Meng Yan's Transformation

"Oh, I was halfway through sending Uncle Zhang Bao off when Zhang Xincheng said he wouldn't let me go. He said that when he left our house, he noticed Zhan Mengyan looked very unhappy, and he concluded that her father had said something out of turn after drinking, which made her angry. So he asked me to come back quickly to apologize to her and tell her not to be angry. He will come to apologize in person tomorrow."

As Zhan Zixun was speaking, he noticed that Zhan Mengyan's face had turned from gloomy to bright.

"Whoever wants him to apologize and keep his father's mouth and hands under control is better than anything else."

Zhan Mengyan muttered to herself as she took out bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and served food to everyone.

Yunqing, Zhan Zixun and Zhan Yingying smiled knowingly but said nothing.

When Zhan Yingying brought the sobering soup to Zhan Yu, Zhan Yu was already fast asleep on the kang table.

Several people worked together to lay Zhan Yu flat, covered him with bedding, took off his outer clothes, and put him into the quilt.

The next day, after breakfast, Zhang Xincheng walked to the Zhan family compound with his steady steps.

"Mom, look at Zhang Xincheng, he walks unsteadily, as if he's carrying an invisible shoulder pole, it's so funny... hehe"

While Zhan Yingying was speaking, she pointed and commented on Zhang Xincheng through the window glass.

"Zhan Yingying, you are not allowed to speak ill of others behind their backs, let alone point out their shortcomings. Zhang Xincheng might have flat feet, which is why he has trouble walking, as if he is not stable. Who wants to have flat feet? It's something he was born with, what can you do about it? Remember this and don't say it again. As the saying goes: Don't speak of shortcomings in front of a cripple. It's not good for you to talk about others' congenital defects behind their backs. If Zhang Xincheng hears it, it will hurt the boy's self-esteem."

While Yunqing was talking, she and Zhan Yingying were cleaning the kitchen together.

Zhan Yingying's smile faltered after being scolded by Yunqing. "Mom, I get it. I'll definitely be more careful next time. Your words remind me of when I was little, playing with my sister Mengyan at the village entrance. We met a very short girl named Zhang Guizhi. Mengyan, as a child, asked me without restraint, 'Sister, why is this grown-up so short?' I didn't know how to answer her at the time. But Zhang Guizhi was so angry that she came home crying. Her mother even complained to you about something. You also punished us by making us dig pig food and starving us for a day to teach us a lesson: don't talk short in front of short people. All these years have passed, and I made the same mistake again today. Mom, you won't punish me again, will you?"

"I won't punish you today because you're grown up and should understand reason. When you were little, I punished you because I couldn't explain reason to you. I punished you so that you would remember this lesson!"

While Yunqing was speaking, Zhang Xincheng had already walked into the kitchen.

"Fourth Aunt, why are you punishing Sister Yingying? What did she do wrong? Sister Yingying is a pillar of your family, but you can't punish her?"

As Zhang Xincheng spoke, he looked at Yunqing with a smile.

"Silly boy, if I want to punish your Yingying because she said something bad about you, will you still plead for her?"

Yunqing smiled slyly as she spoke.

"It doesn't matter if Sister Yingying says bad things about me. I won't lose a piece of meat. Zhan Zixun and Zhan Mengyan are at home, right? I came here to study with them. It's lively when a group of people study together. I get sleepy when I study alone at home. And... and, I apologize to you for my father's drunken gaffe yesterday. Sister Mengyan was angry yesterday, right?"

As Zhang Xincheng spoke, he looked towards the inner room.

"Go, go! They were just arguing about a question, why are they silent now? Go and take a look. Why apologize? Your dad is just like that. He talks nonsense when he's drunk. We're used to it and we're not mad at him anymore."

As Yunqing was speaking, she lifted the door curtain and saw Zhan Zixun and Zhan Mengyan working on their homework with their heads down.