Read Novel Full Chapter 81
Chapter 81 : Visiting the Provincial Capital
The woman with the sausage lips was extremely angry. This man was shameless. She had taken the initiative to offer, but was rejected. Instead, he chose such a plain, unrefined country woman. What a bumpkin.
“Every woman has her own unique beauty. Women of all ages have the right to pursue beauty. Women should be kinder to themselves,” Jiang Li’s words moved Li Aiyu, and she nodded, agreeing to try.
Jiang Li only spent 30 minutes on Li Aiyu, transforming her into someone unrecognizable. The makeup concealed the blemishes on her skin and highlighted her facial features beautifully.
Her perfectly straight nose, almond-shaped eyes, thin lips, and even the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes didn’t make her look old at all. Instead, they gave her an elegant, mature beauty, with a refined and alluring charm.
Everyone at the wedding banquet was completely impressed by Jiang Li’s skill. Li Aiyu, who had once looked like an inconspicuous rural woman, now radiated an air of sophistication and dignity, worthy of her status.
Li Aiyu’s husband, the director of the textile factory, who was seated at the head table, noticed his wife’s transformation. Seeing her regain her youthful beauty was like seeing a piece of jade uncovered from the dust. He was reminded of their early years of marriage, and his gaze softened toward her.
To be honest, his wife had suffered a lot. When he joined the army, she had stayed behind in the countryside, taking care of his parents, farming, doing housework, and raising their four children. That’s why she had aged so quickly.
Now that life had gotten better, he had urged her to buy some nice clothes and skincare products. But she was so used to prioritizing the family that when she did occasionally dress up, she felt self-conscious from the strange looks of others. This had led her to become more withdrawn over the years, making people feel sorry for her.
Li Aiyu, noticing the affectionate look in her husband’s eyes, took a breath and said, “Xiao Jiang, I want all these skincare products. Can you teach me how to use them?”
Li Aiyu was not short of money, as she handled all the family finances. She bought the items at twice the price, and Jiang Li earned 40 yuan from the reselling, so she took the opportunity to teach her a few makeup tips.
The women at the wedding were also listening with great interest. Even Wang Jing, who had recognized her relatives, stayed next to Jiang Li, seemingly forgetting it was her wedding day.
Jiang Li wasn’t worried about people hearing about her skills. It was like a chef’s recipe, knowing the ingredients doesn’t mean you can cook it the same way. She made a living by her expertise.
After the wedding banquet, both the guests and hosts were happy. The only one unhappy was the woman with the sausage-shaped lips.
Jiang Li learned from Wang Jing that this woman was Chen Kangmei’s second aunt, and Wang Jing apologized to Jiang Li on her behalf.
“Kangmei’s family has always disliked her, but they didn’t scold her because of the relationship between Kangmei’s mother and uncle. Don’t take her words seriously. Just treat them as nonsense.”
Jiang Li wasn’t angry at all. After the wedding, she earned forty-five yuan, received two makeup orders, and also got wedding candies, melon seeds, and peanuts from Wang Jing. She returned with a full load.
However, Li Aiyu packed up all the cosmetics, and Jiang Li went to the department store to restock. In fact, she was thinking of going to the provincial capital to buy some tools for cutting and curling hair, so she could create more hairstyles.
She could already do big waves, pear blossom perms, wool curls, and Jiangli curls.
Moreover, the department stores in the provincial capital would likely have more hair accessories, so Jiang Li wanted to go and have a look. Since she had decided to pursue makeup and hairstyling, she needed to strive for excellence and stay open to learning from others.
Jiang Li explained her plan to Chen Xianyun, and Qi Shaoqiang immediately said, “I won’t be working tomorrow. I’ll go with you.”
Chen Xianyun also encouraged, “Yes, Lizi, you should let Shaoqiang go with you. You’ll need a car to buy all those things. I’m worried you won’t be able to carry them.”
Old Lady Qi laughed, “Young people should get out more watch a movie, visit a park, things like that.”
So, early the next morning, Jiang Li and Qi Shaoqiang got a letter of introduction and headed to the provincial capital.
It only takes about half an hour to get from Bailutang to the county seat by car, but it takes two to three hours to travel from the county seat to the provincial capital, and there are only two buses a day.
Fearing she might not be able to return home in time because of the late shopping, Jiang Li wrote a two-day letter of introduction and decided to stay in a guesthouse in the provincial capital for the night if she couldn’t make it back.
In the morning, Jiang Li, fearing motion sickness, had just a couple of sips of sweet potato porridge before setting off.
By the time they arrived in the provincial capital, her stomach was growling with hunger.
Qi Shaoqiang immediately suggested going to the state-owned restaurant for a meal. The state-owned restaurant in the provincial capital was much grander than the one in the county. It had three floors and covered several hundred square meters. It was already crowded before they even entered.
Jiang Li ordered the restaurant’s signature dishes, and Qi Shaoqiang ordered a few more.
“Eat as much as you want. If you can’t finish, I’ll clean up for you,” Qi Shaoqiang worried that Jiang Li might not be full, and he didn’t want her to feel embarrassed by what others might think, so he made sure to clarify.
He picked up some crab meat and placed it in Jiang Li’s bowl. “The crab meat is really fresh. You should try it.”
As expected, the crab meat was full of flavor, with the lion’s head crab being fatty but not greasy, adding a lot of taste to the dish.
The stewed dried tofu soup had a rich aroma, with chicken broth as the base, and the bamboo shoots and shredded ham brought out the flavor to its fullest.
The salted duck had tender white meat, fat but not greasy, and the staple food was fresh meat pancakes that were so delicious, tasting of onions, meat, and the pancake itself. Jiang Li ate five of them in one go.
After eating, they went to the department store. The provincial capital indeed had a wider range of cosmetics, with products from Haicheng and Beijing standing out.
Jiang Li selected a set for her work use, and also bought three standard sets similar to the one she sold to Li Aiyu yesterday, which included basic skincare and makeup products. She priced each set at 99 yuan.
Once they finished shopping and left the building, the sunset had already painted the sky. The autumn wind blew dry, fallen leaves around them, and ginkgo leaves covered the streets, creating a golden, beautiful scene.
In high spirits, they took a stroll and visited a nearby park.
As night fell, they found a guesthouse to drop off their things and went out to look for food. This time, they didn’t go to the state-owned restaurant. Instead, Jiang Li followed the local residents and discovered a stall selling wontons deep in an alley.
The pink and white meat wontons rolled around in the boiling pot, then were poured into a milky white soup, topped with dried shrimp, seaweed, and homemade dried radish, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
The people ahead were either holding lunch boxes or bowls, likely all locals.
When it was Jiang Li and Qi Shaoqiang’s turn, the owner saw that they were strangers and guarded the pot with caution, saying, “We only make this for ourselves at home, we don’t sell it.”
“Boss, we’re distant relatives. My aunt’s cousin is related to your family. Don’t you recognize me?”
Jiang Li rambled on, then quietly slipped the money for four bowls of wontons into the proprietor’s hands.
Seeing how considerate Jiang Li was, the owner filled her lunch box with wontons, then shouted to the people in line behind them, “No more, the pot’s empty!”