A Room Filled with Fragrance (Era 1V2) - Chapter 1

 At 6:30 in the evening, Juxiang was preparing to cook.

The layout of the rooms in the factory workers’ dormitory was rather cramped. Each household had their stove set up in the hallway, and during mealtime, the air was filled with the aroma of cooking wafting through the corridors.

Despite its small size—just a few dozen square meters—the dormitory was a treasure many dreamed of but couldn’t attain. Often, a family of four or five would crowd into this pigeonhole-like space, making the most of every inch.

Whenever Juxiang saw the young wife next door cooking for the whole family early in the morning, she felt grateful that her own household was smaller.

In her family, there was only her brother-in-law Shi Hai, her husband Shi Ze, herself, and their baby—a total of three adults and one child. In this tiny space, they still managed to carve out some room to live comfortably.

Unlike their neighbors, she glanced over and noticed they didn’t even have a place to set up a dining table. Every meal had to be eaten on the bed.

Still, having a stable job in the city and a roof over one’s head made them a family others envied.

Juxiang rendered some lard from a chunk of fatty pork, stir-fried some lean pork with it, and added garlic sprouts and doubanjiang (fermented chili bean paste).

A sizzling sound erupted, and a mouthwatering aroma spread through the corridor. A child nearby sniffled, drooling slightly.

“Smells so good! Who’s having a feast today?” someone asked.

“Who else? It’s got to be the Shi family! I tell you, that young wife of Shi Ze’s is really living the good life. Two factory jobs, two ironclad positions, and she doesn’t even have to care for in-laws. What a blessing!”

Just as they were talking, Shi Ze appeared.

He carried biscuits and powdered milk in his hands. Standing tall at nearly six feet, the young man had a vibrant and upright demeanor. His cheerful smile and sweet-talking ways charmed everyone in the dormitory, from young wives to older aunties.

“Uncle Liu, haven’t eaten yet?”

“Not yet. Ah, we were just talking about how your family’s cooking is making the whole hallway smell amazing again.”

Shi Ze chuckled. “Juxiang only recently finished her postpartum confinement. I just want to make sure she gets enough nutrition…”

“You’re a good husband, taking care of your wife like that. That’s how it should be…”

Shi Ze carried his things upstairs and spotted his young wife busy at the stove outside their door. His heart softened.

He set the items on the countertop and wrapped his arms around Juxiang from behind. Her body, still tender from nursing, carried a faint milky scent mixed with her natural fragrance. It stirred something restless within him.

Startled, Juxiang glanced back. “Ah Ze, you’re back?”

Shi Ze kissed the back of her ear. His warm breath made her cheeks flush. “Mm…”

She nudged him lightly. “Don’t… everyone in the hallway can see us… And big brother will be back soon…”

Reluctantly, Shi Ze let her go. “I’ll check on the baby.”

With her face still red, Juxiang nodded and pushed him inside.

The room was tidy and carried the gentle scent of milk, thanks to the baby.

Shi Hai, the elder brother, was skilled in woodworking and had crafted a wooden cradle for his nephew. The few-month-old baby was now sound asleep inside it.

Shi Ze leaned down and kissed his child’s soft cheek before placing the groceries into the cabinet.

Juxiang, having just finished her postpartum recovery, still needed nourishment. Over the past two months, powdered milk, eggs, brown sugar, and biscuits—everything she needed to regain her strength—were always in stock at home.

When the two brothers divided the dormitory allocation, they had chosen a smaller room, thinking it would be more than enough for the family. Back then, it was just the two of them, and a single large bed sufficed. But now that Shi Ze had a wife, the shared bed no longer seemed appropriate.

They had hung a curtain in the middle of the bed, separating the sleeping areas for the couple and the elder brother.

This kind of arrangement was common in the factory dormitory. In some families, six or seven people crammed into one room, with four sharing a single bed.

As for doing certain… things at night…

The thought made Shi Ze’s body heat up.

He decided to grab a basin and towel, heading to the bathhouse for a shower.