Chen Lie was stunned. "No, why are you going up there?"
Ning Tang said, "Go ahead and put on a big show. Don't forget, our family is also a victim. Ning Xue caused this to happen, sending Sanwa home crying and making a fuss, demanding clothes with wolf and tiger patterns. Aren't you angry?"
He was definitely angry, but Chen Lie wasn't petty enough to argue with a woman like Ning Xue who couldn't figure things out.
Ning Tang rubbed his face, frowned, and glared, "Do you think I look fierce? Do I look like someone who's looking for trouble?"
Erniu was so amused that she pointed at Ningtang and laughed non-stop, "Mom, you're so funny."
Ning Tang raised her eyebrows and opened her eyes wide with anger. This expression would be very fierce on anyone else's face, but she had an oval face, almond eyes, rosy cheeks, and her eyes were watery, so she didn't look fierce at all.
"I'm going, wait for me to return triumphantly."
She grabbed Sanwa and rushed from her own yard to the Su family's yard in one leap, shouting, "Ning Xue! Look at what you've done!"
This sudden shout startled everyone, and Ning Xue was so frightened that she almost lost her soul. She patted her chest, wondering, "What are you shouting about?"
"I shouted?" Ning Tang said, "Haha, look at what you did."
She pushed Sanwa forward and winked at him.
The third child was smart. He was stunned for only two seconds before he realized what was happening. He sat down on the ground and burst into tears. "Wow wow wow wow, Mom, I want to sew clothes with wolf and tiger heads on them, too."
He had already cried once, and his eyes were red, so he felt no burden to cry again. In addition, he was cute and particularly endearing. Some people who couldn't bear to watch spoke up for Sanwa, "Sister Ning, Sanwa's crying is pitiful, just sew him a stitch."
Ning Tang crossed his arms, his eyes rolling up to the sky as he snorted, "I don't know how to sew. What kind of clothes does he want with wolf and tiger patterns? I heard they're sewn to look just like the real thing. I can make a patch, but sewing wolf and tiger patterns on them is impossible. I'm not a god."
She pretended to tug at Sanwa fiercely, but in fact she was holding back. "Get up right there."
Sanwa was like his butt was stuck to the ground, flopping around with his short legs, kicking up a cloud of dust. He said he wouldn't get up no matter what. "I won't get up, I won't get up."
He pointed at Ning Xue and said, "Other stepmothers know how to sew, why can't you?"
Ning Tang was so angry that his face turned blue. "I don't know how to do that. What's the matter? You like the clothes she sews so much, why don't you go to her house and be her child?"
As she spoke, she seemed to be getting angry and wiped her eyes fiercely, "Anyway, as a stepmother, I can't compare to other people's stepmothers."
Ning Tang imagined his own actions and expressions at that moment, and secretly gave himself thirty-two thumbs up in his heart. He must have looked especially like the frustrated female supporting character in the control group.
The scene in Ning Xue's dream actually happened. She should have been extremely happy, but now she had no joy at all. Instead, she felt cold all over.
Because the sharp gazes around her were about to poke her into a sieve!
Lei Sufen laughed strangely twice, "Haha, Xiao Ning, don't say that you, a stepmother, can't compare to Ning Xue's stepmother. We, the biological mothers, can't compare to her stepmother either."
Ning Tang spoke with a tearful tone, "That's right, judge for yourself. She made delicious food and nice clothes for her own child, and no one said anything to her. But she instigated her own child to show off in front of other children, and even asked our child to go home and ask. Why can't we do what she, a stepmother, can do?"
She paused, "So? She's the only stepmother in the world who treats her own child the best. None of us, biological mothers or stepmothers, can compare to her."
She muttered something, but in a voice that everyone could hear, "Could it be that she wants to step on us and establish her reputation as the best stepmother in Hailang Island?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Head Nurse Huang's eyelids twitched.
Lei Sufen looked at Ning Xue in surprise and confusion.
Ding Ronghua narrowed her eyes and felt that Ning Xue's figure became so unfamiliar at this moment, as if she had gotten to know her all over again.
If this shit is really put on her head, she will be finished!
Ning Xue yelled, "Ning Tang, you are slandering me!"
Ning Tang was not angry at all, and smiled slightly, "Whether I am slandering you or not, you know it yourself."
She looked around and sighed, "Alas, from now on, the clothes we make for our children won't be better than yours, the snacks we buy for our children won't be as expensive or delicious as yours, and the pocket money we give our children won't be as much as yours. We'll all be told that you're not as good a mother as other people's stepmothers."
She raised her eyebrows, looking very distressed. "Don't even mention what others will say. Our Captain Shen might blame me too."
"Over time, our family will definitely be full of quarrels and unrest, but your family is so harmonious and happy, you are simply the model family of Hailang Island."
Ning Tang slapped her lips and said, "Oh, look at my mouth." She smiled at the four military wives and the onlookers, "I was just talking nonsense, don't take it to heart."
Ning Xue's brows twitched fiercely, and her voice seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, "Ning! Tang!"
Ning Tang was startled and shuddered, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything more, alright?"
She patted Sanwa and said, "Come on, let's go home."
Sanwa stood up immediately. He no longer looked like he was throwing a tantrum with red eyes from crying. Instead, he looked clever and followed Ning Tang home.
As soon as Ning Tang and Sanwa left, Ning Xue hurriedly chased after them and explained to the four military wives.
She wanted to go forward and hold Ding Ronghua, "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, please listen to my explanation."
Ding Ronghua dodged it by moving sideways. "What's there to explain? You don't need to explain. Should I go home? Explain to my family? Explain to Lao Wang why I, a biological mother, can't compare to you, a stepmother."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Ning Xue gritted her teeth and wanted to go forward and hold Pan Tong. Pan Tong had been silent the whole time. She felt that Pan Tong should be the easiest one to talk to, "Sister-in-law..."
Unexpectedly, Pan Tong sarcastically said to her, "Don't call me sister-in-law. I have to go home quickly too. I have to figure out how to make that wolf and tiger pattern dress of yours, or I won't get scolded by my own children."
Ning Xue looked at Head Nurse Huang and Lei Sufen again. These two military wives had the worst tempers. She didn't dare to go up and grab them. She could only look at them with pleading eyes, hoping that they would understand that she really didn't think as Ning Tang said.
Head Nurse Huang glanced at her coldly, moved her lips, but said nothing in the end.
But her appearance made Ning Xue even more frightened.
If Head Nurse Huang scolded her, the matter might have been over, but Head Nurse Huang said nothing.
Why was her heart pounding?
Before Lei Sufen left, she saw the vegetable seedlings, garlic and other things that Ning Xue had planted in the yard. She frowned, took two quick steps, raised her foot, and stomped hard on her ridge of land, smashing it to pieces.
Ning Xue's heart was bleeding. These were the lettuce and bok choy that she had carefully planted. They were almost ready to be harvested, but they were trampled to pieces by Lei Sufen.
She was angry but dared not say anything, and could only smile at Lei Sufen.
Otherwise, with Lei Sufen's hot temper, next time he would not step on the seedlings, but on her face!
The crowd of onlookers dispersed after they had enough fun.
Ning Xue watched them leave, occasionally hearing a few gossips carried by the wind, "... such a vicious heart" "I have to stay away from her from now on" "Don't let my baby play with their twins, lest they lead my baby astray"
Ning Xue was in no mood to clean up the trampled vegetable patch. She returned home with a numb expression.
The twins looked at each other, then stepped forward hesitantly and whispered, "Mom, are you okay?"
"Heh." Su Junyan snorted coldly, "Look at her, does she look okay?"
Ning Xue was extremely annoyed. She had never expected Su Junyan to be so angry with her at this moment. She couldn't help but say, "Stop talking."
Su Junyan's eyes widened with anger. "I said less? Don't you see who caused this trouble?"
Ning Xue covered her face with her hands and cried, "Yes, yes, it's all my fault, okay?"
According to her idea, Da Wa and the other two should have been shown off, and went back to make trouble with Ning Tang and Shen Lie. The Shen family was in a big quarrel, and she was watching the fun at home.
The next day, Ning Tang came to pick a fight with her again, but she retorted, saying that Ning Tang couldn't even sew a piece of clothing with wolf and tiger patterns on it. Ning Tang was right, and she couldn't refute it, so she could only be very angry. Then, Chen Lie said that it was obvious that Ning Tang and she were cousins, so how could she sew but Ning Tang couldn't?
Then, just as Ning Tang said, their family quarreled every day, but his family was harmonious and happy.
The best thing would be to make Chen Lie angrily say that it would have been better if he had married her instead of Ning Tang.
In this way, even if the couple reconciles, there will always be a thorn in their hearts.
Are you still afraid that there will be no quarrel in the future?
But she could never imagine why things turned out like this.
Ning Xue was extremely anxious. "I'm not afraid of offending others, but I'm afraid of offending Ding Ronghua."
Su Junyan was stunned, "Why?"
Ning Xue frowned and said, "Because the Women's Committee will be conducting an assessment in August. If I pass the assessment, I can get a raise. But I offended Ding Ronghua today. This assessment..."
She couldn't think about it too much, because if she did, she wouldn't be able to sleep today.
Su Junyan snorted coldly, "That's what you deserve. Who told you to show off your Guang Zongyaozu? This thing? Is it something you can show off? You know what's popular nowadays? A simple style. That's what the official document just issued a few days ago."
He stamped his feet, pointed at Ning Xue and cursed, "You, you really walked into the trap."
He snorted coldly, "Your assessment is definitely a failure, forget about it." He muttered, "Forget about your damn assessment, my promotion will also..."
He suddenly woke up because this was really possible.
Su Junyan was furious. "Ning Xue, Ning Xue, you've gotten into big trouble this time!" He pointed at Ning Xue and threatened, "If I can't be promoted to deputy section chief, I'll never let you go!"
Shen family?
The eldest child was frightened by the Su family's continuous shouting and muttered, "Why are they making so much noise? Can't they let me sleep?"
Ning Tang smiled and said, "Go to sleep quickly. I'm sure the people at their house won't be able to sleep."
She tucked the quilts in for the three kids and went back to her room with Chen Lie.
As they lay down on the bed, Chen Lie asked, "Are you really planning on sewing patterned clothes for Da Wa, Er Niu, and San Wa?"
The Su family? He doesn’t care what’s going on. He cares more about this.
Ning Tang said, "Of course, I'm a stickler for promises. Since I promised them, I have to do it. Otherwise, what kind of person will I be in their eyes?"
Chen Lie muttered, "That's what you say, but will you do it?"
If she really knew how to do it, she wouldn't keep making clothes without any patterns or designs for the three little ones.
Ning Tang glanced at him sideways, "You're looking down on me, aren't you? Don't worry, I have my own clever plan. Let alone Da Wa and the other two, I'm also thinking about making clothes for you."
Chen Lie snorted, "Come on, you keep promising me big things every day. You even said you'd make me a dress before, and I've been waiting till now, and you still haven't done it."
Ning Tang touched his nose guiltily. He had forgotten, so he immediately promised, "Don't worry, this time I will not only make clothes for you, but also sew patterns for you. Is that okay now?"
Chen Lie said, "That's about right."
Ning Tang turned over and faced Shen Lie.
In the darkness, her bright eyes still sparkled. "Hey, Chen Lie, let me ask you something."
Chen Lie's Adam's apple rolled up and down. "Tell me." A sly smile flashed in his eyes. "Do you want it? You better take it easy. Da Wa and the others haven't gone to bed yet."
Ning Tang kicked him in the calf and said, "Stop talking dirty to me. I'm talking to you about serious matters."
Chen Lie curled his lips and said, "Just tell me."
Ning Tang blinked, "Do you feel that what I, as a stepmother, do, cannot compare to what Ning Xue, that stepmother, does?"
She counted on her fingers, "Her cooking is so fragrant and delicious. I still occasionally burn my food. She can sew clothes with wolf and tiger heads that look just like real ones. I get pricked by the stitches after two times..."
Before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by Shen Lie.
Chen Lie grabbed her fingers, his eyes serious, "People can't be compared. In my eyes, you are a thousand times, ten thousand times better than her."
Ning Tang's eyes lit up and he asked, "Really?"
"Really, you are enthusiastic and kind-hearted... This is something Ning Xue can never catch up with even if she flatters him." Chen Lie said.
He let out a deep laugh. "If you want to ask me this question, then I'd also like to ask you, do you feel that I'm not as good as Su Junyan?"
Ning Tang didn't want to think about it, so he just said, "How can he compare with you?"
Chen Lie was a great cook, but Su Junyan was a hands-off boss when he got home. Chen Lie could do the laundry and housework, but Su Junyan only knew how to order Ning Xue around. Chen Lie treated Ning Weiguo and Sun Aiju very well, but Su Junyan didn't care about Ning Weidang and Zhou Yin at all...
So, can we compare?
A hint of smile flashed across Chen Lie's eyes. He imitated Ning Tang and counted on his fingers. "Su Junyan is in the logistics department, in the rear. I am on the front line, in much greater danger than him. What if he dies on the battlefield one day—"
Ning Tang glanced at him sideways, "Then I will immediately remarry with my three children."
Chen Lie pinched her fair little face and said, "Don't worry, just for this, I promise to get out of the battlefield safely."
He continued counting, "Oh, right, Su Junyan is better looking than me. He's fair-skinned, refined and handsome. What's that adjective called? Oh, right, bookish. He has a bookish air about him."
This was not said by Shen Lie, but by the commanders of the army.
Before Su Junyan got married, he was very popular in the army. Many people wanted to introduce their daughters and nieces to him. Just because of his position and appearance, he was very popular.
On the contrary, no one is interested in Chen Lie.
He is tall, over 1.8 meters, strong, a little dark, and doesn't like to talk. When he stands there, he looks like a black stake, which can scare people to death.
Ning Tang used her index finger to carefully trace Chen Lie's facial features in the darkness and said seriously, "Who said Su Junyan is more handsome than you? You are much more handsome than him."
She was telling the truth. Chen Lie's appearance did not conform to today's mainstream aesthetic.
People nowadays like intellectuals, especially those like Su Junyan who wear glasses and have the word "cultured" almost carved on their faces.
There are many people like Shen Lie in the army.
There aren't many of Su Junyan's style, so it's so popular.
But in modern times, Shen Lie is a cool soldier, a tough guy, who is ruthless and doesn't talk much, and he is very likable.
Anyway, Ning Tang likes Chen Lie, who is tall and strong, and makes her feel safe just by looking at him.
Su Junyan, with his thin arms and legs, had arms that were thinner than hers. If he encountered a gangster, he would either be scared to the point of peeing his pants or run faster than her.
Chen Lie was overjoyed, but he didn't show it on his face.
Because no matter where he was before, as long as he stood with Su Junyan, he would be ignored and looked down upon.
He coughed, "As long as you like it."
"I like it, of course I don't." Ning Tang leaned over to Chen Lie's ear and blew, "Dawa and the others should be asleep."
Shen Lie's eyes darkened, "Hmm..."
The next day, after lunch, Ning Tang called the three children to his side and took out a pen and paper. "I'll draw a few patterns for you. Pick one and we'll sew it on your clothes."
She casually drew a few popular cartoon characters, including Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pleasant Goat, Beautiful Goat, and Ultraman...
Every time she drew a picture, the three little ones would exclaim in surprise.
Where had the three little ones seen characters in this kind of cartoon style before? The ones they had seen most often were characters and landscape illustrations in their textbooks or picture books, or the wolf and tiger heads that Ning Xue had sewn. How could they not be surprised?
Ning Tang pushed the drawn paper in front of the three children and said, "Choose one."
The eldest boy chose Ultraman without thinking, "I want this one." The eyes of this little man are like a salted egg yolk cut in half, which is very funny to look at.
Erniu chose the little flower fairy, tied her hair into a bun, wore a skirt made of flowers, and the little fairy holding a dandelion in her hand would definitely look good sewn on her clothes.
Sanwa chose a gray chinchilla holding a lotus leaf to shield itself from the rain. He was so excited that he pulled Ning Tang and said repeatedly, "Mom, I want this, this is it."
This is much better looking than the wolf and tiger heads, and it is unique. He has never seen anyone wearing clothes with such a pattern on the entire island.
Chen Lie came over and exclaimed in amazement, "Wow, the painting is very good." He asked Ning Tang, "Should I choose one too?"
He did not forget that Ning Tang said she would make clothes for him.
Ning Tang was amused. "Come on, just take a look at these patterns and see which one suits you."
The patterns she drew took the ages of the three little ones into consideration. They were very cartoon-like and cute.
Take the Ultraman suit chosen by Da Wa for example. What if Chen Lie really wore it and walked around the military family compound, and people asked him who made it for him? Was it Chen Lie's good intentions? Si Da, and was she not good at all? Si Ying.
Chen Lie muttered, "So what if you don't want to match with me? Isn't this just to wear a piece of clothing you made?"
Ning Tang was even happier, "Don't worry, you'll be there for me."
Ning Tang spent several days carefully sketching out the patterns chosen by the three little ones: Ultraman, Flower Fairy, and Totoro.
At the end of July, Ning Tang called Zeng Xinlan and Mrs. Luo to her house. Also coming were Lei Sufen, Head Nurse Huang and other military wives who were causing trouble at the door of Ning Xue's house.
Originally, Ning Tang's reputation in the military family compound was not very good, and his popularity was average. His only friends were Mrs. Luo, Zeng Xinlan, and Ding Ronghua.
But ever since Ning Tang teamed up with Lei Sufen and the others to have a fight at the door of Ning Xue's house, Lei Sufen and the other military wives all felt that Ning Tang was someone they could get along with.
At least, she is more real than Ning Xue.
We were all victims of Ning Xue's instigation, and we felt a sense of sympathy. We chatted for a while when we met on the road, and eventually we became familiar with each other.
Lei Sufen drank the watermelon juice squeezed by Ning Tang and looked around. "Xiao Ning, your room is well decorated."
The rocking chair by the windowsill, the bookshelf in the corner, and the shell wind chimes under the eaves all have a sense of life.
Mrs. Luo smiled and continued, "Yeah, take that shell wind chime for example, how many people would think of making it like this?"
Head Nurse Huang walked to the washing machine and asked, "Xiao Ning, is this washing machine easy to use?"
"It's easy to use. You can wash clothes by pressing a few buttons." There were dirty clothes in the basket next to the washing machine. Ning Tang stood up and demonstrated the whole process of washing clothes with the washing machine.
The washed clothes are cleaner than those washed by hand, and you don’t have to wring them out yourself, the washing machine will wring out the water cleanly by itself.
The military wives were amazed by what they saw, and Head Nurse Huang was even more excited. Her family had two working parents, and working during the day was tiring enough. When they came home, they still had to do laundry and housework. They wished they could do two things at once.
Head Nurse Huang made up her mind and went back to discuss with her husband, Deputy Chief of Staff Ma, to buy one to take home and free up her hands.
Lei Sufen was straightforward and frank. "Honestly, Xiaoning, when you bought these appliances, we gossiped about you, saying you were lazy and didn't want to work, so you spent money on them."
She looked around and said, "It seems that you are more far-sighted than us."
Not to mention the washing machine, just talk about the electric fan, it makes people feel so comfortable, it is simply a must-have in the hot summer.
Pan Tong took another sip of watermelon juice, feeling the cool breeze from the electric fan, and continued, "You know how to enjoy it better than we do."
Ning Tang brought a plate of peeled mangoes and said with a smile, "Just praise me."
Zeng Xinlan said, "By the way, Xiaoning, I haven't asked you yet, what do you want to talk to me about?"
Ning Tang invited this group of military wives to his home, firstly to get together and chat, and secondly, because he really had something to find Zeng Xinlan about.
She took out some papers with cartoon characters drawn on them and said, "Xinlan, I'd like you to help me sew these designs onto my clothes."
She was very clear about her own skills. It was absolutely impossible for her to surpass Ning Xue's wolf-head and tiger-head sewing skills, so she chose to overtake by taking a detour and seek external help.
Zeng Xinlan's craftsmanship is comparable to Ning Xue's. She can definitely sew these patterns onto the clothes exactly as they are.
Pan Tong asked in surprise, "Xiao Ning, did you draw this?"
"The painting looks exactly like the real thing," said Head Nurse Huang. "Who did you learn this from?"
"A master of traditional Chinese painting was sent down to our village before, and I learned a few tricks from him." Ning Tang said casually.
Lei Sufen looked at Ning Tang's painting and exclaimed in amazement, "Your painting is really good, it's not inferior to Ning Xue's wolf-head and tiger-head painting at all."
Ning Xue can sew beautiful clothes, but Ning Tang is not bad either, she can also draw well.
Speaking of which, this circle of military wives...
Ning Tang said, "Sister Pan has beautiful handwriting, Sister Lei can make delicious coconut milk cakes, and Sister Luo can cook a whole garden of vegetables... Who among us is really worse than Ning Xue? We just have our own strengths."
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