The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
On the first day of moving to Alley Nine, Zhonglin Road, Xu Tao's first lunch was a big hit. Qin Yubin and Liao Tuhang ate until they were stuffed before finally stopping.
Zhao Linan did the same. Seeing the two adults eating so heartily, the child eagerly shoveled food into his mouth as well, stuffing himself until his little belly was round.
Now, he was clinging to Xu Tao, whining in discomfort.
"Mom, my stomach hurts" Zhao Linan had really overeaten. The little guy could only complain to Xu Tao.
"Who told you to eat so much" Xu Tao flicked the boy's forehead, not pleased.
Silly kid, only now he realized he had eaten too much!
"It was good. The uncles were eating, so I ate too"
Zhao Linan pouted, leaning against Xu Tao's leg and whimpering. His face looked as if he was about to cry after getting his forehead flicked.
Zhao Weiguo and the others had also eaten too much. So when they heard the child complaining, they completely understood and stayed silent, feeling a little embarrassed.
Zhao Weiguo was the calmest. He was the first to stand up and start clearing the table. Seeing this, Qin Yubin and Liao Tuhang immediately followed suit, showing great awareness.
"I'll wash the dishes. Take him outside for a walk to help him digest" Zhao Weiguo said to Xu Tao.
Since Xu Tao had cooked the meal, it was only natural for Zhao Weiguo to handle the dishes.
Liao Tuhang and Qin Yubin had always thought Zhao Weiguo was just bluffing when he claimed to help wash dishes at home.
But now, seeing him clean up so efficiently, while Xu Tao acted like it was completely normal.
They couldn’t help but believe it. In fact, they didn’t even know why, but they started helping out too.
"Thanks for the help" Xu Tao smiled at Liao Tuhang and Qin Yubin, then took Zhao Linan’s hand and led him outside.
When she had come to look at houses on Zhonglin Road the other day, Xu Tao had also taken the time to familiarize herself with the area.
Naturally, she knew there was a clinic nearby. So, as she strolled with Zhao Linan, she slowly headed in that direction.
Xu Tao remembered that back in the day, clinics often sold small hawthorn pills wrapped in thin plastic. They were good for digestion—sweet and tangy, with a flavor she still recalled vividly.
At some point, those hawthorn pills had disappeared. But now, with Zhao Linan looking so pitiful and uncomfortable, Xu Tao suddenly thought of them. She took the child to the clinic and bought a box.
"Here, eat this" After leaving the clinic, Xu Tao tore open the packet and handed one to the child, popping one into her own mouth as well.
Since the pills were for digestion, she wasn’t worried about eating them herself. As long as she didn’t overdo it, it would be fine.
"Mom, I don’t want it" The overstuffed child really couldn’t eat another bite. He had finally learned his lesson.
"This helps with digestion. If you eat it, your stomach won’t hurt anymore. Be good" Xu Tao squatted down gently, holding the hawthorn pill up to the child's mouth.
Zhao Linan trusted Xu Tao completely. He didn’t really understand what digestion meant, but since Xu Tao was offering it to him, he opened his mouth and took a bite.
"Mom, it's sour" Zhao Linan chewed on the hawthorn pill and grinned foolishly at Xu Tao.
“Here, eat this too.” Xu Tao fed the last small bite to the little one.
After Zhao Linan obediently ate the hawthorn ball, he held Xu Tao’s hand as they walked home together.
His stomach, which had been uncomfortable, felt much better, possibly from walking to aid digestion or from the hawthorn ball itself.
“Does it still hurt?” Xu Tao asked the child.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
Xu Tao nodded, reassured, and continued walking home with the child. By the time they arrived, Zhao Weiguo had already finished washing the dishes.
“Tomorrow, ten new cars will arrive at the company. At noon, I’ll go with them to check if there’s anything else that needs to be prepared”
Zhao Weiguo informed Xu Tao as he was getting ready to leave for the company with Qin Yubin and the others.
“Alright, go ahead.”
Having just moved into the new house, Xu Tao had plenty to do for the day.
She needed to tidy up the rooms, write her novel, change the bedding, and wash, slice, dry, and pickle the vegetables and radishes from Old Eight Alley.
There were dozens of pounds of vegetables and radishes, far too much to consume in one go. In a few days, the vegetables in the new yard would also be ready to eat.
Not wanting to waste anything, Xu Tao decided to pickle the radishes and greens or turn them into dried vegetables.
Although she knew how to cook, she had little experience pickling vegetables. She only knew that the radishes needed to be cleaned, cut to the right size, dried, and then salted.
“You can go play by yourself!” Xu Tao casually told the child.
“Mom, can I go outside and play?” Zhao Linan saw many new kids in the alley. He pointed at the door, his face full of excitement.
“Go ahead!”
Having seen how he made friends in Old Eight Alley, Xu Tao was no longer as worried about his ability to socialize.
When they first arrived in Yangcheng, Zhao Linan had been quite reserved. She had worried that he wouldn’t fit in with the other children, so she often gave him snacks to help him make friends.
Now that they had moved to Old Nine Alley, Xu Tao felt it was time for Zhao Linan to try integrating on his own.
After the New Year, when they returned from their hometown in Wensheng, she planned to send him to a daycare. It was only natural for her to start letting go a little.
With her permission, Zhao Linan showed no hesitation.
The three-year-old straightened his chest confidently, went back inside, took out his box of marbles from his big toy chest, and strutted out of the yard to join the new kids in Old Nine Alley.
Watching his bold demeanor, Xu Tao felt happy. She then got busy in the yard, washing the vegetables and radishes before slicing them to dry.
She cut all the radishes into slices and placed them on the shelf to dry, only to realize that she didn’t have any bamboo trays for drying.
After thinking for a moment, she decided to go next door and ask the landlady for help.
The landlady of Old Nine Alley was Auntie Chu Yunying, and her husband was Liu Tun. Both were not young anymore.
Liu Tun had previously worked in academic research and had a rather cold demeanor, while Auntie Chu Yunying was much more approachable.
That day, when Xu Tao knocked on her neighbor Qian Chun’er’s door for a chat, she also learned a bit about the landlords.
When Qian Chun’er found out that Xu Tao was renting from Chu Yunying, she generously shared some details about the couple.
Chu Yunying and her husband had been university professors before. During a certain period, they were reported by their own students and sent to a labor farm for many years.
They had only recently been rehabilitated and allowed to return to the city.
It was said that they once had a daughter, but since both parents were too busy with work to take care of her, she had an accident at home and passed away when she was very young.
Before they even had time to grieve, they were reported and exiled. They spent nearly ten years in hardship at the farm.
Life on the farm was harsh and unbearable. They barely managed to survive, and having another child was out of the question.
Now that they had been cleared of wrongdoing, they were already old, and having a child was no longer an easy option.
“Auntie Chu, are you home?”
Xu Tao stepped out, glanced at Zhao Linan happily playing with the other kids, and then walked over to knock on the neighbor’s door.
In this alley, most people didn’t close their courtyard doors during the day, so Xu Tao stood at the entrance and waited for a response.
"This is Xiao Xu! I heard you just moved in this morning. Is everything okay?" Chu Yunying said as she placed the sweater in her hands and walked to the gate to ask Xu Tao.
"Auntie, here's the thing. I used to plant some vegetables near my place, and when I moved, I pulled them all out. I couldn’t eat them all at once after bringing them here, so I was thinking of turning them into pickles or dried vegetables. But I don’t have a bamboo basket, so I wanted to ask if you have one at home. If you do, could you lend it to me to dry the radishes?" Xu Tao answered honestly.
"Yes, I'll go get it for you"
Chu Yunying nodded and walked towards the small woodshed in the yard.
The Chu family's woodshed was built in the yard with a shed structure. The bamboo mats were placed under the shed, covered with burlap bags to protect them from dust.
"Auntie, tell me which one, I'll get it"
Chu Yunying, who was in her forties, appeared older than her actual age due to nearly ten years of hardship.
Xu Tao watched as Aunt Chu stood on tiptoe and was about to get a stool, so she immediately walked over to ask.
"The one in the topmost white burlap bag is it. The bamboo mat is a bit heavy, be careful when you take it"
Chu Yunying had no intention of doing it herself, so she pointed to where the bamboo mat was and told Xu Tao.
"Okay"
"I haven't used this bamboo mat this year, so it’s a bit dusty. You can wash it after you take it down."
After Xu Tao took it down, Chu Yunying reached out to untie the burlap sack.
"Alright." Xu Tao nodded. "Auntie, when you have time, come sit at my place. I’ll head back now."
There were still many things to do at home, so Xu Tao couldn’t stay longer at Chu Yunying’s house.
Chu Yunying nodded, wiped her hands, and sat back down on the porch to continue knitting a sweater.
Inside the room, Liu Tun, wearing glasses, looked at Xu Tao’s back and asked
"Is that the tenant from next door?"
Liu Tun didn't usually ask about renting matters, but today, hearing firecrackers from next door, he realized that the house next door had been rented out by his wife, Chu Yunying.
"Yes, a very quiet person." Chu Yunying replied, her hands knitting the sweater quickly.
The elderly couple exchanged just these two sentences and didn’t talk much more.
After borrowing the bamboo mat from the landlord, Xu Tao quickly washed it several times, then brought over two stools and placed them side by side in the sunlight in the yard.
She placed the bamboo mat on the stools, and the chopped radish slices and washed vegetables were spread across the mat.
After finishing these tasks, Xu Tao rolled up her sleeves and began tidying up the room, sorting through the clothes and luggage she had moved over.
The rent here was more expensive than in Old Eight Alley, but the furniture was more complete.
The master bedroom even had an old-style wardrobe, one with a full-length mirror on the door. It was movable and convenient for hanging clothes.
However, the wardrobe was very much in line with the aesthetics of the time, and it had two plastic fake flowers made of glass.
Xu Tao thought the fake flowers were quite beautiful, so she wiped them and placed them on the desk.
The weather had changed, so when moving in, Xu Tao had packed away her summer clothes and then folded her winter clothes neatly to store in the wardrobe.
The blankets and duvet covers had been washed when she bought them a few days ago. Xu Tao quickly replaced them and arranged small items, placing the books on the desk.
After finishing all the tasks, what was originally a simple home was now much tidier. Xu Tao was so tired that her arms felt heavy, and she only then noticed that the sun was quietly setting.
Zhao Linan played outside in the alley for a long time. He had just joined a new group of little friends, and Zhao Linan was generally satisfied with it.
When Xu Tao finished her tasks, the child had already run back, holding a glass marble box, walking in with a brushing sound, like a victorious general.
"Did you have fun?" Xu Tao asked when she saw Zhao Linan happily returning as she rested in the living room.
"Yes, Mom, the little potato next door has a harmonica and said she'll play it for me tomorrow" Zhao Linan told Xu Tao, the child expressing some joy and anticipation.
Xu Tao raised an eyebrow. No wonder she had occasionally heard the sound of a harmonica outside while she was busy at home. She had thought it was just a hallucination, but it turned out the neighbor's child had a toy harmonica.
Smiling, Xu Tao could also sense from Zhao Linan's conversation the family circumstances of the neighbors in the alley.
Comparatively, the neighbors here had better conditions, even buying harmonicas for their kids to play with.
The children in Lao Ba Alley didn’t have such treatment. They mostly played with old playing cards or stones, and when not playing hide-and-seek or hopscotch, they engaged in other cost-free games.
"Did you play the harmonica?" Xu Tao asked as she thought about it.
That was what she was more concerned about, her cleanliness obsession subtly creeping in with fear.
"No" Zhao Linan shook his head, blushing.
Fortunately, Xu Tao sighed in relief. Seeing the child's flushed face, she asked, "Why didn't you play?"
Zhao Linan pouted "Xiao dou is a girl. She played the harmonica, but Xiao Nan doesn't want to play"
Xu Tao was immediately relieved that she had taught Zhao Linan about cleanliness. Zhao Linan, influenced by her, had developed a slight obsession with hygiene.
Moreover, Xu Tao had also talked to Zhao Linan about the differences between boys and girls.
Nowadays, boys and girls almost always played together, but when they lived in Lao Ba Alley, Zhao Linan’s group included a girl named He Hua.
He Hua played with the boys without paying attention to boundaries. She would touch their hair, hold their small hands, and casually touch their small chests.
At a young age, the boys and girls were unaware of gender distinctions.
Xu Tao hadn’t noticed this at first but later became serious about telling Zhao Linan that boys shouldn’t casually touch girls' bodies, especially not their chests, regardless of age or whether the girl had developed.
Xu Tao was very clear that gender awareness should be nurtured from the beginning, and while she couldn’t stop other kids from getting confused, she paid close attention to Zhao Linan's behavior.
There were some scientific parenting ideas that Xu Tao had in mind, but before meeting Zhao Linan, she had no experience in raising children, so everything was in the stage of trial and exploration.
Zhao Linan was very obedient, listening to everything Xu Tao had said. Since then, he hadn’t casually touched He Hua.
"Does Xiao Nan like the harmonica?"
"Yes, I like it. It makes a sound. It's nice"
"Then tomorrow I’ll buy you a harmonica. But remember, you can't share it with other kids. A harmonica is a toy you put in your mouth, so you need to be careful about hygiene, okay?" Xu Tao really feared Zhao Linan might unknowingly share the harmonica with others.
Just thinking about that scenario made her feel uncomfortable, and as a person obsessed with cleanliness, just the thought made her head buzz.
"I know, Mom," Zhao Linan obediently responded. "I'll play it myself."
"Mm." Xu Tao finally felt somewhat relieved.
On the first day in the new house, Xu Tao spent the day busy, so tired that she quickly fried a couple of dishes for dinner.
Zhao Weiguo was also busy. With thirty soldiers assigned by the military, Zhao Weiguo had a headache just arranging the work and accommodations.
Soon, ten new taxis arrived, two days earlier than the original plan.
Taking advantage of the situation, Zhao Weiguo quickly carried out a three-day training for the drivers.
Seventeen cars were assigned to everyone, with each car having morning and evening shifts, rotating every month. Zhao Weiguo, as the boss of Taoyuan Company, also served as a backup driver.
Each car’s morning and evening shift would be staggered by two days, and rest time was provided. Zhao Weiguo would step in to drive during shift changes and also arrange rest periods.
The work hours were mostly eight hours a day, and any extra time would be considered overtime. For each order, the commission was increased by a small amount.
Don’t underestimate that small amount; over time, it adds up.
At the end of the month, the overtime pay could amount to a hundred or so yuan, which, combined with commissions and wages, was quite impressive.
o0o
The first two days of mid-December, the Taoyuan company began its official operations.
Xu Tao took Zhao Linan to the Taoyuan company early in the morning. They watched several firecrackers crackling loudly, and after the sound stopped, seventeen taxis drove out of the Taoyuan company.
"Mom, I'm going to pick up firecrackers. Xiao Ma likes to play with firecrackers" Zhao Linan said to Xu Tao.
On moving day, firecrackers were set off at the door of their house. A neighbor's child, named Xiao Ma, around six or seven years old, was clever and smart but a little mischievous. He was quite bold and loved excitement, especially firecrackers.
Zhao Linan seemed to always enjoy playing with older boys. Xu Tao didn’t mind, as long as the child was having fun.
"Go ahead!" Xu Tao nodded.
Zhao Linan grabbed a small stick and started digging through the pile of firecracker scraps, looking for unlit fireworks to bring home for Xiao Ma to play with.
While Zhao Linan was busy with his task, Xu Tao sat in the office of the small building, observing Zhao Weiguo, who seemed a bit anxious and worried.
"Are you nervous?"
"Yes" Zhao Weiguo admitted, nodding.
He had spent more than 300,000 to start a company and had been busy for days without rest. Behind Zhao Weiguo’s calm exterior, there was a lot of inner tension.
Today was the first day of operations for Taoyuan company, and it was a crucial day.
The profitability of the taxi business would become clear by 6 p.m., when the shift change occurred.
After one day of operation, they would know roughly how much profit the seventeen taxis had made.
"Don’t worry, I’ve already prepared to buy a house in June next year" Xu Tao said calmly, smiling.
"..."
Zhao Weiguo looked at Xu Tao. The man, who had been nervous, was now soothed by Xu Tao’s calm demeanor.
She was sitting there, reading a book, occasionally glancing out the window to check on Zhao Linan playing outside, then returning to her book with a relaxed smile.
Seeing Xu Tao like this, Zhao Weiguo felt his nervousness dissipate. "Seeing you like this, I feel less nervous."
Xu Tao really had a way of calming his emotions. At moments like this, she was both calm and confident.
If she could be so sure and confident, how could he, as a man, panic so easily?
"Zhao Weiguo, since you’re not doing anything, why don’t you arrange some work?" Xu Tao reminded Zhao Weiguo.
Zhao Weiguo had to record various details every day. The taxis didn’t have advanced equipment, so everything had to be manually recorded by Zhao Weiguo.
Every taxi had to be documented: who was on the morning shift, who was on the evening shift, when the shifts started, how much fuel was consumed, how many orders were completed, how much was earned, the costs after commissions, overtime after eight hours of work, and so on.
Zhao Weiguo had a lot to manage every day. Xu Tao, on the other hand, only needed to come to the company at the end of each month to calculate the wages.
Yes, Xu Tao also worked as the company’s accountant. She calculated everyone’s wages based on Zhao Weiguo’s daily records at the end of each month.
"Alright" Zhao Weiguo said, sitting at the desk and starting to write.
Xu Tao stayed with Zhao Weiguo in the office all day. For lunch, Zhao Weiguo went out to get takeout.
Zhao Linan brought his harmonica. Since he got it, the little harmonica had been hanging around his neck every day.
Whenever he remembered, he would take it out and play, though without any skill. Still, the sound made him happy, and he played happily by himself.
Zhao Linan played all day, and by evening, the child was tired and yawned, leaning on Xu Tao.
"I’ll take him back"
It was getting cold, and although there was a break room at the Taoyuan company, it was for the staff, not for visitors.
Xu Tao didn’t want to bring Zhao Linan there, as the little one was already sleepy. She decided to take him home.
"Alright" Zhao Weiguo nodded.
"Xiao Nan, let’s go home," Xu Tao called out to the child.
"Mm," Zhao Linan, still a bit drowsy, didn’t fall asleep completely. He shook his head and naturally reached out his hand to hold Xu Tao’s hand.
The trip from Taoyuan company to their home on Zhonglin Road wasn’t far—just a few minutes. Xu Tao slowly walked with Zhao Linan in tow.
The sun was setting, and a cool breeze was blowing.
Zhao Linan, though sleepy, felt a bit more awake when they got closer to home. Still, halfway there, he couldn’t resist and rubbed his eyes, acting a little spoiled toward Xu Tao.
"Mom, I want a hug."
Xu Tao looked down and saw the child was really tired. Sometimes Zhao Linan napped during the day, but today he was so sleepy because he had played so much on his own.
"Alright" Xu Tao couldn’t bear to see him struggling. She bent down and picked him up.
Zhao Linan rested in Xu Tao’s arms, feeling safe. His arms wrapped around Xu Tao’s neck, and he quickly fell asleep.
Xu Tao could feel the steady little breaths of the child in her arms. She hugged him tighter and walked quickly toward home.
When they reached home, other children in the alley were still playing by the door. They all stopped and watched Xu Tao and Zhao Linan as they entered.
Xu Tao smiled at the children, holding Zhao Linan and entering the house. She put him on the bed and placed the firecrackers Zhao Linan had picked up into an envelope on the nearby table.
After getting home, Xu Tao checked the time. She took a moment to write some of her novel and began preparing dinner around 6 p.m.
Zhao Weiguo didn’t return until it was almost dark, around 8 p.m.
Zhao Linan could have continued sleeping, but seeing that he had slept for several hours, Xu Tao feared he might wake up hungry in the middle of the night, so she woke him up for dinner.
"Why so late?" Xu Tao asked Zhao Weiguo while washing Zhao Linan’s face.
"The 6 AM shift has just ended. I finished my records before coming back," Zhao Weiguo replied with a smile on his face. "Would you like to ask how much the morning shift earned today?"
Zhao Weiguo was in a good mood, unusually proactive, and even encouraged Xu Tao to ask. It seemed like he wanted to share the news.
Xu Tao finished washing Zhao Linan's face, watched the child brush his teeth, gave him a pat on the bottom, and sent him off to dinner.
Then, she raised an eyebrow at Zhao Weiguo. "Let me guess? It should be around 1,000."
After roughly calculating the number of taxis, it seemed like it could be possible, but Xu Tao didn't bother calculating the exact amount.
"You're right" Zhao Weiguo smiled and nodded. "The morning shift today, with 17 cars, earned over 1,600."
"1,600, that's decent" Xu Tao nodded, satisfied with the number. "I just wonder how many passengers the night shift will have."
Xu Tao was worried that the night shift might have fewer passengers than the morning shift.
But thinking about it, these days, not all rich people are willing to pay for a ride, and not all of them have fixed working hours.
The night shift taxis should still do well.
"We'll know tomorrow morning" Zhao Weiguo replied, sounding much more relaxed than during the day.
He had roughly calculated the earnings on his way back. Even if the night shift barely earned anything, 1,600 every day meant that driving a taxi was still profitable.
Moreover, Zhao Weiguo believed that the night shift might not necessarily be less profitable, it could even make more than the day shift.
As it turned out, Zhao Weiguo was right.
The next morning, Zhao Weiguo woke up at around 5 AM and headed to the Taoyuan company.
The drivers on the night shift would hand over their work to the morning shift at 6 AM, and also report the vehicle mileage and passenger count from the night.
If before, everyone had some concerns about the night shift, after the morning shift handover yesterday, they were still uncertain, but after a whole night of driving, they all felt at ease.
The night shift taxis actually earned more than the day shift. After Zhao Weiguo completed the count for the 17 cars and saw the data, the man's tense mouth curled into a smile.
At noon, when Xu Tao made lunch and took it to Zhao Weiguo with Zhao Linan, before the food container was even placed down, Zhao Weiguo, with a face full of excitement, greeted them.
"Here, take a look for yourself." Zhao Weiguo showed an unusually proud and childish expression for the first time, his movements reminiscent of a student who scored a perfect 100 and eagerly handed the test paper to their parents.
Xu Tao raised an eyebrow as she took the registration form from Zhao Weiguo, glanced at the data, and saw the total earnings for both the morning and night shifts combined.
o0o