Meng Yan's Transformation

Yunqing leaned against the pillow, slowly coming to her senses. She opened her eyes and looked at Zhan Yu, who was fast asleep. His face was as red as a date, his breathing was heavy, and he was snoring regularly, the volume reaching over 60 decibels, like the roar of a tractor. He lay flat on his back, his left hand clutching his right sleeve, mumbling, "Hurry and hang the lanterns... This peony is so beautiful... Yunqing, how did you grow your hands to be able to turn a radish into such a beautiful flower... Amazing... So amazing..."

"Mom, Dad really admires you. You can hear him praising you even in his dreams—that's what they call speaking the truth when drunk. When he's sober, he's just being stubborn and won't give in."

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she used a towel to wipe the sweat from Zhan Yu's neck and hairline.

"Mengyan, don't listen to what your father said in your dream. None of it is true. The person your father admires is not even born yet. It's harder than climbing to the sky to get your father's approval in this world. Just now, your father made such a fuss that I didn't have a good meal. Yingying, please reheat the food and you can continue eating."

Yunqing felt a little tired when she spoke, but she still held on and looked at her children with a smile.

"Sister Yingying, please don't heat up the food. I've almost finished eating. A healthy diet requires eating until you're 70% to 80% full. Besides, we're still making dumplings at midnight. If we're too full now, we won't be able to eat at midnight. Save some room for the delicious dumplings. Mom, can't we make the dumplings earlier and eat them earlier? I'm afraid I'll be too sleepy if we wait until midnight. Who invented dumplings? Why do we have to eat them at midnight?"

While Zhan Mengyan was speaking, she sat down next to Yunqing.

"If we trace the historical origins of dumplings, it seems that Zhang Zhongjing, the medical sage of the Eastern Han Dynasty, used 'Quhan Jiao'er Soup' (dumplings stuffed with mutton and medicinal herbs) to treat frostbite. This soup evolved into a traditional food for the Winter Solstice and New Year's Eve. The dumplings' original name, 'Jiao'er', also comes from this. 'Jiaozi time' refers to midnight on New Year's Eve (23:00-1:00). Eating dumplings at this time symbolizes 'changing the year and handing over the child'. 'Jiao' and 'dumpling' are homophones, symbolizing the transition between the old and new years. Dumplings, as a festive food, began to be eaten on New Year's Eve during the Ming Dynasty and became popular during the Qing Dynasty. Dumplings made with meat and vegetables are homophones for 'youcai' (meaning wealth), and the sound of chopping the filling should be loud and long, euphemistically known as 'long-lasting and abundant wealth'. The longer the chopping time, the more dumplings were made, symbolizing a prosperous and wealthy life. The shape of the dumplings on New Year's Eve is also particular, with most regions sticking to the traditional crescent shape. Using your right thumb and index finger, pinch the edges of the circle to create a smooth, even texture, known as 'pinching blessings'." The two corners of a moon-shaped dumpling are pulled together to form an ingot shape. This is then placed on the curtain, symbolizing widespread wealth and a house filled with gold and silver. Wheat ear patterns are then added to the dumplings, resembling plump, fruitful ears of wheat, symbolizing a bountiful harvest in the new year. More often, dumplings are made in a variety of shapes, signifying a prosperous and prosperous year ahead. Not only is the shape of dumplings important for New Year's Eve, but their placement also has certain requirements. First, they must not be placed randomly. As the saying goes, "In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, dumplings must not be left to wander." While dumplings can be arranged horizontally or vertically on ordinary days, this is not the case for New Year's Eve. The curtain must be round. First, a few ingot-shaped dumplings are placed in the center, then neatly arranged in layers around the ingot, forming a circle outward. This is known as "circling blessings." Some families even stipulate that there must be no empty space on the curtain; only ninety-nine dumplings can be placed on each curtain, and the curtain must be completely covered. This can only be achieved by adjusting the spacing between the dumplings, which is called "endless blessings." ...

Before Yunqing finished speaking, Zhan Yingying handed her a cup of warm water.