Ning Xue fainted from anger. It was certain that this matter couldn't be kept a secret, and Ning Tang naturally overheard the conversation between Ning Xue and Sanwa.

Her initial reaction upon hearing about it was speechlessness. She then asked Sanwa, "You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

Sanwa blinked innocently and said, "No, I didn't."

Ning Tang narrowed her eyes and said, "Do you believe that yourself?"

Sanwa stuck out their tongue and said, "Okay, I admit I intentionally provoked her. She always looks down on me and my older siblings, and says those unpleasant things." They muttered under their breath, "Who knew she couldn't handle being provoked."

Ning Tang said, "It's fine, consider it a lesson for her. But next time, if someone asks you, don't divulge everything, alright?"

Sanwa nodded. They understood that it's wise not to show off all the benefits they receive. It's better to keep them hidden, as it prevents others from becoming envious.

When it came to Ning Xue, they had disclosed in detail all the benefits they received at the Navy Swimming Team Training Base. However, they were more reserved when discussing it with others and wouldn't reveal everything.

After all, the treatment they received at the Navy Swimming Team Training Base was exceptionally generous. As a young child, earning so much money naturally attracted envy.

Shen Lie said, "After hearing about all the benefits that Sanwa enjoys, do you think Ning Xue will feel jealous?"

Ning Tang replied, "If she feels jealous, then so be it."

Ning Xue only saw Sanwa wearing sixteen sets of clothes in a year, expensive swimming trunks that cost three hundred yuan, and a monthly salary of thirty yuan. She didn't see the sweat and tears shed during their training or how their skin wrinkled and turned pale from the pool.

It could only be said that Sanwa deserved the benefits they received, and if Ning Xue felt jealous, it was her own fault.

Interrupted by Ning Xue, Sanwa naturally couldn't swim that day. After all, she had fainted, and it took quite an effort for Sanwa to carry her to the clinic while busy pinching her acupoint.

While Ning Xue was still at home recovering, Sanwa finally had the opportunity to go swimming at the seaside.

When they went to the beach, they brought two small buckets with them. They swam and collected seafood at the same time. By the end of the morning, their swimming training for the day was over, and the two small buckets were full.

Upon returning home, Ning Tang saw Sanwa all wet and immediately knew that they had gone swimming. She scolded, "You dare to go swimming during this month? It's fortunate that you're on Hailang Island. In February, the sun is still shining brightly, and the weather is warm. If it were in Shangan Village or a northern city, try jumping into a small river, and you'll either hit your head on the ice or turn into an ice popsicle."

Sanwa chuckled and changed the subject, holding up the two small buckets. "Mom, look at what I brought back."

Ning Tang lowered her head to take a look and found that the buckets contained small crabs, freshwater shrimps, and oysters.

The small crabs were the kind with red and white patterns on their pincers. They weren't very big, about the size of half a palm, indicating that there wasn't much meat inside.

The freshwater shrimps were known as "Lugu shrimp" or "wealthy and auspicious shrimp." They were quite plump, and Ning Tang estimated that they were about the length of her palm. They should have a golden-yellow shrimp paste inside.

Oysters during this month were the most delicious, with white and firm flesh. They were certainly expected to have a great taste.

You could find small crabs and oysters at the seaside, but the Lugu shrimp couldn't be found there. Ning Tang asked, "Where did you get these Lugu shrimps?"

Sanwa replied, "A fisherman uncle gave them to me. He saw me swimming and asked why I came to swim in the sea on such a cold day. I told him it was for exercising, and he said it was good and gave me half a bucket of Lugu shrimps."

Ning Tang asked, "Did you thank the person?"

Sanwa nodded. They shivered a bit and said, "Mom, can I go take a shower? It's so cold."

They didn't feel the cold while swimming in the sea, but now that they had been on land for a while, the chilly wind made them realize how cold it was.

Ning Tang laughed and said, "Go ahead, I'll prepare something delicious for you to eat."

Sanwa swallowed their saliva and asked, "What are you going to make?"

Swimming was quite exhausting, and now they were tired and drained. Their stomachs were growling with hunger.

Ning Tang thought for a moment and replied, "How about soy sauce crabs and marinated seafood?"

"What are soy sauce crabs and marinated seafood?" Dawa approached, as they hadn't heard of these dishes before.

Ning Tang smiled and said, "Whenever there's something delicious, you immediately come over. Soy sauce crabs are crabs soaked in light soy sauce, white wine, and yellow wine. The flower crabs that our third child picked are too small, and there isn't much meat inside them. They wouldn't taste good steamed, but making them into soy sauce crabs would enhance the flavor. As for marinated seafood, it's seafood marinated with seasonings. I won't go into the details, but it will definitely be delicious."

Erniu asked, "Are we going to have this for lunch?"

Ning Tang replied, "Not for lunch. Both the soy sauce crabs and marinated seafood need time to marinate. I'm marinating them now, and we can have them for dinner."

It was fortunate they had a refrigerator at home; otherwise, they would have to marinate them for several days.

They had recently bought a refrigerator. Sanwa sent back all the money he earned from work and the winnings from competitions, but Ning Tang asked him to keep it for himself. He refused, so Ning Tang decided to add a new appliance to the house. They already had a bicycle, a washing machine, and an electric fan, so Shen Lie suggested buying a refrigerator.

The refrigerator could store leftovers, fruits, make ice popsicles, and had many other uses. Ning Tang and Shen Lie quickly reached an agreement, and the refrigerator was soon brought home.

Ning Tang said to Sanwa, "When it's ready, you can taste the marinated seafood. If it's delicious, bring some back to share with your coaches and teammates." Then she added, "I'll find a few aluminum lunch boxes or glass jars for you to pack them in. That way, you won't have to carry them on the train. I'll send them over, and it will be faster."

Sanwa nodded heavily and replied, "Okay."

Ning Tang urged, "Go and take a shower quickly. Look at the floor, it's all wet from you." She teased him, "Your father just mopped the floor. Be careful, or he'll come back and scold you."

Sanwa stuck out his tongue and hurriedly ran to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower right away."

While Sanwa was showering, Ning Tang started making soy sauce crabs and marinated seafood with Dawa and Erniu.

Dawa used their thumbs and index fingers to hold the flower crabs in a basin of water, while vigorously scrubbing them with an old toothbrush.

The flower crabs foamed at the mouth, but it didn't stop them from waving their claws. Dawa exclaimed, "Hiss, it wants to pinch me."

Erniu said, "Hurry up and wash them." She pointed to the half-basin of cleaned oysters. "I'm almost done washing mine."

Dawa leaned over and saw that it was true. He was a bit slow in progress. He rolled up his sleeves and said, "Wait for me, I'll speed up. I'll definitely finish washing before you."

While the two of them washed the seafood, Ning Tang prepared the sauce.

Light soy sauce, yellow wine, ginger slices, scallion pieces... sugar and salt were mixed together to create a pot of dark sauce that resembled soy sauce.

Ning Tang soaked each cleaned flower crab one by one in the prepared sauce, filling them up to the brim.

Erniu asked, "Is this all we need to do?" She saw that the flower crabs were still lively.

"Yes, once the flower crabs soak in the sauce, they will slowly become intoxicated and pass out. Then we can freeze them in the refrigerator, and by the afternoon, they will be completely dead and marinated." Ning Tang explained.

Marinating the seafood was a similar process. The oysters and Lu Gu shrimp were fully immersed in a mixture of minced garlic, yellow wine, soy sauce, white vinegar, and other seasonings. They would be ready to eat after being frozen in the refrigerator for an afternoon.

In the evening, when Shen Lie returned home, he saw a table full of marinated Lu Gu shrimp, marinated oysters, and soy sauce crabs. The air was filled with the savory aroma of the sauces. Shen Lie sniffed and couldn't help but reach out, saying, "What are we having? It looks delicious."

Ning Tang held two bowls of rice in her hands and gave him a stern look. "Have you washed your hands?"

Shen Lie had just come back from outside, so of course, he hadn't washed his hands. He shrugged and muttered, "I'll go wash them now. Eating without washing doesn't cause any harm."

"Speak up louder and say it again." Ning Tang placed the bowls on the table.

Shen Lie immediately straightened his face and said sternly, "I said, you should wash your hands before meals." He looked at Dawa and said, "Did you hear that, Dawa? He's talking about you."

Dawa had just poked the claws of a flower crab when he heard Shen Lie throwing a pot at his head (figure of speech. Shen Lie did not actually throw a pot on Dawa's head). He was speechless.

Sanwa also poked the back of a flower crab and asked, "Mom, why do I feel like this crab is still raw? Can we really eat it?"

Erniu glanced over and said, "It's not red, so it should be raw."

"It is raw, but it can still be eaten." Ning Tang explained, "This is called marinating while keeping it raw. It's another way of preparation, preserving the rawness of the food. You can try it and see if you like it or if it suits your taste."

Sanwa picked up a Lu Gu shrimp, broke off the head, peeled off the shell, revealing the white flesh inside. He took a bite and found it soft and sticky because it had just been taken out of the refrigerator, giving it a refreshing cool sensation. Surprised, he said, "It tastes great."

Compared to the usual salt and pepper Lu Gu shrimp, the marinated raw Lu Gu shrimp had an even more enjoyable texture. Although the salt and pepper Lu Gu shrimp was delicious, it lacked the unique sweetness and refreshing texture of the marinated raw version.

Moreover, the Lu Gu shrimp had roe, and after marinating, the shrimp roe had a slightly runny texture. Spreading the shrimp meat and roe over the rice, mixing it together, the combination of the soft and chewy shrimp meat and the fragrant rice created an extraordinary taste.

Shen Lie came back after washing his hands in the yard and casually picked up a soy sauce crab. He cracked open the crab legs, split the crab body in half, took a bite, and instantly the savory taste enveloped his entire mouth. His eyes lit up. "This soy sauce crab is amazing. Wait, I'll go get a bottle of beer to pair with it."

He took a bottle of beer from the refrigerator that Wu Dahui had given him. He bit the cap with his teeth, poured the beer into a glass, and bubbles gushed out. One bite of soy sauce crab, one sip of beer—these two things were simply a perfect match.

Ning Tang said, "Of course it's good. The recipe for this soy sauce crab is from Sister Luo, and I added plenty of ingredients. As the saying goes, with ample ingredients, even shoe soles can taste good."

The flower crabs were not fatty enough, and they didn't have much crab roe. Using the soy sauce crab recipe for the flower crabs was the best choice. The marinated flower crabs, even with less meat in their claws and legs, could be chewed and savored for a long time. The more you chewed, the more fragrant it became, which perfectly compensated for the flower crabs' lack of fattiness.

Dawa tried the marinated oysters, which were tender and slippery. The moment the oysters touched his tongue, they slid down his throat, incredibly delicious. He pouted and asked, "Mom, what's this called, marinating while keeping it raw? It's too delicious, right?" He raised his face, "Why didn't you make it earlier? We've been eating boiled and steamed dishes every day."

Ning Tang replied, "I wanted to, but at that time we didn't have a refrigerator, so it wasn't convenient to make marinated raw dishes. Besides, you're still young, and your digestive system isn't fully developed. If you eat raw marinated food, what if it upsets your stomach?"

Shen Lie leaned closer, with a crab leg still in his mouth. "You can secretly make it and then we'll secretly eat it at night, without sharing with them." He suggested.

Erniu stomped her foot and exclaimed, "You truly are our real dad."

Dawa looked blank. "What if both Second and I go to university, and Third goes to the training base? If only you two are left at home, you won't secretly eat lots of delicious food without us, right?"

He felt that there was a high possibility of that happening!

Ning Tang replied matter-of-factly, "Of course not. Do you think your dad and I are the kind of parents who, when the children are away, deprive themselves, reluctant to eat well or dress well? Just settling for dried radish with fermented bean curd? No way."

Dawa vigorously nodded his head.

Shen Lie laughed, "You're thinking too much. When the three of you are gone, we will not only cook delicious meals every day, but we will also frequently go to restaurants in Jiang City. After all, it will be just the two of us at home, so we can eat whatever we want."

Erniu shook her head. "I don't believe it."

"Then don't believe it," Ning Tang said. "Anyway, we'll secretly enjoy delicious food, and you three won't even know."

Dawa was on the verge of tears. "You, you, enjoying good food without us!"

Shen Lie started envisioning a wonderful world with Ning Tang, where the three children were not present. "The three of you should hurry up and go. Those who should go to university should go, and those who should go to the training base should go."

Dawa furrowed his brows, crossed his arms, and retorted, "Then I won't go to university. I'll just stay at home, and you have to take me along when you eat something delicious."

Shen Lie mercilessly mocked, "You want to go, but others might not want you. With the scores you got, be grateful if any university accepts you."

Dawa was indignant. He didn't perform that poorly in exams, after all. Though he wasn't the top student in his class, his grades were decently in the middle.

Sanwa asked, "Mom, can raw marinated food really upset your stomach?"

Ning Tang replied, "There's a possibility. At the very least, it could cause diarrhea. In more serious cases, it could lead to gastrointestinal inflammation and require a hospital visit."

Sanwa hesitated to eat, holding the chopsticks in hand. "That can't be true, Mom. Are you trying to scare me?"

"Why would I scare you?" Ning Tang said. "Eating this kind of food does have the potential to upset the stomach. It depends on each person's constitution. Some people can eat it without any issues, while others can't tolerate it. So, for the three of you, don't eat too much the first time. See if you can handle it. If you can, then you can eat more." She added, "Third child, when you give the marinated raw food to your coach and swim team members, make sure to tell them not to eat too much at first. Let them have a taste, see if they can accept it without experiencing stomach issues, and then they can eat freely."

Shen Lie nodded. "If you can't handle it, leave it to me. I can definitely eat it."

Ning Tang glanced at him. "Oh really? You have an iron stomach?"

Shen Lie said, "Of course. Hailang Island already has a rich variety of produce. When I went to support the Northwest, I even ate field mice. If I can eat field mice, let alone a bit of raw marinated food and soy sauce crab."

This was the first time Ning Tang had heard about eating field mice. "How did you catch the field mice? Also, what do they taste like?"

Shen Lie reminisced for a moment. "The thing might not necessarily be called a field mouse. It's just what we called it. The Northwest is barren, with nothing much to eat. The ground is covered in grass, so when we got hungry, we would dig into the burrows. Sometimes, we would find wild rabbits, and other times, we would find field mice. Our squad leader was skilled at digging them up."

"After digging out the field mice, we would shave off the fur, clean out the insides, and then skewer them on branches or bamboo sticks. We would roast them over a campfire without adding any salt or seasoning. That way, the meat would sizzle and release its oil, making it incredibly delicious. If we were lucky, we would find a beehive, and we could drizzle some honey over the meat, making it even tastier." Shen Lie smacked his lips. "If you want to know what it tastes like, I think it's somewhat similar to pork belly."

Ning Tang was enticed by his description. She spread some marinated raw oysters and Lugu Lake prawns over the rice, mixed it all together, and took three big bites.

Although Ning Tang didn't allow Dawa and the second and third children to eat too much, these three gluttons couldn't stop themselves once they started. They blamed the irresistible deliciousness of the marinated raw food for their inability to stop eating.

Fortunately, all three of them could tolerate the taste and didn't experience any stomach issues. After observing them for two days and seeing no adverse reactions, Ning Tang felt relieved and started making a lot of marinated raw food.

Marinated raw crabs, marinated raw shrimp, marinated raw cucumbers, marinated snails... They continued eating marinated raw food until the Lantern Festival. Shen Lie jokingly remarked that there were no more jars left in the house to store the marinated raw food.

After the Lantern Festival, Sanwa was going to return to the naval swimming team's training base in Shanghai.

Ning Tang packed his luggage and said, "... I marinated ten jars of crabs and ten jars of shrimp for you. As soon as you get on the train, I'll have your dad go to the post office and send them to you. Once you get off the train, you'll receive them in two days."

Sanwa nodded and asked, "Mom, can I not share them with the coach and my teammates?" He smirked. "I don't even have enough for myself."

Previously, Ning Tang had sent him dried mangoes. When he got hungry after training, he took out a few pieces to eat. His coach noticed and asked what it was. He let the coach taste a piece, and unexpectedly, the coach loved it so much that he ate an entire big bag of dried mangoes. He even shamelessly asked when his mom would send more dried fruits.

It was easy to guess that this time, bringing back the marinated raw food, he wouldn't be able to escape the clutches of the coach!

Ning Tang chuckled. "You little glutton. Then I'll give you five jars of marinated raw crabs and five jars of marinated raw shrimp for you to eat. You can keep those ten jars for yourself, and you can take the remaining twenty jars to give to others. Does that sound good?"

Sanwa replied, "Sounds good!"

Shen Lie suggested, "In addition to the marinated raw food, I'll also send you some dried mangoes and dried bananas. Oh, and I'll include some seafood too, like dried abalone, dried shrimp, mackerel, and squid. Maybe your teammates or coach will like them."

Sanwa, returning home on vacation, couldn't go back without bringing some local specialties. It wouldn't be right.

Besides, as a young boy, he must have received a lot of care from others, so it was only proper to give them some tokens of gratitude.

Ning Tang reminded him, "Make sure to divide it into several portions before distributing them. Even if the portions are small, don't let anyone complain."

Sanwa nodded, "I understand."

With everything said, as they watched Sanwa about to depart again, Ning Tang felt a sense of emptiness in her heart.

Shen Lie suggested, "How about taking a family photo?"

Ning Tang agreed, "Sure, let's take a family portrait. I'll go find Sister Luo to help us take the picture."

Sister Luo arrived and directed the family of five, "Get closer together so I can take a good shot."

Cheese! The photo was captured.

Before leaving, Sanwa had the photo developed into two copies.

Ning Tang said, "One copy can be placed on the wall, next to the previous family portrait. Take the other copy with you to the training base."

Sanwa nodded firmly, "I'll frame it." And he promised to look at it every day.

Shen Lie patted his shoulder, feeling that he had grown much stronger than before. "Listen to your coach, work hard, and don't let them down after they put so much effort into choosing you."

Sanwa smiled brightly and said, "I will."

In September of this year, Dawa and Erniu entered their first year of high school.

Ning Tang truly felt that time passed by quickly. It felt like a blink of an eye, and the three little ones had become three grown-ups.

Now that they were in high school, Shen Lie sat down with Dawa and Erniu for a serious discussion. "Both of you are in your first year of high school. Have you thought about which university you want to attend and what major you want to study?"

Dawa and Erniu exchanged a glance and nodded.

With newspapers, television, and radios in the house, they had plenty of exposure to the outside world. They weren't completely ignorant about the matter of going to university.

Especially since the resumption of the college entrance examination in 1977, it had been held regularly for ten years. Every year, there were people from the island who got into universities, studying various majors. The information spread, and even if someone wasn't a candidate or a candidate's parent, they could still have some knowledge about choosing a major in college.

Dawa spoke first, "I... I want to study accounting. The university doesn't matter as long as I can study accounting."

He was good at mathematics but didn't want to pursue a pure mathematics major. He felt it would be tedious to focus solely on problem-solving and research. He preferred to study accounting.

Shen Lie nodded, "That's a good choice."

accounting was in demand everywhere, and Dawa would have good prospects with that major.

However, his academic performance was average, so it was unlikely that he would be able to attend a top-tier university for accounting.

Shen Lie had also come to terms with it. Going to university would be ideal, but if Dawa couldn't make it, they would let him work in a factory during the day and attend night school in the evenings. Night school also offered accounting programs, and getting a accounting certificate would provide more opportunities. It didn't necessarily have to be through a traditional university education.

Ning Tang shared the same thoughts. It would be best if Dawa could go to university. After all, attending university would provide a different platform and a different circle of people. They would have exposure to new things and broaden their horizons.

She hoped that all three of them, including Dawa and Erniu, would have the opportunity to go out and explore the world, to see and experience new things.

Now that Sanwa had already achieved that, it was up to Dawa and Erniu.

After discussing the matter with Dawa, Shen Lie turned to Erniu and asked, "What about you, have you thought about which university you want to attend and what major you want to study?"

Erniu nodded, "I want to attend the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and study vocal performance."

Over the years, she had never let go of her passion for singing. She considered it a hobby, but she kept getting better and better. It started with singing together with her classmates, and later on, whenever there was an evening party, she would have a solo performance.

Whenever someone asked on the island who was a good singer, they would undoubtedly mention Erniu.

Her classmate Wu Yingdi, who used to be nominated alongside her, had stopped singing altogether, but Erniu persisted.

Attending this particular school and studying this specific major was something Erniu had decided on a long time ago.

She was capable in all subjects, but she didn't excel in any particular one, nor did she have a strong preference for any specific subject. However, singing was something she had always loved.

Sanwa often wrote letters describing the prosperity of Shanghai.

Erniu wanted to go to Shanghai, so Ning Tang asked Ning Jun to inquire about the best music universities there. Ning Jun sent back a letter with just two lines: "Shanghai Conservatory of Music, Vocal Performance Department."

Ning Tang said, "Vocal performance is probably the flagship program of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. The admission requirements for flagship programs are usually higher. If you want to secure a spot in this major, you can't slack off."

Erniu was confident and said, "I'm sure I can do it."