Big Baby muttered, "I didn't know before, but now I know."

Ning Tang thought for a moment and said, "How about this: if you help me wash the dishes today, I'll give you one red date. If you help me wash the dishes again tomorrow, I'll give you two. How about that?"

Erniu looked at Da Wa and listened to his opinion. Da Wa was a little hesitant and couldn't make up his mind.

Seeing this, Ning Tang stepped up his game, "Think about it, there are three of you. I have to give you three red dates today, and six tomorrow. So, I'm the one who's losing money."

Thinking about the six red dates he would have tomorrow, Da Wa agreed and said, "Okay."

Ning Tang curled his lips, "Then go clear the table."

The eldest boy pouted and pulled the second girl to start cleaning the dishes on the table.

Ning Tang and three children don't need many bowls and chopsticks. The bowls in the Shen family are all enamel ones. If they fall to the ground, they won't break into eight pieces. At most, a piece of paint will fall off. Now it's summer, so there is no need to worry about the two children getting cold when washing the dishes with cold water.

Washing dishes is a simple job. Ning Tang gave some instructions and Da Wa and Er Niu quickly got the hang of it.

The third child was not idle either. He ran around handing dishcloths to his two older brothers and sisters.

The three children worked together and washed the dishes in less than half an hour.

Ning Tang kept his word and took the red dates down from the top of the cabinet and gave one to each child.

As soon as Big Boy got the red dates, he put them in his mouth. The familiar sweet fragrance made him squint his eyes happily.

Erniu held the red dates in her little hands and was reluctant to eat them. She bit the date flesh in small bites and would not swallow it until it became soft.

Sanwa grabbed the red dates and stuffed them into his mouth, his saliva flowing down his bib.

After all, the red dates were obtained through hard work. The three children felt that the red dates they ate this time were sweeter than the ones Ning Tang gave them the first time. They were reluctant to eat them. Even the eldest child was reluctant to eat the red dates after putting them in his mouth.

Ning Tang stretched lazily and went to sleep in the rocking chair as usual.

I don’t know if it was because someone helped with the housework today, which saved me a lot of trouble, but Ning Tang slept particularly soundly during his nap today.

After the family of five finished their meal in the evening, Chen Lie was about to wash the dishes as usual when he saw Da Wa and Er Niu pulling San Wa towards him hesitantly.

Shen Lie stopped walking and asked, "What's the matter?"

Da Wa glanced at the dishes in Chen Lie's hand, then widened his eyes and looked at Chen Lie expectantly, "Dad, can I help you wash the dishes?"

Erniu raised her hand and said, "I want to help Dad wash the dishes, too."

Sanwa hugged Shen Lie's calf, "Sanwa wants one too."

Shen Lie: ...

No, the sun rose from the west today?

Chen Lie suddenly became interested, "Tell me, why do you want to help me wash the dishes?"

Da Wa looked at the red dates on the cabinet in the living room with sparkling eyes and said, "We will help you wash the dishes, and you have to give us some red dates."

The three children couldn't wait until tomorrow. The sweet taste of the red dates kept lingering in their mouths, making them very greedy. So after dinner in the evening, the three children came over immediately.

Chen Lie followed Da Wa's gaze and looked at the red dates on the cabinet. He remembered that his mother-in-law, Sun Aiju, had forced these red dates on Ning Tang before she left. "You can help me wash the dishes, but the red dates belong to your stepmother. If you want to eat them, you have to tell her yourself."

"Ah..." Upon hearing this, Big Boy lowered his head in disappointment.

"Go help your dad wash the dishes, and I'll give each of you a red date." Ning Tang continued.

"Really?" Erniu said excitedly.

"Really?" Ning Tang said, "When have I ever lied to you three? Did I give you the red dates for lunch today?"

The three children thought about it and quickly snatched the dishes from Chen Lie's hand, saying in unison, "Dad, I'll help you wash them. Stepmother, don't forget to give us the red dates."

Before Shen Lie could react, his hands were empty.

He asked Ning Tang, "Did you ask them to wash the dishes at noon today?"

Ning Tang didn't intend to hide it from him. "Yes, I negotiated with them. If they help me wash the dishes once, I will give them each a red date." She rolled her eyes. "You won't blame me, will you?"

Shen Lie was amused, "Why would I blame you?"

Ning Tang said, "Blame me for enslaving child labor."

Chen Lie scoffed. "It's just washing dishes. It's not like they have to do any heavy work. Children of poor families grow up early. When I was the same age as Da Wa, I could already move a small stool to cook on the stove." He paused. "Besides, you saved me the trouble of washing dishes. I have to thank you for that."

Ning Tang was also amused and patted Chen Lie on the shoulder, "I admire your awareness."

Chen Lie was still a little confused. "I've asked them to help me with work before, but none of them were happy about it. They're not as enthusiastic as they are now. What kind of magic potion did you give them?"

After Chen Lie's wife passed away, he was too busy to take care of three children by himself. Da Wa and Er Niu were old enough to help run errands at home. Sometimes Chen Lie would ask them to help run errands and do housework, but the two children would act like a spoiled child and refuse to agree, avoiding it whenever possible.

Ning Tang asked him, "How did you get them to help you?"

Chen Lie recalled, "It's very simple. Just reward him for doing good things. For example, give Da Wa one dollar and ask him to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some soy sauce. The remaining change can be used to buy him candy." He asked Ning Tang, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong with that." Ning Tang said, "If Da Wa doesn't buy soy sauce for you, will you give him money to buy candy?"

"Give it to me." Chen Lie said, "We won't treat our children unfairly in this regard."

"That makes sense," Ning Tang said. "They know that even if they don't do anything for you, you'll still give them money to buy candy. But I'm different. Their coquettish and naughty tricks don't work on me. I won't reward them unless they actually help me."

Chen Lie looked at Ning Tang seriously and said, "It seems that only you can cure them."

Ning Tang waved his hand and let the thought go in one ear and out the other.

Shen Lie breathed a sigh of relief, "This way I can rest assured when I go out to sea."

"Wait." Ning Tang was stunned. "What do you mean by going out to sea?"

Shen Lie was also stunned, "Didn't I tell you?"

Ning Tang didn't say anything, just looked at him, speechless.

Chen Lie recalled that he had never told Ning Tang about this. He touched his nose guiltily and said, "Well, I'm going to go to sea with the army soon."

Troops stationed on the coast generally go out to sea for training once every six months, but it is actually not time for training yet.

However, the situation in the South China Sea has been unstable recently, and the higher-ups have given instructions, so this sea training exercise took place.

"How long will it take?" Ning Tang asked.

Chen Lie: "About a month, depending on the situation, two months at most."

"So I have to cook lunch and dinner for the past one or two months? I also do the housework?" Ning Tang thought about it and almost fainted.