Chapter 28: Salting Duck Eggs

Clang, clang!

"Folks, stay away from Golden Chicken Mountain for a while to gather firewood. Old Zhao found four bears..."

Xu Dashan walked through the small village, beating a copper gong as he shouted. Soon, the news spread throughout the entire hamlet. Zhao Zheng mused that even with all the petty squabbles between neighbors, there was still a sense of communal warmth unique to rural life.

When the news reached the Ma household, Ma Dazhu gave a disdainful laugh. "Four bears? He’s talking nonsense. If there were really four, he would’ve been torn to shreds by now!"

Old Man Ma chimed in, "Old Zhao might not be the most upright person, but he wouldn't lie about something like this. I was the one who found the bear scat. It’s almost certain now—the bears didn't hibernate and have come down the mountain."

"Father, we haven't caught any game in ages. If this keeps up, we won't even have enough to put food on the table," Ma Ergen said. "I say we take the hunting dogs and head to Golden Chicken Mountain. If we can bag just one bear, we’ll be set for the winter."

"Second brother is right. Our family has been hunters for generations; it’s not like we haven't hunted bears before." Ma Dazhu felt a fire burning in his belly. He hadn't been able to bring any food to Zheng Chunmei lately and had been on the receiving end of her scorn. All he could think about now was getting meat for her and having Tiger Girl acknowledge him as her godfather.

Old Man Ma was tempted, too. "Our family alone won't cut it. Those are four starving bears. We’d better bring more men. There are a few good hunters in Xiao Mao Village—go round them up. Dazhu, go now..."

Ma Dazhu was filled with excitement. "Right. Ergen, come with me."

***

Back home, Yang Zhaodi and the other daughter-in-law hurried over, helping to unload firewood and handing him water. Zhao Zheng took a sip of warm water, then sat down on the earthen kang to rest, feeling content.

"Father-in-law, did you really find bears on Golden Chicken Mountain today?" Yang Zhaodi asked. "You really shouldn't go there anymore. It's too dangerous."

Zhao Zheng smiled without explaining. "I won't be going for the next few days."

Hearing this, Yang Zhaodi breathed a sigh of relief and brought out the meal she had kept warm. "Father-in-law, eat."

"Are the salted duck eggs ready?"

"It's too conspicuous during the day, so we'll do it at night," Zhang Xiao'e replied.

Zhao Zheng nodded. That was the right way to handle it—keep one's wealth hidden. In these times, even cornmeal porridge was a luxury; salted duck eggs were far too precious. If the villagers found out, they would be green with envy and might even report him for struggle sessions.

"Father-in-law, our eldest uncle came by today."

Zhao Zheng frowned. "What did he want?"

Yang Zhaodi sighed. "He said Grandmother wants you to come over."

"It’s surely nothing good," Zhao Zheng said, his face cold. He was busy working to improve their lives and hadn't bothered them, yet his brother still had the nerve to come knocking. Yang Zhaodi didn't really want him to go, as every visit from the eldest uncle resulted in demands for money or grain, always finding ways to squeeze the best things out of their home.

Grandmother was also incredibly biased, favoring the eldest son and the fourth son. Even their married aunt often came over to sponge off them. His father-in-law was the type who was neither loved by his uncle nor favored by his grandmother. But as a younger generation, she didn't dare say much.

Zhang Xiao'e asked nervously, "The eldest uncle doesn't know about our canned persimmons and salted duck eggs, does he?"

Zhao Zheng laughed. "We made the canned goods secretly at night. He couldn't possibly know. And even if he did, I wouldn't give them to him."

Zhang Xiao'e felt relieved, though she was still skeptical. Her father-in-law was a filial man who always listened to Grandmother and regarded his elder brother as a father figure; otherwise, their family wouldn't have been living in such misery.

"Enough of this bad luck. Let's eat, and then we'll prepare the salted eggs." Zhao Zheng made up his mind to go see his mother the next day.

After eating their fill, Yang Zhaodi boiled twenty duck eggs in salted water, then mixed cooking oil and salt into yellow clay to coat the eggs. This was the only way to ensure the yolks would turn oily. Once sealed in a jar, they would be ready to eat after a while.

After nearly two hours of work, it was pitch black outside. Zheng Chunmei hadn't come by today. Was she angry? Zhao Zheng smiled coldly. A hungry dog would eventually come back on its own.

***

The next day, Zhao Zheng woke up naturally. He put on his padded jacket and trousers, covered himself with a quilt lined with cotton cloth, and with the heat from the kang, he had slept so soundly he was sweating.

He scooped up some hot water and looked into the water vat; a thick layer of ice had formed. "This cursed weather—it must be below minus ten degrees outside."

Zhao Zheng washed his face and went out after breakfast. The cold wind bit at his skin, and as he wiped his face, the skin felt as if it were cracking. His hands were calloused and weathered beyond his years. His daughters-in-law had it even worse; not only did they have chilblains on their hands and feet, but their faces and ears were also covered in them.

Wealthy families used wax to protect against the cold, while the aristocracy used medicinal salves and wore furs, never suffering from such ailments. The poor had barely enough clothing, let alone wax or oil. This godforsaken world offered no path for the poor to survive.

He bought two items from the system store and applied them to his face and hands. They felt oily, but the stinging pain from the cold wind immediately subsided.

"Zhaodi, Xiao'e, come here!"

He called the two women over and handed them the clam-oil and chilblain ointment. "This is clam oil I traded for at the market. I forgot to give it to you the day before yesterday. Apply it to your hands and faces; it will protect your skin. And this is for your chilblains. Apply it often. Try to avoid cold water these next few days; use hot water for washing dishes and clothes. Don't worry about the firewood—I'll figure out a way to get more."

He had to take care of his own daughters-in-law. The two women were moved to tears once again.

"Father-in-law, did you use any?" Yang Zhaodi asked.

"I did," Zhao Zheng said, waving his hand. "I'm going to see my mother. You stay home. When I get back, I’m going to dig a cellar for the house."

He wouldn't be going out much for the next few days; he needed to improve their home's infrastructure. Looking up at the gloomy sky, he suspected it was going to snow soon. Without proper preparations, things would get very difficult.

Before long, Zhao Zheng arrived at the Zhao family compound. It was called a compound because his grandfather had been a landlord. Unfortunately, his grandfather had been a spendthrift who squandered the family fortune, leaving behind only some land. Otherwise, Zhao Zheng would have been even more cramped with his brothers. The compound was now in disrepair, and his eldest brother, Zhao Wei, had no money to fix it.

"Father, Third Uncle is here!" his nephew, Zhao Dabao, shouted into the room.

In his predecessor's memories, this kid was an ingrate. His predecessor had been very kind to him, but the boy had shown him no respect. After both of his own sons died in battle, the predecessor had become even more subservient to his eldest brother's family. There was a rural saying: "If your nephew stands at your door, you are not a childless man." That was why the predecessor had trusted his brother so implicitly.

Beyond his foolish filial piety and loyalty, it was because he had no heirs! But the predecessor had been a fool, never realizing that it was Zhao Wei's manipulation that had led his two adopted sons to their deaths on the battlefield.