While they waited, the setting sun dipped below the horizon. Wisps of cooking smoke drifted through Bamboo Village, carrying the fragrant smell of steaming grain.
Su Xiao opened his eyes. Just now, A'Mu had arrived outside the nearby bamboo grove. Beni had not come to meet them; that cat had gone treasure hunting again.
Su Xiao told A'Mu to wait in the nearby bamboo grove. There was little chance A'Mu would run into danger. With his elemental constitution, all he had to do was sit down in the bamboo grove, and even birds would land on his head.
As Su Xiao pondered, someone knocked on the door. It was Liu, who had come to call him to dinner.
A few minutes later, all kinds of food were laid out on the low table in the room at the back of the courtyard. The clan chief sat at the head, his back to the character "Ba" on the rear wall.
Liu and Little Bluestone sat on the right side of the low table, while Su Xiao, Bubu Wang, and Baja sat on the left. The clan chief occupied the seat of honor. Six dinners, each with its own distinct character.
Liu and Little Bluestone had several large pieces of venison, a cup of deer milk, and several kinds of fruit Su Xiao did not recognize.
In front of Su Xiao was half a bamboo tube filled with plump grains of rice. On a small plate beside it lay sliced venison that had been stir-fried.
Don't think this was shabby. Bamboo Village produced no spices, and their daily lives involved only a scant handful of seasonings. Only when guests arrived would they use spices to cook their food. It was a place that seemed aloof but was actually warmhearted.
Clan Chief Qing