Chapter 5 – Reignited in life.
By the time Hu Tao woke, the sun was already beginning to drop from the sky. Awaking from easily the best nap of her life, all thoughts of staying in this place had long vanished. For the first time in perhaps her entire life, she confidently left Wuwang Hill with no doubts or regrets left in her mind, and headed back to where she belonged.
She arrived back at the Parlour by noon the next day and climbed her way up into her room. After closing her window, she went to throw her all but empty travel bag down on her bed like usual, but stopped when she noticed her grandpa's hat on the end of her bed with a note under it.
Her heart flickered for a moment equally excited but terrified at what this page might contain. Dropping her travel bag where she stood, all her focus was now drawn to the letter. As she stood there frozen, she debated with herself if she even wanted to read it.
At first, she worried he might be mad at her for leaving, but she knew him too well to expect that.
After a few moments, the doubt passed, and she slowly walked over and picked it up.
She started reading the letter.
"Little Tao"
"I fear you won't make it back to see me now. That's okay. Please don't feel bad. I had to learn the same lessons when I was a boy. I'm sorry you had to learn it this way, it's much crueller than I had hoped, but we cannot control life and death, only do our best with the time we have."
"I leave the Parlor to you now. You are going to make a great Director, one of the best."
"60 years I waited for you. I do hope you will make me wait longer this time."
"Live in life, die in death. Follow your heart, do all you can."
"Love you forever."
"Old Hu."
Hu Tao sat there on the end of her bed bawling with tears of happiness whilst she hugged her grandpa's hat tight.
She sat there until the tears had stopped.
"Thank you, grandpa." She whispered.
Standing up, she put his hat on and felt the same warmth from before burning strong inside her. It might have been way too big for her at the moment, but she didn't care. Nothing was going to make her take it off.
The responsibility of Wangsheng Funeral Parlour fell to her now, and she was going to make her grandpa proud.
She went over to pick up her empty travel bag off the floor, but upon picking it up she immediately realized it was not as empty as she has thought. She reached her hand inside and quickly was greeted by a strange smooth hard object.
She looked down, confused, and was surprised by a faint red glow emanating from the bag.
She pulled out the mysterious object and revealed a colourful red vision glowing in her hand.
What? When did this get here? She questioned.
As she looked down at the gleaming vision, she felt the fire inside her resonating with the glowing power in the gem.
In that moment she vowed to herself that never again would she waste another second of her life.
From now on she was going to live every day to the fullest.