Meng Yan's Transformation

Chapter 589 Making Sticky Rice Dumplings

"Alright, alright, let's call this a day. Zhan Mengyan, Zhan Yingying, when you get home, Yunqing, Zhan Yu, neither of you are allowed to bring up the past. Zhan Yue, go and get the glutinous rice flour, and bring out the red beans we cooked this morning. Let's all make sticky rice dumplings together for your fourth aunt, Mengyan, and Yingying to eat before you leave."

As Wang Shujuan spoke, she propped herself up, intending to get off the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Mom! Mom! You can't get off the kang (heated brick bed). You continue chatting with my fourth aunt. Yingying, Mengyan, Xiaoliu Chunzi, and I will stick some bean buns together. We don't need that many people."

As Zhan Yue spoke, she hurriedly stepped forward and pushed Wang Shujuan back onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Third Sister-in-law, I have to take the children home. Your fourth brother, Zhan Yu, and your nephew, Zhan Zixun, are still waiting for us at home. Zhan Yu is drunk, and I'm afraid he'll cause trouble. I need to hurry home and check on him. I'm really afraid he'll find out that Zhan Mengyan forcibly took Zhan Yingying away from the Zhang family banquet. I don't know how to explain it to him, and I'm worried that Zhan Mengyan and Zhan Yingying will escape his father's punishment."

As Yunqing spoke, she got up to leave.

"Yunqing, Zhan Yu falls asleep as soon as he gets drunk. I bet he's sleeping like a log right now. As for Xiao Mengyan taking Zhan Yingying away, if you don't tell him when he wakes up, he'll have forgotten all about it. Enough with the nonsense. You're here today, so have dinner with me, or we're done!"

As Wang Shujuan spoke, her eyes were full of expectation as she looked at Yunqing. Her voice carried an almost earnest weight as she reached out and grabbed Yunqing's sleeve. The grip wasn't strong, but it felt like a nail holding her back from taking another step. "I don't have many close relatives. Among my sisters-in-law, you and I get along quite well. I also have something troubling me that I want to discuss with you—Zhanyue dropping out of school." Her words were warm, a reliance woven from countless trivial moments.

Yunqing turned her head slightly and caught a glimpse of the panic in Wang Shujuan's eyes—a real tremor of fear of loss.

The room seemed to be silenced, with only the pounding of heartbeats echoing through the diaphragm. Yunqing stood rooted to the spot like a pillar of strength, while the four girls gazed at her with the same eyes, pleading for her to stay. This feeling of being needed was like a warm breeze brushing across the frozen river, cracking tiny fissures.

"Mom, let's stay. Please persuade Auntie not to let Sister Zhan Yue'er drop out of school..."

As Zhan Mengyan spoke, tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.

"Fourth Aunt, don't leave. Please persuade my sister Yue'er and my mother not to let my sister Yue'er drop out of school."

As Zhan Chun spoke, he held Yun Qing's hand and swayed it from side to side.

Yunqing's throat tightened slightly. The thought of leaving had been like a vine, but now it was pulled out of its roots by this sincere plea to stay, swaying and hesitating.

The afternoon sun shone on Yunqing, and in the interplay of light and shadow, her shadow was stretched out, yet seemed to be slowly shortening.

While Yunqing was hesitating, Zhan Yue brought out a bowl of cooked red beans that had been mashed into red bean paste, and Zhan Yingying followed behind, bringing out kneaded glutinous rice dough.

"Alright, alright, everyone hurry up and make some steamed buns. Let's steam a pot first so your fourth aunt and her two children can have some. Also, give some to her fourth uncle, Zhanyu. I remember my fourth brother loves glutinous rice dishes the most. If he enjoys them, he'll naturally be happy and won't take his anger out on my niece anymore."

As Wang Shujuan spoke, she got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and went to wash her hands.

"Third sister-in-law, you're still sick. The children are helping me make sticky rice dumplings, so you don't need to lift a finger. You should rest well."

As Yunqing spoke, she helped Wang Shujuan back onto the kang (a heated brick bed).