Shenhe stared blankly. "?"
She was a bit bewildered. Had she just... been given a sales pitch?
However, the name "Wangsheng Funeral Parlor" sounded strangely familiar.
Ah, she remembered now.
Wasn't that the place Lumine had mentioned to her before they left this morning?
The place seemed to be...
"Isn't Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in the funeral business?"
Hu Tao looked at Shenhe and broke into a delighted smile. "Exactly! The funeral industry!"
Shenhe was speechless. "..."
Their discussion naturally drew the attention of Su Ming, who was walking ahead.
In truth, Su Ming had heard everything from the moment Hu Tao started her pitch.
He never would have imagined that his first meeting with Hu Tao would take place in such a scene.
Yet, considering Hu Tao's personality, this initial encounter seemed perfectly logical.
"Director Hu, I don't think we have any need for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services just yet."
Su Ming smiled as he pulled Shenhe behind him, politely refusing Hu Tao's sales request.
Hu Tao looked a bit disappointed, but she quickly adjusted her expression and asked, "It's fine, it's fine. Just because you don't need it now doesn't mean you won't need it later... I have some coupons here. Why don't you take them for now?"
"What if you need them in the future? These coupons have no expiration date, so you can use them whenever you like!"
As she spoke, Hu Tao pulled several coupons from her pocket and tried to stuff them into Su Ming and Shenhe's hands.
Unable to refuse her persistence, Su Ming had no choice but to accept them.
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlor... Bury One Get One Free Coupon... Miss Hu Tao, surely there's a typo on this?"
"Shouldn't it be a 'Buy One Get One Free' coupon?"
Shenhe looked at the coupon in her hand and asked, her voice tinged with confusion.
Hu Tao shook her head. "No, no, it's correct. It really is a Bury One Get One Free Coupon."
Shenhe tilted her head. "?"
"Oh, you know, it's for when you bury two people at the same time. You bury one, and we'll send the other along for free!"
Su Ming was also confused. "?"
It was better before you explained it. Now that you've explained it, I'm even more muddled.
Before things could head in an even more unpredictable direction, Su Ming quickly changed the subject.
"Director Hu, I heard that the Qixing handed the preparations for the Rite of Parting over to your Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Why aren't you busy with the arrangements instead of wandering the streets?"
Hu Tao looked surprised. "Oh my, you two are quite well informed! How did you know about that?"
"...The Qixing released an official announcement. It's posted all over the bulletin boards."
Hu Tao paused. "Oh... right."
"Well, it doesn't matter anyway! I don't really understand the specifics of the Rite of Parting. I've left it all to my reliable Consultant, Zhongli!"
"That fellow usually does nothing but generate bills for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. It's rare to have a time where he's actually useful. If he doesn't handle this properly, I'm cutting off his pay."
"Besides, didn't he use Northland Bank's money to hire a helper? This Director has even less reason to worry about him being overwhelmed!"
"Since that's the case, I might as well use this opportunity with the Rite of Parting to make a name for the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor! I'm going to drum up some serious business!"
Su Ming asked curiously, "Does the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor really lack prestige? Aren't you the only ones in the funeral industry in Liyue Harbor?"
"That's different! My goal is to overturn the views of the citizens of Liyue Harbor regarding life and death!"
Hu Tao countered with a serious expression before asking, "By the way, are you sure you don't need any services?"
"If you buy now, you can get the Rex Lapis Signature Funeral Package!"
Su Ming felt a headache coming on. "...What kind of bizarre package is that?"
"Oh, it's a luxury funeral process modeled after the steps of the Rite of Parting, just simplified for common use!"
"No thanks... I don't think I have any plans for that for the time being."
Hearing this, Shenhe nodded in agreement. "Neither do I."
"Oh, what a shame."
"Well, meeting is a form of fate. You should keep those two coupons anyway."
Having said that, Hu Tao stuffed the coupons back into Shenhe's hand and skipped away to pitch to other passersby.
The effect was immediate; the crowded street soon saw a thirty percent decrease in foot traffic as people scrambled to get away from her.
Inside Wanmin Restaurant, Shenhe sat in deep thought, staring at the coupons in her hand.
After finishing his order, Su Ming looked at Shenhe and asked, "I thought you would have thrown those away."
"Why?"
"They're funeral coupons, after all. They're considered bad luck." Su Ming teased her, "What are you thinking about? You aren't actually planning to buy their services, are you?"
To Su Ming's surprise, Shenhe nodded, a rare occurrence. "Mhm... I have some thoughts."
It was Su Ming's turn to be stunned. "What? Are you serious?"
Shenhe nodded. "I want to hold a funeral for my father."
"The flyer says that during the funeral rites, if one's wish is strong enough, they might be able to see their departed loved ones one last time."
Su Ming fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "I understand. In that case, let's make a trip back to the village."
"Your parents have passed away. If their old graves are still there, we can repair them."
"If we can't find the graves, we should at least find some of their personal belongings to build a cenotaph."
Shenhe didn't answer, but she reached out her right hand and tightly gripped Su Ming's palm.
After a long while, she whispered, "Thank you..."
Su Ming turned his hand over and squeezed hers. "Don't be afraid. I'm here with you."
"Alright, let's head out after we eat. Chef Mao's Black-Back Perch Stew is much better than anything I can make."
As they spoke, Chef Mao arrived with the dish. Hearing Su Ming's words, he burst into a hearty laugh. "You've got that right! My skills are famous throughout all of Chihu Rock!"
"This young master is not only handsome but has excellent taste!"
"And you, young ladyI see your relationship with this young master is quite special, isn't it?"
"You'd better be careful; a man like this is in high demand. You must hold onto him tightly!"
With that, Chef Mao set the dish on the table and hurried away.
After he left, Su Ming teased, "Did you hear that? Hold on tight, or else..."
A rare flush of red appeared on Shenhe's usually icy face. She lowered her head and remained silent.
Instead, she began eating heartily.
By the end of the meal, it was hard to tell if her face was flushed from the spice or from something else entirely.
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