上集講到向外國的朋友介紹老婆餅，當他們知道了這種人間美點的特別名稱以後，都會很想知道它為什麼會有老婆餅這個名字。這個時候，作為吃了老婆餅這麼多年的你，就可以順便介紹一下它的起源（the origin of the Wife Cake/Old Lady Cake/Sweet Heart Cake）。
不過，我們這些「吃貨」（foodie），當然不盡知道它的來源啦。由於我曾被無數外國朋友考問這問題，所以不得不去了解一下。被外國人問起自己國家的東西，但又啞口無言，答不上嘴的時候，真的很尷尬。所以，家鄉的東西一定要知多少，才可以和外國人作文化交流啊！（Therefore, we ought to know something about our hometown stuff in order to foster cultural exchange with our foreign counterparts ！）
你可以這樣講述老婆餅的來源： A long time ago in fedual China（很久以前，在封建的中國）, there was a couple that lived a very miserable and poor life.（有一對夫婦過着很可憐和窮困的生活）They loved each other very much and lived in a small village.（他們深愛對方並住在一條小村裡）。
All of a sudden, a mysterious disease out of nowhere spread.（突然間，不知從哪裡來的神秘疾病在村內蔓延起來）The husband's father got ill and became very sick.（丈夫的爸爸病起上來，還病得很嚴重）The couple spent all of their money in order to treat the man's father, but unfortunately he was still sick.（這對夫婦用盡他們所有的財富為了讓丈夫的爸爸好起來，但是很可惜他仍然生病）。
Finally, the wife decided to sell herself as a slave in exchange for money to buy medicine for her father-in-law.（最後，那位太太決定將自己變賣為奴婢去換取金錢幫她的老爺買藥） Once the husband learned about what his wife did, he made a cake filled with sweetened winter melon and almond paste with a crispy crust.（當丈夫知道了太太這樣做時，他便為她弄了一個外脆內香，以甜冬瓜和杏仁醬做餡的糕點）He dedicated this pastry to his wife, whom he could never forget, and sold it in the street.（他將這糕點獻給他的太太，一位他沒齒難忘的人物，並在街上賣這甜點）。
At the end, his cake became so popular that he was able to earn enough money to buy his wife back fortunately. （最終，他的糕點變得非常受歡迎，甚至幸運地令他賺到足夠的錢去贖回他的妻子） This is why the cake is called Old Lady Cake/Wife Cake/Sweet Heart Cake.（這就是為什麼這糕點叫作老婆餅）。
相信你的外國朋友聽完之後，也會對你刮目相看呢！■馬漪楠
（曾獲行政長官卓越教學獎（英國語文教育學習領域），與丈夫岑皓軒合著暢銷書《Slang：屎爛英語1，2＆3》，《全家變泰》及《放養孩子 ─ 育出自學力》。） （標題為編者所加）
