Autumn Comes When You're Not Yet Done

Chapter 4

Four years have gone by since Hu Tao figured out my true identity. She has been relentlessly toying with me all four of those years. She wants to know all about the archons and what I was like a few thousand years ago. Gladly she has been more focused on work recently, giving me some peace and quiet. 

I hear a thud then a loud voice yelling,

"SHIT"

"Watch your language." I call back, unfazed,

Hu Tao comes stumbling into the room carrying a huge pile of paperwork that had no doubt fallen onto the floor.

"I was trying to bring these papers in here but on my way I happened to not notice a rather large box in the hallway. I then tripped on said box and fell flat on my face! The paper went everywhere, I don't even know if I managed to pick all of them up!" the girl complained. 

I set down my tea and stood up, walking over to Hu Tao and taking one of the papers.

"Mao huh? What does he want?" I asked when I read the chef's name at the top of the paper. Mao is the current owner of Wanmin Restaurant.

"His mother died recently so he asked for us to prepare her funeral." Hu Tao answered, pulling out of the stack a file with all of the death information of Mao's mother and requests given by the family concerning what is to be in the funeral. Such as flower types, incense, what the coffin should be made of, and other aspects.

"There is so much to do in the next week, Mao has a lot of requests. I have to meet with him and some of his other family this afternoon to discuss the funeral. I'm waiting for a letter from a relative of Mao's who currently is living in Inazuma. The letter will no doubt be I'm so sorry I can't make it to the funeral I know you and your staff are working so hard blah blah blah!! Everyone knows that Inazuma is closed to visitors from other nations and no one is allowed to leave, I'm sure everyone completely understands if they can't make it!"

By the time Hu Tao was done talking she was almost yelling her frustration.

"Dammit I have to leave in fifteen minutes for the meeting, see you later Mr. Zhongli!" and with that, she was gone.

I took a look at the intimidatingly large stack of paperwork on Hu Tao's desk. 

I sipped my cup of tea and stood, leaving the office.

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After thirteen days I am now sitting among the guests of Mao's mother's funeral.

I can hear Hu Tao giving the introduction a few feet away from me.

I zone out listening to the several speakers. I've never been a big fan of funerals, they always take so long that they become boring after the first ten minutes. Often I don't even know the person, I just went to the funeral because that was part of my job working at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. There are many things that go into my job, one of the them being that I must attend funerals to oversee that everything goes smoothly.

Mao is currently speaking, he is telling a story about how his mother used to make him these strange noodles that she never gave him the recipe for. 

When I suddenly focus on the funeral again, Hu Tao is giving the finishing speech. When she is done talking everyone stands and claps, I do the same. A young looking girl walks by me, she had to be ten or eleven at most. Her dark blue hair was in two braids.

"Ah! Mr. Zhongli, I'm  glad you could make it," Said Mao, stopping next to me.

"Well, it IS his job," Hu Tao says, looking at Mao.

"I've been meaning to ask, how has the restaurant been lately? I've seen a large stream of customers outside which is why I haven't stopped by myself," I asked. There have been more people in the harbor than usual, it seemed that several scholars from Sumeru were doing an investigation on some old locations in Liyue. These locations are Guyun Stone Forest, Jueyun Karst, Mt. Hulao, and Mingyun Village. 

"We've been very busy, these tourists haven't given us a break! Luckily my daughter, Xiangling, has already learned many dishes and helps me to prepare them. The food she makes is really good too, good  for someone so young. Of course, she never makes it on her own, I make the food and Xiangling just helps out."

"Where is your daughter right now?"

"She's over there, talking with her aunt," Mao gestured to the blue-haired girl.

"I'll come over sometime to meet her," I said, leaving.

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"That funeral was so long, that one lady just kept on talking. I thought she would never stop," Hu Tao whined when we got back to the funeral parlor.

"I agree, I didn't even pay attention to most of it."

"You're lucky, I had to talk and you just got to sit there doing nothing," Hu Tao was sitting in her chair, playing with one of her many rings while complaining about how boring the funeral was. 

"Would you like to go to Wanmin Restaurant tomorrow? You've been working hard this past week and you should have a break," I asked. I wanted to go to Wanmin soon to try a new dish that had been added to the menu, and I had told Mao that I would come by to meet Xiangling. I figured that it would be nice to take Hu Tao, get her mind off paperwork for a while. The stack was only half gone.

"I'd love to go to Wanmin Restaurant!" Hu Tao responded cheerfully.

My plans for tomorrow would include doing loads of paperwork, and going to Wanmin Restaurant for a nice lunch.