The next morning, An Moxue accompanied Old Ma to the March 27th Site. The once bustling concession was now dilapidated, and traces of the war could still be faintly seen on the walls.
Three people walked along the old street, touching the marks of time, from one end of the road to the other. Old Ma said, "Back then, it was said that someone shot down an enemy low-flying bomber with a submachine gun, but that person was eventually killed and his body was never recovered. In the end, when the war was fought to the last man, all the people who had experienced it were moved to tears. In the end, no reinforcements arrived, and Shanghai fell. But people deeply remembered these people and secretly paid their respects to them."
As An Moxue walked along, she stroked the mottled wall and said, "Uncle Ma, I think they must be very happy to see Lan Kingdom now, because we did it and drove away the shameless invaders."
Aunt Ma said, "It's hard to imagine how prosperous this place used to be. Just look at those houses. It's a pity that so many people are buried here."
An Moxue comforted him, "Loyal bones can be found everywhere in the mountains and rivers, and loyal souls can be seen everywhere in the world. They must be somewhere protecting this country in their own way. Believe me, tomorrow will be better!"
After the three of them finished visiting the March 27th Incident Site, An Moxue said to Aunt Ma, "Auntie, I found out about a really famous hair salon, let's go!"
Old Ma gave the mother and daughter a deep look and said, "You two go ahead! I'll wander around by myself."
The three separated. Old Ma boarded the tram, while Aunt Ma and An Moxue took a local rickshaw to find a hair salon.
After getting off the bus, Aunt Ma hesitated at the shop entrance. "Mo Xue, are you really going to get a perm? What if it doesn't look good?"
An Moxue pulled Aunt Ma into the shop, not giving her a chance to back out, and said, "I'll draw a simple diagram in a bit and have them use it to get their hair permed. If they can get it done, it will definitely look good."
An Moxue said with certainty, "Really! What do you have to worry about with my knowledge? At worst, I'll just cut my hair short, and it'll grow back in a few months."
Aunt Ma felt much more at ease after hearing what she said; at worst, she could just cut her hair short.
Upon entering the store, An Moxue took out paper and pen from her backpack and quickly drew a picture of curly hair, still resembling Aunt Ma's facial features.
After she finished drawing, she handed it to Aunt Ma. Aunt Ma looked at it and liked it very much. She asked in a low voice, "Mo Xue, I see that they all have full curls when they get perms, but yours is just a few big curls. Can they even get that done?"
An Moxue looked at the hairstyles from several hairdressers and said, "I'll go talk to someone about it. If it's okay, I'll get a perm, is that alright?"
Aunt Ma nodded, and An Moxue went over and found a hairdresser who had just finished his haircut. After communicating with him, the hairdresser agreed to An Moxue's plan.
Aunt Ma sat down and started cutting, washing, and curling hair. After curling, she put a large cover over her head and started heating it.
It was Aunt Ma's first time getting a perm, and everything seemed new and exciting to her. However, she was afraid of making a fool of herself, so she didn't dare to ask too many questions.
An Moxue said, "Auntie, after you get your hair permed, I'll take you to the department store to buy eyebrow pencils and lipsticks. When my auntie gets all dressed up, Uncle Ma definitely won't recognize her. Wow! Who's this stunning beauty? She looks gorgeous!"
Aunt Ma laughed and scolded, "You're asking for it! You're even joking with me. You're in your forties, how good-looking can you be? Why don't you get a perm too? I think it looks pretty good."
An Moxue waved her hands repeatedly and said, "Auntie, when we get back I'll change your clothes, then you'll know I don't need it at all, okay?"
The two of them stayed in the hair salon for more than two hours. Finally, Aunt Ma's hair was permed. Looking at herself in the mirror, she asked An Moxue in disbelief, "Moxue, is this really me? Can I really look like this?"
An Moxue smiled and praised, "Of course, Auntie, this is you. You look so beautiful! You'll definitely catch Uncle Ma's eye when we get back."
The hairdresser standing nearby exclaimed happily, "Comrade, you look really good!" Turning to An Moxue, he asked, "Comrade, I won't charge you for the perm today. Can I use this hairstyle?"
An Moxue didn't answer, but looked at Aunt Ma, who happily said, "Okay, use it!"
Stepping out of the hair salon, Aunt Ma was overjoyed. "Mo Xue, I was initially upset about the seven yuan for the perm, but when she offered to refund it, I instantly felt like I made the right decision to come today. The only downside is the strong smell in my hair; it smells amazing!"
"Auntie, didn't the hairdresser say that once the hairstyle is done, we can get it washed? Let's go to the department store."
Along the way, Aunt Ma touched her hair from time to time, and said somewhat shyly, "You know, I went all out to get my hair permed, but why do I feel so uncomfortable afterward?"
"You'll get used to it in a couple of days. When we get back to Anle Village, you'll be the most beautiful woman in the village, even more beautiful than the young people. Everyone will be vying to ask you questions, you'll be very busy."
When Aunt Ma came out of the department store, her eyebrows were drawn in a curved shape, her lips were painted a light red, and she had changed into a dark purple cheongsam with lilac patterns. She looked completely different.
An Moxue pulled Aunt Ma along, saying excitedly, "Auntie, just stay like this, Uncle Ma will be very surprised when he sees you. Hurry, hurry, we have to go back quickly, I can't wait to see the scene when Uncle Ma sees you."
Aunt Ma and An Moxue returned to the grand hotel, attracting a lot of attention.
When they arrived at the door, An Moxue knocked. Upon hearing Old Ma's voice, she quickly returned to her room, leaving Aunt Ma standing helplessly at the door.
When Old Ma opened the door, he saw Aunt Ma, who had changed so much. He looked at her with some surprise and said, "Old woman, I didn't expect you to look so good after just a little dressing up! Mo Xue really knows how to make people look good."
An Moxue was pressed against her door when she heard Old Ma say this, followed by a loud "bang" as the door slammed shut.
She chuckled slyly. Knowing Old Ma's nature of not wanting to offend Aunt Ma, even if Aunt Ma was ugly, he would still say she was not bad, let alone if she was really beautiful!
Not long after, Ai Guo returned. As soon as he entered the room, he picked up a water glass and poured himself a large glass of water. He gulped it down in a few big mouthfuls and then began to recount what he had seen and heard that day.
"Mo Xue, are you sure you're not mistaken? This person didn't contact anyone all day. The two of us just walked through the streets and alleys looking for those old city areas, old hutongs, and iconic shikumen houses. We took a lot of photos, using up three rolls of film. I didn't see anything special about him."
“Draw a simple map of the places you visited today, and I’ll compare it with yours,” An Moxue said, going into the bedroom and taking out a large, detailed map, which she then spread out on the table.
Ai Guo looked at it and asked, "Mo Xue, didn't we come here to have fun? What are you going to do with such a detailed map?"
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