Chapter 114 – Changing into Women’s Clothes
“You want to spend the rest of your life with me, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
The tone of Ms. Zhong’s voice was particularly serious at this moment.
“What girl doesn’t get married? In our lives as women, marrying a good man, having a few children, and being good wives and mothers are the most important things.”
“Yes, yes, you’re right, mom.”
Considering Ms. Zhong’s temperament, Yan Xiaosi knew that if she were to contradict her at that moment, Ms. Zhong would likely delve into her profound beliefs about being a good wife and mother, a lecture that Yan Xiaosi had no interest in hearing. To avoid that scenario, Yan Xiaosi swiftly nodded in agreement, eager to sidestep any potential discussion.
“Mom, now that I’m full, I feel a lot better. I’ll go for another walk in the mountain. Maybe I can find some valuable ginseng or lingzhi. Just one could sell for dozens of silver taels.”
Looking for an excuse, Yan Xiaosi was about to slip away.
But before she could, Yan Shuyun spoke up.
Yan Shuyun was looking at her face with great interest.
Yan Xiaosi was made quite uncomfortable by her gaze.
“Third sister, what do you want to do?”
Yan Shuyun smiled and proposed, “Mom, big sister, second sister, Xiaosi has never worn women’s clothes before. Now that we are living in the secluded Four Sisters Mountain, with few visitors apart from hunters, there is little chance of encountering anyone. How about allowing Xiaosi to try wearing women’s clothes?”
“No, third sister.”
Yan Xiaosi was the first to object.
Ever since she had arrived in this world, Yan Xiaosi had always presented herself in men’s clothing, and it had become her norm. The idea of suddenly wearing women’s clothes made her feel uneasy and uncomfortable. “The hunters who frequent this area are from the villages below. If they were to see me dressed as a woman, my disguise as a boy would be compromised. The news could easily reach the Yan mansion, and it would certainly invite trouble for you, Mom,” Although Old Master Yan and Ms. Jiang, his wife, had never favored Yan Xiaosi, they had still acknowledged her as the successor to their late third son, Yan Bowen. If they were to discover that their supposed male successor was, in fact, a girl, it would undoubtedly lead to considerable trouble for Ms. Zhong, potentially causing major problems for her.
Yan Xiaosi’s words made Ms. Zhong’s heart tense.
This had always been Ms. Zhong’s greatest fear and the reason why she had been hesitant to allow Yan Xiaosi to dress as a girl again. Yet, deep down, Ms. Zhong couldn’t ignore the fact that Yan Xiaosi was, indeed, a girl. The guilt she carried for denying Yan Xiaosi the opportunity to dress in girls’ clothes weighed heavily upon her.
Observing her mother’s troubled expression, Yan Shuqin contemplated for a moment before suggesting, “Mom, when I went out earlier to search for Xiaosi, I explored Big Sister Peak and noticed that there are no hunters around today. How about we consider the third sister’s suggestion? Let Xiaosi dress in girls’ clothes for just one day, and then she can switch back to boys’ clothes tomorrow?”
“Mmm.”
Yan Shuxue eagerly chimed in, nodding her head rapidly. “Mom, I’m really curious to see how Xiaosi would look in girls’ clothes. She has such a lovely face and a delicate oval-shaped face. I’m certain she would look incredibly beautiful in women’s attire, especially with a girl’s hairstyle.”
Ms. Zhong, as a mother, also wanted to see what her youngest daughter would look like in girls’ clothes, so she agreed.
“That’s a good idea, Mom also wants to see what Xiaosi looks like in women’s clothes.”
Once they got Ms. Zhong’s promise, the three sisters Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuyun, and Yan Shuxue excitedly exchanged glances.
Yan Shuyun excitedly said, “My height and figure are similar to Xiaosi’s, so my clothes should fit her well.”
Yan Shuqin said, “Last time at the market, Xiaosi bought me some bead flowers that I haven’t had the heart to use. I’ll go get them.”
Yan Shuxue said, “I haven’t used that bead flower either. I’ll go get it and put it on Xiaosi.”
Seeing her three elder sisters busily getting things to dress her up, Yan Xiaosi had no chance to refuse. She pursed her lips and smiled helplessly, accepting it.
Her three sisters quickly brought a set of women’s clothes, a comb for her hair, hair ties, bead flowers, and a handkerchief to her.
The second and third sisters led her to a smooth stone bench and made her sit down.
The eldest sister handed the comb to Ms. Zhong, smiling and said, “Mom, you’re the best at doing hair, you do it for Xiaosi.”
Ms. Zhong took the comb with a smile, standing behind Yan Xiaosi, she gently began to remove the cloth cap from her head.
Yan Xiaosi had been styling her hair in a traditional boy’s bun, gathering all her hair into a tight knot the size of a fist and securing it with a green cloth.
Now, as Ms. Zhong removed the green cloth from her head, her hair instantly became loose, falling like a waterfall on her back.
Staring at the hair that had grown to her waist, Ms. Zhong’s eyes welled up slightly with tears.
Unconsciously, her youngest daughter had grown into a young lady.
Sitting upright on the somewhat cold stone bench, Yan Xiaosi was waiting for Ms. Zhong to start, and asked, “Mom, what’s the matter? Why aren’t you starting?”
“I’m fine.”
Ms. Zhong came back to her senses, blinked, and hid the tears welling up in her eyes.
“Xiaosi’s hair has grown so long, Mom will make you a beautiful bun.”
With Yan Xiaosi’s delicate eyebrows and bright eyes, small face, sharp chin, and at her flower-like age, a playful and cute double bun hairstyle would suit her well.
Ms. Zhong held her long hair in her hand, gently combing it with a comb, smoothing it out, and then tying her hair strand by strand, winding it on both sides of her head.
In just a short while, a beautiful young girl appeared in front of the three sisters Yan Shuqin, Yan Shuyun, and Yan Shuxue.
Seeing Yan Xiaosi wearing a girl’s hairstyle for the first time, the three sisters were stunned.
After being stunned, Yan Shuqin said with a smile to Ms. Zhong, “Mom, our youngest sister is really pretty.”
Yan Xiaosi possessed a striking appearance, inheriting the best qualities from both Ms. Zhong and Yan Bowen. Her features were naturally pleasing, enhanced further by a teardrop-shaped mole positioned at the corner of her eye. This unique attribute added a touch of allure to her face, making her noticeable even at a young age.
Yan Shuxue blinked and shifted her gaze from Yan Xiaosi, tugged at Yan Shuyun’s sleeve next to her, and asked, “Third sister, is that our youngest sister?”
“Second sister, you are absolutely right. That is indeed our youngest sister,” Yan Shuyun exclaimed, recovering from her initial astonishment. She looked at Yan Xiaosi with a contented smile, responding to Yan Shuxue’s comment. Then, turning to Ms. Zhong, she reassured her, saying, “Mom, there’s no need to worry about Xiaosi not finding a suitable partner. Our Xiaosi is incredibly beautiful, and I’m certain that many men will come forward with marriage proposals in the future.”
However, Ms. Zhong’s mood was not as excited as her three daughters’.
Ms. Zhong had always been aware of her fourth daughter’s good looks, but seeing her dressed in women’s clothes surpassed her expectations. If the head of the family were still alive, having such a beautiful daughter would surely bring him great joy. However, with the head of the family no longer present, she couldn’t help but worry about her beautiful daughter, feeling the weight of her responsibility to protect her in this uncertain world.
