Through two lifetimes, Wufu’s favorite jade ranked number one was unquestionably the Chicken Blood Stone, she loved its magnificent and varied nature, its boldness and presence, just like her own personality.
Therefore, when Shopkeeper Lin invited her, she felt eager and curious to find out what kind of problems these two men had encountered.
"Madam, please take your pick first, I’ll be back shortly," Wufu reassured Madam Zhou with a soothing smile.
Madam Zhou nodded her head, ever since she had worn the Plum Girl Hairpin, she had realized how distinct Wufu was.
"Take good care of Lady Zhou," Shopkeeper Lin also instructed Jin Xi, before taking Wufu and Merchant Liu back into the inner hall.
Merchant Liu was somewhat dismissive, in his view, Wufu, young as she was, might have some skill, but however great it was, how far could it really go?
Having accepted the small pendant gifted by Shopkeeper Lin, he thought to himself, what’s the harm in looking? It’s not like he could be at a loss.
When the several of them entered the craft room again, two craftsmen saw Shopkeeper Lin and the others returning, and couldn’t help but stand up, nervously looking at Merchant Liu.
Just now, this man looked as if he wanted to devour someone!
"Leave," commanded Shopkeeper Lin with a wave of his hand, leading Wufu forward.
In front of a table covered by a red silk cloth, Shopkeeper Lin lifted the cloth to reveal a magnificently bright red Chicken Blood Stone with speckles of green and yellow.
The Chicken Blood Stone contains cinnabar, also known as cinnabar, quartz, chalcedony magnetite, and other materials, making it an extremely precious variety that ranks alongside Shoushan stone, Qingtian stone, and Balinyouqi stone.
And Chicken Blood Stone does not have a fixed shape; it takes the form of stone chunks, which are categorized by the dispersal of their coloration.
This particular stone chunk in front of her appeared to be a ’chunk of blood’, with the distribution of red irregularly scattered, one large patch here, another there.
With ’chunk of blood’ type Chicken Blood Stone, especially when gambling on stones, luck plays a significant role; some surface stones may have a very obvious large red area, but inside there would be no red at all. Others, conversely, may reveal a surprise within. Hence, whether gambling or buying rough Chicken Blood Stone, the risk is high and can easily lead to a family’s ruin.
But the piece Merchant Liu had was already cut open; the inside was a vivid red. Although it was of ’chunk of blood’ type, its dispersed area was very large, and the quality was quite rare.
Wufu found it very enticing.
"It’s a fine stone indeed. Mounting it on a delicate rosewood stand and taking proper care of it, it would be a scene in itself. Whether for admiration or to be handled, it’s extremely pleasing to the eye—Merchant Liu is truly fortunate," Wufu praised openly.
She really wished she could claim it for herself!
Upon hearing her words, Merchant Liu beamed with complacency and said, "It’s not just about fortune, but luck as well. Do you know how much I paid for this stone? A whole ten thousand taels of silver."
As he spoke, he felt a pang of pain at the cost, but the thought of giving it to the Prefectural Magistrate’s House’s old Madam made it worthwhile, regardless of the expense.
"Indeed, it’s truly worth it," Wufu said, honestly feeling so.
"It was worth it, but not any longer. I had thought, since the Hundred Treasures Silver Building has such a reputation, I sent the stone here, wanting them to carve a Guanyin for me to give as a longevity gift, but look, what have they done?" Merchant Liu pointed to one area of the stone.
It was the bottom of the Chicken Blood Stone, where a lotus pedestal shape had started to emerge, but one part had broken off, ruining the shape of the lotus.
"The lotus pedestal for the Guanyin has snapped off; how can I even have a Guanyin now?" lamented Merchant Liu, beating his chest and stamping his feet.
Wufu found it rather astonishing, "You’re saying, you wanted this Chicken Blood Stone to be carved into a Guanyin?"
Certainly not, the stone itself is of good quality, but carving it into a Guanyin? From a Chicken Blood Stone?