Wang Xiaoliang did not rush home to have Wei Zijin present him with his reward.
Instead, he drove straight to the bank, withdrew a thick stack of cash, and stuffed it into an envelope he had prepared beforehand.
As night fell, Wang Xiaoliang invited Huang Xueli out. Today, they chose an upscale restaurant. Inside their private room, a crystal chandelier cast a soft glow over the neatly arranged tableware.
The same dishes had simply been given different names, different plates, different portions, and a different setting.
Yet the prices were more than twice those at a small eatery.
Wang Xiaoliang handed the heavy envelope to Huang Xueli.
Huang Xueli took it and slipped it into the inside pocket of his jacket.
Wang Xiaoliang could not help recalling how Zhou Qiang had handed Huang Xueli an envelope every month.
It felt like yesterday.
Yet he felt that Zhou Qiang had been absent from his life for a long time.
He wondered how this close friend was doing now.
Whether he could still get enough to eat, or whether he had fallen back into those difficult days.
He knew that the upheavals coming one after another had amplified this feeling.
In fact, Zhou Qiang had not been missing for very long.
"Come on, a toast to the complete success of the Jiangchuang Student Budget Supermarket." Huang Xueli raised his glass.
"You can only judge whether something succeeded once it's over. From that perspective, our partnership made money, our partnership has ended, and our partnership was a success."
The three clinked glasses, the liquor swaying gently inside. Wei Zijin was particularly excited today and joined them in drinking baijiu, a flush rising to her cheeks. She set down her glass and looked intently at Huang Xueli.
"Brother Huang, you'll definitely govern a region