After walking around the Xinhua Bookstore for a few rounds, the three children quickly decided what to buy.

The eldest child chose "Soldiers of the Luo Clan" and "Seven Heroes and Five Gallants", while the second daughter chose "A Touch of Zen", "No. 5 Garden Street" and "Flying Tigers and Wild Boars".

Sanwa only took one copy of "100,000 Whys", the thin first volume, because he only had enough money to buy this one.

In total, the eldest child bought two books, the second daughter bought three books, and the third child bought one book.

Although Da Wa saved a lot of money by helping with housework, he couldn't save any money. He liked to buy snacks at the supply and marketing cooperative, and with the money he spent on popcorn, he only bought two books.

Erniu is the one who saves the most money in the family. With the money she saved, she bought three books and still had some left over.

The third child is the youngest and has little money, so he can only buy one book.

He blinked his big eyes, looked left and right, and saw that his brothers and sisters each had two or three books in their hands, while he only had a thin book. He immediately became unhappy and stared at Erniu, pulling her hand and acting coquettishly, "Second sister——"

Erniu had already spent most of her money, so why should she keep any more? She could use it to buy sandbags and sheep bones to play with. She pushed it to Da Wa and said, "Go call Big Brother."

The third child looked at the eldest child. The money in the eldest child's hand was enough to buy another book.

He chuckled twice and said, "San? Kid, how much do you want to borrow?"

When the third child heard that the eldest child was willing to lend him money, his eyes lit up and he said without hesitation, "Borrow one dollar and fifty cents."

Da Wa thought for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll lend you one dollar and fifty cents. You have to pay me back one dollar and sixty cents when you get back."

Sanwa was dumbfounded. "Why? I only borrowed 1.5 yuan from you. Why should I pay you an extra 1 yuan when I get home?"

Are you bullying him because he doesn't know arithmetic?

Although Sanwa can't count, he can still tell if there is an extra dime!

Thinking that the eldest child was trying to trick him, the third child's face immediately wrinkled.

"Because you're in a hurry to get it," said Big Boy. "Think it over carefully. If you miss this opportunity, there will be no such store. The next time Mom and Dad take us to Xinhua Bookstore, we won't know when it will be."

The third child pouted, "Then I won't buy it. I can't read anyway, and if I buy it, Dad will read it to us. If you buy it, we'll get the better deal."

The eldest child put his hands behind his back and smiled. "It doesn't matter. Just wait patiently. At the speed Dad tells stories, I don't think you can finish a book in two or three months."

He rolled his eyes. "If I were you, I would buy the books myself, learn the words myself, and read them myself." He added, "Oh, by the way, I just passed by the bookshelf and saw a picture book. There are no words on it, only pictures. It's perfect for you."

The third child suddenly became anxious, spread out his little fleshy hands, and said reluctantly, "Lend me one dollar and fifty cents."

Big Boy grinned so hard that his teeth couldn't see his eyes. He counted out one dollar and five cents and said, "Here, take it."

Ning Tang and Chen Lie just watched from the side without interfering with them. They let the eldest child do the third child's "business", which just happened to let the third child know the importance of saving money.

Let the younger one suffer a loss too. It is better to suffer a loss at home from the older one than to suffer a loss at the hands of others outside.

The third child used the borrowed money and bought another picture book. Now he had two books. The little boy was very happy.

After buying the books, I felt hungry, so I went back to the stall in front of the cinema and bought some food to fill my stomach.

There was a man selling mung bean cakes and malt candy at the entrance of the cinema. I bought six mung bean cakes and three bars of malt candy, which were also paid for by Da Wa and his two friends.

Chen Lie ate two mung bean cakes, while Ning Tang, Da Wa, Er Niu and San Wa each ate one.

The mung bean cakes are about half the size of a palm, round and flat, with no patterns printed on them. The stall owner wraps them in lotus leaves.

Malt sugar is made by stirring with two small bamboo sticks. The dark yellow malt sugar is dipped on the bamboo sticks and emits a sweet malt aroma.

The third child loved it so much that he took the malt sugar in his hand and kept licking it with his little tongue.

The eldest boy took the mung bean cake in his hand and played with it for a while, but did not eat it.

Shen Lie was amused and asked him, "Why don't you eat? Don't you have an appetite?"

Big Baby sighed, "No, it's just that this time when I came to Jiang City, I went to Xinhua Bookstore and bought some books, popcorn, mung bean cakes, and malt sugar. I also lent money to Third Baby. All the money we saved was spent."

Ning Tang said, "It's not like Sanwa won't pay it back. Technically speaking, you still have 1.6 yuan left."

Big Boy said, "Wait until he returns it to me. I guess I'll have to wait until the end of the year when I get the red envelope."

Chen Lie rubbed his head and said, "Little money-grubber." At worst, he could give it to them when he got back.

The eldest boy touched the two books in the bag through the bag with a loving look.

In fact, he had his eyes on a few books in the Xinhua Bookstore, but he had no money to buy them, so he reluctantly gave them up and only bought the two he wanted most.

Da Wa sighed, "I only earn a penny doing housework for you two. That's too slow. When will I be able to save enough money to buy whatever I want?"

Chen Lie sneered, "You still have something to earn, but what kind of children do housework for their parents? It's purely voluntary labor and they don't get a penny."

Just like the three little girls born to Wang Dilai and Captain Wu, Pan Di, Zhao Di, and Ying Di. All the housework in their family, from washing clothes and drying quilts to washing dishes and sweeping the floor, are done by the three little girls. Wang Dilai and Captain Wu don’t have to do any housework at home, and the three little girls don’t have a penny of pocket money, let alone earning pocket money by doing housework like Da Wa, Er Niu, and San Wa.

But this is also the norm for some children on the island.

Those who are particularly generous, such as Ning Xue, do not require the twins to do housework. She gives them pocket money on a daily basis, and it is common to give them two or three cents a day.

Those who are a little tighter on money, like Ning Tang and Shen Lie, also give pocket money to the three kids, but they still have to earn the bulk of the money by doing housework.

Most parents neither let their children do housework nor give them pocket money. They only give them a penny or two when they feel free.

Da Wa thought about it and agreed, but he still felt that the money was coming in too slowly. He looked enviously at the long queues outside the cinema and the brisk sales at the stalls, and said with his chin in his hand, "I wish I could set up a stall outside the cinema. I'd definitely make a lot of money."

Chen Lie was amused. "People set up stalls because they have skills and can make delicious food, like popcorn and mung bean cakes. Which one doesn't require skills and cooking skills?"

Ning Tang teased him, "That's right, you can't do anything. What are you going to sell there? Air, or your burnt pancakes?"

The eldest boy was unconvinced and puffed up his cheeks. "I can't make them, but I can sell them. Sister Luo is a good cook and she can make mung bean cakes too." He muttered softly, "Mung bean cakes made by Sister Luo are much better looking than those made by that uncle selling mung bean cakes just now. They are definitely better tasting too."

He spoke clearly, "I'm not taking advantage of Sister Luo. I paid for the mung beans and flour and asked Sister Luo to make them for me. I paid her a processing fee, and then I used the money to set up a stall in front of the cinema. I'm sure my sales will be even better than the uncle selling mung bean cakes."

Chen Lie and Ning Tang looked at each other. They didn't expect that Da Wa had such a business acumen.

Although this plan sounded full of loopholes, for example, how to transport goods from Hailang Island to Jiang City and how to calculate the cost of the boat ticket, they were already surprised that Da Wa, at such a young age, could come up with such a money-making idea.

Before he finished, Big Boy continued, "If I really want to sell, I will not only sell mung bean cakes, I will also sell melon seeds and peanuts."

Chen Lie asked, "Why are you selling these two things?"

There are so many snacks, such as plums, preserved fruits, etc., why only sell melon seeds and peanuts.

Da Wa said, "Because a movie lasts nearly two hours, and sunflower seeds and peanuts have shells, it takes a lot of effort to eat them, so it's just right to kill time. If I were a moviegoer, I would also choose sunflower seeds and peanuts instead of mung bean cakes. After all, mung bean cakes can be finished in just a few bites."

"Oh, and I'm also going to sell orange soda. Melon seeds and peanuts make you thirsty, and it's impossible to watch a movie for such a long time without drinking water. Orange soda will definitely sell well."

Chen Lie pondered it carefully and found that it was indeed feasible. He couldn't help but say to Ning Tang, "Hey, if we really let Da Wa tinker with it, who knows, he might really make a fortune."

Ning Tang was also surprised by Da Wa's agility in doing business.

But Da Wa was just thinking about it. He was an elementary school student and had to focus on his studies. He couldn't go to class during the day and sell roasted melon seeds in the cinema at night. Not to mention that their class teacher, Mr. Zhou, would come to settle the score with him, Chen Lie would have to treat him to fried pork with bamboo shoots first.

After eating and resting for a while, it was only half past three.

The nearest boat ticket back to Hailang Island is at 6 pm. There are two and a half hours in between. I don’t know where to kill time.

I first went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy the calcium milk biscuits that Ning Tang promised to buy for Sanwa.

Ning Tang walked to the shelf and took out four packs of calcium milk biscuits.

Chen Lie asked her, "Sanwa ate four packets by himself?"

Ning Tang said, "No, these four bags are for the three of them." She glanced at Chen Lie and said, "If you only buy them for the third child, won't the eldest and second daughters make a fuss?"

Chen Lie looked over and saw Da Wa and Er Niu standing nearby, staring eagerly at the calcium milk biscuits in Ning Tang's hand. He nodded, thinking Ning Tang was being thoughtful. "Then one pack per person will be enough. Why did you buy four?"

"One pack each for Big Boy and Second Girl, and two packs for Third Boy." Ning Tang said.

The eldest and second daughter each had a pack of calcium milk biscuits, and the third daughter had two packs. If you shut the little one's mouth, no one would make a fuss.

After taking the calcium milk biscuits, Ning Tang caught a glimpse of cereal, the Jinwei brand, with colorful packaging, which was very conspicuous.

She thought about it, picked up another big bag, and paid for it together.

Golden Oatmeal has a milky aroma when brewed, and the oatmeal inside is very delicate when chewed. It tastes no worse than malted milk, and it is even cheaper than malted milk. You can buy a big bag for three yuan, and a big bag contains at least forty small bags.

It is perfect for providing nutrition for three little kids, and can be eaten with calcium milk biscuits without getting stuck in the throat.

It only took me half an hour to buy all these things, and it's exactly four o'clock now.

Ning Tang and Shen Lie took the three little kids for a walk to kill time.

After leaving the supply and marketing cooperative, walk two blocks and you will find a photo studio.

There are many old photos pasted on the glass windows of the photo studio, with white wavy edges, some of which are yellowed and curled at the corners.

Two adults and three children stopped in front of the glass window and looked at the photos above.

This is a solo photo of a young girl with a high ponytail, wearing a blue dress and white sandals, riding a ladies' bicycle. She holds the handlebars with both hands, lets go of her feet, and smiles brightly at the camera. Everyone who sees the photo is infected by her happiness.

There is also a couple photo, taken of a man and a woman. The woman has two black ponytails and wears a stand-up collar floral shirt. The man wears a Zhongshan suit and his hair is combed neatly. The two of them are leaning against each other, their eyes full of longing for a happy life.

The three little kids looked at the photo, their hearts fluttering. They all said in unison, "Dad, Mom, we want to take a photo too."

Chen Lie was also moved and looked at Ning Tang, asking for her opinion.

Ning Tang said without thinking, "Let's take a picture." She asked the boss, "Boss, how much is it for a picture?"

The owner of the photo studio and the photographer was an old man. He smiled and said, "It depends on how big you want to take the photo."

Chen Lie didn't know how big the photo should be, so he said, "Just a family photo." He glanced at Ning Tang, "And a photo of the two of you, just like the one on your window."

The old man nodded and said, "Two dollars and fifty cents in total."

Chen Lie's mouth twitched in pain. Taking photos is quite expensive.

These days, taking photos is something that only people with some spare money do. Just looking at the photo of the girl just now, you can tell that she can ride a 28-inch bicycle. Her family must be well-off to be able to afford taking photos.

Chen Lie said, "Let's take a family photo together as a family, and I'll take a couple's photo with your mom."

Ning Tang said, "Why do we need to take a photo of the two of us alone? Why don't we take two family photos?"

"No." Chen Lie said loudly, and then whispered to Ning Tang, "Neither of us has one? A photo of the two of us."

There was no photo on the marriage certificate, it was just like a certificate of honor. To be honest, it was just as Chen Lie said, he and Ning Tang didn't have any photos together.

Ning Tang was amused and agreed, "Okay then, let's take a photo together."

Chen Lie was finally satisfied.

The photo-taking craze during the Spring Festival has passed. There are only two or three people in the photo studio. The family only waited for ten minutes before it was their turn to take the photo.

Take a family photo first.

The master led Chen Lie, Ning Tang and three other children to the photo location. The location was very simple, with just a white background cloth and a bench.

The master instructed, "Adults stand behind the stools and children sit on them."

Ning Tang and Shen Lie adhered to the principle of "men on the left and women on the right" and stood behind the stool, one on each side.

There were three children. The two older ones, Da Wa and Er Niu, were also sitting on the left and right, sandwiching the youngest one in the middle.

The master adjusted the camera angle, looked left and right, and felt something was wrong. "You three kids, relax a little."

It was the first time for the eldest, second and third kids to have their photos taken, so they were very nervous.

The eldest child just kept on grinning foolishly, the second girl kept pulling at the corner of her clothes, and the third child's face was frozen.

Ning Tang said, "Relax, it's just a photo."

The moment the eldest child thought about someone taking a picture of him, he became extremely nervous and said with a gloomy face, "No, I'm scared."

Especially knowing how expensive it is to take a photo, the three children felt even more hesitant.

Ning Tang was amused. "What are you afraid of? We're not just taking this one photo. It's just one photo. Even if it gets messed up, it's okay."

Erniu's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Really." Ning Tang comforted them, "You are different every year. From now on, let's come to the photo studio every year to take pictures as a souvenir."

The three little kids relaxed a lot. At least the eldest kid not only started to giggle, but the second kid also stopped pulling at the corners of his clothes.

Although they were not so nervous anymore, the three little kids still smiled very stiffly.

Ning Tang taught them to call it eggplant. Da Wa tried it and said, "Eggplant——"

He rubbed his face and said in surprise, "It really works."

The master also thought this idea of shouting "eggplant" was a good one and said, "Then I'll count to one, two, three, and you all shout "eggplant" together, okay?"

"good."

The master was ready to take the photo. "Come on, one, two, three?"

"Eggplant." The two big and three small ones shouted in unison.

“Crack—”

A harmonious and beautiful family photo was taken.

It was Ning Tang and Shen Lie's turn to take a photo together.

Chen Lie asked the master for a mirror and used water to style his hair in front of the mirror.

Ning Tang was speechless. "You have a short flat head. No matter how you style it, it won't look good."

Chen Lie snorted and ignored her. He straightened his collar and felt refreshed. Then he let the master start taking pictures for them.

Ning Tang and Shen Lie sat side by side on the stool, their bodies straight.

Ning Tang wore a white floral dress today, while Chen Lie wore a white long-sleeved shirt with black suit pants. It was an unexpected coincidence that they looked like a couple's outfit, which was perfect for taking a photo together.

The two of them were head to head, face to face.

Chen Lie didn't know why his palms felt hot and sweaty.

It wasn't until the master shouted, "It's done," that he reacted and exclaimed, "Ah!"

Ning Tang asked, "Master, when can I get these photos?"

The chef said, "It still needs to be washed. Come pick it up next week."

Chen Lie nodded, "Okay, then I'll ask Xiao Zhao to help me get it."

It was already half past five when we finished taking the photos. We walked to the port and it was exactly six o'clock when we took the boat back to Hailang Island.

Back home, Shen Lie went to cook.

Ning Tang let the three children eat some calcium milk biscuits and golden oatmeal to fill their stomachs.

When the golden oatmeal is brewed with hot water, it emits a rich milky aroma.

After it cooled down a bit, Sanwa held the enamel mug and drank the oatmeal in big gulps, the milk foam left a circle of "white mustache" on his lips.

Erniu opened the calcium milk biscuits, took a piece and soaked it in the oatmeal. The soaked calcium milk biscuits had a rich flavor of oatmeal and milk, and were also more crispy and softer and easier to eat.

Big Brother was in no hurry to eat. He took out the Warrior shoes he bought in the morning and tried them on. After running a few steps, he found that they fit him perfectly.

He couldn't wait for Monday to come so he could wear it to school and show off.

Simply finish your meal and clear the table.

The three of Da Wa began to urge Ning Tang and Shen Lie to tell them stories.

After buying the new book, the three of them were itching to try it.

Chen Lie took the book "The Romance of the Heroine" that Erniu bought, opened it, and told them from the beginning.

Ning Tang picked up a pen and wrote the names of Da Wa and the other two on the title page of the book he had just bought.

The three little kids stopped listening to the story and gathered around, "Mom, what are you writing?"

Ning Tang kept writing. "I'm writing your three names now, so we won't get confused about which book belongs to whom."

Da Wa looked down and saw that the three words "Chen Zhanping" were exactly his real name.

He immediately became interested and said, "I want to write too."

Ning Tang handed him the pen, "Okay, I'll write for you."

This pen is a heavy fountain pen, and it is different from the pencils that Da Wa and his friends usually use.

Da Wa carefully held the pen and wrote his name on the page, stroke by stroke.

After finishing writing, the eldest child blew away the ink carefully. After it dried, he picked up the book and looked at it carefully. He smiled and said, "Haha, my handwriting is really beautiful."

Ning Tang took the book and wrote under his name: "Books are the ladder of human progress - Maxim Gorky"

Erniu and Sanwa opened their mouths wide and said, "We want one too!"

Ning Tang asked Erniu to write her own name, and then she helped Sanwa write his name. Then each of them helped to copy down a famous quote related to the book, which made the two little kids very happy.

After listening to the story for a while, I went to take a shower.

After playing outside for a whole day, even the most energetic eldest child was exhausted.

The three little kids couldn't open their eyes, and they started snoring evenly as soon as they got into bed.

Chen Lie tucked them in and returned to his and Ning Tang's room. "They slept so soundly. They must be really tired."

Ning Tang yawned. "Let's not talk about them. I've been walking all day and I'm exhausted." She patted the bed. "Okay, let's go to sleep."

Chen Lie blinked gently, "Don't worry, I have something to give you."

"What is that?" Ning Tang was stunned.

Chen Lie pulled out a ladies' watch from his pocket. "Here, it's for you." He coughed. "So you don't have to ask me the time every day."

This exquisite and graceful Plum brand ladies' watch in front of you has a steel strap, a square dial, and golden hands. It is generous yet simple and elegant, and looks very beautiful.

Ning Tang was pleasantly surprised. "When did you buy it?" Without waiting for Chen Lie to answer, she suddenly realized, "I know. It was in the department store. You said you were going to the restroom and would be gone for a while. It must have been that time."

Chen Lie raised his eyebrows. This? She's too smart. She can't hide anything from her. He nodded, confirming her statement.

Ning Tang played with the small and exquisite watch and compared it with his wrist. "When did you decide to buy me a watch?"

This Plum Blossom brand watch is also called a Plum Blossom watch. It is not cheap, and you need to get a watch ticket to buy it. She doesn't believe that Chen Lie didn't plan this for a long time.

Chen Lie: "Ever since we were in Shangang Village, I've been thinking about buying you a watch."

Ning Tang remembered that there was no wall clock in Shangang Village. She would occasionally misjudge the time and would always ask Chen Lie what time it was.

It turns out that it started from that time.

Ning Tang curled the corners of his mouth, "Captain Shen, have you ever heard of this saying?"

Chen Lie: "What?"

"That's right, someone who really wants to buy something for you won't ask you if you want it. Instead, they will buy it in advance and give you a surprise." Ning Tang said with a smile.

Isn't that Shen Lie you're talking about?

Chen Lie also smiled and took the Plum Blossom watch. "Let me put it on for you."

He put the Plum Blossom watch on Ning Tang's hand. The finger-wide steel strap made Ning Tang's wrist look very slender.

"It's really beautiful." A hint of surprise flashed across Ning Tang's eyes.

Shen Lie coughed, "As long as you like it."

Ning Tang's eyes flashed with a dark light, "I like it, of course I don't like it."

In the moonlight, her fair face was as white as jade, and the mole between her eyebrows was bright red.

Shen Lie's eyes gradually darkened.

"Hmm." A man's suppressed voice and a woman's whimpering came from the darkness.

The embarrassing scene in the room made the moon hanging on the tree branch unable to help but pull the passing clouds to cover its blushing face.

The next morning, at breakfast.

Da Wa looked at Chen Lie, then at Ning Tang, and always felt that there was an inexplicable feeling between the two.

Ning Tang saw that Da Wa hadn't eaten yet, so he just stared at the two of them, "Why are you looking at us? We have steamed buns on our faces. Can you feel full just by looking at us? Hurry up and eat yours."

The eldest child pouted, took a bite of the steamed bun and swallowed it, then nudged Erniu with his elbow, "Erniu, do you feel that something is wrong with Mom and Dad today?"

Erniu is much more thoughtful than Da Wa, and she had noticed it a long time ago.

Normally, they both eat separately, but today, maybe it was because the sun rose from the west, but Chen Lie helped Ning Tang make porridge, and Ning Tang helped Chen Lie tear the fried cakes into small pieces... In short, they were very close.

Seeing through it but not saying anything, Erniu blinked and said, "Eat yours."