Lazy Stepmother of the 70s Island

Chapter 16: Going to The Sea

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

Ning Tang asked, "Is it too late to divorce now?"

"With military marriage, the military member has to agree to the divorce," Shen Lie looked around, avoiding eye contact with Ning Tang.

Seeing Ning Tang's expression turning angry, Shen Lie quickly added, "There is a subsidy for going to sea."

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

Shen Lie thought for a moment and said, "It depends on how long I'll be gone. On average, it's sixty yuan a month."

So, if he went for two months, it would be 120 yuan!

Shen Lie earned only eighty yuan a month, so going to sea for two months would earn him 120 yuan, which was like getting a year-end bonus.

Ning Tang agreed, "Okay, you can go, and I'll take care of our three kids. But you have to give me the entire subsidy when you come back."

With 120 yuan, plus the wages that Shen Lie would hand over, it should be enough to buy a washing machine.

Washing clothes was too hard, especially those bed sheets and covers. She was afraid that they would not be clean enough, and she had to step on them with her feet. After each wash, her back and waist were sore.

It was already difficult to wash clothes in the summer, and it would be even more difficult in the winter. So she had to hurry up and buy a washing machine.

"Okay," Shen Lie quickly agreed, but then corrected himself, "It's not my three kids, it's our three kids."

Ning Tang waved her hand, "It's all the same."

Since Shen Lie wasn't going to sea anytime soon, Ning Tang remembered something else.

She has been on Hailang Island for a while now. Before going out, she promised Ning Weiguo and Sun Aiju that she would quickly send them a letter to let them know she arrived safely.

But just writing a letter wasn't enough, Ning Tang planned to send some specialties from Hailang Island to them.

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

Shen Lie said, "Of course, thanks for reminding me. Let me think, what specialties does Hailang Island have? Oh right, we have dried abalone, shrimp, scallops, dried squid, dried seahorse..."

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

Shen Lie was surprised, "Didn't you see them at the market? These are all seafood caught from the sea. After the fishermen catch them, they take them home to dry and then bring them to the market to sell."

Ning Tang thought back and remembered seeing fishermen selling dried fish at the market before, but she usually bought fresh seafood to steam, so she didn't pay much attention.

"How about tomorrow when I come back from the military, I'll stop by the market and buy them," Shen Lie suggested.

"No need," Ning Tang said, "I'll buy them myself. I'll take a look at what sea products are available. Besides sending them to my parents, let's buy some to eat." She was already drooling from what Shen Lie said.

"Okay," Shen Lie agreed.

The next day at four in the afternoon, Ning Tang counted her money and prepared to go to the market.

She was about to go out when Dawa called her, "Stepmom, I want to go too."

Ning Tang had just arrived and Shen Lie had told the three children to behave themselves and not play around outside for the next two months. Dawa had been at home for so long that he was getting bored, so he wanted to go out whenever he had the chance.

"Just go if you want to go. Ning Tang asked Erniu and Sanwa, 'Are you two going?'

Erniu and Sanwa, like Dawa, couldn't stay still. As soon as they heard the question, they immediately said, 'We're going too.'

Ning Tang said, 'You can go, but you three have to help me carry things.'

Dawa turned his eyes and said, 'Then you have to give one person two red dates.'

Ning Tang grabbed the little guy's head and said, 'Were you a counting bead in your previous life?'

Dawa tilted his head and asked, 'What does that mean?'

'Why are you so calculating?' Ning Tang said, 'At most, one person gets one red date.'

'One is fine.' Dawa nodded. He had already anticipated that Ning Tang would only give one red date, so he said two at the beginning. 'Then you have to keep your word.'

'Shen Dawa, do you think I have no credit in your eyes?' Ning Tang asked. 'I ask you, at noon, when you three helped me wash dishes, did I not give each of you two red dates?'

Dawa turned his eyes and realized that this stepmother, although lazy and liked to sleep in, kept her word when she spoke.

He didn't answer Ning Tang's question, turned and ran out of the house, and didn't forget to pull Erniu and Sanwa with him before he left.

Ning Tang followed the three of them out. Today, the sun wasn't too hot, and the clouds came out, so Ning Tang didn't wear a straw hat.

The one big and three small ones walked for half an hour to the vegetable market. At this time in the afternoon, the number of vendors and buyers gradually increased. Ning Tang asked the three little ones to hold her hand and follow her closely.

Ning Tang looked around and picked the vendor who looked the most honest to buy seafood. 'Comrade, how much do you sell this dried seahorse for?'"

"This is sold by piece, five cents each," the vendor said.

"If I want to cook with them, how many should I buy?" Ning Tang asked.

"Cooking? This is not for cooking, it's for making seahorse wine. Drinking seahorse wine can strengthen the body, nourish the kidneys, relax the tendons, and it's good for the elderly. To be honest, those of us who have elderly family members keep a few jars of this at home. You don't need to buy too many, three pieces are enough to make a pound of wine."

Upon hearing that it's good for the elderly, and considering Ning Wei Guo's love for alcohol, she decided to buy thirty pieces right away. After buying the seahorse, Ning Tang also bought some dried shrimp, abalone, and mackerel. She bought everything that Shen Lie had mentioned before. After finishing her shopping, her hands were filled with many bags.

Dawa firmly remembered his duties, "Stepmother, give us the things, we'll help you carry them. Remember to give us the red dates when we get home."

Ning Tang didn't want to burden them with carrying too much weight, so she gave them the lighter items such as the seahorse and dried shrimp.

The three kids each carried a small bag and willingly did their part. They walked with pride and confidence.

Ning Tang and the three kids were carrying big and small bags on their way back home. As soon as they arrived at the door, they ran into Ning Xue and the Su twins, Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu.

Ning Xue looked at Ning Tang carrying so many bags, "Where did you go? Why did you buy so many things?"