Wang Dong said, “As long as we keep holding on, there will be a turning point one day.”

  Guo Dalu grinned and said, “That′s right. Now that winter has come, can spring be far behind?”

  Wang Dong said, “As long as we can hold on until that day, we can still lift our heads and face others, because we have wronged neither them nor ourselves.”

  Lin Taiping hesitated but couldn't help asking, “Can we really make it through?”

  Guo Dalu immediately replied, “Of course we can.”

  He walked over, put his arm around Lin Taiping's shoulder, and smiled. “Because even though we have nothing left, we still have friends.”

  Looking at him, Lin Taiping suddenly felt a warmth rising in his heart.

  All at once, he felt he had enough courage.

  No matter how severe the difficulties, no matter how cold the weather, he no longer cared.

  Suddenly, he ran out.

  He didn't return until evening, carrying a paper-wrapped bundle in his hands.

  Lifting it up, he smiled and said, “Guess what I brought back?”

  Guo Dalu blinked. “Could it be steamed buns?”

  Lin Taiping ughed. “Correct.”

  Inside the package were indeed steamed buns.

  Four rge steamed buns, each stuffed with a big piece of fatty meat.

  Guo Dalu cheered, “Long live Lin Taiping!”

  Picking up a bun, he ughed and said, “I have to admit, even if you killed me right now, I couldn't conjure up a single bun.”

  Yan Qi stared at Lin Taiping and asked, “These buns weren't conjured out of thin air, were they?”

  Lin Taiping smiled and said, “Maybe it just fell from the sky.”

  He handed a steamed bun to Wang Dong.

  Wang Dong shook his head. “I won't eat it.”

  Lin Taiping asked, “Why not?”

  Wang Dong sighed. “Because I can't bear to eat your clothes.”

  Guo Dalu had just taken a bite of his bun when he froze.

  Only then did he realize that Lin Taiping was missing his thickest piece of clothing.

  Lin Taiping didn't have many clothes to begin with.

  Now, his lips were pale from the cold, but his face still carried a cheerful smile as he said, “That′s right. I pawned my coat for these four buns because I was hungry. When a person is starving, pawning their clothes isn't something anyone can bme them for, right?”

  Wang Dong said, “Then you should have eaten them all before coming back. That way, we have to—”

  Lin Taiping interrupted him. “You think I didn′t eat alone just because I′m selfish?”

  Wang Dong asked, “Selfish?”

  Lin Taiping said, “Because I think eating together with all of you is much happier than eating alone.”

  That is what true friendship is—sharing both fortune and hardship.

  If a person has friends like this, what does a little poverty matter? What does a little cold matter?

  Guo Dalu slowly chewed his bun and suddenly smiled. “Honestly, I've never eaten anything this delicious in my life.”

  Lin Taiping ughed. “You're lying. It′s just a cold steamed bun.”

  Guo Dalu said, “Even if it′s a cold bun, I wouldn′t trade it for all the delicacies in the world.”

  Lin Taiping's eyes suddenly turned red. He grabbed Guo Dalu's hand and said, “Hearing you say that makes this bun taste even better.”

  Some words are like magic spells—not only can they turn a cold bun into a delicacy, they can make winter feel warm and transform a dull life into something colorful.

  If you want to learn how to say such words, you must first learn how to treat your friends with sincerity.

  Guo Dalu suddenly sighed and said, “It′s just a shame my coat is too tattered.”

  Lin Taiping said, “Wearing a tattered coat isn't shameful.”

  Guo Dalu sighed again. “It′s just a pity that the ruthless pawnshop owner wouldn′t think the same way, otherwise—”

  Yan Qi chuckled and said, "Otherwise, you would have taken it off long ago to exchange it for wine, right?"

  Guo Dalu smiled wryly and said, "Exactly right."

  Suddenly, Yan Qi stood up and walked outside.

  Guo Dalu said, "No need to test it—your clothes are even more tattered than mine."

  Ignoring him, Yan Qi quickly walked out and just swiftly returned.

  When he came back, he was carrying a pot of water.

  Yan Qi said, "On a cold night, when a guest arrives, tea can serve as wine. If tea can be treated as wine, why can't water?"

  Guo Dalu couldn't help but ugh. "I didn't expect you to be so refined."

  Yan Qi smiled and said, "When a person is dirt poor, they have no choice but to be refined."

  This was their attitude toward life.

  When they had wine, they drank more than anyone else. When they had no wine, they drank water just the same.

  They were content when drinking wine and just as content when drinking water.

  That was why they lived more joyfully than others.

  But there was still a difference between drinking wine and drinking water.

  The more you drink wine, the warmer you get; the more you drink water, the colder you become.

  Especially in weather like this, drinking cold water...

  Suddenly, Guo Dalu stood up and started flipping somersaults.

  Yan Qi ughed and asked, "What are you doing?"