T R C L W (COMPLETE)

7

In a blink of an eye, it was already the mid-autumn, and the weather had grown increasingly colder day by day.

A few days ago, the people from Gao fu had come over to visit Xie fu. Upon their arrival, Leng shi went to welcome them at the main hall. As they had arrived early, seeing that Xie Zhen and Xie Xun were still asleep, Leng shi did not wake them up.

By the time Xie Zhen had woken up, she was already alone in her wing.

Changing into a high-collared lace cape embroidered with peonies, she went about her usual routine, combing her hair into a neat bun, and placing a few strings of beads and silk flowers in the bun. They moved from side to side as she walked, and made her seem active and cute. She walked around for a while but didn't find Xie Xun, and only after finding a maid did she then realise that she was with Leng shi in the main hall.

"Ah Xun, what are you doing?" She ran into the hall with a suspicious look on her face.

Xie Xun stood on the rose wood drum stool. Facing the mirror decorated with four birds circling a flower branch, the small dumpling shook her head, saying, "Big sis come see, am I pretty or not like this?"

Going closer to look, Xie Zhen then found that she was wearing Leng shi's jade cicada hairpin.

Forcing herself not to laugh, Xie Zhen looked around, and Xie Xun suddenly thought of changing her hairstyle into a spiral bun. She had a hairpin in her bun and her face was still immature, yet she seemed to be pretending to be a grown-up, so she was both funny and cute to look at. All young girls fantasised of being grown-ups, and little Xie Xun was no exception.

Xie Zhen, in a serious voice, commented, "Really pretty, almost as though you're flawless."

Xie Xun repeatedly asked, "What flaws?"

She climbed down from the stool, and swayed over to Xie Zhen, intently gazing at her.

In a flash, Xie Zhen thought of an explanation, and pointed to the makeup on the dressing table. "Ah Niang always puts some rogue and powder on, why don't you try putting some on?"

Clapping her hands, Xie Xun agreed, "Of course!"

Quietening down, the two troublemakers sneakily looked around, both thinking the same thing. Xie Zhen said, "Ah Niang is at the main hall right now, we mustn't let her know."

Xie Xun nodded, and pursed her lips. "Both of us are not allowed to tell her."

The two small dumplings were in agreement, and surrounded Leng shi'sdressing table. The movement in the room actually couldn't be concealed from the maidservants outside; the two were too naive, actually assuming that no one would know what they were doing. Shuang Yu and Shuang Yan looked at each other helplessly, but alas, could only await Leng shi's return.

Xie Zhen opened the lotus lacquered purple box, which contained a bright red piece of rogue. Picking up a piece, she started to draw on Xie Xun's face, telling her, "Make sure you don't move."

Xie Xun obediently stayed still.

After she finished drawing on the rogue, Xie Zhen opened another box. Inside were some finely-ground powder, and remembering how Ah Niang's face always became whiter after patting it on, she then took a handful of it and spread it on her sister's face. After that she drew on her eyebrows, put on lipstick... After she finished Xie Xun's big makeover, Xie Zhen clapped her hands, saying, "I'm done!"

Xie Xun excitedly looked into the mirror, but with just a glance she was shocked silly by the strange creature looking back at her, loudly crying out, "Ugly!"

The two sisters had inherited their mother's skin colour, and originally were already quite pale. After Xie Zhen had spread so much powder, Xie Xun became so much whiter that she looked as pale as paper. In particular, as her cheeks and lips were bright red, coupled with the fact that her eyebrows had been drawn till they were stark black, it almost seemed as though a female ghost had appeared in the world of the living!