Meng Yan's Transformation

"Mom, Yingying, we're back!"

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she rushed into the house.

Zhan Mengyan stood at the doorway, taking a deep breath of the familiar scent. She hadn't seen her mother and Yingying for over a month, and had been looking forward to this moment for far too long. Her fingertips touched the cold door panel, but her heart warmed slightly with excitement.

As she pushed open the door, sunlight streamed into the room, and Zhan Mengyan immediately heard her mother's voice.

"Mom!" Zhan Mengyan loosened her grip on her schoolbag strap, opened her arms and stepped forward, a bright smile spreading across her face. She was about to give her mother and Yingying a big hug.

Yunqing quickened her pace, but suddenly stopped two steps away. This slight hesitation froze Zhan Mengyan's movements. Only then did she notice a strange young man sitting on the chair next to Yingying. He was wearing a black leather jacket, dark blue flared jeans, and gleaming black leather shoes. He gently brushed his bangs aside with one hand, subconsciously touching his meticulously styled 2/8 parted hair with hair oil. In his other hand, he held a blue-and-white porcelain teacup, the kind used for entertaining guests at home. When his eyes met Zhan Mengyan's, he nodded in acknowledgment, his demeanor so composed that he seemed to be the master of the space.

"Mengyan, Zixun is back!?" Yunqing's voice was half an octave higher than usual. She reached out and took the schoolbag from Zhan Mengyan's hand, her fingertips inadvertently brushing against her wrist. "This is your sister Yingying's boyfriend. He lives on the first street in our village. His name is Zhang Defu. You can just call him Brother Defu."

Zhan Mengyan's hug fell flat, and her arms slowly fell to her sides.

Zhan Mengyan watched her mother turn around to pour water—the apron was tied loosely at the back of her waist, a few strands of hair clung to her sweaty neck, and this woman, who always stood with her back straight, now had an unfamiliar curve in her shoulder line.

Zhang Defu handed over a fruit platter at the opportune moment. Inside the crystal bowl were apples and pears. Yunqing avoided his gaze as she handed him a water glass.

"I heard that Mengyan and Zixun are both in high school. They are really amazing. I didn't even finish junior high school. I envy people who study the most."

As Zhang Defu spoke, he looked at Zhan Mengyan with a grin.

The aroma of stewed chicken with mushrooms, a family recipe passed down through generations, wafted in the air, now mingled with the strong, unfamiliar scent of hair oil. A framed photograph appeared beside the television, showing Yunqing, Zhan Yingying, and three strangers on a vast, withered grassland.

"Mengyan, high school studies must be tough, right? Studying must be tiring, right?" Yunqing placed her teacup on the table, the porcelain clinking against the glass with a crisp sound. The group sat around the table, Zhang Defu's warm-up conversation floating like a veil in the air.

"It's alright! Not tired."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she looked down at the tea leaves swirling in her cup. She gently took Yunqing's slightly cool hand in hers. This sudden action made Yunqing tremble slightly, but she eventually returned the gesture by holding her daughter's warm hand.

"It's perfect timing today. Mengyan and Zixun are both back. Let's go to my house for dinner together when my fourth uncle comes back."

While Zhang Defu was speaking, he poured tea into Yunqing's water glass again.

"Defu, you and Zhan Yingying go first. I'll let your fourth uncle go by himself when he comes back. Zhan Mengyan, Zhan Zixun, and I won't go. I specially made chicken stew with mushrooms. It would be best if you had breakfast at our house, and then you can go home for lunch."

As Yunqing spoke, she glanced at Zhang Defu and then at Zhan Yingying.

"No, everyone has to come to my house for dinner. It's a small family meal, and no one can be missing. I had breakfast at home before coming here. If Mengyan and Zixun rode such a long way, they must be a little hungry. I'll ask my mom to serve lunch earlier."