After washing the colorful shells, spread them neatly on a dustpan and place them on the windowsill to dry overnight. The next day, you can string the shell wind chimes together.

The next day, Ning Tang took the dried shells into the house and made shell wind chimes with the three children.

I don’t have a hole puncher at home, but luckily there are natural holes on the shells, so I just use a white rope to string them together.

Ning Tang made a string of shell wind chimes and hung them under the eaves. When the wind blew, they made a tinkling sound, which was very pleasant to hear.

After making the shell wind chime, there were enough shells left to make a shell window curtain. Ning Tang asked Da Wa who among the other three wanted one.

The eldest and third sons thought this thing was too effeminate, but the second daughter was kind enough to let them install one on the windowsill.

After the decoration was completed, Erniu blinked, somewhat unable to believe that this was her room.

There is a shell curtain hanging on the windowsill. Each small shell has a different color. When the wind blows, the shells collide with each other, making a crisp sound. The sunlight shines through the window, onto the strings of shells, casting a beautiful fan-shaped shadow.

Erniu has been to other friends' homes, but none of the rooms had such beautiful decorations as hers.

Because I don’t have parents, I am willing to use this heart.

Most parents think that having a room to live in is good enough, why bother with all the fancy stuff.

Ning Tang looked around and said, "Your room is still too empty. Next time we go to the market, let's see if there are any posters for sale. We can buy some and put them on your wall. You like Sister Lijun, don't you? You think she sings well? Then let's buy Sister Lijun's poster."

Erniu pursed her lips, smiled, and answered loudly, "Okay."

In the afternoon, Mrs. Luo and Zeng Xinlan came to the house.

Ning Tang said, "Did you two make an appointment?"

Mrs. Luo smiled and said, "We bumped into each other on the road. What a coincidence this is not it."

Ning Tang saw that both of them wanted to talk to her about something, so she asked them who should speak first.

Zeng Xinlan said, "Sister-in-law, please speak first. My business is not urgent."

Mrs. Luo did not refuse, "Xiao Ning, I came here to ask you to help me make a decision."

Ning Tang blinked: "What's your idea?"

Mrs. Luo sighed, "The college entrance examination results are out, and Qingqing didn't get into college this time, so our husband, Lao Zhao, asked someone to find her two jobs in the city. I want you to help me decide which job is best for her."

The college entrance examination results came out, and Zhao Qing failed again in her second attempt, and her score was even lower than her first time.

This dealt a heavy blow to Zhao Qing's self-confidence. She became angry and said that she would not have taken the exam and would have saved 50 cents in registration fee.

These words almost made Political Commissar Zhao and Mrs. Luo so angry that they caused serious consequences.

Does the family need that fifty cents? The family needs a college student.

Not to mention fifty cents, even if it was five dollars, the couple would pay the fee without hesitation.

But Zhao Qing was unwilling to take the exam again and said she wanted to go to work directly.

Political Commissar Zhao used his connections to find her two jobs.

Ning Tang poured them some cold water and asked, "Which two jobs are they?"

Mrs. Luo took a sip of water and said, "My first job was as a projectionist in a movie theater. The salary was not high, only three yuan a month. My second job was as a salesperson at a bicycle counter in an Overseas Chinese store. The salary was quite good, eight yuan a month. There were also New Year benefits during the Chinese New Year and other festivals, and I could get Overseas Chinese coupons." And there was a lot of benefits, too.

Ning Tang thought for a moment and asked her, "Qingqing, what kind of job do you want to do? It is said that you love what you do, but if you do a job you don't like, it will definitely be very tiring. In fact, what we say doesn't count. It mainly depends on which job she likes. If she likes it and has motivation, she can do it for a long time."

Mrs. Luo said: "She wants to be a movie projectionist. She thinks she has free time and can take her time off." Nowadays, people advocate the glory of labor. Zhao Qing's idea is not desirable and is not in line with mainstream thinking.

She sighed, "Lao Zhao and I both think that the job of a salesperson is better. After all, the salary is high and the benefits are good. But no matter how we talk to her, she won't agree. Lao Zhao is at home and Qingqing and I are almost quarreling like chickens with black eyes. I really can't make up my mind, so I came to ask you."

She thought Ning Tang was smart and thoughtful, so she came to ask for her advice.

"My idea is the same as Qingqing's. The job of a movie projectionist is still good." Ning Tang said.

"Why?" Mrs. Luo blurted out.

"I can't say it's good, I can only say it's more suitable for Qingqing." Ning Tang said, "The job of a movie projectionist is relatively leisurely. She only has to show two movies a day at most. She only needs to fix the projector at the beginning and occasionally take time to watch the audience. The rest of the time is free."

Mrs. Luo nodded and said, "But the salary is five yuan less than that of a salesperson. Five yuan a month, it adds up to a lot in a year."

"A salesperson has to stay at the counter all day and usually has to face a lot of customers. The salary is high, but there are also many worries." Ning Tang smiled, "Qingqing has a straightforward personality, so it's a bit difficult for her to do a job like a salesperson where she has to smile and greet people."

This is a euphemism. With Zhao Qing's hot temper, it would be a blessing for her to work as a salesperson if she doesn't quarrel with others.

The sales clerks in overseas Chinese stores are different from those in department stores. The sales clerks in department stores have a stable job and they won't lose their job even if they ignore customers on weekdays. But the sales clerks in overseas Chinese stores are different. They learn from Hong Kong and are paid based on performance. If the sales are good, they will get a high salary. So it depends on whether the people working there can humble themselves and promote the products. If they don't receive customers well, they may face complaints from customers.

Zhao Qing is the only daughter of Political Commissar Zhao and Mrs. Luo. They pamper her to the utmost. It is harder than climbing to the sky to ask her to greet people with a smile and to persuade them to buy things.

She is not the kind of girl who likes to struggle and build her own career. She often fishes for three days and hangs out for two days. Her family does not need her to make money. Mrs. Luo and Political Commissar Zhao have saved a lot, and they will all be hers in the future. Therefore, finding a job that does not pay much but is leisurely is the most suitable for her.

After careful consideration, Ning Tang gave this suggestion to Mrs. Luo.

Mrs. Luo thought about it and realized that this was the truth. "I understand, Xiaoning, thank you."

Ning Tang asked Zeng Xinlan, "Xinlan, what about you?"

Zeng Xinlan said, "This is good news."

Ning Tang's eyes lit up, "Tell me quickly."

Zeng Xinlan glanced at Ning Tang and Luo Saozi, then smiled and said, "The pharmacy at the health center has agreed to let me become a regular employee."

Ning Tang was overjoyed, "This is great news."

Zeng Xinlan started working in the pharmacy of the health center since April last year. She has a good temper and speaks softly to people who buy medicine. She is also diligent and conscientious in her work and has never made a mistake.

The leader of the health center was very satisfied with her, so he made her a regular employee.

Being a regular employee in a pharmacy is considered a stable job on the island, and the salary has increased by 50 cents compared to before.

Mrs. Luo said happily, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Zeng Xinlan curled her lips and said, "I just sent out a written notice yesterday. I came to tell you as soon as I got the exact news."

She was very grateful to Ning Tang and Mrs. Luo. If they hadn't given her advice and helped her find a job, her life would definitely not be as good as it is now. She would not have been able to get a formal job in the pharmacy, and she would not have been able to save money to buy things for Da Hu or pay for his tuition and miscellaneous fees.

Ning Tang said: "This is a great joyous event, we must celebrate it properly."

"Well, so I want to treat you to dinner. Do you think we should go to the city or somewhere else? Or how about going to a state-owned hotel?" Zeng Xinlan said.

The two of them really helped her so much. Although it is not necessary to thank them for their kindness, it is still necessary to treat them to a meal as a token of appreciation.

"By the way, let's call up Political Commissar Zhao, Captain Shen, Qingqing, and the eldest, second, and third children. Let's go together and have some fun." Zeng Xinlan said.

Ning Tang and Mrs. Luo looked at each other.

Going to the state-owned hotel to eat requires money and tickets. Although the portions are substantial, they are quite expensive. And there are so many of them, so this meal would empty Zeng Xinlan's savings. She had saved up some money with great difficulty.

Mrs. Luo advised, "You don't have to go out to eat. Just eat at your house and cook a few dishes."

Zeng Xinlan shook her head and disagreed, "That won't work." This is sincerity.

Ning Tang had an idea, "If you really want to treat us to a meal, how about this, we hold a barbecue party. We don't have to go anywhere, just light a barbecue on the rooftop, and have a barbecue while watching the moon, drinking some wine, and chatting. It's very comfortable."

The most important thing is that it doesn't cost much. Barbecue is just a little more expensive for the meat and vegetables. Seafood on the island is cheap, even a small blue dragon as long as an arm only costs a dime.

In fact, what to eat or drink is secondary. The most important thing is that everyone is together, having fun, celebrating the good news of Zeng Xinlan's promotion to a regular employee.

Zeng Xinlan and Luo Saozi both thought that Ning Tang's idea was a good one. Luo Saozi patted her chest and said, "I'll take care of the barbecue vegetables."

Mrs. Luo works hard on the farm and the climate on the island is good, so she can harvest freshly ripe vegetables almost every month. There are three people in her family, and they can't eat all the vegetables, nor can they give away all the vegetables. To avoid wasting them, they even pickle them.

Zeng Xinlan didn't bother to be polite with Mrs. Luo. "Okay, then I'll buy some meat and seafood."

Ning Tang said, "I'll pay for the drinks."

Both of them knew that Ning Tang liked to make drinks, such as ginger and date tea in winter and mint syrup in summer, so they just left it to her without any worries.

The time is easy to decide. The barbecue party is in the evening. Zeng Xinlan's working hours are fixed. Is there time in the evening? It mainly depends on when Political Commissar Zhao, Shen Lie, and Battalion Commander Qi are available.

The South China Sea has been quite peaceful in the past two months. I think the three busy people should be able to spare some time.

Finally, the location was decided: the barbecue party would be held on the rooftop of the second-floor building of the Shen family's house.

The rooftop at Luo's house is used for growing vegetables. It is so full that there is no room for more. The rooftop at Zeng Xinlan's house has fallen into disrepair and even the guardrail is broken.

There are so many children here, and if one of them is not careful, he or she might fall off the roof. That would not be fun.

In the evening, Ning Tang talked to Shen Lie and the three children about holding a barbecue party.

Shen Lie smiled and said, "It's pretty good, lively and fun. We haven't had a good gathering together since last Spring Festival."

It was the first time that Da Wa heard about a barbecue party, so he asked Ning Tang, "Mom, what is a barbecue party?"

"At night, we all watch the moon together, chat, and barbecue. We can barbecue meat, seafood, or vegetables. You can cook whatever you want to eat and have enough food and clothing." Ning Tang said.

The eldest child jumped three feet high, because he thought it was fun and delicious. He sucked the non-existent drool from the corner of his mouth and said, "Then I want grilled chicken wings."

"We also need to grill sausages." Erniu added.

Ever since they ate the sausages made by Sun Aiju in Shangang Village during the Chinese New Year, the three children have been thinking about it all the time. Last time they sent a letter back, they mentioned it a lot. Then Sun Aiju took advantage of the time when the village slaughtered pigs and made a batch of air-dried sausages and sent them to the three children.

"Okay, okay, let's roast them all." Ning Tang replied, "But before that, you have to do me a favor first."

Sanwa tilted his head and asked, "What can I do for you?" He patted his chest and said, "Mom, just tell me what you want. Sanwa will help you."

Ning Tang was happy and patted Sanwa's head. "Don't you guys often go to the back mountain to play? I want you to help me pick some wild fruits to make wine."

Da Wa and his friends played in the back mountain for three days. The back mountain is a treasure trove, and they can always find many unexpected good things, such as the winter bamboo shoots they ate before.

"Soak in wine?" Shen Lie was stunned.

"Yes, we can't just eat barbecue without drinking anything. I plan to make some fruit wine. Eating barbecue and drinking a little wine will be a wonderful thing." Ning Tang said.

Da Wa was unhappy because no matter how delicious the wine was, it had nothing to do with him. Shen Lie and Ning Tang would not allow them to drink even a drop of alcohol.

Ning Tang saw his sad face and was amused. He comforted him, "Don't worry, just pick as many wild fruits as possible and I promise to make them into something delicious for you."

Sanwa asked, "Is it better than mint water and orange soda?"

"Of course." Ning Tang assured without hesitation. She knew a lot of homemade recipes for fruit wine and beverages.

Now the three little kids were full of energy. After school every day, they didn’t look for their friends to play, but went straight to the back mountain.

They actually picked a lot of wild fruits, including raspberries, sea buckthorn, wild bananas, and wild passion fruit...

Fruits like wild banana cannot be used to make wine, but fruits like raspberries are quite sweet, so Ningtang let the three little kids share them. They were very sweet.

Seabuckthorn is relatively sour and hard to swallow, so it is perfect for making seabuckthorn wine.

Wild passion fruit can be used to make sour and sweet passion fruit juice, which the three little kids will definitely like.

The wine was brewed, and the date for the barbecue party had arrived.

In the evening, just as it got dark, Mrs. Luo arrived at the Shen family's house with several large baskets full of freshly picked vegetables.

Political Commissar Zhao had something to do and would not be able to arrive until later. Zhao Qing was working in the city and it was too late for him to get back in time, so he did not come.

Zeng Xinlan and Captain Qi took Dahu to the market to buy meat and seafood, so they would probably be back a little later.

Shen Lie also went with them, fearing that the couple had bought too many things and wouldn't be able to carry them all.

Ning Tang asked Mrs. Luo to sit in the living room for a while and wait for them.

Every time Mrs. Luo comes to the Shen family, she finds new things to do.

She looked at the shell wind chime under the eaves. "This wind chime is really beautiful. It must have taken a lot of effort to make it, right?"

Ning Tang: "It's easy. Just use the shells picked up from the seaside, string them together in order from large to small using white cotton thread, and hang them on the eaves."

Mrs. Luo pursed her lips and said, "I like this shell wind chime very much. Unfortunately, if it is hung under the eaves, it will make a chaotic jingling sound when the wind blows. Old Zhao will definitely complain that it will affect his reading of the newspaper."

Ning Tang smiled and said, "It's okay. The shells can also be used to make shell curtains." She waved to Erniu and asked her to take Mrs. Luo to her room to have a look.

Erniu took Mrs. Luo's hand and took her to the room on the second floor. After seeing the pictures, Mrs. Luo praised them repeatedly.

Ning Tang said, "Shells can be used to make a lot of decorations. You can use shells to make rabbits, puppies and other ornaments. They will look good at home."

Mrs. Luo nodded and said, "I will go to the beach to pick up shells tomorrow."

She took a sip of the passion fruit juice that Ningtang poured. Strictly speaking, this juice should actually be called passion fruit syrup.

It is a drink made by digging out the pulp of sour wild passion fruit and adding sugar to it.

It tastes sour and sweet, very delicious and appetizing.

Mrs. Luo took one sip after another and finished the whole cup in one go.

I thought to myself, those gossipy military dependents on the island are out there every day making up stories about Ningtang being lazy and greedy, not doing anything productive, and extremely stupid.

Don’t you think that if you are really stupid, can you make such a delicious drink?

Anyway, none of the military personnel who arranged Ningtang had such skills.

There are also shell wind chimes and shell curtains.

There are shells everywhere on the seashore, and you can pick them up anywhere, but no one has ever thought of making handicrafts with them. But Ning Tang thought of it and made them so delicate and beautiful that people would probably buy them if he took them to the market.

After talking for a while, Shen Lie, Zeng Xinlan, Battalion Commander Qi and Da Hu came back together.

Zeng Xinlan had a sullen face and it was obvious that she was angry.

Captain Qi also said nothing, with his lips tightly pursed.

Dahu huddled behind the two of them, and only when Da Wa called him did he let out a faint smile.

The men took their children to the rooftop to set up the barbecue, while the women washed the purchased meat, seafood and vegetables in the kitchen.

Mrs. Luo asked Zeng Xinlan what happened.

Zeng Xinlan shook off the water droplets on her hands and complained, "Just now, we went to the market and saw that the seafood was quite fresh, so I asked to buy more. But Lao Qi refused, saying that it was a waste of money. There were only six adults, half of whom were women, and four children. How much could they eat?"

She took a deep breath and said, "Of course I don't know him. He's just afraid of spending money. If the seafood and meat in the market are free, he buys more than I do."

Ning Tang asked, "And then?"

Zeng Xinlan smiled, "Then of course you listen to me and buy whatever you want, because I'm the one paying for it."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Luckily I have a job now, and I'm a regular employee of a pharmacy. I can earn money and save money. I don't have to ask him for money with my palm up, and I can talk so toughly. If it were like before, I would have to ask him for money, and he would say he didn't want to buy it, and I would feel weak as soon as he looked at me."

She was able to stand up and speak, and Ningtang and Mrs. Luo were happy for her.

After the vegetables were washed, they were skewered with bamboo sticks, placed on an iron plate, and brought to the rooftop.

Political Commissar Zhao also arrived, and together with Shen Lie and Battalion Commander Qi, the three of them helped each other to light up the barbecue stove.

The barbecue stove was borrowed from the army. The army had held barbecues like this before. It was a long barbecue stove, very similar to the barbecue stoves used in barbecue stalls in later generations, and could be used to grill a lot of things.

Ning Tang glanced at the sky. The weather was particularly good today, with not a single cloud in the sky. There was only a full moon hanging in the sky. Even without turning on the lights, the entire roof was very bright.

The barbecue party was such a lively event that the four children were already going crazy.

The eldest boy walks here and touches there, and he is never idle for a moment.

Ning Tang thought he was annoying, so she asked him to take Erniu, Sanwa and Dahu to get drinks.

She took a handful of skewers of meat and tested the heat to see how it was grilled.

She is a good griller. She holds the skewers in her left hand and dips them in honey with her right hand. She keeps an eye on the heat and turns them over from time to time. Her movements are clean and neat, without any waste.

The whole group of adults and children were stunned.

The roasted oil dripped onto the charcoal fire, making a hissing sound. Soon, the aroma of meat filled the entire rooftop. The delicious aroma was so tempting that not only the children, but even an adult like Shen Lie lost his composure and secretly swallowed his saliva.

Ningtang gave the grilled skewers to the four children first.

Big Brother took the skewers and started to distribute them, "One skewer for Erniu, one skewer for Dahu, one skewer for Sanwa, one skewer for me..." He arranged everything very clearly.

After dividing the meat, he couldn't wait to grab a skewer and take a bite. The skewer was tender, smooth and fragrant, with a harmless burnt smell. Because it was dipped in honey, it had a sweet aroma. With every bite, he could feel the aroma of meat and honey mixed in his mouth, and the gravy bursting in his mouth.

The eldest child almost cried. It was so delicious. He ate most of the skewers in his hand and asked Ning Tang, "Mom, can we have this barbecue party every day?"

Ning Tang was amused and pinched his little face, "Shen Dawa, you may not look beautiful, but you think beautifully."

Shen Lie came over and said, "Big boy, give me a taste."

Of course, Da Wa was not happy about it and protected Ning Tang fiercely. He even yelled to Ning Tang, "Mom, Dad wanted to steal my skewers."

Hey, what do you mean by stealing your skewers? Is he the kind of person who steals food from kids?

Shen Lie was so angry that he wanted to hit Da Wa. Just as he raised his hand, Ning Tang stopped him with a look, "Okay, if you want to eat something, just get it yourself. Why are you trying to take food from Da Wa's mouth? If you do it yourself, you will have enough food and clothing. Don't you know that?"

Big Baby made a face at Shen Lie.

Shen Lie: "It's a great day, don't force me to beat you."

Now the eldest boy didn't dare to tease them anymore and continued to pester Ning Tang to make barbecue for them.

The first round was just to test the stove and the temperature. Starting from the second round, Ningtang sped up the process and baked more things.

Grilled seafood includes oysters, pomfret, prawns and scallops.

The barbecued meats include chicken skewers, chicken wings, lamb skewers, pork skewers, and the sausages that Da Wa and his friends have been craving for.

There is also a rich selection of grilled vegetables, including corn, enoki mushrooms, eggplant, water spinach, and leeks.

Grilling is not difficult and you can get the hang of it very quickly. Zeng Xinlan and the others only needed to watch Ningtang grill for a while before they were able to do it themselves.

There is also Ningtang’s secret barbecue seasoning, which is delicious even when used to cook shoe soles. Even if they are a little burnt, the seasoning can make up for it.

A group of adults took turns and soon they had grilled a large table of barbecue.

There was no table at home that could seat ten adults and children, so three tables were set up. Just like the previous Spring Festival greetings, the men sat at one table, the women sat at one table, and the children sat at one table.

It wasn't because of the old custom that women and children weren't allowed to sit at the table that they sat separately, but because Shen Lie and Political Commissar Zhao mostly talked about military matters.

Ningtang and the others were not interested and couldn't talk to each other. The most important thing was that they sat separately so they could chat.

BBQ and wine go especially well together. There were some fragrant barbecue and Ningtang's special sea buckthorn wine. Shen Lie, Political Commissar Zhao, and Battalion Commander Qi drank a little wine and ate some barbecue, then began to talk loudly and brag.

Ning Tang glanced at the table where Da Wa and his friends were sitting. The four kids were eating and playing, looking very happy.

Mrs. Luo smiled and said, "Xiao Ning, let's talk about whether your sea buckthorn wine is strong or not. Our old Zhao can't drink much, so don't let him get drunk or he will vomit on you."

Ning Tang laughed: "Don't worry, this wine is not strong, it's made of fruit wine, sweet and not intoxicating, we can drink it too."

Zeng Xinlan was in a good mood today and wanted to drink some wine, so she quickly asked, "Then let's have some?"

Ning Tang poured half a cup for her, Mrs. Luo and herself.

Zeng Xinlan drank it all in one gulp. Although the sea buckthorn wine was not intoxicating, it was not enough for her to drink so much. Soon, her face turned red.

As she drank more, she talked more. "Xiao Ning, can you help me think of a way to get Qi Wei to give me the money he earned? I'll take care of it."