Chapter 278: Foot Washing

Chapter 278: Washing Feet

Shen Chongzhuo was utterly dizzied by this barrage of lectures on being a caring husband.

He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word of rebuttal, his face going white and then red as he stood there in silence.

He felt that his decades of official composure and common sense had faced an unprecedented challenge that night.

In the end, Shen Chongzhuo looked at Cheng Ge, who had already turned his back again and gone back to sleep, and let out a helpless sigh.

He resignedly shook his head, turned around, and walked out of the study with somewhat heavy steps, even gently pulling the door shut behind him.

Just moments after he left, Cheng Ge, still with his eyes closed, mumbled, "Please blow out the candle for me—I can't sleep with it lit."

Shen Chongzhuo, already outside the door, paused in his steps and took a deep breath.

Then he resignedly pushed the door back open, walked over to the desk, and blew out the flickering candle flame for this high-maintenance guest.

He withdrew again, softly closed the door, and stood outside, gazing at the night sky as he let out a long sigh.

He felt he had never been so mentally exhausted in his life.

Meanwhile, in the rear inner courtyard.

Su Wanyun was sitting under the lamplight, rubbing her slightly sore waist.

She picked up an embroidery basket nearby and took out a small garment that was already taking shape, ready to add a few more stitches under the light, her brows soft with maternal tenderness and anticipation.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open from outside.

She instinctively looked up and saw her husband, Shen Chongzhuo, walking in hesitantly, carrying a steaming basin of hot water.

Su Wanyun was stunned, her hand holding the embroidery needle frozen mid-air, her eyes filled with surprise and bewilderment. "Husband? You... what are you...?"

What was he doing bringing in a basin of hot water in the middle of the night?

Shen Chongzhuo caught the stunned expression on Su Wanyun's face, let out a few awkward chuckles, and explained a bit sheepishly:

"Oh, nothing much... I just thought... it's cold, and soaking the feet would help... help you sleep better tonight."

As he spoke, he carefully placed the wooden basin at Su Wanyun's feet.

He looked at her slightly swollen ankles caused by pregnancy, and a myriad of emotions washed over him.

He and Su Wanyun had grown up together like childhood sweethearts, but her family's status far outshone his, so he had once not even dared to dream of her.

Later, Su Wanyun had defied social conventions and insisted on marrying beneath her station, enduring much criticism from her elders and cold stares from her sisters.

Shen Chongzhuo had seen all this, felt it in his heart, and always carried a deep sense of guilt.

He considered himself diligent enough as an official, with some minor achievements in administering Wei County.

But because he refused to go along with corruption or curry favor with his superiors, he had remained stuck in the post of county magistrate for years, with no promotion in sight.

He had even made Wanyun waste her years with him in this small place, deepening his sense of indebtedness day by day.

He crouched down, gently removing Su Wanyun's silk stockings, revealing her feet, swollen from pregnancy.

Carefully, he held them and slowly immersed them into the warm water—the temperature was just right.

Shen Chongzhuo rolled up his sleeves, scooped up some hot water, and gently poured it over the tops of her feet.

Then he began to massage her soles and calves with his fingertips, using steady but gentle pressure. His movements were somewhat clumsy, yet unusually focused and earnest.

Su Wanyun felt the warmth spreading from her feet and her husband's rare attentiveness. A wave of warmth surged in her heart, but more than that, she felt embarrassed.

She blushed slightly and said softly, "Husband... these trivial matters can be handled by the maidservants. You work hard day and night on government affairs—there's no need... no need to trouble yourself over me."

Shen Chongzhuo didn't look up, still focusing on his task.

"These are only right. You are my wife, and now you're with child—it must be so hard on you. If I don't show you some care, how could I call myself a husband?"

He paused, as if recalling something, and murmured under his breath, "I have to make a good impression, or else... or else in the future, if you actually go for the whole 'keep the baby, ditch the dad' thing, I'd be in big trouble..."

Su Wanyun was taken aback for a moment, but then a laugh burst out of her.

She reached out and gently tapped his forehead, scolding playfully, "What nonsense are you saying! Where did you go tonight to pick up such wild talk? 'Keep the child and kick out the father'—aren't you afraid people will laugh?"

Upon hearing his wife's playful scolding, a helpless smile appeared on Shen Chongzhuo's face, but it quickly faded into an almost inaudible sigh.

He continued his massage, applying just the right amount of pressure, trying to relieve the discomfort of the swelling, and perhaps also to dispel the gloom in his own heart.

"In two months, it will be the imperial evaluation." Shen Chongzhuo spoke in a low voice, his head still down.

"If... if things go smoothly this time, and the evaluation is good, we... we might finally leave Wei County."

He paused, then added, "I heard... someone higher up wants to put their own person in this position."

Su Wanyun nodded lightly upon hearing this, but her face showed little joy—only a faint layer of melancholy.

She was silent for a moment before speaking softly, her voice carrying a barely perceptible note of worry.

"Leaving would be nice, of course. But... once we're gone, we can be done with it, but what about the people of Wei County? They've lived here generation after generation—they have nowhere to go. Who knows what kind of magistrate will come next? If..."

She didn't finish the sentence, but the unspoken concern weighed heavily on both their hearts.

Shen Chongzhuo's massaging hand paused slightly. Even the warm water couldn't wash away the sudden chill that crept in.

He knew exactly what his wife was worried about. They had served as officials here for several years. Though they hadn't achieved great wealth or power, they had done their best, watching over this land and its people.

Once they left, whatever the new magistrate did would be beyond their control.

"Alas..." Shen Chongzhuo let out a long sigh, his tone filled with helplessness. "None of this... is something you or I can decide."

All he could do, perhaps, was to handle the remaining affairs as thoroughly as possible before leaving.

Leave behind a clean ledger, a detailed record of the local conditions—that was about it. Beyond that, he was powerless.

For a moment, silence filled the room, broken only by the occasional sound of water.

The flickering candlelight cast their shadows against the wall, stretching long.

Now, these past few days, Shen Chongzhuo had been plagued by headaches.

After that night, this Imperial Censor Cheng seemed to have taken a liking to his home, showing no intention of leaving at all!

Whenever asked, it was always either "the case is complex and requires careful deliberation" or "this place is excellent for observing local customs."

Shen Chongzhuo couldn't hit him, couldn't drive him away—just fumed inwardly while putting on a forced smile, quietly hoping that this weird and unpredictable big shot would soon be sent packing.