Ning Tang handed the water to Erniu, who took several gulps. She didn't dare drink it because she was afraid that she would need to go to the toilet while on stage.

After the singing, it was as if a big thing had been accomplished. Erniu felt a lot more relaxed and started to sit on the bench to eat snacks, sometimes a piece of osmanthus cake, sometimes a handful of peanuts, feeling so comfortable.

The chorus of Erniu's class was so outstanding that the following class performances seemed a bit mediocre.

There were people who forgot the words when reciting poems, people who danced the moves wrong, and people who sang the chorus out of tune. There was everything.

Finally, it was the turn of Da Wa's class to perform.

Chen Lie was startled and nudged Ning Tang with his elbow, "Look, it's Da Wa's class' turn."

Ning Tang said, "I see." The bow tie, one red and one blue, is so eye-catching.

Da Wa was standing in the first row. Seeing Ning Tang, Chen Lie and Er Niu, he winked at them playfully and stuck out his tongue.

Chen Lie really wanted to beat him up. The show was about to start, and this kid was still making faces.

Dahu pulled Dawa's hand, indicating that he was about to start the performance. Only then did Dawa put on a serious face.

Da Wa's class is Class 2, Grade 6, which is a senior grade. The performances of senior grades are different from those of lower grades. Children in lower grades lack concentration and often make mistakes in their performances, so the performances of Da Wa's class are still highly anticipated by the audience.

The performance began, and all the teachers and students of Class 62 began to recite together: "The spring breeze of reform is blowing everywhere."

Just after I finished reading a sentence, a clear sound came from somewhere: "Gu——"

No one noticed the first sound and was still concentrating on watching the performance of Da Wa's class.

"The Chinese people are truly dedicated."

“Gu——”

“…the magnificence of the beautiful mountains and rivers.”

"Gu-gu-gu" two more sounds were heard.

Chen Lie and his friends were sitting near the front and could hear it very clearly. Chen Lie asked Ning Tang in confusion, "Which frog ran onto the stage?" Why was it croaking?

Ning Tang couldn't hold it in any longer and almost laughed out loud, "That's a frog. That's not the sound a frog makes. Listen carefully, that's clearly the sound of a hungry stomach growling."

Chen Lie pricked up his ears, but didn't hear anything? After a moment, he realized that it was indeed his stomach singing the empty city plan. "Puff, what's going on with Da Wa's class?"

"What's the matter? I'm hungry." Ning Tang said, "I haven't eaten for half the night. If it were you, wouldn't you be growling?"

Ning Tang and Shen Lie listened for a while.

The pauses in poetry recitation are particularly long because of the need to build up emotions, so these "cooing" sounds that come one after another are particularly obvious.

Fortunately, the sound was not very loud. Only Ning Tang and the others who were sitting in the front row, almost next to the stage, could hear it. Those in the back row could not hear it at all.

Ning Tang glanced at the judges' panel. The principal and the dean of studies looked embarrassed. The deputy commander and the chief of staff, who were invited to watch the performance, pursed their lips tightly, with strange expressions, as if they were trying to hold back laughter. They must have heard it.

Taking another look, the classmates in Da Wa’s class looked like they were about to cry.

Sanwa's class was the last to perform, and they also recited poems. The effect was similar to that of Dawa's class, also "coo coo coo".

The students in Sanwa's class were hungrier for longer, their growling sounds were more obvious, and their poetry recitation was a complete mess.

After the performance, Sanwa’s class teacher didn’t know what to say, so he let the children go home and eat.

Winning the award is a small matter. Don’t let your child starve.

The whole evening show was quite interesting, even though some classes' performances were not so outstanding, but full of jokes. However, it was these mediocre performances, and these small "shortcomings", that made this Children's Day and the 30th anniversary of Hailang Island Primary School unique.

The school anniversary party was over. Chen Lie was clearing away the chairs and bending over to pick up the trash when he suddenly remembered something and slapped his thigh. "Oh no! I really should buy a camera and take photos of Da Wa and the others' performance to record it."

Ning Tang also felt sorry that the poetry recitation, the cooing concerto, and Erniu's wonderful chorus should have been recorded.

Although she felt regretful, she pointed to her head and said, "It's okay. We recorded it in our brains."

Shen Lie still felt very sorry and said, "I still have to buy a camera. It will come in handy eventually."

Ning Tang: "Okay, take some photos and develop them, then we can make a photo wall at home."

Everything I see now is just memories.

Just like the family photo taken at the Jiang City Photo Studio before, every time Ning Tang sees it, he can always recall the happiness he felt when taking the photo.

The award-winning classes with outstanding performances at the school anniversary party were selected that evening, but since it was too late, the awards were not presented on the spot. The children and their parents were allowed to go home first, and the awards were presented during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

On Monday afternoon, Erniu came home in high spirits, taking small steps and skipping. She opened her mouth and shouted, "Mom!" for fear that Ning Tang couldn't hear her.

"I heard it." Ning Tang came down from upstairs and scratched his ear. "You were shouting so loudly that even your sister-in-law Luo heard it."

Erniu stuck out her tongue and handed the prize to Ning Tang. "Look, this is the prize I won at the school anniversary party."

Ning Tang lowered his head and saw that the prize Erniu mentioned was an enamel pot. This enamel pot was two times larger than the ones they usually used to drink water. Printed on the white enamel surface was a woman with short hair and a military cap. She made a "forward" gesture, and there were seven big red characters next to it: Women Hold Up Half the Sky.

Ning Tang was amused. In her opinion, this was too tacky, but it was tacky in a unique way. In this day and age, it could be considered a fashionable thing. She swallowed her words and said, "...It's really beautiful."

But maybe there's a typo? Shouldn't it be something like "Labor is the most glorious" or "To exercise in the wind and waves"?

This 'woman'... has nothing to do with Erniu, a pretty little girl?

Erniu said, "Our class won first prize. The prize is 100 yuan and a certificate. The certificate is posted on our classroom wall. There is also this enamel pot. Since there is only one, it is difficult to share. Teacher An said that I was the lead singer and put in a lot of effort, so he gave this award to me."

"Very good." Ning Tang nodded. "This thing is practical. A jar of water is enough for you to drink for a whole day."

No matter what Ning Tang thought, Erniu liked it very much. She held the enamel pot in her arms and couldn't let it go. She also said that she would wait for Chen Lie to come back and show it off to him.

Ning Tang asked Da Wa and San Wa: "How about your class? Did they win any awards?"

Da Wa sighed, "I got a consolation prize, a certificate."

Sanwa also puffed up his cheeks and said, "Next time, next time we will definitely win a prize. I want an enamel pot too."

Ning Tang was amused. "Next time, I guess we'll have to wait until the 40th anniversary of the school, which also has to coincide with Children's Day, to hold such a school anniversary party." He patted the little boy's head and said, "By then, you won't even be a primary school student anymore."

Sanwa: "Then I want to win the award too."

Erniu said, "Oh, Mom, when school was over, I ran into Wu Yingdi and her mother at the school gate."

Ning Tang nodded, "And then?"

Erniu tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Wu Yingdi's mother walked towards me and glared at me." She blinked, confused. "Why did she glare at me?"

Ning Tang guessed that Wang Dilai was probably upset because Erniu had been in the spotlight yesterday. "Don't bother with her. No one in their right mind can understand her."

Big Boy chimed in, "What's on her mind?"

Ning Tang thought for a moment and concluded, "If I see others doing well, I can drink two fewer bowls of porridge. If I see others doing badly, I can eat two more steamed buns."

You just can't stand seeing others being better than her.

Chen Lie entered the room and asked, "What are these porridge and steamed buns?"

"It's okay." Ning Tang interrupted him casually, "By the way, do we want porridge or steamed buns for lunch?"

Chen Lie was speechless, "When did we ever have porridge and steamed buns for lunch?" He couldn't be that poor.

I asked the three little ones, "Did your mother say bad things about me when I was away, saying that I only gave you porridge and steamed buns?"

The three little ones shook their heads and covered their mouths with their hands while laughing.

Chen Lie, "By the way, why are you asking me what I'm having for lunch? You didn't make lunch?"

Ning Tang spread his hands and said, "I slept late and didn't even buy food."

Chen Lie was delighted. "You're really good." He rolled up his sleeves and went into the kitchen. His voice came from the kitchen, "If I don't come back, what are you going to eat?"

Ning Tang said, "I'm going to use my unique skills to make another dish for Da Wa and the other two: fried instant noodles."

The eldest child took a sip of water and looked towards the kitchen. "Dad, why don't you go back to the army?"

Chen Lie: "You are truly my biological son."

Erniu saw Chen Lie enter the kitchen and followed him in.

Chen Lie was cooking noodles when he saw Erniu: "What are you doing in the kitchen?"

Erniu rolled her eyes and said, "I, I came to see what you're cooking."

Chen Lie: "Don't get your hopes up. We haven't bought any groceries at home. I'll make you some noodles for lunch."

Erniu nodded. "I want an egg and two drops of sesame oil."

Chen Lie: "Could you add a handful of greens?" He glanced at Erniu, "Do you have anything else to do?"

Erniu blinked her big eyes and said, "It's okay."

Shen Lie: "Then you can go out."

Erniu puffed up her cheeks, "Why?"

Chen Lie said bluntly, "Because you're getting in the way in the kitchen and affecting my performance."

Erniu was so angry that she turned around and left the kitchen, stomping the floor loudly. She complained to Ning Tang, "Mom, look at Dad. He said I was in the way and affecting his performance." She muttered, "How can I perform well in making noodles?"

Shen Lie’s voice came from the kitchen, “Shen Erniu, if you have any opinions, you can do it.”

Erniu shrank her neck guiltily and said loudly, "Dad, I have no objection. Just make it quickly. I love eating noodles."

Ning Tang went to the kitchen to help Chen Lie. It would be faster if two people worked together.

Seeing her come in, Shen Lie also muttered to her, "What's wrong with Erniu today? She had to squeeze into the kitchen to watch me cook."

Ning Tang couldn't help laughing, "You didn't see that?"

Chen Lie shook his head. "What kind of riddle is this?"

Ning Tang gestured, "You're blind! She's holding such a large enamel pot in her hand, and she keeps pushing it towards you, almost raising it to your face, just waiting for you to praise her."

Chen Lie: “…”

He realized that when Erniu entered the kitchen just now, she was holding an enamel pot that was a size larger than the ordinary ones. He thought Ning Tang bought it for her, because she always bought things for the three little ones. "You didn't buy it? Then where did it come from?"

Ning Tang gave him a glare. "It's a school award, a first-place prize at the school anniversary party."

Chen Lie: "Okay, I'll praise her later."

While eating, Chen Lie really praised Erniu.

Erniu is no longer the same as before. When she hears someone praise her, she blushes and puffs out her chest, like a young rooster that has just grown a comb. She is so proud and arrogant, and she says, "Dad, you are right."

Chen Lie: “…”

The eldest child picked up a few noodles with chopsticks and frowned. "How can we eat noodles for lunch? Dad, you are too perfunctory. Have you ever heard of the saying, eat a full breakfast, a good lunch, and a light dinner?"

Chen Lie: "Every meal in our family is always full and delicious."

Da Wa put the noodles into his mouth and said, "Look at these noodles, are they delicious?"

"How about you do it?" Chen Lie said, "I don't even cook, and there's so much to do every day."

Big Baby said, "I'll do it if I want to."

Ning Tang: "You said that, I was planning to teach you three how to cook."

Now it was Shen Lie's turn to be stunned, "Is this true?"

"Really?" Ning Tang said, "Big Baby will be in junior high school in September. It's so rare that he can't cook even though he's already in junior high school."

Shen Lie: “I remember you couldn’t cook when you first came here.”

Ning Tang choked, "What do you think?"

Chen Lie shrugged, "I wouldn't dare." He turned and looked at the three children, "When you're looking for a partner in the future, you must be discerning. The first requirement is whether he can cook."

Erniu asked, "Why?"

The eldest child covered his mouth and laughed secretly, "Because Dad was deceived. He only found out that Mom couldn't cook after marrying her."

Chen Lie said earnestly, "For a couple, one of them must be able to cook, otherwise they'll be left with nothing."

Ning Tang patted his shoulder and said, "So this heavy task is now yours. Besides, I'm cooking now." He added, "You said it yourself that one of the couple must be able to cook. I've decided to let Da Wa and the other three be the ones who can cook."

Chen Lie: "Are you serious?"

"Really?" Ning Tang said, "Have you ever heard of a saying that goes, 'People who know how to cook will never starve to death wherever they go?'"

"I haven't heard of it." Chen Lie shook his head. "But I can see that you want to teach the three of them how to cook, so that you can let them do it yourself and be a hands-off boss, waiting for Da Wa, Er Niu and San Wa to cook for you every day."

Ning Tang: "Just one word, teach them or not." He added, "What do you think? If we teach them how to cook, there are five of us in our family, and each of us can cook for a whole day, how much easier it would be for the two of us."

Chen Lie thought about it and realized that this made sense. "Then, teach them?"

"I'll teach you." Ning Tang said, "By the way, how old were you when you learned to cook?"

People of their generation should have learned to cook very early, right?

Chen Lie stood up to clear the table and said casually, "I learned it in elementary school. My parents have to go to the fields to work and earn work points. I am the only child in the family. If I don't cook, who will?" After finishing the work, he had to go to the fields to deliver the meal.

Recalling, "First I learned to cook sweet potato porridge, then I moved a small stool, holding a spatula, and stood in front of the stove to stir-fry. If you ask me, I can't remember when I learned to cook."

Ning Tang thought, no wonder Chen Lie is so good at cooking, it turns out he has been practicing since he was a child.

She did what she said and dug up Da Wa and the other two on Sunday morning.

The eldest child finally wanted to sleep in, and rubbed his eyes sleepily, "Mom, why are you waking us up so early?"

Ning Tang said, "I told you to get up and cook." He added, "Now is the time to make lunch. Once it's ready, it will be ready in time for lunch."

Erniu was dumbfounded, "Mom, are you serious?"

"Really? I'm a stickler for truth. When have I ever lied?" Ning Tang handed over the spatula. "Come on, let's learn the simplest one first: scrambled eggs with tomatoes."

The eldest child took the spatula and muttered, "If we want to teach you how to cook, shouldn't Dad be the one to teach you?"

Sanwa said, "That's right, I want to learn your cooking skills." He shook his head and said, "It's better not to learn."

Ning Tang choked, "Don't forget who cooks the meals you eat every day. You haven't starved to death even though you've eaten my cooking."

Erniu sighed, "Your requirements are really low."

Ning Tang put his hands on his hips and said, "Stop talking nonsense and just tell me whether you want to learn or not."

The eldest child looked at the spatula in his hand and said with a bitter face, "I already have the spatula in my hand, how can I not learn it?"

"No," Ning Tang said, "You must learn to make scrambled eggs with tomatoes this morning." After a moment's thought, he added, "From now on, you must learn a dish every few days and you must master it."

Once you teach Da Wa and the other three, you will be liberated!

Big Baby held the spatula and asked, "So, how do you make scrambled eggs with tomatoes?"

Ning Tang said, "First, learn to cut tomatoes and green onions with a kitchen knife."

Big Baby muttered, "This is not simple."

For the eldest child, using a kitchen knife is really easy, much easier than learning Chinese anyway.

He recalled how Chen Lie cut vegetables, with green onions in one hand and a kitchen knife in the other. In a short while, he had cut a bunch of green onions.

Ning Tang stretched his neck to take a look. Although the pieces were of different lengths, at least they were cut out.

Same with tomatoes, just cut into small pieces.

Ning Tang said, "Crack another egg."

The three little ones often help with small things like beating eggs, so the eldest child doesn't have to do it, and the second girl can stir the eggs right on the side.

I just didn't pay attention and beat a few extra eggs.

Ning Tang waved his hand, "It's okay, eat more eggs, they are nutritious and will replenish your body."

Big Boy poured oil into the pot and added minced garlic, and the pot immediately began to sizzle.

Ning Tang took a step back in fear and pulled the three little ones back, "Stay away."

Big Boy is not afraid of this, he just likes to listen to this sound, crackling, like firecrackers.

Scrambled eggs with tomatoes is the simplest home-cooked dish and not difficult to make.

Just heat the pan, add chopped tomatoes and eggs, stir-fry for a few times, add some salt and sugar, and finally sprinkle with chopped green onions.

A dish of scrambled eggs with tomatoes was quickly prepared. Although there were too many eggs, the tomatoes were not fried well, and the green onions were of different lengths, at least they were cooked.

Ning Tang instructed Da Wa, "Try it and see if it tastes good."

Big Baby was speechless: "Why don't you try it? You asked me to cook this meal."

Ning Tang said confidently, "Because I still want to live a few more years. Stop talking nonsense and try it quickly to see if it tastes good. Then return the meal I asked you to make. If you made the meal yourself, shouldn't you take the first bite first?"

The eldest child shook his head and said, "I can't argue with you." He picked up an egg with chopsticks and stuffed it into the third child's mouth with lightning speed. "Don't spit it out. Spitting it out is a waste of food. If you dare to waste food, I'll tell Dad and let him beat you."

Sanwa held a scrambled egg in his mouth, his eyes filled with tears.

Erniu asked curiously, "Is it delicious?"

Sanwa pouted and said nothing.

Ning Tang: "Needless to say, it's definitely not tasty." Pointing at the eldest child, he said, "Look at the food you cooked. It almost made the third child cry because it was so disgusting. And you still have the nerve to complain that your dad's noodles are not tasty."

Sanwa chewed it, swallowed it, and said quietly, "It's actually not bad." He muttered, "It tastes almost the same as the food you cook."

Ning Tang really wanted to beat him up, "You make the next dish."

"Ah——" Sanwa wanted to cry but had no tears.

"Ah, what?" Ning Tang said, "I want to see how delicious your cooking is. Let me tell you, my cooking skills are already pretty good."

Big Baby muttered, "Yes, it's at a level that can't kill me."

Ning Tang scratched his ear, "Big Boy, what did you just say?"

The eldest boy immediately put on a serious face and said solemnly, "I didn't say anything." He rolled his eyes and said, "I said, it's time for the third boy to cook." He stuffed the spatula into the third boy's hand.

Sanwa took the spatula and looked at Ning Tang aggrievedly, "Mom, what should I cook?"

Ning Tang said, "Just stir-fry some vegetables, and don't ask for more."

While the three kids were picking vegetable leaves, Ning Tang threatened them, "You all should learn to cook well. If you can't cook, you won't find a partner in the future."

Da Wa said, "I don't believe it."

Ning Tang continued, "Really? Your dad married me because I can cook. Think about it, a man who can cook gets a lot of extra points. When you go out on a blind date, just mention that you can cook to others, especially boys, and the people chasing you will line up from the vegetable market to the supply and marketing cooperative."

Erniu asked, "That girl can cook."

"It's a bonus too." Ning Tang said, "What I don't understand the most is that since when has it been required that women must know how to cook? If a man can't cook, no one will say anything, but if a woman can't cook, it's like she's breaking a law."

Sanwa said, "It seems like all the aunts and uncles cook on our island, and our dad is the only man who can cook."

Da Wa said, "Yes, Uncle Qi can't cook." He often went to Da Hu's house to play. "Uncle Qi can't do anything. One time, Aunt Xinlan was busy cooking in the kitchen, and Uncle Qi wanted some tea, so Aunt Xinlan let him make it himself. During the whole cooking time, Uncle Qi came into the kitchen and asked Aunt Xinlan three times, 'Where's the cup?' 'Where's the tea leaves?' 'How much water do you want?'"

Ning Tang understood immediately and laughed. Captain Qi? He had to ask several questions just to make tea. And what kind of questions were they? It was as if he didn't live here but was just a guest. "Do you know why your Uncle Qi does this? Do you think he really doesn't know how to make tea?"

Erniu shook her head. "I don't think so. Uncle Qi should know how to make tea. I don't believe he doesn't drink tea in the army."

Captain Qi's position is not yet at the level where he needs to have guards. If there is no one to help him, he must do it himself.

Ning Tang nodded, "Of course he would. He did this on purpose because he didn't want to do it himself. He kept going into the kitchen and asking questions, which annoyed Aunt Xinlan so much that she would take the initiative to make tea for him."

Many men are like this. They don’t want to do it and are too lazy to move, so they pretend that they can’t learn it.

It’s like cooking. Is cooking really that difficult? Ning Tang, who thinks he has no talent for cooking, can just learn a few more times and cook a few more times, and the dishes he cooks will still be delicious.

They pretend that they can't cook, or deliberately cook dishes that taste terrible, just to avoid cooking. If they cook well, they will have to cook every day in the future.

So, why are there so many "stupid" men who can't cook, can't even clean a table, and can't even make tea?

Although he is said to be stupid, he is actually very smart.