Da Wa shook his head, "I don't understand."
Ning Tang: "For example, being served means you can debone and shell the shrimp yourself, but your dad does it for you. Taking care of means if you can't pick up the food yourself, your dad does it for you."
Now the eldest boy understood. He took a look at the shrimps in the bowl and thought, it’s a good thing that he peeled them himself.
He clenched his fists and said, "Great, he didn't have to wait on anyone!"
Ning Xue's face turned red and white with embarrassment, but she couldn't refute it and continued to silently "take care" of the twins.
Fortunately, the twins enjoyed their meal, which was some consolation.
After dinner, I rested for a while and prepared to take a shower.
Shangang Village is not like Hailang Island, which has a water pipe. People take a bath by boiling hot water in the kitchen and then adding cold water to the bathhouse.
This is more troublesome and time-consuming to wash.
It was late at night and the weather was cold, so Ning Tang didn't dare let the three children take too long in the bath. He simply discussed with Sun Aiju, "Why don't we just wipe their faces and wash their feet, and then let them go to bed. We'll talk about it tomorrow."
Sun Aiju disagreed. The five of them had been stuck on the train for almost a week without a proper shower, and their bodies were almost smelly. They had finally arrived home, so they had to take a hot shower and scrub themselves clean. "Don't worry, we've got a new stove at home. Let Da Wa and the other three go up and boil some water, and they'll be done in no time."
Ning Tang was stunned. "Bath stove?"
She had never heard of anything like pots and stoves.
Sun Aiju took her, Da Wa and the other two to the bathhouse. They found that a stove had been installed in the bathhouse at some point. On top of the stove was a large pot half a person's height, cast in cast iron, which looked very much like a pot used for cooking.
Sun Aiju explained to her, "This is a Yuguo stove. When I was visiting your sixth aunt in the village next door, I saw them using one. I tried it and thought it was great, so I asked your dad to have someone install one."
Ning Tang was dumbfounded as he looked at the huge pot in front of him. "Mom, you're so smart! Can you use this thing to take a bath? Don't let it get cooked while you're washing it. The whole house will be filled with the aroma of meat."
Sun Aiju spat, "Pfft, pfft, pfft! What unlucky words are you saying? Look, it can be washed." She pointed to the small wooden block next to the large pot, "This is called 'turtle board'. When you bathe, put it on the bottom and sides of the pot to prevent burns."
Seeing Ning Tang still looking unconvinced, she simply said, "Oh, don't worry, it really works? Your dad and I have washed it so many times, we would have been mature by now."
Ning Tang was still hesitant, but Da Wa was very excited and kept saying, "Grandma, I want to take a bath. I want to use this big pot to take a bath!"
He didn't care whether it was cooked or not. In his eyes, if this big pot was covered with a lid, it would look exactly like the alchemy furnace of Taishang Laojun in the "Journey to the West" that Chen Lie had told them.
If he cooks in it for a while, will he be able to develop flaming eyes like Sun Wukong?
Thinking about this, he stood on tiptoe and looked at the bottom of the pot, wanting to see if there were any black pills in this "alchemy furnace".
Seeing Da Wa's support, Sun Aiju narrowed her eyes and said, "Okay, okay, then Da Wa will wash first."
She poured water into the pot, added some firewood into the stove, and fanned it with a fan. After a while, the water in the pot and stove was covered with white mist.
The pot was heated up, and Sun Aiju called to Da Wa, "Go in and wash it."
The eldest child wanted to take off her clothes, but her face turned red and she said shyly, "You, you guys, don't look."
Ning Tang was amused and pulled Sun Aiju around with her back. "Then take it off yourself and then wrap a small towel around your waist."
The eldest boy took off his clothes, wrapped a small towel around himself, and jumped into the water.
Ning Tang and Sun Aiju turned their heads only after hearing a plop.
In the Shangang Village in February, you can even breathe out thick white fog when you talk, which shows how cold it is.
When the eldest boy took off his clothes, he was shivering with cold. Then he jumped into the pot and was soaked in warm hot water. He felt from extreme cold to extreme heat. This feeling of ice and fire made him feel comfortable all over. He just wanted to stay in the pot and didn't want to come out.
Ning Tang was curious about why Da Wa was so easy to talk to, so Da Wa explained to her about the alchemy furnace and the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils.
Ning Tang was amused. "So your dad gave it to you? You've told me so many stories, but you only remember this one."
The eldest child pouted and said, "How can this be the same? Those are the Fiery Eyes of Gold, they can see monsters."
Ning Tang said, "You look like a monster to me."
The eldest child looked at his reflection on the water and rubbed his face, "How can there be a monster as good-looking as me?"
Ning Tang: "Look how beautiful you are."
Sun Aiju was watching them talking from the side, feeling curious.
These two, one big and one small, look more like real children than real ones.
Just like her and Ning Tang, the mother and daughter love to bicker with each other, you tease me and I tease you.
This is good. Family members are polite to each other. Are they guests or relatives?
After washing for almost half an hour, the eldest boy's skin was wrinkled, but he was still reluctant to take it out of the pot.
Ning Tang urged, "Big Boy, it's time to wash up."
Sun Aiju smiled and said, "It's okay. This is his first time using a bath stove. He thinks it's new and interesting. Let him bathe for a while longer."
That won’t do. There are Erniu and Sanwa behind us. Besides, this thing is a bit like taking a hot spring bath. It’s definitely not good to wash for too long.
Ning Tang threatened him, "If you wash it again, it will be cooked. If you don't believe me, lift your arm and smell it. Is there any meaty aroma?"
Big Baby pouted and said, "Okay, I'll be right out."
Before he took the pot out, he rubbed his eyes desperately, but still couldn't see through them, so he reluctantly took the pot out.
It's Erniu's turn to wash.
Sun Aiju cleaned the pot, boiled another pot of water, and called Erniu in.
Erniu was not afraid of being seen. She took off her clothes, jumped into the pot, and exclaimed, "It feels so comfortable."
Sun Aiju smiled and said, "As long as it's comfortable."
She undid Erniu's braids, picked up a gourd ladle, scooped up warm water and poured it on her head, rubbed some soap nuts into foam, and helped her wash her hair.
Sun Aiju had carefully rubbed Erniu's scalp clean. The little girl felt dizzy from the heat and, like her brother, stayed in the bathtub and didn't want to come out.
But she still listened to Ning Tang very much and came out as soon as she called her.
Ning Tang took a handkerchief and wrapped Erniu's wet hair. He asked her to wipe herself clean and change into clean clothes, then handed her to Chen Lie, who was waiting outside the door. "Take her inside and dry her hair on the kang. Remember to dry it a little to prevent her from catching a cold."
Chen Lie nodded, took Erniu's hand and walked away.
She just gave a futile reminder that there was nothing to worry about since the baby was being taken care of by the biological father.
It’s Sanwa’s turn to take a bath.
When Sanwa saw the big pot in front of him, his face wrinkled, his mouth drooped, and his big eyes like black grapes were filled with tears. "Mom, is there no meat at home?"
He thought of the sumptuous meal that night. He must have eaten too much. There was no meat at home, so he had to be cooked to have meat and vegetables tomorrow!
Ning Tang didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "What are you thinking about? There's no meat at home, and I won't cook for you." He added, "If I have to cook, I'll start with the eldest child."
These words made Sun Aiju so angry that she hit her.
Sanwa thought about it and realized that this was the truth. He had just seen his brother walk out safely.
Little Sanwa was relieved now. He took off his clothes and jumped into the pot.
After a flurry of activity, they helped the three little kids take a bath. Ning Tang and Shen Lie also boiled some hot water and gave them a quick rinse.
As for the bath stove, Sanwa and the other two were still young, so it was not a burden for them to use it. However, Ning Tang and Shen Lie always felt uncomfortable looking at it, so they just continued to take a bath in the old way.
I took a shower and went to bed without saying a word all night.
The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, Ning Tang opened his eyes and what came into view was Erniu's cute little face.
She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "Who gave you this hair? Who tied it for you?"
It has been a year since the last time she had her hair cut. Erniu's hair has grown a lot longer. Children's hair grows fast. Her hair, which was originally short to just below her ears, has now grown to her chest.
This short, shiny black hair that reaches her chest is braided into two long braids, one on the left and one on the right, hanging on her shoulders. One braid has three small red flowers pinned on it from beginning to end, which looks beautiful and festive.
She and Chen Lie don't have this skill, otherwise Erniu wouldn't have two crooked braids on her head every day.
Erniu showed off beautifully, "Grandma gave it to me."
Sun Aiju lifted the cotton curtain and came in. "If you like it, I'll try another style tomorrow."
Ning Tang said jokingly, "Okay, Mom, you're biased. Why didn't I ever tell you to braid my hair when I was at home?"
Sun Aiju said, "Come on, I wanted to braid your hair into pigtails, but you thought it was too much trouble and just wore a ponytail every day."
Ning Tang deliberately said, "Nonsense, Mom, you just don't want to braid my hair because you think I'm ugly."
Sun Aiju embraced Erniu and said, "You are right. Our Erniu is pretty. I braid her hair into pigtails every day. You can't envy me for that."
Among five children, Erniu is the only girl. How can I not cherish her?
Erniu curled up in Sun Aiju's arms again, with two blushes on her little face.
Ning Tang chuckled and changed the subject, "What's for breakfast?"
Sun Aiju patted her butt through the quilt and said, "The sun is already burning your butt, and you still have breakfast? Hurry up and get up for lunch."
Ning Tang got up and went to the yard to wash up.
Sun Aiju asked Erniu, "Did your mother also sleep this late every day when she was on the island?"
Erniu nodded and shook her head, saying crisply, "From Monday to Friday, my brother has to go to school, so Mom gets up at nine or ten o'clock and goes to the market to buy groceries and cook. On weekends, my brother doesn't go to school, so he takes Sanwa and me to buy groceries, so Mom will sleep in even later than today."
Sun Aiju nodded, very surprised, "Your mother can cook?"
When Ning Tang was in Shangang Village, he never did any housework. He just opened his mouth but never moved his hands.
Suddenly, Erniu said that she could cook...Sun Aiju was very worried about the health of the three little ones.
"So, is it delicious?"
What Sun Aiju actually wants to ask is, is it unpalatable?
But she didn't want to ruin Ning Tang's image in front of the three little ones, so she tried her best to swallow the three words and changed her words abruptly.
Erniu was silent for a while, "...It's not bad."
Ning Tang always thought that the food he cooked was delicious and he had a talent for it.
In fact, the food she cooked was not even a finger as good as Chen Lie’s.
The three little ones were just trying to save her face by eating voraciously in front of her. Plus, Ning Tang was always able to come up with weird and delicious snacks, so the three little ones didn't make a fuss.
Sun Aiju understood.
The old man and the child looked at each other, then silently looked away and changed the subject.
Erniu: "Oh, I'm hungry."
Sun Aiju: "Okay, let's go eat."
The two of them entered the main room. Ning Tang had already washed up and was sitting on a stool waiting for them.
She glanced at the old man and the young boy, and always felt that there was an inexplicable sense of guilt on their faces?
Forget it, never mind.
Ning Tang threw away the peanut shells and prepared to eat.
Compared with last night's lunch, today's lunch has two fewer dishes and the portion is not as large as yesterday. After all, last night was a welcoming dinner, so it had to be more substantial.
After dinner, Ning Weiguo took Ning Weidang out to help the villagers slaughter the New Year pig.
This is a major custom of the New Year in Shangang Village. As soon as the twelfth lunar month arrives, they start slaughtering the New Year pig, distributing the pork, and making sausages.
The pigs from the pig farm were sold relatively late this year, and they had to wait until the superiors had distributed the pigs before the remaining ones belonged to the villagers, so they didn't slaughter the pigs until almost the Chinese New Year.
Before leaving, Ning Weiguo asked Da Wa, the other two, and the twins if they wanted to go and watch the New Year pig being slaughtered.
The three little ones are not going. They have made an appointment with Ningde to set off firecrackers today.
The twins were even less interested in killing the New Year pig. There was just blood all over the place, what was there to see?
After sending Ning Weiguo and the others away, the three kids followed Ning De to set off firecrackers, and the house was almost empty in an instant.
Ning Tang had nothing else to do, so she sorted out the specialties she brought from Hailang Island. "Mom, these are the seafood I bought from the fishermen, and the dried fruits I and Da Wa dried."
Sun Aiju knew about seafood. After all, Ning Tang sent it to her every two months, and she and Ning Weiguo ate a lot of it at home.
But what is this dried fruit?
Ning Tang pointed at each item and explained to her, "This is dried pineapple. It's pineapple that's been sun-dried. Dried pineapple doesn't sting your mouth. Dried bananas are made by slicing bananas and drying them. And there's dried mango. They're made by spreading sugar on both sides of the mango flesh and then drying it in the sun."
The dried pineapple is golden in color, with clear veins that sparkle with an attractive luster. The dried banana smells faintly of banana, and the surface of the dried mango is covered with a layer of white icing, which looks very tempting.
Ning Tang took a piece of dried pineapple and stuffed it into Sun Aiju's hand. "Don't just talk, Mom, try it."
Sun Aiju took a bite and found it sour, sweet and soft, even better than the canned fruit Ning Jun had brought back before.
Then I tried dried bananas and dried mangoes one after another, and they were both equally delicious.
Such delicious dried fruits filled up the entire table. Sun Aiju couldn't help but ask, "This must have cost a lot of money, right?"
After all, it is an expensive fruit. Not only does it sell at a high price, but you also need to get fruit tickets.
This precious thing was just casually spread out on the table, making Sun Aiju's eyelids twitch.
"It's free." Even if it costs money, it's just a small amount.
Ning Tang explained to her that on Hailang Island, fruits were worthless and were everywhere. Take these mangoes, for example, they were picked by Da Wa and his friends on the roadside.
Hearing that it didn't cost any money, Sun Aiju was finally relieved. She was of the older generation and was used to being frugal.
She pinched another piece of dried mango and started eating. "This thing tastes good. Send me some later. I'll share some with your sixth aunt and third uncle."
Ning Tang replied, "Don't worry, Mom. I'll send it to you when I get back. Hailang Island has a rich harvest of different fruits every season. Next time I'll send you dried peaches and jackfruits. They taste just as good. I guarantee you'll have a full stomach with my aunt and uncle."
Sun Aiju scolded her with a smile.
The mother and daughter were having a great time together, while the stingy Zhou Yin was watching with red eyes.
Those dried fruits look expensive, so they must cost a lot of money.
Sun Aiju is so lucky!
Thinking of this, Zhou Yin glared at Ning Xue. They were both daughters, both married to Hailang Island, and both married to military officers.
Why does one go home with lots of bags for the New Year, while the other comes home empty-handed?
Ning Xue was rummaging through her old clothes, planning to alter them to make them smaller for the twins.
She was not as thoughtful as Ning Tang, who dressed the three little ones warmly. She only dressed the twins in two thin red sweaters. It was cold in Shangang Village, and Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu complained of being cold as soon as they arrived. Now they were staying in the main room, warming themselves by the stove.
The cold is one of the main reasons why the twins don’t go out to play.
Ning Xue was suddenly glared at by Zhou Yin, and she didn't react. "Mom?"
Zhou Yin hit her again, and then, afraid that the mother and daughter in the room might hear, whispered, "You went home for the New Year this time, and you didn't bring anything back?"
Ningde is old enough and it’s time for him to get married.
Zhou Yin has very high standards. She doesn't like ordinary girls in the village, so she wants to look for one in the city, preferably a beautiful girl who works in a factory, gets paid, and has a stable job.
Every family wants a girl like this. Given Ningde's conditions, one has to spend a lot of money and give a high betrothal gift to win the hearts of the girl and her family.
Ning Weidang was not like Ning Weiguo, the village chief. He usually did farm work and depended on the weather for his food. Throughout the year, he could only make ends meet. Zhou Yin was the same.
Since there was no money at home, Zhou Yin took the initiative to move Ning Xue.
The couple is not doing well and cannot help their son, but they still have Ning Xue!
This daughter married a military officer. Su Junyan's salary is very high, at least fifty yuan a month. If he could make a little bit from his fingers, it would be enough for Ning Wei's family to eat for a year.
Zhou Yin said in a strange voice, "Look at Ning Tang. She only knows how to bring good things home, like dried abalone and dried mackerel. She sends them home like they're free. This time she even brought back some dried fruit. And you, you've been on Hailang Island for almost two years now, and you haven't brought anything back."
She knew Ning Xue's lifeblood too well. As long as she compared herself with Ning Tang, Ning Xue would definitely not be able to suppress her anger.
Sure enough, Ning Xue's expression changed immediately.
Su Junyan would occasionally give her some pocket money, and since she worked, she actually saved quite a bit of money. However, she gave all her money to Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu to buy them delicious and fun things in various ways. She still had to save money by pinching the penny and pinching the buck, and only then could she save fifty yuan.
Originally, Ning Xue planned to use the fifty yuan to buy good cigarettes and alcohol for Ning Wei's party, make some silver jewelry for Zhou Yin, and give Ning De some pocket money, so that she could "return home in glory."
But as if it weren't bad enough, he encountered a thief on the train!
A full fifty dollars, just wasted!
Ning Xue told Zhou Yin about the thief she encountered on the train and said unhappily, "Do you think I don't want to give you something good? Didn't someone steal your money on the train?"
When Zhou Yinxin heard that the fifty-five yuan was missing, she felt like she was being cut by a knife. She clenched her fists and hit Ning Xue several times, then sat down on the floor and cried, "Oh my god, damn it, this is fifty-five yuan, a full fifty-five yuan, enough to buy so many pigs and cows, how could you be so stupid!"
Ning Xue was also very upset, but she couldn't bear to hear Zhou Yin calling her stupid. She was the only high school student in Shangang Village and she prided herself on being extremely smart.
He pretended to be nonchalant and said, "It's just fifty dollars. I can earn it back in a few months."
"Earn?" Zhou Yin keenly grasped the word.
"Yes, Mom, you might not know this, but I'm currently an officer of the Women's Committee on our island. I earn..." Ning Xue's vanity got the better of her, so she deliberately inflated her salary. "I earn fifteen yuan a month, so I can earn back the fifty yuan in three or four months. Besides, I also get the annual holiday benefits, so maybe I can earn it back in two or three months, instead of just three or four months."
A trace of greed flashed across Zhou Yin's eyes, and he immediately smiled happily, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that you became an officer? Oh, by the way, what is an officer? It sounds impressive."
Ning Xue raised her head proudly. "Of course. Being an office clerk means doing clerical work and sitting in an office. I have a lot of free time at work, so I go to work at nine o'clock every day. Usually, I read the newspaper, drink tea, chat with my colleagues, and then go home."
In fact, it was all bragging. I was working in the Women's Committee and was extremely busy. I had no time to rest.
But once she told the first lie, Ning Xue didn't even need to prepare the rest.
Zhou Yinke did not have the awareness that labor was glorious. In her eyes, an easy job was a good job, and a high salary and annual holiday benefits made it a perfect job.
He stood up and brushed off the dust on his pants. "Oh, my daughter has really made a name for herself. She really makes me proud. I always said that education is just as useful for girls. Look, she's got a great job now."
Ning Xue curled her lips and didn't expose her.
At that time, the four children of the Ning family, Ning Jun, Ning Tang, Ning De, and Ning Xueli, except Ning Xue, the other three had terrible grades.
Otherwise, Ning Jun would not have joined the army, and Ning De would not have worked in the fields.
Logically speaking, since they were both boys, if they were good at studying, they would have been supported by their parents long ago. Even if the college entrance examination had not been resumed at that time, passing the exam and getting a formal job in a city factory would have been a good and stable job.
In this way, they went from being farmers who depended on the weather for their livelihood to city dwellers who could receive wages and eat commercial grain.
But who would have thought that among the four children in the family, Ning Xue was the only one with good grades, and she was outstanding at that. In elementary school and junior high school, she never got a grade other than the first in the grade.
Parents should be happy if their children are good at studying.
But Ning Xue is a girl. After a girl graduates from school, even if she passes the exam and gets a formal job in a factory and earns money, that money is earned for her husband's family.
Ning Wei? That’s what the Party and Zhou Yin thought.
In addition, they didn't earn much, and studying cost a lot of money in those days, so they were not willing to continue to support Ning Xue to go to high school in the city.
In the end, it was Ning Weiguo who made the final decision. He felt that the family had finally produced such a good student and he had to support her. Therefore, Ning Weiguo paid for Ning Xue's living expenses and tuition fees during her high school years.
Ning Xue felt that her uncle had given birth to a "useless" daughter, so he supported her niece's education to bring honor to the family and promote his younger brothers and sisters. He felt very justified in taking the money Ning Wei gave to the country.
Ning Weidang and Zhou Yin felt that their brother had paid the money and taken the blame for them, so they were even more delighted.
Anyway, after so many years, no one in the family of three has asked to repay the money Ning Weiguo owed.
However, the youngest Ning De repeatedly discussed with Ning Weiguo that he should pay back the money in installments.
Although he is the youngest in the family, he has a good heart. Unfortunately, he doesn't earn much money, so he has the will but not the ability.
Ning Weiguo would never ask him to pay back the money. He said directly that even if the money needed to be paid back, it should be your father, mother and sister who should pay it back. It has nothing to do with a little kid like you.
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