Meng Yan's Transformation

After dinner, Zhan Yingying went to the water tank to scoop water to wash dishes, and found that there was not much water in the water tank. She scooped the water from the water tank into the bucket and said, "Mengyan, please help me draw water. The water well has been pressurized very heavily these days, and even one person can't draw water."

The two sisters came to the water pressure well in the yard. Zhan Yingying held the water pressure well pole with both hands and tried to jump up. The water pressure well pole rose and fell, making a "click, click, click" sound. Zhan Mengyan kept scooping water from the top of the water pressure well, one scoop to the left and one scoop to the right. Most of the water was scooped into the water pressure well, and only a little bit of turbid groundwater with mud and sand flowed out.

Zhan Yu saw that the two had been trying for a long time but still hadn't brought any water into the house, so he also came to the water well. Seeing the muddy groundwater slowly flowing out, he said, "We have to drill this water well again. It seems that the water source line is going to be gone."

Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan took turns pumping two buckets of water, but the water was still not clear. Zhan Yu pumped another bucket of water, but the water flow became slow and scarce, and finally no water came out.

The father, his two daughters and their two daughters had no choice but to use their neighbor's water pressurized well, pump a few buckets of water back home and pour them into the water tank.

Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan were about to wash the dishes.

Zhan Yu walked over and said, "Meng Yan, go and help Dad get the medicine box. Let's go to the blacksmith Zhang Bao's house and ask your uncle Zhang to dig a well for our family tomorrow. I will also treat your uncle Zhang's herpes. You can be a little helper for Dad. Dad is old and his eyesight is a bit slow to follow."

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yu were walking on the way to the blacksmith Zhang Bao's house. Zhan Mengyan asked in confusion: "Dad, isn't Uncle Zhang Bao a blacksmith? Why do you ask the blacksmith to dig a well for our family?"

"Your uncle Zhang Bao is a blacksmith and a well digger. He dug several wells in our village." Zhan Yu replied.

The father and daughter came to the courtyard of Zhang Bao's house and heard the sound of "ding ding dang dang" from the distance.

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yu came to the door, which was open. They saw the fire in the furnace burning red, and Zhang Bao put a piece of pig iron into the furnace. The red flames reflected Zhang Bao's bronze face. His eldest son Zhang Xinzhong pulled the bellows with a melodious rhythm of "whoosh, whoosh". His muscular and strong arms looked like iron and copper. After a while, orange flames shot out of the furnace, a foot high, illuminating the figures on the wall and the objects next to the furnace. Blacksmith Zhang Bao used pliers to pick up the red-hot iron from the furnace, put it on the anvil, and used a small hammer to carefully hit it for fine finishing. His second son Zhang Xincheng swung a big hammer to the beat to facilitate shaping. Wherever the small hammer hits, the big hammer hits, "ding-dong, ding-dong", the hammers hit the iron and produced sparks flying everywhere, and the sound of the big hammer, the small hammer, and the anvil echoed rhythmically above the blacksmith shop. Blacksmith Zhang Bao transferred the iron on the anvil again and again, and then the iron gradually took shape. Blacksmith Zhang Bao clamped the iron with pliers and stretched it into the cold water basin beside the furnace. He only heard the sound of "hissing" in his ears, and a string of small bubbles emerged from the bottom of the basin. White mist rose above the basin and disappeared in an instant. Blacksmith Zhang Bao used pliers to clamp the quenched iron tools, put them on the anvil and looked at them repeatedly. The two sons also looked at them. Blacksmith Zhang Bao nodded with satisfaction and said, "Let's call it a day. Is Wang Baoqin's meal ready? Let's get ready to eat."

Zhan Yu and Zhan Mengyan were also fascinated by the scene. Zhan Yu couldn't help but admire, "What a great craftsmanship! Brother Zhang Bao is really a great craftsman."

"Fourth Brother Zhan, Xiao Mengyan, when did you come? Wang Baoqin, Fourth Brother Zhan is here, please add another dish, and Fourth Brother Zhan and I will have two drinks." Zhang Bao shouted loudly towards the kitchen.

Zhan Yu said hurriedly, "Brother Zhang Bao, you were so focused on your work that you didn't notice someone coming. Your concentration is just like when I was doing surgery, and both of us had to concentrate. I just had dinner at home, and I can't drink. I'm here to do a herpes simplex surgery on your brother. I also want you to dig a well for my family tomorrow. My pressurized well isn't producing water. Today, I used half a bucket of water and finally managed to draw out some muddy water with sand in it, and then it stopped producing water at all. I can't get water from the neighbor's pressurized well."

"Fourth Brother Zhan, Xiao Mengyan, I have put the food on the table, let's eat together." Wang Baoqin walked over and said.

"Sister-in-law, please stop busying yourself. My father and I have just finished dinner and we can't eat anything anymore. Please take me to perform surgery on my brother Zhang Hu." Zhan Yu said.

"His uncle is in the backyard. He has been in pain for many days. His lower back is ulcerated. He really can't hold on any longer, so he told us. He is looking forward to Fourth Brother Zhan coming." Wang Baoqin said.

"Since Fourth Brother Zhan has already had dinner, let's perform the operation on my younger brother Zhang Hu first. Fourth Brother Zhan, leave the water pressure well in your family to me. I promise to build a water pressure well with clear water. I will ask Xincheng and Xinzhong to go to your house for help tomorrow. Xincheng said that your Zhan Zixun said he would not be home this week, and said that the math teacher wanted to see him about something." Zhang Bao said as he took Zhan Yu and Zhan Mengyan to the backyard.

Zhang Hu's herpes simplex virus was located on his lower back. He lay on the kang, crying out in pain. After a careful examination, Zhan Yu felt that his condition was serious and could not be treated conservatively with medication. He had to undergo surgery. So he began to disinfect the area where Zhang Hu was going to undergo surgery. Zhan Mengyan handed over the medicine, cotton wool, scissors, tweezers, forceps, scalpels, etc. that Zhan Yu needed.

The operation lasted for about forty minutes. Zhan Yu's forehead was covered with sweat. Zhan Mengyan wiped the sweat off Zhan Yu and Zhan Yu began to bandage Zhang Hu's wound. Zhan Mengyan packed up the surgical instruments.

Zhang Bao watched Zhan Mengyan skillfully help Zhan Yu complete the operation and said happily: "Little Mengyan, you are getting more and more beautiful and smart. Fourth Brother Zhan, you are so lucky to have a good daughter to help you. I heard that little Mengyan got the first place in the normal school entrance examination, how come she failed? Who replaced her admission quota? Mengyan should just stop going to school and study medicine with Fourth Brother Zhan. It's useless for a girl to read so many books, she will get married in the future..."

Wang Baoqin sneaked up to Zhang Bao and whispered, "His father, please don't bring up this topic, okay?"

Zhang Bao seemed not to hear Wang Baoqin's reminder and continued to discuss Zhan Mengyan's entrance examination to secondary normal school.

Zhang Xincheng saw Zhan Mengyan's face flushed red and tears welled up in her eyes. He interrupted Zhang Bao and said, "Dad, you haven't drunk yet, why are you talking like a drunk? My uncle has finished the operation, let him have a good rest. I'm hungry too, let's go eat."

"By the way, Fourth Brother Zhan has completed his surgery. It's okay for him to drink with me this time." Zhang Bao said as he pulled Zhan Yu away.

"Dad, I haven't finished my homework yet. I'm going home first..." Zhan Mengyan said as she picked up the medicine box and quickly ran out of the house.

Zhang Xincheng also followed him out: "Mengyan, wait for me, I have something to tell you..."

Zhan Mengyan didn't even turn her head and quickened her pace. Zhang Xincheng desperately chased after her, saying, "Mengyan, I know you are sad. You believe that you can get into high school and a famous university in the future, which is a thousand times better than going to a normal school..."