Jin Zizai's Fortune-Telling: Facial Features Women Should Avoid (Part 1)

One: Avoid an Unattractive Face

By this, we mean a face considered unattractive or oddly proportioned—one that does not easily inspire affection.

In antiquity, women had little social standing and were expected to stay home, support their husbands, and raise children. Within that framework, a woman's unattractive face was thought to reflect poorly on her husband, which is why it was ranked first among the ten facial faults ascribed to women.

People are born with different degrees of beauty, which is beyond personal control, so it carries no inherent good or bad fortune. Being plain-looking does not equal bad luck; in fact, many attractive people are supported by those who are not.

In practice, those who are not conventionally attractive often work harder and can achieve notable success through effort. Many take unconventional paths, endure setbacks, and ultimately succeed.

Features and complexion can still be assessed by standard methods. Someone who seems plain at first may, over time, strike you as remarkably appealing. A simple example is film comedians, who often find greater success than their handsome counterparts.

Returning to women judged unattractive, traditional advice was to keep expectations about marriage modest and, instead, to learn a practical skill to secure a stable livelihood, which tends to make relationships smoother. This is not mysticism but a common social observation.

Two: Avoid a Disheveled Appearance

A disheveled look differs from a merely dirty face; it describes someone deeply down-and-out and in disarray.

“Péng” refers to a fine, lightweight grass, commonly known as “zhamok.” This grass has many branches with dense new shoots. When it dries, wind often breaks it near the root, rolling it into a ball that drifts on the spring breeze—hence names like flying grass or drifting grass. In terms of physiognomy, a disheveled appearance is not just messy hair; it can be explained in three points.

First, hair that is curly and unkempt is described in ancient texts as “hard to manage,” suggesting someone not only foolish but also reckless. Marrying such a person leaves little room for reasoned discussion—they lack flexibility and may even resort to physical confrontations. This applies to men as well.

Second, fine, fluffy hair along the forehead may look soft or weak at first glance, but it actually points to stubbornness and entanglement—somewhat better than the curly, unkempt type noted above.

Finally, dirty, foul-smelling hair speaks for itself: it is said to harm one's partner. A woman with a stinking scalp will bring misfortune to her husband, and the same judgment is applied to men.

Three: Avoid a Snake-like Gait

A snake-like gait means walking in a winding fashion. This concerns both one’s route and one’s posture in motion.

A typical walker goes from point A to point B without weaving like a snake. A serpentine, unsteady stride suggests a lack of perseverance and a tendency toward a short life.

Posture matters as well: waists and hips that twist like a snake signal a carefree nature, a lustful bent, and instability or laziness, with a preference for unearned gain. Still, a snake-like gait is not always a negative.

This notion dates to ancient times. The ancients prized walking with grace, sitting with poise, and standing like a pine—valuing balance and composure. Otherwise, it reflected poor upbringing, which was disfavored. For women especially, when there was no modeling profession, swaying openly in public was deemed improper and scandalous.

Today, however, a serpentine walk—especially a pronounced sway—is often seen among models or actresses, many of whom are prosperous or marry into wealth. Times change, so physiognomy should not be judged solely by ancient standards.

Four: Avoid a Hopping Gait

Sparrows move by hopping. The ancients used three very strong words to describe a woman with such a gait: “poor, lonely, immoral.” The reasoning is similar to that for the snake-like gait.

They argued that if a woman lacks composure, how can she support a husband and raise children? That said, no one literally hops while walking—unless they’re a zombie. The point is the absence of composure. So the old sayings should not be taken too literally.

Five: Avoid Pig-like Eyes

Pig-like eyes refer to a piggish gaze, covering both the expression and the shape of the eyes. The expression can be subtle and hard to read.

The physiognomy classic “Ma Yi” offers a set of animal-eye analogies: dragon eyes are clear and insightful, tiger eyes are fierce and unpredictable, ox eyes are steady and far-seeing, horse eyes are diligent and driven, dog eyes are prone to gossip, pig eyes are greedy and gluttonous, monkey eyes are timid and fearful, snake eyes harbor malice, and elephant eyes are dull and unfocused. Eye shape is part of this as well.

Clouded whites, dim pupils, and heavy lids are said to indicate a violent nature. Even the wealthy may face legal trouble brought on by misdeeds. In short, pig-like eyes—dull whites, muddy pupils, and thick double eyelids—are taken to mark a fierce temperament and a pattern of wrongdoing that ends badly. The simplest conclusion in this tradition is that such people are foolish, short-lived, and greedy. Imagine marrying someone like that—how could a household be peaceful?