The two of them sat down where they were. Yunjian told her that while Wenren Luoshui had been out on a mission, their superiors had assigned her to transport supplies to Lotus City with several other teams.
But on their way back, they had encountered a zombie horde, and everyone in her squad had died.
When she woke again, she found herself in a horse-drawn carriage.
"So, Shui, you're now the daughter of the Li Kingdom's only prince outside the imperial clan?"
Wenren Luoshui nodded.
"And you were reborn as a baby?"
Another nod.
"But from what you've told me, we should have died around the same time in the apocalypse! Why were you reborn more than ten years before me?"
Yunjian couldn't understand it. Her clear black-and-white eyes turned toward Wenren Luoshui. What could Wenren Luoshui do? All she could do was shake her head helplessly.
During the lulls in their conversation, Yunjian finally absorbed all the memories of the body's original owner.
They stood up and decided to head back together.
Yunjian saw the three lively tigers. Having grown up with Wenren Luoshui, she was already used to all sorts of strange things appearing around her friend.
She redeemed some fresh beef from Taobao Mall and fed it to the three tigers.
"Your cheat came along too?"
Only when Wenren Luoshui saw her produce fresh beef out of thin air did she remember that Yunjian had been bound to a Taobao System during the apocalypse.
Back then, Yunjian had often slipped Wenren Luoshui extra treats when no one was looking.
"Yep. The only reason I managed to find a chance to escape earlier was that I redeemed a Stun Baton from the system."
"I've decided to open a Blind Box Shop in partnership with the emperor. Originally, I only planned to put exam papers and works by famous poets and writers in the boxes, but now that you're here..."
Wenren Luoshui draped an arm over Yunjian's shoulders and gave her a knowing smile.
"No problem. What do you want? Jewelry, decorations, or plush toys?"
"Get me some plush toys first. The super-cute kind."
"You're pretty demanding."
"You'd indulge me no matter how demanding I was."
Wenren Luoshui nestled against Yunjian's chest and wheedled.
They had often done this in their previous life, leading some people who had just met them to assume they were a couple.
"Wow!"
"Oh my god! Tigers have entered the city!"
"What gorgeous little tiger cubs!"
Wenren Luoshui and Yunjian led the three tigers into the city. The bustling street emptied in an instant. Even the peddlers carrying their wares on shoulder poles abandoned their goods and fled.
In truth, everyone was hiding nearby, watching the two women and three tigers.
"Daughter! Those tigers behind you look so imposing!"
Wenren Qiao had been choosing a fan at a stall when everyone around him suddenly abandoned their belongings and fled, leaving him standing there all alone.
He turned around and looked. Wasn't the person strolling down the street with three tigers his very own daughter?
"Daughter, can these tigers of yours carry people?"
Wenren Qiao hurried over to Wenren Luoshui, then walked straight past her to stand before the three tigers.
His eyes practically announced his desire to ride a tiger. He looked from Wenren Luoshui to the tigers, his whole body brimming with eagerness.
"They can, but you'll have to feed them something tasty when we get home."
Upon hearing that he could ride a tiger, Wenren Qiao's spirits burst like fireworks.
He couldn't hide his delight, barely stopping short of dancing with joy.
He nodded eagerly. Wenren Luoshui had the adult tiger lie down, and once Wenren Qiao was seated securely, it slowly rose.
"Hahahahahahaha! Here comes this prince!"
Wenren Qiao perked right up, radiating an entirely different vigor.
The tiger carried him slowly forward, while Wenren Luoshui and Yunjian followed with the two cubs.
Once the onlookers were sure the tigers wouldn't hurt anyone, they gradually grew bold enough to gather along the roadside.
They watched the group all the way back to the prince's residence.
When the little sprout saw his father riding the big tiger, he clamored for a turn too.
Wenren Luoshui grabbed him, but when she met his big, watery eyes, she could only relent.
"You can ride this afternoon."
Yet Wenren Qiao, his own father, still had to run over and show off in front of him.
"Hahahahaha! I got to ride before you!"
Wenren Qingluo refused to concede. "But I get to ride this afternoon too."
Wenren Qiao said, "But I rode first! Clearly, your sister still loves your mother and me most. You come last."
Wenren Qingluo: ...
Could he give away such a childish father?
That afternoon, the sky stretched clear for miles, without a single cloud.
A crackling barrage of firecrackers was followed by drums and music.
Dragon and lion dance troupes led the way, followed by a magnificent tiger. On its back sat a little boy who looked like the jade child beside Guanyin.
Bringing up the rear were two young women, calling out promotional slogans as they walked, inviting everyone to support the Wenren family's Blind Box Shop.
They made a full circuit of the city. Only after ensuring that all the gossip lovers in Capital City had seen their procession did Wenren Luoshui bring it to an end.
Perhaps the emperor had given orders, because the moment Wenren Luoshui announced that the Blind Box Shop was officially open, court officials came rushing over to line up outside her shop.
Damn it! She'd only prepared a hundred blind boxes related to the imperial examinations. Everything else was plush toys! Who had nothing better to do than send so many court officials to buy blind boxes? Didn't they have any work to do?
In fact, the emperor hadn't arranged this at all. After their experiences over the previous two days, they were all afraid that the little commandery princess would dig up their juicy secrets during morning court.
When they learned that her new shop was opening, they decided to show their support and leave a good impression, hoping she would spare them when indulging in gossip at morning court.
They simply hadn't expected people with the same idea to be a dime a dozen. What a coincidence!
When they heard Wenren Luoshui say that she didn't have enough blind boxes in the shop, someone stepped forward and said they were there to buy plush-toy blind boxes.
Wenren Luoshui looked at the official before her, who was as thin as a bamboo pole, and pointed to the wall behind him.
Everyone followed her gaze and saw a row of brown paper bags standing half a person's height.
What? Wh-what was this?
How heavy must the things inside be?
Wenren Luoshui looked at the official and asked whether he still wanted one.
He gritted his teeth. For the sake of keeping his own secrets safe, he would go all out.
He picked a blind box at random, and Wenren Luoshui had someone bring it down.
Everyone had thought something half a person's height would surely be heavy, but when they saw a single shop assistant lift it in his arms, their anxious hearts finally settled.
That day, aside from the tigers tamed by Commandery Princess Luoshui of the Prince of Beiping's Residence, the capital's residents talked most about the scholars who had bought past imperial examination papers.
Students without the right connections couldn't buy such things no matter how wealthy their families were. At most, they could borrow them from classmates for a look.
Now they could buy them easily. Although they couldn't choose which year's examination papers they received, at least everyone had another option.
The rest of the talk was among the young women.
The plush toys Wenren Luoshui had included this time could double as cushions: little bears, SpongeBob, geese, and the like.
After the officials returned home, they gave the blind boxes to their more favored daughters.
At first, the girls had disdained these lightweight things, but once they opened the packaging, they were instantly captivated by the cushions' looks.
After discovering how useful the cushions were, they loved the plush toys so much they couldn't bear to put them down.