Sometimes, the cost of a meal isn’t just a number on the bill — it’s the rare chance to reconnect.

When I think about the most expensive meal I’ve ever had,

it wasn’t some fine dining experience or a Michelin-star tasting menu.

It was a friend’s wedding banquet.

The red envelope I brought? NT$1200, NT$3600, even NT$6000 at times.

What did I eat? Sometimes I remember. Sometimes I don’t.

But the people, the atmosphere, the blessings — those things stay with me.

Sometimes it was a friend from high school I used to laugh and mess around with.

Sometimes it was an old classmate I hadn’t seen in years.

When the invitation arrived, the first thing I felt wasn’t about money — it was, “Wow, it’s been so long.”

As we grow older and busier with work,

these wedding gatherings often become the only chance

to catch up with people we’ve long lost touch with,

to share old stories and say,

“Wow… time really flies.”

And you know what?

It’s always worth it.

Not for the food,

but for the connection.