Meng Yan's Transformation

Zhan Zhuozhuo found a stove hook. This "hair curling equipment" is a thick iron bar with a 90-degree bend at the head and a handle in the shape of a head and ears. The stove hook is used to clean the ash in the stove or to poke the firewood to help it burn. Today, it has become a tool for Zhan Mengyan to shape the hair of her three nieces.

Zhan Mengyan looked at the curly hair of the girl in the wall painting, and then looked at the eager eyes of her three nieces...

"Good aunt, can you please try to perm our hair..." the three nieces kept begging.

Zhan Qiqi lit the fire and put the hook into the fire to heat it. Feeling that the heat was enough, Zhan Mengyan pulled out the hook and put it on Zhan Qiqi's hair to curl it. Since it was the first time to try it, there was a "squeak--" sound, and Zhan Qiqi shouted, "Ah--", a wisp of light smoke, a strong smell of roasted bird feathers, emanated, a strand of hair was burned off and slid to the ground... Looking at the half long and half short hair, the four people were stunned for a moment, and they calmed down after a while, and simply cut off the remaining long hair, and the long hair that was draped over the shoulders immediately became short hair that reached the neck. This time, they had experience, and the hook should not be burned too hot, and they should curl whatever they want when they feel slightly hot. If you want small and more curls, you should curl them very finely. If you want large and fewer curls, you should curl them slightly thicker. Zhan Qiqi only curled her bangs, Zhan Zhuozhuo curled her hair with few large curls. Zhan Jiaojiao insisted on having many small curls, so it took more time. When Zhan Jiaojiao was almost done curling her hair, Guihua came back.

Zhan Mengyan was so frightened that her hands trembled and she burned Zhan Jiaojiao's hair. Zhan Zhuozhuo hurriedly snatched the stove hook from Zhan Mengyan's hand and hid it in the quilt.

"Oh, what's wrong with your three daughters' hair? They look like chickens basking in nest. Who permed your hair?" Guihua asked in surprise when she saw her three daughters' curly hair.

The four of them bowed their heads and remained silent.

"Mom, do you think I look like the doll in the painting? Am I pretty?" Zhan Jiaojiao said, breaking the silence.

"What's that smell? Something's burnt?" Osmanthus shouted.

Guihua followed the burning smell and found the smoking pile of quilts. She hurried forward and pulled open the quilt. The quilt, which was originally white and soft, became black and hard, emitting a pungent and stench of burning. A stove hook was pulled out of the quilt by Guihua.

"Who did this? Zhan Mengyan, I asked you to help me take care of the children. Now the three children's hair is messy like a hen's head, and the quilt is burnt. Tell me, is it you who used a stove hook to perm their hair? Why did you throw the hot stove hook into the quilt? What kind of behavior is this? You are such a troublemaker! You are still a model student, and you are also a team leader..." Guihua yelled at Zhan Mengyan like a machine gun in anger.

Zhan Mengyan was so frightened that she trembled, tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn't say a word.

"Mom, I was the one who permed my sister's hair with a hair curler. It has nothing to do with Aunt Mengyan. Please don't yell at Aunt Mengyan, okay?" Zhan Qiqi came to Guihua with her chest puffed out and shouted loudly.

"Yes, it was my sister who permed our hair. I was startled when you came back suddenly, and I was afraid you would scold us, so I hid the stove hook under the quilt." Zhan Zhuozhuo also echoed.

Guihua saw Zhan Jiaojiao standing in front of the mirror in the closet, admiring her curly hair as if nothing had happened, so she asked, "Zhan Jiaojiao, who did you curl your hair for?"

"Why are you asking me? Didn't my elder sister tell you everything..." Zhan Jiaojiao was still immersed in self-admiration and intoxication, and said absent-mindedly.

"You little girl, you're so conceited at such a young age. I asked you a question, but you didn't want to answer me!" Guihua said as she picked up a feather duster and hit Zhan Jiaojiao hard on the butt.

Zhan Jiaojiao was hurt by Guihua and burst into tears. She cried and said, "It was Aunt Mengyan who permed my hair..."

"Zhan Mengyan, you heard it, right? You dare not admit what you did, and let your two nieces take the blame for you. Come on, let's go and ask mom for justice. You burned my quilt like this, and now you see that mom can't protect you anymore..." Guihua pushed Zhan Mengyan angrily and carried her out of the house like a chicken.

Zhan Mengyan was so frightened that she was taken away mechanically by Guihua.

Zhan Qiqi, Zhan Zhuozhuo, and Zhan Jiaojiao followed behind. Zhan Zhuozhuo whispered to Zhan Jiaojiao viciously: "You are the one who arranged the perm, and when something went wrong, you betrayed Aunt Mengyan. You are such a hateful traitor..."

"Wait until you taste the power of a feather duster, and see if you can still be stubborn." Zhan Jiaojiao retorted.

"Zhan Mengyan, didn't you go to give gifts to your nieces? Why did you take so long to come back? You look like an eggplant hit by frost, wilted. What's wrong with you? What trouble have you gotten yourself into? Did you make your sister-in-law Guihua angry?" Yunqing asked in confusion when she saw Guihua's angry face and Zhan Mengyan's dejected look.

"Grandma, I hid the stove hook in the quilt pile and burned the quilt. My mother was angry and took it out on my Aunt Mengyan." Zhan Zhuozhuo walked up to Yunqing and said.

"Zhan Zhuozhuo, who told you to speak? You owe it to me, Zhan Mengyan, since you won't say it, I'll say it for you first. Mom, Zhan Mengyan used a stove hook to perm my three daughters' hair while I was not at home. Afterwards, she threw the hot stove hook into the quilt pile in my house and burnt the quilts. Who do you think will compensate for the quilts?" Guihua said angrily to Zhan Mengyan.

"Mengyan, tell me, what's going on?" Yunqing asked Zhan Mengyan gently.

"Mom, what do you mean? Am I slandering my sister?" Guihua said angrily.

"Guihua, don't be angry or impulsive. The quilt is burnt. No matter who did it, Mom will compensate you for it. But since you brought the person here, we have to ask the person involved, right?" Yunqing said kindly.

"Sister Mengyan, tell me whether I have slandered you. What you burned was a quilt made of high-quality cotton..." When Guihua saw that Yunqing agreed to compensate for her quilt, she softened her tone and spoke.

"Qiqi, Zhuozhuo and I permed Jiaojiao's hair. I also permed Qiqi and Zhuozhuo's hair. It was not me who put the hair hook in the quilt pile... Sister-in-law, don't be angry. I'm sorry, I will never perm my nephews and nieces' hair again..." Zhan Mengyan said.

"Granddaughter, you are the eldest and the most honest child. Can you tell grandma the truth about the matter?" Yunqing said gently, stroking Zhan Qiqi's head.

Zhan Qiqi raised her head and said solemnly, "Aunt Mengyan was reluctant to perm our hair at first, but she couldn't resist our requests and finally agreed to perm our hair. It was not Aunt Mengyan who threw the stove hook into the quilt. It was Zhan Zhuozhuo who was so scared when he heard his mother suddenly come back that he hid the stove hook in the quilt."

"Zhuozhuo, Jiaojiao, tell me, is what Sister Qiqi said right?" Yunqing asked.

"Yes, Sister Qiqi is right..." Zhan Zhuozhuo answered loudly.

"Yes..." Zhan Jiaojiao said in a low voice.

"Okay, everything is clear now. Let's get ready for dinner. After dinner, Guihua, take the new quilt I made for Zichuan home. Zichuan won't be back for another month, so there's still time for me to make him another quilt." Yunqing said.

"Since the stove hook was not put in the quilt by Sister Mengyan, how can I have the nerve to ask Mom to compensate me for the quilt..." Guihua said embarrassedly.

"What's the point of talking about compensation among family members? A harmonious family is the key to success. I'm glad you're not angry, Guihua. This quilt is a gift from your mother." Yunqing said with a smile.

"Then I won't be polite. Thank you, Mom." Guihua also said with a smile.