Chapter 79: Earning Silver Together with Her Husband

On a March morning, just as dawn broke, the chirping of birds filled the air outside.

The Zhou family had already risen early to start their day.

Du Wanchun was carrying freshly made bottles of peppermint-scented dew out of the house.

Zhou Ruizhen drove the horse cart to the entrance, quickly jumped down, and took the bottles from her hands.

This batch of scented dew was much smaller than the previous batch of rose-scented dew. The liquid was stored in small porcelain bottles, neatly arranged in wooden boxes. Although they looked plentiful, they were not heavy.

Zhou Daniu followed closely behind Du Wanchun, carrying another small box.

After placing the first box securely in the cart, Zhou Ruizhen immediately turned around and took the second box from his mother’s hands as well.

Zhou Daniu wiped the sweat off her forehead with a handkerchief. “Ruizhen, you go with Wanchun to make the delivery today. I’ll stay home and wait for He Quanyi to arrive and help tidy things up.”

He Quanyi would be bringing people over later to demolish the old house, so Zhou Daniu had to prepare in advance.

They had set up a simple thatched hut next to their land. Though it was a bit shabby, it was enough for the family to make do for now. Fortunately, their new house wasn’t too big, so it wouldn’t take long to complete.

Zhou Ruizhen jumped onto the carriage and responded, “Alright, Mother, don’t worry. We’ll make sure the delivery goes smoothly.”

Zhou Daniu smiled and nodded before turning back inside the house.

After arranging the goods inside the cart, Du Wanchun climbed up and sat outside with Zhou Ruizhen.

Holding the reins in his hands, Zhou Ruizhen urged the horse forward.

As the cart slowly moved along, Du Wanchun leaned her head against Zhou Ruizhen’s shoulder.

His shoulder was broad and firm, giving her an immense sense of security.

She closed her eyes slightly, looping her arm around his, smiling contentedly. Before long, she started to feel a little drowsy.

Zhou Ruizhen, still guiding the horse, stole a glance at her and asked in a teasing tone, “What’s wrong? Didn’t sleep well last night?”

A flush of shyness spread across Du Wanchun’s face. Didn’t sleep well? How could he not know why?

She truly felt that her husband’s stamina was too good. If this continued, he would wear her out.

Leaning against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and chuckled. “No, it’s just that I’m a little…”

Zhou Ruizhen glanced at her with concern. “A little what?”

Lowering her head, her cheeks blushing red, Du Wanchun hesitated for a moment before finally admitting in a soft voice, “A little tired…”

Zhou Ruizhen instantly understood. His earlier concern faded, and he looked ahead with a smug grin, his tone filled with amusement. “Alright then, tonight, I’ll be gentler…”

Du Wanchun immediately felt as if her whole body had been set on fire. Her cheeks burned hot, and she quickly buried her face into his shoulder, too embarrassed to respond.

The gentle spring breeze of March caressed them as they traveled, surrounded by the chirping of birds and the fragrance of blooming flowers. Nestled close together, it felt as if even the wind carried a sweet scent.

Before she knew it, Du Wanchun had fallen asleep against Zhou Ruizhen’s shoulder. By the time she woke up, the carriage had already stopped in front of the Zhou family’s fragrance shop.

Rubbing her eyes, Du Wanchun stepped down from the carriage.

Zhou Ruizhen held onto her and then turned to unload the scented dew from the cart.

With his considerable strength, he easily carried the boxes—one hand lifting the goods, the other still supporting Du Wanchun as they entered the shop together.

Seated behind the counter, Zhou Feng spotted them and quickly got up to welcome them in.

“Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you arrived just in time!”

Du Wanchun looked at him and asked, “What’s the matter, Second Brother?”

Zhou Feng beamed with excitement. “Someone from Magistrate Zheng’s household came by earlier with a message—he wants to order twenty jin of sandalwood incense cones from us.”

“Twenty jin?” Du Wanchun was slightly surprised. That was no small order. “Why would Magistrate Zheng suddenly want so much?”

Zhou Feng shook his head, then lifted his gaze. “According to Miss Zheng, her elder brother is very fond of our incense.”

Du Wanchun only half-understood and turned her eyes toward the shop’s stock of sandalwood incense cones. “Right now, we barely have ten jin in stock. When I get home, I’ll ask Mother to make some more.”

Zhou Feng nodded in agreement. Just then, he noticed the boxes Zhou Ruizhen had just carried in and walked over. “Is this the new batch of scented dew?”

Du Wanchun took out a small bottle and handed it to him. “Take a look. This scented dew relieves itching and swelling, and it helps prevent mosquito bites.”

“That effective?” Zhou Feng took the bottle eagerly and gave it a sniff.

The peppermint-scented dew had a much lighter fragrance compared to regular floral-scented ones. Its mild floral notes carried a refreshing coolness. Zhou Feng wrinkled his nose slightly, then poured a small amount onto his hand and rubbed it in.

There was a red, swollen spot on his hand from a bug bite the night before. As soon as he applied the dew, the discomfort eased significantly.

Delighted, Zhou Feng exclaimed, “This really works!”

Du Wanchun continued, “Yes! Mother plans to save up a bit more silver and then make this into a peppermint balm, which will be even more convenient to use.”

Zhou Feng wholeheartedly agreed. “That’s a great idea! Ordinary folks tend to prefer balms over liquid fragrances.”

Without hesitation, he placed the new scented dew bottles on display at the counter.

Du Wanchun and Zhou Ruizhen didn’t leave right away. Instead, they stayed to help arrange the new products.

Before long, a customer arrived—it was the butcher’s daughter from across the street.