Ning Tang replied, "Okay."

She imitated Mrs. Luo and used pliers to grab the abalone, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't grab the abalone as easily as Mrs. Luo.

This actually amused Mrs. Luo next to him. "Xiao Ning, picking up abalone requires skill. It's just like fighting a war. You have to attack when the enemy is least prepared."

Ning Tang was stunned. "What do you mean by catching someone off guard?"

Mrs. Luo explained, "This abalone is afraid of being washed away by the sea, so it clings tightly to the rock. If you want to pick it up, you have to do it when it's not paying attention. If you miss the first time, it will only cling tighter."

So that's how it is. After listening to what Mrs. Luo said, Ning Tang fixed his eyes on a rather large abalone, struck with lightning speed, and gently grabbed it with pliers. As Mrs. Luo said, he got it in one go.

It’s so fun to go to the beach!

It's simply a battle of wits and courage with the creatures in the sea!

Ning Tang was having a lot of fun picking abalones. She soon filled half a bucket. While picking abalones, she also took the time to pay attention to the three children.

Perhaps the three children were frightened by her words, "I won't take you to the beach next time," so the three little ones just stayed in the circle she had drawn and didn't dare to run around.

An abalone about half the size of a child's palm was stuck in a crevice of the reef. It was a difficult place to use the claws, so Ning Tang was ready to reach out and grab it.

She squatted down and reached out to touch the abalone, but instead of the abalone, she felt something smooth and soft.

Ning Tang looked closely and found that it was a brown sea cucumber as thick as two fingers.

Ning Tang immediately put the abalone behind his mind and only wanted to catch the sea cucumber.

This sea cucumber was hiding in the crevices of the reef, with its head hidden and its tail exposed. It was very easy to catch, and Ning Tang caught it in one go.

Ning Tang held the sea cucumber in her hands and played with it. This was the first time she had seen a live sea cucumber.

This chubby sea cucumber has fleshy thorns all over its back. A slight touch will shoot out a stream of water, which is really fun.

Mrs. Luo sighed, "Xiaoning, you are so lucky that you can catch sea cucumbers in this season."

Ning Tang pointed to the crevice in the reef where he had just caught the sea cucumber and said with a smile, "There's more than that, look, Sister Luo."

Mrs. Luo looked in the direction of her finger and saw several fat sea cucumbers quietly clinging to the reef, almost merging with the reef. If she hadn't looked carefully, she would have almost missed them.

"Oh hey, you can have a snack tonight." Mrs. Luo said with a smile.

The two of them helped each other and soon picked up a dozen plump sea cucumbers and two buckets of plump abalone.

Mrs. Luo stood up and looked at the sea. A red sun slowly sank into the seabed, and the afterglow of the sunset cast a bright red light on the sea surface. "It's getting late. We should go back."

Hearing this, Ning Tang looked at the reef with some reluctance. She had not had enough fun in the sea yet.

However, the abalone in this reef have almost been picked up by them, and there will be no gain if they stay.

The two of them packed up and prepared to go back. After a few steps, Mrs. Luo saw a familiar figure and called out, "Xin Lan, you're here to catch some seafood too."

The woman called Xinlan was slender and graceful. She wore a dress that was washed to a pale color. Her facial features were very beautiful, but her skin was slightly dark and fine lines could be seen upon closer inspection, which greatly reduced her beauty.

Zeng Xinlan was also delighted to see Sister Luo and responded, "That's right, Sister Luo."

Mrs. Luo took Ning Tang to Zeng Xinlan and introduced her, "This is Ning Tang, Xiao Ning, Captain Shen's lover." She then introduced Zeng Xinlan to Ning Tang, "Zeng Xinlan, the lover of Battalion Commander Qi Wei of the Second Regiment. You can call her Xinlan or Xiao Zeng."

Ning Tang readily called out, "Hello, Xin Lan."

Zeng Xinlan tucked her hair behind her ears and smiled shyly at Ning Tang.

She looks like a very shy woman.

Mrs. Luo glanced at the bucket Zeng Xinlan was carrying. There were only three or four abalone in the bucket. She asked in surprise, "Why are there so few abalone in your bucket?"

Zeng Xinlan pursed her lips and said, "Our Dahu has been pestering me these past two days. I couldn't get away from him, so I came to the beach very late, so I didn't pick up anything."

Hearing this, Ning Tang picked up his bucket, poured half of the abalone in the bucket into Zeng Xinlan's bucket, and gave seven or eight of the picked sea cucumbers to Zeng Xinlan.

Zeng Xinlan's eyes widened as big as copper bells, and she kept saying, "Xiao Ning, what are you doing? You can't do this!"

Ning Tang waved his hand. "What's the problem with that? I came early and happened to pick up a lot of abalone and sea cucumbers. I'll give you half."

Mrs. Luo said in surprise, "Xiao Ning, didn't you pick this up with so much effort?" Seeing Ning Tangke's precious look.

Ning Tang nodded, "Yes."

Then you still want to give Zeng Xinlan half? Mrs. Luo thought to herself.

Ning Tang saw what Mrs. Luo was thinking and said, "We go fishing for fun, to enjoy the process. The reward isn't important."

Mrs. Luo gave a thumbs up and said, "Xiao Ning, your realm is really high."

Zeng Xinlan still felt guilty, "No, I can't take so many things from you for nothing."

These abalones are big and plump, and there are even three rare sea cucumbers. It is obvious that Ning Tang spent a lot of effort to pick them up. How could she be so kind as to accept them?

Ning Tang waved his hand, "Just keep it. I'm not giving this to you, I'm giving this to your Dahu. You only picked up this little abalone, how can it be enough to share? You and your lover can't just not eat it and leave it to Dahu. Even if the children eat it, it won't be enough for a meal."

Zeng Xinlan thought of Qi Dahu's frail little face and finally stopped refusing. She looked at Ning Tang gratefully and said, "Okay then. Thank you, Xiao Ning."

Ning Tang said, "You're welcome."

Mrs. Luo said, "Don't be so quick to thank me. Not only will Xiao Ning give it to you, I'll give it to you too. These abalone and sea cucumbers will be divided into three equal portions. Let's each take one. Is that okay?"

Zeng Xinlan looked at Ning Tang and Mrs. Luo gratefully, almost speechless, and choked up, "Yes."

So Mrs. Luo redistributed the abalone and sea cucumbers she had picked up, so that everyone had half a bucket in their bucket, and Zeng Xinlan had even more in her bucket.

Mrs. Luo glanced at Ning Tang's bucket and teased, "You only picked up so little. Won't your three kids be in a rage?"

Ning Tang waved his hands and said, "It's okay. Big Boy and the others don't dare to see me intentionally. If they do, I'll beat them up."

From behind came the resentful voice of the eldest child, "Stepmother, I heard everything."

Ning Tang was startled. She looked up and saw Da Wa, Er Niu, and San Wa standing in unison behind her. "When did you three get here?"

Erniu puffed up her cheeks and said, "We waited there for a long time but didn't see you guys coming over. Then we saw you guys were chatting, so we came over to look for you."

So that's how it is. Ning Tang pinched Erniu's little face and said, "That's the stepmother's fault, okay?"

The third child lay down beside the bucket, looking up and said, "Shame on you, stepmother, why did you only pick up such a small amount of things?"

The eldest boy replied, "That's right, we picked up much more than you did."

Ning Tang looked at the three children's buckets, which were filled with clams. It was a good harvest. "Okay, I lose this time."

Zeng Xinlan knew all three of the Shen family's children and said with a smile, "Big one, your mother picked up a lot of things, and she shared some with me, so there's only so little left in the bucket."

Ning Tang said, "Did you hear that, Big Boy?"

She discussed with the three children, "Auntie Xinlan didn't pick up much seafood today, so I'll give her some abalone and sea cucumbers. Is that okay?"

After all, the things we picked up were to be taken back together to eat, so we still had to explain to the three children where the things went.

Hearing this, Da Wa looked at Zeng Xin Lan and said, "Aunt Xin Lan, didn't you pick up any seafood today?"

Zeng Xinlan nodded. "Well, I came late today, so I picked up a few abalone. They were quite small."

Da Wa thought for a moment, picked up his own bucket, and poured half of the clams into Zeng Xinlan's bucket. "Aunt Xinlan, these are the clams I caught. Take them home and eat them."

Erniu and Sanwa followed Dawa's example and shared the clams in the bucket with Zeng Xinlan. "Aunt Xinlan, we'll share our clams with you too."

Zeng Xinlan already felt bad for accepting things from Ning Tang and Mrs. Luo, and now even the three children had to share their things with her.

She quickly picked up the bucket and wanted to pour the clams back into the buckets of the three children. "No, no, keep the clams for yourselves."

Ning Tang stopped her, "These are all the children's kindness. It would be bad if you refuse."

Zeng Xinlan lowered her head and saw the three children looking at her expectantly.

Her heart softened, and she finally compromised, "Okay, then I'll take it."

The three children jumped three feet high and shouted, "Great!"

It was getting late, and the group was heading back. When they reached a fork in the road, Zeng Xinlan said goodbye to Ning Tang, Mrs. Luo, and the three children. She lived in the other direction.

On the way back, Ning Tang said, "This beach is really full of treasures. From now on, I don't need to go shopping for groceries. I can just go to the beach every day."

Mrs. Luo said happily, "Who goes fishing every day? In our military family compound, only Xinlan and I come here regularly. I can't do it, and Xinlan is forced to do it because of life. Few of the military families in our compound go fishing. After all, the military salaries are high, and seafood is cheap in the market. No one wants to go to the trouble of going fishing. After working hard all afternoon, you may not even get much seafood. It's better to spend a few cents to buy fresh seafood that's been caught."

Forced by life?

Ning Tang asked politely, "Are Xin Lan and Captain Qi's family conditions not very good...?"

Otherwise, he wouldn't be wearing clothes that were washed white, and he wouldn't be so anxious when he couldn't find anything at the beach.

If Ning Tang hadn't seen Zeng Xinlan's anxious face, he wouldn't have hesitated to share half of the abalone and sea cucumber with her.

"How could that be possible?" Mrs. Luo sighed again. "The army pays well, and there are subsidies. Battalion Commander Qi is still a battalion commander, and he earns forty or fifty yuan a month."

Ning Tang raised his eyebrows. Zeng Xinlan was wearing clothes that were starched and looked white?

Captain Qi is really too stingy. He is not even willing to buy his wife a piece of nice clothes.

Ning Tang said coldly, "Captain Qi is really stingy."

Mrs. Luo curled her lips. "Stingy? Captain Qi isn't stingy. He's very generous, but he's not generous enough to Xin Lan and Da Hu."

Mrs. Luo said slowly, "Captain Qi has five brothers, and he's the eldest. He finally made it big and became a battalion commander. The whole family relies on his salary to support the family. I heard from Xin Lan that Captain Qi only keeps ten yuan of his salary for family expenses every month and sends the rest back home."

"It's only forty or fifty yuan, not four or five hundred. How can it be enough for those people to spend? Occasionally, she has to send back three or four yuan out of the ten yuan. Xin Lan wants to break every dime into eight petals, but the family still can't save a penny. She can only save on food and clothing. She can't bear to cut cloth to make clothes, nor can she bear to go to the market to buy seafood. She comes here every day to catch seafood."

The more Ning Tang listened, the more his brows furrowed. He really felt that Captain Qi was out of his mind. He only treated his parents and brothers well, but treated his wife and children badly.

As we were talking, we arrived home.

After saying goodbye to Mrs. Luo, Ning Tang led the three children into the house.

As soon as I entered the room, I heard Shen Lie's gritted teeth and roar, "You four still remember to come back? Don't you see what time it is now?"

At that moment, Ning Tang seemed to have returned to her previous life. Chen Lie, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, scolded her angrily, looking very much like her biological mother.

Ning Tang and the three children glanced at the wall clock and said angrily, "It's seven o'clock..."

When Chen Lie saw Ning Tang and the three children clearly, he almost fainted.

The big one and the small three were all covered in dirty sand and mud. Ning Tang's trouser legs were long on one side and short on the other. There were a few strands of brown seaweed stuck on his plastic sandals. The big one looked like he had rolled in the sand.

Erniu had two pigtails, one high and one low, and her hair and nails were full of sand. The chubby little Sanwa was the cleanest, but his face was also covered with a lot of white sand.

Shen Lie raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did you go to the beach?"

He didn't ask Ning Tang, but Dawa, "What did I tell you? The seaside is dangerous and rough, but you still went there? Are you itching for some stir-fried bamboo shoots and pork?"

Hearing this, the eldest child quickly covered his buttocks and said aggrievedly, "Dad, I was wrong. I won't do it again next time."

"Hmph." Chen Lie snorted coldly. "You won't dare next time? Let's see if you dare next time." He glanced at the buckets held by three small hands. "Abalone, sea cucumbers, razor clams. Wow, we've got quite a catch today."

Ning Tang chuckled twice and said, "It's okay, Captain Shen, don't blame them. It was me who wanted to go fishing, so I asked them to accompany us."

The eldest, second, and third daughters were stunned. They never expected that Ning Tang would take all the responsibility on them.

If the three of them hadn't been pestering her all the time, she wouldn't have to take them with her.

Chen Lie frowned, "Don't make excuses for them. They just like to have fun."

Seeing that he couldn't fool her any further, Ning Tang rolled his eyes and reminded Chen Lie, "Your dish is about to get burnt. I smell a burning smell."

Chen Lie sniffed twice and really smelled a burning smell. He said, "You guys wait, I'll take care of you later."

After saying that, he turned and went into the kitchen.

The next second, Ning Tang followed in, carrying a few buckets in his hands. He blinked at him and said, "Cook these too. They won't be edible if you leave them out tomorrow."

Chen Lie held his forehead and cooked the sea cucumber, abalone and clams anyway.

Scallion-fried sea cucumber, garlic-flavored abalone, stir-fried clams with ginger and scallions, fried small yellow croaker, and shrimp porridge are all placed on the dining table, exuding a rich aroma.

The three children were drooling all over the floor. Ning Tang, the adult, had better control, but he kept glancing at the dining table.

Chen Lie sat on a stool in front of the dining table with his arms folded. He took off the apron tied around his waist, crumpled it into a ball and threw it aside. He looked at the three children, one big and one small, who stood before him, bowing their heads and admitting their mistakes. "What did you do wrong? Big one, tell me first."

The eldest boy made a bitter face and said, "We shouldn't go to the beach."

"Wrong." Chen Lie said ruthlessly, "Erniu, you say."

Erniu tugged at her pigtails and said anxiously, "Erniu, Erniu, you don't know."

Chen Lie's brows twitched fiercely. "Third kid, tell me."

San Wa was about to speak when he was interrupted by Shen Lie. He sighed and said, "Forget it."

The third child had a puffed up face and his hands on his hips like a little teapot.

Don't treat people differently like this!

The three children looked at Ning Tang in unison, casting hopeful glances at her.

Ning Tang raised his hand awkwardly, "How about I tell you?"

Chen Lie glared at Ning Tang and said, "I'll teach the three little ones a lesson first, and then I'll settle the score with you individually later."

Ning Tang shrugged at the three children, indicating that he was powerless.

Chen Lie said slowly, "Your mistake was that you went to the beach without telling me. When I came back, I couldn't find you. I almost ran all over the island. Luckily, I met Political Commissar Zhao, and he told me that Sister Luo and the others had gone to the beach, so I went home to wait for you."

Political Commissar Zhao?

Ning Tang's mind raced. Chen Lie had mentioned that Luo Saozi's husband was the political commissar of their regiment, so this Political Commissar Zhao should be Luo Saozi's lover.

I heard that Chen Lie almost ran all over the island to find them.

Ning Tang felt a rare sense of guilt, "I was wrong."

Chen Lie glanced at her and continued, "If you want to go fishing, just tell me. Would I stop you?"

meeting!

The three little ones looked at him aggrievedly, and this was the meaning in their eyes.

Chen Lie suddenly remembered that he had indeed repeatedly warned the three children not to go to the beach.

But that was because there was no adult to take care of them. This time when they went to the sea, Ning Tang and Mrs. Luo were there, so Shen Lie was not really worried. So after hearing Political Commissar Zhao say that they were going to the sea, he chose to go home and wait.

Ning Tang couldn't help but say, "How about we talk while we eat?"

When the three children heard this, they nodded their heads frantically, "That's right, that's right."

There was no way. The food cooked by Chen Lie was simply too delicious. They were standing right in front of the dining table. They could see the delicious food and smell the fragrance, but they couldn't eat it. What a torture!

Chen Lie glanced at them, stretched out his index and middle fingers and tapped the dining table twice, as if he was thinking.

Ning Tang struck while the iron was hot and said flatteringly, "It's okay if we get starved. Just don't let Captain Shen, an active-duty soldier, starve too."

The eldest child nodded and said, "Stepmother is right. It's okay if we starve to death, but don't let Dad starve too."

Erniu also smiled flatteringly and said, "We made a mistake and deserved to be punished. Dad, you didn't make any mistakes, right?"

Chen Lie sneered and asked, "You're right. How about I eat first and you watch?"

Hearing this, he was responded by four bitter faces.

Ning Tang frowned and said, "Don't, Captain Shen, can you bear it?"

Seeing that Chen Lie was no longer so stern, the eldest child grew bolder. He lay on the dining table, tilted his little face towards Chen Lie, and said expectantly, "Dad, give me a taste."

Chen Lie patted his little butt and said, "Stop acting like a spoiled child and eat with your own chopsticks."

"Great!" Ning Tang and the three children cheered and quickly gathered around the table to eat voraciously.

Going to the beach is a physically demanding job, and the four of them were already hungry.

Chen Lie looked at their eating habits and curled his lips. "Are you really that hungry?"

Ning Tang mumbled as he ate, "Of course I'm hungry. Look, there are abalone, sea cucumbers, and clams. The four of us caught them all. It must have taken a lot of effort to get so many."

The eldest child waved his hand and said, "That's right, Dad, you don't do any work, so why do you eat so much food? You should make a lot of money, right?"

Chen Lie sneered, and Da Wa quickly covered his mouth and said with a wry smile, "Hehe, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Soon, the food on the table was eaten up in no time.

Erniu was still a little unsatisfied, "If we had known we would share with Aunt Xinlan, we should have caught more clams."

Hearing this, Shen Lie cast a questioning look at Ning Tang.

Ning Tang said, "We ran into Zeng Xinlan while we were fishing. She arrived late and didn't pick up anything, so we gave her some of the sea cucumbers, abalone, and clams we found."

So that's how it is. Shen Lie nodded and praised, "Well done."

After all, they were in the same unit, and Chen Lie had heard about Captain Qi's family affairs. The seafood that Ning Tang and the others gave to Zeng Xinlan must have been a great help to her, which was a good thing.

Big Boy glanced at Chen Lie's expression and said cautiously, "Dad, can we go fishing next time?"

Ning Tang also said, "Captain Shen, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of Da Wa and the others and will not cause you any trouble."

Erniu and Sanwa clung to Chen Lie's legs, looking at him with watery eyes, "Dad, we want to go fishing. It's so much fun."

After being begged by the three young ones, Chen Lie's heart softened even if it was made of iron. However, he had to teach them a lesson to prevent them from doing such things without consulting him again. So he said, "We'll talk about it next time. It depends on how you perform."

Going to the beach is addictive. Ning Tang and the three children can't help but feel itchy when they think about the many seafoods waiting for them to pick up.

But in the short term, Ning Tang and the three children did not dare to offend Shen Lie, for fear that if they offended him again, they would never be able to go fishing again.

Fortunately, after enduring for a long time, Chen Lie was finally ready to go out to sea.

Before leaving, Chen Lie called the three children to his side and gave them careful instructions, "We're going out to sea tomorrow and will be gone for about a month. You guys stay home and don't get into trouble."

He looked at Ning Tang, as if he wanted to give her some instructions. After thinking for a moment, he sighed and said, "Forget it. Telling you and me? It's better to tell Sister Luo."

Ning Tang rolled up his sleeves and said, "Don't look down on me."

Chen Lie raised his eyebrows and looked at her. Ning Tang remembered that she also had a criminal record and suddenly became weak.

Chen Lie went out to sea, and there was one less person at home. Logically, everyone would still be very uncomfortable with it.

But Chen Lie was already busy with work, and during this period, in order to prepare for going to sea, he had to go out early and come back late, and also go to the army for training at night. Sometimes Ning Tang also cooked dinner. Ning Tang and the three children were used to his disappearing appearances.

So even though he left, the three children were only a little sad for a while and then went back to their normal business.

As soon as Chen Lie left, Da Wa felt that there was no tiger in the mountain and the monkey was king, so he kept pestering Ning Tang to take them to the sea again.

After the last time they went to the beach, the three children found that Ning Tang was quite loyal. They took all the responsibility on her and she was on their side.

The three children's attitudes towards Ning Tang gradually softened, at least they were no longer as cold and hostile as when Ning Tang first came.

The eldest child, carrying a small bucket and shovel, said with sparkling eyes, "Stepmom, Dad is gone, let's go fishing."

Ning Tang said, "Aren't you afraid that your dad will find out and come back to beat you up?"

Erniu also wanted to go fishing. She patted her chest and said, "What are you afraid of? Dad has already gone out to sea. We can go fishing quietly. How can he find out?"

The third child nodded his little head and agreed, "We've already gone to the beach several times when Daddy comes back."

Ning Tang was delighted. "I guarantee that as soon as we go to the beach, your dad will get the news."

Big Baby said in surprise, "No way."

Ning Tang winked. "Although your father has gone out to sea, his spies are still on the island."

Erniu tilted her head, "Spy? Sister Luo?"

"Yes, last time Sister Luo took us to the beach, Political Commissar Zhao told her off when we came back, and Captain Shen warned her before he left. She definitely won't let us go," Ning Tang said. "If she wants to, she'll have to wait until Captain Shen comes back."

Big Boy gritted his teeth and said, "No, I can't wait any longer. How about we go to the beach first, and then we can settle the score when Dad comes back."

Erniu rolled her eyes and said, "Dad said he'd be gone for a month." She held up a little finger. "A month? That's a long time. Maybe he'll forget to beat us up when he gets back."

Ning Tang burst out laughing, "Your father is going out to sea, not abroad, so he still has to beat you up. He has a score to settle with everyone when he comes back."

Hearing this, Da Wa and Er Niu hung their heads. Compared to getting their butts bruised, it seemed that going to the beach later was nothing.

At the end of July, the weather gradually became warmer.

The eldest child sat on a cool mat, fanning himself with a large palm-leaf fan, waving it intermittently. "Stepmother, what are we having for lunch today?"

Ning Tang lay on a corner of the mat and said weakly, "Let's eat seafood. Prawns, mantis shrimp, eels, scallops...you can choose."

Erniu sighed like a grown-up, "Eating these again? Ah."

"It's good to have something to eat. The mantis shrimps in this season are yellow and taste good." Ning Tang said.

"Then let's go with Mantis shrimp." said Sanwa.

Ning Tang nodded, "Besides mantis shrimp, what else do you want to eat?"

"Let's order some more scallops. Scallops are the only ones that taste good when steamed," said Big Boy.

Ning Tang went to the market to buy mantis shrimp and scallops. Today these two kinds of seafood were not big, so she didn't buy too much, just a little of each.

On the way back, I passed by Luo's yard. Luo was applying fertilizer in the yard. When she saw Ning Tang passing by, she quickly called out to her, "Xiao Ning, where are you coming from?"

Ning Tang shook the bag in his hand and said, "I just came back from buying groceries."

Mrs. Luo said, "Wait for me?"

After that, she picked a lot of cucumbers and tomatoes from her own garden and put them in a basket, then handed it to Ning Tang across the courtyard wall. "Take it back and give it to the child to sweeten his mouth. It's summer now, and eating these fruits and vegetables will stimulate your appetite. Slice the tomatoes and cucumbers, sprinkle some sugar on them, and they'll taste delicious."

Ning Tang looked at the juicy cucumbers and tomatoes in the basket, and after hearing Sister Luo's description, his heart was moved. He quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Sister Luo."

Mrs. Luo waved her hand, "You're talking to me? Why are you being polite?"

When Ning Tang got home, he saw that Da Wa and the other two were still lying on the mat to cool off. He patted Da Wa's little butt and handed her a cucumber. "Wash it and share it with Er Niu and San Wa."

"Wow, cucumber, where did it come from!" The eldest boy's eyes widened as he looked at the tender green cucumber.

"Mrs. Luo gave them these, and there are tomatoes too." Ning Tang showed them the fruits and vegetables in the basket. "I'll wash the tomatoes, cut them into slices, and sprinkle some sugar on them for you to eat."

"Okay, okay." Erniu nodded her head vigorously.

The eldest boy ran to the yard, washed the cucumber with tap water, and broke it into three pieces. He, the second girl, and the third boy each took a piece. They took a bite of the cucumber, and the refreshing juice burst into their mouths, with a crisp taste.

Ning Tang steamed the mantis shrimp and scallops in a pot, then cut the tomatoes into slices, placed them on a plate, and finally sprinkled them with white sugar.

The three children were chewing cucumbers and staring intently at the kitchen. When they saw Ning Tang come out, they immediately surrounded her and said, "Stepmother, we want to eat tomatoes."

Ning Tang said, "You have already eaten the cucumber. You can eat the tomatoes after dinner."

With tomatoes hanging around, the three little ones were not averse to eating mantis shrimp and scallops at all. They were even busy stuffing them into their mouths just to eat the tomatoes sprinkled with white sugar.

After finally finishing lunch, the three little ones looked at Ning Tang eagerly, waiting for her to take out the tomatoes.

Ning Tang took out tomatoes from the chest of drawers. The three little ones couldn't wait to grab a slice of tomato and put it in their mouths, saying how delicious it was while eating.

Ning Tang saw how happily they were eating and couldn't help but eat a piece as well.

The slightly sour tomatoes paired with sweet white sugar are both sour and sweet, and are simply the best snack in this hot summer.

The eldest child tasted the tomatoes, squinting his eyes happily, "Stepmother, let's eat tomatoes tomorrow too."

Erniu raised her hand, "I want cucumbers too."

"Cucumbers sprinkled with sugar will definitely taste good too." said Sanwa.

Ning Tang was amused. "You three have developed a keen eye for food. Okay, if it's sold in the market, we'll buy it."

"Great." The three little ones cheered.

Ning Tang glanced at the wall clock. It was already one o'clock. She lay down in the rocking chair by the windowsill and took a nap.

When I opened my eyes, it was already 3:30 in the afternoon.

Ning Tang looked around the room and was surprised to find that none of the three little ones were there.

Her heart skipped a beat. Could it be that these three little bastards were going to the beach without her knowledge?

Ning Tang quickly changed his shoes and prepared to go out to look for the three of them.

But just as she reached the door, she saw Da Wa push the door open and come in, calling out to her, "Stepmother, you're awake."

Immediately afterwards, Erniu and Sanwa also entered the house, and the one walking at the end was Ning Xue.

Ning Xue curled her lips and said, "I saw the children playing in the yard. I happened to have something delicious at home, so I called them over to eat."

Ning Tang glanced at the three children, and sure enough, each of them was holding a white thing that looked like rice cake.

Da Wa held up the rice cake in his hand and showed it off to Ning Tang, "This is the barley cake my aunt gave me. It has shredded coconut in it. It's delicious."

Ning Xue gently touched Da Wa's head and said, "I'm glad you like it. My cousin has plenty more. I'll pack some for you later."

After saying this, she gave Ning Tang a subtle, smug look.

How about it? When you see your stepson calling me "Aunt" affectionately and liking the things I "make", are you jealous?

But Ning Tang ignored her glare and looked at her expectantly, "Cousin, pack more. I just woke up and I'm very hungry. I want to eat too."

Knowing that Da Wa and the other two didn't go to the beach, Ning Tang relaxed and her stomach started to rumble.

Ning Xue's pupils trembled. No, shouldn't Ning Tang throw the barley cakes in the hands of Da Wa and the other three on the ground, say that he didn't want to eat the food she gave him, and then slam the door and leave angrily?

Why was he looking at her expectantly and asking her for food?

Ning Xue thought about it over and over but couldn't figure out Ning Tang's train of thought. She gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, I'll go home and give it to you later."

Ning Tang waved her handkerchief and said, "Cousin, please hurry up. The children and I are waiting."

Looking at Ning Xue's leaving back, Ning Tang curled up the corners of his mouth.

The heroine's cousin's level is too low. Whatever she thinks is shown on her face. She is not at the same level as her colleagues in her previous life who were smiling but treacherous. She really can't help but have the evil taste to tease her.

Ning Xue brought the Job's Tears cake very quickly. This time she didn't stay long and left as soon as she put down the Job's Tears cake.

Ning Tang glanced at her back with regret, then turned his gaze to the barley cake that Ning Xue had brought her.

These barley cakes are only the size of ping-pong balls. They are made of glutinous rice flour with a white outer skin, wrapped with coconut shreds and peanuts, and rolled into a green ball shape. Finally, they are wrapped with a layer of green coconut leaves.

When eating, peel off the coconut leaves and take a bite. First you will taste the soft glutinous rice skin, then the crispy peanuts, and finally the sweet coconut shreds. The taste is very rich, and the glutinous rice skin will be stringy. It is both delicious and fun.

Ning Tang couldn't help eating one after another, and she finished one-third of the plate of barley cakes in an instant.

The eldest child was speechless, "Stepmother, please leave some for us."

Ning Tang waved his hand, "I know, I know."

She ate two more, then stopped, still unsatisfied, and looked at the eldest, second, and third children. "When are you three going to act cute again and trick them into giving you some more barley cakes?"

Putting aside other things, the barley cake made by Ning Xue tastes really good. This cousin of the hostess's cooking skills are really top notch.

Why is everyone she meets such a good cook?

Ning Xue is, and so is Chen Lie.

Only she is still struggling with steamed seafood!

Oh no, she also knows how to make cold-mixed cucumbers and sugar-coated tomatoes, Ning Tang thought comfortingly.

The eldest child patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, stepmother, I'll take care of it."

For several days in a row, the eldest, second and third daughters would run to Ning Xue's house whenever they had time.

The two families live next door to each other, which is very convenient.

Ning Xue probably wanted to win over the three children, so she accepted everyone who came to her. She even tricked a lot of delicious food into giving to the eldest, second and third children, and also satisfied Ning Tang's stomach.

But gradually, Ning Xue also came to her senses.

After all, every time the eldest, second, and third daughters came over, they would pack up big bags of delicious food and take them back as if they were asking for money.

How much can three children eat?

It goes without saying who has eaten these delicacies!

So when Da Wa, Er Niu and San Wa went to Ning Xue's house again, Ning Xue closed the door and refused to see them.