Meng Yan's Transformation

Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yue worked as temporary workers at the cannery for nine consecutive days. After finishing work at midnight one weekend, they were told that operations would be suspended starting the next day—some of the cannery's machinery had broken down and needed repairs, so operations were temporarily halted. The cannery's packing and boxing workers were reassigned to the task of harvesting hawthorn seeds, so temporary workers were no longer needed.

The streetlights cast an orange glow on the road at midnight as the two sisters walked side by side on the quiet street on their way back to school.

The sisters' fatigue from finishing their night shift made them walk slower than usual, and the soft rustling of their shoes against the pavement was particularly clear in the empty streets.

Zhan Yue switched the canvas bag to the other shoulder, freeing it from the air, and casually took the heavy textbooks from her sister's hand, placing them inside. This natural, unspoken gesture brought a slight smile to Zhan Mengyan's lips. She relaxed her aching fingers, letting the night breeze ruffle her sweat-dampened hair. The shops along the street had long since closed, with only the white light from the 24-hour convenience store spilling out from its glass doors, illuminating their young, innocent yet weary faces.

"Look, the Big Dipper, so bright!" Zhan Mengyan suddenly looked up, and Zhan Yue stopped in her tracks. The night sky was like a satin soaked in ink, with the seven stars twinkling faintly above the spire of the Jin County High School building. They gazed at each other side by side for a moment, the sweet and sour smell of hawthorns from the cannery, the humming of machinery, and the clinking of pebbles falling into a basin all gradually fading away under this starry sky.

"The temporary work is over. We finished early today. Tomorrow is Sunday. We've been working hard for nine days. Tomorrow we'll both get a good night's sleep and rest!"

As Zhan Yue spoke, she stretched her arms and shook her shoulders.

"Sister Yue'er, we've earned quite a bit this week! It's enough for my living expenses this semester!"

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she patted her pocket containing money, making a rustling sound. Through the fabric, she could clearly feel the hard, rectangular shape of the envelope. She couldn't resist taking out the bulging envelope and unfolding the pay bag completely like displaying a treasure. The opening was slightly cracked from the folded banknotes, faintly exuding the scent of ink. Zhan Mengyan pressed her nose against the pay bag: "It smells so good! Not a trace of dirt. Those virtuous people in books who regard money as dirt must have rhinitis acting up, or they're mentally ill."

"Zhan Mengyan, stop sniffing! Stop joking! Historically, there were many famous people who regarded money as dirt. For example, Tao Yuanming: indifferent to fame and fortune, upholding integrity, and refusing to bow down for five pecks of rice; Fan Zhongyan: with the world in his heart, honest and upright, advocating 'worrying about the world's troubles before others'; Wen Tianxiang: loyal and patriotic, preferring death to surrender, refusing high-ranking official positions and generous salaries from the Yuan Dynasty. How can you say that these people had mental problems?"

When Zhan Yue spoke, she was passionate and enthusiastic.

"Sister Yue'er, are you writing an argumentative essay with me? Your citations are quite good! If you keep going, you'll accuse me of being anti-historical and anti-humanitarian. I didn't specifically name anyone, so why did you list this national hero? You've really hit me hard with that label! You have no sense of humor at all, and you're too good at making a mountain out of a molehill! You sound like some legendary Red Guard! How ridiculous! I'm not talking to you anymore! I'll enjoy the joy of this achievement myself, and I won't share it with you."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she feigned disappointment and put her pay purse back into her pocket. A coin slipped out of the paper bag and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

The two sisters quickly crouched down to search.