Such is a parent's heart. He had noticed that Juhua didn't seem to care much for her son anymore, so she was trying hard to paint him in a better light. Besides, she also knew Juhua had a soft spot for little animals like chicks and puppies, so she wanted to get on her good side.
Juhua was tempted by the idea. Raising a few ducks and letting them roam free in the small river out front wouldn't be much trouble. Theirs was the only family in the area and the fields were far away, so there was no fear of the ducks ruining anyone's crops.
Ducks cooped up without water were dirty and a nuisance, but they could be quite cute with a pond to paddle around in. At the very least, come next spring, watching them float serenely on the water would bring to mind that pleasant line of poetry: "Ducks are the first to know when the river warms in spring." Besides, salted duck eggs were truly delicious. 'Rich, oily salted duck eggs? How tempting!'
