Meng Yan's Transformation

"Zhan Yingying, what does it mean to be a sheep in a tiger's mouth? Do you think your father is a tiger? Am I that scary in your eyes?"

As Zhan Yu spoke, he stared at Zhan Yingying seriously.

"The tiger is the king of the forest, majestic and powerful! I'm praising my father. Does he think my analogy is inappropriate? Then let your daughter Zhan Mengyan, a top student, tell me how to describe her father appropriately. Who told me that I only have a short school life, only in the second grade? I have something to say but I can't say it. I'd better go and see if the big rooster has turned into a beautiful boy, and stop annoying people here."

As Zhan Yingying spoke, she turned and ran away.

"Is this girl praising me?" Zhan Yu thought to himself and turned to look for Zhan Mengyan. But he saw Yun Qing, who was furious and packing up her writing brush.

"Cough cough..."

Zhan Yu coughed twice and walked to Yun Qing.

"Yunqing, you've been busy writing Spring Festival couplets and painting New Year pictures for so many families these days. Have you written the couplets for our own family? Have you painted the New Year pictures?"

When Zhan Yu spoke, he felt like he was just making small talk. He wanted Yun Qing to get over her anger at him confiscating her white sugar.

"Bring it!"

As Yunqing spoke, she extended her hand toward Zhanyu.

"What do you want me to give you? Are you still thinking about getting your white sugar back?"

As Zhan Yu spoke, he looked at Yun Qing in confusion.

"Since you confiscated it, I have no intention of taking it back. You're the reincarnation of a miser, carrying the stingy nature of your previous life. I can't outsmart you! Since I'm not as capable as you, I'll just accept my inferiority and not have any wishful thinking about getting back what you confiscated. What I want is: if you want me to write Spring Festival couplets and paint New Year pictures for our family, you have to pay for the ink and paint, right?"

As Yunqing spoke, she wiped her paintbrush clean and put it in her pencil case.

"Yunqing, don't be so harsh. What do you mean by confiscation? What do you mean by being a miser? I'm the head of the family and I have to help manage the finances. You're a member of the family, the mistress of the household. You're asking me for money just to write Spring Festival couplets and paint New Year pictures for the family? That's ridiculous! Isn't that the biggest joke in the world?"

As Zhan Yu spoke, he looked at Yun Qing with a sneer.

"Zhan Yu, don't twist my meaning. I didn't ask you for money to write Spring Festival couplets or paint New Year pictures. What I want is the ink, paper, and paint for the couplets. Don't you understand the saying, 'A good cook cannot cook without rice'? Even if I can write and paint, how can I write or paint without paper, ink, and paint? Am I supposed to use air?"

Yunqing's hands were shaking with anger as she spoke.

"You've written Spring Festival couplets and painted New Year pictures for so many families, so you don't have any ink, paper, or paint left?"

As Zhan Yu spoke, he looked at Yun Qing in disbelief.

"Ha ha……"

Yunqing couldn't help but sneer.

"Yunqing, what are you laughing at? Am I wrong? Every time you write Spring Festival couplets and draw New Year pictures for other people's homes, are the things you prepare for each family exactly right? Are you calculating them precisely, not even a fraction off? Isn't there any leftovers?"

Zhan Yu spoke with confidence.

"You're right, absolutely right! Every family that asks me to write Spring Festival couplets and paint New Year pictures always has some leftover supplies, but I return them all to my family. I'm embarrassed to ask them for any leftover ink, paper, paint, etc. Even today when Old Lady Liu offered me some white sugar and a big rooster, I refused. How can I ask for a thank you gift for a favor from a fellow villager? I'll have Zhan Yingying send the rooster back in a minute."

As Yunqing spoke, she walked out of the house angrily, looking for Zhan Yingying.

"Okay, okay, okay, you're just aloof and kind, not expecting anything in return. I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative later to buy you red paper and ink for writing Spring Festival couplets, as well as paper and paint for New Year pictures. But since Old Lady Liu sent the rooster, you can't send it back. You have to understand that it's hard to refuse a kind gesture. Sending the rooster back would be a disrespect to Old Lady Liu and would embarrass her. We can also send something else as a return gift. That would be much better than returning the thank-you gift."

While Zhan Yu was speaking, he rushed forward to stop Yun Qing.

"That's fine. Give me a can of white sugar. Today, when Zhan Yingying went to the supply and marketing cooperative to show her support, she met Brother Dong. He gave her some high-quality hawthorns. It's just right that Zhan Yingying can make some more candied haws and send them to Old Liu's family. It can be considered a return gift."

As Yunqing spoke, she looked at Zhan Yu.

"After all this trouble, you've gone through so much trouble, just to get the sugar back?! You even said you weren't calculating, but you're so calculating. You said you didn't want the sugar back, but you were secretly plotting against me! You tricked me into giving you the sugar back willingly. Yunqing, I really underestimated you."

As Zhan Yu spoke, he looked at Yun Qing with an incredible look.

"If you don't want to give the sugar, forget it. It was you who said you wanted to give Old Lady Liu a return gift. I'm helping you think of something. How can you say I'm scheming you? Then instead of giving her candied haws, what do you want to give her? Forget it, I'm too lazy to waste my words with you. Let Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan return the rooster to Old Lady Liu. I don't want to owe anyone a favor."

After Yunqing finished speaking, she quickly went outside and saw Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan squatting in front of the chicken coop feeding the rooster corn kernels.

"Zhan Mengyan, stop feeding it. This rooster is very temperamental. It won't eat anything you feed it. It's in Cao's camp, but its heart is with Han. We can't feed it. Rather than let it starve to death, it's better to kill it now. Once it starves to death, its chicken meat will be inedible - it's too tough and woody."

As Zhan Yingying spoke, she nudged Zhan Mengyan with her elbow.

"Sister Yingying, why are you still thinking about killing this rooster? Are you craving chicken? Or do you have a deep hatred for this rooster?"

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she pushed Zhan Yingying down with one hand.

"Zhan Yingying, Zhan Mengyan, stop messing around. Lift the chicken coop and the chicken basket that Liu Mingming brought back together and return them to your Grandma Liu!"

Yunqing exuded an air of command when she spoke.

"Zhan Yingying, Zhan Mengyan, don't listen to your mother. You can return the chicken basket, but you can't return the rooster. There's no point in returning a thank-you gift. I heard your uncle Dong gave you some hawthorns, and your father gave you a can of white sugar. Make some more candied haws and send them to your grandmother Liu's house. Leave some for your sister Mengyan and us to eat on New Year's Eve."

While Zhan Yu was speaking, he stopped the chicken coop that Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan were lifting.

"Dad, did I hear you right? Dad is willing to give us a can of white sugar to make candied haws?!"

As Zhan Yingying spoke, she looked at Yunqing excitedly.

"Why are you looking at me? Your father is the head of the family. Just listen to him and go make candied haws."