The days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, twenty-odd days had gone by.
Si Chen lay on a reclining chair in the courtyard, his eyes half closed.
Black Mountain squatted beside the stone table, wrestling with a plate of sunflower seeds.
With those bear paws of his pinching the seeds, cracking one took him three times as long as it took anyone else.
"Can't you take human form before eating those?"
Red Wind leaned against the stone stool on the other side, glanced over, and complained with a look of utter disdain.
"What do you know?"
Black Mountain tossed a seed kernel into his mouth. "This is called returning to simplicity and truth."
"Returning to simplicity and truth?"
Red Wind spat. "Looks more like your brain is reverting to its ancestral form."
"Crude!"
"Stupid."
Si Chen listened to the two bicker, enjoying this peace.
Before long, Third Uncle would be ascending.
Thinking of that guest list, Si Chen felt Third Uncle might prefer to face his tribulation outright.
Just then, a maid came to the courtyard entrance and curtsied. "Young master, Young Master Xie Changsheng has arrived."
Si Chen sat up from his reclining chair. "Show him in."
Xie Changsheng was the same as ever.
Dressed in a blue-green robe, he led Gray Gray leisurely into the courtyard.
Seeing Si Chen, he smiled and raised a hand in greeting.
"Brother Si."
"Brother Xie."
Si Chen rose to welcome him. The two exchanged a smile without wasting words on pleasantries.
Black Mountain stared at the donkey for a while, then whispered to Red Wind, "Has this donkey... gotten fatter?"
Gray Gray's ears pricked up, and the donkey turned and snorted loudly at Black Mountain.
Xie Changsheng calmly translated. "He said... 'You're a fucking fat, round bear. Who are