Suddenly thinking of this, Xu Tao felt a bit sentimental and afraid that time would pass too quickly. \
“My Xiao Nan, grow up slowly, okay? Let Mommy love you well, alright?”
"No, Mommy"
Zhao Linan shook his head after kissing Xu Tao, his little face filled with determination. "Xiao Nan wants to grow up quickly to protect Mommy."
"Is that so?"
Xu Tao was utterly warmed by the child's words and could only smile. "Alright then! Our Xiao Nan will grow up quickly, and Mommy will wait for you to protect me."
"Mm-hmm, Mommy, don't worry. Xiao Nan will protect you."
When Zhao Weiguo came in from the kitchen with a bowl of brown sugar and eggs, the mother and son were still cuddling, rubbing their noses together, creating an exceptionally warm scene.
"Don't bother your mom"
Zhao Weiguo warned Zhao Linan, then placed the brown sugar water down and propped a pillow behind Xu Tao. "Drink some to warm your stomach."
"Okay"
Xu Tao leaned against the pillow, took the large mug, and sipped the brown sugar and egg mixture. After a couple of sips, the sweetness of the brown sugar filled her mouth.
Xu Tao frowned bitterly. Honestly, the brown sugar and egg mixture wasn't pleasant to drink.
"Mommy, does it taste bad?" Zhao Linan asked softly, noticing Xu Tao's frown.
"It's good. Daddy's brown sugar water is the best," Xu Tao replied, scooping a little with the spoon and offering it to the child. "Do you want to try some, Xiao Nan?"
Zhao Linan pouted and took a sip.
"Yuck, it's not good" Zhao Linan immediately frowned and complained.
"Pfft..."
Xu Tao laughed at the child's expression.
Zhao Linan silently swallowed the brown sugar water in his mouth, then said, "Mommy, it's yucky. Don't drink it."
"Don't cause trouble," Zhao Weiguo, sitting nearby, pressed Zhao Linan's head with a serious tone after hearing the child's encouragement.
Brown sugar water was always like this, made entirely from brown sugar. He had tried to vary the preparation, but the taste remained the same.
"Don't mind him. Drink more" Zhao Weiguo said gently to Xu Tao.
"Hmph, bad Daddy. Mommy's stomach hurts, and you're making her drink this yucky water. I'm not talking to you"
Zhao Linan felt sorry for his mommy, who was uncomfortable and still had to drink the unpleasant brown sugar water.
It was all Daddy's fault! Bad Daddy for forcing Mommy to drink it.
"Oh"
Zhao Weiguo responded indifferently, not taking his son's threat seriously. The little rascal had said he wouldn't talk to him many times before, but it was always just talk, forgotten within two minutes.
"Daddy, buy Mommy a chicken leg" Zhao Linan crossed his arms, trying to look serious as he made the request, but his short arms didn't cooperate, resting awkwardly on his arms.
"You just want to eat the chicken leg yourself, don't you?" Zhao Weiguo teased, seeing through him.
"No, it's for Mommy," Zhao Linan shook his head. "Eating chicken legs helps you get better faster."
"Fine, I'll buy Mommy a chicken leg tonight," Zhao Weiguo reluctantly agreed.
"Mm-hmm," Zhao Linan finally put down his chubby little hands, satisfied.
Xu Tao held the large mug, sipping while watching Zhao Weiguo and Zhao Linan's conversation. Despite her discomfort, she felt happy. These two people, one was her man, and the other was her son. How wonderful.
"Finish the brown sugar water and rest for a while. Don't work on your novel today. Take it easy" Zhao Weiguo glancing at his watch. "I'll take Xiao Nan to the company later so he doesn't disturb your rest. I'll bring lunch back at noon."
"Okay" Xu Tao nodded.
With her period in full swing, she didn't feel like doing much besides lying around and passing the time.
"I don't want to go to the company. I want to stay with Mommy," Zhao Linan understood Zhao Weiguo's words and pouted in protest.
"No, you're coming with me to the company"
Zhao Weiguo picked up the child without allowing any refusal. If Zhao Linan were older, around seven or eight, he wouldn't mind, but the child was only three. At that age, he still needed constant care. Leaving him at home might end up with Xu Tao having to look after him.
Xu Tao was already in so much pain, and the child could still chatter non-stop. How could he bear to let the little rascal disturb Xu Tao's rest?
"Mommy" Zhao Linan immediately looked at Xu Tao.
"Go on. Xiao Nan likes cars, right? Go to the company with Daddy and play with the cars. Mommy will sleep at home"
Xu Tao put the brown sugar water on the bedside table, turned, and patted Zhao Linan's head to comfort him.
"Okay" Zhao Linan reluctantly agreed after Xu Tao's reassurance.
"Finish the brown sugar water"
Zhao Weiguo touched Xu Tao's hair, noticing she had only taken a few sips before putting it down. He felt helpless. "I know it doesn't taste good, but drink a little more."
"Fine"
Xu Tao reluctantly took the brown sugar water Zhao Weiguo handed her again, her tone of reluctant agreement mirroring Zhao Linan's earlier.
Hearing her say 'fine' Zhao Weiguo couldn't help but smile slightly. He watched as she took sips with the large spoon, then raised her chin at him.
This woman was as childish as Zhao Linan!
"Mommy, drink quickly. After you finish, Daddy will buy you a chicken leg," the child, who loved chicken legs himself, thought it would be tempting for Xu Tao too.
"Alright," Xu Tao had no choice but to drink diligently, satisfying both the grown man and the little rascal.
Zhao Weiguo took Zhao Linan to the company, and Xu Tao lay down after drinking most of the brown sugar water. Thanks to the drink, her whole body felt warm.
Zhao Weiguo was very thoughtful. Worried her feet might get cold, he had even gone to ask the nurses for a few empty IV bottles when they took Zhao Linan to the hospital.
People back then were very frugal and good at repurposing things.
The glass IV bottles were of good quality. Filled with hot water and placed in bed, they could keep you warm all night in the winter. Zhao Weiguo had brought them back, washed them carefully, filled them with hot water, and placed them at Xu Tao's feet.
Xu Tao snuggled into the warm blanket, sighed contentedly, and drifted off to sleep.
Her period made her lazier than usual, but the pain was only severe on the first and second days. By the third day, it was much more manageable, aside from the lingering backache.
Xu Tao stayed home for two days and went to the company on the third day because the company canteen was set to open after a one-day delay.
o0o
Wu Hui and Guo Pingping's cooking skills were average, and Wang Juanjuan was on night shifts alone, so Xu Tao needed to supervise Wu Hui and Guo Pingping while they cooked.
In the morning, Wu Hui and Guo Pingping went to the market as instructed by Xu Tao and bought meat, potatoes, and greens.
For the first meal on the opening day, they planned to make twice-cooked pork, stir-fried potato slices, and Chinese broccoli: one meat and two vegetable dishes.
Wu Hui and Guo Pingping went shopping together, and the daily expenses for groceries were reported to Zhao Weiguo for record-keeping.
Since they were working in the company canteen, Wu Hui brought her baby walker to the company. While she and Guo Pingping were busy in the kitchen, she placed her little daughter, Ye Xiaohua, in the walker, letting the child play on her own.
Ye Xiaohua was indeed well-behaved, only fussing when she was hungry or needed a diaper change. The rest of the time, she toddled around in the walker, making things easy for everyone.
Guo Pingping's daughter, Li Pandi, was also quiet, always staying close to her mother. While Guo Pingping washed vegetables and peeled potatoes in the kitchen, Li Pandi sat obediently on a stool in the hallway, occasionally glancing at Ye Xiaohua or the sky outside, holding a small plastic ball, amusing herself in her own little world.
Xu Tao watched Wu Hui and Guo Pingping busy in the kitchen but didn't help. Instead, she took the company's financial reports and started doing the accounts.
The opening of the small canteen, salary expenses, purchasing pots, pans, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and daily meat and vegetable costs, all these expenses were meticulously recorded by Xu Tao.
When Wu Hui and Guo Pingping finished preparing the dishes and called her over, Xu Tao entered the kitchen and noticed the hats the two women were wearing.
Wu Hui's hat was a plain gray, likely made from an old piece of clothing, and it looked passable.
Guo Pingping's hat, however, was a patchwork of colorful fabrics. Guo Pingping didn't seem to care about aesthetics and wore it cheerfully.
Xu Tao glanced at their hats but didn't say much. After all, this wasn't a five-star hotel. She had already provided masks, so the hats were up to them.
As long as they kept the kitchen clean and hygienic, and tucked their hair into the hats while cooking and serving, it didn't matter if the hats were ugly.
"For home-style dishes, control the heat well, use seasonings to enhance the flavor, and keep the amounts appropriate. That's all you need to do to avoid major issues," Xu Tao instructed the two as they cooked.
Guo Pingping was in charge of stir-frying the potato slices. As women, their cooking could improve significantly with a little guidance, and the taste turned out quite good.
Wu Hui was responsible for the twice-cooked pork. Following Xu Tao's instructions and having watched Wang Juanjuan cook it before, Wu Hui's twice-cooked pork showed great improvement in both flavor and appearance.
"Mm, not bad" Xu Tao nodded, checking the time. "They should be back soon. Is the rice ready?"
"It's ready"
The Taoyuan Company still used a large stove and firewood for cooking, so the rice was steamed. The rice was first boiled briefly before being steamed, so there was always nutritious rice water left.
The rice water, boiled with some small dried shrimp, made a nutritious and delicious soup. With three dishes and a soup, and rice available for everyone, the meal was hearty.
The drivers were quite enthusiastic about the company canteen's opening. Before this, they had to make do with whatever they could find at mealtimes. Now, returning to the company for a hot meal, even if the dishes were simple, was much better than cold boxed meals or dry flatbreads.
One by one, the drivers started returning. When they heard there was twice-cooked pork, many were thrilled.
Qin Yubin and Liao Tuhang, in particular, were very happy. After finishing their shifts and seeing it was almost mealtime, they drove back to the company, parked their cars, and rushed to the kitchen.
"Mm, sister-in-law, give me more twice-cooked pork"
Qin Yubin, in his early twenties and quite lively, had his eyes glued to the twice-cooked pork after getting his rice and begged Wu Hui for extra pieces.
Xu Tao had set specific portion sizes for the dishes, so Wu Hui only added one or two extra pieces of pork to Qin Yubin's serving.
Even so, Qin Yubin was delighted. For ten yuan a month, three meals a day—even twenty yuan would have been worth it.
The drivers gradually returned to eat, but Xu Tao was in no hurry. Seeing the cars parked over there, she knew she had to take advantage of the drivers' mealtime to practice driving.
She hadn't forgotten her plan to pretend to learn how to drive, so she pulled Zhao Weiguo over, picked a car, and got in.
"Zhao Weiguo, whether I can learn or not depends on how well you, the seasoned driver, can teach me!" Xu Tao teased Zhao Weiguo with a smile.
Zhao Weiguo leaned helplessly against the window, watching Xu Tao confidently settle into the driver's seat. He then began explaining the various gear positions, brakes, clutch, accelerator, and so on.
"Let's start with driving in a straight line" Zhao Weiguo planning to have Xu Tao practice driving straight for ten minutes.
Would Xu Tao really be foolish enough to just drive in a straight line? Of course not. She kept asking Zhao Weiguo about the speeds for each gear, neutral, first gear, second gear, and so on, until she had asked about everything.
Ten minutes later, Xu Tao began slowly driving around the company premises.
"You really do have a talent for driving"
Zhao Weiguo couldn't help but praise her as he watched her already driving laps around the area.
Indeed, she had talent. Xu Tao sat in the car, shifting gears, releasing the clutch, and so on, all without a hint of nervousness. She calmly followed his instructions, and after he explained something once, she almost always remembered it. He only needed to sit in the passenger seat and give her a few pointers.
To be honest, Xu Tao learned incredibly quickly. She remembered all the gear positions after just one explanation.
"Daddy, Mommy is amazing," Zhao Linan, sitting in Zhao Weiguo's arms, watched Xu Tao drive. As the car started moving, Zhao Linan clapped and cheered enthusiastically.
The little one had seen Zhao Weiguo drive before, but he had never been this excited. Watching Xu Tao drive, his eyes sparkled as if they were glowing. He was undoubtedly Xu Tao's little fan.
"Yeah" Zhao Weiguo couldn't bring himself to deny that Xu Tao was impressive.
He even silently recalled his own experience learning to drive, which hadn't been nearly as smooth as Xu Tao's. The thought made him chuckle.
"Can I speed up just a little?"
Xu Tao had been driving in the lowest gear, moving at a snail's pace. After getting a bit more familiar, she asked Zhao Weiguo, then shifted gears and increased the speed without waiting for his approval.
Half an hour later, Zhao Weiguo calmly got out of the car with Zhao Linan in his arms.
Xu Tao also got out, satisfied. Over at the canteen, many of the drivers who had been eating had come out holding their lunchboxes, watching Xu Tao and the others.
Wu Hui and Guo Pingping, having finished serving all the drivers, stood at the kitchen door, equally stunned as they watched Xu Tao.
"Sister-in-law is really amazing. It seems like she can do anything" Wu Hui exclaimed in surprise, watching Xu Tao confidently step out of the car. She couldn't help but marvel at how Xu Tao had driven laps around the company.
"Yeah, Sister-in-law is really impressive"
Qin Yubin also nodded vigorously in agreement.
Most of the drivers who knew how to drive had come from the military. Learning to drive had taken them a lot of time, and getting a driver's license was a hassle. Knowing how to drive wasn't enough; you also had to know a bit about car repair.
"If Sister-in-law knew how to repair cars, she could go take the driver's license test," Liao Tuhang said after swallowing a mouthful of twice-cooked pork.
"Yeah, the driver's license test is tough. Knowing how to drive isn't enough; you also need to know how to fix cars," others chimed in one after another.
They had all gone through the ordeal of getting their driver's licenses. Learning to drive might have been manageable, but having to know a bit about car repair had stumped many.
"But Sister-in-law is already amazing. In less than half an hour, she was driving laps. Impressive, really impressive."
Zhao Weiguo and Xu Tao walked back together. Zhao Linan, being a quick child, ran ahead of them and proudly boasted "Uncle Qin, my mommy can drive. She's awesome!"
Qin Yubin also liked Zhao Linan a lot and immediately smiled and nodded. "Yeah, really amazing. Xiao Nan's mommy is the best."
"Mm-hmm" Zhao Linan was over the moon hearing others praise Xu Tao, even happier than if they had praised him.
"Sister-in-law, did you know how to drive before?" Guo Pingping asked Xu Tao in amazement as she approached.
She had also seen Xu Tao learning to drive and found it truly astonishing.
"No, I just learned a little bit" Xu Tao replied with a smile.
"Really?"
Guo Pingping looked skeptical. "Sister-in-law, isn't learning to drive hard? When I watch my husband drive, his hands and feet are always moving, stepping on the brakes, and his eyes have to watch the road. How do you manage all that?"
"It's actually not that complicated," Xu Tao laughed.
"Then can I learn too?"
Guo Pingping was both envious and eager to join in the fun. Seeing Xu Tao drive, and having basically learned it in just half an hour, she couldn't help but wonder if she could also learn to drive.
Driving, what a great skill to have!
"Don't even think about it. You can barely read, and you can't even do basic math. How can you expect to learn to drive like Sister-in-law? Stop messing around"
Li Jianshu teased Guo Pingping in front of everyone, his tone full of mockery.
Guo Pingping immediately felt embarrassed and glared at Li Jianshu. "I just wanted to give it a try!"
Guo Pingping was genuinely tempted. She thought that if Xu Tao could drive laps around the area in just ten minutes, surely she could learn too, even if it took her more time.
Although she knew the chances of her learning to drive were slim, she couldn't resist the urge to try. She wasn't as clueless as Li Jianshu made her out to be.
"Li Jianshu, teach me!" Guo Pingping said with determination, pulling Li Jianshu toward the car.
Li Jianshu wasn't too keen on indulging Guo Pingping. He knew his wife well and was certain she wouldn't be able to learn to drive. Sister-in-law could learn because she was naturally smart and educated, but Guo Pingping, who couldn't even coordinate her hands and feet, was just setting herself up for embarrassment. Despite his reluctance, Li Jianshu was dragged along.
Guo Pingping confidently and excitedly got into the car, asking Li Jianshu to stand by the window and guide her.
At first, Guo Pingping was full of confidence, but once she sat in the car and saw all the complicated gear positions, along with Li Jianshu's explanations about turning the key, the accelerator, the brake, and the clutch, she was completely overwhelmed. She gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her face pale.
What had Li Jianshu just said? What was she supposed to do first?
"Alright, alright, get out! Stop trying. It's too embarrassing"
Li Jianshu said after a while, noticing Guo Pingping's increasingly pale face and her trembling hands on the steering wheel. Her other hand fumbled with the gear shift, completely unsure of what to do.
"..."
Guo Pingping had gotten into the car with excitement but stepped out with disappointment and a pale face. "Sister-in-law didn't say it was this hard!" she muttered in frustration.
"You're not as smart as her. How can you compare?" Li Jianshu replied bluntly.
He had told her not to bother, but she insisted on trying. And now, she had made a fool of herself. Sitting in the car, her body had stiffened like a block of wood.
The others, seeing the car hadn't moved and watching Guo Pingping get out, weren't surprised at all. Honestly, they could understand Xu Tao learning to drive, and they could also understand Guo Pingping not being able to.
They had all learned to drive themselves, and back in the day, even men in the military often cried while learning. In this world, truly smart people were rare.
Fortunately, everyone had the same impression of Xu Tao. They calmly accepted that she could drive laps around the area in half an hour. For someone as smart as her, it would have been strange if she couldn't learn.
"Sigh," Guo Pingping sighed as she returned.
"Sister-in-law, I really admire you. That car is so complicated. When I sat in it, my hands and feet were shaking," Guo Pingping complained to Xu Tao.
"Driving seems to depend on talent," Xu Tao could only reply.
She had guessed Guo Pingping wouldn't be able to learn, but she hadn't expected her to give up after just a few minutes in the driver's seat. She was really too timid.
"Forget it, forget it. I'll never be able to afford a car in this lifetime anyway. I won't bother learning" Guo Pingping waved her hand, embarrassed, and retreated into the kitchen.
o0o