Chapter 382: Haircut

Chapter 382: Haircut
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Jiang Xia squatted down in front of Jiang Gu and began to reason with her, “Xiao Gu, I know you don’t want to cut your hair. You’re scared when you see Mother holding scissors, right?”
Jiang Gu nodded fervently. That was her hair, after all. She had never cut it since she could remember, and now it had grown to the length of her buttocks. It hadn’t been easy to grow it this long, and now to have it cut with a single snip by her mother—who would be happy about that?
Jiang Xia explained gently, “Second Sister knows you don’t want to cut your hair. Mother and I are also reluctant to cut it, but your hair now has lice, and we must deal with it.”
Jiang Gu felt aggrieved. “Second Sister, what exactly are lice?”
“Lice are tiny insects that nibble on your scalp,” Jiang Xia explained. “Tell me, does your head often feel very itchy, to the point where you constantly want to scratch, but it doesn’t help?”
Jiang Gu’s eyes widened in shock as she nodded immediately. Second Sister was indeed perceptive to have noticed that!
Jiang Xia continued, “This is because these insects are causing trouble, making your head itchier and itchier.”
“Ah, what should I do?” Jiang Gu, now understanding, began to feel frightened. She felt her head itch every day and would constantly scratch her hair, sometimes even scratching her scalp raw. But she dared not tell her parents for fear that they would think there was something wrong with her and abandon her.
Jiang Gu remembered that the girl next door at the old Jiang’s house had been sold to the neighboring village for this reason. Jiang Gu didn’t want to leave her parents, so she never dared tell them.
“You don’t have to be scared,” Jiang Xia said. “This is easy to take care of. We just need to cut off the overly long hair and then thoroughly wash your scalp. The lice will naturally disappear.”
Hearing this, Jiang Gu became less resistant and obediently went to Zhou Lan, saying, “Mom, then please cut my hair.”
Filled with guilt, Zhou Lan squatted down to meet Jiang Gu’s gaze and apologized, “Xiao Gu, it’s all Mother’s fault for scaring you. You don’t have to be afraid. Whatever decision you make, Mother will respect your choice. If you like long hair, after washing it clean, Mother will also help you take care of it, so it can grow long again. But the premise is that it must not affect your hygiene, okay? Because Mother is afraid you might get sick.”
After Jiang Gu nodded, Zhou Lan continued, “If you ever feel uncomfortable or have any problems, you must tell Mother. You can’t keep it to yourself, hiding it from Father, Mother, and your sisters, understand?”
Jiang Gu nodded, holding back her tears.
Zhou Lan stood up, took out the scissors, and with one cut, she chopped Jiang Gu’s hair to shoulder length.
Tears brimmed in Jiang Gu’s eyes as she looked at the hair on the ground, “Mother, I didn’t mean to deceive or hide it from you, I was just afraid you would dislike me and sell me to the next village.”
Zhou Lan tenderly ruffled Jiang Gu’s newly shortened hair. “Silly girl, you are Mother’s dearest treasure. How could Mother bear to part with you? Remember, no matter what, Mother will always want you, always!”
Afraid that her words were not convincing enough, Zhou Lan emphasized “always” once more. Only then did Jiang Gu smile.
Then, with the joint efforts of Zhou Lan and Jiang Xia, they boiled water and washed Jiang Gu’s hair clean.
Zhou Lan was very skilled at cutting hair. She had been cutting Jiang Xia’s hair since she was young, so she was more than capable of doing the same for Jiang Gu. The bob cut and bangs turned her into a spitting image of a doll. Once washed and dried, some stray hairs stuck out, making Jiang Gu look like a fluffy little puppy, indescribably cute.
Afterward, Zhou Lan also thoroughly cleaned Jiang Gu’s room, ensuring there were no lingering lice before feeling at ease.
It was not that Jiang Gu was unhygienic; as a child in the old Jiang family, she had not developed good habits and did not know to bathe and wash her hair regularly. At the time, Zhou Lan, consumed with the desire for a son, neglected her daughters, leaving Jiang Xia and Jiang Gu in the care of Jiang Qing. But none of this was the children’s fault.
The blame could only be placed on the era—an era when women were only responsible for bearing children, forgetting that bringing them into the world comes with the responsibility to educate them well.
That was also why the children of that time were only close to