Meng Yan's Transformation

Yundawen's eyes were filled with disappointment, a deep, powerless depression. His head, which had been held high, was now lowered, and his shoulders seemed to be carrying endless loss. The painful look was unbearable to watch, as if the whole world had collapsed in his lost eyes...

"Second cousin Daven, please don't be like this. I will discuss it with the teacher later and see if I can let you wait for me somewhere outside the school after evening self-study. But you have to stay at home for the next few days..."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she looked at Yun Dawen, who looked depressed, and felt mixed emotions. She didn't know how to coax him without hurting his feelings and preventing him from going to school. In her heart, Zhan Mengyan hoped that Yun Dawen would pick her up so that she could get rid of the panic caused by the dark night; but she also didn't want Yun Dawen to pick her up after evening study because she felt that his appearance would make her classmates look down on her...

Zhan Mengyan was conflicted, and could only helplessly watch Yun Dawen falling asleep on the kang in her little room.

Zhan Mengyan read for a while after washing up, but Yun Dawen fell into a sound sleep.

Zhan Mengyan couldn't wake Yun Dawen up no matter how hard she pushed him or how hard she called him. Finally, she took some firewood leaves and poked his nostrils and ears... Finally, Yun Dawen woke up. Zhan Mengyan sent Yun Dawen, who was still half asleep, back to the main house, and then she felt relieved and went back to her own room to lie down in her clothes. She was worried that Yun Dawen would be half asleep, and she didn't dare to sleep soundly in her room...

On a winter night, the Morning Star slowly rises in the eastern sky. Its light is like a golden beacon, illuminating the cold night sky. As the Morning Star rises, the surrounding stars gradually appear, and the sky begins to turn white, heralding the coming of dawn...

My cousins ​​in the main house were still sleeping soundly.

Zhan Mengyan got up quietly, washed up, took a piece of frozen corn cake, fished out some salted radish strips from the ceramic jar, put them all in a plastic bag, put on her schoolbag, and ran to school in the cold wind.

After morning self-study, it was time for classes in various subjects. Zhan Mengyan felt very tired. During the math class, she and several classmates almost fell asleep, which made the math teacher, Mr. Cao, throw chalk at the dozing students. In front of everyone, Zhan Mengyan was very embarrassed and ashamed.

After the math class, the students walked out of the classroom. Zhan Mengyan felt that the students were looking at her with strange eyes, which made her feel uneasy. She vaguely heard her classmates talking about her:

"Is Zhan Mengyan living in the 'Crystal Palace'? She is so excited that she can't sleep every night, but she fell asleep in math class..."

"Zhan Mengyan asked Quasimodo to pick her up from evening study yesterday. I really don't know what she was thinking. Facing such an ugly face, wasn't she afraid at all?"

"She's acting out a modern version of 'Beauty and the Beast', how could she be scared..."

"She deals with wild beasts every day and lives in the 'Crystal Palace'. She can't sleep well at night, so how can she not feel sleepy during the classes during the day..."

"How come you have no sympathy at all? It's cold in the room, so the hot air from people's breath will form frost. Who can sleep well in such a cold room? You're still making sarcastic remarks. Aren't you too vicious?!"

"Zhan Mengyan's cousin is a kind-hearted person. He didn't pursue the responsibility when the monitor and his friends beat him up, but instead reported it to the school leaders. What a magnanimous person he is. You can't give him nicknames like 'Quasimodo' or 'The Beast' just because he's ugly and disabled. Every life, no matter how beautiful or ugly, should be respected..."

"..."

During the lunch break at noon, Zhan Mengyan fell into a deep sleep on the desk.

"Zhan Mengyan, wake up, someone is looking for you outside."

Zhan Mengyan was woken up by her deskmate Dong Hanmei while she was half asleep.

Zhan Mengyan came to the corridor and saw Zhang Xincheng from afar, whom she had not seen for many days.

"Didn't I tell you not to come to our class to look for me? Why are you here again?"

When Zhan Mengyan spoke, she looked at Zhang Xincheng, who was holding a small paper bag in his hand and looking at her with eyes full of doting and concern.

"I went home a few days ago. I saw that Uncle Zhan was injured. Sister Yingying went home to take care of Uncle Zhan. Zhan Zixun said that the place you live in is very bad... I... I can't help you either. I'm very anxious... You just have to hold on for now. It was so difficult back then, but we were able to escape and go to school. I believe you will make it through it. After we all take the college entrance examination, the school dormitory will have beds available, and you can go back to school to live. At that time, you can ask the principal to approve free accommodation for you... This is the steamed bun my mother made, for you..."

As Zhang Xincheng spoke, he stuffed the paper bag in his hand into Zhan Mengyan's hands and turned away.

Zhan Mengyan stood there and watched Zhang Xincheng walk away, a feeling of sadness came over her...

Zhan Mengyan opened the paper package: a few plump and soft white flour buns came into view.

At noon, she only ate half a corn cake. Seeing the white flour buns, she felt hungry again. She broke off half of the bun and put a small piece in her mouth. The feeling was like a long drought finally ending in a downpour, which brought her immense satisfaction and happiness. A satisfied smile appeared on her face, as if the whole world had suddenly become beautiful...

The steamed buns were soft and delicious. When Zhan Mengyan took a bite, it felt like she was biting into a ball of cotton. The more she chewed, the more fragrant it became, and finally it became a sticky paste. The warm feeling that rushed from her mouth to her stomach made Zhan Mengyan feel extremely comfortable. The aroma of the steamed buns was fragrant, and the hot breath had a warmth of home. The taste awakened the beautiful memories in her heart...

During the afternoon class, Zhan Mengyan was much clearer.

During the evening self-study class, the homeroom teacher, Mr. Yan Shizhong, called Zhan Mengyan out of the classroom.

"Student Zhan Mengyan, I've been quite busy lately. Teacher Liu Zhen is teaching our Chinese class. He speaks very highly of your composition, especially your composition "My Crystal Palace" which was published in the school magazine and caused a great sensation. Teacher Liu Zhen is also going to recommend this composition to participate in the city and provincial high school composition competitions! Are you feeling a little bit proud and proud? Even if you are feeling a little proud, it's natural for people to feel that way, but you can't show it. You dozed off in math class, which made Teacher Cao very angry. In addition, your math score in this monthly exam is not very ideal. Unbalanced scores are a big taboo in the college entrance examination!"

When the head teacher, Mr. Yan Shizhong, was speaking, he saw Zhan Mengyan lowering her head with tears dripping down her face.

"Teacher Yan, I...I...I am sorry for your concern for me. I am not proud, I don't have the capital to be proud. An essay is nothing...It is wrong for me to fall asleep in math class. I...I am wrong..."

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she choked up several times and became speechless.

"Student Zhan Mengyan, don't cry. The teacher doesn't mean to criticize you. I just want to remind you to face your own right and wrong bravely. Do you have any difficulties or hardships?"

As the head teacher, Mr. Yan Shizhong, spoke, he looked at Zhan Mengyan with tenderness in his eyes.

"Teacher Yan, I have no hardship. You are criticizing me because it is for my own good. I just feel sorry for Teacher Yan, and even more sorry for Mathematics Teacher Cao..."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she finally stopped shedding tears.

"Student Zhan Mengyan, please don't think the teacher is nagging. There is one more thing: I heard from the supervisor yesterday that your cousin came to pick you up from evening self-study. He lay on the window of our class. Several female classmates saw him and were frightened. Our class monitor Liu Ziqi led several classmates to beat your cousin indiscriminately. You did the right thing at the time. You scolded the classmate who beat him and comforted your cousin in time, and did not let the situation escalate. I heard from the supervisor that your cousin is not mentally sound, so don't let him come to our school in the future. If the principal knew about what happened yesterday, the staff on duty in the mailroom would be punished for not guarding the door properly, and the classmate who beat the classmate would also be punished. You are also implicated. You did not handle it properly and let the parents come to the school privately, scaring the classmates. You are also at fault..."

When the head teacher, Mr. Yan, spoke, his eyes became cold.

"Teacher Yan, my cousin is a disabled person, and his mind is not sound. I didn't ask him to pick me up from school. I don't know who told him that I was studying in this school. He was waiting for me halfway after evening self-study. You told him not to pick me up, but he didn't listen. I didn't care too much at first, thinking that I couldn't persuade him, so I just let him go. But I didn't expect that he would run to the school campus yesterday and lie on the window of our class. When he returned home last night, my cousin and I told him to stay at home honestly. He will not come to our school to scare people anymore. In fact, my cousin is a very kind person..."