Tianyong do transport work!
"Yes, I think transport work is more stable" Zhang Shufen replied with a polite remark.
Of course, she couldn’t outright say, "I think driving a taxi has no future" If she said that, Xu Tao would definitely be upset.
"Sister-in-law, actually, driving a taxi might be even better than transport work" Xu Tao wanted to persuade Zhang Shufen a little.
After all, although transport work was decent, compared to taxi driving, taxi driving was definitely much easier.
Right now, it might not be obvious, but once everyone’s income levels rose and taxis became more widespread, the earnings would certainly be much higher than transport work.
Moreover, in transport work, sometimes unloading goods was also required, which involved physical labor. It wasn’t as simple as just driving and delivering cargo.
Not to mention, transport work often required long-distance travel. Just like when Xu Tao worried about Zhao Weiguo before, many people specifically targeted passing transport trucks, making it a high-risk job.
"I understand you’re considering what’s best for Lao Qiu. But, sister-in-law, I still have to ask you—could you see if Wei Guo and Li Jianshu can swap jobs, letting Lao Qiu take over transport work?" Zhang Shufen halfheartedly acknowledged Xu Tao’s reasoning before making her request.
Xu Tao looked at Zhang Shufen. "Sister-in-law, it’s possible. But let me make this clear in advance—if transport work turns out to be profitable and stable, and later Brother Qiu wants to switch back to taxi driving, we won’t agree to it" Xu Tao’s tone was serious.
Zhao Weiguo had already discussed this with Li Jianshu. Compared to others, Li Jianshu was relatively honest and straightforward.
Zhao Weiguo had also told him that taxi driving could end up being more profitable than transport work, but he didn’t guarantee anything.
Li Jianshu had made his own decision to take on transport work.
The reason Zhao Weiguo had asked for Li Jianshu’s opinion was that he knew, even if Li Jianshu later realized taxi driving was more lucrative, his mindset wouldn’t waver much. That’s why Zhao Weiguo had chosen him.
"Of course, don’t worry, I understand" Zhang Shufen was so eager to agree that she almost pounded her chest in assurance, vowing that her family would never go back on their word.
Xu Tao looked at Zhang Shufen’s firm expression and sighed inwardly with helplessness. This was a case of being too clever for one’s own good, why was she only focused on the immediate benefits?
"Alright, I’ll talk to Zhao Weiguo tonight" Xu Tao agreed.
"Thank you so much, younger sister. I really appreciate it" Zhang Shufen smiled gratefully at Xu Tao, her eyes filled with excitement and hope for the future.
"It’s no trouble"
Zhang Shufen did not stay at the Zhao family’s house for long. After discussing the job exchange with Xu Tao, she took her son and went home.
She walked back with such a light step that it was clear how happy she was.
Xu Tao held Zhao Linan’s hand as they watched Zhang Shufen leave with her child.
She could not help but sigh, hoping that when Zhang Shufen eventually realized that driving a taxi could earn more money, she would not regret her decision.
Shaking her head, Xu Tao led Zhao Linan back inside. At the same time, she started packing up the house, determined to move as soon as possible.
Around seven in the evening, after Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo finished dinner, Zhao Weiguo was in the kitchen washing dishes while Xu Tao sat in the living room writing her novel. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
She glanced down at her watch. It was still early, only seven o’clock. Since Zhao Weiguo was home, she went ahead and opened the door.
Standing outside was Fan Qiumei, holding her youngest son, with Shitou standing beside her. Shitou smiled at Xu Tao and greeted her while holding a bag of rock sugar.
"Qiumei, come in and have a seat" Xu Tao immediately invited her and the children inside.
Fan Qiumei carefully stepped through the doorway while carrying her child. Shitou handed the rock sugar to Xu Tao. "Auntie, this is for you"
"Why did you bring sugar? There’s no need to be so formal" Xu Tao asked in confusion.
Carrying her youngest son, Fan Qiumei walked from the courtyard into the main room and gestured for Shitou to place the sugar on the table. "Shitou said he overheard that you’re planning to move!"
"We are moving" Xu Tao admitted, though she had yet to tell anyone in the alley.
"Shitou heard you talking to a guest in the courtyard today, and that’s how I found out. It’s because of the Lin family next door, isn’t it?" Fan Qiumei had an expression of understanding.
If circumstances allowed, she would have moved as well to get away from that household. But since that was not an option, she could only continue enduring the frustration of living next to them.
"Yes" Xu Tao nodded, not bothering to hide the truth.
No one in the alley liked the Lin family, and Xu Tao found them particularly unbearable.
"Here, this is the thirty yuan you lent us before. Please take it back" Fan Qiumei said as she pulled thirty yuan from her pocket and placed it on the table.
Though money was still tight for Fan Qiumei, when Shitou overheard Xu Tao and Zhang Shufen’s conversation in the courtyard at noon, she discussed it with Sun Tonghai and quickly gathered the thirty yuan to repay the debt.F
Lending money between neighbors was an act of goodwill. If Xu Tao and her family were still living in the alley, they might have been able to repay it later.
But now that they were moving, their connection would likely be cut off.
When someone lends money out of kindness, they should not be met with ungratefulness in return.
Fan Qiumei could not allow herself to borrow money without paying it back. Though poor, she still had her dignity.
o0o