Read Novel Full Chapter 78
Chapter 78 : Makeup
Jiang Tianci was full of resentment. He hated being born in the countryside and having farmer parents.
If his family had lived in the commune and his parents were workers, and he could take over their jobs after graduation, he wouldn’t be jealous of the children of cadres at school who lived glamorous lives.
“It’s all your father’s fault! He kept the money in his hands and refused to spend it. Tianci, you are suffering because of him,” Wang Juhua complained, letting out all her frustrations. Seeing the resentful look on her son’s face.
Jiang Changyi had no choice but to explain, “I originally had 200 yuan, sent by Jiang Li’s mother’s family from Haicheng. It was only sent once. I wanted to find you a job in the commune after you graduated. Then, I gave Jiang Li a dowry of 30 dollars, hoping to ask Qi Shaoqiang to find you a job. But I didn’t expect that heartless girl to take the money and insult us.”
Jiang Changyi was filled with resentment. When had he ever been treated like this before? He needed to secure a job for Tianci, or else Qi Shaoqiang would have no chance at success.
He gave his son five yuan and said, “You can rest at home for two days. I’ll make sure you can go to work in town soon.”
Jiang Tianci’s expression softened when he took the money and left.
“Have you visited Hongmei?” Jiang Changyi asked Wang Juhua, who then remembered her daughter, whom she had long neglected. In her mind, her daughter would belong to another family after marriage.
“Why would I visit her? Isn’t it embarrassing enough already?” Wang Juhua replied.
But Jiang Changyi thought ahead. Before Jiang Li got married, she had already severed ties with him. If he went now, he might not even be able to enter the Qi family’s house.
But if he visited Jiang Hongmei under the pretense of visiting her, at least he would have a reason.
“Go to the Zhuang family tomorrow to see Hongmei. It’s not right that she hasn’t come back after getting married.”
Wang Juhua complained but was still somewhat concerned in her heart, so she agreed.
Meanwhile, Jiang Li had entered the city and was shopping at the cosmetics counter in the department store. She wanted two bottles of Friendship brand vanishing cream.
Lily of the Valley Rouge, which can be used as both blush and eyeshadow, Yongfang Pearl Cream, which covers blemishes and brightens the skin, equivalent to foundation, Lotus Pressed Powder.
Violet’s agarwood powder and musk powder. Xiafei’s whitening facial cleanser and Lingzhi milk.
The lipstick was a Sino-foreign joint venture, and Jiang Li chose a foolproof tomato red color.
She also bought a pair of Smee eyebrow pencils and a box of matches.
Jiang Li was happy while choosing, but she felt a bit of a sting when paying. She spent thirty-three yuan and sixty cents, but fortunately, she had saved almost two hundred yuan from selling hair bands recently.
Add to that the 45 yuan Qin Xiaoting gave her every month, and now she was a wealthy woman, having earned her fortune on her own.
After shopping, Jiang Li went to Dashuping, where she and Qin Xiaoting had agreed to practice her makeup after buying the things.
Along the way, the members of the team greeted her enthusiastically.
Jiang Li went to Li Chunlan’s house first. The Li family’s house had changed a lot. The newly built wall was high, enclosing the two east wing rooms where Jiang Li had originally lived. Two mud houses had been built next to the original tile house.
The yard had doubled in size, with pumpkin and morning glory seeds scattered along the corners, and the little flowers were now in full bloom.
The yard was quiet, with only Mai Miao sitting obediently on the bench, writing. Jiang Li picked him up and rubbed him, making him giggle.
Li Chunlan came in with a basket of vegetables. Seeing Jiang Li, she said in surprise, “You’re here! Why didn’t you say anything? I’m in my private plot at the back. Come home for lunch. The team distributed a grass carp yesterday.”
Before Jiang Li could respond, Zhu Xia, holding her belly, groaned, “There are so many mouths to feed at home, and you’re so generous that you let outsiders eat the meat.”
Li Chunlan pinched her waist. “Sister-in-law, explain yourself. What do you mean by outsider? Didn’t you eat the meat Jiang Li brought back last time? Didn’t you live in the newly built house? You took advantage of someone and then say Lizi are from an outsider. There’s no such thing.”
Zhu Xia stared blankly, mouth open but no words coming out. She could only grab the sweaty Daniu and curse at him.
She had been quite well-behaved lately. A few days ago, she insisted on living in the two blue brick houses, but she was severely scolded by her mother-in-law and Li Jinbu.
She had made a fuss and even threatened to go back to her parents’ home, but no one paid any attention to her. Now, all she could do was vent her anger with words.
Li Chunlan pulled the man into the house and said, “Of the two rooms you used to have, one is now occupied by Mai Miao and me, and the other is occupied by my third brother.”
“The other two adobe rooms are reserved for my second brother. He’s planning to find a wife.”
Jiang Li followed Li Chunlan around the house. The furnishings were mostly unchanged, with just some children’s things added. Li Chunlan had cleaned it thoroughly.
The two of them sat close to each other by the window, and Li Chunlan whispered, “Lizi, that guy is getting married.”
Jiang Li was surprised. “Chang Jinguang? Who is he marrying?”
“Ding Wenyu, the niece of Accountant Ding. She’s now an accountant in our brigade.”
Li Chunlan looked lonely, and Jiang Li could only hold her hand in comfort.
“There’s something I didn’t tell you. He came to see me once that day and said he liked me and wanted to marry me.”
“I feel really disgusted that I fell in love with such a person. He obviously has a partner, but he can pretend like he doesn’t and confess his love to someone else.”
To comfort Li Chunlan, Jiang Li took out her cosmetics and applied makeup on her.
Li Chunlan’s face shape was somewhat similar to Wang Jing’s, who was getting married tomorrow. Both had round apple faces, but Li Chunlan’s skin tone was healthier.
When Li Chunlan looked at herself in the mirror, she could hardly believe her eyes. Her almond-shaped eyes were sparkling and full of life, and her lips were outlined in a bright red.
Her hair was tied into two braids, then gathered into a bun with a ribbon behind her ears. Her bangs were slightly curled. Jiang Li picked out a suitable dress from her closet and urged her to change into it.
Li Chunlan was shy, but the result amazed Jiang Li. She wore a green lapel shirt, fitted black pants, and a pair of lace-up shoes. She looked very energetic.
“Lizi, do I look good like this? Is it too extravagant?”
Jiang Li nodded enthusiastically. “You look great. Come on, let’s go for a walk.”
Sure enough, when they went outside, they attracted a lot of attention. Several girls who had been good friends with Li Chunlan kept asking her how she dressed.
“How could I have done all this? It was Lizi who helped me,” Li Chunlan said, feeling a bit nervous at first, but later gaining more confidence.