"Today I want to tell you about a remarkable woman whose life was full of ups and downs and colorful. Her struggle is worth reading."
The storyteller was standing in front with a serious look on his face, shaking his head and wagging his tail, while Ji Nianqin was leaning against a big tree, staring at the puppy running around in a daze.
"Hello!"
Cao Hanhui slapped Ji Nianqin's shoulder so hard that a few leaves fell off.
"What are you doing? It hurts!"
"Nianqin, what are you doing? Staring at someone's dog. Let me tell you, the people here are either rich or noble, so don't try to do anything bad. Watch out for your life."
"I don't understand why women have to rely on men to survive. What a struggle story, what nonsense. In the end, a mother's status depends on her son, and a wife's success depends on her husband."
"Shh! What are you talking about? You're crazy."
Cao Hanhui covered Ji Nianqin's mouth, but her hands were covered in blood.
"You're wearing makeup again? How much rouge is on this?"
"Fool, it's not rouge, it's white powder, black powder, and black powder, it's the fragrance of the lips, it's lipstick."
"Nianqin, if it's the hairpin-wearing test, you're guaranteed to pass. By the way, how did you do in the martial arts champion exam?"
"Shh!"
"What? You're scared now? Are you still showing off like that? You're a woman disguised as a man to carry stones. You're so creative!"
"What can I do? My mother asked me to take the exam for the top scholar in literature, but I really can't study. I can only move my arms and legs."
"I advise you not to go, Nianqin. You don't have to do something you don't like."
"You know my mother's temper. If I don't listen to her, will it be okay?"
"Your mother was just teasing you, wanting you to study hard, but who knew you'd actually go? Confucius said: There are three kinds of unfilial behavior, and the worst is to have no offspring. Your mother must have wanted a boy. Because only boys can study, become high-ranking officials, become top martial artists, and become the pillars of the family. Girls can't study, they can only give birth to children and do housework. We're still lucky, we have my brother to teach us."
“It’s really unfair.”
"We are girls, so we should behave ourselves. Let me see your hands."
Cao Hanhui lifted Ji Nianqin's hand and accidentally touched the paste.
“It hurts!”
"Look at your arms, they're so hard, men don't like them. If you keep training, they'll probably just be muscles. Don't be so unmarried in the future and cry your eyes out."
"I'm not getting married."
Ji Nianqin swung her arms and started chasing the puppy, but she saw a pair of straw sandals blocking her view. Looking up, she saw a man wearing dark cotton and linen clothes.
Cao Hanhui.
"You want to make your mother proud. I understand your feelings, but your method is wrong."
Ji Nianqin tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.
"This is for you."
The small box contains a paste with the bumpy texture of a rose.
"Lipstick? That looks great!"
Cao Hanhui reached out to take it, but Ji Nianqin closed her palm.
"My original recipe was made with ox marrow and tallow, mixed with spices and cinnabar, but this one is different. Beeswax replaces the animal marrow and tallow. I also changed the recipe to white wax mixed with safflower juice. When applied to the lips, it creates a fragrant sheen."
"You think you can buy me off with such a small favor? I'm not that kind of person."
"Those straw sandals of yours are made of grass, with reed soles and the tops made of the tender stems of broom grass, soaked, shaped, and dried. They're quite durable, but they're not very warm in winter. It's time to replace them. I'll wrap the edges with new cloth, cut insoles according to the pattern of the soles, and then staple the multiple layers of shell together with fine hemp rope to make patchwork soles. These are the thousand-layer soles that wealthy people wear. They're wear-resistant, breathable, and good for your feet. I'll give them to you later."
"make a deal!"
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