Chapter 119: Someone Has Their Eye on Third Brother

Madam Zhou smiled and said, “This fruit grew on the tree. I noticed it looked different from the ones before, so I tried one. I didn’t expect it to taste this good.”

Du Wanchun looked down at the fruit. It resembled a crabapple but was slightly larger. She brought it close to her nose and sniffed—it had a sweet aroma, similar to a peach.

Taking a bite, she found it crisp, with a taste somewhat like a crabapple but sweeter and juicier. She couldn’t resist taking another few bites.

Madam Zhou chuckled. “How is it? Tastes pretty good, doesn’t it?”

Du Wanchun nodded. “It’s delicious. I’ve never had this before.”

Madam Zhou handed her a few more. “These red fruits are rare, so I won’t be using them to make incense. You can have them all to eat.”

Du Wanchun looked down at the basin full of red fruits and said, “Mother, there’s too much—I can’t finish them all.”

Madam Zhou laughed. “I just learned a new recipe from Auntie Wang. After washing the fruit thoroughly, you slice it and boil it in water. Once it’s cooked just right, you leave it out in the courtyard to dry. That’s how we get candied fruit.”

Hearing this, Du Wanchun’s face lit up with excitement. “So that’s how candied fruit is made!”

Madam Zhou nodded. “Auntie Wang is amazing—she knows how to make all kinds of snacks.”

Du Wanchun smiled. “In the future, we should help Auntie Wang open a shop just for selling candied fruit.”

Madam Zhou’s eyes brightened. “That’s a great idea! I’ll talk to her about it next time.”

At that moment, Auntie Wang was busy working the fields with her son, Wang Qiu. She usually split her time between tending her land and helping at Zhou’s incense shop.

By noon, the first batch of incense balls was finished. Du Wanchun helped roll them into small spheres in the courtyard and laid them on a cloth to dry.

Just as she finished rolling the last one, she heard voices outside the yard.

“This is the Zhou family’s house, right?”

“Yes, this is it!”

“Come on, let’s go in!”

Hearing the commotion, Du Wanchun walked to the entrance and saw people from the Zhao family in the neighboring village.

The Zhao family was notorious in the neighboring village for their aggressive and domineering nature. They relied on their overbearing temperament to throw their weight around and act with impunity.

Their eldest daughter, about eighteen or nineteen years old, was considered an “old maid” by local standards, as most girls in the surrounding villages were already married by that age.

She wasn’t unattractive, but her arrogant personality made her difficult to approach. She looked down on the average farm boy and, much like her parents, was domineering and uncompromising. She always had to have the last word, making it hard to find a suitable match.

A few days ago, while passing through Changliu Village, she happened to catch sight of Zhou Zhao.

Although Zhou Zhao had tanned somewhat, his features remained among the finest in the area. Coupled with his tall stature, he could easily be mistaken for a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old.

The Zhao family’s eldest daughter was instantly smitten and could not move a step further. When she returned home, she immediately told her parents about him.

However, as soon as the Zhao couple heard that he was from the Zhou family, they refused outright. They looked down on him because his mother was a widow.

But their daughter was adamant, making a huge fuss and insisting on the marriage.

With no other choice, the Zhao couple gave in and sent a matchmaker to the Zhou family to propose the union.

As soon as Madam Zhou heard that it was the Zhao family’s daughter, she rejected the proposal without a second thought.

A wife should be chosen for her virtue, and besides, Zhou Zhao was still young. He had no thoughts of marriage and certainly did not like the Zhao girl.

Madam Zhou had no intention of ruining her son’s future.

When the Zhao family learned of the rejection, they were furious. Without hesitation, they stormed over to the Zhou household that very day.

Zhao patriarch barged in with heavy strides and bellowed at Du Wanchun, “Where’s your mother?!”

Du Wanchun’s face darkened. “She’s inside. What business do you have at our Zhou household?”

“You Zhou people are bullying our Cui’er! We’ve come to seek justice today!” Zhao’s wife rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward, attempting to shove Du Wanchun.

Du Wanchun quickly took a few steps back and, with an icy tone, warned, “Uncle Zhao, Aunt Zhao, take a good look—I am pregnant. If you dare to lay a hand on me, don’t blame the Zhou family for not holding back!”

Madam Zhao sneered in disbelief. “Oh! Aren’t you just that little girl from the Du family? Now that you’ve married into the Zhous, you think you’re somebody, huh? What’s so special about having a child? Every woman goes through it!”

Then, she deliberately arched her brows and raised her voice, adding, “Oh right, except your eldest sister-in-law! She never had a child!”

At that moment, Madam Zhou had just stepped out of the house and happened to catch those words. She strode over with a fierce glare. “Old Zhao woman, watch your mouth!”