The Daily Life of a Stepmother in the 1980s
Taoyuan Company is developing well. The next day, Zhao Weiguo arrived at the company and, during the shift change, asked the employees about their thoughts on opening a small cafeteria.
When everyone heard that they only needed to pay ten yuan a month for meals and could eat three meals a day at the company, almost no one objected.
At noon, Xu Tao continued bringing Zhao Linan along to deliver lunch to Zhao Weiguo. During their visit, Zhao Weiguo informed them that the proposal for the small cafeteria had been unanimously approved.
Guo Pingping and Wu Hui initially had no plans to deliver lunch to Taoyuan Company that day.
However, after Xu Tao mentioned the idea of opening a small cafeteria yesterday, they became very eager. As a result, both of them rushed over to the company one after the other.
"Sister-in-law!"
Guo Pingping, holding her daughter, saw Li Jianshu and casually shoved the meal bag into his hands before excitedly heading toward Xu Tao.
Li Jianshu looked at Guo Pingping speechlessly, took the box lunch helplessly and went to eat. He knew anyway that he was just a tool for eating. Compared to work, he had absolutely no status in his wife's eyes.
Wu Hui arrived shortly after, carrying her little daughter. She was sweating and out of breath but still looked at Xu Tao with eager anticipation.
Neither of them directly mentioned the cafeteria, but their expressions said it all.
"Once the cafeteria opens, there will be morning and evening shifts. Just like the taxi drivers, you’ll need to rotate shifts. The salary is thirty yuan, plus a fifteen-yuan housing allowance. Can you accept that?" Xu Tao asked with a smile.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Guo Pingping nodded repeatedly.
Forty-five yuan in total was already a decent salary. There was no reason to refuse. Having a job and an income was more than enough to satisfy her.
"I can accept it too" Wu Hui said, nodding while holding Ye Xiaohua.
"Alright then. I’ll prepare two rooms on the first floor—one for the kitchen and the other as a dining area. Do you have anything urgent at noon? If not, let’s clean up together. Your wages will start today." Xu Tao never wasted time.
The taxi drivers’ lunch was the same as yesterday. Xu Tao wanted to get the small cafeteria up and running as soon as possible to ensure they had proper meals.
Besides, the weather was getting colder. More people would be willing to spend money on taxis rather than endure the chilly air on a three-wheeled scooter. Given the conditions, who wouldn’t prefer sitting in a warm taxi?
That meant the taxi drivers would only get busier. Xu Tao saw this as an indirect way to take care of the employees.
"We have nothing urgent. Not at all!"
Guo Pingping and Wu Hui quickly shook their heads, answering enthusiastically.
Even if Xu Tao hadn’t offered to pay them, they would still be happy to help.
"Great, let’s get started!" Xu Tao called them over to begin cleaning.
Wu Hui immediately handed Ye Xiaohua to Ye Zhenhua, who was eating lunch. Seeing his daughter placed in his arms, Ye Zhenhua had no choice but to eat while holding her.
Xu Tao was preparing to open the small cafeteria, and it was clear that Guo Pingping and Wu Hui would be the main staff.
Their husbands, Li Jianshu and Ye Zhenhua, had heard all about it from their wives the night before. So, after lunch, instead of heading straight back to work as usual, they stayed to help.
Ye Zhenhua placed little Ye Xiaohua on the corridor by the door. "Xiaohua, sit here and play by yourself. Daddy needs to help Mommy."
Without waiting to see if Ye Xiaohua understood, he turned and went inside to assist.
Xu Tao had been worried at first and tried to persuade Wu Hui to take a break and watch the child instead. However, Wu Hui was determined to help and even carried bricks while letting her daughter play outside.
Surprisingly, Ye Xiaohua was extremely well-behaved. The one-year-old girl sat quietly under the eaves, playing with her fingers and not making a fuss.
She really was a tough little kid! Xu Tao was amazed. Then, she glanced at Zhao Linan and called him over.
"Xiao Nan, keep an eye on your sister. Xiao Pandi, you too."
Guo Ping Ping's daughter, Li Pan Di, was also sitting on the small steps nearby. The little girl sat quietly, clutching a small plastic bouncy ball in her hand.
When she heard Xu Tao's words, she didn't say anything but nodded in understanding.
Li Jian Shu and Ye Zhen Hua couldn't help for long. Both of them had to drive taxis, so once it was mealtime over, they had to get back to work.
Before long, the responsibilities of the Taoyuan Company's small canteen fell mostly on the women.
Xu Tao and the other two quickly moved the bricks and brought over the cement. These materials had been prepared earlier when the small building was being renovated, stored away by Zhao Wei Guo. Now, they were coming in handy.
"Zhao Wei Guo, do you know how to build a large stove?"
After moving the cement and bricks, Xu Tao and the others were at a loss about what to do next.
"I do"
Zhao Wei Guo really seemed to know a little bit about everything. At that moment, he was still in the office, recording various forms.
When Xu Tao asked, he handed over the easier task. "You go calculate this morning's accounts. I'll go mix the cement."
"Alright" Xu Tao nodded, taking the forms and beginning to calculate how much each person had earned and their commissions.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wei Guo brought over a bag of cement, poured it out, and then added two bags of sand before starting to mix them together.
Zhao Li Nan had been running around outside but was called back by Xu Tao to watch over his sister. After watching for a while, he realized neither of the girls paid him any attention. Ye Xiao Hua couldn't speak, and Li Pan Di didn't want to talk.
Zhao Li Nan soon grew bored. He turned and wandered into the kitchen, just in time to see Zhao Wei Guo squatting on the ground, mixing cement.
The little boy eagerly ran over and squatted beside him, asking with a serious face. "Daddy, are you playing with mud?"
"This isn't mud" Zhao Wei Guo replied with a brief explanation.
Zhao Li Nan was at an age where everything fascinated him, and he loved asking endless questions.
At first, Zhao Wei Guo had tried to answer patiently, but his patience had been worn down by the child's constant, nonsensical inquiries. Now, he avoided answering whenever possible.
"But it looks like mud!" Zhao Li Nan pouted and reached out.
"Daddy, I want to play too." He eyed the cement trowel in Zhao Wei Guo's hand and stretched out his little hands to grab it.
On instinct, Zhao Wei Guo moved the trowel away, about to tell him that little kids shouldn't play with this.
But before he could finish, Zhao Li Nan, who was barely over three years old, lost his balance while squatting. Perhaps because little children are often top-heavy, he suddenly toppled forward, right into the wet cement.
"…"
Zhao Wei Guo froze, gripping the trowel in both hands.
He had never expected Zhao Li Nan, who hardly ever stumbled while walking, to suddenly dive headfirst into the cement. It all happened so fast and too quickly to react.
With a loud clatter, Zhao Wei Guo dropped the trowel, stood up, and bent down to carefully lift the little boy out of the cement, pulling him up like a radish from the ground.
"WUAHHH!!!"
As soon as Zhao Li Nan was out and could breathe again, he let out a loud, wailing cry, his head completely covered in cement.
Xu Tao, who was in the office next door, suddenly heard the child's cries. Alarmed, she put down her pen and rushed out. When she saw Zhao Li Nan's miserable state, she froze in place.
"Xiao Nan!"
Xu Tao hurried over in a few quick strides. Staring at Zhao Li Nan, who had turned into a little cement monkey, she was momentarily speechless.
"What happened?!"
"He was squatting down, trying to grab my trowel, and accidentally fell in."
Zhao Wei Guo explained, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
At that moment, Zhao Li Nan's face and hair were completely covered in cement. The little boy looked utterly pitiful. His eyes were shut tightly, and he could only wail with his mouth wide open.
"Mommy!"
With his eyes still closed, Zhao Li Nan stretched out his hands and cried out for Xu Tao.
Amused yet helpless, Xu Tao reached out and took him from Zhao Wei Guo’s arms. "It's okay, don’t be scared. Mommy's here."
"You scared us!" Guo Ping Ping and Wu Hui had also seen Zhao Li Nan’s unfortunate fall into the cement, both speaking up in shock.
Xu Tao gently wiped the cement from his eyes, careful not to hurt him.
The little guy's head was completely covered in cement and sand. She knew it wasn’t the time to laugh—falling into cement was no small matter, and the child really did look pitiful.
But at the same time, his appearance was so ridiculous that she couldn't help but suppress a chuckle.
"Ow, my eyes hurt! Mommy, it hurts!!!"
Zhao Li Nan tried to open his eyes, but the cement and sand stung him, making him cry even louder.
"Be good, don’t open your eyes yet. Mommy will wash your face."
Xu Tao gently coaxed the child while carrying him outside to where the faucet was.
"Zhao Weiguo, bring the washbasin over and mix some warm water."
Xu Tao had considered directly pushing Zhao Linan’s head under the faucet, but the weather was cold, and the water was freezing. Instead, she instructed Zhao Weiguo to mix in some hot water.
By the time Xu Tao carried Zhao Linan over, Zhao Weiguo had already reacted. He quickly grabbed the washbasin and brought out a thermos of hot water.
He placed the basin under the faucet, poured in the hot water, and mixed it with cold water until it reached a suitable temperature.
"The water temperature is good now" Zhao Weiguo reminded Xu Tao.
"Mommy!"
Zhao Linan, still keeping his eyes shut, whimpered. The little one was scared and could only call out to his mother in distress.
Xu Tao spoke to him softly to comfort him, while Zhao Weiguo helped from the side. The man easily held Zhao Linan in place.
Xu Tao immediately used a towel to wipe Zhao Linan’s face. A whole basin of warm water was poured over him, finally washing away all the cement and sand from his eyes and nose. She even took the chance to wash his hair.
"Woo… woo…"
Zhao Linan kept his eyes closed the whole time. He sobbed while being washed, but once it was over, he stopped crying. Still, he looked pitiful.
"Mommy…" Zhao Linan still didn’t dare open his eyes. When his face had been covered in cement earlier, he had tried to open them, only for the cement to get inside. It had hurt so much he nearly went blind from the pain.
"It’s okay now. Xiao Nan, open your eyes and look at Mommy." Xu Tao reassured him while gently touching his face.
Hearing her comforting words, Zhao Linan carefully opened his eyes. The sudden chaos had frightened him terribly, and now he clung to Xu Tao, still sniffling.
"Mommy, Xiao Nan is scared." Seeing Xu Tao and realizing his eyes didn’t hurt anymore, Zhao Linan immediately pouted.
"Don’t be scared, don’t be scared!" Xu Tao stroked his little head, feeling sorry for the little rascal.
Luckily, the cement had already been mixed with water, and since they had treated it in time, there were no serious issues. However, his clothes were dirty, and he looked a little weak, making him appear even more pitiful.
"Zhao Weiguo, I’ll leave things here to you. I’m taking him home first."
Xu Tao held Zhao Linan close. Seeing how exhausted he was from crying, she no longer had the energy to deal with the small canteen. Right now, all she cared about was the child.
"Alright, be careful on the way." Zhao Weiguo nodded.
Zhao Linan clung to Xu Tao the entire way home. She talked to him along the way, trying to lift his spirits. By the time they arrived, his mood had improved a lot.
Xu Tao checked him again and realized he still wasn’t completely clean. So, she boiled a large pot of water, stripped him down, and gave him another careful bath.
After bathing, Zhao Linan felt much better. Dressed in clean clothes, he happily went outside to take care of the chickens before running off to play with the other kids in the alley.
There were plenty of children living on Zhonglin Road, and the neighbors got along well. Xiao Ma led a group of kids in their noisy games, but the adults didn’t mind. The overall atmosphere was warm and lively, much better than Lao Ba Alley.
Xu Tao had been observing for a few days, and now she felt at ease letting Zhao Linan go out and play. She stayed home and continued writing her novel.
'Thirty-Six Strategies of Love' had already begun serialization in magazines and newspapers across Haisheng. From the very first day, it had drawn in many readers. Everyone seemed to enjoy Xu Tao’s writing style.
Zhao Weiguo was busy with matters concerning the company’s small canteen, so he didn’t leave work at his usual time of seven or eight o’clock. In fact, he was even later than usual.
Xu Tao had no choice but to have Zhao Linan eat dinner first. After they finished eating, she kept Zhao Weiguo’s portion warm on the stove.
By around nine o’clock, Zhao Linan had already fallen asleep. Just as Xu Tao turned off the lights and stepped out of the room, Zhao Weiguo arrived home.
"Why are you so late today?" Xu Tao asked in a low voice.
"I was helping to build the canteen’s stove. Hua Ge, Li Jianshu, and I were working on it together. When Hua Ge was younger, he learned a bit from an old master back home, so he has some experience. Since we were already at it, we decided to finish everything before heading back" Zhao Weiguo said as he walked to the faucet in the yard to wash his hands.
"Why aren’t you using warm water?"
Xu Tao frowned the moment she saw him washing his hands with cold water. Her tone carried a hint of displeasure.
Zhao Weiguo paused, turned to look at Xu Tao, and noticed her slightly unhappy expression. Without saying anything, he shut off the faucet.
"I’ll be more careful next time"
Zhao Weiguo picked up a basin and went to the kitchen to fetch hot water to wash his hands.
After washing his hands, he wiped his face as well. Meanwhile, Xu Tao went into the kitchen and brought out the warm dishes for him.
Since the stove had been used to heat water for a bath, the food hadn’t completely cooled down yet and was still warm.
"Eat up!" Xu Tao raised an eyebrow at Zhao Weiguo.
Zhao Weiguo smiled and sat down to eat. "Let me ask you something. How many people do you plan to hire for the small canteen?"
"What’s wrong?"
Xu Tao had just been about to grab a book to read while keeping Zhao Weiguo company during his meal, but upon hearing his question about the canteen, she changed her mind and sat down, watching him instead.
By now, Xu Tao knew Zhao Weiguo well. If he was asking about this, there had to be a reason.
"Today, one of the company’s drivers asked if the canteen was still hiring. He wants to recommend his wife for the job," Zhao Weiguo explained honestly.
"Oh" Xu Tao responded calmly.
"What do you mean by 'oh'?" Zhao Weiguo asked.
"I'm only hiring two people. The spots have already been filled by Wu Hui Saozi and Guo Pingping. You should know that" Xu Tao told him straightforwardly.
She waited for Zhao Weiguo to say more. The fact that he brought this up meant he was at least somewhat inclined toward the idea. She wanted to hear the rest of what he had to say.
"Yeah, I know" Zhao Weiguo nodded.
"But the person who asked me was Feng Yongnian, so I didn’t reject him right away. I wanted to check with you first. He said his wife is good at cooking, and more importantly, their family is really struggling."
Before recruiting these workers, Zhao Weiguo had already been informed about their general situations.
He had always known that many of them were not well off, which was why Xu Tao had noticed them eating only flatbreads or steamed buns most of the time.
"How bad is it?" Xu Tao asked.
For Zhao Weiguo to describe their situation as difficult, it had to be quite severe.
"Feng Yongnian's father has been bedridden for years and can’t move. His mother has trouble walking and is partially blind. His wife has vitiligo, and they have an eight-year-old son with a congenital disease. The child needs medication every month, and just the medicine alone costs at least three hundred yuan a month."
"Right now, their entire household relies solely on Feng Yongnian’s income. His wife’s vitiligo isn’t contagious, but it's severe—half of her face is affected. With the child needing medication every month and their elderly parents also requiring care, she’s been desperate to find a job to help out. But because of her condition, she hasn’t been able to find suitable work" Zhao Weiguo explained.
Xu Tao winced at the thought, such a miserable family was truly rare.
To be honest, just listening to their story made Xu Tao sigh. She had always known that the world was strange, as if fate specifically targeted the poor.
Wasn't there a saying that a rope always snaps at its weakest point and hardships always befall kind people? But this family… they were suffering far too much.
"When I asked everyone today, no one had a problem with the ten yuan meal allowance, except for him. He wanted to save that ten yuan to buy medicine for his child. Others would at least go back to the company for a ten- or twenty-minute lunch break"
"But Feng Yongnian? He would sit for five minutes before going right back to work. I think if he wasn’t required to take shifts, he would probably drive twenty-four hours straight" Zhao Weiguo said, his tone full of sympathy.
If he wasn’t completely out of options, no one would work themselves this hard.
"How about this? What if we arrange three shifts for the small cafeteria? Having an extra person on duty is doable," Xu Tao suggested to Zhao Weiguo.
Adding one more person meant three shifts, with each working eight hours. The extra wage for one more person would only be forty-five yuan per month, which Xu Tao could easily afford.
After hearing about Feng Yongnian’s family situation, she simply couldn’t bring herself to refuse. A family struggling this much was rare, and now that she knew about them, she wanted to help in any way she could.
All they wanted was a chance to earn money, there was nothing wrong with that.
Zhao Weiguo must have felt conflicted as well, which was why he had asked her. Otherwise, he would have just told Feng Yongnian that they only needed two people.
"Alright" Zhao Weiguo agreed.
"Good. That settles it. Tomorrow, tell Feng Yongnian to let her know and have her come to Taoyuan Company when she has time" Xu Tao decided.
The company's small cafeteria was about to open. Xu Tao didn’t expect Guo Pingping and Wu Hui to cook exceptionally well, but at the very least, the food had to be decent. So, she planned to find time to taste their cooking.
"Got it. I’ll talk to Feng Yongnian tomorrow" Zhao Weiguo replied, quickly finishing his meal and heading off to wash the dishes.
While he was busy, Xu Tao slipped back into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. Now that the weather had turned cold, nighttime was the best time to snuggle under the blanket.
Usually, Xu Tao would wait for Zhao Weiguo and Zhao Linan to shower first, letting Zhao Weiguo warm up the bed before she got in. But now, lying down first, she found the blanket icy cold, making her feet feel like blocks of ice.
Zhao Weiguo showered quickly. When he returned, Xu Tao still hadn’t warmed up the bed. Seeing him, she looked at him as if he were her savior.
"Hurry up and get in! Warm up my feet for me! They’re freezing" she pleaded.
Zhao Weiguo was the perfect foot warmer. Just holding her icy feet in his hands would warm them up significantly.
Hearing her, Zhao Weiguo walked over to the bed, crouched down, and lifted a corner of the blanket. As soon as he reached inside and touched her freezing feet, his brows furrowed.
"I’ll get you a basin of hot water. You need to soak your feet"
"Okay," Xu Tao agreed without hesitation. She didn’t want to act tough, her feet were truly ice-cold, completely devoid of warmth.
Zhao Weiguo quickly went to the kitchen, bringing back a foot basin along with a thermos. He tested the water temperature with his hand before looking at Xu Tao, who was still wrapped in the blanket.
She placed her fair, plump little feet into the basin.
"It’s not warm enough" Xu Tao frowned.
Zhao Weiguo added more hot water from the thermos. Xu Tao tested it again, and when she felt the comforting warmth, she squinted her eyes and nodded.
Zhao Weiguo carefully took care of her, adding hot water whenever the temperature dropped. After soaking for about ten minutes, he took a towel and gently dried her feet.
Feeling content, Xu Tao curled back into the blanket. She watched as Zhao Weiguo carried the basin and towel out of the room and then returned.
"Should I turn off the lights?" he asked.
"Mm." Xu Tao curled up under the blanket and nodded.
Click.
Zhao Weiguo turned off the light and walked to the bed. As he lifted the blanket and lay down, Xu Tao immediately felt a warm presence approaching her. She nestled comfortably into Zhao Weiguo's embrace, rubbing against him a little before finding a comfortable position to sleep.
"Xu Tao." In the darkness, Zhao Weiguo softly called her name.
"Mm." Xu Tao, with her eyes closed, responded lazily with a small hum.
Hearing her response, Zhao Weiguo's large hand slid onto her slender waist, and his thin lips moved closer to nibble on her ear as he asked, "How about a little exercise?"
"It's cold. No way." Xu Tao firmly shook her head.
Now that the weather had turned cold, she had also become lazy about "exercising" with her husband. Just thinking about lifting the blanket even a little in this freezing weather made her uncomfortable, let alone moving around under it.
"You won’t feel cold after exercising" Zhao Weiguo coaxed.
Xu Tao continued shaking her head vigorously in his arms. "Zhao Weiguo, you have to wake up at five in the morning. Stop thinking about wasting your energy on things like this." Every time Zhao Weiguo started "exercising," he would keep going for a long time. Xu Tao simply didn’t have the stamina to keep up with him.
"Oh"
Zhao Weiguo didn't show whether he was disappointed or not, but after that, his large hand had already slipped into her pajamas, taking its rightful place and giving a gentle squeeze.
Well, fine then!
Xu Tao didn’t put up much of a fight. Once Zhao Weiguo made his move, it didn't take long before she surrendered. However, since she was afraid of the cold, the two of them completed their "exercising session" under the blanket. Once it was over, Xu Tao quickly snuggled up to Zhao Weiguo and fell asleep.
Only Zhao Weiguo, who wasn’t afraid of the cold, had to get up afterward, carefully cleaning Xu Tao and wiping her hands before finally going to sleep himself.
The next morning, as soon as Zhao Weiguo arrived at the company and saw Feng Yongnian, he informed him about Xu Tao's plan to hire three people.
He asked him to pass the message to his wife, telling her to come to the company the next day at noon to meet Xu Tao.
If she was unavailable, she could also go directly to their residence at Lao Jiu Alley on Zhonglin Road.
Xu Tao planned to stay at home the next day, asking Guo Pingping and Wu Hui to prepare a few dishes so she could taste their cooking skills.
"Thank you, Boss" Feng Yongnian said gratefully.
That evening, after work, Feng Yongnian hurried home to tell his wife, Wang Juanjuan, about it. Wang Juanjuan was a thin and frail woman with a timid personality. When she heard that she might be able to cook at the taxi company, she felt hesitant.
"Will my vitiligo scare your boss’s wife?"
"It won’t" Feng Yongnian had met Xu Tao before. Though he hadn’t spoken to her much, he had heard from his colleagues that everyone had a good impression of her.
Besides, a woman who had the capability to start a taxi company couldn’t possibly be the timid type.
"I'm afraid I’ll affect your job," Wang Juanjuan continued to hesitate, her voice full of uncertainty.
Feng Yongnian had finally landed a respectable job as a taxi driver. If he lost it because of her, what would they do?
Their family couldn’t afford any more setbacks. If he lost his job, their family of five would be doomed.
"It won’t happen, Juanjuan. Trust me. Just give it a try. You’re such a great cook—she’ll definitely hire you"
Feng Yongnian reassured her over and over until she finally agreed to go to Lao Jiu Alley at noon the next day to meet Xu Tao.
It was called an interview, but in reality, it wasn't one. Since the day Xu Tao apologized to Zhao Weiguo, she had adhered to a principle: if she had doubts about someone, she wouldn’t use them; but if she decided to use someone, she would trust them completely.
Since she had agreed to hire Guo Pingping, Wu Hui, and Wang Juanjuan in rotating shifts, she wouldn’t replace them on a whim.
She only wanted to taste their cooking. If anything was lacking, she could guide them to improve.
Unless their cooking was so bad that even a dog wouldn’t eat it, Xu Tao wouldn’t change her decision.
"Hello."
Wang Juanjuan put on a straw hat in a dull yellow color before leaving the house. She moved carefully, avoiding people along the way until she reached Lao Jiu Alley. Standing at the gate of the courtyard, she took a deep breath to gather her courage before finally knocking on the door.
Inside, Xu Tao was writing a novel when she heard the knock and a timid female voice. She lifted her head and saw a frail-looking woman wearing a straw hat standing at the door.
"Are you Madam Feng?"
Xu Tao put down her pen and walked over to ask.
"I—I am. My name is Wang Juanjuan."
Wang Juanjuan nodded, her hands nervously clasped together as she pinched her fingers. Because of her vitiligo, she rarely went outside and was always hesitant to interact with others, fearing their reactions of fear or rejection.
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