Meng Yan's Transformation

Zhan Yu walked to Zhan Mengyan and gave her another shot to reduce fever. While flushing the needle, he said, "Sister-in-law, don't make a fuss. Mengyan just caught a cold. It's nothing serious. She will lie down for a few days. Let Yunqing give her some ginger soup to sweat. You can go home. My brother Zhang Bao drank a lot yesterday. I guess even if he sobers up today, he will be too weak to do any work. You have to rely on your sister-in-law to do the housework."

Wang Baoqin stepped forward and covered Mengyan with a blanket and said, "Xincheng, before he went to school this morning, he told me repeatedly to come to your house and take good care of Mengyan. If Mengyan is sick, let me stay with her and don't leave. He will come back at night to see if Mengyan is okay. If I go home, he will definitely be mean to me. Besides, Zhang Bao was still asleep before I came. I told my eldest son Zhang Xinzhong to stay at home to take care of his father and do housework. If he is too busy, Xinzhong's wife will help. I will not go back. I will stay to take care of Mengyan. I must see Mengyan's fever subside and she can eat and drink before I go home."

Zhan Yu packed up the medical equipment and the medicine box to prepare for the visit. He said as he lowered his head to pack up, "My dear sister-in-law Baoqin, you have lived a very frustrating life. You have been afraid of Zhang Bao for most of your life and have listened to him in everything. If you could control his bad habit of drinking, you would have suffered less. Zhang Bao gets drunk and acts crazy, and you have suffered a lot. It is because of you that Zhang Bao has these bad habits. Now that the children are grown up, you should stand up straight. Don't be afraid of him anymore and don't indulge his bad habits. The children are grown up and they support you. What's wrong? You hope that the children will grow up, but you are afraid of them again? Go home now and do what you should do. If Xincheng dares to be mean to you at night, you should beat him hard and see if he dares to be mean to you again next time."

Yunqing said hurriedly, "Zhanyu, what are you talking about? How can you teach Baoqin and her sister-in-law to beat Xincheng? Baoqin, you have to find a way to send a message to Xincheng, telling him not to come back and let him study with peace of mind. It takes two hours to go back and forth for dozens of miles, even if you ride a bicycle. Not to mention being tired, how much study time will be delayed. This Xincheng is really a good boy. He helps your blacksmith shop to forge iron and helps my family dig a well. If he hadn't caught up with Mengyan in time yesterday, the consequences would be disastrous. Xincheng saved Mengyan's life. We have to thank Xincheng very much."

"Let's put things one way and the other way around. Xincheng should be rewarded and thanked for saving Mengyan. But if he dares to be mean to his mother, he should be beaten. Merits and demerits cannot be replaced by each other." Zhan Yu said.

Wang Baoqin was embarrassed by Zhan Yu's words and smiled bitterly, and said, "Alas... Fourth brother, you are right. I spoiled Zhang Bao. I felt sorry for him being tired from work, so I bought him some wine to drink. The original intention was to let him relieve his fatigue. Unexpectedly, he developed the habit of getting drunk and acting crazy. It's been half a lifetime. I'm afraid I can't control it anymore. Let him be. It's just that last night, he hurt my niece Mengyan... Xincheng didn't really murder me. He is a kind child who can distinguish right from wrong. He feels sorry for Mengyan and thinks it is wrong for his father to get drunk and act crazy in your house, so he asked me to make up for the mistakes made by his father. Even if Xincheng didn't ask me to come, I should take care of Mengyan as her aunt, and I also feel sorry for your niece Mengyan from the bottom of my heart. Fourth brother, don't chase me away. I'll stay a little longer and go home at noon."

"Zhan Yu, please leave quickly. The patient and his family are waiting anxiously. Let me stay with your sister-in-law for a while and chat with her. I will persuade her to go home." Yun Qing urged.

After Zhan Yu left, Wang Baoqin and Yunqing looked at Zhan Mengyan who seemed to be half asleep. They called Zhan Mengyan a few times, but she acted as if she didn't hear them.

Wang Baoqin approached Yunqing and said mysteriously, "I heard from Xincheng that he chased Mengyan to the abandoned well at the east end of the village yesterday evening. Mengyan was crying beside the well, and she stood on the edge of the well with her hands open as if she wanted to fly... Fourth sister-in-law, do you know why the well was abandoned?"