Chapter 129: He Is Her Child’s Father

This time, the Third Prince didn’t buy too much; instead, he carefully selected the most expensive white jade hairpin.

The hairpin was shaped like a pear blossom, with exquisitely detailed craftsmanship.

He then picked out a matching white jade bracelet.

Additionally, he chose a pair of pearl earrings.

After handing them over to the shopkeeper for packaging, he also purchased a pair of emerald butterfly hairpins.

“Pack all of these for me,” the Third Prince said generously, pulling out a handful of silver.

Fortunately, he had brought plenty of silver with him on this trip.

Once the jewelry was all packed up, the Third Prince carried the packages onto the carriage. He handed the white jade set to Madam Zhou and then gave the emerald set to Wan Chun.

Du Wanchun’s eyes lit up when she saw the lifelike green butterflies—she couldn’t put them down.

Zhou Ruizhen quickly helped her put them in her hair.

She was already naturally beautiful and lively, but with the green butterfly hairpin adorning her, it was as if a splash of color had been added to an ink painting, making her appearance even more dazzling.

Zhou Ruizhen stared at his wife, unable to look away, wishing he could just wrap her up in a sack and take her home immediately.

Madam Zhou, completely forgetting about her own white jade hairpin, kept praising Du Wanchun, “This looks so beautiful on you, Wanchun!”

Taking advantage of the moment, the Third Prince gently placed the white jade hairpin into Madam Zhou’s neatly tied hair.

For as long as she could remember, Madam Zhou had only used a dark red cloth to tie her hair, never wearing any jewelry.

Over the past few days, both Zhou Ruizhen and Zhou Feng had bought her accessories, but she couldn’t bring herself to wear them.

Now, with the white jade pear blossom hairpin resting in her hair, she suddenly looked more dignified and elegant, exuding a refined nobility without seeming ostentatious. Anyone who saw her might mistake her for a lady from a devout Buddhist household.

Startled, Madam Zhou quickly reached up to remove it.

The Third Prince stopped her, saying, “Just keep it on. I already bought it.”

Hearing this, Madam Zhou thought it made sense. Since their household had to be frugal, something this valuable shouldn’t be wasted. She obediently left it in her hair.

The Third Prince then bought more fabric, round fans, and a few trinkets.

By the time evening came, the group arrived at their own shop.

As soon as they reached the shop’s entrance, they heard shouting from inside.

“It’s you, isn’t it?! You seduced my husband, didn’t you?!” A shrill female voice rang out from within.

Du Wanchun quickly stepped inside, only to see the wife of Magistrate Li twisting Zhang Xiuhe’s ear while cursing her!

Zhang Qiuhua, holding a baby in her arms, cried out in pain while protesting, “Madam, you’ve got it all wrong! Magistrate Li only came here to buy incense!”

Madam Li cursed angrily, “Only buying incense? If he came once and then returned again, you must have used some trick to seduce him!”

Zhang Qiuer was utterly aggrieved, tears streaming down her face. “Madam, you’re mistaken! Magistrate Li only came here to buy incense—I barely spoke a few words with him.”

Madam Li raised her hand, ready to slap Zhang Qiuer.

Du Wanchun strode in and blocked her, shouting, “Stop!”

When Madam Li saw that Du Wanchun and Madam Zhou had arrived, she arrogantly sneered, “Oh, it’s you again. Tell me, why don’t you women just stay home and take care of your husbands and children? What business do you have running a shop? Is it because there are no men in your house?”

After speaking, she glanced mockingly at Zhang Qiuer and added sarcastically, “Or perhaps you women purposely started a business just to lure men into buying your incense?”

Her words were exceedingly vile.

Du Wanchun’s eyes turned cold, and just as she was about to take action, the Third Prince suddenly stormed in.

He grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it onto the ground with great force.

A loud BANG echoed through the shop.

Madam Li was startled and widened her eyes at him. “Y-You… who are you?”

The Third Prince picked up a sharp piece of broken wood from the floor and pointed it at Madam Li’s neck. “You’re causing trouble in my shop, and you dare ask who I am?!”

Madam Li flinched, frowning as she retorted, “Nonsense! This shop belongs to that Zhou widow! What does it have to do with you? Where did a wild man like you come from?”

The Third Prince slammed the wooden stick heavily onto the table beside Madam Li. “What wild man?! I am her child’s father!”

Though the strike didn’t land on Madam Li, the sheer force of it was enough to send a loud THUD reverberating through the room. She was so terrified that her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor.

The Third Prince glared at her fiercely. “This shop belongs to the Zhou family. My surname is Zhou. Now tell me, are you or are you not making trouble in my shop?”

At that moment, Zhang Qiuer hurriedly ran to Du Wanchun’s side.

Du Wanchun comforted her gently and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”

With reddened eyes, Zhang Qiuer whispered, “Magistrate Li only came here a few times to buy incense. But then his wife suddenly showed up and accused me of seducing her husband. I didn’t do anything.”

Just then, the owner of Hebi Teahouse walked over and said, “Magistrate Li wants to take a concubine, but Madam Li seems to have misunderstood. The woman he’s interested in is Liu Niangzi from the rouge shop, not Zhang Niangzi.”

Liu Niangzi was considered a great beauty in Cheng’an County. She had remained unmarried past thirty and was rumored to have a sister working in the capital, which was how she could afford to run her own shop in the county.

Magistrate Li and Liu Niangzi had some history together. They used to live in the same county, but after Magistrate Li passed his imperial exams and became an official, he married Madam Li instead.