Hibernation was out of the question.
Gongxi Chou wanted to hibernate and enjoy some peace and quiet, but he still needed his big brother's approval. That very day, Fang Yan kicked him out, citing "a shortage of beds." Gongxi Chou complained, "Big Brother, am I really your little brother, or did you pick me up somewhere?"
Jimò Qiu said, "You'll have to ask our parents."
Gongxi Chou thought of Jimò Can's urn and gnawed on a steamed bun with some side dishes. "Hmph, when I get back, I'm really going to ask him!"
Jimò Qiu knew he was just throwing a tantrum and didn't take it to heart.
Still, it was a little exhausting.
Unlike him, whose Wisdom Aperture had yet to open, Gongxi Chou had genuinely reached the age of forty. And yet his temperament and behavior were still as carefree and mischievous as a teenager's. That rumor that "my big brother is about to give birth" was just one example; if he had been even a little more sensible, it wouldn't have gotten more outrageous with every retelling. They were brothers who spent all their time together. How could he not know whether anything was going on?
For one thing, men normally couldn't give birth.
And even if they could, it would take time.
Gongxi Chou still felt wronged.
But when he saw the little red flower that seemed to be snickering at him, his grievances instantly turned to jealousy and indignation. He pouted sourly. "If this flower isn't Big Brother's... child, why are you raising it?"
Never mind Mama—she was, after all, the clan's Sacred Object.
But why did even a flower get to bully him by taking precedence over him?
Could it be that his place in the family really was just that of the little