"Dad, don't look down on me!" Sheng Xia huffed, feigning indignation. "Do you know how much I made at my stall today?"
She held up two fingers. "Two yuan! And that was just the first day. I'll be able to earn even more later on!"
"One day, I'll be the one supporting you and Mom!" she added, lifting her chin proudly.
Xu Aijun’s monthly salary was only 42.86 yuan, and her own salary at the library was even lower—just 30 yuan. If she could make two yuan a day at the stall, that would come out to 60 yuan a month, rivaling the pay of some junior leaders.
"That much?" Sheng Haifeng and Xia Yuhe were both stunned.
They had heard rumors over the last couple of years about people making a fortune from street stalls, but it was just hearsay. Only now, hearing it from Sheng Xia, did they realize how lucrative it really was.
"Of course! Who do you think I am? I’m Sheng Haifeng and Xia Yuhe’s daughter," Sheng Xia continued, looking proud.
"And Qingqing’s mom!" Sheng Qing—who had changed her surname to her mother’s after the divorce—rubbed her eyes as she was held in her grandmother’s arms, reaching out for her mother.
"That’s right, and I’m our little Qingqing’s mom, too!" Sheng Xia scooped up her daughter and planted a big kiss on her cheek, making the little girl giggle uncontrollably.
Seeing the mother and daughter so happy, Sheng Haifeng and Xia Yuhe exchanged a smile. One pushed the cart while the other helped Sheng Xia carry her makeup kit, and together they walked home.
Since their daughter enjoyed the stall, they would support her. Even if she didn’t make money, they were there to ensure their daughter and granddaughter would never go hungry.
The next morning, Sheng Xia woke up to find only her mother and daughter. Knowing that her father, Sheng Haifeng, had already gone out to sea, her desire to make money grew even more urgent.
If she could prove as soon as possible that she could earn a living, she could convince her parents to move to Linhai City with her.
After eating, she immediately hopped on her bicycle, full of ambition, and headed straight for the State-run Restaurant in the city.
"She’s here! I told you there was no need to rush, I knew Sheng Xia would come today." Before she had even arrived, she spotted Yang Damei standing at the entrance of the restaurant with a young woman. Seeing her, Yang Damei waved enthusiastically.
Sheng Xia realized immediately that this must be a client. She pedaled harder, bringing her bike to a stop in front of the restaurant.
"Sheng Xia, this is my best friend. She’d like to hire you for makeup," Yang Damei said, pulling the girl over to introduce her the moment Sheng Xia dismounted.
The girl beside her was taller than Yang Damei—Sheng Xia guessed she was about 168 centimeters—and she was slim with fair skin and large eyes. Even without makeup, she was clearly a natural beauty.
Seeing Sheng Xia, the girl stepped forward graciously. "Hello, Comrade Sheng Xia. I saw the makeup you did for Damei yesterday; you are truly talented. I’m getting married in three days and would like to hire you to come to my home to do my makeup."
"And me, me too! Sheng Xia, I’m getting married at the end of the month, so please do my makeup for me then, too!" Yang Damei added.
Her blind date yesterday had gone well, and since she wasn't young anymore, she had decided to get married by the end of the month.
"I only do makeup at my stall; I don't do house calls," Sheng Xia replied. Having someone come specifically looking for her only two days in was a huge boost to her confidence.
However, remembering that the System required her to run a stall, she declined the home visits, even though she knew she could charge more for them.
She was far too curious about the rewards for completing the tasks, and the tasks had to remain her priority.
"I can pay extra!" Yang Damei’s friend immediately countered. She knew that on her wedding day, there would be a lot to handle, and she would have to get up very early; it wouldn't be convenient to go out just to get her makeup done.
"I’m sorry," Sheng Xia said, "but I can open my stall earlier if you'd like."That was all she could do.
Seeing that Sheng Xia truly would not make a house call, the girl fell silent. She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Fine. Then in three days, at seven in the morning, can you set up your stall here?"
She had seen it with her own eyes—if Sheng Xia could make Yang Damei look that beautiful, she, too, hoped to be the most stunning bride on her wedding day.
"Of course I can. However, my makeup process takes over forty minutes. If seven o'clock is too tight, coming a bit earlier works too." Sheng Xia was quite sincere; after all, this would be her very first bridal makeup job.
With so many people seeing her work at the wedding banquet, it would serve as the perfect advertisement for her.
"Then let's make it even earlier—six-thirty!" As expected, as soon as the girl heard it would take over forty minutes, she moved the time up immediately.
With the agreement settled, Yang Damei also booked a slot for the morning of the 28th. Since her makeup would take even longer, they set her time for six o'clock sharp.
And so, on the second day, even before Sheng Xia had fully opened her stall, she had already secured two appointments.
After that, she set up her stall and continued to wait. By around three in the afternoon, Sheng Xia had completed her quota of four makeovers for the day, finishing a full hour earlier than the first day.
She waited a little longer, and just before dinner time, she took on one more client. Having exceeded her quota by one, she finally packed up her stall and headed home.
For the next several days, Sheng Xia arrived at the entrance of the State-run Restaurant right on time to set up. From needing to solicit customers at the start, things shifted; especially after the wedding banquet of Yang Damei's friend, women began coming to her one after another, drawn by her reputation.
Within just ten days or so, women all across Linhai City had heard about the makeup artist at the entrance of the State-run Restaurant—a woman who was not only beautiful herself but had even more beautiful craftsmanship.
In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. When Sheng Xia arrived at the State-run Restaurant on time that day, she saw that several women were already lining up.
"Comrade Sheng Xia, you're here!" they greeted her enthusiastically when they saw her.
"Good morning!" Sheng Xia smiled, stepped off her bicycle, and took eight wooden numbered plaques out of her pocket.
Her makeup application was meticulous, and she could handle at most eight clients a day. To avoid unnecessary waiting, she had asked the System to help her create these plaques, which featured a number, the client's name, and the date.
"Number two, you just need to come back at nine o'clock!" Sheng Xia handed them out one by one, calculating the approximate arrival time for each person based on how long their makeup would take.
This saved those further down the line from having to wait around, allowing them to tend to other matters. However, if they were late, they would have to move to the very back of the queue.
"Alright, then! I'll go to work and come back later." Everyone who came to queue knew Sheng Xia's rules; after receiving their plaques, they didn't linger and went off to attend to their own business.
Soon, all eight plaques were gone, leaving only the woman at the front of the line.
"Sister, please, have a seat!" The woman looked to be in her forties, dressed in a crisp, military-green jacket and trousers, her expression full of vitality.
"Comrade Sheng Xia, make me look a bit younger. I’m meeting my in-laws today. I have to let them see what the women in our family look like at home. Let's see if they dare to mistreat my daughter after they marry her off!"
The woman grabbed Sheng Xia's hand and pleaded quite earnestly, "Also, my daughter is fourth in line today. Please give her a 'delicate, doesn't-do-much-work-at-home' look."