Meng Yan's Transformation

While Zhan Yingying was speaking, she used scissors to cut out a magpie climbing a plum tree.

"Yes, yes, Zhan Yingying is the most thoughtful one. Let's get to work."

While Yunqing was speaking, she took the soaked sorghum stalks out of the water.

Yunqing drained the excess water from the sorghum stalks, split them with a knife, and with her deft hands, she bent them twice and three times, folding them into a gourd shape.

Yunqing's hands are so skillful that she managed to create a living gourd lantern without any special help.

Next came the paper selection. Yunqing was very particular about her paper choices. She never chose bright red, saying it was too bright, or blue, saying it was too cold and out of place for the holiday, or green, saying it was too out of place for the season. So Yunqing chose orange, saying its soft, warm, and festive hue perfectly suited the gourd's characteristics. The homonym for "gourd lantern" is "Fu Lu," meaning "fortune and fortune," symbolizing good fortune and prosperity.

Yunqing pastes paper neatly and quickly. She applies a thin layer of milky white paste on the sorghum stalks, and in no time, the gourd lantern is ready.

The whole family got busy, making seven or eight lanterns. Yunqing said that when it got dark, the big lantern would be hung in the yard with a light bulb, and the light bulb would be covered with a red lantern, and a small candle would be placed inside the small lantern.

"Zhan Yingying, before it gets dark, go to Grandma Liu's house and give her some candied haws and lanterns. I'll be home preparing the New Year's Eve dinner."

As Yunqing spoke, she picked out four more intricately carved lanterns and handed them to Zhan Yingying, asking her to give them to Grandma Liu.

"Mom, I like this rabbit lantern the most. I want to keep it and not give it away."

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she took the rabbit lantern that she liked back from Zhan Yingying's hand.

"Zhan Mengyan, how old are you? Why are you still so ignorant? When giving gifts to others, you must give the best. Be obedient. I'll give you Yingying the rabbit lantern and take it away. I'll ask your brother Zixun to make another one for you later. Your grandmother Liu's grandson Liu Mingming is born in the Year of the Rabbit. Giving him a rabbit lantern will definitely make him very happy."

Yunqing urged Zhan Mengyan while speaking.

"Mom, I can't carry so many lanterns by myself, and there are also candied haws and chicken baskets. Let Sister Mengyan go with me."

As Zhan Yingying spoke, she handed the chicken basket and twenty strings of candied haws to Zhan Mengyan.

"Okay, both of you be careful on the way and don't break the lantern."

Zhan Yingying and Zhan Mengyan were walking together on the way to Grandma Liu's house. Every now and then, a child would run out from a house, holding a lantern. He was envious of Zhan Yingying's lantern and followed her from a distance. He heard his mother calling from behind, and reluctantly returned home.

"Sister Mengyan, the lanterns made by my mother are still envied. Look at that child just now, his eyes were wide open when he saw our lanterns. If his mother hadn't called him, he would have followed us. I remember when we were little in Heilongjiang on New Year's Eve, as soon as it got dark, I hurried to find candles and matches to light them. The light of the small candles was like a shy little girl, timidly looking out with an orange-red color. I carried my lantern on a not-very-long smooth wooden pole and walked out of the yard to call friends and go to the streets. Our team was getting bigger and bigger. From time to time, a child ran out from a family to join our team. I walked in front, my heart full of pride and pride, because my lantern was the most beautiful. The other children looked at me and my lantern with envy."