"Big Hilichurl is sick, Second Hilichurl checks, Third Hilichurl picks herbs, Fourth Hilichurl brews..."
Hu Tao, having just t with Xiangling, returned to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's library holding a glass of juice. She continued searching through books while sipping her juice through a straw.
A white phantom suddenly erged from behind the wall, perched on a cabinet, watching her curiously. "What are you looking for? I heard you ca back at midnight yesterday and started searching through books. Haven't found what you're looking for yet?"
"Books about jiangshi."
"Jiangshi?"
"Yes, I t Qiqi again last night. I originally wanted to catch her and lay her to rest, but this ti she didn't run away. Instead, she looked at seriously and said she wanted to live."
"Oh? Usually, jiangshi need to follow the commands of the person who awakened them. It's rare to see one like her who possesses self-awareness."
"Indeed. She used to be quite confused, but she's been different these past few days. It must be Master Xia's incense that helped her recover her long-lost consciousness."
"That incense does have soul-calming effects. However, the ingredients must be precious and difficult to process. Master Xia probably doesn't have much of it. If she can't continue inhaling the incense, her consciousness will gradually fade away."
"Since Qiqi wants to live so badly, I can't force her to be buried. So, I plan to investigate Qiqi's past. I want to know how she beca a jiangshi."
"I see. However, I've read all the books in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's library, and there's nothing like what you're looking for."
"Really..."
Hu Tao paused, holding her juice with a worried expression.
"However, because I've inhaled that incense these past few days, my mories have recovered sowhat. I seem to rember sothing about the na 'Qiqi.'"
"Really?"
"Yes, I once heard Mada Ping ntion Qiqi's na, but I didn't ask for details. You should ask Mada Ping; she should know."
"Alright."
Hu Tao nodded, but couldn't help showing a strange expression.
"Co to think of it, Sister Chi Yu, you were the eleventh Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, yet you also call her Mada Ping. Just how old is Mada Ping?"
"I don't know either. She looked the sa as she does now when I was still alive. All these years, she seems to have never changed."
"Mada Ping must be an adeptus, right?"
"Yes, I suppose so."
---
At Xia's Sumr Shop.
Zhu Zi apologetically said, "Sorry, custor, all our seats are taken."
The custor looked at the scene inside the shop with slight frustration. "I guess we ca too late. No worries, we can wait."
Zhu Zi blinked and continued, "Our shop is introducing a new special service today. You can try it without waiting for a seat. You can enjoy delicious juice right away."
"Oh? Such a good thing exists?"
"Yes, we're testing takeout orders. Since it's a trial period, the bamboo containers are free. You won't have to worry about sharing tables with strangers. You can take it ho to enjoy at your leisure or sip while shopping. However, the number of bamboo containers is limited..."
"Please give two right away!"
"Certainly, please wait a mont."
The shop's new takeout service was very popular with custors. Soon, all the clean bamboo containers that Xia Zhi and Zhu Zi had prepared were used up.
Xia Zhi watched the custors' expressions of curiosity and joy, feeling that this idea was indeed feasible.
Around four in the afternoon, Zhongli ca to the shop alone.
As a VIP, he naturally didn't need to wait and was directly invited to the elegant seats in the back hall.
Xia Zhi prepared a special rainbow juice and had Zhu Zi serve it.
Zhongli accepted the juice and said calmly, "Miss Zhu Zi, I forgot to bring money. Please put this juice on Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's tab."
"Ah, certainly, Mr. Zhongli. Please enjoy."
About fifteen minutes later, Zhongli walked out from the back hall, greeted Xia Zhi, and left gracefully.
Xia Zhi noticed that the progress bar on him had increased by [1%], becoming [16%].
Good. Hopefully, this VIP would continue to patronize the sumr shop every day.
Whether he paid or not didn't matter; Xia Zhi mainly wanted to befriend Him, after all, they were both divine beings.
At six in the afternoon, they ended the afternoon business as scheduled.
After seeing off the custors, Xia Zhi and Zhu Zi sat down to rest for a while.
"Zhu Zi, do we still have the red paper from last ti?"
"Yes."
"Go get it. Let's write down our business hours and post it outside the shop. We'll let custors know the shop is closed tomorrow so they won't queue up outside in the morning for nothing."
"Alright, boss."
Zhu Zi nodded and went to get the red paper and brush. She cleaned a table and spread the red paper on it, using cups to hold down the corners.
"Boss, what should I write?"
"[Normal Business Hours]"
"[Monday to Friday]"
"[Morning: 9 AM to 12 PM]"
"[Afternoon: 2 PM to 6 PM]"
"Anything else, boss?"
"Let think... Add [During Festivals]... No, never mind. We'll write a separate notice when the Lantern Rite cos."
"Boss, we won't be open during the Lantern Rite either?"
"It's a festival. Go have fun instead of working."
"Wow, amazing! Boss, I've finished writing."
"Good, let it dry. Rember to get so rice paste from Xiangling tonight."
"Okay!"
"Do we have more red paper?"
"Yes."
"Let's write another one."
"Alright."
Zhu Zi cleaned another table and laid out the red paper.
"Boss, what should I write?"
"Since the festival is coming, let's write two lines of poetry from my holand."
"Poetry?"
"It's similar to your haiku in Inazuma."
"Oh!"
"Write: [The moon rises over the sea, we share this mont across the world]."
"Boss..."
"What is it?"
"There's a character I don't know how to write..."
Xia Zhi thought for a mont and said, "Give the brush. I'll write it."
"Boss, can you write?"
"Yes."
Zhu Zi handed him the brush with so doubt.
The characters in Liyue were sowhat similar to the small seal script from his original world.
Xia Zhi lowered his head and slowly wrote the characters on the paper.
Neat and symtrical.
Zhu Zi watched in amazent.
"Boss, how did you do that?"
"It's like writing with your eyes closed."
"I couldn't write such good characters with my eyes closed."
"It just takes practice."
Zhu Zi was slightly startled by his words.
The boss probably wasn't born blind. After losing his sight, he must have been unwilling to accept it, so he practiced writing in secret.
She didn't know how long it would take a blind person to write as naturally as a sighted person, but it must have been very difficult.
Looking at the boss's casual expression, Zhu Zi couldn't help but imagine him quietly practicing writing alone in his room, enduring the hardship.
"Let's hang this calligraphy inside the shop."
"Oh, alright."
Zhu Zi looked at the calligraphy on the table. Although it wasn't particularly beautiful, who else besides her knew how much sweat and effort lay behind those characters?
She suddenly felt a bit emotional.
----
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