Chapter 56: A Haircut

In the evening, Shen Zhuo returned on his bike, carrying goods and naturally checking in on Ye Xin. “Does your foot hurt? Are you tired?” Ye Xin responded with a couple of casual remarks, urging him to hurry up and cook while she organized the items he had brought home.

Taking advantage of the time before dinner, she pulled out two stacks of paper she had bought today and started cutting. Buying a notebook would have been better, but they were expensive, and the rough-edged paper was cheap and plentiful—if only she had to cut it herself. She first cut the paper to A4 size but found it too big and cumbersome, so she halved it once more.

As she worked, she asked, “This paper will be okay for your class notes, right?”
“Of course! As long as it can be written on,” Shen Zhuo replied. “I didn’t know such an inexpensive option existed; otherwise, I would have bought it too.” He couldn’t help but praise her, “You really know how to make life work!”
Ye Xin beamed with pride. “Saving money is like earning money!” This was a shopping principle she had lived by in her previous life. Some things needed to be of high quality—like meat, vegetables, and oil—while others didn’t require such fuss, as long as they served their purpose, like this paper. The key was to save where possible and spend wisely.

Although they had plenty to eat and drink now, they still lacked many essentials, and their cash flow wasn’t too abundant, so they couldn’t afford to waste it. However, Ye Xin was still unfamiliar with this era; she had only learned about this paper from Wang Xiaowei today. Without her guidance, she wouldn’t have known to buy it. This made having a knowledgeable older sister figure among the educated youth quite beneficial.

Once the cutting was done, she divided the paper in half—one for each of them—and shared the ink as well.
“Take your half to school and see if there’s a stapler you can borrow to bind it. I prefer to use them one by one, so I won’t need to staple mine,” she suggested.
Shen Zhuo nodded, though he thought it wouldn’t be a problem to just stitch a few loops with sewing thread to keep his notes together.

The next day, after a long spell of clear winter weather, it suddenly began to rain lightly. The rain fell like fine threads, barely enough to get one wet if they didn’t venture far. However, in the cold winter, even a little rain made everything feel chillier. With the wind whipping around, the raindrops stung his face, quickly numbing his skin.

But Shen Zhuo still had to attend his training class, undeterred by the weather.
Before he left that morning, Ye Xin reminded him, “The rain could get heavier. Thankfully, you bought a hat and raincoat. Don’t forget to wear them!”
Shen Zhuo waved her off, “I won’t need them. I’ll ride fast enough to stay dry.”
Ye Xin shot him a look. “No matter how fast you go, it still takes you half an hour to get there. Whether you get wet or not is one thing, but if you catch a cold and have to spend money on medicine, that’s another. I won’t be around to take care of you when that happens.”

Realizing she was getting upset, Shen Zhuo complied and donned his raincoat and hat before heading out.

The rain persisted over the next couple of days, so Ye Xin chose to stay indoors and not venture out. The vegetable garden behind their house was almost empty, with only some scallions, garlic, celery, and radishes remaining. At this temperature, it was hard to grow anything, so she didn’t have much to do. Shen Zhuo cooked in the morning, and she could wait for him to come home to cook dinner. Her day mostly involved feeding the chickens and counting the eggs—a rather leisurely routine.

She also spent some time in the space she had set up, which was warm, sunny, and pleasant. Whenever she felt tired, she could snack on some melon and keep busy for a while longer.

The corn was ripening beautifully, each ear plump and inviting. Taking advantage of being home, Ye Xin roasted a couple of tender ears of corn, savoring the delicious treat. With ample feed now available, she was looking forward to expanding her poultry farming.

With that in mind, Ye Xin returned to the chicken coop to feed the chickens, tossing in a handful of corn kernels and some fresh greens. “Come on, girls! Lay more eggs and hatch those chicks! Prosperity is just around the corner!” she encouraged.

On the afternoon of the 28th, the rain intensified. When Shen Zhuo returned, his bamboo hat and raincoat dripped with water, heavy and cold. He hurriedly took them off as soon as he stepped inside.

As soon as Ye Xin peeked her head out of the room to see him, Shen Zhuo humbly remarked, “You really thought ahead. Good thing I listened to you; otherwise, I would have gotten soaked.”

Ye Xin responded with a satisfied “Mm,” and confidently added, “Dinner isn’t made yet. The kitchen is damp and cold, and I don’t feel like cooking. You can take care of it, right?”

Shen Zhuo nodded. “With this rain, you stay inside. I’ll call you when the food is ready.”

Feeling reassured, Ye Xin retreated back into her room. It wasn’t that she was simply being lazy; the kitchen was terribly basic—just a wooden shed. Normally, the drafts wouldn’t bother her too much since her health had improved, but the rain made everything miserable. The table was damp, the countertop was wet, and the floor was slippery. She couldn’t risk getting her clothes dirty when she wasn’t even that hungry, so she decided to take a break.

Yet, seeing Shen Zhuo working diligently without complaint made her feel a little guilty. He had just returned after a long day…

After a while of lounging, Ye Xin couldn’t shake the feeling that it was unfair for him to handle everything alone, so she joined him to help with the fire. While she tended to the flames, she suggested, “How about we make stir-fried pickled cabbage with cured meat and seaweed egg drop soup for dinner?”

Shen Zhuo agreed, letting her warm up at the stove while he got started on the ingredients. As he worked, he looked around the cold, damp kitchen and frowned slightly. After living here for so many years, he had never thought much of it. But now, seeing Ye Xin huddled in her seat made him feel guilty for her discomfort and concerned that she might get cold or dirty her clothes.

With a furrowed brow, he muttered, “Next year, we’ll rebuild this kitchen.”

Ye Xin’s eyes brightened at his words. “Absolutely! This setup is really annoying. Let’s earn some good money next year and build a sturdy red-brick kitchen!”

Shen Zhuo nodded, making a mental note to remember this.

Ye Xin turned her attention to the surroundings, estimating the size of the kitchen. It was in a good spot and didn’t need to be moved, but she needed to calculate how many materials they would need and how much it would cost… now she had experience with this!

Once dinner was ready, Shen Zhuo carried the dishes into the main room. It was clean after the recent cleaning, so he didn’t have to worry about getting his clothes wet.

As they ate, he shared some news about the training class. “Tomorrow is the 29th. The teachers said we’re having an exam to test everything we’ve learned this month. After the exam, we’ll be able to return home. The day after tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, so there won’t be class.”

Ye Xin nodded. “That’s quite considerate. Otherwise, how could anyone enjoy the New Year’s dinner?”

Shen Zhuo’s tone was light with excitement. “Finally, the training class is coming to an end!”

“But when will you get the results? Will you have to return after the New Year?” Ye Xin asked.

Shen Zhuo shook his head. “I’m not sure. They say Secretary Gong from the commune will come by after the exam to say a few words. He’ll probably address that then.”

“Make sure you do well on the exam tomorrow,” she encouraged. “You’ve worked hard for a month despite the rain and wind.”

Shen Zhuo nodded solemnly, understanding the importance of her words.

“Oh, and tomorrow morning, when you see Doctor Xu, ask when the pharmacy will close for the New Year and when it will reopen. I’ll prepare some scallions, garlic, and celery for you to take, and you can also wish him a happy New Year as a thank you for his care this year.”

Shen Zhuo appreciated her thoughtfulness and noted everything down. “Got it.”

After dinner, Ye Xin didn’t rush to take a shower. She wanted to cut her hair a bit. She had wanted to shorten it for a while; it was too long and cumbersome. However, she didn’t want to cut it as short as Liu Hongxia’s, as she didn’t think that style suited her.

Now was the perfect time—New Year was around the corner, and what better way to start fresh than with a new haircut?

In her room, she held the scissors, measuring and imagining the cut. She even grabbed a small mirror to check her reflection. But in the end, she hesitated, doubting her ability to cut it evenly. So, she decided to seek out Shen Zhuo, who was still in the kitchen.

When Shen Zhuo suddenly saw her with her hair cascading around her shoulders, he was momentarily stunned.

Ye Xin thrust the scissors into his hands and said, “Help me cut my hair.”

Shen Zhuo took the scissors, glancing at her long, flowing hair and then back at her face, bewildered. “Why do you suddenly want to cut your hair? How short are you planning to go?”

Ye Xin settled onto a chair by the table and replied, “It’s too long! It’s a hassle to wash and comb. Just cut it five centimeters below my shoulders, and make it even.”

Noticing his hesitance, she urged, “Hurry up! I still want to take a shower.”

Reluctantly, Shen Zhuo moved behind her, carefully reaching out to touch her silky, dark hair. It felt so smooth and soft that it softened his heart.

What beautiful hair!

He measured the length to be cut and felt a twinge of regret, unable to bring himself to make the first cut.

He couldn’t help but confirm, “Are you sure you want it that short?”

Ye Xin nodded, her hair swaying with the motion. “Shorter is easier to manage. Just get on with it, don’t dawdle!”

Shen Zhuo picked up the scissors but hesitated again, softly suggesting, “How about just trimming the ends? If you cut too much, and you regret it, what then? It’s taken a long time to grow this long.”

Seeing him stall, Ye Xin shot him an annoyed glare. “Are you unwilling to help? If I could see the back of my head, I wouldn’t even ask you! If you don’t want to do it, I’ll cut it myself!”

Realizing she was getting angry, Shen Zhuo hurriedly reassured her, “Okay, okay! I’ll cut it right away, don’t rush me.”

He grasped a strand of her hair, took a deep breath, and with a decisive “snip,” he cut it to the length she requested, feeling a pang of regret as the locks fell away.

Carefully, he placed the trimmed hair on the table—there was nearly thirty centimeters of it!

Once he made the first cut, the rest was easier. He continued snipping away, “snip, snip,” as he worked diligently.

Ye Xin sat still, holding a small mirror, her eyes darting around to inspect the progress, reminding him, “Make sure it’s even! I don’t want it looking like a dog chewed it.”

Shen Zhuo nodded seriously, focusing harder than he had in class.

Finally, after cutting all her long hair, he meticulously evened it out, ensuring the ends were perfectly aligned.

Once he finished combing her hair and satisfied that there were no issues, he let out a sigh of relief. “All done.”

Ye Xin relaxed, feeling the tension in her neck ease as she turned her head, noticing how light her hair felt now. The heavy weight of pressure that had been there before was finally gone.

Shen Zhuo gazed at her dark, flowing locks and asked, “Do you want to cut bangs?”

Without hesitation, Ye Xin shot back, “No!”

She examined herself in the mirror, pushing her hair forward. Though she couldn’t see the back clearly, she trusted Shen Zhuo’s attention to detail.

From the front, her hair was neither too long nor too short, falling perfectly at her shoulders, refreshing and reminiscent of her previous style.

She felt a wave of satisfaction wash over her, letting out a contented sigh.

Standing up to retrieve the scissors and comb, she flashed a grateful smile at him and said, “Thanks!”

Seeing her smile, Shen Zhuo felt a daze wash over him.

After cutting her hair, she looked even more beautiful…