He had initially wanted his son to join him for a couple of drinks, but when the words reached his lips, "his son" became "us." His relatives were also very concerned about his son, so he thought it would be a good idea for Lin Xu to toast them as well later on.
"Sure, Dad. You guys go ahead and drink. I'll join you once I'm done with this," Lin Xu replied.
After his eldest maternal uncle, second maternal uncle, and his parents left, Shi Wenming asked belatedly, "Normally your dad doesn't encourage you to drink. Why does he seem a bit melancholic today?"
Lin Xu said with a smile, "It's probably because I'm leaving."
"Leaving? You're going back to Beijing?"
"Yes, I'll head back after breakfast tomorrow. The pan-fried bun shop the company invested in is opening a new branch, and I..."
