Xu Ningyan then realized that she had been reckless, and that she had relaxed too much because Gu Zhiyuan was not by her side.
She had completely forgotten that while the bed sheet might seem worthless to her, it was incredibly valuable to people of that era.
Moreover, the Lin family is in a precarious situation at this time, so they need to be extra careful and certainly can't accept such an expensive gift for no reason.
He just smiled and said, "I didn't think it through. I was just thinking that I had a good relationship with Lin Hong and wanted to give her something she liked. I didn't consider everything. Okay, then consider these sheets as something I asked someone to bring back for you."
Amidst laughter and chatter, the matter was dropped. Lin's mother went back into the house, retrieved the money, and gave it to Xu Ningyan on the spot.
Xu Ningyan accepted it without hesitation.
Nearby, Lin's relatives couldn't help but whisper among themselves, "Whose little girl is this? So careless! Giving away something worth only a few dollars so casually?"
“I overheard it yesterday; I heard it was Xiaohong’s colleague who works at the department store.”
"No wonder they're so extravagant!"
"Those sheets and pillowcases are truly priceless! My daughter is getting married in the second half of the year. Do you think I should say a few nice words to that young lady and ask her to get me a set too? That would be so prestigious!"
...
These people only dared to talk about it. When Lin's mother heard it, she glanced over, and the people smiled awkwardly and slipped away.
For a moment, only Lin Hong, Xu Ningyan, and her little cousin remained in the room.
The three of them quickly ate breakfast, and the younger cousin cleared away the dishes and chopsticks.
Xu Ningyan made Lin Hong brush her teeth again, wash her face, and change into the clothes she was going to wear today.
Even when getting married at that time, wearing a green military uniform was a source of pride.
When a family gets married, the bride and groom can wear a brand-new military uniform on the wedding day, which is just as enviable and enviable as wearing a haute couture wedding dress in later generations.
Lin Hong's older brother was in the army, and Zhou Zi'an was a retired soldier, so it was easy for the two families to get two sets of military uniforms.
Lin Hong was wearing a white shirt, army green trousers, and black leather shoes—a very fashionable outfit.
Sitting in front of the mirror, Xu Ningyan first combed Lin Hong's hair.
Lin Hong usually wore two braids, which was also the most common hairstyle for young women and newlyweds at this time.
Xu Ningyan looked at it and braided Lin Hong's hair into a centipede braid, starting from her head and braiding it carefully, unlike the way everyone in this era combs their hair so neatly and tightly.
It's slightly fluffy, giving it a more comfortable and relaxed look.
Liu Hai asked his little cousin to get some hair rollers from Lin's mother, then rolled up his bangs and secured them with a hair tie.
Then I started applying makeup.
The messy eyebrows were first gently shaved off with the razor blades that Lin's father and Lin Feng used for shaving, and then lightly outlined with an eyebrow pencil, making the eyebrows curved like a crescent moon.
After applying the pearl primer, I was able to cover up minor blemishes and acne scars on my skin, making my cheeks and neck look the same color, and giving them a smooth and tender appearance.
After heating the matchstick with a lighter for a while, I placed it on my eyelashes and gently rolled it up.
After a while, I took off the matchstick, and my eyelashes were clearly defined and curled upwards, making my eyes look big and bright immediately.
Without an eyeliner, I could only lightly draw a couple of lines on the corners of my eyes and lower eyelids with an eyebrow pencil, which made my eyes look even more bright and lively.
The rouge was bright red. A little bit was scraped off, mixed with water in the palm of the hand, and applied to Lin Hong's lips.
After kneading the remaining liquid in my palms, I rubbed my hands together and then gently pressed them against Lin Hong's cheeks. Her cheeks immediately flushed a light red, making her look exceptionally healthy.
Finally, remove the hair curlers from your bangs and comb them a few times to create a fluffy fringe.
After putting on makeup, Lin Hong looked like a completely different person.
Previously, her skin tone was uneven, her skin was a bit dark, and her eyes were not big or bright enough. But under Xu Ningyan's skillful hands, her skin was clean with a faint pink hue, making her look extremely healthy.
Her eyes were big and bright, her eyelashes were curled, her eyebrows were clearly defined, and her lips were luscious and beautiful. She was a real beauty.
My little cousin next to me stared wide-eyed. If she hadn't been there the whole time and witnessed the whole thing, she would have thought it was a completely different person.
Lin Hong was stunned when she looked in the mirror; she had never known she could be so beautiful.
Touching his face, he asked, "Is this me?"
When Lin's mother and the others heard the commotion, they came in and saw their daughter sitting there. Although her features were familiar, even Lin's mother couldn't help but wonder if this beautiful girl was the one she had given birth to.
The women all crowded around, asking Xu Ningyan how she did it.
Many young women were extremely envious and secretly approached Xu Ningyan, hoping to learn her methods and secrets.
Lin Hong's room was soon packed with people.
Lin's mother didn't think it was a good sign, so she quickly asked everyone to leave, leaving only Xu Ningyan and her little cousin to accompany Lin Hong.
Lin Hong completely forgot that Zhou Zi'an was coming to pick her up later. She clung to the mirror, occasionally clicking her tongue in admiration of her own beauty.
However, her younger cousin pulled Xu Ningyan to help her make a final check of the things that would be part of her dowry, so that nothing could be left out.
Because of the hot weather, the wedding procession was moved up.
Around eight or nine o'clock, it gets lively outside.
My little cousin, being young, heard the commotion and secretly slipped out. A moment later, she ran back quickly to report, "The groom is here to pick up the bride! The groom is here to pick up the bride!"
Lin Hong then became nervous, stood up, straightened her clothes, and looked at herself in the mirror again and again, looking for anything that seemed inappropriate.
Xu Ningyan comforted her, "Don't worry, just wait for the groom to pick you up! I guarantee you'll be the prettiest one today!"
Lin Hong was relieved and listened carefully to the sounds outside.
Weddings at this time are very simple, without any formalities.
Zhou Zi'an bowed to Lin's father and mother, made a promise, and was even dragged aside by Lin Feng to give them a good warning before he was allowed to enter Lin Hong's room to take away the bride.
When Zhou Zi'an, a professionally trained man, knocked on the door, he couldn't help but burst out laughing when he saw Lin Hong sitting on the edge of the bed, her beauty enhanced several degrees.
He froze, seemingly unable to recognize himself. After a long while, his face turned bright red, starting from his neck, down to his ears.
His eyes were both reluctant to leave Lin Hong's face and somewhat embarrassed. All he could do was scratch the back of his head and smile sheepishly.
Fortunately, the others who came to pick up the bride were still relatively sober. They found Zhou Zi'an's state both amusing and infuriating.
She shoved him: "Are you staring at the bride so intently? Why don't you hurry up and bring her home so you can't keep looking at her every day?"
Zhou Zi'an seemed to snap out of his daze, quickly walked to Lin Hong, and stammered, "Little, Little Hong, I, I've come to pick you up, to pick you up—"
Under Zhou Zi'an's intense gaze, Lin Hong blushed and stood up shyly.
The two held hands and came out amidst the cheers of the crowd, bid farewell to their parents, and left the Lin family home.
The wedding procession consisted of a line of bicycles, all young men in their early twenties, dressed in white shirts and looking very energetic.
A large red flower hung on Zhou Zi'an's bicycle as he rode, with Lin Hong sitting on the back.
The dowry and other items were brought out and tied to the bicycle of the young man who was picking up the bride. Together with the wedding party, they made a grand procession towards the Zhou family home.
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