Daily Life in the 70s-Chapter 11 - Xu Min

Yang Peiyan's words might not have hurt her, but Taotao, fussy and vain as always, was back in action the moment she got home, causing a stir.

She coaxed Zhang Minghua into giving her some honey and beeswax that her third brother had harvested in the autumn, picked out some angelica from her body-strengthening medicine to grind into powder using the millstone for wheat, added honey to make a simple moisturizing face mask. Her skin became healthily rosy, but besides internal health, makeup was the other option. Unable to do either in the short term, she decided to hydrate her skin; smooth, moist, and fair skin was also beautiful, wasn't it?

As for her lips, the dull and lusterless color someone has mocked left her brooding. So, using beeswax, tea seed oil, and some beetroot slices she had dried and ground into pigment (out of necessity, she used what she had available), she made a simple lipstick. To the astonishment of Yang Peiying, she applied it first to her lips with a fingertip, checked the result in a mirror, and felt somewhat satisfied. Though not glossy enough, it at least covered her pale lip color.

"How about it, Yingzi? Not bad, huh?" she asked, turning to Yang Peiying, who had been helping her, and winked, "Looks like a magic trick, right?"

Yang Peiying nodded, still stunned.

"Do you want to try it?" Yang Peimin encouraged.

Yang Peiying shook her head.

She looked more scared than someone facing execution.

Did she distrust her that much?

Yang Peimin felt awkward.

"This is called a face mask. Everything I've put into it is edible, absolutely harmless. Just like our stomachs need nutrition, so does our skin. This will hydrate and moisten your face. After using it, you'll feel really nice, as if you've had a feast. In the future, I'll also make masks for whitening, freckle removal, detoxifying... let's try our best to lighten our skin, shall we?"

"Sister, where did you learn this from? No one in our village ever does such things... and uses up resources..."

"I learned it from books."

Yang Peiying held back further comment.

"You really won't try? Look, there's still some left. If you don't, I'm going to get mom and your sister-in-law. They're asleep, but we shouldn't waste it, right?" Yang Peimin pretended to call out for them.

"Wait, sister, I'll try."

"That's great, Yingzi! There aren't many girls willing to experiment like you. Freeing your mind from restrictions, you'll learn a lot of surprising things. Sister tells you, there are no ugly women, only lazy ones. Although our conditions aren't the best, there are many skincare products we can make from what's available in day-to-day life. If you're willing to try, you can make it happen."

Taotao's maternal grandfather came from a family of traditional Chinese medicine doctors, and her mother ran a cosmetics company. One was an influence she absorbed through her upbringing; the other sparked her interest. Her dream blended both worlds, aiming to create a natural brand without side effects that actually worked—this was her aspiration from a previous life.

"Sister, you never used to be into this..."

"That's because now is the time I need to start taking care of myself."

While applying the face mask to Yang Peiying and indoctrinating her, Yang Peimin was confident she could improve her sister's conditions. However, if Yang Peiying remained resistant, she wouldn't force her.

After helping her wash off the mask, "How does it feel?"

Yang Peiying carefully touched her face, nodded, and turned to her with a shy smile, "Sister, it feels nice, and smooth too."

"As long as you like it."

"Sister, you're amazing! You even know how to make skincare products!"

Before turning out the lights to sleep, Yang Peimin successfully gained an admiring fan.

The next day, she slept until she woke up naturally, and it would have been even longer had it not been for the heavy blanket...

Back then, all the quilts were cotton-filled, with the cotton weighed by the pound. A 1.5-meter-wide quilt typically required twelve pounds of cotton. Over time, the cotton inside would compress, becoming dense, clumsy, and heavy.

After getting herself ready, she stepped out, only to see Zhang Minghua busying herself with the pig feed.

"Oh, is that my girl? How come you've grown even more beautiful overnight without me seeing you?"

Praised in such an exaggerated way, Yang PeiMin felt somewhat embarrassed.

Zhang Minghua was definitely a sucker for good looks.

"Mom, where are the others?"

"They went over to help at your second uncle's. Your breakfast is being kept warm in the kitchen. Go eat quickly, we'll join them for the meal later."

Yang PeiMin leisurely finished her breakfast, took a few strolls around the courtyard, basked in the sun, and soon someone came to say it was time to prepare for the meal.

Zhang Minghua took her with her, and she also brought along some books that Xu Min had previously given to the original host. They hadn't even entered Yang Dajiang's gate when they could already hear the lively sounds from inside, indicating quite a few people were present.

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"Aunt Minghua, Minmin, you're here. Come in quick, we're about to start eating." Yang Peiqiong, who had good eyesight, was the first to notice them.

With a smile, Zhang Minghua responded, "Minmin, help Qiongzi with the chopsticks. I'll go inside and see." Using the pretext of assisting, she whisked herself toward the kitchen.

Yang Peiqiong pulled Yang PeiMin closer and laughingly said, "Minmin doesn't need to lift a finger; we have plenty of hands."

Then she lowered her voice to whisper, "Xu Min is here. He's currently at the back of the house, I can take you there."

Yang PeiMin nodded.

As they headed to the backyard, Yang Peiqiong gave her a couple of stunned looks. "Minmin, you're so radiant today. Did you put on lipstick? When did you buy it?"

"Did it myself."

Disbelieving, Yang Peiqiong's eyes twinkled, and she gave her an ambiguously warm smile. "Have you seen Xu Min yet?"

Yang PeiMin looked up and saw a slender man walking toward them. He wore a white short-sleeve shirt paired with hemp-colored trousers, exuding the aura of an intellectual. His handsome features coupled with a warm smile did indeed give him a cultured and refined demeanor.

"Minmin, you're here..."

Yang PeiMin unconsciously took a step back under his intense, affectionate gaze, forming an invisible barrier, "You can stand right there."

"Minmin, have a proper talk with Xu Min. If there are any misunderstandings, clear them up. I'll leave you two alone," Peiqiong interjected.

But Yang PeiMin grabbed her, "Cousin, don't go. Stay here and be my witness. Weren't you the one who originally matched us up? You should be present for the end as well—it's only proper to see things through."

"What are you talking about, Minmin? Why is it ending all of a sudden?" Xu Min asked anxiously.

"Peiqiong, when did I ever play matchmaker for you?" Yang Peiqiong also became anxious.

Yang PeiMin thrust the books back into Xu Min's hands, "Here, all these are returned to you. From now on, our paths diverge. Don't even ask why. Ask yourself if you're serious, if you're dating with the intention of marriage. Take a good look at your conscience. You know the truth. I don't want to make our issues a laughing stock by stating everything too plainly. It's definitely not because I don't want to have it out with you! Don't talk about misunderstandings either, trying to cajole me like I'm still that naive girl. I wouldn't mind giving you a taste of what losing one's reputation feels like. And this act of profound affection you're putting on really turns my stomach!"

"Cousin, you heard it too. From now on, I want nothing to do with Xu Min. As a witness, I hope you'll help to clear my name when you hear rumors about me. Also, for the record, we've never had any physical contact, not even a touch of a finger, which I'm sure you're aware of."

Yang PeiMin spoke clearly and deliberately, cool and collected. Dressed no differently from other village girls in her cotton clothes and braids, she stood confidently in the bright sunshine, her beauty standing out like a delicate orchid, leaving Xu Min momentarily dumbfounded.