The next morning, Li Zhongfa, Li Ye, and Li Kaijian went together to drink at Old Song's great-grandson's first-birthday banquet.
Jin Peng happened to be home as well, so he invited Wang Jianqiang and Li Dayong to come early and join in the fun.
Back when they had all ventured into the capital together, Jin Peng, Wang Jianqiang, and Li Dayong had been Li Ye's direct confidants, while Old Song, Tan Min, and Wei Jiaxian had formed another small clique. The two sides had at most competed in secret; on the surface, their friendship had remained quite good.
After getting into the car, Li Dayong asked, "Is Old Song holding the banquet at home today? He didn't book tables at a restaurant?"
As he drove, Li Ye said, "I asked yesterday. He said he was holding it at home. His family doesn't have many relatives anyway; at most, the child's maternal grandmother's side will bring two tables of guests."
Wang Jianqiang added, "Yeah, I heard Old Song say before that all his relatives were dead."
As the brothers talked, they failed to notice the amused smiles on Li Kaijian's and Li Zhongfa's faces.
Old Song's home stood in the rural-urban fringe south of Qingshui County. It had once been nothing but a few dilapidated rooms without even a courtyard wall, but two years ago it had been rebuilt into a two-story Western-style house. Even if they set up five or six banquet tables, there was no need to place any out in the yard.
But when Li Ye and the others drove near Old Song's house, they found that their car could not get any closer. Old Song's doorway looked like a market day, black with people, and tables had been set all the way out onto the street.
Li