Colorful years

Zhang Cong lay on the bed, tossing and turning, the bed seemingly protesting his movements.

His eyes were fixed on the pitch-black ceiling, which seemed to swallow him whole, and he was tormented by sleepless nights. A fierce storm raged in his mind as he racked his brains for a way to escape this quagmire as quickly as possible and give his beloved girlfriend, Wang Li, a satisfactory explanation.

Time, like fine sand, slipped away silently in an hourglass, while Zhang Cong's brain whirred like a high-speed machine, never stopping for a moment. He exhausted almost all his brain cells, repeatedly pondering every possible solution, trying to find the lifeline that could pull him out of his predicament.

During this long period of deep contemplation, time seemed to stand still. Finally, a thought, like a lightning bolt piercing the night sky, instantly illuminated his dark thoughts—to ask his cousin, San San, for help!

San San and he were born in the same year, and their childhood and adolescence were almost intertwined. From their early childhood to their dream-filled adolescence, they grew up together, remaining as close as family and as inseparable as best friends until they graduated from high school.

Now, faced with such a thorny problem, Zhang Cong feels that perhaps only San San can be his lifeline and help him get through this difficult time.

Moreover, San San is currently working as a nurse at a rural hospital. If he could ask her to help arrange an abortion, it might be the only solution at the moment. Although this decision was incredibly difficult for Zhang Cong, and even put him under immense pressure, he knew he had no other choice.

So he took a deep breath, as if trying to inhale all his courage, and then mustered up the courage to tell Wang Li his thoughts.

After hearing Zhang Cong's words, Wang Li's face, which had been covered with dark clouds and frowning, instantly blossomed into a joyful smile, like spring flowers blooming.

Her eyes shone with hope, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope in the darkness. She was so excited that she was almost incoherent, and said urgently, "That's great! Now that we have a solution, let's not delay. Let's ask for leave tomorrow. Just tell your workplace that we need to go home to discuss our wedding with your parents. They'll definitely approve the leave."

However, Zhang Cong was not blinded by Wang Li's excitement. He remained unusually calm, slowly shook his head, and said in a steady voice, "No, we can't rush things. I need to call San San first and tell her about this in advance so she can be mentally prepared. It's not too late for us to ask for leave and go there after she agrees to help."

After speaking, Zhang Cong's eyes became deep, and he fell into deep thought, as if carefully considering how to bring up this matter with San San.

The phone in the newsroom office, while convenient and practical, was absolutely unusable for such a private and sensitive matter. To make this crucial call, he would have to find a place where no one knew him and use a public phone.

The next morning, warm sunlight streamed through the window, casting a golden glow onto the desk. Zhang Cong made an excuse, pretending he had something to run and hurriedly left his post.

He hurried along, jogging towards the old-looking general store near the Red Flag Gate.

Upon arriving at his destination, he didn't even have time to catch his breath before hurriedly pulling out a few coins from his pocket and handing them to the shopkeeper without hesitation. Then, he eagerly picked up the somewhat worn-out telephone in the shop, skillfully used the long-distance dialing function, and dialed the switchboard of "Jiaoziya District People's Hospital" through the state post and telecommunications bureau's switchboard.

As the beeping tone of the waiting app sounded in his ears, Zhang Cong's heart leaped into his throat, as if suspended in mid-air. Time seemed to slow down dramatically at that moment, each passing second an agonizing ordeal, his anxiety burning like a raging fire.

Finally, after a agonizing wait, the familiar and warm voice came from the other end of the phone: "Hello?" Hearing the response, Zhang Cong's hands trembled slightly with excitement, almost crushing the receiver in his grip.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions, and said, "San San? It's me, Cong Cong!" As soon as he finished speaking, he felt as if a heavy stone was blocking his throat, and he couldn't utter the rest of his words. After a slight pause, he continued, "It's urgent...very urgent!"

It was around nine o'clock in the morning, and the hospital's duty room was filled with the strong smell of disinfectant, which irritated the nose. San San, wearing a clean white coat, was curled up on the slightly old wicker chair, her eyes revealing a hint of exhaustion, as if she had just gone through a long battle.

The sudden ringing of the telephone shattered the silence of the night, the sound particularly jarring in the stillness. San San jolted awake from her half-asleep state and quickly grabbed the receiver from the side.

When San San heard Zhang Cong's voice coming through the receiver, her previously dazed state instantly became crystal clear. She gripped the medical record folder tightly in her hand, as if it were her only support at that moment, and listened intently to every word Zhang Cong spoke.

Outside the window, the shadows of camphor tree branches swayed incessantly on the glass, their eerie shapes resembling menacing monsters, sending chills down one's spine. This scene reminded San San of the mysterious talismans hanging under the eaves of the old house where she lived as a child, and the images from that memory gradually became clearer in her mind.

"Brother Cong, you're making me make a mistake!" she suddenly said in a low voice, glancing at the swaying nurse in the corridor out of the corner of her eye, a surge of tension rising in her heart. The sound of rustling papers came from the other end of the phone, as if she could see her cousin anxiously searching for some document. "Wait, you mean Sister Wang Li's pregnancy test report..."