Chapter 46

Finding a sales channel requires the right opportunity, but Wu Xiaoxiao wasn’t in a hurry. She knew this wouldn’t be accomplished overnight.

—-

The next morning marked the start of another busy workweek. It wasn’t until evening, after finishing work and returning to her dorm, that Wu Xiaoxiao saw Zhao Xiaoyan enter with a distressed expression.

“Xiaoxiao, help me take a look! This huge pimple on my forehead—do you have any way to get rid of it?”

Zhao Xiaoyan pointed to a prominent acne spot on her forehead, looking at her pitifully.

At this time, acne was still considered rare. While it was typically caused by excess oil secretion in young people, leading to local inflammation, the diet back then was low in fat. Even if someone had hormonal imbalances, they usually wouldn’t develop acne.

However, Zhao Xiaoyan’s family was relatively well-off. Back in her village, they had limited access to oily foods. But now, at the factory, the meals were much better. There was no pressure to maintain a slim figure, and Zhao Xiaoyan wasn’t overweight to begin with. She finally had access to delicious ribs and meatballs—of course, she indulged.

She had been eating freely for a while. The cafeteria chef was skilled, and with at least two meat dishes per day, she hadn’t gained much weight yet, but her forehead and lips had begun to protest.

This inflamed bump on her forehead was the result of several days of rich meals, topped off with a weekend feast. By the next morning, a bright red, swollen pimple had erupted. With her fair skin, it stood out even more. It was painful to the touch and impossible to pop.

At first, Zhao Xiaoyan had resigned herself to waiting for it to heal naturally. But then, she noticed the mosquito repellent bottle Wu Xiaoxiao had given her and recalled that Xiaoxiao knew a thing or two about herbal remedies.

Taking a chance, Zhao Xiaoyan came to seek help. Maybe, just maybe, Wu Xiaoxiao had a solution.

Wu Xiaoxiao examined her face carefully and said, “Looks like you’ve been eating well lately. And I bet you’ve been trying to squeeze or rub it all day, haven’t you?”

Zhao Xiaoyan nodded pitifully, still pointing at her pimple for help. She had indeed tried to pop it earlier, but the pain was unbearable.

Wu Xiaoxiao explained, “This is just a case of inflamed hair follicles, but it’s quite severe. I do have a solution, but you must promise not to touch it anymore.”

She led Zhao Xiaoyan to the washstand, picked up a clean towel, dampened it with some mosquito repellent-infused water, and gently wiped around the pimple to clean the surrounding skin. Then, she took a tiny drop of mosquito repellent, mixed it with a small amount of lotion, and blended them into a slightly thick paste before applying it lightly around the pimple.

“Alright, that’s it for now. Don’t touch it tonight, and be careful when washing your face. Come back tomorrow, and I’ll apply another layer. In a few days, it should be gone.”

If she had used her special ability, the pimple would have disappeared instantly. But that was unnecessary. The medicinal properties of these natural ingredients were enough to reduce the swelling over time.

Zhao Xiaoyan took out a small mirror to examine her forehead. A thin layer of light green ointment covered the inflamed spot. To her surprise, within moments, the originally thick and sticky paste had begun turning translucent. Although the pimple’s appearance hadn’t changed yet, the pain had already lessened, replaced by a cooling sensation.

She sighed in relief. She had suspected the mosquito repellent might help, as it had quickly soothed her mosquito bites before. But she hesitated to use it directly on her face. Now, curiosity struck.

“What was that other ointment you mixed in?” she asked.

Wu Xiaoxiao smiled, “Oh, that? I made it myself. Our orchard has a medicinal herb garden, so I followed some recipes to create a skincare cream. The mosquito repellent has cooling and anti-inflammatory properties, but it lacks moisturizing and healing effects. This cream ensures that the pimple stays hydrated while healing faster. It also contains nourishing ingredients to repair the skin.”

She pointed at the pimple. “Right now, your skin is very inflamed. If you only reduce the swelling, it might leave a scar. With the added healing components, that won’t happen. Also, wear a hat when you go outside—this area is sensitive, and sun exposure could cause lasting marks.”

Zhao Xiaoyan nodded and continued watching the ointment turn transparent. “Wow, it’s really being absorbed into my skin! I’ll come by every day for reapplication!”

And so, she did. Every night, she reported to Wu Xiaoxiao’s dorm. Each time, her pimple looked a little better. By the third day, only a faint red mark remained.

—-

On the fourth day, Zhao Xiaoyan ran in excitedly. “Xiaoxiao, look! It’s completely gone!”

Wu Xiaoxiao laughed. “Not bad! Seems my ointment works well. But if you don’t want more pimples, you’d better watch your diet!”

Zhao Xiaoyan looked embarrassed. “I know, I know… I just couldn’t resist all the meat after going without for so long! I’ve been eating mostly greens this week!”

“You don’t have to cut out meat completely,” Wu Xiaoxiao advised. “But last weekend, didn’t you eat a lot of spicy food too? Spicy, greasy food, plus sun exposure—that’s a recipe for breakouts!”

Zhao Xiaoyan sighed. “Lesson learned! I won’t do that again. By the way, can I take a closer look at your ointment?”

Wu Xiaoxiao handed her two bottles—one slender and tall, the mosquito repellent, and the other a small, round container of the cream.

“This long bottle is the mosquito repellent, and the flat round one is the cream,” she explained.

Zhao Xiaoyan admired them. “They look so nice! And this cream isn’t just any lotion—it’s way better than the expensive ones my mom buys. Is it hard to make? Would you sell me a bottle? I’ll pay…”

She hesitated, unsure of a fair price. After a moment of thought, she blurted, “I’ll pay 50 yuan! Does that sound fair? Or if you make more later, I’ll buy it then!”

She recalled how she had only paid Wu Xiaoxiao five yuan for half a bottle of mosquito repellent last time and now felt a bit guilty.

Wu Xiaoxiao chuckled. “Fifty yuan is too much! I can’t just take that much from you.”

“But Xiaoxiao, you don’t understand,” Zhao Xiaoyan insisted. “Regular cheap lotions only cost a few yuan, sure. But those are just basic moisturizers. Your cream does so much more! My mom’s fancy creams cost way more than 50 yuan!”

She had never shared details about her family’s wealth with others, but she wanted Wu Xiaoxiao to understand the value of her product.

Wu Xiaoxiao was a little surprised and touched by her honesty.

“Well, it’s different,” she said. “Sure, my ointment might be as effective as some high-end brands, but those companies charge for branding and fancy packaging too.”

Zhao Xiaoyan nodded. “That’s true. Sometimes, people pay just for the brand name, even if the product isn’t much better.”

Hearing this, an idea popped into Zhao Xiaoyan’s mind.

“Hey, Xiaoxiao… Have you thought about making more of this cream to sell?”