Feeling the tap to her shoulder, Ann turned around to see a chubby middle-aged auntie there.
“Yes?” Ann asked with a smile.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to come to my family’s salon? We can help you with your hairdo,” the kind-looking auntie offered as she pointed at another nearby salon.
This downtown was quite organized that shops of the same category was lined up neatly. That helped the customers to look around at one category and compare them without getting tired.
Ann turned to look at where the auntie was pointing and saw a small building.
[BARBARA SALON]Compared to Glam-Glam Salon, Barbara Salon was definitely smaller. Its exterior wasn’t glamorous or luxurious at all, it was a simple design. It didn’t look so crowded, but there were people there. Judging from someone who just went out of the salon, the hairdo didn’t look bad, and the customer’s get-up was simple. Most likely a commoner.
After taking a glance at the salon, Ann turned to look again at the kind-looking auntie before her eyes.
Mm, yes. I’m sold.
Ann was satisfied with the auntie’s offer that was akin to her lifesaver. In any case, she didn’t know anything, so she was saved the trouble of selecting the salon from all the available barber shops.
“Thank you for your offer. Can you lead me the way?” Ann asked.
“Sure, I was just done with my groceries, let’s go to my family’s salon together.”
When the salon’s door was opened, Ann saw that there were several customers and several vacant seats. The salon’s clerk saw the auntie who was leading Ann and greeted her immediately.
“Welcome back, Joy-san. And the lady over there is…?” She asked.
“Ah, she’s our customer. I’ll be handling her,” the Auntie—Joy-san—said.
“Ah, welcome, customer-san!” The young store clerk greeted me warmly.
It was so different from the treatment she just received from Glam-Glam Salon.
Yup, I’m completely sold with this salon.
An old man that was around Joy-san’s age was in the middle of cutting a male customer’s hair. He finished his cut before turning to look at Joy lovingly.
“Joy, welcome back. You managed to get a customer in the middle of the way again?” He asked. It seemed like Joy had a habit of inviting customers from outside.
“Yeah, it’s a long story, Dear. I’ve brought back the supplies we can use, I’ll put them first before I do this lady’s haircut,” Joy said as she lined the product she just bought in the store’s shelves.
“Ah, welcome, I hope you will like our family shop,” the man greeted Ann kindly.
“Yes, thank you very much,” Ann smiled back.
“Oh dear, sorry to make you wait,” Joy rushed to lead Ann to an empty reclined chair used to wash a customer’s hair.
“No problem, Joy-san. Is that your husband? Let me guess… Is his name Barbara?” Ann said as she sat down and positioned her head well.
“Yes, that’s my husband, but his name is Alvin. Barbara is actually our child,” Joy chuckled, “but nice try.”
Then, Ann and Joy talked about Barbara and the family’s salon.
“That’s right. Barbara is six years old this year. She is usually here in the salon, but today, my parents came to take Barbara out to play.”
“Ehh, really? I’d like to see your daughter, Joy-san! How does she look like?”
“She is such a naughty kid, but she is cute. Whenever she smiles, you can see her dimples. Her hair is natural curly hair, perhaps she takes after Alvin’s mother. She is really adorable.”
“Is she afraid with strangers?”
“No at all! It makes me worried since it’d be easy for her to be kidnapped! Really…,” Joy-san looked troubled. Ann laughed. She could really feel Joy’s love towards her daughter.
In their conversation, Joy didn’t try to pry a lot about Ann. Ann also didn’t pry anything that seemed to be awkward. In any case, Joy seemed to like talking about her daughter, so Ann continued asking about their small family of three.
Ann was happy since it was the first time someone could talk with her without the slightest bit reproach or fear. She grew to like this place and Joy-san, the kind auntie.
Mm, I’m thinking of becoming a regular here. I need to see the results of their hairdo first. If it’s good, then it’s a settled matter.
Ann thought to herself.
From there, Joy-san asked Ann’s preference before cutting her hair into the model she wanted. Joy-san even gave Ann a few pointers on which hairstyle might suit her and what kind of image the hairstyle would give her.
In the end, Ann decided to go with a layered chest-length hair. She noticed that the salon also sold several hair accessories, so she chose a white ribbon and asked Joy to tie her hair in a side ponytail.
This hairstyle would make her look livelier. She chose this hairstyle so that the people around her—especially the poor frightened servants—wouldn’t feel as intimidated. Furthermore, she also asked Joy-san to modify her eyebrows and trim it to be neater than her own work.
Hence, Ann’s complete makeover was complete. Arlea’s natural ‘villainous’ face was no more. Coupled with Ann’s lively eyes, the current Arlea looked like a normal lady with no sign of viciousness.
Ann hoped that the servants at home could feel more relaxed with this. She would feel sorry if they had to be frightened of her all the time, after all. That could harm their health, based on what Ann had browsed in her previous life’s idle time.
Joy-san seemed to be skilled in cutting hair. Her movements were also gentle. Ann was finally sold on her idea to become a regular at this salon. At least until her second death day, she would groom herself here.
After everything was done, it was time for her to make the payment.
Since Joy-san and the salon clerks here looked all kind, she believed they wouldn’t swindle her and gave an unreasonable price. After all, they didn’t know who she was, and she appeared like a plebeian.
“Yes, that would be 30,000 greenies.”
Ann smiled as she opened the simple wallet Arlea had, but when she wanted to draw out the money, Ann froze.
She had scanned the content before she went out, and she realized the money here was probably named after the color of the paper or metal used.
Greenies…
But all Ann had… were reddies and blueies.
Ann’s smile turned stiff as she looked at the young cashier and the kind Joy-san who were smiling kindly as they waited for her to pay.
She checked the content of her wallet again and gulped. She could feel that sweats started to form around her forehead, despite the fact that it wasn’t hot at all.
…I… I don’t know how the money of this world works. I thought there were only reddies and blueies…
I… don’t have any greenies…
The mini Ann inside her heart roared, “WHAT DO I DO NOW?!”
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