Chapter 10 Full of Expectations

Shen Yuefu took out another piece of gauze, placed the crushed petals on the gauze, and squeezed out the flower juice. The rich red color was so beautiful that it soon gathered into a small spring in the stone mortar.

"Xue'er, go get two pieces of paper for practicing calligraphy, and use scissors to cut them into palm-sized pieces." Shen Yuefu just then remembered that she hadn't prepared the paper yet, and hurriedly asked Liang Huanxue to prepare it.

Fortunately, she was practicing calligraphy, and there was some bamboo pulp paper in the room, which was just right for making rouge.

Liang Huanxue was quick and swift in getting paper and scissors.

"How can Xue'er do such a thing? What if she hurts her hands?"

"Yue Fu, what on earth do you want to do?" Wang Xifen asked as she sat beside her and cut paper.

She and Nian Huayue looked at it for a long time but couldn't figure out what it was.

Shen Yuefu picked up the cut paper and put it in the mortar.

The yellowed bamboo pulp paper was soon covered by the flowers and branches.

"Cousin, please help me get the dustpan hanging at the door!" Shen Yuefu did not answer, but asked Nian Huayue to help get the dustpan.

Nian Huayue saw that there was a lot of dust on the dustpan, so she knocked it for a while, then took a rag to wipe it clean, and then placed it in front of Shen Yuefu.

Shen Yuefu took out the pieces of paper soaked in the flower branches and placed them on the dustpan one by one.

"Is this... rouge?" Only then did she realize that what Shen Yuefu had been busy making for such a long time was rouge!

"Rouge?" Nian Huayue's eyes widened. "Don't lie to me. I've seen Rouge before, and she doesn't look like this!"

"The rouge you see is used by wealthy people, so it doesn't look like this. This is how my mother made rouge. She picked fresh flowers, crushed them, put paper in them, and let them dry before using.

This kind of rouge is cheap, but it is not very good to use and tastes bitter. "

"Really? Why do I think it smells quite sweet?" Nian Huayue smelled the sweet scent of the flower juice and couldn't help but dipped her finger in it and put it in her mouth to taste it.

"It's bitter, why are you still tasting it!"

Nian Huayue was delighted. "How can it be bitter? It's obviously sweet! The color is beautiful too. Yuefu, when your rouge is ready, can you... can you give me a piece?"

She was too embarrassed to bring it up.

Shen Yuefu was afraid that they would not accept it, but Nian Huayue asked for it herself. She was very happy and said, "So it was made for you.

If you find it useful, I plan to make more and sell it in the county town. Maybe I can get a good price for it and supplement my family income."

"Really? Then I won't be polite! I have never used rouge like this!" Nian Huayue stared at the piece of paper in the dustpan, full of anticipation.

The scraps of paper soon filled a dustpan and were taken outside to dry.

But when he looked up and saw Liu Chunhua, he immediately felt unlucky.

But the window was open and couldn't be closed, so I could only force a smile at her.

Liu Chunhua twisted her body and came over, took a look at the dustpan, and stretched out her voice, "Hey, what is this?"

"Sister-in-law, this is the rouge I made. It's not finished yet, but I'll give you a few pieces after they're dried. They're very useful!" Shen Yuefu rinsed the mortar clean, washed her hands, turned around and heard Liu Chunhua's voice, so she replied.

"Rouge? Why would I need this stuff? You know who is putting on rouge and powder all day long, right? Only those stinky people who sell smiles at doorsteps would use this stuff. I don't need it!"

Liu Chunhua's words were so harsh that even Wang Xifen, who was usually too lazy to argue with her, couldn't stand it anymore. "What do you mean by that?"

"Is what I said wrong? Go out and take a look. Who in this village is putting on makeup all day long? Isn't it the widow Feng at the east end of the village? Don't you know what she does in this village? I don't want this thing even if you pay me for it!"

After Liu Chunhua finished speaking, she also made a "Puh" sound, as if she was looking down on them.

Liang Huanxue was so angry that she said to her, "You didn't want it, so don't beg my mother to give it to you later!"

Liu Chunhua was annoyed and tried to knock over the dustpan, but Liang Huanxue stretched out her two small hands to protect it tightly, thus giving her no chance to succeed.

"You little girl, you are getting more and more crooked! Like mother, like daughter, it's really true! I'm telling you, I will never buy rouge made by your mother!"

It's not a rare thing, why are you begging for it? Liu Chunhua pouted again and walked away with her back twisted.

Liang Huanxue let go of the dustpan only after she saw the man walking far away.

She grabbed it too hard and the splinters on the dustpan pierced her hand. When she let go, blood gushed out, which made Shen Yuefu very heartbroken.

"If she wants to lift you up, just let her. Why are you holding me so tightly? Look at my hand. If your grandma saw it, she would scold me!"

As Shen Yuefu spoke, she picked up Liang Huanxue and sat her down at the table. She asked Nian Huayue to hold the lamp for her. She took Liang Huanxue's tender little hands and looked at them carefully, and found that there were many splinters stuck in them.

"Oh! All the splinters have to be picked out, otherwise it will hurt. Look how brave Xue'er is. She didn't cry even in such a situation. If my two boys had encountered the same thing when they were young, they would have cried for their parents!"

"Xue'er is just stupid and doesn't feel pain, so she doesn't cry." Shen Yuefu took out an embroidery needle, warmed it over the candlelight, and carefully picked out the splinter from Liang Huanxue's hand.

The fingers are connected to the heart, how could Liang Huanxue not feel pain?

But she is not a real child, and she still feels that it is too embarrassing to cry over such things.

But when Shen Yuefu was using a needle to pick out the splinter, she really couldn't help it and burst into tears.

The tears hanging on the chubby little face are so adorable no matter how you look at them.

"Yuefu, be gentle!" Wang Xifen's heart was broken when she heard the crying. "If not, let me do it. You are such a ruthless mother!"

She hugged Liang Huanxue in her arms, took the needle from her hand, and urged her to stand up, "Go away, let me do it!"

Shen Yuefu had no choice but to stand up.

She had been gentle enough, but the splinter was deeply embedded, and it was not easy to pick out, so she had to be ruthless.

"Second aunt, how about I do it myself?" Seeing that none of them dared to take action, Liang Huanxue felt that she was the most ruthless one.

"How can that be possible? Let me do it." Wang Xifen hardened her heart and picked out the splinter with a needle.

Then he quickly applied the medicine, wrapped his fingers with gauze, and blew on her hands.

Nian Huayue had never used rouge before, and she looked at the dustpan hanging on the window eagerly, "Yuefu, when will this rouge be ready?"

"Let it hang overnight, and it should be ready by tomorrow morning." Shen Yuefu glanced at the sky. It shouldn't rain that night.