Meng Yan's Transformation

After his elder brother Zheng Fu passed away, Zheng Fu was the only male left in the Zheng family. Zheng Fu was the fourth child in the family, with two older sisters and one older brother. His older brother was now alive, so his parents doted on him. They gave Zheng Fu all the good food and clothes first. His two elder sisters were very jealous. They often talked about it. One elder sister, Zheng Hongmei, said, "Mom and Dad, you favor sons over daughters and are partial to them!" Another elder sister, Zheng Yumei, said, "You are partial to your children and don't remember it. When Dad and Mom are old, they can't rely on their precious son. They can only rely on us to be filial to them and take care of them in their old age!"

Zheng Fuchang played with Zhan Ziqiang, Zhan Zixun, Yingying and Xiao Mengyan. When he saw the Zhan children were starving, he felt pity and sympathy.

One day, Zheng Fu played with the children of the Zhan family again and gave them the steamed buns that he stole from home. Zheng Fu's sisters didn't like their brother playing with the children of the Zhan family. They always watched Zheng Fu, so Zheng Fu could only steal two steamed buns from home at most. But it was just a drop in the bucket, and it couldn't extinguish the hunger of the children of the Zhan family!

"I have a good idea to get more food from home for you!" Zheng Fu said sympathetically as he looked at Xiao Mengyan picking up the steamed bun crumbs that fell on her lapel.

"What's a good idea? Tell us quickly, tell us quickly!" The children of the Zhan family asked excitedly and impatiently.

"There are tunnels under our village. These tunnels were built during the war against the Japanese. Originally, the tunnels could connect every household in the village, but they have been blocked for many years and some have collapsed. After dinner tomorrow, let's gather in the grove at the west end of our village. There is an entrance to the tunnel there." Zheng Fu told everyone mysteriously in a low voice.

"Brother Zheng Fu, what does authentic have to do with delicious food?" Xiao Mengyan was completely confused by what Zheng Fu said.

"Don't interrupt, just listen to what your brother Zheng Fu has to say!" Zhan Ziqiang said while lifting Xiao Mengyan's pigtail.

"Tomorrow, we will separate and gather in the grove at the west end of the village in waves. Then we will enter the tunnel together and clear the tunnel leading to my house first. I found an entrance to the tunnel in the northwest corner of my warehouse. Yesterday I covered the entrance to the tunnel with wooden boards and my large laundry basin. If the tunnel leading to my house can be cleared, I won't have to hide from my sister every day and steal steamed buns for you!" Zheng Fu continued.

"Are there steamed buns in your warehouse?" Zhan Ziqiang asked Zheng Fu.

"There are many delicious foods in my family's warehouse, such as frozen pears, frozen persimmons, frozen steamed buns, frozen sticky bean curd..." Zheng Fu's eyes lit up as he showed the Zhan children the feast!

The next day, Zheng Fu arrived early in the woods at the west end of the village to wait for the Zhan family's children. He also brought a two-toothed rake.

Zhan Ziqiang brought a shovel and went to the grove at the west end of the village to meet Zheng Fu.

After a while, Zhan Zixun held Xiao Mengyan's hand in one hand and held a lantern in the other, with Yingying following closely behind, and they hurriedly came to the grove at the west end of the village.

"Come here, come here, we are here!" Zhan Ziqiang called softly to Zhan Zixun who was looking around.

Everyone gathered together and saw Zheng Fu holding a two-toothed rake, knocking here and there, and suddenly stopped.

"Zi Qiang, just start digging here!" Zheng Fu said.

Zhan Ziqiang used a shovel to dig at the location designated by Zheng Fu, and soon a stone slab was revealed.

Everyone worked together to move the stone slab, and a pitch-black hole appeared in front of everyone.

The children were very excited. Zheng Fu led the way with a two-toothed rake. Zhan Ziqiang used a shovel to clear the stones and soil on the road. Zhan Zixun lit the lantern and held it high. Yingying pulled Xiao Mengyan to follow behind. Xiao Mengyan looked at the tunnel curiously: it was dark in the distance, and you couldn't see your hand in front of you. You could hear echoes, as if everything was asleep... This tunnel had a round arch on the top. Some parts of the four walls were as smooth as a mirror, and some places had traces of rake teeth scratching. There was a small hole in some places on the cave wall, which seemed to be a place for lamps. There were traces of being blackened by the lamps. The bottom of the cave was more than one person wide. The cave was not high, so adults had to bend over and couldn't stand straight. The children walked into the tunnel, which was dusty and full of ashes. There was a fishy smell and a musty smell...

After several hours of cleaning, under the guidance of Zheng Fu, the children finally found the warehouse under Zheng Fu's house. The children were tired and hungry and collapsed.

"Shh, shhh!" Zheng Fu raised his index finger in front of his mouth, signaling everyone to keep quiet.

Zheng Fu put down the two-toothed rake, gently removed the white board at the entrance of the cave and his large washing basin, poked his head out, looked around, climbed out of the cave, tiptoed to the granary, took out a few frozen persimmons and threw them into the cave. "Ah!" The persimmons hit Yingying's head.

Zheng Fu slid back into the tunnel.

Everyone was so scared that they held their breath and covered their mouths with their hands, not daring to make any sound...

After a while, everyone heard the sound of "cuckoo, cuckoo!" Zheng Fu's mother calling the chicken.

After a while, everyone heard Zheng Fu's mother closing the door and entering the house.

"Shh..." Everyone finally couldn't catch their breath.

Zheng Fu and Zhan Ziqiang climbed out of the tunnel again. Zheng Fu walked to the big leather vat in the warehouse, quickly took out the frozen sticky bean buns from the vat and threw them into Zhan Ziqiang's pulled up collar, then took out a piece of bacon, and the two of them hurriedly jumped back into the tunnel.

Zheng Fu carefully covered the tunnel entrance with wooden boards and a large washing basin, and then retreated back into the tunnel.

"It's done! Let's go back the same way!" Zheng Fu waved his hand and asked everyone to turn around and move forward...

Everyone returned to the small woods at the west end of the village, picked up branches, and then returned to the tunnel entrance, lit the branches, and roasted the sticky bean buns. Zhan Ziqiang tore the bacon into pieces, strung them on branches, and placed them on a stone slab... While waiting for the barbecue, we ate frozen persimmons. The persimmons were so sweet! One chew made me forget all the unhappiness and fatigue. Two chews made me feel like I was floating in the sky. Three chews made me feel like I was flying into the sky...

The bacon sizzled as it was roasted, and a drop of hot oil slowly slid down the lines of the plump meat, and the aroma rushed into the children's nostrils... Zhan Ziqiang turned the barbecue over, and the aroma of the barbecue became even stronger...

"Let Xiao Mengyan have a piece first!" Zhan Ziqiang saw Xiao Mengyan staring at the barbecue, and tenderly handed her a piece of barbecue. Xiao Mengyan swallowed and said, "Brothers, eat first. I'll eat later because I have less work to do!"

"Listen to me, you are the youngest, so I will eat first!" Zhan Zi forcefully pushed the barbecue to Xiao Mengyan. Xiao Mengyan finally gave the barbecue to Sister Yingying. She waited quietly...

Zhan Ziqiang also baked the sticky bean curd until it was golden, with a crispy outer skin and a sticky, sweet inner...

Zhan Ziqiang shared the barbecued bacon and sticky bean curd with his brothers and sisters, and then ate it himself...

In this way, Zheng Fu often led the children of Zhan Yu's family to his warehouse to steal delicious food.

The children were full and played in the tunnel...

The tunnel became a happy playground for the children of Zhan Yu's family, and a refuge for them to avoid hunger...