Chapter Text
When their tray arrives at the table, Hu Tao pours the tea into the earthen tea bowl and serves it to him with grace. (Zhongli notes her refinement and controlled movements and mentally praises her grandfather for his doubtlessly painstaking effort to teach her that.)
"I can't tell you just how long I've wanted to talk to you, Mister Zhongli!" she begins, tenting her fingers together as she chatters excitedly, "It's not often that I come across someone not in our business who doesn't mind talking about death! So when I heard about you from Ferrylady, I was so excited to meet you!" Her smile is radiant, very much unexpected from a funeral director.
Zhongli brings the bowl up to his nose, taking in the woody fragrance of the red tea as he lets out a hum that rumbles even in the ears of passersby. "That all living things will pass one day is an inescapable fate. Be they humans, gods or elementals, flora or fauna. Some may fall to death and others to corrosion. And it is because all things will come to an end, that all things have value while they are still around, for their existence is but fleeting and ephemeral… Like dust in the wind."
"Mm-mh, that's right!" Hu Tao nods in agreement, squeezing the juices of a sunsettia that she had somehow brought out from her person into her own tea bowl. (A technique that Zhongli is sure, was absolutely not taught by the 75th Director.)
"So at Wangsheng… Funerals are not just a mourning for the departed, but a celebration for the time that they have lived! We want to honour the journeys everyone has taken!"
"I see… While a rather heartening take on the rites of the departed, it is traditional in Liyue, as well as in most parts of Teyvat that funerals are sombre affairs out of respect for the deceased, to honour them, as you have said. To view funerals as “celebrations” is rather unorthodox…"
Zhongli blows lightly into his tea and takes a sip, savouring the deep flavour of his drink as he continues. "However, what you propose is not as novel a concept as you would think. Liyue does celebrate deceased adepti, after all. Not for their deaths, but for the feats they have achieved in life. Back then, people would express their appreciation for the adepti with precious stones, floral arrangements and fragrant incense. Before the Cataclysm, sometimes the Anemo Archon would even come by to play a few songs after the Rite of Parting, bringing much comfort to the living."
"Exactly! We honour the lives of the Adepti with their Rite of Parting, and we celebrate them during the Lantern Rite Festival!" Hu Tao goes on passionately, "While the funeral might not be a place for fun, preparing for our deaths doesn't have to be all gloomy! Humans may not have earthbreaking powers the way immortals do, our deeds are no less significant, are they? Every person means something to those they leave behind. Even for those without families… More reason they should pre-book a package with us: Wangsheng will honour all of them."
She takes a deep gulp of dubiously blended fruit tea as she speaks, letting out a satisfied sigh as she gently sets her bowl down with a quiet clack. "Aw yea! That hit the spot. Tea's great, but adding that fruity sweetness in gives you a refreshing feeling! You should try it, Mister Zhongli." Hu Tao chirps, offering him the squeezed sunsettia in her other hand.
"Oh? Is that so? … Then, perhaps I will." Zhongli says with a curious expression as he pushes his tea bowl nearer for her to squeeze some sunsettia juice into it, then taking a sip on the concoction without a hint of pause or trepidation.
Too sweet, is his first thought as he ruminates on the tea's taste. "The sweetness is a little overpowering, and there is also a clashing bitterness that comes from the location of the cut you made on the fruit — perhaps cutting at a little offset from the sepal would be better, along with using a horizontal slicing technique as opposed to the downward cut that you have made… There's also the order in which the juice is being mixed in to consider and--"
Zhongli notices Hu Tao staring at him. "… ah. Pardon me, I did not mean to criticise your blend so harshly."
Hu Tao breaks into a wide smile. "No worries, Mister Zhongli! I don't mind at all! Xiangling says she is always very grateful for your feedback. I'm not a chef though, so no guarantees on me being able to get what you just said!"
"Wanmin Restaurant's head chef?" Zhongli muses as he reaches for a new tea bowl to pour tea into, politely refusing Hu Tao's offer of more squeezed sunsettia with a gentle wave, "While lacking in experience, her food preparation techniques and innovation in coming out with new recipes are capable of elevating her dishes made from ordinary ingredients to the level of the dishes served at Xinyue or Liuli made from premium ingredients. A most exceptional chef, Liyue is blessed to have her."
Hu Tao blinks as she empties her bowl and reaches for the bowl that Zhongli had set aside, resting her chin on her palm and grinning at him with a cheeky expression. "Heehehe…" she giggles, giving Zhongli an amused look, "You have a very formal way of speaking don't you? You sound just like an old man."
"Ah, My apol- I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound that serious. Was that hard to follow for a young person?" Zhongli responds awkwardly.
"Oh my, What are you talking about? Aren't you pretty young yourself?" Hu Tao bangs on the table as she sniggers. "Don't worry, I am used to your way of speaking! My governess used to speak like that too."
Hu Tao smiles affectionately as she finishes the fruit tea that Zhongli had rejected, a nostalgic look forming on her face. "Looking at you reminds me of her actually… I wonder, did she finally get married? How many kids does she have now? Maybe I'll find out when her family comes to Wangsheng for her departure rites someday."
Zhongli keeps his tea bowl raised to hide his twitching lips, trying not to betray any sign of him having the knowledge as to which governess she is referring to. (For it was him, god incognito, working at Wangsheng several years ago, that was Little Tao-er's governess, after all.)
"Due to their limited lifespan, humans will experience several transitions in their life. Meetings and partings are as inevitable as life and death. We will go wherever fate brings us to." He murmurs as he lets his gaze meet Hu Tao's.
"You're right about that," Hu Tao smirks in a satisfied nod, the girl letting out a smug smile as she places a hand on her chest, "And I believe that, my meeting you here today has been arranged by fate as well! Since you know a lot about funerals, you like to talk a lot about history, and you don't seem to have much to do since you've enough time to walk around Liyue… Why don't you take up a part-time job with me? After all, you don't have anything better to do, do you?"
Hu Tao makes a fair point, Zhongli internally muses. It would be a good cover for him as well. It is suspicious for a man of unknown occupation to be seen walking around everyday after all. However, Zhongli could easily think of a dozen other employers that he would rather work for, but before he could formulate a rejection of her offer, the current Director of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour pulls out a neat stack of papers from her bag and lets it fall onto the table with a hefty thump that had him quickly darting his hands to grab the teapot before it could be knocked off the table.
"Wangsheng Funeral Parlour is committed to carrying out departure services with utmost propriety, in accordance with the age-old ritual customs of Liyue. Even a celebration has to honour traditions. Humans may live short lives, but our society will continue even after our passing. We will keep Liyue alive for as long as we can.” Hu Tao says with pride, her tone turning serious and solemn by the end, before picking up as she continues.
"Ah! While we deal mostly with mortal deaths… My senses tell me that a season of change is coming. If we end up having to conduct departure services for the adepti… Well, my ancestors haven't done that for centuries, so I can't be sure that what we have in our records is right…"
"I see… That is quite the predicament for you,” Zhongli nods, a small frown forming on his face at the thought of one of the vanishingly few remaining adepti passing before him, "Well, should you ever need to conduct the Rite of Parting, I would be amenable to offer you some advice. But- "
"Wow! You really do know everything, don't you Mister Zhongli?" Hu Tao interrupts him with a clap. "I knew I got the right man for the job! With you as our consultant, Wangsheng will be ready to conduct all sorts of funerals to honour the deceased and comfort the bereaved! Now, I'm willing to let you work with us on a contractual basis while still being given a monthly salary. Isn't that great, Mister Zhongli? You will still be able to continue travelling all about Liyue while offering advice on anything we need help with!"
"Miss Hu Tao… I haven't- "
Hu Tao, cuts through his denial with another interruption, placing a brush pen in his right hand and pushing the papers that Zhongli recognises as an employment contract in front of him with a dazzling smile.
"Once we get the paperwork settled, you just have to show up to work every week, wherein I will inform you of your schedule. If you've got work, just see to them in your own jurisdiction. And if we've got nothing for you, you get the whole week off!"
Zhongli sighs, giving in and tilting his head to read the terms of her contract, one that actually had very fair employment terms. It was incredibly detailed, entailing various scenarios, project scopes and sequences, payment schemes and possible bonuses that he could receive: To him, it was almost as if this contract was written by a licensed lawyer — had it not been written in a uniquely Hu Tao's vernacular — he wouldn't have thought otherwise. In fact, His misgivings about working with the too-cheerful funeral director aside, the role she offered him is a perfect fit for his preferences in doing human work.
"All right, I accept this contract, Director Hu." He says, after giving the contract a second glance and committing it to memory, signing his current incognito signature on the pages.
"That's wonderful, Mister Zhongli! I'm glad to hear it!" Hu Tao chirps as she grabs the signed papers quickly, as if she was afraid that he would change his mind and tear it up if she didn't.
"Welcome to Wangsheng Funeral Parlour, Consultant Zhongli~!" the girl cheers, jumping up in glee, clapping her hands. A white translucent creature pops out of her chest and waves to him with a lazy, dopey grin, bobbing along with Hu Tao in an equally cheerful jiggle.
At this, Zhongli sighs even more deeply than before. He is going to be in for an exciting retirement, he's sure.
Hu Tao sighs at the sight of another invoice directed to Wangsheng Funeral Parlour for the spending by her consultant. How does one man even buy so much stuff? From what he had told Hu Tao, Zhongli had quit his previous job and now Wangsheng is his only source of income. Just what kind of job did he use to have to allow him to spend money the way he did?
Does he print mora or something? Hu Tao grumps as she goes over the invoice.
It was probably by some divine providence that this poor man with the bourgeois lifestyle was working for her and not anyone else, for Wangsheng's bank account had funds to spare.
"Once again, I am grateful to you for looking after my expenses," Director Hu hears as she looks up from the invoice to the eyes of her consultant who is explaining his purchases to her. "This ceramic vase is beautifully crafted with fine temperature control, meticulously painted and finished with high quality dyes and workmanship, it was definitely deserving of the price paid for it…"
As she listens to his long-winded explanations with half an ear, Hu tao smiles as she watches Zhongli lavish praise upon his new trinket, his eyes shining with the same golden glow as her ex-governess'.
When Hu Tao tried to look for records of her governess' whereabouts after her grandfather's passing, she was surprised to find no trails of her, not even with the bank — the woman had not banked in a single paycheque anywhere. For all her years of teaching Hu Tao, she did so for free. And this confused Hu Tao so much, why would anybody do that? Don't people work for mora? So why didn't her governess take the mora that was due to her?
"And the design painted upon it draws inspiration from the appearance of the one of the Yakshas, the Spiral Sea Snail General, also known as Bonanus. She wore a pattern of… …"
Hu Tao sighs again as she shakes her head affectionately, sniggering to herself as she fondly watches her consultant drone on. Maybe his employment here was indeed fated.
"Hey, Mister Zhongli.. With Rex Lapis apparently ascended to Celestia, how do you think Teyvat's economy will be like now?" Hu Tao asks as she skips alongside her consultant, meeting up with him after the Tianquan's announcement to Liyue.
"… what of trade, Director Hu?" Zhongli tilts his head quizzically.
"Well, with no more Morax, there'll be no more mora getting minted at the Golden House. With no more new mora circulating in the market, what will happen when trade continues to grow but there isn't enough money for people to spend? Won't it lead to a deflation and really affect those with a lower income who don't have much mora to begin with? In the end we might even go back to barter trade. How am I going to calculate discounts like that? How about a hundred eggs per coffin! And 10 live chickens for the full service!"
"Well, the Golden House should still have enough mora in its reserves to last Teyvat for a while…"
The gears slowly turn around in Zhongli's mind until they click (or was that the sound of chickens clucking) and he understands the financial impact of his decision.
"And what happens after that… is Ningguang's problem now."