Chen Lie teased him deliberately, "No, your second sister already said you have to change." He took out fifty cents and shook it, "Otherwise, there won't be any extra New Year's money."
This made the little third child extremely anxious, and she blurted out, "I wish Dad and stepmom happiness as vast as the East Sea, sea, sea, and the whole world is our home!"
The whole world is my home?!
Chen Lie chuckled, stretched out his big hand, and carried the third child to the bed. "Little rascal, are you cursing your father?"
The third child didn't care. He rolled around on the bed and said coquettishly, "I want a red envelope, I want a red envelope."
Chen Lie patted his little butt and said, "Here, here, here, here. I really owed you guys this in my previous life."
The third child took the red envelope from Chen Lie and put it in his pocket. He glanced at Ning Tang with his big, black grape-like eyes and held out his white, tender little hand, palm facing up. "Hehe, stepmother, a red envelope."
Ning Tang took out three red envelopes and gave one to each person.
The eldest child opened it and exclaimed, "Two dollars!"
Chen Lie looked at Ning Tang and asked, how can you give it? So much.
He felt that his one dollar was too much. After all, most parents on the island gave their children red envelopes of only five cents and a dime, with the better ones giving twenty or thirty cents.
Ning Tang said, "Before the Spring Festival, three children helped me clean the house, and I promised to give them double the red envelopes."
She was competing with Chen Lie in giving. If Chen Lie gave her one dollar, she would give him two dollars.
After talking in the room for a while, it was almost nine o'clock. Chen Lie and Ning Tang got up quickly, washed up, and went to the kitchen to cook.
They had already decided on the dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner last night. They would cook hotpot for lunch and five dishes, one soup, and a serving of dumplings with three kinds of fillings for dinner.
The New Year’s Eve dinner in the evening is the big one. At noon, we have hot pot. We can eat as much as we want without worrying about wasting it.
Both of them moved quickly and soon washed and cut the various fish balls, meatballs, vegetables, and meat slices.
The eldest child rushed into the house, smelling of firecrackers, followed by the second and third children. "Dad, stepmom, I'm hungry. When is dinner ready?" He stopped and sniffed. "It smells so good."
There was a pot on the dining table. The milky white soup base of pork bone soup and white radish was bubbling and emitting a rich aroma, which made the three little ones very greedy.
Ning Tang put the cut squid rings and red shrimp into the pot and said, "Go wash your hands and come over for dinner."
The eldest, second and third kids responded in unison and ran to the faucet in the yard to wash their hands.
Although the winter on the island is warmer than that on the mainland, there are always a few days when it is so cold that people shiver. Today is one of them, so when the three little ones entered the house, their hands and noses turned red.
Chen Lie poured the three of them a bowl of boiling hot ginger and jujube tea. Jujube slices and warm yellow ginger strips rose and fell in the red tea. "Warm your hands in the teacup first, then drink."
The little one was very obedient, holding the teacup filled with ginger and jujube tea. He waited until his hands were warm and the tea was no longer so hot before he drank it all in one gulp. A burst of heat rushed to the top of his head and warmed his whole body.
The hot pot was ready, and Chen Lie, Ning Tang, and three little kids were sitting at the dining table.
Chen Lie used a colander to scoop out the meat slices, meatballs, fish balls, enoki mushrooms and other vegetables from the pot and put them on plates. The three children just picked them up and started eating.
Even the youngest, the third child, can be self-sufficient by using a spoon or chopsticks without any help.
Chen Lie was happy, "Our third child has grown up and doesn't need anyone to help feed him anymore."
The third child became more excited after being praised by Chen Lie, and swung the little spoon vigorously.
Ning Tang continued, "Of course not. Sanwa will be four after the New Year, and Dawa and Erniu will be eight and six respectively."
They are another year older now, so I can start teaching them how to cook!
After dinner, the three little ones wanted to go out and play again.
Chen Lie said, "Play for a while and then come back. We'll make dumplings this afternoon."
Three? Only after the children had run away did he respond from a distance.
The eldest child took the second and third children to Captain Qi's house to call Da Hu, and then called a few friends. The group of children had fun in the military family compound.
Soon, the small group became a large group, with the sound of firecrackers and noises being endless, and Ning Tang and Shen Lie could hear them even at home.
Climbing trees, setting off firecrackers, kicking tin cans, playing hide-and-seek...there is nothing they can't play, except for things they can't imagine.
Occasionally, an adult would pass by and would just smile at them without stopping them.
These few days are the busiest days of the year. No matter which household, children are welcome.
The three little ones were very trustworthy. At about four o'clock in the afternoon, the eldest child looked at the sky and threw the sandbag in his hand to Dahu. "We don't want to play anymore. We have to go home and make dumplings."
Da Hu was having fun, his little face flushed red. He took the sandbag and threw it to another child, casually saying "OK".
The three children returned home.
After running all the way, the eldest boy sweated a lot and took off his coat without thinking.
Shen Lie glared at him, "Take off your clothes later."
The eldest child yelled, "It's hot."
Shen Lie was about to glare again.
Ning Tang continued, "You can't take it off even if it's hot. If you do, the cold air will enter your body and you'll catch a cold. You're just trying to get a little bit of coolness, but you'll end up with a fever and a runny nose, and you'll have to lie in bed for three or four days, unable to go anywhere or play with your friends. Do you think it's worth it?"
Of course it's not worth it. Big Baby closed his clothes obediently and said, "Where are the dumpling wrappers and fillings? Isn't it time to make dumplings?"
"In the kitchen, your dad just prepared the stuffing." Ning Tang said.
Chen Lie took out the rolled dumpling wrappers and three bowls of fillings from the kitchen and said, "Everyone, sit down and start making dumplings."
The three children sat obediently on the stools. Chen Lie laughed, "Go wash your hands first. Who would dare to eat dumplings made with hands covered in dirt and dust?"
Da Wa curled his lips and knew how to teach them a lesson. Last time, he saw Chen Lie coming home from get off work without washing his hands. He passed by the dining table and picked up a shrimp and threw it into his mouth.
However, when he saw the rolling pin in Chen Lie's hand, the eldest boy wisely swallowed his words and obediently led the second and third girls to wash their hands before coming in.
They started making dumplings. Chen Lie held the white dumpling wrapper in his left hand and scooped a spoonful of chive and egg filling with his right hand. He then wrapped it in the wrapper and instructed the eldest, second, and third children, "Look, this is how you make dumplings. Put the filling in the wrapper, apply some water on both sides, and pinch it to create folds. Simple, isn't it?"
Big Boy nodded and rolled up his sleeves with confidence, "It's too easy, watch me."
He imitated Shen Lie, put the dumpling stuffing into the dumpling wrapper, applied water, and pinched out folds. Just as he was about to show off, "Look, it's wrapped—" the next second, the dumpling's stuffing was exposed. It turned out that he had added too much stuffing.
He was anxious and tried to patch up the torn part in a frantic manner, but the dumpling seemed to be against him. After he patched one end, the other end broke.
The eldest boy had an idea and took another dumpling wrapper to wrap the outside. Since one dumpling wrapper couldn't cover it, he decided to use two!
Ning Tang was speechless. "This double-layer dumpling wrapper of yours is bound to fall apart once it's put into the pot. Even if it can be cooked, you're going to eat such thick dumpling wrappers?"
Look at Erniu again, she is completely at the opposite end of the spectrum from Da Wa.
The dumpling wrapper, which was bigger than her hand, was filled with two fingernail-sized fillings. When she pinched the folds, the dumpling was almost hollow. Ning Tang felt that she should be able to hear a sound if she shook it.
Ning Tang said, "Comrade Shen Erniu, put more stuffing in it and don't be so stingy. Our family can still afford this amount of food. When you put these dumplings into the pot, they're just like your brother's. You can't eat the stuffing, just the dumpling wrappers."
Da Wa and Er Niu both looked downcast, "Oh, making dumplings is so hard."
Chen Lie burst out laughing. "Who told you to show off your skills? Making dumplings requires skill."
He taught Da Wa and Er Niu step by step again. Although the dumplings made by the two older children were not as exquisite as those made by Chen Lie and Ning Tang, at least they did not fall apart. After they were cooked in the pot and taken out, this shortcoming could be ignored, so Chen Lie did not find any fault.
As for the youngest, Sanwa, I didn't expect him to help anyway, so I just hoped he wouldn't cause trouble.
The three kids treated the dumpling wrappers as toys, pulling and tugging at them, enjoying themselves.
After wrapping the dumplings, Ning Tang glanced at the wall clock. It was already half past five, so it was time to start preparing the New Year’s Eve dinner.
Chen Lie is a good cook, so he will be in charge of cooking, and Ning Tang will be responsible for cooking the dumplings.
Chen Lie cleaned the guts of the slaughtered chicken and scraped the scales off the fish. He was busy with his knife, but he also took the time to say to Ning Tang, "There are five of us in our family, two adults and three children. Only you and I can eat more. The three children don't have big appetites. Although there are many dishes in the five dishes and one soup for the New Year's Eve dinner, the portion is small. The same goes for the dumplings you cook. Don't make too much, otherwise you won't be able to finish them. At worst, you can have another midnight snack."
Ning Tang nodded, "I understand."
Shen Lie, "Do you want to add salt to the dumpling soup?"
Ning Tang thought for a moment and said, "No, I plan to add some dried shrimp and seaweed to the dumpling soup. Dried shrimp is salty, so I don't need to add salt. Too much salt is not good for children."
Shen Lie paused, "Well, I'll do as you say."
The meal was served at 7 o'clock in the evening.
There were five dishes and one soup, including braised pork ribs, boiled chicken, sweet and sour fish, hand-shredded cabbage, eggplant and green beans stew, winter melon, lotus root and pork ribs soup, and a plate of dumplings. It was a very sumptuous meal.
Chen Lie had been busy all day, and when the meal was served, he didn't want to move anymore. He directed Da Wa, "Go, serve Daddy some rice."
The eldest boy pouted and said, "You only know how to order me around."
Chen Lie was amused. "You are the eldest in our family. If not you, who else should I order around?"
Da Wa shook his head. "It's New Year's Day today. I won't bother with you."
Chen Lie raised his hand, pretending to hit him, "Do you want to be beaten during the New Year too?"
The eldest child immediately became timid, picked up the rice spoon and bowl, laughed awkwardly, and said flatteringly, "Dad, do you want more or less?"
Chen Lie thought for a moment, "A little more, I'll starve to death, compact it and give it to me."
Da Wa followed his instructions and poured him a bowl of rice, pressing it firmly. He then took the chopsticks and handed it to Shen Lie. Shen Lie took it and said, "It seems that the red envelope I gave him this morning was not in vain."
Big Baby, "Dad, can you give me some more New Year's money because I made you lunch?"
Chen Lie said with a forced smile, "Then why don't you return my New Year's money to me because I cook for you every day?"
Da Wa rolled his eyes and shoveled rice into his mouth, pretending not to hear Chen Lie's words, "Oh, it smells so good, so delicious."
Erniu looked around, took the bowl from Ningtang, and asked her, "Stepmother, do you want some soup?"
Ning Tang praised her generously, "Erniu is so good. Help me fill half a bowl."
Erniu blushed and happily helped Ning Tang prepare the winter melon, lotus root and pork ribs soup. She handed the bowl to her and said, "Drink the soup!"
Ning Tang took the bowl, took a sip, and said exaggeratedly, "Oh, Erniu's soup is just delicious."
Erniu immediately burst into laughter.
The third child was very envious when he saw Erniu being praised. He shouted, "Stepmother, I want to help you make soup too."
Ning Tang didn't dare ask him to make soup. The little kid couldn't even hold the soup bowl steadily, so he asked him to help pick up a dumpling and called it a day. He touched the kid's head and praised him a few times. Only then was the third kid satisfied and stopped making trouble.
A family of five was eating at home while the sound of fireworks and firecrackers continued outside.
The eldest boy looked at it with envy, and after taking a bite he twisted his butt as if there were nails on the stool.
Shen Lie looked at him amusedly, "After we finish eating, I'll take you to set off firecrackers. Your stepmother bought a lot of firecrackers and saved them all."
Only then did Big Boy stop moving. He ate until he was half full and started to set his eyes on the plate of dumplings he had made.
The dumplings made by Da Wa and Er Niu were then "polished" by Chen Lie, otherwise they would have become mushy as soon as they were put into the pot. As a result, the dumplings turned out to be plump and white, which looked very pleasing to the eye.
The eldest child picked up a dumpling and put it in his mouth. His eyes lit up and said, "It's filled with corn, mushroom and pork. It's delicious!"
The dumplings I made myself were just delicious. Erniu and Sanwa ate them with gusto, without Chen Lie or Ning Tang urging them to eat.
After dinner, Chen Lie and Ning Tang washed the dishes and took the three children to the yard to set off firecrackers.
Ning Tang took out the firecrackers that he had bought in advance. When Da Wa saw them, there were firecrackers such as "Fire", "Earth Blossoms", "Little Lightning" and double-kick firecrackers.
These were much richer than the firecrackers that the kids had to buy with their pocket money, or the scattered firecrackers they picked up - the duds left over from other people's firecrackers.
Big Baby's face turned red with excitement, "Quick, let me fire some guns."
Chen Lie lit a stick of incense for Dawa, "Here, here, here."
He helped Da Wa hang the firecrackers on the courtyard wall and told Ning Tang, Er Niu, and San Wa, who were standing far away, "Cover your ears first."
Erniu saw the long red string of firecrackers, which was longer than the sausages that Mrs. Luo hung under the eaves. She knew it would definitely explode non-stop, so she quickly covered her ears, took two steps back, and stared at the firecrackers without blinking.
Ning Tang was not afraid of the sound of firecrackers. He stood behind San Wa and helped him cover his ears.
The third kid was as fearless as a newborn calf, unlike his second sister. Not only was he not afraid, he took two steps forward, wanting to join in the fun, his eyes full of excitement.
Seeing that they all covered their ears, Chen Lie signaled to Da Wa that it was time to light the firecrackers.
It was also the first time for Big Boy to light such a big firecracker. He swallowed his saliva, took the incense and lit the fuse. He didn't care whether it was lit or not. As soon as he saw the spark, he ran back.
Chen Lie quickly grabbed his collar and said, "Why are you running? It's not even lit yet. You're so cowardly now that the time has come. The line of fire is so long. From the time you light it to the time it starts going off, you'll have enough time to run around the yard twice."
Big Brother also felt that his startled appearance was embarrassing, so he took the incense and lit the firecrackers again. This time he watched the fuse ignite sparks before running back.
"Crackle, crackle—"
The sound of firecrackers was endless and sparks were flying everywhere, lighting up the entire yard.
The eldest child was not happy enough. He screamed and squeaked along with the sound of firecrackers. If you didn't know him, you would think he was a monkey that had escaped from the zoo.
After setting off the firecrackers, the eldest child took a few more firecrackers. He found an unwanted tin can, lit the firecrackers, threw them on the ground, and then covered them with the tin can. This is a common way for children to play with firecrackers.
After about three to five seconds, a muffled sound came from the iron can, and it shook a little, and then a white smoke came out from the hole in the iron can.
The third child clapped his hands excitedly, "This is fun!"
The eldest boy was very proud, "Watch out, third boy, I'm going to show you a big show later."
As he spoke, he gathered the double-kick firecrackers and friction firecrackers together, peeled off the outer skin of the firecrackers, leaving only the white aluminum powder. When he added a little incense, the aluminum powder shone silvery and looked very beautiful.
Erniu didn't dare to play with those scary things, so she took some firecrackers and threw them on the ground one by one, enjoying herself.
Chen Lie kept one eye on the three children playing with firecrackers, and with the other, he glanced around at the Su family across the street. He was very puzzled, "Isn't today Chinese New Year? Why is there no movement from across the street?"
After all, the two families lived next door to each other. Not to mention Ning Xue kept an eye on the Shen family every day, Shen Lie would also notice it from time to time.
Ning Tang had no idea where to go. The Su family was so quiet, as if no one was there. If he hadn't seen Ning Xue cooking in the kitchen through the window in the afternoon, he would have thought that no one was at home.
At this time in the Su family, Ning Xue was sitting around the table with Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu. The twins were holding pencils with their tender little hands and writing big characters on the draft book stroke by stroke.
Outside, there was the clamor of firecrackers and the sounds of people celebrating the New Year, but Ning Xue turned a deaf ear to it.
Her entire attention was on the twins, and she would instruct them from time to time, "Big brother, write with force, otherwise the words you write will be light and fluttery." "Second brother, don't be distracted, focus a little."
Su Guangzong is a gentle and obedient person. He will do whatever Ning Xue says.
Su Yaozu, who was born at the same time as him, is more lively and can't sit still. After writing two words, he would look out the window, his little face full of longing.
Su Junyan was sitting with his legs crossed, reading a newspaper. He caught a glimpse of his youngest son's movements from the corner of his eye. Feeling sorry for him, he couldn't help but persuade Ning Xue, "It's New Year's Eve, let the two kids go out and play. It only happens once a year."
Su Yaozu's eyes suddenly lit up, "Yes, Mom, Da Wa and Er Niu next door have been out playing all day, and my brother and I haven't been out yet."
From the window of the Su family's kitchen, you can see the alley where Da Wa and his friends play games. The twins just watch them from afar playing all day, their eyes red with envy.
Ning Xue said angrily, "How can you two be on par with Big Boy? Whatever he scores, you should score the same. If you fall behind, you'll be beaten. If you slack off for just one day, you'll be caught up by others. You don't want to score lower than Big Boy, do you?"
But they studied at home throughout the New Year and didn’t go out for a single day!
Su Guangzong remained silent, and Su Yaozu pursed his lips, but ultimately did not say a word of rebuttal.
Su Junyan paused and advised, "The children are already diligent enough, so just give them a day off. Today is New Year's Eve, so at worst they can study after today."
Ning Xue never argued with Su Junyan, but this time was different. She said sternly, "If you don't learn now, when will you learn? Those who succeed are the ones who can control their laziness when others slack off time and time again."
It's just like driving in a race. You have to drive faster and drift more beautifully every time you turn, so that you can leave your opponent far behind and win the final victory.
On New Year's Eve, many children are playing outside while Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu are studying in the house. What does it mean?
It means that they have one more day to study than others and have learned more knowledge.
Ning Xue explained this theory to Su Junyan, leaving him stunned and unable to help but think deeply about what Ning Xue said.
Maybe what Ning Xue said was right?
He remembered when he had just married Ning Xue, the people in the army were surprised when they found out that Ning Xue was a high school graduate, and they praised her endlessly.
So? He made the right choice by marrying a wife who is cultured and knowledgeable!
Su Junyan immediately made up his mind and stood on Ning Xue's side. "Your mother is right. I have to study hard on New Year's Eve, and I have to study until twelve o'clock. No, until one o'clock."
He didn't notice that deep disappointment flashed in the twins' eyes.
Although Ning Xue was very strict about the twins' studies, she was also very concerned about their health. She had never let them sleep so late before, so she hesitated and asked, "Is one o'clock too late?"
Su Junyan said, "How can it be late? Not at all. Have you ever heard of a saying that says that whatever you do from midnight on New Year's Eve to the next day is what you do for the entire year? For example, if Yaozu and Guangzong studied from New Year's Eve to 1 a.m. on the Spring Festival, that means they studied for a whole year."
He glanced at Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu, "If they were sleeping during that time, then they slept for a year."
Ning Xue listened and thought it made sense.
In order to get good luck, the couple actually urged the twins to study until one o'clock in the morning.
Shen family
Chen Lie and Ning Tang played with Da Wa, Er Niu and San Wa for the whole night and used up all the firecrackers.
Chen Lie glanced at the wall clock. It was 11:59:47. He called out to Ning Tang and the three children, "Let's count down."
He started first, "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."
Ning Tang and the three children were infected by his excitement and started counting down together, shouting, "Six, five, four, three..."
"two!"
"one!"
As the last "one" sound fell, the entire night sky was painted with beautiful fireworks, and the streets and alleys were filled with the sound of firecrackers, every sound was pleasant to the ears.
Da Wa and the other two looked up at the brilliant sky without blinking, the light from the fireworks making their little faces shine.
Chen Lie's heart softened, and he whispered to Ning Tang, "I don't ask them to succeed, I just hope they can be healthy and live a peaceful life."
Ning Tang raised his eyebrows.
In fact, all parents are the same. When they first become pregnant, they fantasize endlessly that their son or daughter will become a genius in the future, perhaps a great scientist, perhaps a heroic pilot, perhaps an official, or perhaps a businessman.
When the children are born and grow up, looking at their childish little faces, all those fantasies are blown away by the wind. Even if they don't become as successful as their parents imagined, as long as the children can live their lives in peace, even if they are just ordinary people, it doesn't matter, as long as they are safe.
"Happy New Year, Comrade Xiaoning." Shen Lie said with a smile.
Ning Tang smiled back, "Captain Shen, Happy New Year."
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