Chapter 73: Husband Specially Cooks for Her

The eldest son of the Cao family had learned the art of porcelain firing in his early years. Later, he returned to his hometown and built a simple kiln at home, where he and his wife worked on firing porcelain.

Unfortunately, he was born at the wrong time. None of the ceramics he fired were sold, leaving him not only heavily in debt but also with an empty, unused kiln.

When Du Damei heard that Du Wanchun wanted to buy the porcelain bottles and the porcelain-making skills from her, she was stunned for a long time. “Wanchun, do you really want to buy them?”

Du Wanchun nodded. “Yes, but as for the price…”

Du Damei smiled and interrupted her. “As for the price, you can name whatever amount you want. Since it’s just sitting at home collecting dust, we might as well sell it for whatever silver we can get. As for my skills, if you want to learn, I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Seeing that her eldest aunt had agreed, Du Wanchun was overjoyed. She took her hand and led her toward the carriage. “Aunt, let’s go home first and discuss it slowly.”

“That’s right, we can talk it over once we’re home,” Aunt Zhou chimed in.

Du Damei, carrying her child on her back and holding a large sack of wheat in her hands, was struggling a bit. Seeing this, Du Wanchun and Aunt Zhou helped her onto the carriage.

Du Wanchun sat in the front, driving the carriage, while Du Damei sat in the back, chatting idly with Aunt Zhou.

Although Aunt Zhou had grown up in the deep chambers of a noble household, she was a kind and easygoing person. She always treated the villagers warmly, never putting on airs or acting superior.

The more Du Damei talked to her, the more she liked this in-law of hers. Holding Aunt Zhou’s hand, she suddenly burst into tears. “It’s truly a blessing that Wanchun married into your family. If she had really married into the Li family, I fear she would have had a miserable life.”

Du Damei had also heard about the eldest son of Magistrate Li’s family. If she had known back then that Du Wanchun was supposed to marry into the Li family, she would have absolutely opposed it.

Aunt Zhou lifted her gaze to look at Du Wanchun, her expression gentle as she spoke slowly, “Sister-in-law, from my perspective, it’s actually our family’s fortune that Wanchun married into our home.”

Du Damei felt completely relieved after hearing those words. With such a good mother-in-law, Du Wanchun’s future would surely become better and better.

Holding the reins, Du Wanchun listened to their conversation. Her round eyes curved into a smile as she cheerfully drove the carriage.

By this time, dusk had settled, and by the time they reached the entrance of their home, the sky had turned completely dark.

As Du Wanchun approached with the carriage, she noticed a figure standing in the distance at the entrance of the house.

It was Zhou Ruiyuan. He was dressed in a dark blue long robe, standing beneath the dim glow of a lantern, gazing toward the village entrance.

When he heard the sound of Du Wanchun’s arrival, his composed face softened into a gentle smile.

As soon as she stopped the carriage, he strode over to her and helped her down. “In the future, let me accompany you to the county.”

His hands were large, his arms strong. As he supported her, it felt as though he was about to lift her entirely into his embrace.

Du Wanchun knew he was worried about her traveling alone. Smiling, she reassured him before pointing behind her. “Husband, my eldest aunt is here.”

“Your eldest aunt?” Zhou Ruiyuan followed the direction of her pointing finger.

Du Damei stepped down from the carriage with Aunt Zhou. She was momentarily surprised to see Zhou Ruiyuan, then broke into a broad smile. “Oh my, dear in-law, your son is truly a handsome one.”

“Oh, not at all. He’s just a little fairer than most,” Aunt Zhou responded, leading Du Damei toward Zhou Ruiyuan. “Ruiyuan, come greet your aunt.”

Zhou Ruiyuan clasped his hands together, bent at the waist, and respectfully bowed to Du Damei. “Greetings, Aunt.”

Seeing the young man before her, Du Damei beamed with joy. “Good child, stand up. No need for such formalities.”

Zhou Ruiyuan slowly straightened and extended a hand, inviting them inside. “Aunt, Mother, Wanchun, the food is ready. Come in and eat.”

Aunt Zhou was momentarily stunned. She quickly asked, “The food is ready? Who cooked it?”

Leading Du Wanchun inside, Zhou Ruiyuan replied, “Mother, of course, I did.”

Aunt Zhou was astonished. “Ruiyuan, since when did you learn to cook?”

Du Wanchun was also quite surprised. Though Zhou Ruiyuan’s legs had recovered, he usually busied himself with rough labor like chopping firewood in the mountains. He rarely entered the kitchen to cook rice and prepare meals.

After all, he was a young master who had never even held a spoon before, let alone cooked an entire meal.

Yet Zhou Ruiyuan remained composed. After entering the house, he walked to the table and gestured toward the dishes. “I learned from Aunt Wang. It’s not as good as Mother’s cooking, but it should be edible.”

Du Wanchun looked at the table. There was a bowl of radish and egg soup, a plate of stir-fried lettuce, a dish of cabbage and tofu, and a plate of stir-fried spring bamboo shoots with pork.

There wasn’t much meat—it was from the cured pork they had made a while back from the half pig they had purchased.

The dishes looked well-prepared, and the aroma was tantalizing.

Unable to resist, Du Wanchun picked up her chopsticks and tried a piece of bamboo shoot. It was fragrant, slightly sweet, and perfectly seasoned. The taste was surprisingly good.

She quickly put down her chopsticks, her face lighting up with a smile as she looked at Zhou Ruiyuan. “Husband, your cooking skills are really impressive.”

Seeing her bright smile, the usually reserved and serious Zhou Ruiyuan felt a faint flush creep up his face. The tall, composed man, always carrying an air of aloofness, secretly showed a trace of shyness when no one was watching.

Behind Du Wanchun, Aunt Zhou was still in shock. “Really?”