Shen Lie still didn't believe it. "Dried fruits definitely don't taste good."

Ning Tang said, "Well, some fruits do taste better when dried."

"For example?" Shen Lie asked.

Ning Tang pondered for a moment. "Longan, for example. Dried longan is often considered tastier than fresh ones. Oh, and dried persimmons think dried persimmons have more flavor than fresh persimmons."

Shen Lie couldn't argue anymore. "Well, then go ahead and give it a try. But if you mess it up, don't blame me for not warning you."

Ning Tang scoffed, "Underestimating me, huh?"

Ignoring Shen Lie, she discussed with the three kids about which fruits to dry.

At this time of year, there were winter pineapples, bananas, and some late-ripening mangoes that could be dried into fruit snacks.

They wasted no time and started the drying process. Ning Tang spent the entire period researching how to dry the fruits and finally figured it out by the end of December.

Bananas were easy to dry. Ripe yellow bananas were sliced into thumb-thick pieces and neatly arranged on a winnowing basket, which was placed in the courtyard to dry.

Winter pineapples were even simpler. Fresh pineapples didn't have a great texture for eating raw; they were prickly. But once dried into pineapple snacks, they retained the original sweetness without the prickly sensation.

The most challenging fruit was the mango. Mangoes in the autumn and winter seasons were not as sweet as those in summer. Most of the remaining mangoes were small in size and had a green, unripe taste. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been left behind during the siege by the kids, led by Dawa.

The small size was easy to handle; the smaller mangoes were perfect for drying.

However, dealing with the unripe taste was difficult. If Ning Tang brought back unripe mango snacks for Ning Weiguo and Sun Aiju, she wouldn't be able to impress them.

However, this didn't stump Ning Tang. Soon, she came up with an idea.

Currently, their household receives five taels of sugar coupons per month. Ning Tang received two taels, and each of the three kids received one tael.

Shen Lie had a higher rank and longer service, so he received half a catty of sugar coupons per month, which was enough for him alone to match the three of them.

Calculating it, the Shen family had one catty of sugar coupons per month. They didn't use much sugar for cooking on regular days, so they had accumulated quite a lot of sugar coupons, a total of five catties.

Ning Tang discussed with the three kids about exchanging some sugar for mango preservation to make dried mango snacks.

Dawa and the others readily agreed. They could also eat the mango snacks made with sugar, so why not?

At the beginning of the month, the dried fruits were successfully prepared.

Ning Tang neatly stored the dried banana, pineapple, and mango snacks in transparent glass jars, lining them up on the table, looking delightful.

The three kids looked at the dried fruits, their mouths watering with anticipation.

Ning Tang scooped a portion onto a plate. "Give it a try."

Dawa picked up a piece of dried pineapple and took a bite. After chewing for a moment, his eyes widened. "Wow, it's so delicious!"

"It's tasty, right?" Ning Tang also had a piece of dried pineapple.

Indeed, the dried pineapple didn't have the prickly sensation of fresh pineapple. Only the sweetness of the pineapple remained, and the flavor was excellent.

Sanwa grabbed two pieces of dried banana and stuffed his cheeks, eating with delight.

After drying, the bananas became fragrant and crispy. They were a bit hard to chew, but if given to Sanwa, he could enjoy it for half a day.

Seeing them enjoying the snacks, Shen Lie casually passed by and secretly took a piece of dried mango.

Upon tasting it, he was amazed. It had a sweet and sour flavor, with a refreshing and chewy texture. Compared to fresh mangoes or mangoes dipped in chili salt, it had a unique taste.

Shen Lie couldn't help but pass by again and again, taking one piece after another.

Dawa looked puzzled. "Dad, why are you walking back and forth?"

Shen Lie choked, "I'm full. Can't I take a walk?"

Dawa was speechless. "Sure, sure, sure."

Ning Tang chuckled. "Captain Shen, stop pretending. If you want to eat, just come over and eat openly."

Shen Lie shamelessly sat down, holding a piece of dried pineapple in his hand. "Hey, I have to admit, you've really done a good job. These dried fruits taste great."

"Now you know they're delicious," Ning Tang said.

She turned to the three kids and said, "Do you know what your dad's behavior is called?"

The three kids shook their heads in unison.

Ning Tang laughed heartily. "This, my dears, is called 'Zhēn xiāng'—truly fragrant."

(expression of approval used hypocritically after bitching about the exact same thing earlier. Source: HanBook)

Just as they were talking, they suddenly heard the sound of a bicycle bell outside the door.

Ning Tang and Shen Lie exchanged a glance, and Shen Lie went out to get the mail.

Shen Lie unfolded the letter and quickly scanned through it. "It's a reply from my father-in-law and mother-in-law."

"No surprise," Ning Tang remarked.

Besides Ning Weiguo and Sun Aiju, who else would send them a letter?

"What does the letter say?" Ning Tang asked.

"It says they know we will be going back for Chinese New Year this year, and they're happy with that. They told us not to bother buying anything," Shen Lie explained.

Ning Tang nodded. It sounded like something her parents would say.

Shen Lie glanced at Ning Tang and hesitated.

Ning Tang's eyelids twitched. "What else? Just say it all. It's not that my dad or mom got sick, right?"

She furrowed her brow. "It must be my dad. He smokes a lot, and I don't know if he's developed any lung problems. Seriously, I told Mom to take care of him before I left."

Shen Lie sighed and chuckled. "Where did your mind go? It's not about that."

"What is it then? As long as it's not about their health," Ning Tang said, "just tell me. Why beat around the bush?"

Since she put it that way, Shen Lie straightforwardly said, "Your mother-in-law asked if you and Ning Xue had a disagreement."

Over the past year, Ning Tang frequently sent letters home, sharing how well she was doing on Hailang Island, the interesting anecdotes about her and Shen Lie, and the delicious food and fun activities on the island.

But not a single mention of Ning Xue.

In theory, as cousins who married to the same island, they should definitely have some interaction with each other. After all, they share a blood relationship.

Although Ning Xue didn't send letters or local specialties as frequently as Ning Tang, she still sent two or three letters a year. But like Ning Tang, she never mentioned Ning Tang in her letters. She only talked about how well she was doing, how good Su Junyan treated her, and how smart and obedient the twins were.

The letters sent back to Shangan Village would definitely be read by both Ning Weiguo, Ning Weidang, Sun Aiju, and Zhou Yin.

It's strange that neither cousins mentioned the other. So it was normal for Sun Aiju to ask such a question in her letter.

"Well, what should I reply?" Ning Tang asked. "What would you do if you were in my shoes?"

Shen Lie scoffed, "What can you do? If it were me, I would expose all of Ning Xue's tricks and complain to your parents-in-law."

Ning Tang rolled her eyes. "Come on, we're adults. We don't need to resort to tattling."

"In that case, just don't reply. Besides, your parents-in-law already know about the strained relationship between you and Ning Xue. We've never gotten along since we were kids," Ning Tang said.

Shen Lie said, "You shouldn't have replied in the first place. You two are cousins, not sisters. Even if you were sisters, you wouldn't be together all the time."

Ning Tang nodded. "Then I'll just send a simple letter back, saying we're safe."

Meanwhile, Ning Xue also received a letter from Zhou Yin.

Compared to the letters from Ning Weiguo and Sun Aiju, Zhou Yin's letter had a less polite tone.

Zhou Yin didn't care whether Ning Xue had a disagreement with Ning Tang or not. She knew the two of them had never gotten along since they were kids, and she didn't like Ning Tang. In fact, she wished Ning Xue would bully Ning Tang.

The letter she sent was an interrogative one.

Over a month ago, Ning Tang sent a letter back stating that she and Shen Lie, along with their three children, would return to Shangan Village for Chinese New Year. Shen Lie even took the initiative to request time off for the holiday.

This made Sun Aiju extremely happy but left Zhou Yin feeling frustrated.

Both of them were sons-in-law, so why was Shen Lie able to take time off to accompany Ning Tang back to their hometown, while Su Junyan couldn't?

Su Junyan was in the logistics department, and taking leave was much easier for him than for Shen Lie, who was an active-duty battalion commander.

Zhou Yin had been waiting for over a month, but she never received a letter from Ning Xue, nor did she mention Su Junyan taking leave to accompany her back for the Chinese New Year.

And so, this interrogative letter was sent.

Su Junyan noticed Ning Xue looking at the letter, and her expression wasn't great. He coughed and asked, "What does the letter say?"

Ning Xue forced a smile and said, "Oh, it doesn't say much. My mom just asked how we're doing."

Su Junyan nodded, not sure if there was a letter or not.

Ning Xue turned her eyes around and said, "Hey, what do you think? Where should we spend the Chinese New Year this year?"

Su Junyan looked at her strangely and said, "What are you talking about? It's definitely going to be spent on the island."

"Oh..." Ning Xue gritted her teeth. "Actually, my mom mentioned in the letter that Ning Tang and Shen Lie are taking their three kids back to Shangan Village for the Chinese New Year."

Su Junyan was surprised. "That's impossible. Do you know how far Shangan Village is from the island? It's a round trip of fourteen days."

Ning Xue said, "It's true, so should we also take Guangzong and Yaozu home for the Chinese New Year? My parents haven't even seen Guangzong and Yaozu yet."

She whispered, "Although it's a bit far, but Ning Tang and Shen Lie can both go back, so why can't we?"

Su Junyan frowned, "You always come up with ideas without considering the consequences. We have to take a train both ways, and there are many scams now. Can you guarantee the safety of our Guangzong and Yaozu?"

Ning Xue retorted, "Ning Tang and Shen Lie are also taking three children. Our family has one less child than theirs, and our children are younger. It's more convenient for us to take care of them."

Su Junyan still felt uneasy and pursed his lips. "Then why are we going to your family instead of mine? My family is in Jiang Province, much closer to Shangan Village in Qi Province. According to your logic, my parents haven't seen their grandson in years."

Ning Xue felt a chill in her heart after hearing this, but she still decided to argue further.

After being married to Su Junyan for over a year, she had a good grasp of his temperament and knew him quite well. She deliberately provoked him and said, "Just think about it. This time, Shen Lie specifically took time off to accompany Ning Tang back."

She glanced at Su Junyan's expression from the corner of her eye and slowly continued, "When they both return to the village, others might say that you, as a son-in-law, can't compare to Shen Lie in taking care of his wife. He can accompany his wife back to the village, but you can't."

Su Junyan's face changed instantly after hearing this. He hated it when others compared him to Shen Lie and immediately said, "If it's just going back to the village for the Chinese New Year, I'll accompany you."

Ning Xue instantly blossomed into a smile and felt like she had a tight grip on Su Junyan. "Ah, that's more like it. It's been over a year since I married into this family, and according to customs, it's time to visit my family."

Although Su Junyan agreed to Ning Xue, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

He had never heard of a tradition where one would spend the Chinese New Year at the bride's family instead of the groom's.

If it weren't for the sake of saving face, he wouldn't even want to go to Shangan Village.

What's so great about some remote corner?

He felt unhappy in his heart, and it showed a bit on his face. He didn't hold back with his words either, "I've been accompanying you for this past year, and from now on, we'll spend the Chinese New Year either on Hailang Island or at my parents' house in Jiang Province."

Ning Xue curved her lips and smiled, but the smile didn't reach her eyes.

One step at a time, as long as Su Junyan can accompany her back to Shangan Village for the Chinese New Year this year, she can let go of the issue of face.

After thinking it through, she felt a chill in her heart.

Su Junyan's original intention of accompanying her home for the Chinese New Year was not to understand that she hadn't seen her family for over a year, but to compete with Shen Lie for face.

How could that not make someone feel cold?

Su Junyan didn't notice Ning Xue's expression and continued, "You have to understand, I'm different from Shen Lie. He doesn't have parents, so he can accompany Ning Tang home for the Chinese New Year. But I'm different. I have both parents, and I'm the only son in the family. Both of my sisters have daughters, and Guangzong and Yaozu are the eldest grandson in the family. If I can accompany you home for the New Year once, consider it a favor to your ancestors."

Ning Xue listened to Su Junyan's rambling without expression, and for the first time, she regretted choosing Su Junyan.

With the plan set to spend the Chinese New Year in Shangan Village this year, from early January to the end of the month, Ning Tang's mood was extremely relaxed and happy.

However, this good mood disappeared completely when he learned that Ning Xue and Su Junyan would also be going back with them.

How did Ning Tang find out?

The news was brought back by Shen Lie. After Su Junyan and Ning Xue discussed going back to Shangan Village for the New Year, he couldn't wait to find Shen Lie at the military base and tell him, or rather, boast about this news.

His meaning was clear: If Shen Lie could do it, he could do it too.

This reputation for doting on their wives shouldn't be monopolized by Shen Lie alone, right?

With things at this point, the two of them had no choice but to pack their belongings and prepare to return to the village for the New Year with their Dawa, Erniu, and Sanwa.

This time, their stay in Shangan Village, excluding the travel time, would be less than a week, so they only needed to bring one set of casual clothes.

One set of casual clothes, in addition to the ones they were wearing, made a total of two sets, which was more than enough.

They also brought the dried fruits that Ning Tang had dried and the dried fish they bought from the market fishermen, traveling light.

After all, they would spend fourteen days on the train round trip, which was longer than the time they would spend in Shangan Village. Bringing too much would only take up space and serve no purpose.

Ning Tang asked Shen Lie, "Which two sets of clothes are you planning to bring?"

Shen Lie thought for a moment. "I'll bring a set of casual clothes and one set of our training uniform."

The training uniform wasn't eye-catching and could withstand dirt. It was perfect for everyday wear.

Once Shen Lie had decided what to bring, Ning Tang started packing the belongings of their three children.

Shen Lie glanced over and noticed that among the clothes Ning Tang packed for the three children, there were some old clothes they hadn't worn in previous years. He was puzzled, "Why are you taking old clothes?"

Ning Tang had also made a lot of clothes for the three children. Although they didn't have fancy patterns or stylish designs, at least they were new clothes without patches. But now, what she packed for the three children were their old clothes from previous years.

Not only did they have patches, but the clothes had also turned slightly yellow from being stored in the camphorwood cabinet for a long time.

Ning Tang explained, "Take a closer look. One set is old, and one set is new."

Shen Lie nodded, "That's true. Why bring old clothes? If others see them, they might think we're not doing well and it would be embarrassing."

Ning Tang replied, "Are you silly? We'll be traveling this whole way, spending fourteen days on the train round trip during the peak travel season. Trains are crowded, and there are many thieves and kidnappers. If we dress our children up a bit less conspicuously, they won't attract as much attention and can avoid trouble."

Thieves target wealthy households, while kidnappers target beautiful children.

When the time comes, we'll have the three children wear their nice clothes underneath and the old clothes on top. It won't draw much attention. When we arrive in Shangan Village, they can take off the old clothes, and it won't look shabby.

Besides, Shangan Village is much colder than Haiwang Island. As we travel north, the temperature will only get lower. Wearing two layers will help keep them warm.

After carefully considering, Shen Lie realized the reasoning, "You've thought it through. It's true."

He pondered for a moment, "Hey, do you think I should also find a couple of old clothes to wear, just to avoid attracting thieves?"

Ning Tang replied, "Forget it. You're as strong as an ox. If I were a thief, I wouldn't dare to steal from you. Instead of getting any money, I'd end up with broken bones first."

Shen Lie pursed his lips and muttered quietly, "What do you mean, 'strong as an ox'? I have a good physique, alright."

He wasn't boasting. He had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, well-defined muscles, and even had six-pack abs. It was all the result of training.

However, his figure was usually hidden beneath the thick training uniform, so no one noticed.

On the thirtieth day of the month, they officially set off from Hailang Island to Shangan Village.

The Su and Shen families had agreed on the timing and traveled together by train.

With two children from the Su family and three children from the Shen family, there were more children than adults, and it was a long journey, so it was necessary to travel together.

They agreed to meet at the port where they would board the ship. When the two families saw each other, they couldn't help but smile.

Ning Xue looked around and noticed that Shen Lie, Ning Tang, and even the three children were all dressed in inconspicuous old clothes.

Especially the three children, each one looked shabby.

The clothes of Dawa and Erniu had patches on them, and the pants of Sanwa were almost exposing their ankles.

The three children didn't look anything like the children of a commanding officer; they looked more like children from a village.

While Ning Xue was observing the three children, Ning Tang was also observing Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu.

The twins were wearing the new clothes Ning Xue had made for them for the Lunar New Year. They wore bright red sweaters with black pants, and because it was the Year of the Horse, Ning Xue had creatively sewn two galloping horses on the sweaters.

Combined with their delicate appearance, they looked fashionable no matter how you looked at them.

In comparison, Su Guangzong and Su Yaozu appeared like wealthy young masters from a landlord's family, while the three children looked like unfortunate laborers on the landlord's estate.

It made Ning Xue feel delighted.

Ning Tang noticed how the twins were dressed so "magnificently," and she felt tempted to make a comment, but she decided against it.

However, she didn't miss the disdain and schadenfreude in Ning Xue's eyes.

Ning Xue probably still believed that Ning Tang couldn't make beautiful clothes and that the Shen family wasn't as well-off as the Su family, thinking that's why the three children were not as well-dressed as the twins.

It's like the saying goes, "We're not a family until we're under the same roof."

Ning Xue looked down on the three children, just like Su Junyan.

He intentionally walked up to Shen Lie and sarcastically said, "Oh, it's the Lunar New Year, why don't you dress your children better? Are you out of money? Do you want me to lend you some?"

Shen Lie was speechless, but like Ning Tang, he had no intention of enlightening Su Junyan. He casually chuckled and brushed it off, indicating that Su Junyan could say whatever he wanted, and it would all be true.

Unexpectedly, Shen Lie remained unaffected, and Su Junyan found it boring. He made a couple more remarks before ignoring each other.

They sailed in silence.

When they arrived at the train station, it was crowded with people.

Looking around, all they could see were people carrying bags and packages, heading home for the Lunar New Year. There were people of all ages, and it was extremely crowded.

Ning Tang frowned and asked Shen Lie to carry the luggage while holding onto their Sanwa. She also reminded Dawa to hold onto Erniu tightly.

After thinking for a moment, she became even more worried and took out a prepared rope. She tied one end of the rope to Dawa and Erniu, and the other end tightly around her wrist.

Ning Tang looked at the anti-lost rope she had made and was very satisfied.

During the Spring Festival travel rush, the train station was incredibly crowded. It would be easy for children like Dawa and the others to get lost in the crowd.

Fortunately, Shen Lie, who was tall and strong, had been protecting Ning Tang and the three children all the time. In addition to Ning Tang's specially made anti-lost rope, they managed to successfully enter the station, find their seats, and sit down.

Shen Lie had already planned to bring Ning Tang and the three children back to Shangan Village for the Lunar New Year. He had arranged for someone to buy sleeper tickets in advance.

On the other hand, Su Junyan and Ning Xue's decision to join them was impromptu, so they couldn't get tickets as promptly as Shen Lie and ended up with less desirable seats.

So he could only squeeze into the narrow space of the green train compartment with Ning Xue, Su Guangzong, and Su Yaozu. They couldn't lie comfortably on two clean beds with white sheets like Shen Lie and Ning Tang, along with the three children.

The green train compartment was already very crowded. Ning Xue brought a lot of luggage to create a sense of returning home in a grand manner for her family.

When all the luggage was placed on two seats, and with two adults and two children sitting, there was no space left, and they had to sit straight without any room to lean.

Looking at Ning Tang's side, they had brought fewer luggage. The two beds were enough to accommodate two adults, three children, and a few additional items.

Moreover, there was space under the beds to put some things, so they didn't have to compete with others for luggage rack space like Ning Xue's group. The space was abundant.

The soft sleeper carriage was connected to the hard seat carriage. Ning Xue could just raise her head and see Ning Tang and the others resting comfortably on the beds, making her envious and jealous to the point that her eyes turned red.

However, Ning Tang wasn't as comfortable as Ning Xue imagined.

After all, it was a struggle just to get on the train. In the crowded compartment, Ning Tang felt like her breakfast was about to be squeezed out of her stomach, so she had to lean on the bed to rest.

It was the first time for the three children to ride a train, and they were excited. They leaned against the window, constantly staring at the rapidly passing scenery outside and occasionally discussing it.

Ning Tang truly envied their boundless energy and sighed, "Youth is wonderful."

But after resting for a while, she regained her energy.

Shen Lie asked her, "Do you want to eat something? How about some dried fruits?"

From morning until now, they had only had one breakfast, and it was almost noon. Everyone's stomachs were rumbling.

Ning Tang waved her hand and said, "No need, go see if there are boxed meals available and get some for us."

Shen Lie responded and soon came back with four boxed meals. There was a meal with toppings, cabbage and vermicelli, stir-fried pork with green peppers, and fish slices in sauce.

Shen Lie ate one portion by himself, and Erniu and Dawa each had one portion. Ning Tang and Sanwa shared one portion. Four portions, just right.

Ning Tang took a few bites and found the taste to be good, and the portions were generous. She asked Shen Lie, "How much does one portion of this boxed meal cost?"

Shen Lie quickly finished his meal in just a few bites. That was the eating speed he developed in the army.

While he rummaged through the luggage, he took out a enamel jar and prepared to fetch water. He answered Ning Tang's question, "It's three mao per portion, no ticket needed."