Shen Lie teased him deliberately, "No, your second sister has already said that you have to change." He took out fifty cents and shook it, "Otherwise there will be no extra New Year's money."

But the little third child was so anxious that she blurted out, "I wish my father and stepmother good fortune as vast as the East Sea, sea, sea, and the whole world is my home!"

The world is my home?!

Shen Lie burst out laughing, stretched out his big hand, and carried the third child to the bed, "Little rascal, are you cursing your father?"

San Wa didn't care, she rolled around on the bed and said coquettishly, "I want a red envelope, I want a red envelope."

Shen Lie patted his little butt and said, "Here, here, here, I really owe you guys this for my whole life."

The third child took the red envelope from Shen Lie and put it in his pocket. He looked at Ning Tang with his big eyes like black grapes and stretched out his white and tender little hand, palm facing up, "Hehe, stepmother, red envelope."

Ning Tang took out three red envelopes and gave one to each person.

The eldest child opened it and exclaimed, "Two dollars!"

Shen Lie looked at Ning Tang and asked, how could you give it to her? So much.

He felt that his one dollar was too much. After all, most parents on the island gave their children only 5 cents or 10 cents in red envelopes, with the better ones giving 20 cents or 30 cents.

Ning Tang said, "Before the Spring Festival, three children helped me clean the house, and I promised to give them three double red envelopes."

She was competing with Shen Lie in giving. For every dollar Shen Lie gave her, she would give him two dollars.

After talking in the room for a while, it was almost nine o'clock. Shen Lie and Ning Tang got up quickly, washed up, and went to the kitchen to cook.

The two of them had already decided on the dishes for the New Year's Eve dinner last night. They would cook hotpot for lunch and five dishes and a soup, plus a portion of three-stuffed dumplings, for dinner.

The New Year’s Eve dinner is the big part. For lunch, we have hot pot. We can eat as much as we want without worrying about wasting food.

Both of them moved quickly and soon washed and cut the various fish balls, meat balls, vegetables, and meat slices.

The eldest child rushed into the house smelling like firecrackers, followed by the second and third children. "Dad, stepmother, 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 made from pork bones and radish was bubbling and emitting a rich aroma, which really pleased the three little ones.

Ning Tang put the cut squid rings and red shrimps into the pot and said, "Go wash your hands and come over to eat when you're done."

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 was one of them, so as soon as the three little ones entered the house, their hands and noses turned red.

Shen Lie poured boiling ginger and jujube tea for the three of them. Jujube slices and warm yellow ginger strips rose and fell in the red tea. "Warm your hands with the teacup first, then drink it."

The little one was obedient and held the teacup filled with ginger and jujube tea. After his hands were warm and the tea was no longer so hot, he drank it all in one gulp. A stream of hot air went up to his head and warmed his whole body.

The hot pot was ready. Shen Lie, Ning Tang and three kids were sitting at the dining table.

Shen 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 could just pick them up and eat them.

Even the youngest child, the third child, doesn't need any help and can use a spoon or chopsticks to feed himself.

Shen Lie was happy, "Our third child has grown up and doesn't need anyone to feed him anymore."

After being praised by Shen Lie, the third child became even more excited and swung the little spoon vigorously.

Ning Tang replied, "Of course not. Sanwa will be four years old after the Chinese New Year, and Dawa and Erniu will be eight and six years old."

They are one year older now, and now I can start teaching them how to cook!

After dinner, the three little ones wanted to go out and play again.

Shen Lie said, "Come back after playing for a while. We'll make dumplings this afternoon."

3. After the children had all run away, he responded from a distance.

The eldest child took the second and third children and ran to Captain Qi's house to call Da Hu, and also called a few friends. The group of children played wildly in the military compound.

Soon, the small group became a large group, with the sound of firecrackers and noise incessantly heard, and Ning Tang and Shen Lie could hear it at home.

Climbing trees, setting off firecrackers, kicking tin cans, playing hide-and-seek...there is nothing they can't play, except what 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 ones throughout the year. No matter which household, no one is restricted in bringing their children.

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 a lot of fun, his little face flushed. He took the sandbag and threw it to another child, saying "OK" casually.

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 and said, "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 you're hot. If you take it off suddenly, the cool 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, and unable to play with your friends. Do you think it's worth it?"

Of course it's not worth it. The eldest child closed his clothes obediently and said, "Where are the dumpling skins and fillings? Isn't it for making dumplings?"

"In the kitchen, your father has just prepared the stuffing." Ning Tang said.

Shen Lie took out the rolled dumpling skin and three bowls of fillings from the kitchen and said, "Everyone, sit down and start making dumplings."

The three children sat on the stools obediently. Shen Lie was amused. "Go wash your hands first. Who would dare to eat the dumplings you made with your hands covered in dirt and ash?"

Da Wa curled his lips and knew he was going to teach them a lesson. Last time, he saw Shen Lie coming home from get off work without washing his hands. He passed by the dining table, picked up a shrimp and threw it into his mouth.

However, when he saw the rolling pin in Shen 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.

It was time to make dumplings. Shen Lie held the white dumpling skin in his left hand and scooped a spoonful of leek and egg filling with his right hand. He then wrapped the filling in the dumpling skin and taught the eldest, second and third children, "Look, this is how you make dumplings. Put the filling in the dumpling skin, apply some water on both sides, and pinch to make folds. It's simple, isn't it?"

The eldest boy nodded and rolled up his sleeves with great confidence, "It's too easy. Watch me."

He followed Shen Lie's example, put the dumpling filling into the dumpling skin, applied water, and pinched out folds. Just as he was about to show it off, "Look, it's wrapped -" the next second, the filling came out of the dumpling. It turned out that he added too much filling.

He was anxious and frantically tried to patch up the torn part of the dumpling, but it seemed as if the dumpling was against him. After he patched one end, the other end was torn.

The eldest boy suddenly had an idea and took another dumpling skin to wrap the outside. One dumpling skin was not enough, so he used two!

Ning Tang was speechless. "Your double-layer dumpling skin is bound to fall apart once it's put into the pot. Even if it can be cooked, you're going to eat such a thick dumpling skin?"

Looking at Erniu, she is at two completely different extremes from Da Wa.

The dumpling skin, which was bigger than her hand, was able to hold two fingernail-sized amounts of filling. When the folds were pinched, 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 stop picking at it. Our family can still afford these dishes. When you put your dumplings in the pot, they will be the same as your brother's. You can't eat the stuffing, only the dumpling skin."

The eldest and second daughter both looked unhappy. "Oh, making dumplings is so hard."

Shen Lie chuckled, "Who asked you to show off your skills? There are skills to making dumplings."

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 Shen 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, and Shen Lie did not find any fault with it.

As for the youngest, Sanwa, we didn't expect him to help in the first place, so just don't make trouble.

The three kids treated the dumpling skin as a toy, pulling and tugging at it and having a lot of fun.

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.

Shen Lie is a good cook, so he will be the chef, and Ning Tang will be responsible for cooking the dumplings.

Shen Lie cleaned the chicken and scraped the scales off the fish. He was busy with his knife, and he took the time to say to Ning Tang, "There are five people in our family, two adults and three children. Only you and I can eat more. The three children don't have big appetites. The five dishes and one soup for the New Year's Eve dinner may have many dishes, but the portions are small. The same goes for the dumplings you cook. Don't put too much in, otherwise you won't be able to finish them. At worst, you can have another midnight snack."

Ning Tang nodded, "Got it."

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 shrimp skin and seaweed to the dumpling soup. Shrimp skin has a salty taste, so I don't need to add salt. It's not good for children to eat too much salt."

Shen Lie paused and said, "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 spare ribs, boiled chicken, sweet and sour fish, hand-torn cabbage, eggplant and beans stew, winter melon, lotus root and spare ribs soup, and a plate of dumplings. It was quite a sumptuous meal.

Shen Lie had been busy all day, and when the meal was served, he didn't want to move anymore. He instructed the eldest child, "Go, serve Dad some rice."

The eldest boy pouted, "You just know how to call me."

Shen Lie was happy, "You are the oldest in our family, who else should I call if not you?"

The eldest child shook his head, "It's New Year's Day today, I won't bother with you."

Shen Lie raised his hand and pretended to hit him, "Do you want to be beaten during the New Year too?"

The eldest child was frightened at once, picked up the rice spoon and bowl, laughed twice, and said flatteringly, "Dad, do you want more or less?"

Shen Lie thought for a moment and said, "A little more. I'm starving. 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 passed them to Shen Lie. Shen Lie took it and said, "It seems that the red envelope I gave this morning was not in vain."

Big Baby: "Dad, can you give me some more New Year's money because I made you lunch?"

Shen Lie said with a fake smile, "Then why don't you return the New Year's gift money to me because I cook for you every day?"

The eldest child rolled his eyes and ate some rice, pretending not to hear what Shen Lie said, "Oh, it smells so good, so delicious."

Erniu looked around, took the bowl in front of Ningtang, and asked her, "Stepmother, do you want some soup?"

Ning Tang was generous in his praise, "Erniu is really good. She helped me to fill half a bowl."

Erniu blushed and happily helped Ningtang prepare 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, the soup Erniu made is really delicious."

Erniu burst into laughter immediately.

When San Wa saw Er Niu being praised, he was very jealous and shouted, "Stepmother, I want to help you make soup, too."

Ning Tang didn't dare to let him 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 words. Only then did San Wa feel satisfied and stop 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 a few times as if there were nails on the stool.

Shen Lie looked at him with amusement, "After dinner, I'll take you to set off firecrackers. Your stepmother bought a lot of firecrackers and saved them all."

The eldest boy then calmed down and ate until he was half full. Then he started to set his eyes on the plate of dumplings he had made.

The dumplings made by Da Wa and Er Niu were later "moistened" by Shen Lie, otherwise they would have gone rotten right after being put into the pan. Therefore, the dumplings turned out to be plump and white, which was very pleasing to the eye.

The eldest child picked up a dumpling and put it in his mouth, his eyes lit up, "It's filled with corn, mushrooms and pork, delicious!"

The dumplings I made myself were just delicious. Erniu and Sanwa ate them with gusto, without Shen Lie and Ning Tang urging them to eat.

After dinner, Shen Lie and Ning Tang washed the dishes and took the three children to the yard to set off firecrackers.

Ningtang took out the firecrackers that he had bought in advance. When Big Wa saw them, there were "fire", "earth blossoming", "little lightning" and double-kick firecrackers.

They were much richer than the firecrackers that kids bought with their pocket money, or the loose firecrackers they picked up - the dumb firecrackers left over from other people's firecrackers.

The eldest boy's face turned red with excitement, "Quick, let me fire the gun."

Shen Lie lit a stick of incense for Da Wa, "For you, for you."

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 had hung under the eaves. She knew it would surely keep on making noises, 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. She stood behind San Wa and covered his ears.

The third child was not afraid of tigers like a newborn ox, 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, Shen Lie signaled to Da Wa that it was time to light the firecrackers.

It was also the first time for the eldest 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. When he saw the spark, he ran back quickly.

Shen Lie quickly grabbed his collar and said, "Why are you running? It's not even lit yet. Why are you so timid now? The line of fire is so long. From the time you light it to the time you start setting it off, it's enough for you to run around the yard twice."

Big Boy also felt that his startled look was embarrassing, so he picked up a stick of incense and lit the firecrackers again. This time he watched the fire line ignite sparks before running back.

"Crackle, crackle--"

The sound of firecrackers continued and sparks flew everywhere, illuminating the entire yard.

The eldest child was not happy enough. He kept screaming and squeaking 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 firecrackers. He found an unwanted iron can, lit the firecrackers, threw them on the ground, and then covered them with the iron can. This is a common way for them as children to play with firecrackers.

About three to five seconds later, a muffled sound came from the iron can, and it shook a bit, and then a puff of white smoke came out from the hole in the iron can.

The three kids clapped their 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 firecrackers together and peeled off the outer skin of the firecrackers, leaving only the white aluminum powder. When he added some incense, the aluminum powder shone silvery and looked very beautiful.

Erniu didn't dare to play those scary games, so she took some firecrackers and threw them on the ground one by one, enjoying herself.

Shen Lie kept one eye on the three kids playing with firecrackers, and the other eye looked around at the Su family across the street, wondering, "Isn't today Chinese New Year? Why is there no movement across the street?"

After all, the two families live across from each other. Not only does Ning Xue keep an eye on the Shen family every day, Shen Lie also notices them 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 Ning Tang had not 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 sat around the table with Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu. The twins used their tender little hands to hold pencils and write big characters on the draft book stroke by stroke.

Outside, there was the noisy sound of firecrackers and celebrations for the New Year, but Ning Xue turned a deaf ear to it.

She focused all her attention on the twins, and gave them instructions 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 has a gentle and obedient personality, and he will do whatever Ning Xue says.

Su Yaozu, who was born at the same time as him, is more active in temperament 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 son's movements and felt sorry for him. He couldn't help but persuade Ning Xue, "It's New Year's Day, let the two children go out and play. It only happens once a year."

Su Yaozu's eyes lit up immediately, "Yes, Mom, Da Wa and Er Niu next door have been playing outside 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 as they play the whole day, their eyes red with envy.

Ning Xue said angrily, "How can you two be the same as Da Wa? You should score the same as he does. If you fall behind, you will be beaten. If you slack off for a day, you will be caught up by others. You don't want to score lower than Da Wa, do you?"

But they spent the entire New Year studying at home and didn’t go out for even a single day!

Su Guangzong remained silent, and Su Yaozu pursed his lips but ultimately said nothing in rebuttal.

Su Junyan paused and advised, "The children are already diligent enough, just give them a day off. Today is New Year's Eve, at worst they can study after today."

Ning Xue never argued with Su Junyan, but this time was different. She said seriously, "If you don't learn now, when will you learn? Those who can succeed can control their laziness when others slack off again and again."

It's just like driving in a competition. You have to drive faster and drift more beautifully every time you turn a corner so that you can leave your opponent far behind and win in the end.

On New Year's Eve, many children were playing outside while Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu were studying inside the house. What does this mean?

It means that they have one more day to study than others and learn more knowledge.

Ning Xue explained this theory to Su Junyan, who was stunned and couldn't help but think deeply about Ning Xue's words.

Maybe what Ning Xue said is right?

He recalled how when he had just married Ning Xue, the people in the army were surprised and praised her endlessly when they found out that Ning Xue was a high school graduate.

So? He made the right choice by marrying a wife who is cultured and well-mannered!

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, I have to study until one o'clock."

He didn't notice that deep disappointment flashed across the twins' eyes.

Although Ning Xue paid close attention to the twins' studies, she also paid great attention to the twins' health. She had never let them sleep so late, so she hesitated, "Is one o'clock too late?"

Su Junyan said, "How is it late? Not at all. Have you heard of a saying that what you do from midnight on New Year's Eve to the next day is what you do for the whole year? For example, Yaozu and Guangzong learned from New Year's Eve to 1 a.m. on the Spring Festival, which means they learned for a whole year."

He glanced at Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu, "If they were sleeping during that period, then they would have slept for a year."

Ning Xue thought it made a lot of sense.

In order to have a good start, the couple urged the twins to study until one in the morning.

Shen Family

Shen Lie and Ning Tang played with the eldest, second and third children for the whole night and used up all the firecrackers.

Shen Lie glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 11:59:47. He called Ning Tang and the three children, "Let's count down."

He started first, "Ten, nine, eight, seven..."

Ning Tang and the three younger ones 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 filled 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 his two children looked up at the brilliant sky; the light from the fireworks made their little faces shine.

Shen Lie's heart softened, and he whispered to Ning Tang, "I don't ask the three of them to succeed, I just hope that the three of them will 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, a great scientist, a heroic pilot, an official, or a businessman in the future.

When the children are born and grow up, looking at their childish faces, all those happy dreams will be blown away by the wind. Even if they are not 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."