The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Wu Hui naturally felt sorry for her husband. After all, Ye Zhenhua was the only pillar of the family. He had to drive for more than ten hours a day and leave for work before dawn.
She wanted to move as soon as possible too, but they had to wait until their finances improved.
With Ye Zhenhua’s hand injured for several months, their family was barely making ends meet.
Their daily expenses had been covered by her and the children making beaded bracelets and hair clips, along with the two hundred yuan that the Zhao family generously gave them during tough times.
Sigh!
Thinking about all of this weighed heavily on Wu Hui’s heart.
“There are two cars coming back” Guo Pingping said, looking toward the front gate. She saw the cars pulling in and people getting out. “It’s Hua-ge.”
The moment Wu Hui heard that it was Hua-ge, she immediately turned her head. When she saw Ye Zhenhua, the exhaustion on her face disappeared in an instant.
Ye Zhenhua got out of the car and immediately noticed the group of women standing under the eaves of the small building. His eyes fell on his wife, Wu Hui.
“What are you doing here?” he asked as he walked over, his tone calm and ordinary.
“You left in a hurry this morning and forgot your lunch, so I brought it over”
Wu Hui lifting the bag she had been carrying to show him.
“Oh.” Ye Zhenhua nodded without saying anything else.
“Ah, when will I finally get a wife who brings me lunch too?”
Qin Yubin, who had returned with Ye Zhenhua, sighed dramatically. He was holding a bag of plain white steamed buns, likely planning to have them for lunch.
Pfft.
Xu Tao and the others chuckled at Qin Yubin’s lament.
“Hua-ge, your wife brought you lunch, and you’re still going to eat steamed buns with me?” Qin Yubin asked with a hint of grievance.
He had bumped into Ye Zhenhua on the way back to the company, and they had bought some steamed buns together for lunch. But when they arrived, he saw that Wu Hui had come to deliver lunch, which meant he would have to eat alone.
He had never thought being single was bad before. In fact, he used to enjoy it.
Especially when he saw his married comrades—every month, as soon as they received their salary, it was either sent home or handed over to their wives before they even had time to warm it in their pockets. He always felt a little sorry for them.
But lately, he had started to feel that being alone was actually quite pitiful.
Unlike these guys, who had wives bringing them lunch during the day and warming their beds at night.
Just thinking about it sounded pretty nice.
“You can eat by yourself” Ye Zhenhua said, a slight smile appearing on his usually stern face before he carried the lunch Wu Hui had brought and headed to the office.
Zhao Weiguo ate quickly. By the time Ye Zhenhua entered, he had already finished his meal and was taking his lunchbox outside to wash.
“Ge, even you have a wife bringing you lunch” Qin Yubin muttered, taking a big bite of his steamed bun while watching Zhao Weiguo wash his lunchbox with envy.
“You’re eating steamed buns for lunch?” Zhao Weiguo glanced at him.
“Yeah. Ge, my life is miserable. I wanted to buy meat buns, but they were sold out. Only steamed buns were left” Qin Yubin grumbled, taking another bite.
“Steamed buns are fine” Zhao Weiguo said with a nod.
Qin Yubin pulled a long face. “How are they fine? This is just suffering.”
Zhao Weiguo chuckled as he quickly washed his lunchbox under the faucet, drained the water, and packed it back into a bag.
“Sister-in-law Xu Tao, are you bringing lunch for Ge again tomorrow?”
Qin Yubin asked hopefully as he chewed his bun, his eyes lighting up when he saw Zhao Weiguo set his lunch bag on the table by the corridor.
“I probably will” Xu Tao replied with a nod.
She didn’t have much to do anyway, so bringing Zhao Linan lunch at noon was just an excuse to go out for a bit.
Besides, Zhonglin Road wasn’t far from Taoyuan Company, so it was also a chance to relax.
Of course, to make things easier, she could have asked Zhao Weiguo to bring a boxed meal instead.
But in this weather, food prepared in the morning would be cold by noon.
Since Xu Tao didn’t like eating cold meals, she wouldn’t let Zhao Weiguo eat them either.
She couldn’t bring herself to mistreat her own man.
“Can you make an extra portion for me tomorrow? I can pay for it” Qin Yubin asked expectantly. “I’m really tired of eating plain steamed buns.”
The reason he asked Xu Tao was simple—among all the wives, her cooking was the best. He looked forward to her meals the most.
Xu Tao was momentarily surprised by his request. She hadn’t expected it, but at the same time, an idea crossed her mind. Still, she shook her head and refused.
“No, I’m busy with work. Even making lunch for your brother Guo is already pushing it.”
She had too much on her plate. Writing novels alone took up a lot of her time, so there was no way she could take on cooking as well.
However, she did think it might be a good idea to assign a couple of people at the company to handle meal preparation.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner—after all, more than thirty men in the company needed to eat every day.
Qin Yubin looked instantly dejected. Sigh… destined to be separated from good food.
“Xiaobin, you don’t have to eat just steamed buns. I packed extra food for your brother Hua. Go have a few bites of his dishes”
Wu Hui suggested. She had a good impression of Ye Zhenhua’s men, and seeing Qin Yubin eating only plain buns made her feel bad.
“Of course, if you don’t mind my cooking, I can make an extra portion for you tomorrow. Your brother Hua can bring it over in the morning.”
Wu Hui had no intention of making money from it. Preparing one more meal was just a matter of cooking a little extra. However, she didn’t plan on delivering lunch tomorow.
The trip to Taoyuan Company was too far. Once they moved somewhere closer, she’d consider bringing meals again. For now, Ye Zhenhua would have to carry the food for her.
“Thank you, sister-in-law.”
Though Wu Hui’s cooking wasn’t as rich in oil and seasonings as Xu Tao’s, it was still better than eating plain steamed buns.
Qin Yubin decided that when Ye Zhenhua brought his meal the next day, he’d check the dishes and slip him fifty cents or a yuan as a thank-you.
“You’re welcome” Wu Hui smiled.
“Ah, ah!”
Ye Xiaohua, who was cradled in Xu Tao’s arms, suddenly let out small cries. The child was probably hungry and began reaching toward Wu Hui, pushing against Xu Tao’s arms in an attempt to escape.
“She must be hungry.”
Wu Hui immediately reached out to take Ye Xiaohua, walked over to a nearby table, and, without hesitation, lifted her shirt to nurse the child.
“…”
Xu Tao had just let go of the baby when she saw Wu Hui’s bold action. She froze for a moment before quickly looking away.
Ye Xiaohua was not even a year old and could only babble. Xu Tao had assumed the child was being fed formula as a supplement, but she hadn’t expected the little girl to still be nursing.
More surprising than that, Wu Hui had no reservations about breastfeeding in public.
While Xu Tao was taken aback, Guo Pingping didn’t seem fazed at all.
Xu Tao glanced at the two women, then at the many drivers who were gradually returning to the company for lunch. She instinctively shifted slightly to block Wu Hui from view.
“Sister-in-law, do you want to use an empty room inside?”
“There’s no need to be so formal.”
Having given birth to four daughters, Wu Hui was long accustomed to feeding her children whenever and wherever they got hungry. She felt no discomfort at all.
In this era, people were quite accepting of breastfeeding in public. It was seen as something completely normal. It seemed like Xu Tao was the only one who found it a bit hard to get used to.
“That little girl must have been starving. She’s eating with such intensity!”
Guo Pingping laughed as she glanced at Wu Hui. Having given birth herself, she found breastfeeding nothing out of the ordinary. Seeing Ye Xiaohua’s little face working so hard, she couldn’t help but tease.
“…”
Xu Tao pressed her lips together awkwardly and quickly shifted her gaze toward the men inside the office.
There were over a dozen men—some sitting inside, others standing outside—casually eating their lunches.
Some had brought boxed meals from home, while others, like Qin Yubin, were eating steamed buns, dumplings, or flatbreads.
As for those who had meals specially delivered, it was just Xu Tao and a few familiar faces.
Xu Tao even saw some drivers bringing their own lunchboxes, which had long gone cold. However, they didn't mind and ate quickly, washed their lunchboxes, and rushed back to driving their taxis.
People nowadays take their work very seriously. Xu Tao and Zhao Weiguo had discussed that since they joined the company, everyone would have a 40-minute lunch break.
However, these drivers would finish their lunch, chat casually for a few minutes, and then return to work one by one. They are very diligent.
Xu Tao didn’t want to take on the responsibility of cooking for Qin Yubin, but she could ask Guo Pingping and Wu Hui to help. Since they didn’t have jobs anyway, they would probably be willing.
And that was exactly the case—both Guo Pingping and Wu Hui readily agreed.
Neither of them even asked about the pay. Guo Pingping only looked at Xu Tao with some hesitation and said, “Sister-in-law, I’m not very good at cooking. But trust me, I can learn. I’ll go home and practice.”
“I can cook, but I’d say it’s just okay—not as good as yours” Wu Hui admitted.
Both of them had eaten Xu Tao’s cooking before and knew how skilled she was in the kitchen. They considered themselves decent cooks, but compared to her, there was simply no competition.
“You can buy a couple of simple cookbooks and practice. Cooking isn’t that hard”
Xu Tao reassured them. She didn’t expect them to cook like professional chefs—just making edible meals was already better than letting a group of taxi drivers eat cold food every day.
Besides, if the company had a cafeteria, she wouldn’t have to send boxed meals to Zhao Weiguo anymore. And if she ever didn’t feel like cooking, she and Zhao Linan could simply stop by the company to eat.
“Alright, we’ll learn”
Guo Pingping and Wu Hui exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up with the determination to earn money.
Unlike Xu Tao, who had a job and a stable income, they had no source of earnings. As women, the thought of having work and making money thrilled them.
“You’re not even asking about the salary?” Xu Tao asked with a smile.
Guo Pingping shook her head earnestly. “No need. I trust you.”
For some reason, she just had complete faith in Xu Tao.
To her, Xu Tao was young, beautiful, smart, and educated. She had always assumed that someone like that would be out of her reach, someone she’d never even get to know. But
Xu Tao wasn’t arrogant or condescending, she was easy to get along with and always acted with consideration.
Just like how Li Jianshu deeply admired Zhao Weiguo, Guo Pingping truly respected Xu Tao.
Li Jianshu had told her that Xu Tao wrote books and even got them published. Writing books! Guo Pingping could barely recognize all the characters in a sentence.
She admired Xu Tao’s talent so much. And when she heard that Xu Tao earned even more than Zhao Weiguo, her admiration only deepened.
“I trust you too” Wu Hui nodded.
Yesterday, Ye Zhenhua had driven all day. He knew exactly how much money he had made and how much commission he got, and he had shared it with Wu Hui.
Both of them agreed that Xu Tao was impressive—\, better than most men, yet she carried herself with effortless grace.
“Alright then, I’ll think about it tonight and discuss it with Zhao Weiguo as well” Xu Tao said with a smile.
She didn’t know why Guo Pingping and Wu Hui trusted her so much, but she wasn’t going to let them down.
By noon, most of the drivers who had come back to the Taoyuan Company for lunch had already headed back out for work.
Xu Tao checked the time and saw that it was getting late, so she called Zhao Linan, who was still wandering around, to go home.
Wu Hui and Guo Pingping were also getting ready to leave with their children.
The three of them carried their lunchboxes and left the company together, only parting ways at an intersection to head to their respective homes.
“Mom, Xiao Nan wants to come see the big cars every day” Zhao Linan said, skipping along while holding Xu Tao’s hand.
“You really like big cars that much?”
“Mhm, I do,\” Zhao Linan nodded enthusiastically.
Seeing how serious the little boy was, Xu Tao pursed her lips and asked, “Then do you like Mommy more or the big cars more?”
“…Huh?” Zhao Linan blinked, coming to a complete stop as his tiny legs froze in place.
He was actually hesitating! Did that mean she was tied with a car in his heart?
Feeling a little hurt, Xu Tao crouched down and looked at him.
“Oh no, Mommy loves Xiao Nan the most, but Xiao Nan doesn’t love Mommy the most. Mommy is so sad! Boohoo…” She pretended to wipe away tears.
“Mommy, don’t cry!”
Zhao Linan panicked immediately. He flung his little arms around her and hugged her tight. “Xiao Nan loves Mommy the most! I don’t like cars anymore!”
“Really?” Xu Tao held him in her arms, pretending to doubt his words.
Zhao Linan called out to Xu Tao and turned his head to kiss her cheek.
Xu Tao suddenly felt much stronger as she held the child in her arms, taking the little one home with her.
o0o
The next day, Zhao Weiguo stayed at Taoyuan Company until after seven before finally getting off work.
Xu Tao deliberately cooked dinner late so she could wait for him, while Zhao Linan, feeling hungry, had a small snack.
"You don't have to wait for me to eat" Zhao Weiguo said, knowing what time the family usually had dinner.
Back when he worked in transportation, he would almost always get off work on time and have dinner around six o'clock.
Now that Xu Tao was waiting for him, they were eating closer to eight.
He didn’t mind. He could eat anything and go hungry for a while if necessary. But the thought of making Xu Tao and Zhao Linan wait for him was something he couldn’t bear.
"It's just a little later, it's fine"
Xu Tao replied. What she didn’t say was that she had grown used to the three of them eating together. If Zhao Weiguo wasn’t there for dinner, she didn’t even feel like cooking.
After all, it was just her and Zhao Linan, and they didn’t eat much. But when Zhao Weiguo joined them, it was completely different.
He ate fast, wasn’t picky, and had a good appetite. Sitting together with him at the table, both she and Zhao Linan would end up eating a little more.
"If you're hungry, eat with Xiao Nan first. Don't wait for me next time" Zhao Weiguo told Xu Tao, making a mental note to get off work earlier tomorrow.
"Alright" Xu Tao agreed, picking up some food for Zhao Linan. "By the way, I wanted to discuss something with you."
"What is it?" Zhao Weiguo asked as he ate, glancing at Xu Tao while grabbing another bite.
"I’ve been observing things at the company for the past two days and noticed that most people either bring their own lunchboxes or just grab something simple like steamed buns or flatbreads for lunch"
Xu Tao had noticed it yesterday—very few people, like Zhao Weiguo, actually went out to buy a proper meal.
At first, she thought maybe they just hadn’t gotten used to things yet or weren’t prepared. But when the same thing happened today, she realized that even those who brought food from home were eating very basic meals.
"That's just how work is these days. It was the same when I was doing transportation" Zhao Weiguo replied, unsurprised.
Back then, if he couldn’t go home for lunch, he would grab some steamed buns or flatbreads—just enough to fill his stomach. It wasn’t like he could afford to go to a restaurant every day and eat lavishly.
"I know, but I still want to open a small canteen at the company," Xu Tao said.
"A small canteen?" Zhao Weiguo raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. Guo Pingping and Wu Hui don’t have much to do anyway, so I was thinking they could manage the company’s canteen. We could have them work in shifts for breakfast and lunch, with a salary structure similar to the taxi drivers—a base salary of thirty yuan plus a fifteen-yuan housing allowance."
Forty-five yuan wasn’t a lot, but for Guo Pingping and Wu Hui, having a stable job would be something they’d appreciate.
Xu Tao had already calculated the daily earnings of the taxi service. Since many people bought food outside anyway, having an in-house canteen would make things more convenient for everyone.
"It's not a bad idea, but not everyone will want to eat at the company" Zhao Weiguo pointed out.
He knew his fellow veterans well. Many of them were used to hardship, that was why Xu Tao had noticed their simple meals.
Some of them had been out of the military for a while but hadn’t found stable jobs, so they were careful with money.
Those who had families were even more frugal, trying to save as much as possible for their wives and children.
"How about this? Tomorrow, ask everyone if they’d be interested in eating at the canteen. If they agree, each person can pay ten yuan a month for meals, and Taoyuan Company will match that amount with a ten-yuan subsidy. That way, each person contributes twenty yuan per month, which should be enough for decent meals. Also, the company will cover the salaries for Guo Pingping and Wu Hui."
Xu Tao had done the math earlier. Including Zhao Weiguo, the company had thirty-five male drivers across the morning and evening shifts.
If each one contributed ten yuan, that would be 350 yuan, plus the company’s subsidy, making it 700 yuan per month.
Seven hundred yuan would be more than enough for Guo Pingping and Wu Hui to buy groceries and prepare meals. It would definitely be a better option than lunchboxes or plain steamed buns.
To be honest, Xu Tao wasn’t doing this purely out of kindness or because she had extra money to spare. She knew this was a considerable expense, but she also recognized how hard these drivers worked.
Based on the earnings from the first day of operations, even after deducting rental fees, fuel costs, wages, and commissions, Taoyuan Company was still making a decent profit every month.
After calculating these numbers, Xu Tao felt confident about the plan.
"Why do people like each other when they’re young but fail to recognize each other when they grow up?"
Zhao Weiguo looked at the book and voiced his confusion.
Xu Tao’s writing was actually quite interesting, but Zhao Weiguo, a straightforward and logical man, found some parts hard to understand.
"And here, during the misunderstanding, they could have easily explained everything. Why didn’t they?"
They could clear things up, but instead, they chose not to. That just made both of them sad and full of misunderstandings.
How strange!
Xu Tao raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Maybe it's because girls like to let guys figure things out for themselves"
"But if she doesn’t say anything, how would the guy ever understand?"
"If he doesn’t understand, why would she bother saying anything?" Xu Tao arched an eyebrow at Zhao Weiguo. "Like right now, for example. I’m explaining it to you, and you still don’t get it, do you?"
"Are you trying to confuse me on purpose?" Zhao Weiguo couldn’t help but laugh.
Xu Tao bared her teeth in mock annoyance and snatched the book from his hands. "Just read it! Why do you have to nitpick?"
Zhao Weiguo’s hands were suddenly empty. He watched as Xu Tao put the book on the table and shoved one of his usual military books into his hands.
"This suits you better—serious and logical!"
A grown man reading romance novels? Ridiculous!
"Fine, fine."
Zhao Weiguo chuckled helplessly as he accepted the book. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Xu Tao sitting by the table, applying Osmanthus-scented cream to her face.
"Honestly, it was a pretty good read. Why don’t you let me finish it? I promise I won’t ask any more questions."
"No way. You’re not getting it back" Xu Tao grinned mischievously at Zhao Weiguo.
Pfft—
Zhao Weiguo couldn’t hold back his laughter. He also realized that his earlier questions had probably annoyed her.
"Is it really that serious?"
"Yes, it is!" Xu Tao finished applying the cream and turned to glare at him. "This is a writer’s last shred of dignity! Now turn off the lights and go to sleep."
With an air of authority, Xu Tao issued her command to Zhao Weiguo, then flicked off the lamp and climbed into bed.
The weather was getting colder. Zhao Weiguo had been sitting on the bed for a while, so it was already warm. Without hesitation, Xu Tao scooted closer to him, snuggling into his embrace. Held in his arms, she slept soundly through the night.
o0o