6: Chapter 6 Selling Jade 6: Chapter 6 Selling Jade The sunshine bathed the earth.
A new day had arrived, and after eating, Wu Xiaoyu once again left home with his medicine basket.
Getting up, eating, heading to the mountains to gather herbs, and then coming home to sleep—this had been his routine for the past three months.
Through this monotonous activity, he managed to earn three to five copper coins for household expenses.
However, today, carrying the medicine basket was just a disguise.
He couldn’t tell his parents about the Jade Token, so he had to lie that he had found ginseng in the mountains and sold it for a huge sum of money.
Not long after he had left home, he encountered Mrs.
Zhang behind the village.
She was in her thirties but had delicate skin, and peach blossom eyes that often glimmered with a captivating look.
Her willow-leaf eyebrows could ensnare souls, and the most irresistible part was that pair of large melons, difficult to take one’s eyes off of.
“Going into the mountains again, nephew?” Mrs.
Zhang asked, her eyes full of emotion, staring at Wu Xiaoyu.
Wu Xiaoyu knew she wanted to find out if the person she met in the mountains last night was him, so he responded briefly and tried to leave quickly.
But to his surprise, Mrs.
Zhang grabbed his arm, “Nephew, aren’t you afraid of the wolves said to roam the mountains at night?”
The softness of her bosoms pressed against his arm made his mind wander and his blood surge, turning his sponge-like will into an iron pillar.
I don’t go into the mountains at night, so I’m not afraid!”
Zhang slightly put down her suspicion, but seeing his embarrassed look, she had an urge to tease him further, leaning her body more closely against him, “Do you think auntie is pretty?”
“What a damn loose woman!” Wu Xiaoyu cursed in his heart, but his body was even less controlled by his brain, swelling painfully.
He suddenly shook off Mrs.
Zhang’s arm and ran away like a frightened deer.
After running a few steps away, Mrs.
Zhang’s sharp eyes noticed a significant bulge, “Wow!
Finally getting away from the “tiger’s mouth,” Wu Xiaoyu sat on a rock, muttering to himself, “Can you give me some ability to not get excited by everyone?
What if I catch a disease?”
After going to the mountains twice, his mental state had undergone a significant change.
Previously, he only focused on searching for herbs and mushrooms, never truly appreciating the mountainous scenery.
Now, with no pressure, he realized for the first time the majestic beauty of the back mountain.
This back mountain, commonly known as Bear Mountain, is part of the Taixing Range.
Legend has it that an ancient general hunted in this mountain, killing three black bears in one afternoon, hence the name Bear Mountain.
The main peak of Bear Mountain is steep, with complex terrain; poisonous creatures and fierce beasts roam, rarely does anyone dare to venture deep into the forest.
The beasts in the mountain never come out, only frequently heard are the roars of tigers and wolves at night.
After lying in the mountains for over two hours, Wu Xiaoyu packed up and descended the mountain.
The Stone Town where Daxin Village is located probably doesn’t have any jade shops; he had to head to the county town, forty miles away, to sell the golden silk jade.
He walked to the town on foot, then got on a car going to the county town.
He sent a text to his father, saying he found a ginseng and was going to sell it in the county town, probably returning tomorrow.
His father, always daring and carefree, didn’t think much, replied ‘Got it!’ and left it at that.
Sitting in the bumpy car, while others cursed the uneven road, Wu Xiaoyu felt delighted.
Tens of thousands for a rural family indeed was a huge sum.
He pondered how to use the remaining money after paying off debts.
Firstly, he’d give his sister more living expenses, then buy some clothes for his parents, and then…
he’d start a chicken farm, specializing in raising roosters and eating chicken meat every day!
Thinking about this impulsive decision, he couldn’t help laughing at himself.
If he did open a chicken farm, he would have to raise hens too.
Who raises only roosters?
After an hour of swaying in the car, he arrived at the county town.
Upon getting off, Wu Xiaoyu headed straight for the antiques street.
He had spent two years in high school in this town; though not exceptionally familiar, he could find his way around.
Soon, he arrived at the antiquities street.
Shops in this street mainly dealt with antiques, paintings, and gemstones.
The crowd was diverse with thieves and scammers, and one had to be careful not to fall victim.
Wu Xiaoyu picked the largest jade shop and walked in.
The counter owner was a fifty-something man in a Tang suit, sporting a goat’s beard, appearing quite like an expert.
“Boss, do you buy jade?” Wu Xiaoyu asked.
The goat’s beard glanced at him but said nothing.
Knowing the boss looked down on him for being young, thinking he was just fooling around, Wu Xiaoyu placed the jade on the counter, asking, “What price can you offer?”
Seeing Wu Xiaoyu place the jade on the counter instead of handing it over, the goat’s beard knew this young man had some knowledge; he wouldn’t be easy to deceive.
As the saying goes, ‘jade never changes hands.’ In jade transactions, buyers and sellers don’t pass the jade to each other; otherwise, if it breaks, responsibility cannot be clearly defined.
This action became the simplest way to identify an expert.
The goat’s beard picked up the jade, inspecting it closely against the light, then took out a magnifying glass for a more detailed look.
“Little brother, how about sixty thousand?” The goat’s beard set the jade down, testing him.
Without a word, Wu Xiaoyu retrieved the jade, turning to leave.
The goat’s beard quickly grabbed his arm, smiling, “Don’t rush to leave!
The price is negotiable!”
“In that case, you better give a fair price, don’t think you can bully me because I’m young!”
“How about eighty thousand?” The goat’s beard asked with a serious look.
It seemed the saying was true: “No business without deceit!” With the golden silk jade he held, whether made into pendants or necklaces, selling for twenty or thirty thousand wouldn’t be an issue.
Trying to sell it for just eighty thousand would really make him look like a fool, “If you’re so insincere, I have to find another store!”
“How much do you want to sell it for?” The goat’s beard asked straight.
Wu Xiaoyu said, “We both know the value of this jade.
Frankly, if I weren’t in urgent need of money, I wouldn’t sell it.
Sixteen thousand at the lowest!”
After some verbal sparring, they settled at twelve thousand, though it didn’t meet his expectation, it would do.
After all, each step along the way needs a profit to ensure the flow of jade.
Even if this boss sold it to a jewelry manufacturer, making two or three thousand wouldn’t be a problem.