Chapter 238 - 232 Too Unscrupulous_2
"Children, you must listen to your grandparents and your mother at home. Daddy is going out to work, and when I come back, I’ll buy you some tasty treats."
’Erhu, our family doesn’t have much to offer. I originally wanted to bring you some of the vegetables we grow in our field, but I heard from Fuquan that your family has all kinds of vegetables, and they are growing fresh and plump in the fields, even better than ours, so I didn’t bring any. These salted duck eggs were pickled by us and we haven’t even had the heart to eat them yet. You take them home for your wife to try. Although it’s not much and can’t compare to the precious gifts you’ve sent us, it’s a token of our affection." Zhao Liu placed a basket he was carrying into Zhao Erhu’s hands.
"This is perfect, my wife loves these," said Erhu with appreciation. "She says the salted duck eggs pickled by you two are delicious and authentic; no other family can compare. We’ve just finished the ones you sent last time, and my wife was thinking about pickling some herself but didn’t know the secret to making them so tasty, with the whites just the right amount of salty and the yolks rich and oily." Zhao Erhu acknowledged that he found the salted duck eggs from his in-laws to be very tasty, but since his little wife enjoyed them, he always let her have them. If she liked the yolks, he would settle for the whites.
"This recipe is a family heirloom passed down from our ancestors; that’s why it has such a unique taste. I wouldn’t tell just anyone, but for your wife, how can I keep it to myself? It just so happens that Fuquan will be going to your house, too, and he knows how it’s done. He can teach your wife, and besides, we still have some salted duck eggs at home. They weren’t ready when we were pickling, so once you finish these, Fuquan can come back for more."
Feeling guilty for receiving so much from Erhu’s wife without having much to return, and upon hearing that Erhu’s wife wanted the pickling recipe, Zhao Liu didn’t hesitate to have Zhao Fuquan teach her.
As Zhao Erhu was driving the horse cart and nearing home, he suddenly remembered something. He had agreed to his uncle’s request too readily without discussing it with his wife. He worried whether she would be upset, but given the circumstances at the time—without his wife beside him and his uncle waiting for a response—Erhu had agreed quickly because he truly valued his uncle as a good helper. He hoped his wife would listen to his explanation and not hold a grudge over this matter.