The two tables dining in the south courtyard were mostly filled with young people. Xie Yundong, Tao Daqiang, and the others were all there. Some wanted to have a drink with Li Long, but he waved them off.
"No, no, I have to drive later. If I have a drink with each of you, I won't be able to drive. Xiaoxia has work tomorrow, so we have to head back tonight. We didn't bring the babies' bottles or anything. It's inconvenient."
With all those reasons laid out, everyone stopped pressing him to drink and turned to the others instead.
The young people played finger-guessing drinking games too, though nowhere near as boisterously as Li Jianguo's table. Over there, as the game went on, the hot-tempered ones would stand up and plant a foot on a stool, as though otherwise the numbers they shouted wouldn't sound intimidating enough.
The finger-guessing on Li Long's side was a little more "civilized," mostly confined to shouting numbers. Some of the young people were only just learning and had to calculate before calling out. Sometimes nerves made them get their fingers and numbers mixed up, setting everyone roaring with laughter.
The table with Gu Xiaoxia and Sister Yang was relatively quiet. As the only state cadre present, Gu Xiaoxia fielded the most questions. From Mingming and Haohao's weight to her salary, these were all things everyone cared about and could easily turn into gossip.
Of course, news that Li Long was reopening the purchasing station had spread among the women too. They also wanted to know how much opening one cost, what it would buy, and whether it would be the same as before.
Women at this time were not to be underestimated. Sometimes they were better than men at earning money on the side.