Chapter 112: Husband Washes Her Feet

Du Wanchun took Madam Zhou to the field.

On the small hillside beside the field, trees full of golden fruit were growing abundantly.

The trees were only about half a person tall, but their branches were lush and full of ripe yellow fruit.

Du Wanchun strode over, picked one, and examined it. The fruit was about the size of half a fist, had a fragrant aroma, and its skin didn’t seem too thick.

She wiped off the dust with her sleeve and took a bite. The flesh was golden and crisp—not quite like a pear, nor a peach, but more like a plum. However, it had a slightly astringent taste and wasn’t particularly pleasant to eat. That said, its fragrance was rich and soothing.

Madam Zhou also picked one and took a bite but immediately spit it out. “This fruit probably isn’t meant for eating. It’s a naturally perfect ingredient for making incense.”

Du Wanchun placed the fruit in the basket and smiled eagerly. “Mother, what are we waiting for? Let’s pick them and make incense!”

Madam Zhou nodded excitedly. “Let’s pick a whole basket and give it a try.”

She then called out to Zhou Zhao, who was working nearby. “Zhao’er, bring a basket to carry the fruit!”

“Got it! I’m coming, Mother!” Zhou Zhao responded cheerfully, stepping over from the vegetable patch and making his way up the slope.

Du Wanchun quickly picked a few more fruits and placed them into the basket on Zhou Zhao’s back.

The family worked swiftly, and in no time, the basket was full.

Zhou Zhao carried it back home first.

Since Du Wanchun was pregnant, she walked more slowly, with Madam Zhou keeping pace beside her. On the way back, they even picked some wildflowers along the roadside.

Once they arrived home with the fruit, Madam Zhou called over Du Damei and Aunt Wang, who were busy in the incense workshop, to help wash them.

Making composite incense was much simpler than making scented dew.

First, they thoroughly washed the fruit. Then, they cut off the top and scooped out some of the pulp inside.

Next, they mixed sandalwood powder, agarwood powder, and a special blend of incense powder Madam Zhou had prepared, all in precise proportions, and filled the hollowed-out fruit with the mixture.

Once each fruit was packed with incense, they carefully replaced the cut-off tops.

After that, they placed the fruit-filled with incense powder into steamers.

Madam Zhou had washed over a hundred pieces of fruit, steaming them in five large baskets.

After steaming, they took them out to cool before steaming them again—repeating the process three times in total.

The three large stoves in the incense workshop worked in rotation, filling the entire Zhou household with a rich, fragrant aroma.

By the time all the fruit had been steamed and set aside to cool, the sky had already begun to darken.

Du Wanchun sat to the side, helping to pack the fragrant powder.

Zhou Ruiyuan was busy chopping firewood and tending to the fire, occasionally pouring tea and bringing water for everyone.

By the time night fell, the steamed fruits had all cooled down.

Madam Zhou carefully scooped out the fragrant powder and fruit pulp from each fruit, placing them into a large wooden basin. As she stirred the mixture, she added some dried flower petals. While the powder was still damp, she used her hands to roll it into small round balls, setting them on a muslin cloth to dry.

Once dried, these little balls would become the fragrant pellets sold in their shop.

However, unlike the usual single-ingredient sandalwood or agarwood pellets, this new recipe produced what was known as He Xiang Wan—a blended fragrance pellet.

Hand-rolling these pellets was a huge task.

Du Wanchun continued rolling, and soon, Zhou Zhao, Zhou Feng, and Zhou Ruiyuan joined in.

With seven or eight people working together, they didn’t finish until the moon was hanging high in the sky.

Madam Zhou straightened her back and rubbed her sore waist before turning to Du Wanchun and saying, “Wanchun, you should go rest. Your big aunt and I will take care of the rest.”

Ever since Du Damei started helping with incense-making at the Zhou family, Madam Zhou had been paying her and Aunt Wang a monthly wage for long-term work.

Now, Du Damei was earning a decent amount of copper coins each month. Her bedridden mother-in-law no longer dared to mistreat her.

Her husband had also passed down his kiln-firing skills to Zhou Ruiyuan, who had since hired two workers to take over the kiln work. With nothing much to do at home, he stayed behind to care for their children, giving Du Damei more time to work at the Zhou household.

Du Damei washed her hands and smiled at Du Wanchun. “That’s right, Wanchun. You’re carrying a child—don’t overwork yourself. Go get some rest.”

Du Wanchun slowly stood up, relieved to see the finished fragrant pellets. Smiling, she said, “Got it, Mother, Big Aunt. I’ll head inside now.”

With that, she turned and walked toward her room.

Thinking about it, the baby in her belly truly seemed like a blessing. Aside from a little morning sickness in the beginning, she hadn’t felt uncomfortable at all.

She even wondered if there was really a baby inside.

Placing a hand on her belly, she slowly entered the room.

Just as she stepped inside, Zhou Ruiyuan arrived, carrying a basin of steaming hot water.

She looked at him in surprise. “Husband, what’s this?”

Zhou Ruiyuan placed the basin by the bedside, then lifted her into his arms and set her gently on the bed. Leaning in, he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “You’ve worked hard all day. Let me soak your feet for you.”

Du Wanchun raised her eyes in astonishment. “H-Husband, you…”

Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Ruiyuan had already removed her shoes and socks, placing her delicate, fair feet into the warm water.

The temperature was just right—not too hot, not too cold—with a few flower petals floating on the surface.

Du Wanchun, feeling overwhelmed by the attention, bent down to grasp Zhou Ruiyuan’s wrist. “That’s enough, Husband. I can wash them myself.”

Zhou Ruiyuan’s hands were large enough to completely wrap around both of her small feet. With his fingertips, he gently massaged the top of her foot and said softly, “Don’t move. If you keep moving, I might end up doing more than just washing your feet.”