Chapter 53

“No need to thank me. You’re a good kid too.”

You Changqing liked children, but only the well-behaved ones. She would never give a second glance to a brat like her cousin.

However, if she and Lihuan had children in the future, no matter how naughty or disobedient they were, she would never dislike them. After all, they would be her and Lihuan’s children—her little angels, just as cute as Lihuan.

Liu Minghao blushed when praised by the pretty sister, but he couldn’t help puffing up his little chest, looking extremely proud.

“Are you two here to buy raw jade materials as well, or just taking a look around?”

Liu Yuanqin handed his chubby son—who had been demanding his mother’s hug the moment he saw her—to Li Huixin and smiled as he asked Shen Lihuan and You Changqing.

If these benefactors were here to buy jade, he would share everything he knew without reservation.

“Just call us by our names. Calling us benefactors feels too formal.” Shen Lihuan was not used to such a title. “I’m Shen Lihuan, and she’s You Changqing. Just use our names.”

You Changqing nodded in agreement.

“We’re just here to look around, but if we come across a raw jade stone that catches our eye, we might bid for it.”

Shen Lihuan didn’t mention that she was specifically here for jade, as that would come off as arrogant.

“Do you know how to assess jade materials?”

Liu Yuanqin wasn’t trying to belittle them, but the two women were strolling around empty-handed, looking more like casual shoppers than professionals.

“I’ve read a bit about it, but I don’t know much,” Shen Lihuan admitted honestly.

“Then let me take you to see some raw jade stones. I don’t know everything, but I’ll share all that I do know.”

Liu Yuanqin sincerely offered to help.

“Sure, let’s take a look.”

Shen Lihuan didn’t reject his goodwill.

Li Huixin also brought along their two sons as they headed toward a section where raw jade stones were sold by weight.

There were piles of jade raw stones in various shapes—round, flat, square—things one could never imagine existed.

Due to the Jade Gambling segment, many stones had visible price tags. Some were sold by piece, others by weight.

In general, stones sold by weight had a higher probability of containing jade because they were more expensive. However, there were always cases where a cheap raw stone turned out to contain a fortune in jade. Nothing in jade gambling was absolute.

Liu Yuanqin led them to a stall selling raw jade stones by weight. It was bustling with people, and several stonecutters were already working on cutting the stones.

“Why are they already cutting the stones here? I thought these had to be bid on first?”

You Changqing was puzzled.

Her question made it clear she knew little about jade auctions. Liu Yuanqin didn’t laugh at her but patiently explained, “The raw jade stones here are indeed up for bidding. However, with over a thousand jade suppliers offering stones, no jewelry company can buy them all. So, a large portion of the stones are put up for immediate sale.”

“But industry insiders know that the truly valuable stones, as identified by experts, are never sold directly on-site. Those require bidding. Still, people who come here usually have money and enjoy the thrill of gambling on jade. Some can’t resist buying a stone on the spot and having it cut open immediately.”

“Oh, so the jade auction is that interesting?” You Changqing finally understood.

“Let’s take a look at these stones sold by weight first.”

Liu Yuanqin pointed at a yellowish-brown raw jade stone and said, “Look at this one. It has two deep-colored stripes, each about two fingers wide. These are called python bands.”

“Python bands appear on the surface of jade raw stones as irregular streaks or patches. Their colors vary, and sometimes they wrap around a large portion of the stone. Some are made up of tiny sand grains arranged in snake-like or rope-like patterns, which is why they’re called python bands or cords.”

“In general, jade stones with fine-grained, dense surfaces are more resistant to weathering than those with coarse, loose grains. Areas with green jade are also more resistant than those without. So when jade inside the stone is dense and resistant to weathering, it forms python bands. These bands are a key indicator of whether the stone contains jade of good quality.”

You Changqing was somewhat confused by the technical explanation, but Shen Lihuan understood and nodded. “I see. If a stone has python bands, it has a higher chance of containing jade.”

Liu Yuanqin looked at her with approval. “Yes, that’s a good summary. But just because a stone has python bands doesn’t guarantee jade inside. Other factors need to be considered.”

He then pointed to a round, blackish-brown raw jade stone. “Now, look at this one. See those faintly visible patches that look like dried moss? Those patches, streaks, or clusters are called pine flowers.”

“Pine flowers are the most reliable indicator that jade exists inside a raw stone. In fact, most stones without pine flowers on the surface rarely contain jade inside. While python bands don’t necessarily mean there’s jade, the presence of pine flowers strongly suggests it.”

As Shen Lihuan listened, she secretly used her ability to scan the two stones Liu Yuanqin had pointed out.

The first stone emitted some energy, but it was weak and stagnant. When she probed deeper, she “saw” a web-like structure inside—it was silk fractures.

There’s an old saying in jade gambling: Bet on color, but never bet on cracks. If a jade stone had silk fractures, it was worthless.

Then, she scanned the second stone. This one had energy too, and it was stronger than the first. However, when she probed further, she found that the energy stopped beyond a thin layer—there was nothing deeper inside.

Shen Lihuan fell silent.

It seemed this stone only had a very thin layer of jade inside.

Youchang Qing was itching after hearing Liu Yuanqin’s words. She shook Shen Lihuan’s arm and said, “Lihuan, let’s go check out some raw jade stones too.”

“Sure, let’s buy a couple and have some fun.” Shen Lihuan also wanted to give it a try.

“Great!” Youchang Qing’s eyes instantly sparkled.

“Lihuan, if you’re buying raw jade stones, don’t go for the expensive ones. The materials here aren’t top-notch,” Liu Yuanqin said in a low voice after glancing around to make sure no one was paying attention to them.

“Got it, we understand.”

Shen Lihuan wasn’t someone who ignored good intentions. Although her father had given her a limitless black card, and she was far from lacking money, she still appreciated the advice.

Seeing their benefactors go off to pick raw stones, Liu Yuanqin also took his wife and child to browse.

When selecting raw jade stones, Shen Lihuan didn’t immediately use her ability to scan them. Instead, she relied on her own judgment to observe the exterior. If she found one that seemed promising, she would then use her ability to check inside. After some experimentation, she discovered that some stones without python bands or pine flowers still emitted a pure energy from within. It was impossible to judge the quality of a stone using common sense alone.

No wonder jade gambling was called “gambling”—it really was a gamble. No one could see through the thick outer layer to determine what lay inside. Until the stone was cut open, no one knew if it contained jade.

After scanning the surrounding jade materials, she selected the two with the highest and purest energy. When she turned to look at Youchang Qing, she found her crouched on the ground, carefully studying a stone, almost pressing her face against it.

This little fool. Shen Lihuan made a slightly disdainful remark, but the affectionate smile on her face betrayed her true feelings.

She crouched down as well and leaned in. “So? Have you found one you’re confident in?”

Youchang Qing’s eyes sparkled as she looked up. “Lihuan, this is so much fun! I feel like I could do this all day. Look at this stone—doesn’t it look like a round basketball?”

Shen Lihuan lowered her head to examine the stone she pointed at. It was a yellowish-brown piece with two python bands and two compact pine flowers—its appearance was indeed promising.

She used her ability to probe inside and found something unusual. Energy was faintly radiating from two spots. As she delved deeper, she “saw” a mass of red and yellow jade.

She raised an eyebrow—she hadn’t expected Youchang Qing’s eye to be so sharp. She had actually picked out a two-colored jade stone.

“It does. You have a good eye—I think this stone is quite nice too.”

“Really?” Youchang Qing’s smile deepened, her expression filled with pride.

Shen Lihuan’s gaze darkened slightly before she leaned in and kissed Youchang Qing’s red lips.

Youchang Qing immediately covered her mouth and shot her a shy glare. Didn’t she consider their surroundings? What if someone saw them?

But Shen Lihuan only saw it as a flirtatious look and happily pulled her up. “Alright, let’s get someone to weigh these stones for us.”

They walked over to the stone-cutting area, where a middle-aged man lounged on a reclining chair, fanning himself.

“Boss, we’ve picked three stones. Can you weigh them for us?”

“Alright, sure thing!”

Hearing the prospect of business, the middle-aged man called over a young assistant and followed them back to their selected stones. Seeing that the stones were quite substantial, the boss grinned.

“Little ladies, these stones go for 1,500 per jin (about 500g). Are you sure you want to buy them?”

“Of course, we’ve already picked them out. We wouldn’t back out and trick you, would we?”

Shen Lihuan nodded and pulled out a black card from her backpack, ready to transfer the money.

The boss immediately recognized the card—just one look and he knew this girl wasn’t short on cash. Well, it made sense. Anyone who could enter this place wasn’t likely to be lacking in money.

As he marveled at their wealth, he eagerly prepared for the sale. Rubbing his hands together, he and the assistant moved the stones onto an electronic scale.

“Weighing them together?”

“Yes.”

Shen Lihuan answered without hesitation, but Youchang Qing tugged at her arm.

“Lihuan, I picked this one, so I should pay for it myself. I brought my bank card too.”

At 1,500 per jin, her stone weighed at least ten jin. She couldn’t let Lihuan pay for it.

“It’s just over ten thousand. I don’t mind spending money on you. Isn’t it only natural to treat my girlfriend?”

Shen Lihuan winked at her.

Youchang Qing was instantly dazzled by the wink, her eyes sparkling like stars. She thought Shen Lihuan was absolutely cool.

The boss, overhearing their conversation, gave her a thumbs-up. Look at that—such sweet-talking! She had her girlfriend wrapped around her finger.

The three stones together weighed forty-two jin, totaling 63,000. Shen Lihuan transferred the money and asked the assistant to move them to the cutting area.

The jade-cutting master saw the two young girls and softened his tone. “Little ladies, how do you want this stone cut?”

Shen Lihuan picked up a pen and drew a line on the stone. “Cut along this line, please.”

“Alright!”

The jade master set the stone in place and cut along the marked line.

Seeing the cutting process, a small crowd gathered around. As the blade sliced through the stone, people watched intently.

When the outer layer was brushed away, a vibrant green hue was revealed through the exposed window.

“It’s green!”

“It’s a winner!”

“This green is really deep—is it ice jade?”

The crowd buzzed with excitement, and more people gathered as news spread.

The jade master rinsed the window with water, exposing a bright and pure green color under the eager gazes.

“My god, this green is so pure—it’s close to glass jade!”

“No way. While it’s a pure green, it doesn’t seem that deep. It’s probably between ice jade and glass jade.”

Shen Lihuan understood their conversation—jade came in different types, with glass jade being the highest quality, followed by ice jade. Regardless of whether her jade was ice or glass quality, it was undeniably valuable.

“Little lady, are you selling this jade?”

Someone quickly asked, and before Shen Lihuan could respond, another voice chimed in, “I’ll offer 100,000—deal?”

“You’re ripping me off! A glass-type jade is only worth that much? I’ll offer 150,000!”

“200,000! Young lady, this raw jade stone hasn’t been fully cut yet, and we don’t know what’s inside. Selling it to me for 200,000 is definitely not a loss!”

“I’ll sell, but not right now.”

Shen Lihuan smiled calmly, completely unhurried. Since Liu Yuanqin owned a jewelry company, selling it to him wouldn’t be a bad choice. Plus, her mother was a jewelry designer—she wanted to keep a few high-quality jade pieces for her as well.

“Master, next, cut here and here. Then, please use the grinding machine to polish it.”

Shen Lihuan knew the remaining part of the stone contained jade. If it was cut further, the jade might be damaged.

“Alright.”

The stone-cutting master carefully followed her instructions, while the shop owner watched anxiously. If this raw stone turned out to be a big win, it would be a great start to attract even more customers.

The master peeled off another layer of the outer shell and slowly polished away the remaining rough surface of the ten-pound stone, sweating profusely from the meticulous and physically demanding work.

As time passed, the full appearance of the jade stone was gradually revealed. The master finally put down the grinder and rinsed the jade with water. A green jade piece weighing over two pounds appeared before the crowd, instantly capturing everyone’s attention.

“My god, this is a huge win!”

“A jade like this can be crafted into multiple bracelets and pendants, with leftover pieces set into rings.”

“Hiss—although it’s not quite glass-type, it’s very close! This young lady is impressive!”

“Lihuan, you’re amazing! This jade looks gorgeous!”

You Changqing excitedly linked arms with Shen Lihuan, smiling even brighter than her.

“Young lady, I’ll buy this jade for 10 million!”

“10 million for such a fine, large ice-type jade? What a joke! I’ll offer 15 million!”

Hearing that an ice-type jade had appeared, many people from jewelry companies rushed over. Seeing the piece, their eyes widened, and they joined the bidding war.

“I offer 18 million!”

“I’ll pay 21 million!”

Liu Yuanqin was also tempted by this jade. “I’ll offer 25 million!”

Hearing his voice, Shen Lihuan looked over and immediately said, “Since you want it, I’ll sell it to you.”

Liu Yuanqin was overjoyed. With this ice-type jade, his company could definitely launch more new products.

Many people looked at the jade with regret, unwilling to look away. Just as Shen Lihuan was about to ask the stone-cutting master to work on the other raw jade, she noticed a man in a suit standing not far away, glaring at her with a look of hatred.

She glanced at him in confusion. She didn’t recognize him—why was he looking at her like that? She simply memorized his face, planning to ask her parents about him later. Then, she turned her attention back to the stone-cutting master and asked him to work on Changqing’s raw jade.

The oppressive aura around the suited man was palpable, making those around him nervous. His assistant, standing beside him, lowered his head anxiously.

Oh god, President Hu’s presence is terrifying—Mom, help me!