"Alright, alright, stop messing around. The next class is about to end. I hope everyone cherishes their time. Let's take a look at the small golden crown unearthed from the Wanfei coffin in the tomb of King Yizhuang of Ming Dynasty."
"Wan Fei, new classmate, is that you? Why do you look a lot like you? Haha."
“Pah!”
The teacher began to knock on the blackboard and explain the key points.
"The ?盤 is usually worn with head jewelry, but it is not part of the head jewelry. Sometimes it can be worn alone."
"This is so troublesome! I feel dizzy just listening to this. Teacher, why hasn't this class ended yet?"
"What's so difficult about that? You know, in the past there was a profession called hairpin-wearing women. They could memorize all the positions and insert all kinds of hairpins, not just hairpins. It was like creating an art, with complete freedom of expression."
"Student Ji Nianqin, I have to correct you on this. There's a big difference between this and a work of art. The various hairpins worn on Ming Dynasty headpieces were meant to be worn in corresponding positions depending on their type. Even though the ancients wore their long hair in a bun, the space for expression was very limited. Artwork, on the other hand, is completely immune to such control. Therefore, there must be rules, just like in class today. Talking is not allowed. Well, let's end this class here. I won't be teaching in this format again. The effect isn't ideal. Students love to talk. It's good to let your imagination run wild, but this is a classroom, and classroom order must be observed."
The teacher was dejected and removed the picture, but Ji Nianqin was still unable to recover.
"Wan Fei? Could it be me? Why do they look so similar? But my favorite is also the small golden crown, and the precious bun with flower clusters and jingling bells on the head is my favorite outfit. I even traveled through time because of the ringing of the bells."
Just as the teacher was about to close the slides, a thrilling clip popped up on the big screen, causing a sensation in the classroom.
"Heart? Haha, teacher, why did this suddenly appear on the projector? It's so funny, right? Did someone write you a love letter? Tell us quickly."
"Student, I thought you had changed, but now it seems you should come out with me. Your academic probation may need to be changed to..."
"It's called a 'peach heart', not a 'peach heart'. This was the highlight of Ming Dynasty women's headwear. It was inserted in the most central and eye-catching position of the entire bun."
Ji Nianqin was stunned, because the picture showed the Queen Mother riding a golden phoenix inlaid with gems.
"Indeed, it seems that classmate Ji Nianqin saved you, otherwise I really would have to have a serious talk with you. I haven't told you one more thing yet. This was unearthed from the coffin of Concubine Sun in the tomb of King Yixuan of Ming Dynasty. The base of the hairpin is usually flat, inserted from the bottom up into the hair, and the auspicious patterns often include the Queen Mother, pagodas, Sanskrit characters, phoenixes, etc."
"Princess Sun? Why does this photo look like my good friend Cao..."
"Since the bell hasn't rung yet, let's end the class by explaining the fenxin (heart-shaped hairpin)—a very important head ornament. It's a special hairpin worn by Ming Dynasty women in front of or behind their buns. The front and back of the fenxin should look slightly different. Judging from the pictures, the front fenxin is flatter and wider than the back..."
The bell for the end of get out of class finally rang, but Ji Nianqin was still standing there.
"Student Ji Nianqin, thank you for having me in this class today. But how did you learn so much about hairpins from the Ming Dynasty?"
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