Li Zhengguo circled around the back of the house and returned home. After putting down the kudzu root, he continued to the foot of the mountain to gather more. He met villagers who were also carrying kudzu root and asked them where they were taking it.
"To our own homes," a woman replied. "Brother Zhengguo, let me tell you, your young wife has such a silver tongue that she left Accountant Li's wife speechless and made Accountant Li back down repeatedly."
"Your young wife is right. You shouldn't borrow from people you owe favors to. If you borrow too much, the favor disappears, and you end up owing them. Don't you take your grain from the autumn harvest to repay them every year? But others don't think that way."
"Zhengguo, your father was too sentimental, and you are too sentimental too. That's why certain people have become so arrogant. In the future, if your young wife takes charge, your family's life will be worry-free."
"That's right, that's right," Li Zhengguo's lips curled. He loved hearing praise for Tiantian. "My wife is in charge of our household, my mother said so."
"That's excellent," the woman clapped her hands. "With your family's bunch of softies, uh, soft-hearted people, it's right for your young wife to take charge. In just a few days, she has reversed the favor with those ungrateful people. Did she even collect interest?"
"Your family's good days are yet to come. I understand now. Your young wife has a 'don't provoke me and I won't provoke you' attitude. When I have some free time, I'll come to your house to visit her."
"Good, you're welcome, sister-in-law," Li Zhengguo's smile widened, as if he hadn't heard the woman call his family a bunch of softies.
After Li Zhengguo left with his basket of kudzu root, the woman instructed her daughter-in-law, "From now on, interact more with Zhengguo's family. It's okay for them to be a bit feisty, the key is to be in the right."
"With just a few words, she got one hundred yuan. Without using her deceased father-in-law as an excuse, with that mouth of hers, she could have gotten thirty to fifty yuan."
"Her reasoning is impeccable. You should get closer to her and learn from her. She's got substance."
"Yes, I'll listen to mother." The daughter-in-law beside her replied softly.
The woman shook her head and sighed. This daughter-in-law was too timid.
...
At Doctor Yang's place, after Li Zhengguo left, he opened the courtyard gate, waiting for Li Zhengguo's young wife to arrive.
Li Guangping stood outside the courtyard gate and shouted, "Is Doctor Yang at home?"
"Yes," Doctor Yang walked out, his face stern and serious, nothing like his changeable expression in front of Li Zhengguo. "What are all these people here for?"
"To see a doctor, uh, to see a wound." Accountant Li disliked dealing with doctors, not only because of the distance between ordinary people and doctors, but also because he had witnessed his cousin die in agony. He harbored fear and a hint of hatred towards all doctors.
"Who needs to see a doctor?" Doctor Yang was unaware of the inner thoughts of the person in front of him. His gaze searched for Li Zhengguo's young wife.
Tian Jing pulled Li Min forward and pointed to Li Min's face. "I need you to see the injury on my sister-in-law's face."
"Okay, come in!" Doctor Yang looked at the slender and pretty Tian Jing with curiosity, wondering what kind of courage was hidden within her small frame. She was not only bold enough to come up with such an idea but also used someone else's words to turn the tables, winning over all the commune members.
The world bustles for profit; the world is busy for gain. This young wife had mastered the art of using profit to her advantage.
Tian Jing, pulling the somewhat timid Li Min, followed Doctor Yang. The onlookers dared not follow. Only Li Guangping, bracing himself, followed with the wooden box.
The main hall served as the examination room. Two kerosene lamps were lit inside, casting a much brighter light than the dimming light outside.
Doctor Yang looked at the three deep bloodstains slanting from the right eye to the left cheek and sighed. How deep must the enmity be to scratch with such force? He didn't need to exaggerate the facts; if this wound wasn't treated carefully, it could lead to disfigurement, and his ointment might not be effective.
"You need to be careful with this wound. If it gets infected, it can be fatal. I don't have any disinfectant here to clean it."
"Your face isn't like any other place. I can prepare some ointment to cover it, but it can only be left open to air dry. When the scab starts to form, you'll need to use a scar removal cream, but I don't have any. You'll have to go to the county town or the city to buy some."
As Doctor Yang sighed, Li Guangping's heart sank. Hearing his words, he became extremely anxious.
"Doctor Yang, how much scar removal cream does Li Min need for this condition? How much does a bottle cost, approximately? And can disinfectant be purchased? What if it truly gets infected without disinfection?"
Li Guangping's anxiety seemed genuine, but Tian Jing didn't give him a pleasant look. "Now you're anxious. What were you doing before? When a dog at home goes mad, it should be leashed. If it's let loose to bite others, then others suffer, don't they?"
Doctor Yang gritted his teeth, trying to suppress a smile. Those listening outside burst into laughter.
Li Guangping's face was filled with bitterness. "Niece-in-law, I apologize. My family's upbringing was not strict enough, and Minmin has suffered. I apologize and will definitely discipline her from now on."
"Hmph," Tian Jing snorted coldly. "Because I've only been in Kushan for a few days, I intended to reason with people first. If anyone dares to bark at me or my family again, they will be beaten until they are crippled, regardless of the consequences."
Li Guangping nodded. "Okay. Next time, no matter who in my family dares to provoke you, just beat them. If they are crippled, I won't blame you; I will thank you. If they are crippled, they will be honest."
Li Guangping spoke from the heart. He felt that the temperaments of his younger relatives were gradually changing, as if they considered themselves superior. Now, after hearing Doctor Yang's words, he desperately wanted to go back and administer family discipline.
Tian Jing, regardless of whether Accountant Li was speaking sincerely or diplomatically, was now concerned about Li Min. "Doctor Yang, Accountant Li asked, and it's what I want to know as well. Please inform us."
Doctor Yang raised his hand and stroked his beard. "For disinfectant, you can buy some hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound. As for the scar removal cream, you'll have to ask at the pharmacy. Her scars are too deep, she'll need two to three bottles."
Hydrogen peroxide? Tian Jing frowned. "Doctor Yang, aren't many people allergic to hydrogen peroxide?"
Doctor Yang's cloudy eyes suddenly widened. "You understand medicine?"
"I understand a little." In her previous life, she was allergic to hydrogen peroxide. How could she not know? Tian Jing urged Doctor Yang, "It's getting dark, please hurry, Doctor Yang."
"Alright." Doctor Yang didn't care about Tian Jing's impolite words. "Without hydrogen peroxide, you can only use gentian violet and mercurochrome. Do you think that after using gentian violet and mercurochrome on her face, scar removal can still be guaranteed?"
A waste of breath, Tian Jing thought to herself. "Please estimate the price per bottle of scar removal cream, Doctor Yang."
"Ten yuan," Doctor Yang held up a finger. "This is my estimated price, with a fluctuation of about two yuan."
"Thank you, Doctor Yang," Tian Jing said to Doctor Yang, then turned to Li Guangping. "Accountant Li, please advance me twenty yuan for the scar removal cream. We'll buy two bottles first."