Meng Yan's Transformation

"Mom, look! My sister Yingying is really crazy about killing chickens. She already has four dead chickens, and she wants to kill my big rooster!"

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she pointed her finger in horror at Zhan Yingying who was holding the knife.

"Don't be afraid, your sister Yingying is just teasing you. You silly girl, you slept like a dead pig last night. In the middle of the night, a weasel broke into our chicken coop and killed all the chickens. It was your big rooster who woke us up, and your father and sister Yingying chased away the weasel and rescued the two chickens. Your sister is boiling water to scald the chicken so we can pluck its feathers. She's using a knife to gut the dead chicken, removing the intestines, feces, and other unwanted internal organs. This time, for our New Year's Eve dinner, we can make boiled chicken, braised chicken wings, chicken stewed with mushrooms, and smoked chicken..."

While Yunqing was speaking, she got off the kang.

"Mom, don't get off the kang. Stay here a little longer. You didn't sleep well last night. I just finished cleaning a hen. I cut open her belly with a knife and found it was full of eggs. What a pity! How many eggs could she have laid? This damn weasel, I'm going to catch it and chop it into pieces and burn it to death! I've raised these chickens since last spring and they're now in their prime for laying eggs."

As Zhan Yingying spoke, she touched the blade with her hand.

"Mom, let's just have a whole chicken feast for New Year's Eve dinner. I love chicken, and I also love chicken stewed with mushrooms. With these four chickens, we won't be buying meat for New Year's. My rooster was so brave last night. Facing the weasel, he put his own life at risk, crowing loudly to wake his owner and saving the two hens in a critical moment. He shouldn't have been killed, he should be rewarded! I just saw him taking two frightened hens under his wings. He's so responsible! Not only did he not bully our hens, he even comforted them. They seem to be getting along very well. Our hens are even clucking, as if to thank the rooster for saving their lives. One of the hens even looked at the rooster with admiration..."

When Zhan Mengyan spoke, she spoke so eloquently that Zhan Yingying giggled.

"Zhan Mengyan, I didn't know you had so many abilities! You can understand chicken language and even read chicken expressions. Come, come, come! Go talk to your big rooster and ask it: Are you afraid that I will chop off its head with a knife? See how it can still be brave! See how it can still disregard its own life and death?!"

As Zhan Yingying finished her words, she placed her thumb against the blade's hilt, gently pressing down on the blade's back. She pulled out a strand of hair, which instantly bent into an arc. Suddenly, a short puff of air emanated from her lips, and the hair snapped in two as if struck by lightning. Zhan Mengyan gasped, as if she were witnessing not a severing hair but the afterimage of a blade slicing through the air.

"Mom, look at Zhan Yingying, she got a knife that can cut through hair instantly and try to scare me. She even wants to take my rooster and kill it! You have to control her! Roosters cannot be killed!"

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she kept shaking Yunqing's arm.

"I'm going to kill your big rooster. It's useless if it doesn't lay eggs. I've been sharpening my knife for a long time and finally got it to a point where it can pierce a hair. I want to give it a try. The more chickens the better, Zhan Mengyan will have a full chicken feast!"

While Zhan Yingying was speaking, she turned around and went to the kitchen.

Zhan Mengyan pulled Yunqing and hurriedly followed: "Mom, please stop Zhan Yingying's crazy chicken-killing behavior!"

"Zhan Mengyan, let me go! You're going to break your mother's bones. Your sister Yingying is just teasing you. She won't kill your big cock!"