Meng Yan's Transformation

"We want sugar! We follow orders!"

Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan said in unison and closed their eyes at the same time.

They heard Yunqing moving around. Zhan Yingying was about to open her eyes.

"No peeking!"

As Yunqing spoke, she pointed at Zhan Yingying, who quickly closed her eyes.

After a while, I heard Yunqing walking towards the kitchen, and then I heard rustling sounds again.

"Wait wait...you can open your eyes now!"

As Yunqing spoke, she was holding an oil-paper bag in her palm.

"Sugar! There's sugar in the oil-paper bag, right?!"

Zhan Yingying shouted excitedly and took the oil paper bag from Yunqing.

As the oil-paper wrapping peels back layer by layer, revealing shimmering, finely chopped white sugar, as white as snowflakes, its diamond-shaped crystals refracting a myriad of specks of light. When you twist them between your fingertips, a subtle rustling sound evokes a cool, smooth sensation, like holding a handful of frozen starlight. Gently crushing them with your fingertips, the crystals shatter under the pressure, releasing a fleeting sweetness, as if your fingertips were crushing a cloud of frosting.

"Don't knead it anymore. Put all the sugar into this empty can first, otherwise it will clump together if it gets damp."

As Yunqing spoke, she handed an empty glass canning bottle to Zhan Yingying.

"Mom, isn't this granulated sugar for me and my sister Zhan Mengyan to make candied haws? Why is it in the canning jar?"

Zhan Yingying showed a look of dissatisfaction when she spoke.

"Zhan Yingying, what are you thinking? You want to use all this granulated sugar to make candied haws? Do you really think I can make you granulated sugar? Put all the granulated sugar into an empty can and scoop out two spoonfuls to make candied haws. We'll hide the rest. If Dad finds it, he'll have to confiscate it all. I'll use it to make candied sweet potatoes for you during the Chinese New Year."

As Yunqing spoke, she began to fill the empty can with white sugar using a small spoon.

"Mom, if you only give us two spoons of white sugar, that won't make many strings of candied haws."

When Zhan Yingying spoke, she pouted like a sulky kitten, crossed her arms in front of her chest, and her eyes revealed a hint of dissatisfaction and grievance. Her originally bright eyes were now dull, and she just stared blankly at Yunqing filling the can with white sugar.

"Zhan Yingying, Zhan Mengyan, why are you unhappy? Do you think I gave you too little sugar? If you think it's not enough, I won't give you a single spoonful of sugar. I'll pack it all up and keep it for myself. This will save me the trouble of asking your dad for some sugar when I cook."

While Yunqing was speaking, she continued to fill the can with sugar.

"It's never too little! It's never too little! For us, more is never too much, and less is never too little. Even if you scrape the oil off a mosquito's leg, it's still oily."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she quickly snatched the small spoon from Yunqing's hand, scooped two spoonfuls of sugar onto the edge of the wax paper, and quickly put the rest into the can.

The white sugar packed into the glass canning jar is stacked in the bottle to form a fine reflective surface. When the sunlight passes through the bottle, the entire glass canning jar looks like it is filled with galaxy fragments, sparkling with a cool and sweet light.

"Mom, I'm done. Where should I put this sugar bottle so Dad won't find it? Mom, can you please ask Dad for some granulated sugar when we make candied sweet potatoes for the New Year? Sister Yingying said that just a little sugar would only be enough for two strings of candied haws, but that's too little. The less sugar, the easier it is to burn the pot. Can you give us two more teaspoons of granulated sugar?"

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she looked at Yunqing with a smile.

"Okay, I'll relax my policy and give you two more teaspoons of sugar. Just the last two teaspoons. Don't ask for anything else. I have to put this sugar bottle away and no one will know about it. I'll wait until Chinese New Year to see how your father feels. Then I'll decide whether to ask him for the sugar or not."