Zhang Laiwang smacked his lips, holding his wine cup, and grabbed her on the backside, "Your skill at serving people is second to none."
The widowed Liu’s eyes darted around, and she leaned closer, speaking solicitously, "You're the village barefoot doctor. I heard you have a secret family recipe for conceiving children?"
Zhang Laiwang’s hand holding the wine cup paused. Then, he chuckled mischievously, "What, you want to give me a son?"
Widowed Liu pushed him away, "Let’s talk business. Can you prepare two sets for me? I have a use for them."
"My medicine is expensive, several yuan per set."
Sleeping with Liu Widow only cost him a few jiao, and he wasn't a fool.
Widowed Liu hadn't expected him to be so stingy. She had prepared so much, but she needed his help now, so she couldn't say much. She could only endure it and lean close to his ear to whisper a few words.
Zhang Laiwang’s eyes lit up, "Can this really work?"
Widowed Liu nodded affirmatively, "Don't worry, you'll be rewarded handsomely once it's done."
...
"Sister-in-law, did you get a perm?"
Chen Lishu was cleaning the house with Li Xiulan and Gu Xingping. When she looked up and saw Zhang Qin entering, her gaze fell on Zhang Qin’s fluffy bangs, and she asked in surprise.
As she spoke, Li Xiulan and Gu Xingping also looked over.
Zhang Qin fidgeted, smoothing her bangs, "Yes, my second sister-in-law insisted on dragging me along. I only permed my bangs, but she permed her whole head."
Ever since she saw the two women with permed hair at the department store last year, she had been itching to try it. Liu Yuemin wanted to get a perm too, so she went along with her half-heartedly. However, being conservative, she didn't dare to do too much, only perming her bangs. But she thought permed hair looked good on others, yet after perming hers, she felt it looked awkward, somehow not right.
Chen Lishu smiled, "I think it looks very nice. New year, new look."
As soon as she finished speaking, Liu Yuemin came in from outside. When everyone saw her big, frizzy hair, their mouths fell open, and they were speechless for a moment.
Liu Yuemin was relatively thin with a long face and pronounced features. She had originally looked fine with her short, ear-length hair, but now that she had permed all of it, the effect was truly indescribable.
What’s more, she was quite pleased with herself. Seeing everyone’s gaze on her, she said smugly, "Doesn't it look good? It cost me two yuan and fifty cents, which is a bit expensive, but the money wasn't wasted. Everyone is looking at me when I walk by."
Liu Yuemin sighed, "Mom, third sister-in-law, you really should have gone with us. I asked eldest sister-in-law to perm her whole head with me, but she refused and only permed her bangs. What's the fun in that?"
Everyone was speechless.
"I think eldest sister-in-law's bangs look quite good. If I had known, I would have gone with you too." Gu Xingping said, looking at Zhang Qin's bangs with some longing.
"Why would a student like you get a perm?" Li Xiulan said disapprovingly.
Seeing the disappointment in Gu Xingping's eyes, Chen Lishu thought for a moment and said, "How about I try perming your bangs for you?"
Gu Xingping's eyes lit up, "Third sister-in-law, you know how to perm hair?"
"If I had known you could perm hair, I wouldn't have gone to the salon. Just these bangs cost a yuan," Zhang Qin said, regretting it immediately.
"Sister-in-law, why regret it? Third sister-in-law is probably just bragging. Besides, can her skills be as good as the salon's?" Liu Yuemin said, pouting and gently stroking her 'explosion' hair with her finger.
"I really don't have the skills of a salon hairdresser," Chen Lishu nodded, "I just did it for the novelty. It won't last long, the curls will fall out in a day or two."
"Third sister-in-law, I want this. The school teachers don't allow perms, so I just want to experience it," Gu Xingping said impatiently.
Seeing that Gu Xingping agreed, Chen Lishu turned to prepare the things for perming hair.
The stove fire was burning fiercely. She first put the stove hook in, then brought a stool for Gu Xingping to sit on.
Seeing that she was really going to start, everyone couldn't help but curiously gather around to watch.
Chen Lishu first wet Gu Xingping's hair with water. She glanced at the stove hook in the stove, which was already red hot. She directly took it out.
"Third, third sister-in-law, isn't this a bit dangerous?" Although Gu Xingping loved beauty, looking at the red-hot stove hook made her tongue stiffen and her heart falter.
"Don't worry," Chen Lishu said, dipped the stove hook into the water basin. With a sizzling sound, a lot of white smoke immediately rose. Using the residual heat, she quickly wrapped Gu Xingping's bangs around it and held it for a while.
Without an electric curling iron, even if it might not achieve the desired effect, Chen Lishu prioritized safety and wouldn't let her hair get burnt.
After repeating this a few times, Gu Xingping's bangs indeed curled up. Although not as obvious as Zhang Qin's and Liu Yuemin's curls, Gu Xingping was already very satisfied. She kept admiring herself in the mirror.
"Third sister-in-law, do you want to get it done? I can help you perm yours too," Gu Xingping said after putting down the mirror and turning to ask.
"I finally managed to grow out my bangs so I can comb them all back, so I won't do it."
Chen Lishu said with a smile, tidied up the things, went back to the room to get the share of money prepared for Wu Chunmei. Thinking that her sisters were growing up and couldn't keep wearing patched old clothes, she took out ten yards of fabric coupons and put them in her pocket. After informing Li Xiulan, she returned to the Chen family.
Chen Mantun and his wife, along with their younger children, were all at home cleaning. They were all happy to see her return.
"I've come to give you your share of the money, a total of sixty-one yuan," Chen Lishu said, taking out the money and fabric coupons. "Second sister and third sister are both in school. They can't keep wearing your mended clothes at school. Girls with too many patches don't look good. I happened to have fabric coupons, so I brought some for you."
Chen Liyuan and Chen Lifei's eyes lit up when they heard Chen Lishu talking about making clothes for the older ones. Their clothes were too worn, and boys would often pester them with unpleasant words. But it was already difficult for the family to afford to send them to school, so they never dared to ask for anything.
Wu Chunmei frowned subconsciously when she heard her suggesting making clothes for the older ones, "It already costs a lot to send you to school. Besides, what's wrong with patches? I see many people at their school wearing patched clothes. I think it's better to save them. The younger ones are growing up, and there aren't enough quilts. I'll save them to buy cloth to make quilt covers, as those are actually needed."
The sisters, upon hearing that new clothes were out of the question, felt a wave of disappointment. However, they quickly looked up and said to Chen Lishu, "Eldest sister, Mom is right. It's better to buy quilt covers. We are already very satisfied to be able to go to school."
Chen Lishu opened her mouth, then swallowed back what she was about to say.
Leaving the Chen family, Chen Lishu returned home and took out the workwear fabric. Although the color wasn't very suitable for making clothes for young girls, it was Lunar New Year after all, and she still wanted to make her sisters happy.