Chapter 44: The Ladies Compete to Buy Scented Dew

Upon hearing this, Du Wanchun was overjoyed and quickly responded, “It just so happens that my mother made six more bottles. Madam, would you like to buy some?”

Madam Fang glanced at the noblewomen behind her and said, “It’s not for me, they are the ones who want to buy it.”

The ladies eagerly chimed in, “Yes, young lady, we would like to buy your scented dew.”

“Please don’t worry, ladies. I will bring them over right away,” Du Wanchun said as she turned toward the carriage.

Zhou Ruizhen leaned out, handing her the bottles of scented dew.

She took them and walked back toward the noblewomen. “Madam, all the scented dew we have is here.”

The women immediately gathered around, each taking a bottle and smelling it repeatedly. “Yes, this is the exact fragrance!”

“Young lady, how much silver do you charge for a bottle?” one of them asked.

Du Wanchun hesitated for a moment. These noblewomen were all from wealthy families—if she set the price too high, she might offend them; if she set it too low, they would suffer a loss.

At that moment, Madam Fang suddenly spoke up. “I bought mine for ten taels of silver from this young lady, so naturally, she will sell it to you for the same price.”

Du Wanchun was startled. She had actually sold the scented dew to Madam Fang for five taels, yet Madam Fang claimed ten, clearly trying to help her raise the price.

“Ten taels?” The ladies exchanged glances, hesitating.

After all, ten taels was not a small sum. It could buy quite a bit of rouge and powder in the market.

Seeing their hesitation, Madam Fang added, “If you find it too expensive, then let the young lady take her leave.”

Du Wanchun immediately followed her lead, saying, “Yes, ladies, if you do not wish to buy, I will take my leave. I still have to sell my family’s chicken and duck eggs.”

With that, she turned to leave, still holding the bottles of scented dew.

Seeing that she was about to go, the noblewomen hurriedly stopped her. “Wait!”

In the end, it was Miss Zheng who stepped forward first. She took out ten taels of silver from her purse and handed it to Du Wanchun. “Young lady, I will take one bottle of scented dew.”

Du Wanchun took the silver from Miss Zheng’s hand and handed her a bottle of scented dew. “Madam, please take it.”

Miss Zheng took the bottle, removed the stopper, and inhaled its fragrance. She smiled and said, “Young lady, this scented dew is indeed delightful. Could you sell me another bottle?”

As she spoke, Miss Zheng pulled out more silver, this time in the form of a banknote.

Seeing this, the other ladies became anxious. “Miss Zheng, there are only five bottles in total. You’ve already bought one, so don’t compete with us for the rest!”

Even the usually stingy and frugal Madam Li stepped forward, immediately taking out ten taels of silver. “That’s right! There are four bottles left, just enough for each of us to have one.”

“Madam Li is right,” the other ladies echoed in agreement.

Madam Fang stepped forward, smiling. “In that case, let’s each take one bottle. What do you say, young lady?”

She turned to look at Du Wanchun, awaiting her response.

Du Wanchun nodded repeatedly. “Of course, that’s fine.”

“Young lady, here you go.” Madam Li and the other three ladies eagerly handed over their silver, stuffing it into Du Wanchun’s hands before each selecting a bottle of scented dew from her basket.

They held the bottles in their hands, smelling them repeatedly, overjoyed with their purchases.

At that moment, Zhou Ruizhen, who was sitting inside the carriage, handed Du Wanchun a small box of pagoda incense and whispered in her ear, “Give these to them as a gift.”

Understanding his intent, Du Wanchun took the incense and turned to Madam Fang and the others with a smile. “Ladies, my mother just made these sandalwood pagoda incense cones. If you like, you may take some home with you.”

The ladies turned their gazes toward the small wooden box in her hands.

Inside were about twenty incense cones.

Since noble households burned incense daily, pagoda incense was nothing new to them, so they initially showed little interest.

Noticing their lack of enthusiasm, Du Wanchun’s eyes twinkled as she quickly added, “Ladies, these incense cones are made from the finest sandalwood and include a special secret formula of ours. Not only do they enhance the fragrance in your home and bring a sense of relaxation and tranquility, but they also have health benefits. They help regulate blood circulation and improve one’s complexion, making the skin glow with vitality.”

The noblewomen were unfamiliar with incense craftsmanship and assumed she was merely boasting about her own products.

However, Madam Fang was knowledgeable in such matters. She picked up a sandalwood incense cone from the box and examined it closely. “Finest sandalwood? Let me take a look.”

She brought it to her nose, inhaled its scent, and her eyes widened in surprise. Looking up at Du Wanchun, she asked, “This really is premium sandalwood! Where did you get it?”

Du Wanchun replied honestly, “There happens to be a sandalwood tree growing on our land.”

Madam Fang was astonished. “Your Zhou family is truly fortunate to have such a fine piece of sandalwood! Your mother’s craftsmanship is also quite refined—these incense cones are meticulously made, and the fragrance is even richer than ordinary sandalwood. The quality is indeed excellent.”

Hearing Madam Fang’s praise, the other noblewomen immediately became interested again. “Let me take a look.”

Each of them picked up two or three incense cones, examining them closely. “Can they really be that special?”