Chapter 38: The Barbershop Business Is Booming

Yi An’an was stunned for a moment. “So many people?”

“Yeah! They’re all coworkers and friends of yesterday’s customers. After seeing how good the perms turned out, they all came running today.”

“But our appointments are already booked up to three days from now!” Yi An’an glanced at the crowd—there had to be forty or fifty people. This would push things back another three days at least.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. You hand out number tags first. I’m planning to visit the barbershop in the neighboring town today to borrow a few workers and machines. We still have two months until the New Year, and their shop isn’t nearly as busy. No one expected our place to get so crazy with perm requests!” Sister Hua said with a grin.

Yi An’an replied, “Alright. When the stylists come, we’ll give them the same commission.”

“No need for that much. Listen, three cents per hairstyle for them is enough. The remaining two cents, you can just give to me. I promise I’ll manage them well,” Sister Hua said with a cheeky smile.

Yi An’an nodded. “Alright then. Thank you for the hard work, Sister Hua!”

Yi An’an’s decisiveness and pleasant manner made Sister Hua very happy. She agreed immediately and headed off to the neighboring town.

Meanwhile, Yi An’an handed out number tags, planning for twenty customers a day. Once Sister Hua brought people over, she could adjust accordingly.

With Sister Hua gone for the morning, Yi An’an worked hands-on. By noon, Sister Hua returned beaming, riding a tractor that carried three perm machines and three stylists.

“This is Master Chen, Master Liu, and Master Han. They’re all top stylists from the neighboring town’s barbershop, here to support us,” Sister Hua introduced.

Yi An’an welcomed them with a smile and invited them in.

The stylists were shocked when they saw the two styles that had been permed.

“In all my ten-plus years in the trade, I’ve never seen such beautiful curls!” Master Chen exclaimed.

“Oh, I’m tempted too! Once we’ve learned it, you have to do one for me first!” said Master Liu eagerly.

“I want one too!” added Master Han.

Sister Hua chuckled. “Don’t worry, everyone gets one—and for free! You’ll be our store’s models.”

“By ‘model,’ do you mean like the pretty ladies on those calendar posters?” Master Han asked.

“More or less. Alright, go start learning. You’ve got a whole day today. Once you’ve got it down, we’ll assign work tomorrow!” Sister Hua urged them.

The sooner they learned, the sooner they could earn money. With just these three, they could do at least a dozen perms a day. Two cents per perm meant several bucks earned!

The stylists eagerly went to train.

Sister Hua turned to Yi An’an and said cheerfully, “The barbershop in the neighboring town often gets praised by the county and regularly earns the ‘Mobile Red Flag’ award. This time, I’m determined to win it for us. If we get it, we’ll even get extra year-end benefits—it’s all good!”

Yi An’an gave her a thumbs-up. “Sister Hua, you’re amazing!”

Beaming, Sister Hua skipped lunch and got straight to work.

After all, it was all money!

Watching the energetic barbershop bustle with customers, Yi An’an knew that in a few days, she wouldn’t need to supervise anymore. The stylists were keeping track of how many customers they did, and she remembered which numbers were assigned, so there was no need to oversee the accounts.

Having worked all morning, Yi An’an was hungry. She had a bowl of wontons and was planning to visit the black market in the afternoon to buy a watch. Just as she looked up, she saw Yi Jixiang and a middle-aged man entering the alley next to the wonton shop.

Yi An’an hesitated, then quietly followed them.

In the alley, Yi Jixiang’s coy voice drifted out, “Brother Zhang, can you really get a red wool coat and high-heeled leather shoes from Guangzhou?”

“Of course. I’ve got relatives there. Getting that stuff is easy,” the man said with a lecherous chuckle. A moment later, Yi Jixiang’s voice came again, playing hard to get.

“Brother Zhang, let’s wait until you’ve got the goods…” she said softly. “Ah, don’t be like this…”

“You’ve got to let me have a taste first,” Zhang chuckled. “Just a kiss and a feel, nothing more!”

Yi An’an, hiding nearby, remembered something from her past life.

In her previous life, after being forced to marry Yan Dabao, Yi Jixiang replaced her at the supply and marketing cooperative selling pickled vegetables. Later, Yi Jixiang married the son of the cooperative’s director. On her engagement day, she wore a red wool coat and high heels, strutting past Yi An’an’s home—while Yi An’an, nine months pregnant, knelt scrubbing the village chief’s feet.

Yi An’an sneered. Who would’ve thought that, just for that outfit, Yi Jixiang was willing to cozy up to such a greasy middle-aged man?

Good. Once her reputation was ruined, she’d like to see if that promising, college-educated son of the supply director would still want her.

Yi An’an glanced around and spotted a few of Yi Jixiang’s coworkers walking out from the supply co-op.

It was post-lunch break time. They had eaten and were out for a walk in the sun or heading toward the cinema nearby to check out any good films. Life was relaxed and easy.

Work wouldn’t resume until 2 p.m.

Yi An’an, listening to the sounds from the alley, spotted a big black dog squatting by the wonton shop entrance. She quickly went inside, and while the staff wasn’t looking, she fished a chicken carcass—clearly simmered for days—out of the broth pot.

When she came out holding it, the black dog stared at her wide-eyed, drooling at the chicken.

Yi An’an waved the carcass in front of the dog, then tossed it into the alley.

The black dog bolted after it. Soon, Yi Jixiang’s shrill scream rang out from inside.

Yi An’an quickly hid. Moments later, Yi Jixiang and the middle-aged man dashed out in a panic.

Yi An’an smirked. Yi Jixiang was terrified of dogs—she had been bitten as a child by Da Huang, the dog Yi An’an raised. Later, Da Huang became lunch for Yi Jixiang.

Yi An’an would never forget that, even after two lifetimes.

Yi Jixiang and the man ran out of the alley—right into the group of co-op employees.

Startled, Yi Jixiang quickly tugged her sweater back down and fixed her hair.

Behind her, the middle-aged man was still fumbling with his belt.

“Yi Jixiang, what were you two doing…?” one of the clerks from the clothing section asked, staring at them and quickly piecing it together. “Yi Jixiang, how could you do something like this…”