In no time, all the cold dishes had arrived, along with the first two hot dishes.
Huang Xueli patted Wang Xiaoliang on the shoulder and picked up the Wuliangye on the table.
"Come on, have a drink."
"Just what I was thinking."
Huang Xueli filled three glasses and pushed one toward Wang Xiaoliang. He picked up his own but did not drink right away.
"Let's pretend the three of us brothers are all together again."
That made Wang Xiaoliang feel a little miserable. At that moment, he alone understood what Dahuang meant.
Wang Xiaoliang raised his glass without a word and clinked it against Huang Xueli's. Both men drained their glasses.
Li Xiaoman called from across the table, "Why are only you two drinking? Count me in."
He switched places with the classmate beside Wang Xiaoliang and pulled the filled glass over to himself.
"Xiaoliang, you really aren't much of a friend."
"Hm?"
"You skipped my son's hundred-day banquet, but you came to Brother Qiang's son's today? Is there that much of a difference?"
Wang Xiaoliang put down his glass. "I really was busy. That's not just an excuse. I really was. Look at my wife-she's so exhausted she doesn't even want to talk."
He was not lying. He had been especially busy around the time Li Xiaoman held his banquet.
But he had transferred the gift money to Li Xiaoman. He had not been there, but his gift had.
"You still don't treat me like a real friend." Li Xiaoman held his glass without drinking.
"How about this? When you have your second child, I promise I'll be there." Wang Xiaoliang did not want to get too caught up in this topic.
Li Xiaoman rolled his eyes at him.
Wang Xiaoliang added, "If I still can't make it for