Genshin Impact's Sweet and Hard Free People

However, when Ke Qing and Gan Yu, dressed in gorgeous gowns, walked towards him through the crowd, Xin Hui was almost overwhelmed by the envious gazes of the people.

Not only that, he also heard the girls wearing the ordinary dresses he made calling him a "pervert" just because he had asked for their sizes last time...

Looking back now, I'm still a little scared.

It's estimated that it won't be long before the news of Lord Yuheng and Lord Ganyu residing in Yiyu Pavilion at the same time is exposed. At that time, I don't know how to deal with it.

To prevent this from happening, Xin Hui could only ask Ke Qing and the other girl to move around as little as possible and avoid appearing in other people's sight, so as not to attract the attention of outsiders.

This meant that sometimes, if someone entered Yiyu Pavilion while Xinhui and the others were eating, Keqing and Ganyu would have to quickly retreat back to their rooms.

It's too much trouble. Even Lian Xinhui felt the same way.

Those two delicate young women have already shown me great respect by agreeing to stay in my cramped and tiny Yiyu Pavilion, let alone expecting me to make such excessive demands on them.

Last time, Yue Haiting's secretary, Huixin, was asking her, "I don't know where Lady Ganyu has been running off to at night lately. Without her lighting the lamp and handling affairs at night, it really feels a bit lonely."

At this point, all he could do was laugh awkwardly and reply, "Perhaps Lady Ganyu has her own private matters to attend to. After all, we don't understand the thoughts of immortals."

That day, Xinhui and the other two had already taken their seats and were preparing to have breakfast.

On the table were delicious dishes carefully prepared by Gan Yu, including fresh bamboo shoots from the rainy morning and refreshing lotus seed porridge that could calm the mind.

It must have been hard work for Gan Yu to go out and pick these materials so early in the morning.

Just as they were about to enjoy the delicious food together, there was a knock on the door.

"Is Mr. Xinhui, the owner of Yiyu Pavilion, there? I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

It was a polite and gentle male voice. Normally, Xin Hui would have opened the door to greet them warmly, but now, he could only let Ke Qing and Gan Yu go back to their rooms first before he could open the door himself.

So when he hurriedly opened the door, the person had already been waiting for a while.

A middle-aged man with short black hair stood in front of the red gate of Yiyu Pavilion. He was dressed in black formal attire and looked like he was doing some special work.

Upon inquiry, it was learned that he was Old Meng, the ritual attendant of the Rebirth Hall.

So they quickly invited him into the hall.

"Old Meng? Is there something you need to discuss?"

"It's like this, our leader heard that the dresses for the Lantern Festival were made by the owner of Yiyu Pavilion, so he wanted to order a batch of funeral dresses from Yiyu Pavilion."

"This... let's move to the Hall of Rebirth and discuss it with our hall master. I don't even know the specifics," Old Meng said apologetically.

"Won't this disturb you and your family while you eat?" Old Meng asked again, because he noticed three sets of bowls and chopsticks that hadn't been put away on the table next to him.

"No, no." Xin Hui was immediately embarrassed. "I understand. You can go back and get back to work. The Hall of Rebirth, right? I'll be there shortly."

Thinking of getting rid of Lao Meng, so that he wouldn't find out anything.

After dealing with the matters at Yiyu Pavilion, Xinhui prepared to go to Wangsheng Hall.

The Hall of Rebirth is also built against the mountain, but due to funding issues, it is only a corner of the huge connected pavilion.

In front of the Hall of Rebirth, there is a wooden pavilion with many wooden plaques hanging on it. There are also explanatory notes next to it.

(The wooden plaque used by the ancestral hall to accept commissions is removed by the commissioner, who writes a message on it and then slips it under the door of the ancestral hall.)

(The back of the wooden sign also features a stylish advertising slogan: "Buy one get one free with this sign.")

Beside the wooden pavilion, in front of the main entrance of the Hall of Rebirth, stood a woman with short black hair and a dignified appearance.

“…Miss?” Xinhui asked.

……

Why is there no response?

"...Are you perhaps trying to strike up a conversation with me?" the woman in black asked in a calm voice.

"According to Liyue's customs, people generally avoid speaking to the disciples of the 'Hall of Rebirth'. So... you're an outsider, right? Or are you some kind of 'something else'...?"

“They’re outsiders,” Xinhui said hesitantly.

"I see, hello."

"As a disciple of the 'Hall of Rebirth,' it's been a long time since I've spoken to anyone outside my own circle. Even while 'working,' out of respect for ancient traditions and the deceased, I don't speak to their families."

“At night, the family leaves behind essential supplies and snacks for guests, and then closes the door tightly. We try to complete our work as quietly as possible, leaving the urn behind and leaving. So it’s really rare to be approached by someone at night like this. I didn’t mean to ignore you just now, I’m sorry.”

After inquiring, I learned that he was also a ritual attendant at the Hall of Rebirth—a ferryman.

No wonder her clothes are similar in style to Lao Meng's. Xin Hui thought to herself, but she was a bit too mysterious, and her words were a little strange.

I've heard that if you answered "Yes, it's [something else]" in front of her, then you'll hear the ferryman reply like this:

...As expected.

I am "the one who faces death on behalf of others".

I have no connection to anything that happened when you came here.

Everything that happened between us was without cause. You who are lost, please leave.

It has a very "ferryman" style.

"It's the head of the Rebirth Hall who wants to see me." Xin Hui had no other choice but to reveal the purpose of his visit, as he didn't know how to communicate with this young lady.

"Master, he's inside. Please come in." Miss Yiguan said, bowing slightly and lowering her posture to invite Xinhui into the Hall of Rebirth.

The interior of the Hall of Rebirth, to be honest, has a rustic feel because most of the rooms are decorated in black and contain some ancient objects.

The first person to catch Xin Hui's eye was the familiar guest elder of the Hall of Rebirth, Zhong Li, followed by the Hall Master of the Hall of Rebirth, Hu Tao, who was sitting idly in a mahogany chair with his white legs crossed.

Walnut has reddish-brown gradient pigtails and wears a Chinese-style dress with patterns and a long hem, the hem of which features spider lilies and other flowers. She wears a Qiankun Tai Gua hat with a black bow at the back. The hat is made of a stiff material and is decorated with the emblem of the Wangsheng Hall on the front.

Note: (This hat was passed down to Hu Tao by the 75th generation head of the hall. Hu Tao spent a day and a night personally disassembling and mending the old hat to make it his own size. He cherishes the hat very much. The plum blossom on the side of the hat was picked from a plum tree that Hu Tao planted himself.)

Her eyes were like plum blossoms, her slender fingers were painted with jet-black nail polish, she wore a long black robe that reached her waist, shorts, socks, and black shoes, and her legs were tied with red knots. A red divine eye was visible on her back.

Then came the girl's incredibly lively voice.

"Oh, what brings you here in broad daylight?"

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Collapse of the Abyss

"Master Hu," Xin Hui greeted him respectfully.

I never imagined that the head of the Rebirth Hall would be such a young girl!

"I am Xinhui, the owner of Yiyuge. I heard from the ceremonial attendant that Wangshengtang needs a batch of funeral clothes?"

Xin Hui first explained his purpose, and at the same time wanted to see what this strange Master of the Rebirth Hall was up to.

"Oh, it's you! It's a pleasure to meet you." The quirky girl flipped around the table and walked directly to Xinhui, then extended her fair hand, with some special rings on her fingers.

"I am the 77th head of the Rebirth Hall," Hu Tao grinned at him, her lively demeanor hardly befitting someone of the Rebirth Hall's head.

"I've heard about the formal wear made by your Yiyu Pavilion before, although I only heard Zhongli mention it in the last few days. Anyway, we urgently need a batch of funeral clothes for the dead, and we hope that Yiyu Pavilion can provide us with some assistance."

Then Zhongli reminded him from behind, "The fabric is like silk, and the craftsmanship is exquisite." This refers to the formal wear made by Yiyu Pavilion.

Xin Hui then met Hu Tao's small hand and gently grasped it. Her hand was as soft as a bamboo shoot and her skin as smooth as cream. Although the touch was exquisite, he still smiled awkwardly.

Is the head of the Rebirth Hall so unreserved about the word "dead"? Shouldn't people in this line of work show even more respect for the deceased?

So he asked, "Shouldn't the Hall of Rebirth treat the deceased with more care?"

To everyone's surprise, Hu Tao showed a hint of astonishment, but then a smile spread across her face.

"I think you, like most people, have a misunderstanding about death."

"I believe that no matter when, where, or for what reason, people should not easily provoke the matter of death. Only by understanding and respecting it can we understand the value of living."

"However, although the use of the word 'dead' can sometimes be emotional for the living, it does not mean that people are disrespectful to the deceased. On the contrary, they want to create a more relaxed atmosphere and not take death too seriously, but it is not unimportant either."

Actually, after going around in circles, this is just a reflection of Hu Tao's personality. Someone like her would definitely be more popular working at the Rebirth Hall.

However, if Xinhui had seen Hu Tao running around promoting her business, he probably wouldn't have thought that way.

"As for the funeral attire needed for the ancestral hall, the requirements aren't high. We just hope that the colors are vibrant so that the deceased can look presentable when dressed. That's all." Hu Tao waved her hand, reassuring Xin Hui.

Xinhui pondered for a moment and decided that Wangshengtang was a good partner, so he agreed.

Funeral attire shouldn't be too difficult, right?

"You've agreed, that's wonderful. However, we don't want Yiyu Pavilion to make these clothes into ordinary funeral garments."

Funeral garments, the clothes worn by the deceased, are the clothes that are dressed for the dead. Elderly people prepare their own clothes for death before they die, which are called funeral garments and symbolize health and longevity.

Ordinary burial clothes refer to the clothes used to bury people who died of natural causes. Those who are made into funeral clothes but not ordinary burial clothes are generally people who have encountered unexpected events that led to their unnatural deaths.

"I'll let you in on a secret," Hu Tao whispered to Xin Hui. "The purpose of Wang Sheng Tang making this batch of clothes is to deal with the possibility of 'abnormal customers' in the future."

What are the "abnormal customers" that Hu Tao mentioned? Perhaps they refer to the aforementioned people who died under abnormal circumstances.

So where did all these unnatural deaths come from? That requires Hu Tao's explanation.

"I heard that this morning, the mine in the Layered Rock Abyss collapsed, and hundreds of miners were trapped inside and lost contact."

"Without food and water, we probably won't last more than a few days. Although Ningguang has urgently dispatched manpower there, the chances are still slim."

As she spoke, Hu Tao seemed to sigh softly for their plight.

It gives one the feeling of "Life is truly unpredictable!"

"So?" Xinhui raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Therefore, I, the head of this hall, must prepare for their funerals in advance. Otherwise, how tragic it would be if they had nowhere to sleep when they passed away."

"..."

"Isn't this decision by the Hall of Rebirth a bit too hasty? Don't the others here, the guest elders and so on, have any objections?" Xin Hui was really worried about Hu Tao's terrible idea. As he spoke, he quickly cast a pleading look at Zhong Li, hoping that the latter could help persuade Hu Tao.

"Ah, what? Zhongli, if you have any objections, feel free to speak up." Hu Tao snapped out of her daze, seemingly having almost forgotten Zhongli's presence.

"There seems to be nothing wrong with it." Zhong Li seemed to be flipping through a newspaper from a few days ago, making a rustling sound as he turned the pages. "It's truly commendable that Master Hu is able to consider the needs of the people."

Demand? Please, where did you get that from?

Xin Hui felt a headache coming on. He put his right hand to his forehead and then calmly said, "In short, I will consider the needs of the Hall of Rebirth. However, before the specific casualties are clear, I hope the Hall Master will not be so rash. After all, this is also a considerable expense for the Hall of Rebirth."

Xinhui really thinks of Hu Tao as an unscrupulous businessman, actually thinking of making money off dead people like this, he's really bold enough.