The movement inside the clothes ceased, but Lu Wanqing didn't dare to let down her guard. She held the stone, waiting for a while. Once she was sure the grasshopper was no longer struggling, she carefully opened the clothes.
Beneath the clothes, the grasshopper was already dead, lying motionless on the ground.
Lu Wanqing breathed a sigh of relief, then picked up the clothes to put them on. However, as she raised the garment, she paused again…
Thinking about the grasshopper dying inside this very piece of clothing, she found it hard to put on. At least… it needed washing, right?
Lu Wanqing struggled internally for a while. Ultimately, she felt the weather wasn't too cold, and she wasn't feeling particularly chilled. So, she decided against wearing the clothes for now.
Carrying the grasshopper in one hand, she rinsed it with water, washing away the dirt on its surface. Then, she turned back towards the cave.
The sun was about to set. Lu Wanqing glanced at the distant crimson sunset, a smile appearing on her face.
"That's the sunset, isn't it? The sunset of Old Earth, so beautiful!"
"I'd only seen sunsets of Old Earth in textbooks and TV dramas before. This is the first time I'm seeing a real sunset through a livestream. It's truly magnificent!"
"Screenshot! Screenshot! If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one will be!"
"Ahhh, I want to save it too. This is a genuine sunset. I never thought I'd get to see the real scenery of Old Earth in my lifetime. I must record it!"
The bullet comments on the public screen reminded everyone. Many realized the opportunity and quickly activated their recording software, eager to capture the beauty of the Old Earth sunset.
Lu Wanqing, still holding the grasshopper, soon returned to the cave.
"Mommy!" Cui Cui was overjoyed to see her mother return.
Cui Cui looked at what Lu Wanqing had brought back.
She had seen it in the livestream – an insect, a bit scary. But she wasn't the little girl who used to be coddled by Wei Xingzhou anymore. She had grown up. She understood their current predicament and the need for nutrition. And besides…
Cui Cui had eaten crayfish before!
Crayfish were once considered terrifying 'insectoids' by many. When her mother had eaten them with Little Yi-gege, everyone was afraid, and she was too. But she had still activated the empathy mode.
The facts proved that even 'insectoids' could be delicious. The crayfish her mother made were incredibly tasty!
Thinking of crayfish, Cui Cui no longer felt afraid of the insect Lu Wanqing had brought back. In fact, she was a little excited, wondering if this 'insectoid' her mother had prepared would be as delicious as the crayfish.
"We can't eat it yet. Let's wait and see for one night. If it purifies and turns to a normal color, we'll try it. If it doesn't, we won't eat it for now," Lu Wanqing told Cui Cui.
"Okay," Cui Cui agreed.
"Have the peaches changed color?" Lu Wanqing, her thoughts drifting, asked Cui Cui again.
"They've already changed!" Cui Cui said happily. She quickly retrieved several peaches from a corner and turned to show them to Mommy.
"Mommy, you're amazing! After your water cleaned these mutated fruits, they quickly returned to their normal appearance," Cui Cui said with joy.
"It was luck," Lu Wanqing replied.
"Mhmm, mhmm," Cui Cui nodded eagerly.
It was getting late. Lu Wanqing thought for a moment and rinsed the grasshopper again with water.
"Cui Cui, do you need to go outside for a moment?" Lu Wanqing turned to ask Cui Cui in the cave.
"It's almost dark. Let's try to take care of our needs during the day. It might be dangerous outside at night," Lu Wanqing said.
"Okay!" Cui Cui agreed.
Cui Cui came out of the cave and followed her mother to take care of their physiological needs.
After they finished, Lu Wanqing remembered her clothes and quickly conjured water again, rinsing them. She washed the clothes simply and then found a spot near the cave entrance to hang them up to dry.
If all went well, the clothes should be dry by tomorrow. Then she could wear them.
"Mommy, will you need tools for hunting in the future?" Cui Cui asked in a crisp voice after watching her mother hang up the clothes.
Lu Wanqing hadn't expected Cui Cui to ask that. She thought for a moment and then nodded, "Yes."
"Then let's make some tools ourselves tomorrow. We can't always use your clothes. What if the weather gets colder? Mommy will get sick without clothes," Cui Cui said earnestly.
Lu Wanqing was surprised that Cui Cui had thought of this. "Does Cui Cui have any tools in mind?"
"We can weave a net bag using the plants in the forest. We can use those to catch prey instead of your clothes," Cui Cui suggested.
Lu Wanqing suddenly understood. Cui Cui had opened a shop with her in the Old Earth Film City. While she designed clothes, Cui Cui designed small accessories. It seemed Cui Cui's thinking and practical skills had also been honed. In this environment, she could think of using her surroundings to create small tools to help them.
"Yes, Cui Cui is so smart!" Lu Wanqing said with a smile, praising her without reservation.
On the Star Net plaza, many people witnessed this scene and couldn't help but exclaim.
"Princess Cui Cui is so clever! She even thought of such a method!"
"I suddenly realized I'm not even as good as Princess Cui Cui. I hadn't thought of such a method before!"
"The importance of Old Earth genes! This is a child cultivated from unmutated genes. She's truly brilliant!"
"Ahhh, Goddess Wanqing, would you consider lending out your genes? I also want to apply for a set of genes and raise a child with Goddess Wanqing!"
"The person upstairs is daydreaming. Even if Goddess Wanqing plans to have more children, it won't be your turn!"
"I suddenly miss His Majesty. His Majesty has been captured by the insectoids for so long, I wonder…"
"If Goddess Wanqing were to have a child, it would surely be raised with His Majesty, right?"
Many people were discussing, and their thoughts unknowingly drifted to Lu Yang, leading to a heated discussion.
Meanwhile, at this very moment, the Insectoid Empress had left her main base and come to Earth alone.
Lu Yang and the others were finally free from the constant scrutiny of the Insectoid Empress. However, they were even more worried about Lu Wanqing's safety. Lu Mingjian had suggested that the Insectoid Empress spend some time with Lu Wanqing to understand her character. The intention was for the Insectoid Empress to bring them to Earth with her, allowing them to protect Lu Wanqing. But to their surprise, the Insectoid Empress went to Earth alone, without taking them along.
Fortunately, Lu Ming had maintained a good attitude towards the Insectoid Empress previously, so some high-ranking officials within the insectoid forces had a favorable impression of him. This made their escape easier.
Lu Ming used the trust these insectoid high-ranking officials had in him to subtly lure the guards one by one, and then Lu Yang dealt with each of them.
Once the highest-ranking insectoids were eliminated, they could disguise themselves as those high-ranking officials, making their escape much smoother!