## Chapter 10

Although Li Ying’s face was a bit larger, her temperament was sweet. The hairstyle Xu Jin created for Li Ying perfectly highlighted this personality characteristic.

Because Li Ying had a bit less hair, Xu Jin used a perm at the roots to make the hair on top of her head look fuller. At the ends, she curled it outwards with a large curl. When she let it down, the fluffy texture not only made her face look smaller, but paired with the air bangs that reduced the width and length of her forehead, it made her look even more delicate and sweet.

As for the brown hair dye, it was similar to Li Ying’s original hair color, but it had more brightness and shine. It instantly lifted Li Ying’s skin tone by more than one shade. Compared to the Li Ying who had walked in with her black, straight hair that made her face look bigger, it was no exaggeration to say she looked like a different person.

“This, this is me? The one in the mirror, is that really me?” Li Ying pointed at the mirror, her words a little stammered.

“What do you think?” Xu Jin was amused by her. She reached out and pinched Li Ying’s chubby cheek. “Does it hurt?”

“It hurts…” Li Ying said in a daze, but she muttered, “It doesn’t hurt enough. Why don’t you pinch me again?”

Xu Jin almost fell off her chair laughing:

“Silly girl, I just gave you a haircut. Why is your brain not working?”

“But I just got my hair cut. Why did I change so much?”

“It’s not that you’ve changed. You’re naturally beautiful. This hairstyle I cut just makes your strengths more prominent and, well, slightly conceals your weaknesses…”

Before she could finish, Li Ying hugged her:

“Wuu, I don’t care. You’re definitely a little fairy, Xiao Jin…”

But she was secretly amazed. To be honest, before coming here, Li Ying was prepared for Xu Jin to just give her a basic haircut. After all, Xu Jin had cut her hair before. It was usually very ordinary. She would refer to her existing hairstyle and cut it, so the only difference was the length. The rest was basically the same.

But how could she be so beautiful after just a few glances?

“I can make you even more beautiful.” Xu Jin smiled, showing her dimples. She pinched Li Ying again. “Aren’t you going to the provincial capital tomorrow? I’ll go with you. I’ll help you put on some makeup then…”

“Okay, I know…” Li Ying was already at the door. She stopped and turned back to look at Xu Jin. She made a shy gesture. “Well, I’m guessing you’re going to the provincial capital to find your Hanxiang brother, right…”

As good friends, Li Ying knew best. She knew that Xu Jin was so haggard, not only because of her siblings but also because of her fiancé, Zhou Hanxiang.

Speaking of Xu Jin and Zhou Hanxiang’s marriage, it was arranged by Wei Lan when she was still alive. Xu Jin had told her that she thought it was just an adult joke and didn’t take it seriously. But when Zhou Hanxiang was in his second year of high school, his father died suddenly, and his mother brought up the matter again. She formally went through the rituals with the Xu family.

After their relationship was established, Xu Jin not only took on the burden of the Xu family but also the Zhou family.

Zhou’s mother was sickly, Zhou Hanxiang was studying, and his younger siblings were still young. To let Zhou Hanxiang focus on his studies, Xu Jin took care of both the Xu family and the Zhou family. When Zhou’s mother was hospitalized several times, Xu Jin was the one who ran around and took care of everything. Even the two acres of land in their house were tended by Xu Jin alone in her spare time.

When Zhou Jin went to university, Xu Jin was the one who paid for most of his tuition and living expenses. Li Ying knew this, even though outsiders didn’t.

Before, Li Ying was worried that Zhou Hanxiang would have higher aspirations after going to university and would leave Xu Jin. But she worried for nothing. Xu Jin was about to marry Zhou Hanxiang. She had finally made it.

“It’s not to find him,” Xu Jin shook her head. “I have some other things to do…”

“I know, I know…” Li Ying smiled knowingly. “My dad’s work unit has a car going to the provincial capital tomorrow to handle some business. You can just wait at home… By the way, I put the money behind the first teapot…”

As soon as she turned around, she bumped into two female colleagues walking side by side.

The colleague glanced at Li Ying and quickly looked away. But as she was about to pass by, she stopped again and looked at Li Ying with suspicion. When she confirmed that she hadn’t seen wrong, her eyes almost popped out of her head:

“Li Ying? It’s Li Ying?! I almost didn’t recognize you!”

“Where did you get your hair done? It’s so beautiful!”

“Don’t even say it. You must have gone to a barbershop in the provincial capital to get a new hairstyle,” another colleague said, holding Li Ying’s hand and looking her up and down. The envy in her eyes was evident. “Li Ying, quickly tell me the name of that barbershop. I’ll spend a month’s salary to get my hair done like yours.”

This haircut was like getting a new head. Such amazing skills couldn’t possibly be found in a small town like theirs.

When Li Ying came back with that black, straight hairstyle, everyone thought she was too extravagant. After all, it cost 68 yuan. But now, with this hairstyle, her colleagues thought that even 168 yuan would be worth it!

“I didn’t get it done in the provincial capital.” Li Ying’s smile widened. She turned around and pointed to Xu Jin’s barbershop, her voice full of pride. “Xiao Jin just gave me a new hairstyle.”

“It was done here?” The two colleagues looked at each other for a moment, clearly disbelieving.

Although their families weren’t as rich as Li Ying’s, they weren’t bad either. They could also earn their own money. They usually wouldn’t even look at things in the small town, whether clothes or anything else. As for Xu Jin’s small barbershop, they had never paid any attention to it. They thought that a small, broken barbershop could be opened by anyone who learned a few things. They didn’t trust Xu Jin’s skills and had never stepped foot in the place.

But now, Li Ying said that her beautiful hairstyle was done here?

“Can you lie about something like this?” Li Ying could see the doubt behind their hesitant expressions. She stepped aside and pointed to her long hair, which hadn’t been tidied up yet. “Look, my cut hair is still there.”

The two colleagues finally believed that Li Ying’s beautiful hairstyle was indeed done by Xu Jin. They looked at each other and understood each other’s thoughts.

They didn’t have to go to the provincial capital to get a beautiful hairstyle? Not to mention that Xu Jin’s barbershop was always reasonably priced. It would definitely be cheaper than the hair salons in the provincial capital.

“So, how much did this hairstyle cost?”

Xu Jin looked at the two women for a moment. “Your hair texture and face shape are different from Li Ying’s. If you trust me, you can do it now. The price is between 29 and 59 yuan…”

“I’ll do it.” Before Xu Jin could finish, the girl on the right interrupted eagerly.

Li Ying had gotten a black, straight hairstyle, which cost 68 yuan. But Xu Jin’s barbershop’s highest price was only 59 yuan!

“Well, I’ll do the 49 yuan one…”

The other colleague also quickly made a decision and said she would do the 59 yuan one.

Seeing them like this, Xu Jin smiled.

No matter what era it was, there were always rich people. When she hastily set the price, Xu Jin was a little uneasy. She was worried that the customers wouldn’t accept it, but it turned out to be so smooth.

With two hairstyles done, she would immediately earn over 100 yuan, which was almost a month’s salary for some people in this era.

Li Ying was eager to go home and show off her new hairstyle. She said goodbye to Xu Jin and ran home. Before she even got to the door, she heard her mother talking on the phone in a high and low voice:

“…Your sister is so stubborn. She insisted on getting her hair done at Xu Jin’s…”

Before she could finish, Li Ying ran away. Li Ying’s mother was very angry.

The blind date was the most important thing. But her silly daughter insisted on taking care of her friend’s business and put her lifelong event on hold.

But daughters couldn’t be controlled once they grew up. Li Ying’s mother didn’t know what to do with her precious daughter. It just so happened that her daughter-in-law called and said that she had already booked an appointment at a barbershop in the provincial capital. Li Ying’s mother started complaining to her daughter-in-law.

As she was talking, she heard Li Ying’s voice coming from outside the window:

“Mom, you’re talking bad about me to my sister-in-law again…”

“What bad things am I saying about you?” Li Ying’s mother was startled when she suddenly came back. “I was just chatting with your sister-in-law…”

She looked out the window and saw Li Ying’s bright smile. Li Ying’s mother was stunned.

Was that really her daughter outside the window? Her face looked smaller, and she even looked a few years younger. Not to brag, but Li Ying’s mother thought that her daughter was no worse than the stars on TV and movies.

She kept saying “Oh my” and hung up the phone.

She rushed out like a gust of wind, holding Li Ying’s hand and looking her up and down:

“Oh my, my dear, your hair, your hair, how beautiful it is!”

“This is the new hairstyle Xiao Jin just did for me. Is it beautiful?”

Li Ying’s mother nodded repeatedly:

“Beautiful, beautiful, so beautiful!”

“Who was talking bad about me to my sister-in-law just now?” Li Ying snorted proudly. “I told you that Xiao Jin’s skills are amazing, but you didn’t believe me…”

“Okay, okay, Mom was wrong. Mom was looking at people through a crack in the door and underestimated them…”

When Li Ying’s father came home from work, he was shocked to see Li Ying’s hairstyle. He looked his daughter up and down several times before confirming that he wasn’t seeing things. His daughter had indeed become much prettier…

After showing off at home, Li Ying ran back to her work unit. Even the two senior ladies at the bank were attracted and went to Xu Jin’s small shop after work.

Xu Jin didn’t close up until almost ten o’clock that night. After sending all the customers away, she counted her income for the day. Including the other customers who just got their hair cut, excluding Li Ying’s, her total income was 218 yuan.