Xiaocui wasn’t lying; her red, swollen hands were proof.
From head to toe, she was dripping wet. The moment she returned, before she could even change her clothes, Second Madam had summoned her.
“Can’t even handle such a simple task, what use are you! I have a banquet to attend tomorrow. Without the soap, who knows what ridicule and jokes they’ll make behind my back! It’s all because of you!”
Wang Yue was currently wearing her most minimal outfit, thinking it would reduce sweating and lessen the odor.
But due to her agitation, her body heated up, and she began to sweat.
Soon, even she could smell that familiar scent again.
The long-absent smell brought her not familiarity but disgust!
If that little vixen Sun Qiuxiang found out she had transformed from a “fragrant person” back into a “smelly person,” who knew how she would mock her?
Those ladies had been fawning over her only for the soap in her possession, hoping to get a bar or two from her. Wang Yue had given Xiaocui all her private savings precisely to buy several bars and show off in front of those ladies.
Now, without the soap, their ridicule would only intensify. How could she face those ugly expressions?
She had been married into the Chen family for five years and still hadn’t conceived.
Recently, the master had finally started visiting her room more often. She thought she could seize the opportunity to have a child and secure her position. But this blissful period had lasted only a few short days.
If the master found out her odor had returned, he might never come to her room again!
Thinking of this, she slumped over the table and wept.
Having experienced it briefly was even worse than never having had it at all!
On the fourth day, she had gone to that Jixiang General Store herself. Despite the torrential rain, she waited all day, but the shop never opened.
Today was the fifth day, and it was still closed.
What kind of business stays closed for five days without even posting a notice?
Could it be that the general store would never open again?
“Second Madam, if it really can’t be helped… perhaps you just shouldn’t go tomorrow?” Xiaocui suggested softly.
Hearing this, Second Madam Wang Yue cried even harder.
“Avoiding it for one day, can I avoid it for a lifetime?! If that general store never opens again, I don’t want to live anymore!”
The rain continued unabated. The sound of rain pattered softly.
The Chen Manor had many green plants. Raindrops falling on different leaves created varying sounds—a wonderful ambiance if one were to appreciate it calmly.
“What is that little vixen Wang crying about now?” First Madam Zhou was on her nightly rounds when she passed by the side courtyard.
A cool summer rainy night was quite comfortable. With her daughter recently engaged to a good match, First Madam Zhou had been in a pleasant mood lately.
But hearing the wailing from the side courtyard instantly made her frown.
The old maidservant beside her said, “I heard Second Madam obtained a special soap a few days ago that could wash away her body odor. At first, we thought it was just a rumor. But these past few days, encountering her in the garden, her fragrance was indeed elegant and pure, unlike ordinary scents. It seems to be true.”
“Exactly! The master has been in her room every day these past few days!” Speaking of this, First Madam Zhou was very frustrated.
Initially, since Wang had been married into the Chen family for five years without bearing a child and had body odor, First Madam Zhou hadn’t paid her much mind.
But now, with the master frequently staying over, pregnancy was only a matter of time.
Although Madam Zhou had a legitimate son, she still had to be wary!
What head wife would want a concubine’s son dividing the family property?
The old maidservant spoke again, “How about… this old servant inquires about what soap Second Madam uses and finds a way to get a bar for you, madam… We can’t just let the master keep going to Second Madam’s room. If she becomes pregnant, who knows how arrogant she’ll become in the future!”
The old maidservant by her side was Zhou Shi’s wet nurse and naturally thought only of her best interests.
Zhou Shi also knew that over the years, the master had grown extremely distant toward her. While she held the firm position of head wife, they barely exchanged a few words on most days.
What woman doesn’t yearn for more care from her husband? What woman doesn’t wish for marital harmony and growing old together?
Especially for women confined within the deep courtyards.
“That soap… is it really so effective?”
“Madam, forgive this old servant for speaking frankly. Men crave novelty and love the gentle, fragrant company. You, madam, are dignified and proper, which is fitting for a head wife—it’s excellent. But… sometimes it also lacks a certain charm that stirs the master’s heart.”
She cautiously suggested, “In this old servant’s opinion, that soap… might be an opportunity? Consider, madam: if you use that soap, wash yourself fragrant, change into a bright dress, and speak a few gentle, affectionate words… the master’s heart might not be beyond winning back.”
“If you could then bear a child, no one would be able to shake your position then.”
In truth, Zhou Shi was only thirty-two. Moreover, having been raised in privilege since childhood, she appeared to be only around thirty. Many women at this age had children in ancient times, and Zhou Shi was in good health, so another pregnancy wasn’t an issue.
The lanterns at the eaves swayed, casting flickering light and shadow across Zhou Shi’s face.
Beneath her dignified expression, a long-suppressed desire stirred.
Zhou Shi’s heart was moved.
…
Cheng Fang and Zhao Jingxing galloped back to their camp.
They had only gone out to find a fire starter, but ended up with an unexpected haul.
Along the way, Cheng Fang’s mind was completely captivated by that bag of snacks.
A faint, sweet aroma drifted out, teasing his intense hunger.
He reached for it several times but was thwarted by the strange, incredibly tough packaging.
Each snack item seemed encased in this transparent wrapping, inflated with air, which cushioned against the bumps. Despite their galloping ride, the snacks inside hadn’t crumbled at all.
Yet, it was precisely this packaging that prevented him from tasting them.
He both loved and hated it!
It wasn’t that he’d never tasted fine foods before; he’d grown tired of the pastries in the capital.
But since joining the military campaign, enduring harsh conditions, even a decent hot meal was hard to come by.
As soon as he returned, he was assigned to flood relief without even going home first.
Naturally, he hadn’t had the chance to eat the pastries he missed so much.
The once-disdained overly sweet pastries now tantalized him like a craving!
As soon as they reined in their horses, Zhao Jingxing dismounted. “You handle things here first. I’ll go check on the disaster victims.”
Zhao Jingxing was a year older, steady and responsible since childhood. Uninterested in snacks, his heart was with the people in distress.
On one side was a large bag of snacks; on the other, his beloved lighter. How to choose?
In the end, he swallowed his saliva and handed the large bag of snacks to the guard. His tone was stern:
“You hold onto this. Wait until I return to deal with it! No one is to touch it!”
To another guard, he said, “Quick, take me to the mess hall!”