Chapter 53: Villains Meet Their Match

“What happened?” Du Wanchun asked in confusion.

Auntie Wang squinted her eyes into a mischievous smile. “Your father found himself another woman. Your stepmother has been making a scene at home every day. I heard that her hair turned white overnight.”

Du Wanchun wasn’t surprised. She replied calmly, “When she married my father, she should’ve known that he would betray her just as he betrayed my mother.”

Auntie Wang nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly it. What belongs to you is yours; what doesn’t, even if you steal it, will eventually be taken back. Your stepmother has really hit a dead end this time.”

This time, Du Dajiang’s new woman was Hongxiang, a courtesan from Yihong House in Cheng’an County. She was far more beautiful than Liu Shi and had an even sharper wit.

Within just two days of arriving at the Du household, she had completely subdued Liu Shi.

Inside the Du family home, Hongxiang swept the food off the table, dumping everything onto the floor.

Liu Shi gasped in shock and immediately cursed, “You wretched woman! How dare you throw away the food I just cooked?!”

Hongxiang sat at the table, glanced at her, and smirked. “Sister, haven’t you eaten yet? This food is for you.”

“You—you want me to eat off the floor?!” Liu Shi was so stunned that her eyes widened in disbelief.

She hadn’t eaten for days. Recently, Du Dajiang had been trying to drive her away, but she clung to the household, working the fields and cooking for him, refusing to leave.

However, Hongxiang kept provoking Du Dajiang, convincing him not to let Liu Shi eat.

Liu Shi had protested, but every time Du Dajiang raised his hand to beat her, she had no choice but to submit.

Hongxiang chuckled coldly. “Sister, the Du family has no place for you anymore. You should just leave.”

Liu Shi clenched her teeth and scoffed, “I won’t leave! I won’t let a whore like you take my place in this house!”

Hearing herself insulted, Hongxiang remained unfazed. She simply nudged the spilled food with her foot and said, “Well then, Sister, enjoy your delicious meal.”

With that, she swayed her hips and left.

Liu Shi’s face turned pale with fury. She was starving, and the sight of the wasted food on the floor filled her with despair.

In the end, unable to bear the hunger any longer, she crawled onto the floor and began scooping up the food with her hands, eating it bit by bit.

Hongxiang didn’t just keep Du Dajiang from feeding her—she also took all of Liu Shi’s gold and silver jewelry. Even her decent clothes were gone.

Now, she was dressed in an old, faded purple-grey cloth dress that once belonged to Du Wanchun, her hair was disheveled, and her face was covered in grime.

The more glamorous Liu Shi had been in the past, the more pitiful she looked now.

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One Month Later

Du Wanchun and Madam Zhou had successfully made over fifty bottles of scented dew and three hundred incense cones.

The two of them brought their products to the Fang family residence.

This time, it was Master Fang himself who received them.

At first glance, he was slightly surprised. He had expected two rough countrywomen, but instead, both of them were remarkably beautiful.

In particular, Madam Zhou looked strangely familiar to him, but no matter how hard he thought, he couldn’t recall where he had seen her before.

Du Wanchun noticed his distraction and quickly called out, “Master Fang, what do you think of our scented dew and incense?”

Master Fang picked up a bottle, sniffed it, and nodded approvingly. “Excellent, truly excellent.”

Du Wanchun smiled. “Then can we open our shop now?”

Master Fang grinned and nodded. “Yes. Tomorrow, I’ll have the goods displayed, and we’ll officially open for business. I hope you can join us then.”

Du Wanchun responded eagerly, “Of course.”

Not only would she be there tomorrow, but the entire Zhou family would come.

The first day of opening was crucial—if the business did well, it wouldn’t be long before they could build a new house and finally enjoy a good life.

When Du Wanchun and Madam Zhou returned home, they stopped by the county market to buy some fine flour and soy sauce—luxuries they usually wouldn’t dare to buy.

After arriving home, Madam Zhou used the fine flour to make a large batch of steamed buns.

Although her cooking skills were average, her steamed buns were exceptional—soft, round, and perfectly plump.

Du Wanchun ate three or four in a row.

By the time she reached her fifth bun, she picked up two and handed them to Zhou Ruiyuan, who was inside the house.

Zhou Ruiyuan had been studying non-stop for his exams, reading day and night. Seeing Du Wanchun enter, he quickly set down his brush. When he noticed the steamed buns in her hands, he smiled gently and said, “I’m not hungry, you should eat more.”

Du Wanchun stuffed the buns into his hands. “Even if you’re not hungry, you still need to eat.”

Zhou Ruiyuan held the buns, staring at them for a long moment, as if reluctant to take a bite.

Du Wanchun sat beside him and smiled. “Husband, Mother and I bought plenty of flour, so eat without worry.”

Zhou Ruiyuan broke one bun in half, keeping one portion for himself and offering the other to Du Wanchun.

Seeing his gesture, Du Wanchun immediately understood—he wasn’t hesitant to eat because he feared there wouldn’t be enough food in the future, but because he was afraid she wouldn’t have enough to eat.

Her heart warmed at the thought. She accepted the half bun and smiled sweetly. “Let’s eat together.”

Only after she took a bite did Zhou Ruiyuan finally start eating his half.

Outside, Madam Zhou watched the couple sharing their meal, a smile spreading across her face. She felt happier than if she had eaten the buns herself.

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The Next Day

The Zhou family set out early for Cheng’an County.

When they arrived at the shop, a clerk from the Fang family, named Xiao Dingzi, was already there.

Xiao Dingzi appeared to be an honest and dependable young man. Upon seeing Du Wanchun, he quickly greeted her, “Shopkeeper!”

Du Wanchun was slightly startled by the title. Smiling, she pointed behind her at Zhou Feng. “He’s the real shopkeeper.”

Zhou Feng stepped forward calmly. Today, he wore a deep blue robe, looking much more refined than usual. At first glance, one might mistake him for a young master from a wealthy family.

Zhou Ruiyuan and Zhou Zhao were also dressed in new clothes.

Onlookers might have assumed that a prestigious family had come to open a new business.

Xiao Dingzi quickly ushered them inside. “The scented dew and incense cones have all been arranged, now we’re just waiting for customers to arrive.”

Du Wanchun glanced around the shop. Though it wasn’t very large, it was well-organized and sufficient for their needs.

Not long after, the first customer arrived.

It was Miss Zheng, the second daughter of the Zheng family. She entered with a bright smile. “Madam Fang wasn’t lying—you really did open a fragrance shop.”

Du Wanchun recognized her immediately and greeted her with a smile. “Second Miss.”

Miss Zheng took a slow look around the shop and then remarked, “Your shop is quite nice, but it does have one shortcoming.”

Du Wanchun asked, “What is lacking?”