That's just how it is; whoever happens upon it gets it, and there's no other way about it.
Looking at the soft-shell turtle, Yao Ping immediately began to flatter Wang An with a beaming smile
"Xiao An is truly capable, even managing to snag such a big turtle. Your second uncle and I are in for a treat again, hahaha..."
It had to be said that Er-niang Yao Ping was an exceptionally sociable woman. Although she was quite opportunistic, she didn't make people feel disgusted.
Wang An replied with a smile
"It's not about capability; they just swam into the net on their own."
After a few more words of small talk, Wang An shifted the topic and said to Er-niang Yao Ping with a serious expression
"Er-niang, there's something. I went to the county town yesterday and got the medicine for removing scars and scabs for Lao Wu and my brother-in-law. Now, this medicine is quite potent; the main thing is that it itches—itches like crazy—but you absolutely cannot scratch it. You and second uncle should figure out some way to apply it to him."
In truth, Wang An wanted to suggest the method Mu Xueqing had mentioned—tying the person up—but he felt it was more appropriate for Wang Daliang and his wife to handle such a thing.
After all, from Fang Xiu'e's account, it was clear that an itch of this magnitude was something an ordinary person truly could not endure.
As soon as Yao Ping heard this, the turtle in her hand was instantly forgotten. She said with excitement
"Xiao An, you aren't teasing Er-niang, are you? Can Xiao Li's face really return to the way it was?"
Wang Daliang also asked urgently
"Xiao An, is there really such a miraculous medicine? Can it truly make those big scars disappear?"
Wang An thought for a moment and said
"I can't say for sure. The doctor said that while it might not return to exactly how it was, it can be made to look much less obvious."
Hearing this, Yao Ping's eyes welled up with tears, and her lips trembled as she said
"That's enough, that's enough. That face of his has worried your second uncle and me to death. The blind date he had a couple of days ago, sigh... where is the medicine? I'll apply it to him as soon as I get back."
Wang Daliang hurriedly added
"Stopping him from scratching is simple; I'll just tie his hands up!"
Hearing their conversation, not only did Wang Zhuzhu and his wife lean in, but Shen Wei approached as well.
Clearly, everyone was very interested in medicine that could remove scars.
Wang An said
"Just tying the hands might not be enough. He can't rub his face against anything either."
Wang Daliang paused, then gritted his teeth with determination and said
"Then I'll tie his head up too."
As soon as Wang Daliang finished, Yao Ping nodded vigorously beside him, echoing
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Don't you worry, Xiao An, I definitely won't let him scratch."
Looking at the excitement of the couple, Wang An suddenly felt that Wang Li was going to suffer quite a bit over the next few nights.
To be itching all over but unable to scratch—just thinking about it was chilling!
As he spoke, Wang An handed over the bag of medicine and said
"You don't need to use too much each time. For Wang Li's face, about one small wine cup's worth should be enough. Before bed, mix the medicinal powder with white liquor until it's a paste, then apply it directly to the scars and wrap it with cotton strips so the medicine doesn't fall off. Also, you must remove the cloth and wash the residue off his face before morning."
After Wang An finished, Wang Daliang and his wife nodded repeatedly, saying
"Mm-hmm, Xiao An, I've got it."
With that, the couple was anxious to rush back to their own home.
Seeing this, Wang An quickly stopped them
"Whoa, there's no rush; it can only be applied before bed. Wait a moment, take a few more fish back with you."
Without worrying about which fish, Wang An tossed a few onto Wang Daliang's horse carriage and added
"Second uncle, Er-niang, if Wang Li isn't too tired tomorrow morning, have him come along. I'll take him to get some things done."
Wang Daliang and his wife hurriedly agreed and drove their carriage home as if they were being chased by a dog.
It was evident that Wang Daliang and his wife had long been heartbroken over the disfigurement of Wang Li's face.
But it was only natural; in the whole world, there were likely no parents who wished for their child to be ugly.
When Shen Wei left, Wang An gave her plenty of fish as well, though he didn't dare make any excessive moves toward her.
During dinner, Wang An told Wang Zhuzhu and his wife about buying the walk-behind tractor and the four-wheel vehicle, informing them that he would be driving the vehicles back tomorrow.
Unexpectedly, Wang Zhuzhu and his wife showed no sign of opposition; in fact, they seemed genuinely happy.
Thus, Wang An asked in confusion
"Dad, Mom, don't you have anything to say?"
Wang Zhuzhu and his wife looked at each other, and then Liu Guilan said
"What's there to say? It's a practical matter, why talk about it?"
After Liu Guilan spoke, Wang Zhuzhu added with a smile
"Your mother and I have wanted to buy these things for a long time. We can farm in the spring, haul soil in the autumn, and use them for transport normally. Buying these is a great move."
Having said that, Wang Zhuzhu picked up his bowl and took a satisfied sip of liquor.
Seeing how happy the couple was, Wang An casually mentioned
"By the way, I also got a crawler tractor. I reckon it'll be back soon too."
The moment Wang An finished, the dinner table, which had been full of laughter, suddenly felt as if time had frozen. Not only did the sound vanish, but all movement came to an abrupt halt.
After a while, Wang Zhuzhu asked with a face full of disbelief
"You mean a crawler? The kind of vehicle used to push foundations?"
Liu Guilan immediately asked: "Those things aren't cheap, are they? How much did it cost?"
While observing the expressions of Wang Zhuzhu and Liu Guilan, Wang An pretended to be nonchalant
"It's a used one, only 17,500 yuan. I'm thinking of looking for a harvester to attach to the crawler, so we can harvest the fields before autumn..."
Following this, Wang An repeated the same set of arguments he had used to persuade Mu Xueqing, word for word.
This time, Wang Zhuzhu didn't speak, but instead tried hard to hide the smile on his face. It seemed he was in favor of Wang An buying the crawler tractor.
In truth, for a man, aside from liking women, there are only a few other things they truly love.
And vehicles were definitely on that list.
So, although Wang Zhuzhu was trying his best to mask his expression, even someone who didn't know him could tell what he was thinking.
Wang Xiaomei, sitting beside them, suddenly spoke up
"Dad, if you're happy, just show it, otherwise you'll choke on your food."
Although Wang Xiaomei's words were full of childhood innocence, they were no different from pulling away a modesty cloth.
Liu Guilan had naturally noticed Wang Zhuzhu's expression, and since Wang Zhuzhu agreed, she had no objections either. Now that Wang Xiaomei had exposed him, she couldn't hold back her laughter.
Laughing, she said: "These are all useful things, so just buy them."
(End of Chapter)