Meng Yan's Transformation

Zhan Zichuan got off work very early today and came back just after noon. He put his bicycle in the warehouse and went to his fiancée Wang Guijun's house to help repair the courtyard wall that collapsed due to rain.

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Zixun were both sitting at the table doing their homework, but their eyes were secretly looking at Zhan Zichuan. They found that Zhan Zichuan had indeed left, and observed that Zhan Zichuan put the key to the warehouse on the door.

Zhan Zixun took the warehouse key and pushed the bicycle out, just as Yunqing went out to the processing factory to grind cornmeal.

The Zhan family compound was quiet on that summer afternoon.

Zhan Mengyan wrote a note: Mom, I'm going to my classmate's house, so you don't have to wait for me for dinner.

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Zixun came to an open space in the southeast corner of the village, and Zhan Zixun demonstrated the movements to Zhan Mengyan.

"Sister Mengyan, you should learn to ride a bike first and see how well you can apply the concepts I taught you." Zhan Zixun said as he handed the bicycle to Zhan Mengyan.

Zhan Mengyan took the bicycle with joy, held her breath, gripped the handlebars with both hands, carefully stepped on the pedal with one foot, and pedaled hard with the other foot, but the bicycle swayed like a drunk. Zhan Mengyan wanted to go left, but the handlebars moved to the right. She wanted to go right, but the handlebars moved to the left, like twisting a doughnut. Zhan Mengyan was so anxious that she was sweating profusely and accidentally fell to the ground with the bicycle.

Zhan Zixun hurried forward to lift up the bike and said, "Don't be discouraged. This is the case when you first learn. Keep practicing. Hold the handlebars firmly when riding a bike. Sister Mengyan, don't look down at the pedals. Keep your head up and look forward."

Zhan Mengyan followed Zhan Zixun's instructions and tried to step on the pedals again. She tried to push harder, and the bicycle moved forward steadily...

"Okay, okay, sister Mengyan, you have mastered the balancing technique so quickly. You are really a teachable person! Now you can practice the crotch-grabbing riding method. I will help you control it by holding the rear clothes hanger of the bicycle from behind." Zhan Zixun said encouragingly.

"Can I do it?" Zhan Mengyan asked excitedly.

"Sister Mengyan, you can do it. Just give it a try. Your brother is here to protect you. You won't fall." Zhan Zixun said.

Zhan Mengyan put her left foot on the front pedal, and stretched her right foot under the beam (that is, the crossbeam of the bicycle) and put it on the other pedal. She pedaled hard with both feet, and the bicycle flew forward quickly. It was about to hit the stone in front, but Zhan Mengyan suddenly had an idea and used her left foot to support the ground, so she didn't fall to the ground.

"Oh, that was close. I almost fell down again." Zhan Mengyan said with lingering fear.

"Sister Mengyan, don't be afraid. I'm holding the bicycle hanger from behind. How could I let you fall? Should we take a break or continue?" Zhan Zixun asked.

"Of course I have to continue. I must learn to ride a bike today." Zhan Mengyan said happily.

Zhan Mengyan got on the bike again, and this time it was much more stable. Zhan Zi'an tried to secretly let go of his hand that was holding the bike hanger, but Zhan Mengyan was still able to keep the bike moving steadily.

"Brother Zixun, do you think I rode pretty well this time?" Zhan Mengyan asked while riding.

"Not bad, very good. Just keep the balance like this." Zhan Zi'an said in the front.

"Brother Zixun, why did you let go? You don't want to protect me anymore?" Zhan Mengyan hit the handlebars in panic, her hands shaking a little.

"Don't panic, don't panic, I'm here to protect you. Hold on to the handlebars without shaking. Look forward, look forward, don't look at your feet..." Zhan Zixun waved his arms slowly and gently like a conductor of an orchestra.

After listening to Zhan Zixun's words, Zhan Mengyan calmed down and the bicycle started to move forward steadily again.

"Sister Mengyan, please get down. I feel that although you are not very tall, you have long legs, so you can sit on the bicycle seat and ride it." Zhan Zixun said.

Zhan Mengyan slowed down and got off the bicycle steadily and said, "Brother Zi'an, can I sit on the saddle and ride a bicycle? Can my feet reach the bicycle pedals?"

Zhan Zi'an took out a wrench from his pocket and said, "I'll put the seat down now. I think you'll be able to reach the pedals when you sit on it. I thought you had brought this wrench for nothing today. You'll need to practice for a few days before you can use it. I didn't expect Sister Mengyan to learn so quickly. This wrench is really a good thing to have in case of an emergency."

Zhan Zixun lowered the bicycle seat to the lowest position.

Zhan Mengyan started riding again, this time she rode a few dozen meters, and then she sped up and came to a bend. Zhan Zixun hurriedly shouted, "Brake! Brake!" With a "squeak", Zhan Mengyan and her bike fell heavily to the ground, her knees were bruised, and blood oozed from the wound. Zhan Mengyan was in so much pain that tears welled up in her eyes, but she tried to lift her face to prevent the tears from flowing out.

"Sister Mengyan, let's go home. We don't want to suffer this anymore and we might as well not learn it. It will be still in time for you to learn to ride a bicycle in a few years when you get into high school. When we both get into high school, our families won't have money to pay for our accommodation. I guess we both have to ride bicycles to the dormitory. It's okay if you can't ride a bicycle. I will ride a bicycle and carry you to the county high school. But you have to skip two grades before you can take the high school entrance exam with me. Only then can I ride a bicycle to carry you to and from school every day." Zhan Zixun said with concern.

"How can that be? I must learn to ride a bicycle easily today. Edison failed more than 1000 times before he invented the light bulb. Pu Songling failed the exam countless times. After 20 years, he finally wrote the world-famous short story collection "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio". Failure is the mother of success, and persistence is the father of success. What's this little setback of mine? Let's continue practicing. When we go to high school together, I will ride a bicycle to carry brother Zixun to school to thank brother Zixun for teaching me how to ride a bicycle today." Zhan Mengyan said hurriedly and firmly.

"Sister Mengyan, you really deserve to be the provincial three-good student. When practicing riding a bicycle and getting injured, you can even quote inspirational quotes from Chinese and Western celebrities. Well, sister Mengyan is a man of integrity. I, Zhan Zixun, will risk my life to keep you company." Zhan Zixun said admiringly.

Zhan Zixun set up intersection tags on the ground using branches.

Zhan Mengyan got on the bike again and started trying to turn. She first sped up, then slowed down at an intersection, then put her left hand forward and her right hand backward, and actually turned right successfully.

Zhan Mengyan said happily: "I succeeded! I succeeded!"

Zhan Mengyan felt as happy as if she had broken the world record.

Zhan Mengyan sat on the bicycle seat, the scenery on both sides quickly receded, several bicycles were sliding rapidly on the ground, she felt like she had grown a pair of wings and was flying! Her body and mind were flying on this sunny summer afternoon! Just like a free bird flying in the sky...