She wouldn't let her mother help, explaining that others wouldn't know how much pressure to apply. It was better for her to do it herself, since she knew what was needed.
She then asked Qingmu to bring another basin, so she could change the water after each rinse and avoid dirtying the entire bowl at once.
As a result, once she had used up one basin of water and washed off the ointment, the skin underneath was just as Juhua had feared—raw and inflamed!
Under the dim, yellow lamplight, her parents and Qingmu were all stunned. Even though they were used to seeing Juhua's scabbed and disfigured face every day, the horrific sight before them now left them terrified.
