The small tile-roofed house was even more dilapidated than Nan Xian had imagined, even in the worst-case scenario.

The walls were drafty, covered in mold and cobwebs; the dining table was covered with a tablecloth stained with some unknown dirt; the stool was missing a leg and stood shakily; and the light bulb above seemed to be flickering and about to go out of business at any moment.

Nan Xian had only ever seen such a scene on television.

In particular, in a place as idyllic as Buxian Village, there exists a dilapidated hut that seems to have been forever stuck in the middle of the river of development, unseen and uncared for by anyone.

She stood there for a long time, staring blankly at everything before her, unable to come to her senses.

Seeing that she was staring at the dining table without blinking, the simple-minded woman smiled awkwardly, hurriedly picked up the kettle and cup that had fallen on the ground, wiped them clean carefully, and poured herself a cup of tea.

"Are you thirsty?" she asked cautiously.

Nan Xian snapped out of her daze, said thank you, and took the teacup.

The water in the teacup was cold, with a few yellow tea stains floating at the bottom, making it look rather murky.

The simple-minded woman looked at her nervously, her fingers nervously twisting together.

Nan Xian smiled at her, subtly turned the chipped side of the teacup aside, took a small sip, and said again, "Thank you."

The silly woman breathed a sigh of relief, and the expression on her face finally relaxed.

"By the way, is there something you want to show me?"

The silly woman nodded and turned to go into the bedroom—in fact, it was just a small space barely separated by a half-broken screen.

After rummaging through drawers and cabinets for a while, she came out holding something wrapped in cloth and handed it to Nan Xian.

Nan Xian pinched the corner of the cloth. "May I open it?"

The silly woman nodded vigorously.

She carefully lifted the cloth, and when she saw what was inside, her eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but exclaim, "So beautiful!"

This is a rosewood box, about the size of her palm, but extremely exquisite. The surface of the box is carved with a phoenix and a dragon, their postures seemingly chasing each other or fighting for something. The body of the box is carved with some strange-looking beasts, such as Bai Ze, Pixiu, Qilin, and Dijiang... all of which are rare and precious beings from mythology.

These carved patterns are extremely small. Upon closer inspection, every feather and every scale is incredibly clear, and the expressions are especially unique and lifelike.

Exquisite craftsmanship! The idiom immediately popped into Nan Xian's mind.

The box was so beautiful that she couldn't bear to touch it directly with her hands, afraid that the sweat and oil on her fingers would contaminate it. So she held the corner of the cloth and wrapped it around her fingers, then gently opened the clasp.

As the box was opened, a flash of red light caught her eye.

Snow-white silk wrapped around a soft cushion, gently supporting a peony-shaped jade piece.

Jade is the color of deep blood; the petals unfold lightly, layer upon layer, intricate and magnificent.

Although the room was dimly lit, it seemed to be glowing, dazzling and eye-catching.

What surprised Nan Xian most was not its beauty, but rather—

I just received one yesterday, a peony cinnabar one that is almost exactly the same as this one.