Chapter 64: Women’s Makeover Plan

Xu Jiaojiao was giddy with excitement thinking about her money-making plan. Luckily, there weren’t many people around right now, mostly young women from the military family compound. Times were improving, transportation was developing, and it wasn’t impossible to save up for a few years to visit family.

Many had brought their mothers, wives, and children over and transferred their household registration here so their kids could attend local schools. On the way, Jiaojiao even heard rumors that the college entrance exam might be reinstated soon.

She made a mental note to buy an extra set of textbooks on the way back—she wasn’t exactly the most organized person when it came to taking notes, and she didn’t want Xie Zhi picking up that habit.

“Jiaojiao, what do you want to eat?” Xie Zhi interrupted her thoughts.

Jiaojiao stood at the food window and peered inside. She saw deep-fried dough sticks, steamed buns, and cornbread. Each item required a different meal ticket—all subsidized by the state.

She was particularly interested in the cornbread shaped like a giant thumbprint. “I’ll have one cornbread, a bowl of porridge, and one egg.”

That totaled two meal tickets. Xie Zhi ordered the same as her, just a larger portion. The two of them found a quiet spot to sit down. When he noticed someone carrying a dish of pickled vegetables, Xie Zhi got up to fetch some too.

Just a few steps away, a woman stopped him. She wore a blue-and-white naval uniform with a white cap and looked like she might be from an ethnic minority.

Na Jie had been watching this handsome man for a while now. Other than Lieutenant Xu, she hadn’t seen a man this good-looking. Something about him seemed to shine—though she didn’t realize it was just Xie Zhi’s male lead aura at work.

Hands on her hips, she asked, “What’s your name?”

Xie Zhi glanced back and saw Jiaojiao watching the scene like it was a comedy skit. He chuckled helplessly and replied politely, “My name is Xie Zhi. That’s my fiancée over there.”

Na Jie looked behind him and spotted the stunningly beautiful girl. As a fiery and competitive woman from the grasslands, she wasn’t one to back down. She tilted her chin and thought, So what if she’s pretty? I’m no worse.

Jiaojiao found her deep-set features and exotic look intriguing.

“I’m Na Jie. Let’s be friends—I want to be in a relationship with you,” she said boldly.

“I already have a partner,” Xie Zhi replied.

“I’ll compete with her for you. Whoever wins, gets you,” Na Jie said matter-of-factly.

Xie Zhi frowned and stepped back to increase the distance between them. “She and I love each other. Why should I compete for anything? This kind of behavior is disrespectful to everyone involved.”

“On the grasslands, we wrestle or race horses for love. Whoever wins gets the prize—what’s the difference?” she asked.

“I’m a person, not an object or an animal. I have my own thoughts,” Xie Zhi said coldly, and turned to leave without another word—completely ignoring Na Jie, who was left stomping in frustration.

She was quite popular in her unit—beautiful, a good singer and dancer, and rarely ever embarrassed like this. Furious, she glared at the couple and ran off, while a crowd of amused onlookers watched the scene unfold.

Xie Zhi returned with the pickled veggies and playfully pinched Jiaojiao’s cheek. “You’re laughing? You’re really not afraid I might run off with her?”

Jiaojiao wrapped her arms around his neck like a queen claiming her throne. “I’m not afraid. I have faith in you, hubby.” Her sweet words made him instantly forgive everything, his mood brightening.

After breakfast, it still wasn’t quite ten o’clock. Jiaojiao gathered a bunch of married women in the courtyard. Xie Zhi thoughtfully set up a table and placed a mirror on it for them to use. Then he quietly retreated to a corner to read.

The military wives were stunned by the array of cosmetics on the table. One picked up a lipstick carefully and gasped, “Oh my goodness, this must’ve cost a fortune.”

“I can’t even bring myself to buy one lipstick, and she’s got a whole table full. I can’t even take it all in.”

“No wonder she’s so pretty.”

Jiaojiao smiled and let them talk, patiently saying, “Women have to treat themselves well. If you don’t dress up and look good when you’re young, then when will you? Alright, who’s going first?”

Her gaze drifted among the four or five women, finally settling on the slightly younger, round-faced one who volunteered herself.

“I’ll go. Just call me Lin Li, Sister Xu. My husband is in the same unit as your brother—they’re both lieutenants.”

Jiaojiao had her sit in front of the mirror. The clear reflection showed Lin Li’s dull yellow complexion and dry skin. Thankfully, she didn’t have many pimples, just a bit of sallowness. Jiaojiao nodded quietly—this wasn’t too difficult.

“Just call me Jiaojiao,” she said with a smile.

She dampened a tissue to clean Lin Li’s face, then applied toner and lotion. The others watched in awe. They’d heard of skincare, but they were shocked by how generously Jiaojiao used the products.

Then came the pale-toned foundation. Lin Li had long, narrow eyes, so Jiaojiao gave her delicate, arched brows. Without double eyelid tape, she focused on eyeliner instead. She was so serious that no one dared disturb her—not even a whisper.

Just from the foundation, Lin Li already looked much better, and the others were wide-eyed. Some even started lining up on their own.

Jiaojiao used blue eyeshadow to make Lin Li’s eyes pop, then followed her standard makeup routine. After half an hour, the look was done.

Lin Li stared into the mirror, trembling as she touched her face, barely believing it was her. Her fingers reached out to confirm it wasn’t a dream, and just as her tears welled up, Jiaojiao stopped her.

“Don’t cry! You’ll mess up the makeup,” she warned.

Lin Li immediately held back her tears. “Oh my god, is this really me?”

“My heavens, Xiao Lin! You look incredible—I almost didn’t recognize you!”

Jiaojiao gently halted the flood of compliments and smiled, “We’re not done yet—hair and outfit still need work.” She was clearly proud of her work.

“There’s more? Wow. But seriously, you look amazing!”

Jiaojiao fluffed Lin Li’s hair, tied it into a princess-style half-updo, and added a pearl hair clip from her pocket.

“All done.”

Lin Li’s beauty jumped several levels. She was beaming, while the others chattered excitedly around her. They were practically worshipping Jiaojiao—though, in reality, it was just a basic makeup look.

For women who usually went barefaced, just using a little foundation made a world of difference—let alone a full makeover with hair and styling.

And so, under the enthusiastic protection of the crowd, Jiaojiao worked until her arms were sore. When only two women were left, their longing eyes tugged at her soft heart, and she finished their looks too—though she vowed that when she opened her shop, she’d definitely limit the number of clients. This was way too exhausting.

Fortunately, the women brought gifts from home: meat, eggs, sweets, and pastries. Jiaojiao refused to take money, so they repaid her with treats.

By midday, thanks to word-of-mouth from a few transformed military wives, Jiaojiao had become the sweetheart of the entire military compound. Curious onlookers came in waves to check out the buzz.