Mutual Reliance for Survival

Outside the window, thick, black clouds rolled in rapidly. The sunlight vanished, and a few fat raindrops began to fall, splattering on the windowpane. It looked like a storm was brewing.

Xiao Li, who was chatting with Lao Zhang in the reception room, frowned as he looked at the sky.

“Lao Zhang, I should probably head back now. It looks like it’s going to rain,” he said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Lao Zhang replied, pointing outside. “This kind of rain won’t last long. Just wait a bit. Why rush?”

Xiao Li smiled. “My wife is home alone, and she gets scared when it thunders. It’s better if I get back.”

Lao Zhang nodded understandingly. “Alright then, go ahead. Let me walk you out.”

The two men walked out of the room together. Just as they reached the courtyard entrance, there was a flash of lightning, followed by a rumble of thunder. The sound was deafening.

“Oh no, it’s really coming down now,” Xiao Li exclaimed.

Lao Zhang quickly opened his umbrella. “Take my umbrella! I’ll just wait here for the rain to stop.”

“No, that won’t do,” Xiao Li refused. “You need your umbrella too.”

“Don’t worry about me. My house is close by, and I’ll be fine,” Lao Zhang insisted. “Here, take it. Go quickly.”

Xiao Li hesitated for a moment, then took the umbrella. “Alright then, thank you, Lao Zhang. I’ll return it to you tomorrow.”

“Okay, go on.”

Xiao Li dashed out into the rain, holding the umbrella.

Lao Zhang watched him go, a faint smile on his face. He stood there for a moment, then turned and walked back into his house, closing the door behind him. He didn’t notice that the rain had stopped almost as quickly as it had started, and a bright rainbow had appeared in the sky. He simply went inside and sat down, pulling out a book to read.