Meng Yan's Transformation

Zhan Mengyan ate some canned peaches and fell into a deep sleep again.

Yunqing touched Zhan Mengyan's forehead, then touched her own forehead and said, "Mengyan's fever is finally gone, and she's sleeping soundly. We can sleep peacefully after a tiring day."

Zhan Mengyan slept in a daze for another three days, woke up several times, drank some water, and continued to sleep.

Zhang Xincheng came to Zhan's house once a day, either early or late, just like punching a clock in. He would walk away with a frown on his face after seeing Zhan Mengyan sleeping, muttering to himself as he walked, "Why do you sleep every day? When will you wake up?"

One day around noon, Zhang Yumei, the neighbor, came to the Zhan family and said to Yunqing, "Aunt Yunqing, how come Mengyan hasn't woken up after sleeping for so many days?"

"I also measured Mengyan's temperature. She no longer has a high fever and her temperature is normal. She woke up several times in the middle of the night, ate something, drank some water, and continued to sleep. When will this sleepiness problem be cured?" Yunqing replied.

Zhang Yumei, the second wife of Zhang, looked left and right and said, "My fourth uncle Zhan is not at home, I will tell you a way to wake up sister Mengyan. First of all, let me make it clear that this is not some feudal superstition, it is not harmful to people. I have tried this method on my child and it works very well. My child was bitten by a dog once and was frightened. He had green feces and a high fever for several days. Later, he became sleepy. I used this method to cure the child's sleepiness. This method was taught to my mother by my grandmother, and my mother taught me."

"Mrs. Zhang, stop explaining. Just tell me, what method can be used to wake up a sleepy person?" Zhan Yingying asked anxiously.

"Yingying, don't interrupt. Let your second sister-in-law Zhang finish what she is saying. Second sister-in-law, please speak quickly..." Yunqing interrupted Yingying's questioning.

Mrs. Zhang leaned close to Yunqing's ear and said, "This method is actually very simple. It is: at noon, put seven grains of rice in the bowl that Mengyan used, and then put some water in a bowl in front of Mengyan's head. Use chopsticks to gently tap the edge of the bowl with rice, and call softly: Mengyan, come home and eat with your mother... Mengyan, come home and eat... Call seven times in a row. Another method is to use seven sheets of yellow paper used for graves at night when it is quiet and the stars are out, and burn them on top of Mengyan's head. When burning, draw three circles on the left and three circles on the right on top of Mengyan's head. Wrap the ashes in yellow paper and put them under Mengyan's pillow for three days before throwing them away."

Yunqing looked back at the clock and saw it was past eleven o'clock. She said, "Oh, it's almost twelve o'clock. I'll go find a bowl and call Mengyan's soul back. Maybe it will really heal her. I think Mengyan was frightened that day. She was suddenly slapped in the face and ran around... She must have been frightened..."

Yunqing went to find a bowl and rice. Mrs. Zhang said: "It is best for outsiders to avoid this kind of soul-calling ceremony." Then she went home.

At noon, Yunqing called Mengyan back to her spirit as Zhang Ersao had told her. Sure enough, Mengyan woke up at about one in the afternoon. Yunqing brought her lunch, and Zhan Mengyan ate it with great relish.

After lunch, Zhan Mengyan packed her schoolbag and said, "Mom, I'm going to school."

Yunqing was relieved to see Zhan Mengyan had returned to normal. She was so happy that tears welled up in her eyes and she said, "Mengyan, you are finally awake. You should have a good rest. We are not in a hurry to go to school. We can talk about it another day."

Zhan Mengyan looked at Yunqing in confusion and said, "Mom, why are you crying? I seemed to have fallen asleep just now. If I run to school quickly, I can still make it. Why don't you let me go to school?"

Zhan Yingying looked at Zhan Mengyan and saw that her eyes had regained their former brightness. She held Zhan Mengyan's face and said happily, "Mengyan, you didn't just seem to fall asleep, you really fell asleep. You've been sleeping for five days and had a high fever for several days. Mom and I were so worried. It was just now that Sister Zhang taught Mom a way to wake you up."

Zhan Mengyan looked at Yunqing with even more confusion and asked, "Mom, is what Sister Yingying said true? I just felt like I was just confused and took a short nap, just a short nap, how did it become a five-day sleep?"

Yunqing caressed Zhan Mengyan's face lovingly and said, "Mengyan, let's not think too much. It's great that you can wake up! You have a bad cold and a high fever, which has made you confused. Don't think about anything. Review your homework at home in the afternoon. Mom will make you something delicious in the evening. Tomorrow, my Mengyan will go to school in high spirits."