Meng Yan's Transformation

In the Zhang family's courtyard, four square tables were arranged in a staggered pattern, and guests thronged the long benches. The simple canopy tied with red silk fluttered in the spring breeze.

In the kitchen, chefs wielded iron woks and stir-fried dishes over high heat, beads of sweat glistening under their hats, while women in aprons bustled about serving food.

A burst of laughter suddenly erupted from the main table on the east side.

Li Yingcang, the brigade accountant, raised his wine bowl with a ruddy complexion. The old Party Secretary at the next table stroked his beard, a smile playing on his lips, his wrinkles brimming with satisfaction. A few teenagers squatted in the west corner, secretly stuffing fried pork into their pockets. Their aunt, busy in the kitchen, saw them and tossed them a handful of peanut candy with a laugh. On a makeshift serving board, two young men competed in a drinking contest. They tilted their heads back and chugged down the sorghum liquor, the spilled liquid staining their clothes with dark lines.

Zhan Mengyan's gaze swept across the table laden with delicacies, settling on Zhang Defu, the man her sister was on a blind date with. He was diligently pouring wine for the guests, and the lines around his eyes when he smiled reminded her of the cracks in a dried-up riverbed. The sunlight shimmered through the amber-colored wine, the clinking of the porcelain bowls against the glass, and the constant toasting invitations intertwined to create an impenetrable atmosphere.

Zhan Mengyan saw her sister mechanically twitch the corners of her mouth, her fingernails unconsciously scratching the intertwined patterns on the blue and white porcelain chopsticks.

As Zhang Defu's father, Zhang Wen, loudly announced his "post-marriage plans for the two children," Zhan Yingying lowered her eyes, staring at the oil slicks on the braised carp, her eyelashes casting two shadows of struggle on her cheekbones. Suddenly, her "elder sister-in-law" leaned close to Zhan Mengyan and whispered, "Your sister is so lucky; Zhang Defu is so reliable." Before the words were even finished, the cloyingly sweet aroma of the banquet, mixed with the spiciness of the white wine, wafted over, and Zhan Mengyan involuntarily gripped the napkin on her lap.

Zhan Mengyan felt a lump in her throat, as if something was stuck there. She stared at the glistening braised pork, its oily sheen strangely mirroring Zhang Defu's bangs styled with hairspray. He was rising to offer a toast, the subtle wrinkles on his leather jacket trembling with his movements, like a puppet trapped in exquisite packaging. Zhan Mengyan suddenly remembered a few months ago, late at night, when her sister lay in bed expressing her longing for a spiritual connection. Now, those words were drowned in the clamor of clinking glasses. Zhan Mengyan pushed aside her ornate glass; the champagne overflowed its rim, its coolness seeping into the dark red tablecloth like silent, spreading tear stains.

Zhan Mengyan felt she didn't want to sit at the banquet for even a minute longer. Every time she saw Zhang Defu's uncomfortable, sticky gaze as he scrutinized Zhan Yingying, it felt like damp moss clinging to her skin. She wanted to push Zhang Defu away and take her sister away.

Finally, the banquet ended. Zhan Yu was slightly drunk and was helped home by Zhan Zixun.

The Zhang family wants Zhan Yingying to stay for three days.

"No, no, I only have three days off. I need to have a good chat with Yingying. I haven't seen her in so long. Yingying, you can't just abandon me as your little sister because you have a boyfriend, right? You still have to come with me to see Auntie and Zhanyue. Auntie is sick, and Zhanyue is dropping out of school. We have to go and comfort them..."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, she gripped Zhan Yingying's hand tightly, her eyes wide, as if she were fighting with someone for Zhan Yingying's affections. She wanted to get her sister away from the Zhang family as soon as possible.

"Miss, why don't you stay too? Let's read comic books together..."

As Zhang Deyun spoke, he held several picture books in his hands and stood in front of Zhan Mengyan.

"Yes, yes, let Mengyan stay too, so she and Yingying will have company. The three of them were really engrossed in reading the comic book earlier, and they didn't want to put it down when I called them to eat."

When Zhang Defu's mother, Li Fengzhen, was speaking, she reached out and took Zhan Mengyan's hand.