"Cousin, it’s been a long time," Xiao Manxue finally adjusted herself and responded.
Mrs. Xiao’s cousin call fully confirmed Lin Tian’s thoughts; Mrs. Xiao really was from a distinguished family, born into a famous household. Lin Tian looked at Miss and curiously asked, "Your grandfather is from the Li Family?"
"Yes," Xiao Manxue replied, but her face wore an expression that was hard to read, looking somewhat complex.
However, the Li Family had many branches, and perhaps Mrs. Xiao was just from a minor sideline in the Li Family. Not everyone in the Li Family could be a tycoon, and those sidelines might not even be as wealthy as the Xiao Family.
Lin Tian tentatively asked, "Your grandfather isn’t Li Minghui, is he?"
Li Minghui was the helmsman of the Li Family, the chairman of the board of the Li Group. Although he was of advanced age, he still controlled the Li Group, a family wealthier than the Ou family, and he was often featured in the news.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Manxue nodded, confirming the identity. Lin Tian, however, was amazed, having not expected such a deep connection between the Xiao Family and the Li Family.
But what was strange was that the three women of the Xiao Family had never mentioned the Li Family; it seemed there was no contact between them whatsoever.
"Lin Tian, you don’t need to guess anymore. My mother fell out with our family over my dad’s matter and hasn’t had any contact for over twenty years. Xuanxuan and I have acted as if we never had a grandfather. We don’t need any help from the Li Family, and we live very well on our own," Xiao Manxue said indifferently, her voice calm.
So that was it; Lin Tian suddenly understood. Even large families have their own dilemmas; first and foremost, family members can’t decide on their own marriages—it’s all marriages of convenience arranged by the elders of the family.
Possibly having faced ruthless coercion, Mrs. Xiao had even severed ties, which was why the Xiao women were so cold towards the Li Family.
"Cousin, I..." Li Xiaoxiao looked at Xiao Manxue timidly and called out softly.
The atmosphere became somewhat strange for a moment, but Song Yanan came out just in time and said, "The past can’t be changed, and no one can predict the future. Why worry about so much? Let’s go check out those jades. I heard that apart from Bundle No. 1, our friend marked a lot of stones as well, and I can’t wait to see them."
"Haha, let’s go. I want to see Sister Song’s miraculous carving skills. They must be incredibly ingeniously crafted," Lin Tian laughed heartily and stood up first.
Lin Tian’s laughter broke through the awkward atmosphere. Xiao Manxue, her sisters, and Li Xiaoxiao all breathed a sigh of relief, casting grateful glances at Lin Tian.
Zi Yan had also heard about Lin Tian’s legendary stories and knew that he had shone brightly at Zhonghai City’s Gambling Stone Festival. Yet she had still not seen those exquisite jades, so she too was somewhat eager to take a look.
Xiao Manxue and her sister took the lead, with Lin Tian and Zi Yan following. Song Yanan, along with her two beautiful apprentices, headed to the basement where the jade was stored.
The basement was located under this Chinese-style villa, and its entrance was at the back of the villa. The entrance to the basement was wide enough to drive a truck through.
Lin Tian had been here before; the door to the basement was an electronic automatic door made of alloy steel, with reinforced concrete all around that even a bomb couldn’t breach.
To enter, one had to go through three security steps: entering a password, a fingerprint recognition, and an iris scan. The only ones with authorization were Xiao Manxue and Mrs. Xiao; even Xiao Manxuan didn’t have the rights to enter. Since valuable jades were stored here long-term, the security system was very strict.
After Xiao Manxue opened the door, Lin Tian walked into the basement again, and the lights inside automatically turned on. The floor was covered with raw materials from the Gambling Stone Festival, all uncut.
In the middle of the basement, a waterproof black cloth covered a platform, and Lin Tian had already guessed what was underneath.
"Lin Tian, are these the jade roughs you marked? But why don’t I see any of the top-quality jade?" Zi Yan scanned around with a curious look, not finding the legendary top-quality jade she’d heard about.
Song Yanan and her two beautiful apprentices also widened their eyes, searching everywhere for those jades.
"They should be right here." Lin Tian walked up to the black cloth and said, then he took hold of one corner and flipped the cloth to the side.
Suddenly, bursts of colorful light shot out, dazzling the eyes of everyone present. Even Lin Tian, despite having cut them with his own hands, was still astounded by the beauty of the top-quality jade upon seeing them again.
"Imperial red glass-type, royal purple glass-type, tri-color jade representing fortune, prosperity, and longevity—oh my god, I’ve never had the chance to carve so many top-quality jade pieces at once, even after working on jade carvings for so long," Song Yanan had seen them once before, but now, seeing them all together, was deeply shocked.
Not to mention Zi Yan and the two apprentices who had never seen such jade; they were completely mesmerized, their eyes filled with intoxication.
Zi Yan was the first to snap out of it, followed by Li Xiaoxiao, and then the other apprentice, Bei Xiaowen.
"I’ve never seen such pure purple jade," Zi Yan said with astonishment in her eyes, and then turned to Lin Tian, "Junior brother, when will this purple jade be for sale? I want to reserve first, no matter the cost!"
Sure enough, no woman could resist the charm of top-quality jade, especially the top-quality purple jade, which was even more heart-stirring. The pure purple glow was mysterious, noble, and elegant, seeming to encapsulate all the qualities of a perfect woman in one, how could women not be moved.
"Senior sister, I’m sorry, but the three shareholders of Tianxue Jewelry have unanimously decided not to sell the top-quality purple jade," Lin Tian said to Zi Yan with a hint of regret.
"I see..." A deep sense of regret flashed in Zi Yan’s eyes, but she did not say much.
She was very aware of the value of the top-quality purple jade, and if someone loved it, they would be willing to pay any price. For this reason, Zi Yan could not ask for anything, as it would only make Xiao Manxue feel awkward.
Li Xiaoxiao also felt regret, although she was only sixteen, her yearning for beauty was without age limits, and her family had the means to purchase the top-quality purple jade; hearing that it wasn’t for sale, her eyes were filled with disappointment as well.
Song Yanan, however, was different from the others; she too loved the purple jade, but her gaze was more devout, a devotion to the art of jade carving.
Seeing that look, Lin Tian knew that now, not even ten bulls could pull Song Yanan away from her state of preparation for work.
Lin Tian activated his "clairvoyance" and checked Song Yanan’s waist again, ensuring that her waist issue had fully healed and that she was ready for the jade carving task ahead.
"Sister Manxue, I’ll be staying at your place for this period. I’m going into retreat for a whole day tomorrow, and nobody is allowed to disturb me. With such top-quality jade, I must adjust both body and mind to the best state before I can make the first cut," Song Yanan said seriously with a solemn expression.
"Sister Song, not even food or water?" Lin Tian asked, frowning with concern.
Xiao Manxue seemed to understand her approach and nodded.
"Young man, don’t worry, I’ll bring my own water, and as for food, I won’t die from hunger after a day without it. People in ancient times even practiced fasting for three days," Song Yanan said with a smile.
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