Shen Lie, "I'll be back soon..."

Ning Tang: "Is it too late to get a divorce now?"

"In a military marriage, a couple cannot get a divorce if the soldier doesn't agree." Shen Lie glanced left and right, but didn't dare to look Ning Tang in the eye.

Seeing Ning Tang's angry expression, Shen Lie quickly said, "There are subsidies for going to sea."

Ning Tang calmed down his anger and asked, "How much is the subsidy?"

Shen Lie thought for a moment and said, "It depends on how long it takes. I'll probably give you 60 yuan a month on average."

If you go for two months, it would be one hundred and twenty yuan!

Shen Lie only earned 80 yuan a month, but he could earn 120 yuan after two months at sea, which was like a year-end bonus.

Ning Tang made the decision, "Okay, go ahead. I'll help you look after your three kids, but when you come back, give all the subsidies to me."

One hundred and twenty yuan, plus the salary Shen Lie handed in, should be enough to buy a washing machine.

It's very time-consuming to wash clothes here, especially bed sheets and quilt covers. I have to step on them with my feet for fear that they won't be washed clean. My back and waist ache every time I finish washing.

It's still summer now. Ning Tang can't even imagine what it would be like if it were winter, so he really has to buy the washing machine as soon as possible.

"Yes." Shen Lie quickly agreed, but he immediately corrected himself, "They are not my three children, they are our three children."

Ning Tang waved his hands, all the same.

Since Shen Lie was not going out to sea for a while, Ning Tang thought of another thing.

She had been on Hailang Island for some time. Before leaving, she promised Ning Weiguo and Sun Aiju that she would send them a letter as soon as she arrived to let them know she was safe.

But writing letters alone is not enough, Ningtang plans to send them some specialties from Hailang Island.

She asked Shen Lie, "What specialties do you have on your island? I want to send some back to my parents. Oh, and to my brother, too."

Shen Lie said, "As it should be, thanks to you for reminding me. Let me think about what the specialties of Hailang Island are. Oh, yes, there are dried abalone, shrimp, dried scallops, dried squid, dried seahorses..."

Ning Tang's eyes lit up, "So many, where can I buy them?"

Shen Lie was surprised and said, "Didn't you see it at the market? These are all seafood caught from the sea. Fishermen take them home to dry them and then sell them at the market."

Ning Tang thought about it and seemed to have seen fishermen selling dried fish when she went to the market before, but she usually bought fresh seafood and steamed it at home, so she didn't pay much attention to it.

"How about I buy some at the market when I come back from the army tomorrow?" Shen Lie said.

"No need." Ning Tang said, "I'll buy it. It's a good opportunity for me to see what seafood is available. Besides sending it to my parents, we can also buy some to eat." She was greedy after hearing what Shen Lie said.

"That's fine." Shen Lie said.

At four o'clock the next afternoon, Ningtang counted his money and prepared to go to the vegetable market.

Just as she was about to go out, Da Wa called her back, "Stepmother, I want to go too."

When Ning Tang first arrived, Shen Lie told the three children to behave themselves in the next two months and not to go out and play.

It was the first time for the eldest child to stay at home for so long. He was almost bored, so he wanted to run outside whenever he had the chance.

Just go, Ning Tang asked Erniu and Sanwa, "Are you two going?"

Erniu and Sanwa were just like Dawa, they couldn't stay still, they immediately said, "We'll go too."

Ning Tang: "You can go, but you three have to help me carry my things."

The eldest boy rolled his eyes and said, "Then you should give two red dates to each person."

Ning Tang grabbed the boy's head and asked, "Were you the reincarnation of an abacus bead in your previous life?"

The eldest child tilted his head, "What do you mean?"

"How can you be so calculating?" Ning Tang said, "At most one red date will be given to each person."

One is fine, Da Wa nodded. He had expected Ning Tang to only produce one red date, so he mentioned two at the beginning, "Then you keep your word."

"Shen Dawa, am I so untrustworthy in your eyes? Let me ask you, when the three of you helped me wash the dishes at noon, did I give each of you two red dates?" Ning Tang said.

The eldest son rolled his eyes and said, you know what, although this stepmother is a little lazy, doesn't want to wash the dishes and sleeps a lot, her words are still trustworthy.

He didn't answer Ning Tang, but turned around and ran out of the house, not forgetting to pull Erniu and Sanwa before running.

Ning Tang followed the three of them out. The sun was not very bright today and dark clouds appeared, so Ning Tang did not wear a straw hat.

The adult and three children walked for half an hour to reach the vegetable market. At this time in the afternoon, there were more and more people setting up stalls and buying vegetables. Ning Tang asked the three children to hold hands and follow her closely.

Ning Tang looked around and chose the most honest-looking stall owner to buy seafood from. "Comrade, how much do you sell this dried seahorse for?"

"These are sold individually, five cents each," said the stall owner.

"How many are enough for cooking?" Ning Tang asked.

"Cooking?" The stall owner laughed. "This is not for cooking. This seahorse is for making wine. Drinking seahorse wine can strengthen the kidneys, relax the muscles and loosen the joints. It is good for the elderly. I won't hide it from you. Those of us who have elderly people in our family will prepare a few jars. You don't need to buy too many. Three are enough to make a pound of wine."

When Ning Tang heard that drinking would be good for the elderly, and thought about Ning Weiguo's love of alcohol, drinking yellow wine would be worse than drinking medicinal wine, he immediately decided, "Give me thirty."

After buying dried seahorses, Ning Tang also bought some sun-dried shrimps, dried abalone, and dried mackerel. In short, she bought everything that Shen Lie mentioned. After the whole shopping spree, she had a lot of bags in her hands.

Da Wa remembered his duty well, "Stepmother, give us the things and we will carry them for you. Remember to give us dates when you go back."

Ning Tang didn't dare to let them carry anything too heavy, so he gave them light items like dried seahorses and shrimps.

The three little ones each carried a small bag, and they felt they had done their job, so they walked with high spirits.

Ning Tang and her three children were carrying bags home. As soon as they arrived at the door, they ran into Ning Xue and the Su family's twins, Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu.

Ning Xue looked at Ning Tang who was carrying a lot of bags and asked, "Where did you come from? You bought so many things."