That night, Tang Xiaonan and her family slept at Adrian Hawthorne's house. There were only two hard plank beds. Tang Xiaonan shared one with Goldie Thorne, and the wooden planks felt as hard as a concrete floor. She didn't sleep well all night and woke up with several red mosquito bites on her face and body.
"It's so itchy..."
Tang Xiaonan scratched at her face nonstop, which quickly turned red. Goldie Thorne grabbed her hand. "You'll break the skin if you keep scratching. Jim, go get a basin of water."
He didn't need to be told; Jim Thorne had already fetched some clear, cool water from the well. Washing her face with it brought some relief, but the bites were still incredibly itchy. Jim spat into his hand, about to smear it on Tang Xiaonan's face.
"A little spit will stop the itching."
"No way! I'll use my own."
