"I-it's okay."
The boy who had always bullied her had suddenly apologized, leaving Hu Tao at a loss.
She panicked a little and wanted to run away, but Xiu Yuan had told her not to neglect guests. The little foot she had just stepped forward with immediately drew back.
Unsure what to do, little Hu Tao suddenly turned her gaze to the mung bean cakes in her hands.
Holding the box, she carefully ran over to a stone table, set it down, and slowly opened it.
As soon as she opened it, the fragrance of mung beans wafted out. Snowlike shredded coconut covered the cakes, making them look delicious.
"Go on, try some. My mom made them. They're really good."
Yuan Chen had come over beside her at some point. Seeing the stars in Hu Tao's eyes, he urged her to try them.
Hu Tao looked at Yuan Chen, then at the mung bean cakes. She picked one up and pushed the box toward him.
Yuan Chen stared at her in bewilderment, not knowing what she meant.
Seeing his blank look, Hu Tao proudly turned her head aside and explained, "Grandpa said you should share good things with your friends."
At that, Yuan Chen's eyes widened, and he exclaimed excitedly, "What did you just say? Friends? We're friends now?!"
"Hmph, that's because Grandpa said nothing is better than recognizing your mistakes and correcting them. So I forgive you." Little Hu Tao blushed and took a bite of mung bean cake to hide her embarrassment.
"Yes, yes, yes!! Your grandpa's right! I know I was wrong. From now on, we're friends."
Delighted, Yuan Chen picked up a mung bean cake and started eating too.
"Sho good!!" Hu Tao's eyes immediately widened as she stared at the cake in astonishment.
Even its exquisite appearance fell far short of its incredible taste.
"Hehe, right?" Yuan Chen rubbed his nose smugly.
But just as he reached for another cake, Hu Tao suddenly snatched the box away and packed it up at lightning speed.
Yuan Chen: "?"
"Hu Tao... what are you doing?"
"Mung bean cakes this good have to be saved for Grandpa." With a serious expression, Hu Tao restored the box to its original state.
Yuan Chen awkwardly withdrew his hand and asked curiously, "Why do you always talk about your grandpa?"
"Because Grandpa is the handsomest, gentlest, most wonderful person in the world," Hu Tao answered almost without hesitation.
Yuan Chen froze briefly at her answer.
Then he propped his chin on his hand and pretended to ponder deeply for a moment before replying, "Now that you mention it, I guess he is."
"What do you mean, you guess? He is!" Hu Tao planted both hands on her hips, brimming with pride.
"Oh, right," Yuan Chen suddenly said.
"Hmm?" Hu Tao tilted her head in confusion.
"Actually... we bullied you because we wanted to play with you. But you were always alone and unhappy, and you ignored us, so we said those things... I'm apologizing on their behalf too. I'm really sorry..."
With that, Yuan Chen bowed apologetically.
Hu Tao's eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief.
"You wanted to ask me to play with you...?"
"Yes. I'm really sorry..."
He remained bent in a ninety-degree bow.
"I'm sorry."
Hu Tao also bowed at ninety degrees, offering an apology in return.
Yuan Chen paused, then raised his head blankly, meeting Hu Tao's eyes.
Hu Tao smiled. "Then we're even! From now on, we're friends."
"Yeah!!" Yuan Chen straightened up and answered happily.
"Then I'm going to be the leader of your group! I'll teach you doggerel!" Hu Tao was just as delighted now.
"What's doggerel?" Yuan Chen asked, puzzled.
"Hehe, you don't know, do you? Come with me. I'll teach you."
With that, Hu Tao ran out of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Wait for me!" Yuan Chen hurried after her.
They soon arrived outside a restaurant.
"See those two scholars drinking together?" Hu Tao pointed at the customers inside.
"I see them."
"Rosy, tender hands, golden wine; two orioles sing where green willows twine."
Imitating Xiu Yuan, Hu Tao recited the lines with a convincing air.
Yuan Chen's expression was exactly like Hu Tao's when she had first heard those words.
A giant question mark was written all over his face.
"Doggerel is all about improvising. Make it up however you like, and say whatever comes to mind."
Hu Tao looked quite the teacher as she instructed the eagerly watching Yuan Chen.
"Oh, oh! That sounds amazing! I wanna learn! I wanna learn!" Sure enough, Hu Tao's manner had drawn Yuan Chen in, leaving him thoroughly excited.
"Grandpa taught me this. If you want to learn more, you'll have to wait until Grandpa teaches me, and then I'll teach you."
"Okay! It's a promise!"
From that day on.
Liyue City had a few more doggerel specialists.
Every night, several children skipped through Liyue City, reciting nonsensical doggerel in their own peculiar cadence.
Naturally, Hu Tao led the doggerel troupe.
Whenever she learned a few more words, she held a lesson for her companions, teaching them like a schoolteacher.
And every one of her little companions listened, nodding furiously.
"They say doggerel has no dog in its verse; I laugh at the world-its ignorance is worse!"
"Fairy Chang'e loves stepping outside, drawing endless stares from far and wide."
"A snow-white rabbit strolls through the sky; a silver toad swims as the waters flow by."
"Who cares if there's reason or none whatsoever? I'll be the first emperor of doggerel forever!"
Once gloomy and unhappy, Hu Tao grew increasingly cheerful and lively under Xiu Yuan's unique instruction in doggerel.
She became a thoroughly mischievous, quirky little girl.
She even called herself the "Dark Poet of the Alley."
Every night, those children made the atmosphere in Liyue City especially merry.
Then, a week later, Hu Tao witnessed a funeral procession for the first time.
Yuan Chen looked especially sorrowful when he arrived that day, because the funeral was for his grandmother.
Seeing how upset he was, Hu Tao wanted to say something, but an employee of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor stopped her.
Only after she had watched the entire funeral conclude did Xiu Yuan come to her side.
"Grandpa... what does 'death' mean?"
"It means reincarnation."
"What's reincarnation?"
"It means that in the next life, I'll still be your grandpa, and you'll still be my granddaughter."
"Then... since Yuan Chen's grandma died, does that mean she's gone to find his grandpa, and she'll give birth to Yuan Chen's dad, and then his dad will find his mom and they'll have Yuan Chen again?"
"You're so clever, little Tao. You understood right away."
"Then why are they so sad about something so wonderful...?"
"Because entering reincarnation means they'll never see each other again in this life. They'll have to wait a very, very long time before they can meet again."
"Oh..." Hu Tao replied, only half understanding.
"Then... will Grandpa 'die' too?" she suddenly asked.
"Yes. Everyone dies," Xiu Yuan said with a faint smile.
"But I don't want Grandpa to die... I don't want to stop being able to see you..."
"There, there. Grandpa won't die anytime soon." Xiu Yuan gently stroked Hu Tao's head as he answered softly.
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