Her grandfather sat in his chair, his breathing labored. It was as if a stone were pressing down on his chest, making it hard to draw breath. His face was etched with exhaustion.
"Little Hu Tao, I've taught you everything I can. When you become director one day, never forget the duty of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
Hu Tao nodded seriously. "Hehe, don't worry, Grandfather. I'm very responsible."
Seeing how tired he was, Hu Tao's heart ached. She wanted him to rest, but he was too stubborn to listen.
Just then, as his life was about to end, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Hu Tao, do you remember the grave we dug together? If I die someday, bury me in that hole. It's just the right size."
He hadn't expected that the grave would end up being for himself.
Hu Tao's smile vanished. "Grandfather, don't talk nonsense. Hu Tao hasn't grown up yet. How could you die?"
He chuckled. "I was just joking."
Hu Tao grinned. "I knew it—you were only kidding."
They sat in the main hall, Hu Tao lying on a chair, reading aloud from the parlor's business records while her grandfather listened intently.
Finally, he coughed again, blood staining the tissue. His head lolled, and he nearly collapsed. He knew his life was ending. He didn't want to die in front of Hu Tao, didn't want to leave her with the trauma.
So he forced himself to stay calm, to appear normal. He managed a weak smile. "Little Hu Tao, you love playing hide and seek, don't you? Let's play one more time. Make sure you hide well this time."
Ever since she was little, Hu Tao had never had any playmates her age because of her connection to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. So she had always played with her grandfather. Her favorite game was hide and seek. And he was always patient, opening each coffin one by one until he found her.
Hu Tao beamed. "Yay! Hide and seek! I'm going to hide now, Grandfather. Don't forget to come find me!"
With that, she tossed the ancient book onto the table and ran off as fast as she could. Once she was behind her grandfather, she tiptoed to a coffin, opened it, and slipped inside, waiting for him to find her.
Normally, he would find her within half an hour or an hour. But this time, she waited a long, long time.
An hour passed. Two hours. Three hours.
Hu Tao lay in the coffin, chewing a blade of grass, her legs crossed, grinning. "Hehe, looks like Grandfather is going to lose this time. Hooray!"
But even more time passed, and still he didn't come. Though she was in the coffin, she could tell it was already dark outside. Night had fallen.
She smirked to herself. Victory was hers this time.
The next moment, little Hu Tao burst out of the coffin in excitement. "Grandfather, you're so slow this time! You didn't even think to look in the coffins! Yay, Hu Tao wins!"
But when she saw the scene before her, her laughter died in her throat.
Her grandfather, who had been full of life just hours ago, now lay motionless on the floor like a corpse. No sign of life.
The joyful little Hu Tao stood frozen, staring in disbelief. She cried out in shock, "Grandfather! Grandfather, what's wrong?"
She rushed to his side, using her small arms to lift him, calling his name. But it was no use. The grandfather in her arms had stopped breathing. No matter how she called, there was no response.
Her grandfather was dead.
Hu Tao held his body, sobbing uncontrollably, her face a mess of tears. "Grandfather, you promised to help me read through all these records. You promised to wait until I grew up before passing the parlor to me. You promised to host my first funeral with me. Grandfather..."
Memories flashed through her mind. Walking with her grandfather through the streets. Promoting the parlor's business together. Digging graves together. Chasing away mischievous spirits together. Every moment, he had given his all to care for her and pass on his knowledge.
She had never imagined that one day he would die.
In that moment, the always mischievous Hu Tao, the one who always wore a smile, was reduced to tears. Her face was drenched. She was consumed by regret. If only she hadn't played hide and seek, if only she had stayed by his side, she might have been able to save him. If only she had noticed sooner, she could have called a healer.
But she hadn't done anything in time. Her grandfather was already gone.
Holding his body, she wept and murmured, "Grandfather, don't leave Hu Tao. Hu Tao misses you. Hu Tao doesn't want to lose you. Hu Tao doesn't want to play hide and seek alone. Hu Tao doesn't want to dig graves alone. Hu Tao doesn't want to run Wangsheng Funeral Parlor alone. Grandfather, Grandfather..."
In the night, her cries echoed far into the silent sky. When the people of Liyue heard the wailing from Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, they could only look on with pity. Another soul had left this world.
In the candlelit hall, Hu Tao, her face streaked with tears, gritted her teeth and used every ounce of her small body's strength to lift her grandfather's body into the most fitting coffin she could find. She stayed by his side the entire night, weeping and telling him stories of their happy times together.
…
The next day, in a teahouse on the streets of Liyue, Zhongli was sipping tea when the teahouse owner approached him with a thrush cage.
"Old Hu asked me to give this to you before he passed. There's also a letter."
The owner looked both puzzled and regretful. Why would he give away a thrush that could have sold for millions, even tens of millions of Mora, to this young man named Zhongli for nothing?