Chapter 9: 【009】Sweating to Sober Up
The Zhwei Garden is considered one of the most upscale restaurants in Dong County. In Wang Longhu’s memory, typically it was only during holidays or family celebrations, such as a child getting accepted into college or getting married, that people would host banquets here.
A table with a dozen hard dishes starts at 1500, and the better the dish, the more expensive it gets.
Wang Longhu hadn’t expected that after being away for several years, his childhood friends would still throw such a grand banquet for him. He felt inexplicably touched.
"Eat, eat, eat, don’t be shy. It’s been two or three years since we last met, hasn’t it? You don’t even come back for the New Year." The sky outside was already dark, and Ye Yuanpei, sitting at the table, directly opened a bottle of Maotai and handed it to Wang Longhu with a smile.
Wang Longhu, a bit at a loss, reached out to take it, quite shocked at the sight of the newly opened bottle of Maotai.
Has the dining scene in Dong County become this lavish? It’s one thing for three people to share a big table, but to start with Maotai?
The problem is, I don’t usually drink spirits, at most just some Budweiser.
"I only stay for a few days when I come back, so I feel it’s pretty meaningless. I’ve simply stopped coming back altogether," Wang Longhu explained.
Lin Haitao patted Wang Longhu on the shoulder: "Ah Hu, big cities aren’t so great. If you have money to live in a big city, it’s called enjoyment. Without money, staying there is suffering. You might as well come back to Dong County to develop. Look at how well we’re living."
"No worries, consider these years as a time of honing and gaining experiences outside. If you ever decide to stay in Dong County, I can help you find a job that’s well-paid and with little work. If that doesn’t work out, Ah Hu, you can join us." Ye Yuanpei cheerfully opened another bottle of Maotai, filled his small cup, and raised it to toast Wang Longhu.
Although he had never drunk baijiu, seeing his childhood friends being so courteous, Wang Longhu couldn’t refuse and had to pour himself a glass and join in on the toast.