Chapter 11: Transforming Her Appearance

An Huan drifted in and out of a restless sleep. When she woke up and looked in the mirror, she saw dark circles under her eyes.

This body didn’t just look exactly like the one she used to have—its constitution was the same too. Even a little sleep deprivation would leave her with dark shadows around her eyes.

Xiao Zheng had brought breakfast for her and Dongdong, as Xiao Zheng had left before dawn. She didn’t know if he had returned yet.

“Where did Daddy go?” Dongdong asked, a bit uneasy.

His Father used to disappear for a day or two all the time, then wouldn’t be seen again for a long while.

An Huan comforted him, “Daddy went to work. He’ll be back after he gets off at noon.”

Dongdong let out a small sigh of relief. Then, recalling something, he asked, “Mommy, did Daddy bite your butt last night?”

An Huan: “…No, no, he didn’t. Don’t worry. Now stop talking while you eat. After breakfast, Mommy will take you to the county town to play.”

Dongdong wasn’t that excited about the trip, but he still gave her a polite smile.

When word got out that An Huan was heading into town, Zhou Meihua decided to come along.

Before leaving, she called out to Liao Sanmei, who waved her off. “I’m not going. I’ve got a whole pile of laundry to wash.”

Zhou Meihua gave up on persuading her and headed out with An Huan instead.

She dug into her pocket and pulled out a handful of sunflower seeds, sharing half with An Huan.

“Did you see that just now?” Zhou Meihua leaned in, speaking mysteriously. “While Sanmei was talking to us, her mother-in-law was hiding behind the curtain, spying.”

An Huan shook her head. “I didn’t notice.”

Zhou Meihua pursed her lips high in disdain. “I used to think my own mother-in-law was bad—couldn’t go a day without cursing me—but now that I’ve seen Wang Heping’s mother, that’s what you call a truly vicious old hag! Have you ever seen someone who gets up before dawn every single day just to drag her daughter-in-law out of bed to work? Old Madam Wang actually does that!”

“Before dawn” meant sometime between one and three in the morning.

That was worse than even the cruel landlords of old tales.

An Huan was puzzled. “That early? It’s not even light out. What could she possibly be doing?”

Zhou Meihua gave a snort. “Nothing. She just wants to torment her daughter-in-law! And that’s not all—Sanmei isn’t even allowed to eat at the table. She has to wait until the whole family finishes and then scrounge the leftovers. And when she goes out, she needs Old Madam Wang’s permission. Just yesterday, when she followed me to your place to take a look, she got punished the moment she returned!”

An Huan was stunned. “I visited her house just yesterday afternoon. Sister-in-law Liao didn’t show any signs of distress.”

Zhou Meihua said, “That’s because Old Madam Wang doesn’t hit or kick. She pinches her arms and thighs, and stabs her with needles. None of it leaves obvious marks.”

An Huan asked in disbelief, “And Vice Political Commissar Wang doesn’t step in? His mother behaving like this would surely affect his future.”

Zhou Meihua sighed. “He does step in. I’ve even seen with my own eyes, through the doghole by my yard wall, Wang Heping kneeling to his mother a few times. But the moment he intervenes, his mother bursts into tears, bawling like her heart is breaking, accusing him of forgetting his widowed mother now that he has a wife, saying he’s ungrateful… And even outsiders have tried to step in, but every time Ge Hongying goes to check in, Sanmei defends her mother-in-law. So what can anyone do?”

An Huan asked, “Why would she do that?”

Zhou Meihua sighed again. “She says she’s afraid if the situation blows up, Wang Heping will divorce her.”

An Huan fell silent. In the end, Liao Sanmei was completely at the mercy of her husband, who in turn was under his mother’s thumb.

Then Zhou Meihua turned the topic. “By the way, Young An, what’s Deputy Division Commander Xiao’s family like?”

“Uh…” That question really stumped An Huan. When they first got married, Xiao Zheng had introduced his family, but the original host hadn’t paid any attention, so she didn’t remember a thing.

“I think…” An Huan searched her memory. “I think his parents passed away quite early.”

Zhou Meihua nodded. “Not to sound harsh, but honestly, that’s a blessing from your perspective. Deputy Division Commander Xiao comes from a rural background. His mother probably wouldn’t get along with you. You’ve avoided a whole battlefield in the household.”

An Huan couldn’t help but agree with that.

The straight-line distance from the military zone to the county town wasn’t far, but to get into the city, they had to take a detour and cross a bridge from the other side.

And since there was no transportation, it was all on foot—a walk that would take at least twenty minutes.

The sun was already quite hot, and sweat beaded on Dongdong’s little forehead, but he didn’t complain once or ask to be carried.

Zhou Meihua praised, “Your boy is really well-behaved. Not a peep the whole way. If it were my little rascal, he’d be bouncing around like the Monkey King already.”

Hearing the compliment, Dongdong stood up straighter, proud as could be.

An Huan pulled out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, then smiled and asked Zhou Meihua, “Sister-in-law, how many kids do you have?”

Zhou Meihua replied, “I’ve got three sons and a daughter. The eldest joined the army, the second is back in the village. Right now, I only have my third daughter and youngest son with me. The girl is ten, the boy is seven. Both are little rascals.”

As she spoke, she shook her head, but her face was full of affection and indulgence.

The two of them chatted as they walked, eventually arriving in town.

“What exactly are you going into town for?” Zhou Meihua asked An Huan, then added cheerfully, “I’m just tagging along for fun.”

An Huan thought for a moment and said, “First I want to get a haircut, then maybe buy some fabric to make clothes. You know your way around—take me, will you?”

“Sure!”

Zhou Meihua first led An Huan to the state-owned barbershop. An Huan asked, “Can you straighten my hair?”

The barber thought for a moment. “Yes.”

But what happened next left An Huan speechless.

The barber brought out a flat iron—an actual iron.

An Huan asked in disbelief, “You’re going to straighten it with an iron??”

The barber replied, “What else would I use?”

An Huan quickly backed out. “Then I’d rather just cut it.”

Even though the iron was heated with charcoal and didn’t get as hot as electric ones, it was still intimidating. To avoid damaging her hair, it was safer just to cut it—it would grow back anyway.

Zhou Meihua looked at her regretfully. “It took years to grow your hair this long.”

“But short hair is in fashion now. I want to give it a try.” An Huan smiled.

The barber checked her hair texture, afraid she might change her mind, and chimed in enthusiastically, “Exactly! These days, all the young ladies in town are cutting their hair short. Miss, why don’t you sell me your hair?”

An Huan asked, “How much will you pay?”

The barber thought it over and held up eight fingers.

An Huan hesitated. She didn’t know the going rate and wasn’t sure if she was being cheated.

Zhou Meihua immediately tugged her away. “You’re don’t need that eight yuan, don’t you? Let’s go, don’t sell it! I already feel sorry for your hair.”

An Huan stood up to follow her lead.

The barber quickly said, “Then how much do you want?”

An Huan looked to Zhou Meihua, who declared, “Twelve yuan. Not a cent less.”

An Huan’s hair was naturally wavy, but the texture was excellent—jet black, glossy, and thick.

The barber gritted his teeth. “Deal!”

His skills weren’t bad. He cut her hair to just below the collarbone. Because it had been previously permed, the ends curled inward slightly, giving it a light and voluminous look. With less hair framing her face, An Huan’s features stood out more clearly, making her look more delicate and adding a touch of youthful brightness to her overall appearance.