When I was very young, living in a three-sided courtyard in the countryside with many uncles, aunts, and cousins, naturally, my cousins became my inseparable childhood playmates.
Before any concept of beauty was formed, I was already admiring my older cousins wearing gold earrings, hanging beautifully from their earlobes. At that time, every girl would have her ears pierced and own at least one pair of small gold round earrings.
Adults said: Ear piercing is a symbol of being a girl.
Adults also said: Getting ears pierced brings good luck. When you get married, won’t you have a place to wear those gold accessories?
I never understood the reasoning. Anyway, I was just incredibly envious of their small ear holes, able to secretly wear mother’s earrings; when playing house, the earrings would jingle, naturally playing the role of a rich young lady. Moreover, everyone seemed to submit to their privileged advantage, truly radiant with wealth and nobility.
In the remote village where I lived, every half month, a disabled, hunched elderly woman would drive a modified hand-cranked tricycle, passing through our area, selling female products like flower water and powder, including various beautiful earrings. Of course, the old woman would also help people pierce their ears.
One time, for some reason, my typically stingy grandmother actually took us three sisters to get our ears pierced.
Among our cousins, only we three hadn’t had our ears pierced. The other village girls in front enthusiastically stepped forward to have the old woman use a long needle to pierce their ears, then crying and covering their ears as they stepped back. The situation was quite tragic, and in our young hearts, we already knew – beauty comes at a price.
Then, when it was almost our turn, we secretly wanted to run away. Grandmother began negotiating, believing that piercing six ear holes at once should be cheaper, and the earrings should be discounted.
The old woman coolly insisted on no discount, and grandmother was equally stubborn. For a moment, it was quite lively, with neighbors intimidated by grandmother’s fierce demeanor, only daring to watch from the sidelines…