Chapter 14

Wu Di checked the time; it was almost half past eleven. He was preparing to take Wen Yajiu out for a meal, after all, he had drunk a bottle of wine from him on the train. Wen Yajiu shook his head and said:

"Where is it more comfortable to eat than at home? We have a part-time worker who prepares lunch every day and delivers it to the store. You should try it too."

"Great, I'm tired of eating out every day. It's perfect to try some home-cooked dishes. Just don't let me get addicted, or I'll come over every day for a free meal."

"You're starting to sound like a salesperson, thick-skinned. No problem coming over to eat, and I don't have high requirements. Just bring me one order a month."

"You're even thicker-skinned!"

As they were chatting, a burst of firecrackers sounded. Wu Di was still puzzled about who would dare to be so bold in the no-firecracker zone, but he saw Wen Yajiu suddenly stand up, almost knocking over the tea on the table. He quickly walked out and said:

"Xiao Wu, come, come with me quickly."

"Wen, what's going on?"

"The neighbor has cut a good stone. Let's go and see if we can get it."

Wen Yajiu ran downstairs without looking back, and Wu Di, puzzled, followed him. What is a good stone?

When they reached the hall downstairs, Wen Yajiu quickened his pace. Xiao Gangzi shouted at the door:

"Boss, hurry, I saw Boss Zhang already run in."

Hearing this, Wen Yajiu sped up even more, not acting like someone in his forties. Wu Di grabbed Xiao Gangzi and asked:

"What's happening?"

"A good stone has been cut. Only stones of ice quality or better will trigger firecrackers."

After a brief delay, Wen Yajiu was already out of sight. Xiao Gangzi pointed to the right:

"Go quickly, to the Stone City. If you're late, you won't get in."

Wu Di, still confused, ran to the right and finally caught up with Wen Yajiu at the entrance of the Stone City. The store door was almost closed, leaving only one open. Several staff members were explaining to a crowd outside. Wen Yajiu pushed through, and a young girl smiled bitterly:

"Uncle Wen, it's high ice, not glass quality. No need to rush."

"Little girl, I'm not old yet! I want to see the high ice too."

Wu Di quickly called out:

"Old brother, I'm coming too!"

The girl let the two of them in and turned to face the increasingly agitated crowd. Security personnel finally arrived and began to explain to the crowd, which included those who knew the truth, those who were just there for the excitement, and those who were cheering. Eventually, the crowd dispersed.

The Stone City was slightly smaller than Mingtangzhai, and the display style was different. Wen Yajiu did not stop, walking straight through the hall. Wu Di heard bidding sounds from a distance. In just a few seconds, the price of the item had risen from 2.8 million to 3.1 million.

After passing through the hall, they found themselves in a small courtyard, about the same size as the hall. A crowd was gathered in the northeast corner, densely packed. The bidding sounds came from the crowd. Wu Di knew they were bidding on jade, as he had grown up in Yudu and had some basic knowledge of jade.

Before they could get close, the crowd began to move, seemingly having reached a deal at 3.2 million. A fat man saw Wen Yajiu and laughed:

"Old Wen, why did you run so fast? It's just a high ice green melon. Old Zhang got it."

Wen Yajiu shook his head and sighed:

"High ice green is so hard to find. This year, only two pieces were found in GD, one of which had floating flowers. In YN, not a single piece was found."

"These days, who would announce it? If you can't get it, just keep pestering Old Zhang. He's been in the jade business all his life and must have some private stock."

"Fat Money, you're badmouthing me again! I still need a high ice green glass to anchor my store."

Wen Yajiu laughed:

"Getting it is a stroke of luck, losing it is fate. I can wait. Unlike you, Old Zhang, who runs to the Stone City to grab stones. Do you want to be out of business?"

Fat Money laughed and waved his hand:

"My business is mainly about gambling on stones. If I can't compete with the open materials, I'm not far from being out of business. Besides, I can't match Old Zhang's deep pockets."

The crowd dispersed quickly, only about thirty people, but it had seemed crowded and lively just now. Wu Di had already looked around the courtyard, which had shelves on all four sides, displaying various stones. He knew they were jade rough stones. In the northeast corner, there was a cutting machine, and in the northwest corner, a layer of small yellow-skinned stones, none larger than Wu Di's fist, and the smallest about the size of an egg.

Wen Yajiu greeted Boss Zhang and Fat Money but did not introduce Wu Di. Fat Money came over and asked:

"Old Wen, not introducing him?"

"He's a young brother I met on the train to Meishan. Wu Di, he came to visit me today and followed me here when he heard the firecrackers."

Fat Money flipped his hand, and a business card appeared in front of Wu Di:

"My name is Qian, Qian Dafu, doing a small business in jade rough stones. Welcome, Wu Di."

"Nice to meet you, nice to meet you, Boss Qian. I've never seen jade rough stones before."

"Old brother lacks everything but stones. Look around, but don't listen to Old Wen's advice. He's a big loser, ten out of ten times!"

The last few words were deliberately lowered, but Wen Yajiu could still hear them. He smiled and shook his head, walking to a nearby shelf to look at the stones.

Wu Di smiled, not knowing what to say. Fat Money patted his shoulder and said:

"Look more, buy less, or don't buy at all. Take your time."

Seeing Wu Di turn to look at the rough stones, Fat Money wandered over to Wen Yajiu, nodding his chin. Wen Yajiu whispered:

"He's a young brother I feel a connection with, a very generous person."

Fat Money nodded and went to greet another group of people looking at the stones.

Wen Yajiu was surprised by his own words. They had only met twice, yet he felt so familiar. They had a good time this morning. Could it really be a connection? He shook his head and continued looking at the stones.

Wu Di looked for a while but couldn't understand, so he walked around the courtyard and joined Wen Yajiu. In just a few minutes, he noticed that Boss Qian's business style was different from others. He would help customers find flaws in the stones they liked and advise them to be cautious.

Wen Yajiu whispered to Wu Di:

"Listen to his negotiation."

A customer seemed to have doubts about a stone, and Boss Qian smiled:

"Actually, for us small-scale rough stone dealers, the sources of our stones are quite limited. Think about it, the original stones are first selected at the mine, then at the Myanmar public auction, and then at the Pingzhou and Ruili public auctions. The remaining stones are left for us. However, this batch of stones is different. Some I personally gambled on in Myanmar, and some were smuggled through the Tengchong route. I can't claim they are all good, but the price definitely can't be set like the stones I mentioned. Those stones can't produce ice quality."

A skilled hand, putting himself on the customer's side, then logically explaining the differences in the goods and the prices, all while maintaining a calm demeanor. After all, they had just cut an ice-quality stone, and he wasn't afraid of not attracting customers.

Another group of customers chose a stone about the size of a child's head and paid 200,000 yuan. Wu Di heard them talking about "pine flowers" and "python bands" and quickly asked Wen Yajiu. Wen Yajiu picked up a few stones and pointed them out to Wu Di.

"Pine flowers" refer to the block, strip, or band-like objects on the surface of jade, which resemble dried moss and have a color similar to pine leaves. They are the traces left by the original green on the jade rough stone after weathering. By observing the depth, shape, direction, density, and distribution of the pine flowers, one can infer the depth, direction, size, and shape of the green inside.

"Python bands" are the weathered or semi-weathered sand particles on the surface of the jade rough stone, which are arranged in a regular and directional pattern, such as bands, rings, or blocks. Python bands generally run parallel to the direction of the green.

The sound of the stone-cutting machine was harsh. After wiping two windows, the group did not see any green, so they decided to cut directly. One cut removed about two centimeters of the outer layer, and another person immediately ran over to pour some water. Wu Di, standing on the outskirts, couldn't see anything but heard him excitedly shout:

"There's green, it's a win, boss, your goods are really good."

The shout gathered all the customers around the stone-cutting machine. Fat Money leaned over and looked, saying:

"The green is good, but the quality is still unclear. It might be pea quality. Do you want to cut more? If not, you can sell it now."

"Cut, cut one more time."

Some people were cheering.

Old Zhang, moving a bit slower, couldn't get in and shouted from outside:

"I'll offer 400,000 yuan!"

He then said to the people in front:

"Move, please, move, I've already made an offer."

No one raised their bid. Pea quality is different from ice quality. If this rough stone doesn't produce high-quality green or the jade isn't large enough, even 200,000 yuan might not be recovered.

Old Zhang squeezed in, leaned over the cut surface with a flashlight, and stood up without saying anything. The group of stone-cutters discussed and decided to sell the rough stone to Old Zhang because the quality was poor, and they still had to gamble on the color and size of the jade. It was better to make a small profit and quit.

Old Zhang smiled and transferred the money to Fat Money's computer. Fat Money said:

"Are you burning money?"

"Fatso, you're outdated. These days, jade is good stone. In a few years, even pea quality might be hard to find."

Old Zhang didn't leave immediately, giving Wu Di a chance to see the cut rough stone. Honestly, it was far from what he had expected. It lacked the smoothness and transparency of finished jade. Without a flashlight, it was hard to see any green, but the cut surface was relatively smooth, a stark contrast to the rough outer layer.

Wu Di looked for a while, and Wen Yajiu thought he was interested, pointing to a pile of small rough stones on the ground:

"Interested? The small stones are cheap, about 100 to 200 yuan each, specifically for beginners. You can try one."

"Oh, so cheap?"

"If it's not jade, it's just a piece of junk. If you want to play, get one. If not, let's go eat."

Wu Di looked at a few and picked the largest one, showing it to Wen Yajiu, who smiled bitterly:

"Pick carefully."

"We're in a hurry to eat. I don't know anything, so it's just a matter of luck."

Wen Yajiu examined it carefully and said:

"Not bad, it's a rough stone, not just a rock. Do you want to cut it? A large one like this can be checked with a small grinding wheel."

"No, I won't cut it. I'll keep it as a souvenir. I've gambled on a stone."

Wen Yajiu didn't hesitate:

"Rubbish, this is gambling on a stone. What do you call others' actions? Fatso, how much?"

"First time for a young brother, no need to pay. Take it and play."

"Who will the jade belong to if it's cut? Wu Di, give him 100 yuan and let's go eat. If he loses, it's his own fault for pretending to be generous!"