Jing Shu never expected Lao Zhou and Jin Tianci to show up at the airport in person.
You would think they would just pick her up quietly, but no—they brought a whole crowd with them. Two rows of people stood there in the biting winter wind, shivering while holding up large, handwritten signs. The ink on the cardboard looked slightly smudged from the frost.
Keep it low-key, keep it low-key.
Honestly, when she stepped off the plane and saw all of that effort, she couldn't help the tears welling up in her eyes. The cold air stung her cheeks, but in that moment, she felt a real sense of belonging that warmed her from the inside out.
Of course, everyone was bundled up in mismatched winter coats, the colors faded and the padding lumpy. They carried huge bags and odd packages tied with rough twine. There was no more fashion or sparkle to be seen, and no lights from the sleepless city illuminated the runway. There was only the gray slush of mud, worn-out clothes, and basic survival gear. The apocalypse had come, but it hadn't wiped out humanity. Life was hard now, and a lot of people were just going through the motions to survive, but at least they were alive. And nothing was more important than that.
Jing Shu took a deep breath, the frosty air filling her lungs. As Vice President of the Wu City Medicinal Herb Association and representative for this mission, she stepped forward to shake hands with Jin Tianci. She made sure to snap a few photos with her phone to record the moment for the association's archives.
"You have worked hard."
Today's news in Wu City would probably be all about this homecoming.
She stayed wrapped up in her thick, warm coat, her scarf pulled high enough that she looked almost unrecognizable even to people who knew her well. From afar, she spotted a small, beat-up car parked in a far corner of the lot. A man was leaning against the rusted door, carefully smoking a cigarette to keep his hands warm. The moment he noticed her silhouette, he forgot all about his cigarette, letting the ash tumble to the snow.
It was her father, coming to pick her up! Even from a distance, she could see how the years had slightly softened Jing An's build thanks to the good nutrition she provided at home, though his face still looked remarkably young. He was much more handsome in this life than he had been in the memories of her past one.
Winning the competition in the imperial capital had been an unexpected turn. The benefits and resource allocations would have started getting listed the second the results were officially announced.
But for some reason, Jing Shu didn't care about any of that this time. She just wanted to go home. After a month away in a strange city, she only wanted to sit down for a proper, quiet meal with her family.
"Master, I'm skipping the awards ceremony. Oh, and after we finish the accounting, we will need to use the Herb Association's vehicle to bring all my stuff home."
"Lass Jing, you sure you don't want to go to such a good opportunity?" Lao Zhou grinned, his weathered face wrinkling so much he could barely close his mouth. She had surprised him so much with her performance. He scrutinized her from head to toe. After a second glance at her hands, he finally complimented, "New gloves? Nice, shiny black. They are almost see-through. Things from the imperial capital are really something else."
"Heh, I like these new gloves too," Jing Shu said, glancing down at the mutant vampire leeches. Their black color was a bit transparent now, a physical sign that they were mating. Around them, countless microscopic leech seeds had already been spread across the fabric.
Whenever danger or an unexpected incident arose, the leeches could instantly transfer their mass, completely hunting down and draining any intruders.
Who would have thought these two would keep mating endlessly? Especially after being fed Spirit Spring, their biological abilities had become even more terrifying. But surprisingly, this became a massive advantage. Their constant mating and seed scattering created an invisible, biological shield around her hands. Within that short range, Jing Shu's safety and tactical initiative were fully protected.
With the influence of the Spirit Spring, that range only expanded, strengthening her defenses and providing her with a preemptive advantage against any threat.
"Alright, Master, the rest is up to you. I'm heading home. Look, even my dad came to pick me up," she said with a smile at the camera, her lips moving as she answered the rest of Jin Tianci's formal questions.
"Was it hard? Was it a smooth trip? Did you run into any problems? How did you handle them?" Jin Tianci was impossibly kind, his voice projecting a calm authority. Jing Shu knew this was a skill all successful leaders had—they always managed to seem approachable even when they were in control.
"Okay, okay. Will one transport truck be enough?" Let them help you bring your stuff first," Lao Zhou asked, gesturing toward the airfield.
"Uh, maybe… probably… at least three trucks?" Jing Shu said, feeling a bit embarrassed by the scale of her shopping spree.
Zhou Bapi's expression froze mid-nod. "Lass Jing, you went to the imperial capital and brought it all back with you?"
"How is the chicken doing?"
It was almost heartbreaking—Jing An's first question after confirming she was safe was about the well-being of the bird.
Xiao Dou strutted out from behind Jing Shu right on cue, its head held high and its chest puffed out. It acted like the boss of the entire world, its sharp eyes scanning the crowd. It even paused to shake its plump feathers. The new feathers had grown in lighter in color after its recent molting, and they were all premium quality, incredibly durable in this harsh, freezing world.
Jing An nodded, looking immensely relieved. Today his task was complete: his daughter was safe, and the beloved family chicken was healthy. "We prepared some of your favorites at home, let's go."
At that moment, a small, furry head peeked out from behind Jing Shu's legs. It was Wanzi, hunched low and hard to notice against the dark asphalt. She blinked her wide eyes and reached up to scratch behind her ear.
"Is this—"
Before he could finish the question, an even smaller head appeared—Xiao Guagua. The tiny bird quacked twice, scurrying forward to peck at the toe of Jing An's shoe, trying to grab a bite of the leather. After a few failed attempts at the shoe, it turned its attention to a patch of frozen dirt. Under Jing An's astonished gaze, the bird tilted its head back and swallowed the dirt whole.
"These are—?" Jing An looked bewildered, his mouth hanging open. His expression quickly shifted to pure shock as the workers began carrying one crate after another onto the transport trucks, eventually filling all three to the brim.
"Th-this…"
Today, Jing An seemed to only know how to say that one word.
Most of the supplies she had brought from the United States were already stored directly in the Cube Space, with some hidden in the villa's basement, leaving only a small portion in plain view for the family to see. But the items from the imperial capital weren't stolen or smuggled—they were all legitimate purchases, so there was no need to hide them. For the sake of her family's happiness, Jing Shu even smuggled some extra luxury items from her Space to keep everything looking aboveboard.
"Alright, alright, let's go home. This is everything from the imperial capital, it's not too much anyway."
The Herb Association movers rolled their eyes at her comment. After filling three trucks until their suspensions groaned, their backs were sore and their legs felt stiff. Their necks were cramped from looking at the sheer volume of boxes, and they still hadn't moved everything she had listed. Most of it wasn't even food, but rather bulk toilet paper and heavy industrial equipment.
If it had been food, it would have been incredibly valuable—Wu City's food situation this year was particularly rough.
Jing Shu, of course, didn't reveal any of the actual food she had bought. Everything was repackaged in nondescript crates and sealed tightly.
Wu City's temperature had dropped a lot while she was away. Sitting in the heater-warmed BYD vehicle, Jing Shu looked at Wanzi and frowned. How was she going to arrange things for her?