After all, Big Baby didn’t see the excitement he wanted to see.

A few days after returning from Jiang City, Mrs. Luo followed Ning Tang's advice and took Zhao Qing to a large hospital in the city to consult a doctor about dwarfism.

Coincidentally, they consulted a young doctor who had just returned from studying abroad. His research happened to be on a related topic. When he heard Mrs. Luo describe the "symptoms" of Sun Minghui's father and Sun Xinan, he immediately concluded that this was a very rare form of dwarfism that could be passed down to offspring.

Zhao Qing didn't even believe the doctor until the doctor took out photos of her with other dwarfism patients and threw the research evidence in her face. Zhao Qing saw the identical "little hands and feet" and finally believed it. Her heart sank.

Political Commissar Zhao had never agreed with Zhao Qing and Sun Minghui being together. Now, after hearing that the Sun family had some genetic disease, he was even more furious and insisted that Zhao Qing break off contact with Sun Minghui.

Zhao Qing was no match for Sun Minghui and was really scared, so she broke up with him.

Of course Sun Minghui disagreed and kept coming to the house to pester her, even saying that he wanted to elope with Zhao Qing.

Political Commissar Zhao was not someone to be trifled with, so he immediately asked someone to spread the news that the Sun family had dwarfism.

This caused a huge uproar, and everyone avoided the Sun family.

Sun Minghui had no choice but to quit his temporary job at the machinery factory and move to another place with his parents and his third and fourth sisters.

According to the latest information obtained by Political Commissar Zhao, the Sun family has settled in a new place of residence, and Sun Minghui has also found a new partner.

Zhao Qing was originally a little reluctant, but when she heard that Sun Minghui had found a new partner so quickly, her persistence seemed like a joke.

This silly girl finally woke up and no longer worried about love. I heard from Mrs. Luo that this girl is going to pick up her high school textbooks again to see if she can work harder and get into college.

In April, the peppers in the Shen family's yard were ripe, and Political Commissar Zhao also asked Chen Lie to bring a "thank you gift" to Ning Tang.

A TV ticket, some pastries and snacks, and a few bottles of Coke.

The biggest part was the ticket for the TV, and cakes, snacks and cola were extras. But cola wasn't cheap these days. Anyway, the supply and marketing cooperative on the island didn't sell it. They only sold the cheapest orange soda.

The Coke should have been brought by Zhao Zheng's client from somewhere else.

This thing became popular in China in the 1930s, then disappeared. It was not until the reform and opening up that it became popular again. In the city, it sells better than orange soda and pear juice.

Political Commissar Zhao knew that if Mrs. Luo gave it to Ning Tang, Ning Tang would definitely not accept it, so he passed it on to Chen Lie, using the banner of giving it to the three little ones, so that Ning Tang would find it difficult to refuse.

In the afternoon, when Da Wa and his two friends got home from school, they saw TV tickets, plane tickets, cakes and snacks, and a few bottles of Coke on the table.

The three little ones are not interested in TV or plane tickets. They often eat cakes and snacks, but are quite interested in cola.

The eldest child asked, "Mom, what is this? Why does it look so much like orange soda?"

They are both packaged in glass bottles, but the orange soda is orange and has bubbles, while the cola is dark brown. If it weren't in a glass bottle, my eldest child would have thought it was some Chinese medicine bought from somewhere.

"This is called Coke," Ning Tang said. "It's the same kind of soda as orange soda. Your Uncle Zhao gave it to me."

"Soda!" The three little ones' eyes lit up.

Ning Tang pried open the bottle cap, opened a bottle, and asked the three of them to taste it.

The three little ones took a sip each and frowned.

Shen Lie was surprised, "Isn't it delicious?"

Da Wa shook his head, "It's so sweet."

Erniu said, "Orange soda is still the best."

Ning Tang thought about it and knew the reason. The Coke was bought by Zhao Zheng's client from somewhere else. It was already deflated when he got it. Moreover, it was not taken out of the refrigerator and was not cold at all. Of course, it was not tasty. When drinking Coke, you have to take the first sip of it iced, which is what makes it so refreshing.

Now the Coke here is flat and not cold, and I don’t have a refrigerator at home. It’s really worrying. It would be a waste not to drink it.

Ning Tang had an idea, "Let's make cola chicken wings." He happened to have bought chicken wings today.

"Cola Chicken Wings?" Hearing the name, one could tell it was a dish made with cola and chicken wings. Chen Lie's eyebrows almost knitted together, "How could this taste good?"

"It's delicious." She still remembered the recipe for cola chicken wings, so she would just let Chen Lie make it when the time comes. "Don't worry, I won't ask you to eat it. I, Da Wa, Er Niu and San Wa will eat it after it's done." I'll give it to you if you can't finish it.

"You? You said that." Shen Lie got up and went into the kitchen.

Ning Tang followed him in and told him how to make cola chicken wings.

Chen Lie cleaned the chicken wings, cut them diagonally on both sides, blanched them with ginger slices, put them in a frying pan, and then poured in cooking wine and light soy sauce, frying them for a while. "Are you sure you want to add Coke? This way of pan-frying the chicken wings is already delicious."

Ning Tang patted his chest and assured, "Just trust me, the cola chicken wings will definitely be delicious."

Chen Lie muttered, "If Political Commissar Zhao knew we wasted the Coke he gave us, we'd definitely get scolded."

"How can you say it's a waste?" Ning Tang looked at the chicken wings, which had been fried golden on both sides, and urged, "Hey, hurry up and pour the Coke."

Pour in cola, turn down the heat to low and simmer for five minutes, then cook over high heat until the sauce thickens. The cola chicken wings are ready.

He sniffed and, wow, it smelled pretty good.

Ning Tang washed his hands, grabbed a cola chicken wing, and ate it clean in just a few bites. "Do you want to try it? It's really delicious."

Chen Lie waved his hand, "Goodbye, I still want to live a few more years."

Can dishes made with soda and chicken wings be delicious?

Instructing Ning Tang, "You take the cola chicken wings out, I'll cook a few more dishes."

Chen Lie also made braised squid, stir-fried Anhui fish slices, and a pot of abalone and chicken.

When the dishes were brought out of the kitchen, we saw that the eldest, second and third children had already started eating.

Da Wa grabbed the chicken wing with his right hand and sucked on it for a long time before spitting out two bones.

Erniu only likes to eat the middle of the wings, so Ning Tang asked her to leave the tips of the wings for Chen Lie to eat later.

Sanwa grabbed a cola chicken wing in his left hand and ate it with relish. Not feeling it was not enough, he grabbed one with his right hand as well.

Chen Lie was amused: "You guys are eating really delicious food. This cola and chicken wings cooked together, is it really delicious?"

Ning Tang said, "Of course, this is our ninth cuisine."

She handed him the chicken wing tip that Erniu had removed, "Here, this is the chicken wing tip that your daughter left for you."

Chen Lie: "Erniu, you really love your father."

Erniu giggled.

While eating, they discussed what to do with the other things that Political Commissar Zhao had sent.

Coke is easy to deal with. It will be gone after making a few meals of cola chicken wings. At worst, let the eldest child put it in the refrigerator of the supply and marketing cooperative and drink it after it is chilled.

The pastries were placed in the chest of drawers. When the three little ones wanted to eat some, Ning Tang took them out and shared them with them to satisfy their taste buds.

Finally, there is this ticket to buy a TV. It is a rare thing. I guess Political Commissar Zhao must have put in a lot of effort to get it.

It seems that he is really grateful to Ning Tang.

Ning Tang helped the Zhao family a lot this time. If she hadn't noticed that the Sun family had a family genetic disease called dwarfism, what good would Zhao Qing have gotten if she had really married into the family? What if she really gave birth to a dwarf like Sun Minghui's father or Sun Minghui's third sister? Political Commissar Zhao and Mrs. Luo would have wanted to eat Sun Minghui.

Ning Tang was very fond of this TV ticket and wanted to buy it right away.

It is now 1982. In another year, 1983, the first Spring Festival Gala will be broadcast.

Now that I have bought a TV, I can catch up.

Chen Lie also felt that the family should get a TV. Although the radio was good, without a picture, just listening to the sound was still a bit monotonous. "...I'll find some time in a few days, put some money and tickets in my pocket, and go buy a TV."

They ate quickly while chatting, and soon all the dishes on the table were gone, leaving only a cola chicken wing and the chicken wing tip that Erniu had taken apart.

Chen Lie asked, "You guys aren't going to eat anymore?"

Don’t you like eating cola chicken wings? Why is there only one left?

The eldest child, with his round belly, waved his hands and said, "I can't eat anymore."

Erniu and Sanwa also shook their heads.

Although cola chicken wings are delicious, they become greasy if you eat too much, and they really can’t eat any more.

Ning Tang smiled and said, "How about I help you rinse this cola chicken wing and the tip of the chicken wing so you can eat it."

Chen Lie sighed, "Don't underestimate me, it's just a dish made with soda. I've eaten even the worst dishes."

Ning Tang really underestimated him. It was not the first time for him to eat cola chicken wings.

No matter how bad it tastes, it's still better than the 'Stir-fried Mango and Pork Ribs' that the kitchen team came up with before.

There was an overabundance of mangoes on the island, and some of them rotted on the ground before they could be picked, becoming fertilizer.

Political Commissar Zhao said that mangoes should not be wasted like this, so he asked the soldiers in the kitchen squad to think about how to make a dish with this mango.

The soldiers in the kitchen were dumbfounded. What dish could be made with this mango?

Finally, it was the squad leader of the kitchen team who hit his head and came up with a dish called "Stir-fried Mango with Pork Ribs".

When the dish was ready, Shen Lie and Political Commissar Zhao vomited as soon as they took a bite.

Political Commissar Zhao also said meaningfully that it was better to let the mangoes rot on the ground than to use them to cook.

Chen Lie grabbed the cola chicken wings and, with the mentality of a hero ready to die, decided to finish it in one gulp.

As soon as the cola chicken wings entered his mouth, he was dumbfounded. How could there be such delicious food!

The chicken wings were stewed until they were very tender, smooth and refreshing, with not much of a cola flavor at all. The taste was just the right amount of sweet and salty, making him unable to resist eating one bite after another.

If it hadn't been a little cold, the taste would have been even better. No wonder Ning Tang and the three little ones ate it with such relish.

If he had known, he would have eaten it from the beginning.

Chen Lie, filled with regret, ate up the remaining cola chicken wing and the bowl of chicken wing tips.

Ning Tang was amused: "Who said that soda can't be cooked with chicken wings?"

Chen Lie raised his hands in surrender, "Let's make another cola chicken wings tomorrow."

The family has enough money to buy a TV, but the difficult part is getting the ticket for the TV. Now Political Commissar Zhao has paid for the ticket.

Chen Lie took some time out and went to the city to buy a small 14-inch black and white TV.

On the day the TV was delivered, Ning Xue stood in the Su family's yard, watching two strong workers jump off the truck and move the TV into the Shen family with great effort.

Li Yun said enviously, "The Shen family actually bought a TV. I heard that a TV set costs 400 yuan. They are really rich."

Ning Xue sneered in her heart, this is just the beginning.

With her own eyes, she witnessed that the Shen family first bought an electric fan, then a washing machine, a radio, a bicycle, and now a TV.

In contrast, she worked hard to save money and tickets for several years and finally bought an electric fan.

Ning Xue felt infuriated and helpless, so she vented her anger at Su Junyan, "Look at Chen Lie and Ning Tang. Our family just got an electric fan, and they already have a TV. Ning Tang and I are cousins, and we married to Hailang Island together. What kind of life is she leading? What kind of life am I leading?"

Su Junyan put down the newspaper and glanced at her. "Why, do you feel wronged by marrying me?"

Ning Xue stammered, "...I? I didn't say that."

Su Junyan said, "Then I have something to say. You are becoming more and more lazy, and you have become vain and competitive."

Is pursuing a better quality of life considered vanity and comparison?

Ning Xue felt that she and Su Junyan were becoming less and less compatible.

Fortunately, she still has two obedient and well-behaved sons.

Ning Xue glanced at Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu, who were bent over their desks, concentrating on their studies. "How many points did you two get on the Chinese language quiz two days ago?"

Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu looked at each other and said in unison, "Full marks."

Ning Xue nodded with satisfaction, "Not bad." She then asked, "How many points did the eldest child get in the exam?"

After hearing the twins' extremely satisfying scores, Ning Xue smiled and said, "If you two put more effort into your studies, the eldest will never be able to catch up with you no matter how hard he tries."

Su Guangzong thought that as soon as they got home from school every day, they would study until 12 o'clock after dinner, sleep for five hours, get up, read aloud at five o'clock in the morning until half past six, and then go to school.

Isn’t this called putting your heart into studying?

Su Yaozu was obviously thinking the same thing as Su Guangzong, but he wasn't as straightforward as Su Guangzong. He rolled his eyes and said crisply, "Don't worry, Mom. We will study hard and always get first place in the exams, leaving Da Wa behind."

Ning Xue smiled so much that the fine lines around her eyes smoothed out. She patted Su Yaozu's head and said, "Good boy, I'm relying on you for the rest of my life."

She launched into the same old refrain, "You must live up to your name. You must bring honor to our family, become successful, become college students, earn a ton of money, and buy us a TV and a bicycle."

Ning Xue repeats this every few days, and the twins' ears are so tired of hearing it.

With their heads bowed, they all responded in unison, "Yes—"

The Su family was in a gloomy mood, while the Shen family was studying their newly purchased 14-inch black and white TV.

It was the first time that Ning Tang had seen such an "old" TV. It had a bulky TV case with an antenna attached to it.

Chen Lie and the three children came down from the rooftop after looking at the signal receiver. The eldest child complained, "What kind of signal receiver is this? To me, it looks like a pot."

Chen Lie was amused. You know what, that signal receiver was silvery white, smooth, and flat, and it really looked like an upside-down pot.

Walking up to Ning Tang, he asked, "How's it going? Have you figured out how to turn on this TV?"

The delivery guy taught it once, and Ning Tang studied it for a while, then turned a small knob on the upper right side of the TV. The TV turned on instantly, and a white snowflake appeared first, and then the picture appeared.

Ning Tang turned up the volume. "Crocodile Pond" was playing on TV. Chow Yun-fat was wearing a white suit and sitting on the sofa smoking a cigar.

I can't help but sigh that Chow Yun-fat was still young at that time.

The three little ones all opened their mouths wide, even more surprised than the first time they saw the radio.

Sanwa pointed at the TV and said in surprise, "Dad, there are two little people on the TV."

Chen Lie explained to them, "...others filmed the movie somewhere else and then put it on TV." After thinking about it, he added, "It's just like you watching a movie in the cinema."

To prevent the three little ones from mistakenly thinking that there were two little people locked in the TV.

After being surprised, the eldest, second and third kids were soon mesmerized by the good movies and TV series on TV.

It just so happened that the movie was being cut to a martial arts film. The eldest and third kids opened their eyes wide and imitated the martial arts stars on TV, throwing left hooks and right kicks.

Sanwa screamed "Ah Da" and almost punched Chen Lie on the butt.

Chen Lie: "...Sanwa."

I'm really itching to eat stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat.

Sanwa chuckled and pointed at the TV, saying, "Watch TV, watch TV."

Ning Tang watched the three little ones watch TV for only one hour and then turned off the TV.

The eldest child was watching the TV with great interest when it suddenly went out. He pursed his lips and stretched out his voice, "Mom—"

"There's no point in shouting. You've been watching for an hour. It's time to do your homework." Ning Tang said.

Erniu said coquettishly, "Let us watch for a while longer."

"No," Chen Lie said, "You're addicted to watching TV. I'll just tell your Uncle Zhao to return the TV to their family."

Sanwa muttered, "Then let's go to Sister Luo's house."

Mrs. Luo loves them so much, she will definitely let them watch it, and they can watch it as long as they want. It’s not like at home, where their parents don’t allow them to watch it for too long.

"Hey." Shen Lie touched the belt around his waist, "Is your skin itchy?"

Ning Tang nudged him with his elbow and said, "If you have something to say, just say it. Don't scare the child."

The eldest child puffed up his cheeks and asked, "Mom, why can't we watch TV?"

"Because you haven't finished your homework," Ning Tang said. "If you only watch TV and don't do your homework, that's called wasting your time."

"What if we have finished our homework?" Erniu asked with her head tilted.

"Then you'll be allowed to watch TV," Ning Tang said. "So, from now on, after we finish our meals and your homework, I'll allow the three of you to watch TV for an hour. How about that?" After thinking about it, he added, "You can watch TV for two hours a day on weekends."

The three little ones looked at each other and shouted, "Deal!"

Shen Lie nodded, "That's right."

Ning Tang covered the TV. "Don't even think about watching TV secretly when your dad and I are not home. First, you won't be able to turn it on. Second, the TV will get hot after watching it for a while. The first thing I do when I get home is touch the back cover of the TV. If I find it's hot, hmph."

The eldest boy shuddered, and the idea of playing tricks that had just arisen in his mind disappeared without a trace.

Ning Tang saw that the three children still looked like they wanted to watch TV instead of doing their homework. He paused and said, "Did you just see the beautiful scenery on TV, the tall buildings, the cars, and all kinds of delicious cakes and drinks?"

"Yes." Da Wa's eyes lit up.

Although Chen Lie and Ning Tang had described it to them before, and they had heard it on the radio, it was completely different from seeing it on TV.

It turns out that skyscrapers are so majestic, cars are really made of steel and run faster than humans, and it turns out that cakes are so exquisite.

This is also the reason why the three little ones are obsessed with watching TV. Not only because movies and TV series are attractive, but also because the world shown in movies and TV series is something they have never been exposed to.

"Big Boy, Second Girl, Third Girl, watching these on TV is completely different from seeing them with your eyes and touching them with your hands." Ning Tang said with a smile.

Chen Lie: "It's like cake. You only see it on TV. How do you know what it tastes like? Is it fluffy and melt-in-your-mouth?"

Big Baby nodded frantically.

"And the car? You only know that it's made of steel. Don't you want to try how to drive a car?" Ning Tang said.

Erniu opened her mouth slightly.

Sanwa's eyes were filled with hope. "Then how can I drive a car, eat cake, and see real skyscrapers?"

Chen Lie took out the three little ones' homework and slapped it on the table, "Study hard."

Ning Tang said, "When you grow up, use your own abilities to explore the outside world. There are many more novel things than cars, cakes, and skyscrapers."

"But we have to study hard first before we can have the ability to go out," Da Wa concluded.

"Smart." Ning Tang said, "Go do your homework."

The purpose of installing a TV at home is to give the three little ones another way to learn about the outside world, just like buying a radio.

If they neglect their studies and indulge in pleasure because of this, then we are putting the cart before the horse.

June 1st is both Children's Day and the anniversary of Hailang Island Primary School.

On May 7th, as soon as Da Wa, Er Niu and San Wa came back from school, they started yelling to Chen Lie and Ning Tang that the school was going to hold a anniversary celebration soon.

This was a major event on the island, and Ning Tang had heard about it. "So, what are you going to do about it at school?"

Sanwa said, "They say each class will have a performance and hold a school anniversary party? We'll invite parents and teachers to come and watch it."

Half of the students enrolled in the primary school are children of fishermen, and the other half are children of soldiers. It is estimated that many military leaders will be invited to attend.

Chen Lie asked, "So, what programs have your classes prepared?"

The eldest child said first, "Our class is going to have a poetry recitation."

Chen Lie: "Very good, Sanwa, are you in our class?"

Sanwa said, "We also recite poems."

Poetry recitation is well-regulated, not prone to mistakes, and can promote revolutionary ideas, so many classes choose this.

Ning Tang: "What about Erniu? Is your class also doing poetry recitation?"

Erniu shook her head. "Our class is a chorus."

"Hey." Chen Lie became interested. "What song is that?"

"The East is Red." Erniu said.

Chen Lie praised, "What a great song. Which one of your classes will sing it first? I'll definitely go and see it then."

The eldest and third children grumbled, "What about our poetry recitation?"

"Look at them all," Shen Lie soothed.

Erniu said, "We will be the first to sing in our class."

"Is there a lead singer?" Ning Tang asked.

Erniu pursed her lips and whispered a little embarrassedly, "...Yes, I'm the lead singer."

Chen Lie was very surprised: "Okay, okay, your teacher chose you?"

Erniu said, "The teacher taught us a section, asked each of us to try singing a line, and then chose me."

Erniu has a good voice, like a lark. She often practices singing at home. She can sing any song, whether it is gentle and melodious or grand and majestic.

As soon as he opened his mouth, he shocked the teacher and the whole class.