At this moment, a Jade Cicada lay quietly on the ground.
Su Qianli glanced at it just once and was certain that this was the very one she had worn during her childhood.
In an instant, her heart skipped a beat, as if a mysterious bond existed between her body and the Jade Cicada.
It wasn't until she grasped the Jade Cicada in her hand that this strange sensation subsided slightly. Without delay, Su Qianli picked up the little guinea pig and turned to hurry down the mountain.
As soon as she returned home, Su Qianli didn't even bother to clean the mucus off the little guinea pig. Impatiently, she washed the Jade Cicada clean, fetched a needle, pricked her finger, and let a drop of blood fall onto the Jade Cicada.
The drop of blood touched the Jade Cicada and was instantly absorbed completely.
Su Qianli's gaze remained locked onto the Jade Cicada, not daring to blink even once for fear of missing the slightest change.
At first, the Jade Cicada showed no movement at all. Just as Su Qianli was filled with doubt, wondering if she had used the wrong method to unlock her "golden finger", the Jade Cicada suddenly trembled slightly, followed by a dazzling golden glow that enveloped its entire body.
In a flash, Su Qianli clearly sensed that a marvelous connection had been established between the depths of her consciousness and the Jade Cicada. At that moment, she was trembling all over with excitement, nearly jumping for joy.
That's right, her "golden finger" had finally arrived!
The excitement surged like a tidal wave within Su Qianli's heart, and she couldn't wait to test this magical "golden finger" she had just acquired.
She took a deep breath, uttered the word "Enter", and in an instant, her body vanished from the spot, blinking into a vast and boundless Space.
Filled with curiosity, Su Qianli's bright eyes flashed with a searching light as she briskly looked around.
After a thorough search, she discovered that this Space contained neither fertile black soil nor the legendary Spirit Spring, let alone the anticipated trading system.
"So, it's just a space?"
Su Qianli pondered to herself, her tone carrying a hint of doubt, though her face did not show much disappointment.
After all, in her view, having something was better than nothing, and besides, this was a space!
Not only could it be used to store items, but more importantly, it could serve as a means of self-preservation.
Then, with a thought, Su Qianli exited the Space.
She looked at the Jade Cicada in her hand. The golden light was gone, but the Jade Cicada still emitted a faint warmth, reminding Su Qianli that all of this was real!
In this lifetime, no matter what, she must never lose the Jade Cicada again! Su Qianli made up her mind inwardly and then stored the Jade Cicada inside the Space.
After doing all this, Su Qianli felt as though she had forgotten something when she came back.
Her gaze then began to sweep around, and she finally spotted the little guinea pig by the well. It was still unconscious, its tiny body lying quietly on a leaf, looking exceptionally pitiful.
Su Qianli slapped her forehead hard, stricken with guilt!
She quickly strode over, carefully scooped the little guinea pig into the palm of her hand, hurried to the kitchen, quickly boiled some warm water, and gently washed the little guinea pig.
As night fell, Su Qianli finished cooking dinner, placed the steaming dishes on the table one by one, and was just about to grab the steamed sweet potato when, with a "swoop", the sweet potato in the bowl vanished instantly!
Su Qianli's eyes widened in shock as she quickly scanned her surroundings to find the suspicious culprit. Soon, her gaze landed on the windowsill not far away. The little guinea pig was holding a sweet potato tightly in its two small paws, eating with great relish, its mouth stained with crumbs—a truly adorable sight.
Su Qianli was both exasperated and amused, never expecting to be "robbed" by such a tiny creature.
However, remembering that the little guinea pig had helped her recover the Jade Cicada, she decided not to hold it against the creature.
Su Qianli picked up her bowl, took a sip of thick corn mush, and slowly enjoyed her dinner with some tender wild vegetables.
Up until this moment, Su Qianli and the little guinea pig had not exchanged another word.
After Su Qianli cleaned up and prepared to return to her room to rest, the little guinea pig finally spoke, uttering its first words since arriving at the house.
"Um, thank you!" the little guinea pig's voice piped up timidly, breaking the silence of the night.
The corners of Su Qianli's mouth curled up slightly into a faint smile as she quietly waited for it to continue, secretly guessing the little guinea pig's intentions.
The little guinea pig looked somewhat unnatural, its two small paws rubbing together anxiously, but it still mustered the courage to ask: "Have you seen a piece of jade?" Its eyes were filled with anxiety and anticipation.
Hearing this, Su Qianli did not hesitate at all. With a thought, she retrieved the Jade Cicada from the Space.
In an instant, the warm luster of the Jade Cicada shimmered under the kerosene lamp.
The moment the little guinea pig saw the Jade Cicada, its eyes bulged wide, flashing with a greedy light like a starving wolf spotting its prey, looking as though it wanted to pounce immediately and snatch the Jade Cicada back.
Su Qianli keenly sensed the little guinea pig's intention and briskly returned the Jade Cicada to the Space.
The little guinea pig jumped up in a panic, its voice turning shrill with excitement: "That's mine, give it back to me!" It shouted while waving its little paws in the air.
Su Qianli wasn't going to fall for that and retorted unyielding: "How do you prove this is yours? Call out to it, will it answer you?" Su Qianli crossed her arms over her chest, a hint of amusement in her eyes.
The little guinea pig never expected to run into someone even more "difficult" than itself. For a moment, it trembled with anger, its chubby cheeks puffed out high, making it look just like an angry little dumpling.
"Hahaha~" Su Qianli laughed so hard she swayed back and forth, only gradually stopping after a long while.
Deciding she had teased the little creature enough, she reined in her smile and explained earnestly: "I've worn this Jade Cicada since I was a child, and my family name is engraved on it. Later, it was stolen by my eldest uncle, and you must have stolen it from him, right?"
Su Qianli looked intently at the little guinea pig, trying to find an answer in its reaction.
Upon hearing this, the little guinea pig froze. It never imagined that the treasure it had worked so hard to steal would just find its way back to its original owner like this—wasn't this just doing all the work for someone else's benefit?
Feeling utterly aggrieved, it opened its mouth, but didn't know what to say, and could only stand there in utter reluctance, its little paws constantly scratching at the ground.
Seeing the reluctance in the little guinea pig's heart, Su Qianli softened her expression and asked gently, "Why did you steal this Jade Cicada?"
The little guinea pig scratched its bottom, looking reluctant, and muttered softly, "Winter is terribly cold, and I couldn't find any food in the woods at all. So I ran to a place where people live to look for food, and accidentally found this Jade Cicada in a hole in the ground. I don't know why, but it smelled especially good, so I couldn't help stealing it and keeping it with me."
As it spoke, a trace of regret flashed across the little guinea pig's eyes.
Hearing this, Su Qianli's eyes widened in astonishment. She never would have guessed that, in the little guinea pig's perception, the Jade Cicada actually smelled good.
Could it be that the Jade Cicada possessed a special attraction to animals?