Colorful years

Occasionally, Lu Rong, Tian Ping, and even Wang Hua would arrive unexpectedly.

It is necessary to give you a brief introduction: Tian Ping, Lu Rong, and Liu Ling are the same age and are not only classmates but also close friends.

As for Wang Hua, he served as a correspondent for the county party committee, and his daily work mainly included receiving and sending various documents, delivering newspapers and magazines, and handling correspondence.

Among these five people with very different personalities who are drawn to each other, Wang Hua is undoubtedly the youngest and most lively and cheerful. He is simply a "joker" in everyone's eyes. Wherever he goes, he can always bring laughter and joy to the people around him with his humorous words and actions.

Interestingly, Wang Hua and Zhang Cong had known each other for a long time, and the opportunity to get to know the other women was actually that unique social event!

Another sunny and breezy Sunday has quietly arrived.

As usual, Zhang Cong enjoyed a simple but delicious breakfast at the government canteen. Feeling bored, he decided to go for a stroll on the street by himself.

He strolled leisurely through the streets and alleys, and before he knew it, his feet were moving involuntarily toward Sister Ling's dormitory.

When Zhang Cong arrived at Sister Ling's dormitory, he found it unusually quiet, as he was the only one who had come to visit.

This gave the siblings another rare and precious time alone.

They started by chatting enthusiastically about all sorts of things, from interesting things at work to the little things in life, with topics flowing like a gentle stream.

After a pleasant conversation, the clock struck noon. Sister Ling got up and went into the kitchen to prepare lunch, while Zhang Cong picked up a favorite book and immersed himself in the wonderful world of words.

After lunch, to kill time in the long afternoon, the two decided to have an interesting chess game—starting with Chinese chess. After five tense and exciting games, Zhang Cong emerged with a commanding lead of four wins and one loss, which made Ling Jie feel a little bored.

So they decisively changed their strategy and turned to checkers.

As luck would have it, checkers was Ling Jie's forte. In the next five games, Ling Jie, with her superb skills and exceptional wisdom, successfully won three games and only lost one to Zhang Cong, finally salvaging her reputation.

As the two were engrossed in the chessboard, time slipped by unnoticed, and before they knew it, it was time for dinner.

After dinner, the once clear sky suddenly changed dramatically. Dark clouds quickly gathered, and a howling wind swept in, as if to engulf the entire world in its violent embrace. The biting wind relentlessly whipped at people's bodies, causing them to shiver and feel cold all over.

Perhaps because she didn't add clothes to keep warm in time, or perhaps because she was affected by the sudden bad weather, Liu Ling suddenly started to have a runny nose and her body began to tremble slightly.

Seeing this, Zhang Cong was extremely anxious. Without saying a word, he immediately rushed to a nearby hospital, bought medicine for the cold, returned to the dormitory, and gave it to Sister Ling.

Night deepened, and all was quiet except for the occasional sound of the wind outside the window, as if telling of the loneliness of the night.

After taking her medicine, Sister Ling lay in bed, her face still pale. Occasionally, a few weak coughs broke the silence of the room.

Zhang Cong sat on the edge of the bed, his brows furrowed, his eyes filled with concern and worry.

He gently touched Sister Ling's forehead, trying to feel the change in her body temperature. Although she had taken the medication, Sister Ling's condition did not seem to have improved significantly.

Her breathing was still somewhat rapid, and she would occasionally let out a faint groan. This made Zhang Cong even more anxious; he dared not relax for the slightest, for fear of missing any change in Sister Ling's condition.

"Sister Ling, are you feeling better?" Zhang Cong asked softly, his voice full of tenderness and concern.

However, Sister Ling simply shook her head slightly, indicating that she still felt unwell. Seeing this, Zhang Cong's determination to protect her became even stronger.

He got up, poured a glass of warm water, and carefully brought it to Sister Ling's lips, gently comforting her, "Sister Ling, drink some water, it might make you feel better."

Sister Ling opened her mouth slightly, took a few sips of water with difficulty, and then slowly closed her eyes again.

Zhang Cong knew that what Sister Ling needed most at this moment was rest, so he tried to move as quietly as possible, afraid of disturbing her. He sat gently on the edge of the bed, his gaze never leaving Sister Ling's face, as if he wanted to take in every little change in her.

As night deepened, the wind outside the window seemed to grow stronger. Worried that Sister Ling might catch a cold, Zhang Cong went to get a thick quilt and gently covered her with it.

However, even so, Sister Ling's condition did not seem to be improving. Her forehead was still burning hot, and her cheeks had an abnormal flush.

Zhang Cong was extremely anxious. He kept praying in his heart, hoping that Sister Ling could recover as soon as possible.

He knew that although he could not take Ling Jie's place in enduring the torment of illness, he could at least stay by her side and give her warmth and strength.

Time seemed to slow down drastically at that moment, each second agonizing. Zhang Cong sat quietly by the bed, his gaze never leaving Ling Jie's face. Sometimes he would reach out and gently touch her forehead, trying to feel the change in her body temperature; other times he would stare into her eyes, trying to read any signs of improvement in them.

However, Ling's condition showed no signs of improvement. Her breathing remained rapid and weak, and she would occasionally cough. This made Zhang Cong even more anxious and worried. He kept thinking to himself whether he should find some more medicine or take Ling to the hospital.

However, going out on this stormy night was undoubtedly an extremely difficult task. Zhang Cong knew he couldn't easily leave Ling Jie's side, otherwise she might feel even more helpless and panicked. So, he could only continue to stay by her bedside, offering Ling Jie the greatest comfort and support through his companionship and care.