Chapter 16

That evening, when Lu Yun returned home and sat down for dinner with her family, she mentioned her desire to perm her hair.

After they finished eating, Lu Dong handed Lu Yun ten yuan to use for the perm.

Lu Yun, who received a salary every month, held the ten yuan tightly in her palm, feeling a mix of emotions she couldn’t quite express.

Lu Dong said, “I’ve noticed quite a few young girls in our factory getting perms lately. I even suggested your mom get one, but she said she wouldn’t dare to do that. However, if you get your hair permed, she might just consider going to the salon herself.”

Zhang Meili, sitting nearby, rolled her eyes in disbelief but still maintained a amiable demeanor that made Lu Yun laugh.

Afterward, Zhang Meili took the empty dishes and headed to the sink to wash them. As she scrubbed, she chatted away, while Lu Dong offered to help but was promptly shooed away by Zhang Meili.

“I think that style from Hong Kong is really popular right now. Your hair is thick, so a big curly perm would look great. Just buy a red dress and wear some high heels, and in this alley, who could look better than you?” Zhang Meili suggested.

“That does sound quite fashionable.” Lu Dong replied.

Imagining the scene that Zhang Meili described, Lu Yun quickly waved her hands.

She felt she wouldn’t be able to pull off that look, especially not the high heels.

She was used to wearing flat shoes and could barely manage to wear heels even a few times.

She was content with her height, which she had measured earlier at about one hundred sixty-eight centimeters, feeling it suited her just fine.

Once she was back in her room, Lu Yun took down her hair and looked in the mirror to estimate how long it would be if she decided to perm it.

Her hair was long, almost reaching her waist, so cutting it and then perming it seemed reasonable.

Lu Yun took a comb and began brushing her hair while admiring her face reflected in the mirror.

She truly looked like the gentle and delicate character from the novels she had read.

—o—o—o—

When Lu Yun met Sister Sun, she took the opportunity to ask her where are the best places to get a perm in the county.

Sister Sun shared several recommendations and warned Lu Yun about a few salons to avoid, as they charged exorbitant prices and didn’t do a good job with hairstyles. She recounted a story about someone who had their hair ruined, leading to a confrontation with the salon, which eventually resulted in a refund along with some additional compensation.

Sister Sun asked, “Are you going this weekend? I’m going too. Shall we go together?”

Lu Yun smiled and replied, “I’ve already made plans with someone else.”

Sister Sun wasn’t offended and said, “That’s fine. Let’s plan to go out together next time. Ever since I had the baby, I find I have so little free time.”

With that, she shook her head and didn’t continue the conversation, and Lu Yun didn’t press her for more details.

—o—o—o—

On the weekend, the sky was clear and bright.

When Lu Yun left her home, she deliberately chose a long-sleeved white polka-dot dress.

She felt it looked good, and in a few days, she would probably have to switch to wearing a sweater or something warmer; otherwise, she would be cold.

After arriving at the salon that Lu Yun had mentioned, she and He Cheng’an found it quite busy inside. They had to wait in line, and the salon thoughtfully provided a booklet of hairstyle pictures for customers to browse through.

Lu Yun was pleasantly surprised to find such a thing available. She settled into a chair by the window and began flipping through the slightly vintage hairstyle images, eventually setting the booklet aside after a while.

Lu Yun said, “I just want bigger curls, not too many, though.”

He Cheng’an looked around the salon. This wasn’t his first visit, but the hairstyles for men were quite simple.

In fact, there weren’t many men getting perms; most simply came in for hair washing and cutting, which could be done quickly in a matter of minutes.

Whenever he came here in the past, he hadn’t really paid attention to anything else.

He watched as one of the hairstylists worked on a woman’s hair.

The stylist first washed her hair, then cut it. Afterward, he applied some sort of product to her hair before using colorful, plastic tubes to curl it.

Once all her hair was curled, he took her to a machine that had a transparent plastic cover on the front, which was emitting steam.

The stylist explained that it was called a steam perming machine, and theirs was the latest model.

Finally, it was Lu Yun’s turn. He Cheng’an had been watching as her hair was almost finished curling.

He leaned over and said, “I’m going out for a moment, just to the other side. I’ll be back quickly.”

Lu Yun nodded, smiling at the stylist as she worked on her hair, and replied, “Okay.”

He Cheng’an continued to watch her and said: “I’ll be back soon.”

—o—o—o—

When He Cheng’an returned, Lu Yun was just about to start the steaming process.

He came over and opened the plastic bottle of soda he had brought, carefully twisting the cap back on before placing it beside Lu Yun.

He also handed her a piece of milk cake.

As the steam began to rise, Lu Yun quickly realized how hot it was.

But this was a good thing; only the better salons in the county had such machines, which allowed for quicker perms. Smaller salons, tucked away in corners and alleys, still used heating caps that were placed directly on the head and plugged in to heat up.

Additionally, there was another method involving hot tongs for curling hair, which Lu Yun wasn’t brave enough to try.

She took a few bites of the milk cake, but it was too hot inside, and her ice cream was nearly melting. Unable to finish it, she shifted her hand holding the cake slightly to the side. He Cheng’an noticed her movement and reached over to take it from her.

“Are you still going to eat it?” he asked.

Lu Yun hesitated before saying, “No, I won’t. It’s too hot here, and if I eat it, the ice cream will melt and won’t taste good.”

As He Cheng’an quickly devoured the remainder of her ice cream, Lu Yun bit her lip and then lowered her head with a smile.

“You don’t mind that it’s what I left behind?” she teased.

He Cheng’an responded, “From now on, whatever you can’t finish, I’ll eat.”

—o—o—o—

After getting her hair permed and leaving the salon, it was already afternoon.

They had spent over two hours getting her hair done, and the thick, black curls added a unique flair to Lu Yun’s appearance.

However, as the wind blew, she noticed that her hair carried a scent, even though it had been washed after the perm.

Lu Yun said, “When I get home, I’ll have to wash my hair again.”

After saying this, she looked up at He Cheng’an and asked, “Does it look good?”

He Cheng’an had done nothing all day except accompany Lu Yun, but he felt more satisfied than ever.

When Lu Yun asked him how she looked, he took a moment to observe her more closely before replying, “You look great.”

—o—o—o—

Lu Yun and He Cheng’an headed to the state-run shopping mall. She wanted to buy some hair ties and was also on the lookout for pretty hair clips.

On the other side, Sister Sun had some free time that day as well and went to get her hair permed, opting for a short haircut instead.

Afterward, she took her husband and child to the mall to buy shoes for their son. With each change of season, they needed to purchase quite a few things.

When Sister Sun spotted Lu Yun walking with a man in the distance, she hesitated to recognize her.

She peered for a while, and although it was a bit far, she was certain it was Lu Yun.

Sister Sun’s husband asked her, “What are you looking at?”

Sister Sun replied, “It’s a colleague from my office. I just can’t see the man next to her clearly. I’m not sure if he’s a relative or what.”

Though she said this, she didn’t go over to ask. She figured she could wait until they were back at work, and Lu Yun would surely tell her then.

She turned away and continued browsing the mall.

—o—o—o—

At the mall, Lu Yun came across the trendy “big intestine” hair ties that were just starting to gain popularity.

This particular style of hair tie would later fall out of favor but eventually come back into style again for reasons unknown. Besides these, there were also claw clips and golden or silver butterfly hair clips.

When Lu Yun touched one of the butterfly clips, the two wings flapped, which she found amusing—though she didn’t buy it.

While she thought it would be fun to play with, she wasn’t sure how to make it look good when she’s wearing it.

In total, Lu Yun purchased two “big intestine” hair ties made of satin fabric—one in blue and one in black. She also picked up two silk scarves, which many people tied around their necks, typically found in places that sold hair accessories.

Lu Yun promised Zhang Meili that she would return early to show her the new perm.

After finishing her shopping, she was ready to head home when she noticed He Cheng’an lagging behind.

When she turned around, she saw him buying the butterfly clip she had just played with for a while.

Seeing him, Lu Yun didn’t call out to stop him.

When He Cheng’an handed her the pair of butterfly clips, she accepted them in front of him and said, “They’re pretty.”

As Lu Yun stepped outside the state-run shopping mall, she was surprised to run into Sister Sun. She walked up and called out, “Sister Sun!”

Sister Sun hadn’t expected to see Lu Yun on her way home. She commented, “Your perm looks great! What do you think of mine? Is it a bit too short?”

Lu Yun shook her head and replied, “It looks good! You look more polished. And, although there’s no scientific basis for it, I always feel like my hair grows faster after I’ve had it cut.”

After saying this, she glanced at the little boy with Sister Sun and asked, “Is this your son?”

Sister Sun nodded. “Yes. Since kindergarten is on break and the weather has turned cold, I brought him out to buy a pair of shoes. Kids’ feet grow so quickly; the shoes we bought last year don’t fit anymore.” As she spoke, she gently pushed her son forward. “Say hi to your sister.”

Lu Yun watched as Sister Sun’s son, who was hardly taller than her calves, called her “sister.” Sister Sun then turned to look at He Cheng’an and asked, “Who’s this?”

Turning slightly, Lu Yun noticed He Cheng’an was looking at her as well.

They stood close together, but He Cheng’an was taller, so Lu Yun’s shoulder was at his arm level. She gave a slight nudge, gently bumping into He Cheng’an.

“He’s asking who you are,” Lu Yun said.

From the moment Lu Yun decided to date him, He Cheng’an had been in a state of excitement and high spirits. At that moment, however, he finally felt a sense of stability.

He turned to Sister Sun and said, “Hello, I’m her boyfriend, He Cheng’an.”

—o—o—o—

Big intestine hair tie—