Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 21 - Makeup

The next morning, Yang Peijun, that annoying guy, woke me up early.

"Yang PeiMin, get up already!"

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"Yang PeiMin, I have to take you there and I've got other things to do!"

"Yang PeiMin, if you don't get up, I'm coming in to get you!"

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Yang PeiMin crawled out of her blanket and yelled impatiently at the window, "Yang Peijun, shut up!"

"Calling souls, so early in the morning!" At breakfast, Yang PeiMin couldn't help but glare at Yang Peijun. Her biological clock, under the pretext of a few days of illness, had adjusted to waking up naturally. This sudden disruption left her in a foul temper that lingered.

"Look at you, do you even know what time it is? It's not just about getting things done, do you expect the whole family to wait for you just because breakfast is ready? See if your future in-laws won't be annoyed to death!" Yang Peijun retorted irritably.

"Alright, you two, always fighting from childhood to now, isn't it tiring?" Zhang Minghua didn't seem to be in a good mood today and scolded them both heavily.

Yang PeiMin quickly transformed into a sweet little pleaser until she cheered Zhang Minghua up.

Zhang Minghua had prepared the gifts and instructed her to hand them over to her second aunt.

Yang PeiMin obediently agreed to each instruction. Zhang Minghua touched her back with affection, like she used to when Yang PeiMin was little, feeling suddenly relieved. Just yesterday she had been worried about her marriage, yet now, she was reluctant to part with her for even two days, let alone marrying off.

She examined Yang PeiMin's face from side to side, "Minmin, why do I think your complexion looks much better today, prettier."

She had put on a bit of homemade blush in the morning, subtle, and that lipstick indeed improved her pale complexion quite a bit.

"Yingzi has become prettier too, haven't you noticed?" She had groomed Yang Peiying's eyebrows, and on closer look, she indeed seemed more spirited than usual.

Zhang Minghua glanced and gave a nod, acknowledging politely, "It does look a bit better."

Yang Peiying's cheeks reddened, and she went out embarrassedly to help carry things.

They rode the same ox cart, which had been fixed.

Their second aunt was married in a village less than three kilometers from the town, named Taocun. The fields were fertile and the terrain was favorable, making the village slightly richer than Xiahe Village overall.

The second aunt had already mentally prepared for the arrival of her own relatives. Seeing them brought joy and no surprise.

"Why did you three come? Where are your parents?" The second aunt helped with carrying the things and asked, "Have you had breakfast? There are steamed buns at home."

"We've eaten, second aunt. Mother is busy with my matters, she will come tomorrow..."

After meeting with her second aunt's family, Yang PeiMin also went to the room of Cousin Qin, who was about to get married.

She shared a room with her unmarried sisters and nieces.

"Minmin, it seems like we've only not seen each other for a year, yet you've become so much prettier!"

No matter the age, women always love to be complimented on their beauty; Yang Peimin's heart was brimming with joy at the moment, and instantly, she had a great impression of this cousin, Cousin Qin.

Actually, the significant change in her wasn't due to more makeup on her face, but rather the temperament that accompanied her.

"Yingzi looks pretty too," Cousin Qin, a person with high emotional intelligence, praised her without neglecting Yang Peiying.

"We're all cousins; there's some resemblance, so praising each other is like praising ourselves," Yang Peimin said with a wink and a smile.

Pan Shuiqin looked at her in surprise. Her cousin wasn't able to say such things before, but her growth was evident from not seeing her for a while. Shaking her head, she said, "It's true, but being born into a family also depends on luck. For example, my third aunt and my mother don't look alike at all, their appearances are very different, and then there's me, I resemble my father. It's good I have long hair; otherwise, people would say my father has another son."

Pan Shuiqin had thick eyebrows and big eyes, slightly dark skin, but her facial features were not bad, with a colder and harder contour, and a tall figure that gave her a brisk and decisive appearance, influenced by her masculine aura.

"I'm not afraid to speak some unpleasant truths in front of sisters; just thinking about tomorrow's event makes me terribly nervous," Pan Shuiqin gestured for everyone to sit on the kang while her younger sister, Pan Shuitao, brought out homemade snacks like roasted peanuts and soybeans to serve.

Aside from the sisters Yang Peimin, present were her younger sister Pan Shuitao and her three best friends from the same village.

Before their arrival, they were discussing tomorrow's makeup and how to set challenging tasks for the groom and his men.

Pan Shuiqin's marriage was arranged through matchmaking with a man from the neighboring Daji Village, who was also an accountant for a production team, considered a promising young man under the current circumstances.

They had only met a few times and had hardly spoken twice, but they were quite satisfied with each other. Like most girls, Pan Shuiqin hoped to impress the groom on her wedding day without going overboard with her makeup.

Then they discussed the clothes for tomorrow; currently, there were neither wedding dresses nor cheongsams available. Some didn't even have a dress without patches, but most preferred military uniforms or red floral cotton dresses. Pan Shuiqin couldn't borrow a military uniform, so she would wear a red floral cotton dress tomorrow.

With not much choice available, she discussed with her sisters, "I've heard that Granny Ma can do threading. I'm thinking of asking her to do it for me; it could make my skin much smoother. Do you think she would agree?"

Granny Ma was originally from the south and had moved here during the wars, but she was now nearly eighty and not so agile. In her earlier years, she had done threading when her own daughters got married, but she hadn't done it again after growing older.

"I don't think so; even if she's willing, her children and grandchildren wouldn't agree," one of the sisters said.

Pan Shuiqin was somewhat disappointed.

"Are you talking about removing facial hair with thread?" asked Yang Peimin, who was snacking on the side, "That's not difficult, I've seen it done once and learned it."

"You know how?"

Yang Peimin nodded; she wasn't boasting. Her grandmother was skilled at this craft and had even done it for herself. She had watched it a few times; it was simple. "However, it depends on individual skin. While hair removal makes the skin smoother, some people may develop allergies and red spots, which could be counterproductive. I suggest Cousin not try this. What if the bride ends up with a face full of red spots tomorrow?"

"So it could be like that too."

Seeing that some were still somewhat dubious, Yang Peimin continued, "Facial hair mainly helps with sweating and protecting the skin. Removing it could lead to allergic reactions for some, and others say it could cause the skin to become loose and pores to enlarge. I'd advise Cousin not to attempt this. Usually, it might be okay, she could stay indoors if there's an allergic reaction, but as a bride tomorrow, it's too risky. If Cousin wants to look a bit more beautiful, we can still do makeup."

"But we don't have any makeup products," Pan Shuiqin said.

"Doesn't anybody have any? Let's see who does and if it's possible to borrow some."

"I've seen the educated youth, Miss Yan, with foundation during the school's harvest festival play; she even participated. I saw her applying it to her face, and afterwards, her face was notably whiter, but Miss Yan might not be willing to lend it. It's only a small amount she treasures; she doesn't even let anyone touch it, much less since we usually don't interact much with her," one of the sisters said, shaking her head.