Chapter 24: Women Dress to Please Themselves
"What are you laughing at, young lady?" Zhang Cuihua scratched her head.
"I once heard people say that Miss Xiao Lian is quite pretty, but Master Su said that she is 'an ugly girl'... puff puff puff..."
She lay on the dressing table with her head buried in her arms, laughing.
Zhang Cuihua also laughed for a while, but she didn't know what was so funny.
After a while, Liu Huixiang finished removing her makeup.
Zhang Cuihua told the story of Lin Chuan inviting Su Xian to a restaurant for dinner...
Liu Huixiang didn't listen carefully. She opened the drawer of the dressing table, took out boxes of cheap rouge and powder, and arranged them neatly on the table.
These cheap rouges were purchased after settling down in Leshou County.
Because of her bad reputation, Liu Huixiang dared not go out. Even when she went out, she had to wear a veil on her head. Her beautiful face had not seen the sun for a long time.
She no longer had the desire to wear heavy makeup and only applied light powder every day.
Anyway, no one is watching, so what’s the point of putting expensive rouge on your face?
These cheap rouges accompanied her for many years.
But now, Liu Huixiang feels that they are not good enough...
"Cuihua." Liu Huixiang interrupted her chatter.
"What do you want, young lady?"
"Go out tomorrow and go to Chun Hui Tang in the east of the city to buy some good rouge powder."
"?" Zhang Cuihua was stunned.
"I remember that in the past, when I was at my mother's house, I liked to use rouge and powder from 'Chun Hui Tang', and my sisters and I also used that." She showed a trace of reminiscence on her face .
"Miss, why..."
"Don't ask, just go buy it." A slight blush appeared on her plump, white, tender cheeks. How could a girl have the nerve to speak out her little thoughts?
Fortunately, Zhang Cuihua did not ask any further questions. She counted the copper coins, helped Liu Huixiang wash her feet, and then went out with the foot basin.
Before leaving, Liu Huixiang reminded: "Buy the most expensive one!"
According to the usual schedule, I should blow out the oil lamp and go to bed.
But I can't sleep tonight.
She took out the dresses piled up at the bottom of the closet. They were her most beautiful and luxurious clothes, which had been lying idle in the closet for many years.
Liu Huixiang was in high spirits, with a smile on her face. She took out beautiful clothes and skirts one by one and placed them on the bed.
After fiddling with the skirt, she picked out her favorite red skirt with gold cloud patterns embroidered on the hem and prepared to put it on to try.
The result was embarrassing.
The skirt is a great skirt and her figure is excellent.
But this skirt was bought a few years ago after all, and it is a little small when I wear it now.
Especially the chest, it's too tight.
does not fit!
But then she remembered that most of Su Xian's gaze today was fixed on her chest, and she knew that Su Xian liked her like this.
The current atmosphere in Daliang is open, especially after the empress ascended the throne. It is said that the women in the palace are proud of their "breasts" and are very frugal with the fabric used to make clothes.
The royal family led the trend among the people , making more and more men like broad-minded women...
"Eh!"
Liu Huixiang changed out of her silk skirt and sat on the edge of the bed, silently thinking that she had never bought one or two decent clothes in all these years.
The appearance of a daughter’s home is very important!
Soon, she came up with an idea. After putting all the clothes back into the closet, she raised her voice slightly and called out, "Cuihua? Is Cuihua asleep?"
no respond.
Liu Huixiang pursed her lips and raised her voice again.
"Miss, what do you want to do? I am here, please don't worry..."
It was very rare for the lady to call her in the middle of the night, so Zhang Cuihua turned over and got up.
Boom boom boom.
After a few breaths, Zhang Cuihua knocked on the door. She lived in the next room.
Liu Huixiang unbolted the door.
After Zhang Cuihua entered the house, she carefully looked at the situation inside. Seeing that there was nothing unusual, she breathed a sigh of relief and then asked if there was anything she wanted to do.
"When you buy rouge and powder tomorrow, go to the cloth shop in the west of the city and buy some silk cloth..."
Under the oil lamp, Liu Huixiang explained in detail what kind of cloth was needed and how much of each type was needed.
After giving the instructions, Zhang Cuihua left.
Liu Huixiang turned off the oil lamp and lay down on the embroidered couch, but she still couldn't fall asleep.
So she began to think about the details of the beautiful dress that would soon appear and would suit her perfectly.
For example, where a pleat needs to be made, where a pattern needs to be embroidered, etc. It is detailed and complicated.
…
midnight.
Full moon.
If you look closely you can see the dark patterns on the moon's surface.
The entire Leshou County seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. Except for a few prosperous streets and alleys, large areas were silent with only night watchmen roaming around.
Pinyu Pavilion, the largest brothel in the city, Lin Chuan has been surrounded by a bunch of beautiful girls.
At Zuixianlou, Su Xian had eaten and drunk his fill. Because he had been forced to drink too much, he went to sleep in a guest room in the restaurant and did not go back.
County government office, back house.
The back house was where the county magistrate's family lived and was heavily guarded, but suddenly there was a commotion and the county magistrate, Tang Ju, was startled out of his sleep and sat up.
"Husband?" The county magistrate's wife was also awakened.
"Dad, it's me. I have something important to report. It's about a murder case on the city wall." Outside the door, a young girl's clear voice came from afar.
"It's Jing'er." Tang Ju breathed a sigh of relief, put on a robe with the help of the county magistrate's wife, and opened the door.
"Why is it so noisy?" Tang Ju came to the corridor outside the door and frowned at Tang Shujing, who had long legs, a tall figure, and an oval face with bangs at her eyebrows.
He actually wanted to teach his daughter a lesson. As a woman, she should have certain rules for walking.
No matter what, he, Tang Ju, is also a direct descendant of the Tang family...
However, this thought only flashed through her mind. If preaching was useful , Tang Shujing would have already become a qualified lady from a wealthy family.
"Dad, that's a misunderstanding... I led Captain Lin and others to capture several gangs of bandits!" Tang Shujing's delicate face was full of excitement, as if she was saying, "Come and praise me."
"Bandits!" Tang Ju said in a deep voice, frowning.
Today, Tang Shujing was on duty at the government office. After thinking over and over again, she still had no clue. Her thoughts wandered and she thought that she could try to make a breakthrough by attacking the group of bandits outside the city.
Tang Ju agreed.
But I didn’t expect to reap the rewards so soon.
"Dad, listen to me. I have gone through so much trouble to find a way to get here. I have traveled all over the city to ask for advice..."
"Get to the point."
"Oh, my daughter, along with Captain Lin and his men, captured five bandits in an inn. Dad, you don't know that the bandits were all armed. At that time, my daughter drew out a sword gracefully, took a step forward, and grasped the hilt of the sword..."
“Get to the point!”
"We caught five bandits, but one escaped. The one who escaped was very powerful, not like a bandit at all. Even my daughter couldn't beat him. She only left sword wounds on his left arm and right calf..."
"Are you not hurt?" Tang Ju looked kind.
"No, don't worry, Daddy. I'm very skilled." Tang Shujing raised her pretty face, and her pointed chin seemed to be able to poke people.
"That's true..." Tang Ju smiled bitterly and shook his head, feeling very regretful. Why did he send Tang Shujing to learn martial arts when she was little?
Now it’s like neither man nor woman.
How will I get married in the future?
"Tell Captain Lin to interrogate him overnight and make sure to get any clues out of the bandit." Tang Ju's face straightened up.
"Yes, my daughter." Tang Shujing said with great vigor and courage, holding up her skirt with both hands and leaving quickly.
"Leave it to Captain Lin for interrogation. As for you, go back to sleep immediately!" Tang Ju ordered.
"Oh..." Tang Shujing's long legs, which were moving quickly, suddenly slowed down.
