One evening after work, Yang Tao returned home to find someone looking for her at the Yang family house.
It was Yang Xiaomei, the same girl who had previously asked her to help with bridal makeup.
Only then did Yang Tao learn that Xiaomei was getting married the next day. She had come specifically to ask Yang Tao to do her makeup.
Yang Tao figured that if she got up a little earlier and helped before work, it wouldn’t take long or interfere with her labor duties. Besides, helping someone look beautiful on her wedding day was a joyful thing. So she happily agreed and arranged to arrive at five-thirty the next morning.
In this era, there wasn’t much entertainment. There were no mobile phones or televisions. After dinner and a bath, most villagers simply went to bed.
That night, after they were lying down, Chen Yichen began pestering her again.
Yang Tao pushed him away and reminded him that she had to get up early the next morning to do someone’s wedding makeup.
Chen Yichen continued shamelessly coaxing her, insisting that it was still early and promising that she would definitely get to sleep sooner tonight.
In the end, she couldn’t win against him and was once again thoroughly outmaneuvered.
The next morning, Yang Tao was awakened by Chen Yichen.
When she opened her eyes and checked the time, it was already 5:20.
Furious, she reached out and pinched him.
Served him right for fooling around again last night.
After a quick wash, she hurried off to Yang Xiaomei’s house.
By the time she arrived, the place was already bustling with activity. It seemed the entire family was awake.
Xiaomei’s mother led Yang Tao to the bride’s room.
There were already several women gathered inside, including Third Grandma, the village chief’s wife, who had been invited to perform the traditional bridal face-threading and hairdressing.
Yang Tao greeted everyone before sitting to one side and waiting.
Xiaomei’s younger sister, Xiaofeng, brought over half a bowl of noodles and urged Yang Tao to eat something first.
Seeing that the other helpers were also being fed, Yang Tao accepted.
By the time she finished eating, Third Grandma had just completed her work.
Xiaofeng then brought over two more bowls of noodles—one for Third Grandma and one for Xiaomei.
Once Xiaomei had eaten, Yang Tao began doing her makeup.
As she studied Xiaomei’s features and face shape, she noticed that years of farm labor and little sun protection had left her much darker than Yang Tao. However, her facial features were striking and heroic.
She wasn’t the stereotypical beauty, but she was definitely the kind of woman who grew more attractive the longer one looked at her.
Yang Tao first tidied her thick, dark eyebrows, which were naturally beautiful enough that they barely needed any filling in.
Then she applied face powder, blending it carefully down onto her neck to keep the skin tone consistent.
She deliberately avoided applying too much. If the face became much paler than the rest of the body, it would look unnatural.
The lipstick was applied in only a thin layer.
Then came the blush.
This blush was lighter in color than the improvised lipstick blush Yang Tao had used for herself at her own wedding, making it perfect for Xiaomei.
She also added eyeliner and subtly enhanced the lower eye area, instantly making Xiaomei look more spirited and elegant.
When Xiaomei emerged wearing her new wedding clothes, everyone in the room couldn’t stop praising her.
Xiaomei repeatedly thanked Yang Tao.
Seeing that her work was done, Yang Tao prepared to leave.
Before she could go, Xiaomei’s mother pressed a generous handful of melon seeds and wedding candies into her hands as thanks for her help.
Yang Tao accepted them and offered her blessings, wishing the newlyweds a harmonious marriage and many children.
Only then did she head home.
The moment she stepped outside, she spotted Chen Yichen waiting for her.
She jogged over and asked, “Why did you come? Have you eaten breakfast yet? Here, these are wedding candies and melon seeds I just received. Have some.”
As she spoke, she stuffed them into his hands.
“I already ate,” Chen Yichen replied.
“And I boiled two eggs for you.”
With one hand he accepted the candy and seeds; with the other he handed her two eggs.
Seeing that it was almost time for work, Yang Tao shook her head when he asked whether she was returning home first.
“No, I’m not going back. I already ate noodles at Xiaomei’s house.”
She took only one of the eggs.
“I’ll save this one for later when I get hungry during work. You eat the other one.”
The eggs had been obtained by Yang Tao through bartering sugar with villagers.
Since their wedding, nearly a month had passed without either of them visiting town.
Their last trip had been before the wedding, when Chen Yichen went to collect their photographs, mailed copies to his parents and grandfather, and bought supplies for the wedding banquet.
Calculating the timing, Chen Yichen said,
“Let’s take a day off and go into town in a couple of days. Grandpa and my parents should have received the photographs by now, so their reply letter ought to have arrived. We can check for it and buy some pork while we’re there. Everyone in the family has been exhausted from working lately.”
Yang Tao readily agreed.
By then, they had nearly reached the village gathering point.
After greeting the Yang family members, Yang Tao shared some of the wedding candies and melon seeds with her mother and younger cousins.
Soon it was time to start work.
Everyone registered for their assigned tasks, collected their tools, and headed off with family members or close friends to begin another day’s labor.