The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
"Does the night shift really bring in 1,700?" Xu Tao asked as she looked at the numbers on the log sheet.
On the first day of business for Taoyuan Taxi Company, the total income from seventeen taxis operating both day and night shifts amounted to 3,300 yuan—300 yuan more than Xu Tao had initially estimated.
"Yes" Zhao Weiguo nodded with a smile.
"I didn't expect the night shift to bring in so much" Xu Tao smiled as she placed the log sheet on the table.
"Me neither!" Zhao Weiguo admitted. The fact that the night shift had earned more than the day shift was unexpected, and the thought of it made the smile on his lips impossible to suppress.
Seeing Zhao Weiguo's smile and the anticipation still evident on his face, Xu Tao couldn't help but praise him. "Zhao Weiguo, you're amazing."
This amazing man was hers! Just thinking about it made her happy.
Zhao Weiguo kept looking at Xu Tao, waiting for her to say something more. When he finally heard her compliment, his smile deepened, reaching his dark eyes.
Xu Tao gazed at Zhao Weiguo and suddenly found him a little adorable. She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then quickly tiptoed and planted a kiss on his cheek.
The kiss landed with an audible smack.
Zhao Weiguo froze for a moment, staring at the woman before him. His gaze lingered on her vibrant red lips.
"A reward" Xu Tao said with a grin, noticing his expression.
Zhao Weiguo had been doing exceptionally well lately. Since he had worked so hard, he deserved both praise and a reward.
Xu Tao knew better than anyone how much pressure he had been under.
Now, seeing his eyes light up with happiness just because of a simple compliment, and the confidence returning to his face, she felt even more inclined to encourage him.
And so, she kissed him.
Zhao Weiguo stared at Xu Tao's lips for a full three seconds before his large hands suddenly reached out, grabbing her by the waist. With a firm motion, he spun her around and pressed her against the desk.
"Mm…" Xu Tao tilted her head slightly, welcoming his kiss.
Zhao Weiguo cupped her face with both hands, leaned down, and sealed her lips with his own. His kiss started gentle, savoring the moment.
What was meant to be a simple reward quickly escalated. Zhao Weiguo took control, deepening the kiss, making it more passionate and dominant.
Xu Tao felt as if he was drawing out all the air and strength from her body. She clung to his coat, trying to keep up with his intense rhythm.
Cough, cough!!!
A woman's awkward throat-clearing suddenly echoed from the office doorway.
Lost in the moment, Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo hadn't noticed anyone entering. The unexpected sound made Xu Tao freeze in embarrassment. Instinctively, she buried her face against Zhao Weiguo’s chest.
Zhao Weiguo held her tightly, keeping her head pressed against him. He turned his face toward the doorway and saw Guo Pingping standing there, holding a lunchbox in one hand and a child’s hand in the other, looking utterly embarrassed.
"…"
Zhao Weiguo was thick-skinned enough not to care, but even he was at a loss for words.
If he felt awkward, then Xu Tao must have wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground.
"I never realized you two had such a strong bond" Guo Pingping teased, her voice filled with amusement.
Being from Sichuan, she had always been straightforward. While the sight had surprised her at first, seeing Xu Tao’s face turn completely red and how she refused to lift her head made Guo Pingping relax.
Honestly, she hadn't expected Zhao Weiguo and his wife to be this affectionate. Kissing in the office in the middle of the day?
She was two years older than Xu Tao. After marrying Li Jianshu, their relationship had settled into the routine of a typical married couple.
Their conversations had shifted from romance to mundane topics like groceries and household expenses.
Passionate kisses? That was something she couldn't even imagine anymore.
At this point, she and her husband had reached that phase where even a simple peck could make them cringe for hours. They were nothing like this lovey-dovey couple.
"It's fine, it's just my sister-in-law" Zhao Weiguo reassured Xu Tao.
Xu Tao, still buried in his chest, felt like dying from embarrassment. Her earlier idea of giving him a 'reward' now seemed like the worst decision ever.
The job was switched. Because of Zhan Yue’s connections, the transportation company readily agreed to change the worker for the transport job.
However, they also stated that since the worker was replaced, the two days Li Jianshu had already worked would not be counted.
Li Jianshu had wasted two days for nothing, which made Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo feel somewhat guilty.
"Sister-in-law, what are you saying? There's nothing to feel guilty about. It’s just two days of transport work—what’s the big deal? I actually think driving a taxi is pretty good"
Guo Pingping placed the bag containing aluminum lunch boxes on the table beside her. When she heard Xu Tao mention Li Jianshu changing jobs, she didn’t seem upset at all.
When Li Jianshu got home, he had already explained everything to her. She also knew that Qiu Tianyong’s wife, Zhang Shufen, had caused a fuss demanding the job, which led to the sudden change.
Zhao Weiguo and his wife were actually in a difficult position. Even though Guo Pingping wasn’t highly educated or particularly forward-thinking, she wasn’t someone who didn’t know how to appreciate kindness.
She had a good impression of Zhao Weiguo and Xu Tao. Besides, the transportation job had originally been given to Li Jianshu by Zhao Weiguo.
Before handing it over, Zhao Weiguo had already mentioned his plans to start a taxi company.
He had even asked for Li Jianshu’s opinion, letting him know that if he didn’t want to do transportation work, he didn’t have to.
Li Jianshu and his wife had seriously considered the transport job before taking it. They had already prepared themselves mentally.
If driving a taxi turned out to be more profitable than transport work, they would accept it with an open mind.
After all, a transportation job was something many people dreamed of getting, it was a golden opportunity.
Guo Pingping understood that Zhao Weiguo had treated her husband well. She also knew that Zhang Shufen had wanted her own husband to get the transport job.
Zhang Shufen had brought it up before, yet Zhao Weiguo still gave the job to Li Jianshu. As Li Jianshu’s wife, she would always remember the Zhao family’s kindness.
She wasn’t someone who couldn’t see the bigger picture. On the contrary, she was deeply grateful to Zhao Weiguo and his wife.
If it weren’t for Zhang Shufen’s dissatisfaction and insistence on causing trouble, the job swap wouldn’t have happened so suddenly.
Of course, before yesterday, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable about it. She even harbored some resentment toward Zhang Shufen.
After all, there was no guarantee that driving a taxi would be profitable, but they all knew that transportation work paid well.
Guo Pingping didn’t mind what kind of work Li Jianshu did, as long as he could support their family. Whether it was driving a taxi or doing transport work, she would support him.
She stood by her husband, understood Zhao Weiguo and his wife, yet she also despised Zhang Shufen’s blatant scheming. In her eyes, Zhang Shufen didn’t even bother pretending—her behavior was too shameless.
But yesterday, after Li Jianshu finished his first taxi shift and came home, they sat down together and did the calculations. After driving for one day, he earned a commission of over ten yuan.
They weren’t fools. If he could consistently make that amount every day, then at the end of the month, combined with his base salary, he would be making at least 400 yuan.
Earning 400 yuan a month was no small sum. The taxis were brand-new too, each costing over 20,000 yuan. On top of that, he wouldn’t be exposed to the wind and rain while working.
Most importantly, he wouldn’t have to travel long distances or carry heavy cargo. After doing the math, they weren’t upset at all—in fact, they were grateful.
At the same time, Guo Pingping couldn’t help but feel a bit smug. She knew that after all her scheming, Zhang Shufen had ended up losing out on both ends. It was laughable.
"Thank you for understanding" Xu Tao said sincerely. She truly didn’t want Guo Pingping to feel any resentment, even though the ones who had acted foolishly were Zhang Shufen and her husband.
"We understand, we understand! Oh, my Jianshu is back." Guo Pingping’s gaze shifted toward the outside.
She saw two taxis driving up and spotted Li Jianshu getting out. Immediately, she smiled happily and nudged her daughter beside her. "Pandi, your father is back."
Guo Pingping’s daughter was always clinging to her mother, but she was also quite attached to her father, Li Jianshu. Upon hearing his name, the little girl let go of her mother’s hand and turned to run outside the office.
Before Li Jianshu even reached the door, he saw his daughter running toward him. Grinning, he picked her up in his arms.
"Pandi, what are you doing here?"
"Bringing you food" Li Pandie replied in a soft voice.
Li Jianshu nodded. "Oh, I see! My Pandie is such a good girl." Holding her in one arm, he gently patted her head with his free hand.
Xu Tao didn’t continue the conversation and signaled Zhao Weiguo to have lunch while she took the registration form outside to record the details of each vehicle.
As soon as Zhao Linan arrived at the taxi company, he played by himself outside. He held a tiny toy car in his hand, placing it next to a taxi while making sound effects with his mouth, completely absorbed in his own little world.
Kids don’t get bored easily, which put Xu Tao at ease, but the weather was cold. Watching him run around, she worried he might catch a cold.
“The sun is shining over there. Go play under the eaves instead.”
“No, I’m fine!” Zhao Linan shook his head.
Xu Tao sighed, squatted down, and lifted the hem of his shirt to check inside. Feeling the damp fabric sticking to his skin, her expression turned serious.
“You’re already sweating, and you’re still running around? Do you want to get sick and end up with an injection and medicine?”
If she hadn’t noticed in time, the sweat would have cooled and been absorbed back into his body, making him uncomfortable at night.
“…” Zhao Linan immediately lowered his head guiltily.
Without another word, Xu Tao picked him up and carried him back to the small building.
She took a washbasin that Zhao Weiguo had bought and filled it with warm water before wetting a towel. Then, she used it to wipe the sweat off his back.
“Mom, it’s warm.”
“Mm.”
“Mom, I really love cars.”
“I know.”
“Mom, kiss” Zhao Linan chattered away as she wiped his sweat, then puckered his lips, asking for a kiss.
Xu Tao suddenly recalled the embarrassing moment she had with Zhao Weiguo earlier and pinched the child’s cheek.
“No more running around, understand? Or else, I’ll spank you.”
“Mm, I got it, Mom.” Zhao Linan nodded obediently.
“He’s only going to get more mischievous in a year or so”
Guo Pingping remarked as she stepped outside with her daughter, Li Pandi. Seeing Xu Tao wiping Zhao Linan’s sweat while he giggled and squirmed, she couldn’t help but sigh.
“No need to wait that long. He’s already a handful now” Xu Tao replied, pinching the child’s nose.
Luckily, despite being playful, Zhao Linan knew his limits. He understood where Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo drew the line and never dared to push them too far. Otherwise, Xu Tao wouldn’t hesitate to give him a taste of discipline.
“I wish my daughter was half as lively as yours. She’s so quiet that she barely says a word all day, and it worries me!” Guo Pingping sighed, glancing at her daughter.
Back in their hometown, Li Pandi was constantly scolded and pinched by her grandmother, but Guo Pingping hadn’t realized it at first.
Living in a rural area, she had countless chores every day, cutting grass for the pigs, feeding the cattle, cooking, washing clothes, and working in the fields. Life in the village meant waking up to an endless list of tasks.
Because of this, she often left Li Pandi in her mother-in-law’s care.
It wasn’t until her daughter grew increasingly timid that she discovered the abuse. By then, the damage was done—Li Pandi had developed a deep psychological scar.
Even when playing with other children in the village, she never fought back when pushed or grabbed.
“Let her spend more time playing with other kids” Xu Tao suggested, glancing at Li Pandi. The little girl really was too quiet.
She had met her twice before and had only heard her speak once. That was far too little for a child her age.
“She won’t! There are several girls her age in our alley who play together—jump rope, cat’s cradle, hide and seek—they have so much fun. But she just stands on the side watching, like a wooden post”
Guo Pingping sighed in frustration, unsure how to change her daughter’s behavior.
Hearing this, Xu Tao looked at Li Pandi again. Compared to her, Zhao Linan was like a little chatterbox.
“If nothing works, take her to see a doctor.” Xu Tao had heard of children who became withdrawn and later developed autism.
That was why, from the beginning, she had encouraged Zhao Linan to talk as much as possible. She didn’t want him to become too quiet. Fortunately, he grew up healthy and cheerful, always chatting away beside her.
But looking at Li Pandi now, things didn’t seem right. If what Guo Pingping said was true, the girl might already be struggling to connect with other children. That was serious.
“Do kids really need a doctor just because they don’t like talking?” Guo Pingping looked puzzled.
A child being quiet and not wanting to play, could a doctor really fix that?
“I’m just suggesting you take her for a check-up.” But Xu Tao wasn’t sure how much attention hospitals in this era paid to childhood autism.
She didn’t know much about it, but she did know that many families overlooked these issues, allowing their children to grow up without proper guidance.
After all, most parents raised their kids by letting them grow wild.
“Think about it—aside from you and Li Jianshu, she barely talks to anyone. If it’s just shyness, that’s one thing. But if it’s a real condition, early diagnosis and treatment can help. When it comes to kids, it’s always better to be cautious.” From what she could see, Li Pandi’s situation wasn’t extreme yet.
But if no one took it seriously and let her continue like this, things could get much worse over time.
“…Alright.” Guo Pingping felt uneasy but decided to take Xu Tao’s advice.
"Mommy, when will I grow up?" Zhao Linan asked, feeling left out as Xu Tao and Guo Pingping chatted. He tugged at Xu Tao's sleeve, looking sullen.
Ever since Zhao Weiguo told him that he could drive once he grew up, Zhao Linan had been obsessed with the idea. He woke up early every day and constantly asked when he would finally grow up.
"In fifteen more birthdays"
"Fifteen birthdays!" Zhao Linan had a strong impression of birthdays. "Then, Mommy can I have my birthday today, then again tomorrow, and finish them all at once so I can grow up and drive?"
"No!" Xu Tao snapped, resisting the urge to flick his forehead.
Hearing that, Zhao Linan let out a disappointed "Oh." Then, he huffed, "I'm going to find Daddy. Daddy lied to me." With that, the little boy stomped off toward the house.
"Your Xiao Nan is so funny" Guo Pingping said, amused. Seeing how well Xu Tao took care of Zhao Linan, she couldn't help but glance down at her own daughter, feeling a bit conflicted.
Xu Tao was Zhao Weiguo's second wife. His first wife had passed away due to complications during childbirth.
Zhao Weiguo had never hidden this fact, but after marrying Xu Tao and seeing how she and Zhao Linan interacted like a real mother and son, people gradually forgot that Xu Tao was actually his stepmother.
There was no denying it—Xu Tao was truly remarkable, and she genuinely cared for Zhao Linan.
"Funny? More like getting harder to handle," Xu Tao remarked as she watched the little boy’s retreating figure.
Zhao Linan ran into the office, where Zhao Weiguo and Li Jianshu were having lunch. He dashed over to Zhao Weiguo’s side.
"Daddy, you said Xiao Nan could drive when he grows up" Zhao Linan whined, clinging to Zhao Weiguo’s pant leg and looking up at him with big, accusing eyes.
"That's right"
"But Xiao Nan has to wait a really, really long time to grow up!" Zhao Linan pouted. "Daddy, Xiao Nan wants to drive now!"
"Open your mouth" Zhao Weiguo said, paying no attention to his complaints. He picked up a small slice of chili with his chopsticks.
"Ah!" Zhao Linan instinctively opened his mouth.
"Eat it."
Obediently, Zhao Linan took a bite. The moment the spicy heat spread through his mouth, his face twisted. "Waaah!"
Letting go of Zhao Weiguo’s leg, he turned around and bolted back to Xu Tao, feeling utterly wronged.
Bad Daddy bullied him again!
"Mommy!" Zhao Linan cried as he ran.
Xu Tao was talking to Guo Pingping when she noticed Wu Hui arriving at the company with her young daughter. Just then, Zhao Linan's loud voice rang out behind her.
"What now?" Xu Tao asked, exasperated.
"Chili! Daddy made Xiao Nan eat chili!" Zhao Linan rushed to Xu Tao’s side, complaining pitifully.
This little guy was like a reed in the wind—whenever he felt wronged by Zhao Weiguo, he ran straight to Xu Tao.
And when Xu Tao scolded him, he would scurry back to Zhao Weiguo, though the latter usually took more pleasure in teasing him.
"Open your mouth, let me see" Xu Tao said, playing along.
"Ah!" The little boy opened wide.
"Hmm, Daddy is bad. We won’t talk to him" Xu Tao said after a quick glance.
His lips were only slightly red. She knew exactly what kind of chili she had used—it wasn’t even that spicy. So, she simply humored him.
Immediately, Zhao Linan looked as if he had won over an ally. He nodded seriously, agreeing, "Mm! We won’t talk to Daddy! Daddy is bad!"
"Pfft, how is your daddy bad?" Wu Hui asked as she walked over, overhearing his declaration.
"Sis-in-law" Guo Pingping and Xu Tao greeted her together.
"Zhao Weiguo fed him a slice of chili, and now he’s all upset"
Xu Tao noticing Wu Hui was sweating from exhaustion, she reached out to take the little girl in her arms. The child was well-behaved and didn't fuss.
"This company is too far from my place. Carrying her all the way from Lao Ba Alley took me almost an hour" Wu Hui sighed.
She had come to deliver lunch to Ye Zhenhua. He had left in a hurry that morning and forgot his aluminum lunchbox, so she had to bring it over.
But she couldn't bear to spend money on a ride, so she had walked the entire way while carrying the child.
o0o