Ever since then, little Hu Tao had been observing every funeral conducted by Elliot with utmost seriousness.
Being clever as she was, she learned a great deal from watching.
"A funeral is the final dignity for mortals. The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is the one who writes the final chapter of life. Regardless of a guest's status in life, the funeral must reflect who they were."
This was what Elliot taught her. And no matter how mischievous Hu Tao usually was, the moment a funeral began, she would fall silent, becoming solemn and respectful.
But then...
Something happened that completely reshaped her understanding of funerals.
That day, the entire Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was filled with an air of joy.
Elliot even sang a cheerful funeral song during the ceremony, using his witty humor to make everyone laugh.
Hu Tao was stunned.
She never imagined that something as serious and respectful as a funeral could be like this...
She couldn't understand it.
Isn't death supposed to mean a long, painful separation?
How could they be so cheerful about something so sad?
Still, Hu Tao didn't disturb this unusual ceremony. Instead, she crouched quietly in a corner.
Watching Elliot laugh so openly, Hu Tao suddenly felt a little distant from him.
She realized she'd never seen Grandpa this happy before...
Why would he laugh so freely at such a solemn moment?
The ceremony didn't last long, but to Hu Tao, that joyful funeral felt like an eternity.
When it finally ended and the staff began cleaning up, Elliot, who had been aware of Hu Tao's mood all along, strolled over unhurriedly.
"What's wrong, Little Tao? You don't seem happy. Did someone upset you?" he asked gently with a smile.
"Grandpa... I don't get it."
Her voice was strange—tinged with frustration. It was clear she was upset with Elliot.
"When people die, they enter reincarnation. But before that, they have to pass through the boundary. Before reaching that boundary, they still linger in the human world—just invisible and untouchable."
As he looked at the scattered flowers and ribbons, Elliot spoke seriously.
"The boundary...? What is it? Why can't we see or touch it?"
Even for smart little Hu Tao, this was difficult to grasp.
"The boundary is the place between life and death. Once someone crosses it, they're truly gone and enter the cycle of reincarnation.
But if they had regrets in life, they might not want to move on, choosing instead to linger at the boundary.
People are made of body and soul.
The body is your little face.
The soul is all those strange thoughts in your head.
When someone dies, only the body is gone—the soul remains. Just because we can't see it doesn't mean it isn't there."
"Oh..." Hu Tao replied, half-understanding, still trying to process it all.
Elliot didn't rush her. He gave her time to think it through.
"Then... can souls see people?"
"They can," Elliot answered without hesitation.
Hu Tao furrowed her brow, deep in thought.
She seemed to have realized something but couldn't quite put it into words, and it made her uneasy.
Until a red petal drifted in front of her eyes—and suddenly, that fleeting idea clicked into place.
"Oh... so today's happy funeral... it was so their loved ones' souls wouldn't see them crying?"
Elliot blinked, surprised by how quickly she understood.
He gently placed a hand on her head and smiled, "That's right."
"At Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, we take mora from the living and send off the dead. It's a double duty—we have to satisfy both sides."
"Every guest has their own way of wanting to leave. Some prefer peace, some want a lively farewell, and some rich families want a show of grandeur."
"What we do, and how we do it, depends on our guests. Following their wishes is our responsibility."
His words etched themselves into Hu Tao's heart.
Now, she understood why that day's funeral was so cheerful.
She also gained a deeper insight into what funerals truly meant.
...
Night fell.
Little Hu Tao came skipping back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Every evening, she led her friends in chanting doggerel poems to promote her craft.
Since they couldn't drink wine while reciting poetry, they used Ethan Chen's family's special fruit tea as a substitute.
Because it was in short supply, they only brought it out for their "grand ceremonies."
That night, Hu Tao played until late before returning.
"Grandpa, Grandpa... Let's take a bath!"
Elliot opened the door with a gentle smile. "Alright, let's go."
After a night of running around, little Hu Tao was soaked in sweat. Her nightly routine was always to find Grandpa for bath time.
"Little Tao, you should start learning to bathe by yourself."
He looked at her—already completely undressed—and spoke kindly.
To Elliot, Hu Tao was like a real granddaughter. He never thought of her in any inappropriate way.
"Why? Is Grandpa going to die?" Hu Tao asked, her big eyes full of confusion.
Elliot was caught off guard.
What kind of "filial" question was that...?
"Uh..." Whatever he was going to say was completely derailed by her interruption.
"No, it's because you're growing up. It's not proper for Grandpa to bathe you anymore."
"Why not?"
"Because men and women shouldn't touch each other. And Grandpa is a man."
"That doesn't count! Grandpa's an exception! I want to bathe with Grandpa!"
She threw her arms around him tightly, as if she never wanted to let go.
Elliot sighed inwardly. "Maybe... it's still too soon to bring this up..."
"Alright, alright. Grandpa will bathe with Little Tao."
Unable to resist, he gave in.
"Yay! I love Grandpa the most!"
Hu Tao happily rubbed her smooth, flat chest against him like a little kitten.
"Alright, turn around. Let's wash your hair first."
Elliot gently turned her around so her back was facing him.
"Okay~" Hu Tao replied, humming a little tune.
...
A little while later, Elliot carefully finished helping her bathe.
"All done. Head out now—I'll dry your hair once I'm done."
"Okay~ Grandpa, come out quickly~"
Fresh from her bath, Hu Tao cheerfully bounced out of the room.
Only then did Elliot remove his clothes and begin bathing.
Though Hu Tao was still young, she was old enough to understand certain things. Naturally, he couldn't let her casually see a man's body.