The summer sun was bright and radiant, and the lotus flowers in the pond were in full bloom. Pink petals with golden stamens stood gracefully among the emerald-green leaves, swaying gently in the breeze and filling the air with their fragrant scent.
Standing on the shore, one could even detect the rich aroma of roses lingering in the air.
A group of noblewomen were enjoying a boat ride to admire the lotus flowers, their laughter rising and falling as they reveled in the merriment. Among them, the most delighted was undoubtedly Madam Wang, the second wife of the Chen family.
Speaking of Madam Wang’s mood today, it had been a rollercoaster—from despondent self-pity in the morning to unrestrained laughter by evening. The shift in between hinged on a single bar of soap!
Even Xiaocui, who had served her for many years, couldn’t help but marvel at the unusual fluctuations in Madam Wang’s emotions these past few days. Thankfully, Madam Wang had managed to purchase the fragrant soap; otherwise, her future days would have been unbearable.
“If I may say, we owe our thanks to Madam He for allowing us to experience such a breathtaking scene—‘the autumn waters blend with the endless sky, while the lotus flowers glow uniquely red under the sun.’” Wang Yue’s eyes and brows were brimming with unconcealed joy.
As the hostess of the banquet and the owner of the estate, Madam He once again raised her wine cup from the table. “I never realized before how eloquent Chen’s second wife is. I must have been living under a rock. I offer a toast to Madam Wang!”
Beside them, Madam Song remarked with a hint of sarcasm, “Indeed, ever since the boat ride began, six out of every ten words spoken on this boat have come from Sister Wang. Anyone would praise her for her eloquence. Those unfamiliar with her might think Sister Wang has always been so unreserved.”
The other ladies lowered their heads, stifling giggles. While others might not know Wang’s former temperament, this group was all too familiar with it.
“It seems I am at fault here. Let me punish myself with a drink!” Wang Yue, unbothered, picked up her wine cup generously and downed it in one go.
In the past, her body odor had made her insecure, causing her to act timidly and hesitate to speak in front of others, fearing their disdain. Now that she had finally found a solution, she was no longer bound by her insecurities and had unleashed her true nature in an instant!
After several cups of wine, Wang Yue was already feeling a little tipsy. She took a couple of steps and sat down next to Sun Qiuxiang.
“Madam Zhao, why do you look so gloomy? If something’s troubling you, share it so I can have a laugh! Hahaha!”
Sun Qiuxiang flung her arm, unwilling to look at Wang Yue’s triumphant expression. Wang Yue, now in the superior position, was not about to let it go easily.
“Oh, Madam Zhao, you were never much of a beauty to begin with, and with that scowl, you look even worse!”
“You!” Sun Qiuxiang glared angrily.
Staring at Wang Yue’s face, which needed only a light touch of powder to appear strikingly alluring, Sun Qiuxiang knew she could never measure up in this lifetime. In a fit of rage, she grabbed a wine cup from the table and drained it in one gulp.
“Mind your own business! The smell on you is overwhelming!” Sun Qiuxiang pretended to fan her nose disdainfully.
Wang Yue paid no mind and spoke in a condescending tone, “Madam Zhao, you must be joking. You’re just jealous of my fragrance! Why don’t you beg me? Next time, I’ll ask my cousin to bring a few more bars, and I might even spare one for you! Since you lack beauty, you ought to put more effort into other areas. Otherwise, your husband might not even want to see you!”
With every mention of her lack of beauty, Wang Yue was essentially calling her ugly. Sun Qiuxiang was so furious she felt like tearing Wang Yue’s mouth apart!
The other noblewomen also looked down upon Wang Yue’s smug demeanor. However, they were eager to get their hands on a bar of the fragrant soap from her and had no choice but to feign courtesy and wear polite smiles.
Earlier, Wang Yue had promised to gift a bar of the fragrant soap to every lady present—except Madam Zhao—ten days later.
Therefore, even though they were aware of Wang Yue’s targeting of Sun Qiuxiang, they simply pretended not to notice.
Suddenly, Madam Kong, who was sitting opposite Wang Yue, spoke up, “Speaking of Master Zhao, I heard he recently took a fancy to a songstress under the peonies and is planning to bring her home as a concubine? Madam Zhao, is this true?”
At this, Sun Qiuxiang’s face instantly darkened.
She said bitterly, “That ungrateful scoundrel! When he married me, he promised I’d be his last!”
Hearing this, the other ladies understood all too well—this was about to become a reality.
Even Wang Yue, who had long held a grudge against Sun Qiuxiang, couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her at this moment.
Chen Mansion.
The night was quiet, with a gentle breeze dispersing the lingering heat in the air.
The temperature gradually cooled from the daytime warmth.
The first wife, Madam Zhou, exuded a sweet peach fragrance, wore more elaborate makeup than usual, and was dressed in a light pink gown.
Carrying a carefully prepared bowl of ginseng soup, she made her way to Master Chen’s study.
Madam Zhou was thirty-two years old this year. Thanks to meticulous care, she appeared to be no older than thirty.
Paired with the youthful light pink gown and her refined makeup, she could easily be mistaken for a woman in her late twenties.
When Master Chen looked up and saw her figure under the moonlight, he was momentarily stunned.
“Madam, why have you come so late?”
Madam Zhou smiled gently and gracefully entered the room, her tone carrying a warmth not seen in years.
“You’ve been toiling day and night, Master. I specially prepared a bowl of ginseng soup to help you relax.”
She walked over to Master Chen’s side and offered him the soup.
As the breeze drifted in, her clothes swayed, wafting waves of peach fragrance.
Master Chen instinctively leaned closer to Madam Zhou, greedily inhaling the scent.
This peach aroma was different from the osmanthus fragrance of Madam Wang or the rose scent—it was subtle yet fresh and sweet, making him want to breathe it in deeply.
He looked up, taking in Madam Zhou’s appearance, his gaze involuntarily drawn to her.
How long had it been since he had truly looked at this face?
The mature charm mixed with a maidenly shyness was utterly captivating!
He felt somewhat enchanted.
He set aside the account book in his hand.
“Wanyin, you seem different today.”
Madam Zhou blushed—it had been years since the master had called her by her maiden name.
“How am I different?”
His hand instinctively grasped hers, the warmth from their palms radiating between them.
“You are exceptionally enchanting today. This light pink gown suits you well, reminding me of the day we first met…”
“Erlang…” she whispered softly.
The next morning, early.
A startled cry echoed from a side courtyard of the Chen Mansion, startling the servants working outside.
The sheer force of the shout would have put even the crowing rooster to shame!
When Wang Yue awoke from her drunken stupor, she heard the news that the master had spent the night in the first wife’s quarters.
That alone wasn’t particularly noteworthy.
What troubled her was that, in her drunken state the night before, she had revealed that the fragrant soap she used was purchased from a shop called Jixiang Grocery in Jishui Village!
Wang Yue was filled with regret. Why had she gotten so drunk?
With her secret exposed, what would she have left to flaunt in the future?
“Xiaocui! Why didn’t you stop me back then?”
“Second Madam, I tried my best to cover your mouth, but you insisted on speaking!” Xiaocui protested innocently.
Who could have known that her mistress, after a few drinks, would become so unrestrained and blurt out everything? It was impossible to hold her back.
Wang Yue paced back and forth in frustration.
“It’s over! Once those ladies find out that the fragrant soap wasn’t bought from my cousin, I’ll have nothing to boast about! I won’t be able to use the soap to manipulate them anymore! The sense of importance I worked so hard to build is gone!”
The wonderful feeling of being the center of attention, with everyone fawning over her, had only been experienced a few times, and now it was about to vanish!