Jiang Hexi's hair salon business under the camphor tree was booming.
Because she only brought one hair perming machine with a constant temperature, she limited the number of hot perms to five perms per day. Due to a shortage of manpower, she only gave ten perms per day. But that still couldn't stop the enthusiasm of the aunties and grandmas who flocked to her.
Most people's needs are very simple: to thin out their hair so that they can work in the fields more easily.
In the sweltering heat of late summer, a magnificent spectacle appeared along the bluestone riverbank.
The older women squatted in rows on the bluestone slabs, shampooing their hair in the flowing river water, and began to wash their own hair.
Under the camphor tree sat a circle of aunties drying their hair in the breeze.
Master Fang connected with them via live stream, remotely instructing them on how to cut their hair.
Jiang Hexi and her two apprentices worked tirelessly to thin out hair, their scissors snipping away incessantly.
A haircut takes ten minutes, including a fringe fix.
Although their hairdressing skills are average, their service level is absolutely top-notch.
Shen Yingyu did his best to ensure logistical support, and the unlimited supply of tea never stopped.
He carried a notebook in his trouser pocket to record the fruits, vegetables, rice, flour, cooking oil, alcohol, and meat products that the villagers brought him. He also had to follow instructions to prepare various reagents for perming hair.
Even though he was too busy to spare a moment, he still managed to borrow the program's projector and, with the help of the staff, projected the movie onto the screen in the evening so that the aunties waiting in line could watch it.
Yan Jie returned from the town's health clinic and, passing the camphor tree at the village entrance, parked his van by the roadside.
He looked at the women's uniformly curly bangs, which seemed to be bought for free, walked up to Jiang Hexi, and said hesitantly, not daring to voice his opinion:
Have you had dinner yet?
"Can't you see I'm busy? I don't have time to eat."
Jiang Hexi took her aunt's bangs curler, and looking at the big, bouncy waves that bounced up, she proudly showed off:
"Master Fang praised my bangs for being done well."
A big, wavy, side-swept fringe might look amazing if only one or two are done, but if a dozen or more are done in batches, it just becomes aesthetically tiring.
Yan Jie spoke up tactfully: "Changing the style of your bangs might have a different effect."
Jiang Hexi called out, "Grandma Xiang—"
Grandma Xiang was sitting on a low stool with her back to the camera watching a movie on the screen when she heard this, so she turned around and looked over.
When Yan Jie saw Granny Xiang's tufts of curly bangs, he suddenly realized he had been presumptuous:
"You continue, I won't disturb you any longer."
Jiang Hexi watched him slink away, thinking to herself that even Master Fang didn't dare to give advice on the bangs hairstyle, yet he dared to offer his own opinions. He was truly audacious.
"Grandma, the bangs you designed yourself look really good."
Grandma Xiang stroked her slightly curly hair, cupped her hands, and smiled:
“Xi-mei, you have a good eye. Grandma said I look like a curly-haired dog. I hate her so much.”
“You just won’t listen to advice and you’re so stubborn,” Cui Atai said, shaking her head. “Your hair is completely beyond saving.”
Jiang Hexi continued trimming her aunt's bangs, and Liu Yuxi stepped forward and said:
"Xi-mei, is there anything I can do for you?"
"What happened to your hand?" Jiang Hexi put down the scissors and asked.
"I accidentally hit my hand while nailing down the duck cage in the backyard."
Liu Yuxi smiled and said, "Yan Wang took me to town to get a tetanus shot, and I'm all better now."
"Was your hand injured by Yan Wang?"
"no."
Liu Yuxi hurriedly defended herself, saying, "I accidentally injured myself while nailing the bamboo pole, it's no one else's fault."
"Stay away from Yan Wang from now on."
Jiang Hexi has been ungrateful since he got Yan Jie, and now he's really driving me crazy.
“He’s a menace. It wasn’t enough that he ruined Chu Yang, now he’s trying to harm you too. But with me here, I won’t let him have another chance to get close to you.”
Liu Yuxi: "..."
She couldn't help but suspect that Jiang Hexi was playing dumb to fool others; this was a truly clever move.
"—Stay away from Yan Wang from now on—" This sounds more like Xi Mei asserting her dominance.
[Anyone saying this would be considered arguing, but Xi Mei said it with such an angry expression, making it sound hilariously funny.]
[Xi Mei's actions were a lucky accident; she gave Liu Yuxi a good dressing down!]
Jiang Hexi had no idea that Yan Jie had formed a new CP with someone else.
She simply wanted to control her "husband" and stop him from bullying others, so she instinctively sheltered the "victim" under her wing.
Grandma Xiang was quite satisfied with her slightly wavy hair that had been permed.
The old man specially brought out his treasured rose vinegar and rose wine and personally delivered them to the stone house.
Jiang Hexi repeatedly declined Granny Xiang's kind offer, but in the end, she couldn't resist the old woman's insistence and accepted the two jars of rose vinegar and rose wine.
Chu Yang followed her into the room: "Sister, is this the flower wine that Granny Xiang sent?"
"It's rose vinegar and rose wine."
Jiang Hexi handed the two jars to Chu Yang.
"Put it in the refrigerator to chill, and take out this jar of rose vinegar to taste at dinner time."
"Sister, I understand."
Chu Yang went into the living room, put the two jars in the refrigerator, and then went back to his room to take a shower.
Liu Yuxi walked over, opened the refrigerator, and saw the two bottles of rose vinegar and rose wine with labels.
Same jar, same wine-red liquid, same alluring aroma.
She gently peeled off the labels from the rose vinegar and rose wine and swapped them onto the two jars.
The group sat around the dining table to eat dinner.
Jiang Hexi and Chu Yang each filled a large bowl with rose vinegar, clinked their bowls together, and then took a small sip.
"It has a sweet taste with a faint rose fragrance. It's delicious and very refreshing."
"Sis, I don't think I taste any vinegar in it."
"You think you're drinking white vinegar? It still tastes like vinegar."
Jiang Hexi said, "Grandma Xiang's rose vinegar has been stored for who knows how many years. The vinegar flavor has long since evaporated, and what's left is just aged wine."
Chu Yang was completely convinced. He picked up the jar of rose vinegar and got up to pour vinegar for everyone present, but they all refused.
Yan Jie: "I'm not jealous."
Shen Yingyu immediately added, "I'm not jealous either."
Liu Yuxi said casually, "Thank you, but I'll just have some water."
Yu Xiangwan glanced at him. "Just leave it there. It will pour itself when I want to drink it."
Seeing that none of them appreciated it, Chu Yang turned around and filled Jiang Hexi's bowl with rose vinegar.
Jiang Hexi drank that large bowl of rose vinegar.
Yan Jie was the first to notice something was wrong with her. "Xi-mei, are you drunk?"
Everyone present turned to look at her.
Jiang Hexi was clearly drunk; her cheeks flushed bright red, and she sat there with a silly grin, her eyes glazed over.
"Hehe, I'm not drunk."
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