Chapter 28: A Money-Making Idea

Hearing these words, Du Wanchun felt a lump in her throat, her heart brimming with gratitude. It was the first time in her life that someone had said they would care for her.

She quickly stood up to help Zhou Daniu bring the dishes from the kitchen. “Mother, let me help you.”

Zhou Daniu smiled and said, “You and Ruizhen have been traveling since early morning. You must be exhausted. Go and rest—I can handle this myself.”

But before she could refuse, Du Wanchun had already taken the bowl from her hands and carried it to the front room.

From where he was sitting, Zhou Ruizhen looked up at her, his deep eyes filled with undeniable tenderness. “Wife, listen to Mother and get some rest.”

Du Wanchun placed the bowl on the table and smiled. “It’s alright, I’m not tired.”

Then, she turned to call out to the others inside the house. “Second Brother, Third Brother, it’s time to eat!”

Hearing her voice, Zhou Feng carefully made his way out of the room and slowly sat down beside Zhou Ruizhen.

From the backyard, where he had been chopping firewood, Zhou Zhao wiped the sweat from his forehead and walked in. “Eldest Brother, Eldest Sister-in-law, you’re back so soon?”

“Hmm,” Zhou Ruizhen responded softly before asking, “Third Brother, is your hearing completely recovered?”

Zhou Zhao nodded with a bright smile. “Yes, not only is it fully healed, but I feel like I can hear even better than before.”

Zhou Ruizhen gave a slight nod. “That’s good. What are your plans for the future, then?”

Zhou Zhao hesitated for a moment before replying. “First, I’ll help tend to the family’s land, and then…” He paused and glanced at Du Wanchun.

Zhou Ruizhen quickly reassured him, “It’s fine, we’re all family. You can speak freely.”

Zhou Zhao sat down and finally said, “Then, I want to go to Chenzhou.”

“Why do you want to go to Chenzhou?” Zhou Daniu, who had just placed a bowl of rice on the table, asked with a frown.

Zhou Zhao’s face turned serious. “To join the military.”

“Join the military?” Zhou Daniu’s expression darkened instantly. “That’s going to war! Do you think you’re still the same as before…?” She trailed off, too upset to continue.

Du Wanchun quickly tried to soothe her. “Mother, joining the army is a good thing. Who knows? Third Brother might even earn a military rank.”

Zhou Daniu held onto Du Wanchun’s hand and sighed heavily. “I’m just afraid that if he leaves, he’ll never come back.”

Zhou Zhao immediately reassured her. “Mother, that won’t happen. This time, when I go to Chenzhou, I’ll seek out Captain Lin. With him there, I won’t just be an ordinary soldier.”

“Captain Lin?” Du Wanchun asked, puzzled.

A flicker of nervousness flashed in Zhou Daniu’s eyes as she quickly explained, “He’s a friend I met in the capital years ago. He started as a foot soldier in Chenzhou but later earned merit and became a captain.”

Du Wanchun smiled and comforted her. “Mother, if Third Brother has someone looking out for him in the army, isn’t that even better? He’s not a child anymore, and gaining experience outside is a good thing. It’s better than being stuck in this mountain forever.”

She then turned to Zhou Zhao. “Third Brother, you’re smart and capable. You’ll definitely have a bright future.”

Zhou Zhao grinned. “Sister-in-law is absolutely right. Mother, just trust me this once!”

Zhou Daniu lowered her head, still unable to make a decision.

At that moment, Zhou Ruizhen spoke up. “Third Brother, you can go.”

Zhou Zhao’s face lit up with excitement. “Thank you, Eldest Brother!”

But Zhou Ruizhen added, “However, you must wait until my leg is fully healed before you leave. The family still needs someone to tend the fields, and I don’t want your sister-in-law to work too hard.”

Zhou Zhao immediately stood up and nodded. “Eldest Brother, don’t worry. I’ll only leave when everything at home is settled.”

Zhou Ruizhen finally felt at ease and picked up his chopsticks to serve Du Wanchun some food.

It was a piece of pan-fried duck egg, giving off a rich, mouthwatering aroma.

Du Wanchun, however, took the piece of duck egg and placed it into Zhou Daniu’s bowl. “Mother, all the dishes are on the table now. Let’s eat.”

Zhou Daniu had been frowning with worry, but upon hearing Du Wanchun’s sweet voice, her mood instantly brightened.

It was strange—there was something special about Du Wanchun. Just looking at her made one feel happy, and talking to her lifted the spirits.

Time and again, Zhou Daniu had thanked the heavens for blessing her with such a wonderful daughter-in-law.

“Child, you eat,” Zhou Daniu said, picking up another piece of duck egg and placing it back into Du Wanchun’s bowl.

Du Wanchun smiled brightly and took a bite. “Thank you, Mother.”

Zhou Daniu no longer held a grudge against Zhou Zhao. She took a bite of her rice and said, “Forget it. Since you’ve all made up your minds, I won’t say any more. Just remember, Zhao’er, don’t cause trouble.”

Zhou Zhao grinned and responded, “Got it, Mother.”

After lunch, Du Wanchun followed Zhou Daniu to the backyard to collect duck eggs.

The two ducks in the backyard were particularly productive, laying hundreds of eggs every two to three days.

Looking at the pile of duck eggs, Zhou Daniu couldn’t stop smiling. As she picked them up, she said to Du Wanchun, “In a little while, I’ll take some of these duck eggs to Aunt Zhang next door and trade them for a piglet. Once the piglet grows up, we’ll have meat to eat.”

Du Wanchun nodded with a smile. “That sounds wonderful!”

Zhou Daniu chuckled. “And when our crops are ready for harvest, we won’t need to buy rice anymore. Once we save up some extra money, we can even repair the house.”

“Yes, this house really does need some fixing,” Du Wanchun agreed, looking up at the old, worn-down mudbrick house.

Right now, the Zhou family needed much more than just house repairs. There were fields to tend, land to cultivate, clothes to buy, and all the essentials for daily life that needed to be taken care of.

But just selling radishes and duck eggs alone wouldn’t be enough to earn a significant amount of silver quickly.

Suddenly, Du Wanchun thought of Zhou Daniu’s scented sachets. “Mother, do you know how to make fragrances?”