Font Size:
Wang Xuan found her sister’s words reasonable, so she no longer dwelled on whose eggs they were. “Little sis, help me start the fire. Today, I’ll make goose egg shrimp paste for you. We still have some wild vegetables left from yesterday, which will be perfect to dip on the paste at noon.”
Wang Qian’s stomach was growling, so she took out the shepherd’s purse she had dug up yesterday from the basket and started a fire, nibbling on it to fill her stomach.
Wang Xuan washed and chopped the locust flowers they had collected, mixed them with cornmeal to make pancakes, and then washed the small shrimp. She mixed them with soy sauce, chopped garlic, and a goose egg, added a drop of oil, and steamed the mixture in a bowl. They would have this for lunch.
As the fire burned brighter, the unique fragrance of the locust flowers began to fill the room, creating an intoxicating aroma throughout the house.
Upon entering the house, Wang Zhenhe immediately noticed the distinct fragrance. “Kids, what delicious food are we making today? I could smell the aroma from far away.”
Zhang Lan followed him in. “Yes, the fragrance in our house is quite strong.”
“Mom, you’re back. Guess what we’re having for dinner today?” Wang Qian playfully held her father’s hand and asked. Wang Zhenhe, seeing his daughter’s mischievous look, happily picked her up and said, “Little rascal, tell Dad what you’ve been up to.” Afterward, he kissed her tender little face. His daughter was becoming more and more adorable.
“Dad, eldest sister made goose egg shrimp paste. We’ll have it as dipping sauce at noon. I guarantee you’ll want more after trying it. We caught the shrimp in the river this morning,” Wang Qian said.
Upon hearing about the goose eggs and seeing the duck eggs on the ground, Zhang Lan asked curiously, “Xuan’er, who gave us the goose and duck eggs?” She wanted to clarify the situation to return the favor in the future.
“Mom, who would give us these at this time? Ask your precious daughter where they came from,” Wang Xuan replied.
Sitting in her father’s arms, Wang Qian said without hesitation, “Mom, I found these by the river. I don’t know whose they are, so I brought them home. I can’t return them, so we’ll just eat them. Dad, do you think this is the right thing to do? Instead of letting them go bad by the river, we can eat them and contribute to the country.”
She said this without a trace of embarrassment, elevating the act of filling their stomachs to a level of national development. Eating goose eggs was now a contribution to the country’s construction, making everyone feel justified in eating them.
Wang Zhenhe and his wife exchanged a smile. Their little daughter was truly amusing. “Yes, Qianqian is right. Next time, if you see them, bring them back,” he said.
Wang Zhenhe didn’t care about all that. As long as there was something to eat, especially if it was ownerless, he had no qualms about eating it.
Not seeing her two sons, Zhang Lan asked, “Xuan’er, where did your brothers go?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the two sons ran back from outside. “Eldest sister, we’ve saved a spot.”
Seeing their parents return, Mingyuan eagerly told his mother about the movie screening.
“Sis, is the food ready? I’m hungry,” Mingyuan said, realizing that he was still hungry after talking about the movie.
Zhang Lan lifted the lid of the pot, and the sweet fragrance of the locust flowers became even more intense.
“I thought this aroma was familiar. It’s the locust flowers. Yes, it’s delicious,” Wang Zhenhe said, leaning over the pot and taking a deep breath. His stomach growled in response.
Mingyuan, standing nearby, heard it clearly. “Dad, you’re hungry too. Let’s eat quickly. Today’s meal is definitely delicious. Little sis caught shrimp,” he said.
The little one’s mouth watered at the sight of the full bowl of shrimp paste.
Zhang Lan used a spatula to lift the pancakes out of the pan, and Mingyuan eagerly helped set the table while Mingcheng quickly arranged the dining table.
After Wang Zhenhe dipped a vegetable into the shrimp paste and took a bite, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “So fresh! I didn’t expect these inconspicuous little river shrimps to be so delicious. If I had known, I would have caught and eaten them before. The pancakes are delicious too.”
He now regretted missing out on so many good times. The family ate the sweet pancakes dipped in shrimp paste with wild vegetables. Although it was a simple meal, it left everyone feeling satisfied and happy. The happiness stemmed not just from the delicious meal, but also from the harmonious atmosphere and the deep, unbreakable love within the family.
After lunch, the family went to their own plot of land to sow this year’s vegetable seeds. From a distance, Wang Zhenhe saw his father also working in the garden, but he didn’t see his siblings coming out to help. “Wife, you and the kids go back first. I’ll go help Dad,” he said, carrying a shovel over.
As Zhang Lan led the children home, they unexpectedly saw their uncle’s family carrying things into their grandmother’s house.
The children also noticed. “Mom, why are Uncle and Auntie coming over? What’s in those bags?” Mingyuan was curious about what was in the bags.
Zhang Lan smiled and said, “They’re probably bringing grain to your grandmother’s house. I heard that your grandmother lent them some grain last time, and it’s time for them to return it.”
The children no longer cared about what others were bringing. Even if it was something delicious, they wouldn’t be able to eat it, so they stopped being curious.
However, even though they stopped being curious, they could still hear the conversation in the yard. “Brother, you borrowed 200 kilograms of grain. Why did you only return 100 kilograms?” This was their grandmother’s dissatisfied voice. But then their uncle’s voice came through, “Sis, we really don’t have enough food at home. How about this, I’ll return the remaining 100 kilograms by the end of the year. We’re siblings, and I always keep my word.”
They couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, as it seemed that everyone had gone inside the house to talk.
Zhang Lan couldn’t help but sigh. “Mom, why are you sighing? It’s their debt to Grandma’s family. Even if they return it all, it won’t end up in our stomachs.”
It wasn’t that she was taking pleasure in their misfortune, but the people from her grandmother’s family had never left a good impression on her. Moreover, they had withheld their grain even after the family had split, and even if it was lent to others, they were unwilling to share it with them.
Zhang Lan then gently patted her daughter’s short hair. “Speaking objectively, your grandmother is probably in a difficult position. Your uncle took 100 kilograms, and your eldest aunt took another 100 kilograms. It’s uncertain if they’ll be able to return it. They’ll have to tighten their belts in the future.”
“Mom, we should focus on our own lives. We can’t control what happens in Grandma’s family. Besides, it’s not like she’s willing to do this,” Wang Xuan said nonchalantly.
At that moment, Zhang Lan realized how silly she was being. After enduring so much hardship, why was she still concerned about this? She smiled and said to her eldest daughter, “Xuan’er is right. We need to focus on living our own lives well. I’m off to work. You all be good.”