Chapter 156 - 156: This Is Called Hair Dye
Chapter 156 - 156: This Is Called Hair Dye
“Sister, I regret it. I don’t want to become a Princess.”
“There’s no such thing as a remedy for regret.”
“Ever since I came to the Capital, I haven’t had a good day. I have to learn etiquette with all those rules and restrictions. I don’t want to live like this. How can I be a caged canary?
“It won’t be long now. After the wedding, you’ll be the young mistress of Prince
Shunqin’s residence. Who would dare make you follow all those rules then?”
Wang Jiaru nestled in Qiao Mai’s arms. “With the Queen and princess consort above, what am I?!”
“Then, take good care of your health and live well. Once you outlast them, you’ll become the true mistress of Prince Shunqin’s residence.” “You make it sound easy, but how many years will it take?”
“Did you come here on your own?”
“No. Mother and Zihao are with Grandmother.”
“Alright, let’s visit Auntie and bring something nice for Zihao.”
“What is it? Can I eat it?”
Qiao Mai thought for a moment. “Yes.”
She took a jade bottle from her sleeve, and Wang Jiaru held it in her hand. “What’s this?”
“It’s medicine. It’s called the Reviving Spirit Pill. It’s good for your little brother’s brain. I got it from a knowledgeable person.”
“Can I try it first?”
“No problem. You can help your brother test the medicine.”
Wang Jiaru didn’t blink as she took a pill and placed it in her mouth.
“Wow, it tastes good.”
After she finished it, she closed her eyes for a while.
“The name matches the effect perfectly. I’ve never felt so clear-headed.”
“Normal people can use it to refresh their minds. But for those who are unwell, it can clear any impurities from the brain, which the doctors call blood clots.” Wang Jiaru’s eyes teared up. “You’re so considerate of my little brother.”
“You’re my family. Besides, you’re my sister. Naturally, I have to take care of you. Whoever you care about, I’ll care for them too. If Zihan recovers, you won’t have to worry about your family anymore.”
Jiaru wiped away her tears. “Thank you, Sister!”
“Tsk, you’ve learned to be polite now. I’ve given you many good things.”
“Hehe, today I can only enjoy a half-day of freedom. I won’t be able to come out until the wedding.”
“Oh, your dress!”
Qiao Mai handed her two exquisite boxes, and Wang Jiaru opened them, smiling foolishly for a long time. “Let’s go to Xiangyun Courtyard.”
“Okay.”
Qiao Mai and Wang Jiaru walked out of the room. “Yue Hong, Yue Xia?”
“I sent them ahead of us.”
Qiao Mai remembered something and returned to the room to fetch a large box.
“What’s this?”
“It’s for Grandmother. I’ll show all of you my gifts later.”
When they arrived at Xiangyun Courtyard, the children played in the yard while the old lady and the others sat in the living room.
“Qiao Mai pays her respects to Auntie!”
“Alright, have a seat.”
Zihan said amicably, “I heard from Sister that if you become her sister, then you’ll be my sister too?”
“Yes, you can call me sister.”
“Sister, I want to eat delicious food.”
Pffft!
Qiao Mai couldn’t help but laugh. It seemed that Wang Zihan had no reservations at all. She glanced at Jiaru, who quickly took a pill from the jade bottle.
“Here, these sugar pills are delicious, but you can only have one at a time, or you’ll get a stomachache.”
Jiaru placed a candy in his mouth, and Zihan smacked his lips.
“It’s so delicious. My mouth still tastes sweet.”
“Is there anything else?”
“If you behave, I’ll give you more delicious things when we leave.”
“Okay!”
“Then go outside and play with your little brothers and sisters. Don’t bully them.”
“Okay,” Zihan responded and ran out. Madam Wang didn’t ask what the candy was. With their relationship, she was sure Qiao Mai wouldn’t harm her son.
Wang Jiaru showed off. “Look, Sister gave me this Horse-faced skirt. It’s so beautiful.”
Madam Wang looked apologetically at Qiao Mai. “This girl has benefited from your kindness. You can indulge her.”
“We get along well.”
Sitting at the head, Old Mistress Wang asked with envy, “Girl, I remember you said you’d give me a gift too?”
“Hmm, go ahead and have the maids boil some water. I’ll give you your gift now. But it’s not a physical item, so you’ll need to cooperate with me, okay?”
“Alright, I’ll go along with whatever you say.”
They cleared a space in the living room, and the maids brought over a soft couch. Since there were no outsiders present, she asked the old lady to remove her outer clothes and lie on the couch.
Qiao Mai removed the hair accessories from the old lady’s head, letting her hair fall. She then used a comb to brush it out.
She prepared the hair dye, which didn’t require washing. Instead, she evenly applied it to the hair.
The old lady was somewhat worried. “Young lady, what are you doing to my hair?”
“I’m dying your grey hair black.”
“What? Can grey hair be turned black?”
“Of course. Let me assure you that you’ll look ten years younger.”
Old Mistress Wang laughed happily. “Where did you get this strange stuff from?”
“It’s called hair dye and is very popular in the country across the sea. My friend got some for me. One box costs a hundred silver.”
“Oh my, it’s so expensive?”
“Yes, for someone with as much grey hair as you, it only needs to be dyed three times a year.”
“My hair is really precious. Dyeing it for a year would cost three hundred taels of silver.”
“Each hairpin you wear is worth over a thousand taels. Don’t be concerned about this small amount of money. But don’t worry; I’ll take care of your hair.”
“Haha!”
“Even if you’re not staying at my place, I will still prepare this for you so your attendants can apply it on time.”
“You’re so considerate!”
“I mean it. You’re my grandmother, and I should take care of you.”
Qiao Mai’s casual words always touched the old lady’s heart. Even Madam Wang, who had been in the Wang family for many years, had never been this close to Old Mistress Wang.
Could it be that they had a special bond across generations?
Dyeing the hair was quite simple. After applying the dye, it needed to sit for about two-quarters of an hour before rinsing.
During this time, Qiao Mai performed a facial treatment for the old lady. She used a cleanser to cleanse her face and then applied a facial mask.
“Girl, what are you doing this time?”
“It’s skincare. I can’t just make your hair look good; your skin also needs some improvement. ”
“You are always bothering me.”
Old Master Wang looked enviously from the side. “Girl, if you’re going to dye my wife’s hair, I can’t be left out. Otherwise, I won’t be worthy of her. No, you have to dye my hair as well.”
“Sure, as long as you don’t find it troublesome.”
“Not at all.”
As the time seemed right, Qiao Mai had the maids bring in basins of hot water.
She used shampoo to wash the old lady’s hair thoroughly. In the middle, she applied a massage technique, making the Old Mistress Wang incredibly comfortable.
“Girl, you’ve made me too comfortable. Who will I find to give me such a head massage in the future?” “I’ll teach the maids around you. You’ll be fine.”
“Alright, that’ll work.”
After washing her hair, Qiao Mai dried it for the old lady. She removed the facial mask and applied an anti-aging skincare product.
At this point, Old Mistress Wang sat up, turned around, and even Old Master Wang was stunned.
“Shufang, after your treatment, you look not just ten years younger but even twenty.”
“Really? Quickly, get my precious mirror. I want to see for myself.”
Even Madam Wang couldn’t sit still and hurriedly assisted the old lady. She placed the mirror in her hands.
“Mother, you really look several decades younger. It’s amazing.”
Madam Wang styled the old lady’s hair into the most fashionable hairstyle in the Capital and adorned it with hair accessories. Looking at herself in the mirror, Old Mistress Wang couldn’t help but shed tears..