[Taking a short break for now! I'm so sorry, dear readers, I'm really busy. I'll finish the story, don't worry!]
What does it feel like to transmigrate into the body of a widow?
Song Jinhe: Thanks for asking. I'm in Great Liang, and I just got out of bed after being sick.
The moment she opens her eyes, she sees a leaky roof and children who look like beggars. The three of them are so thin that a gust of wind could knock them over.
The grain jar is empty, they're behind on rent, and before she's even recovered, relatives show up demanding money.
What can she do?
Song Jinhe can only silently roll up her sleeves and return to her old line of work. She's a top modern beauty influencer!
She gives the daughter of a wealthy family, whose face is marked by a birthmark and whose personality is gloomy and insecure, a "Peach Blossom Makeup" look. The young woman becomes so beautiful that her crush chases after her. But then she has an epiphany: "I dress up to please myself." She leaves romance behind, focuses on her career, and even becomes Song Jinhe's business partner!
She helps noblewomen organize a "Goddess of Flowers" pageant, creating a look so stunning it outshines the whole city and wins over the literati. But the noblewoman has her own awakening: she opens a school for girls and makes Song Jinhe, a makeup and styling expert, a sensation in the capital.
Even the princess, sent away for a political marriage, specifically asks her to design a look. Wearing makeup tailor-made by Song Jinhe and listening to her advice and philosophy of pleasing oneself, the princess comes to her senses and pursues her political ambitions.
From an impoverished widow pursued by debt collectors to the proprietor of a chain of "Yanhua Hall" beauty shops, Song Jinhe becomes a makeup artist whose services all the noblewomen of Great Liang clamor for, and successfully helps spark a wave of female awakening.
Reader's guide:
1. There are many false clues. Take your time reading.
2. This is a fictional setting that blends many dynasties, so don't scrutinize the historical details too closely.
3. The characters may not stay true to type (dog-head emoji).
Theme: Be independent and strong
