Chapter 51

"Brother Feng, why are we back here again?"

After wandering around the antique market on Red Flag Street for a while, Xie Xuan noticed that Qin Feng had brought him back to White Buddha Street, where they had been yesterday. This made him feel even more puzzled.

"Just follow me, watch more and ask less!"

Qin Feng waved his hand. However, this time, after entering the antique street, he didn't wander around as he did yesterday. Instead, he went straight to a jade shop at the street entrance.

This antique shop, named "Qishi Zhai," was not small. The main hall was a spacious three-room layout, and there was a small courtyard at the back, which was used by the owner to entertain friends for tea and conversation. Customers were not allowed to enter.

As the name "Qishi Zhai" suggests, besides operating in jade, it also had various uniquely shaped stones, ranging from a few kilograms to several hundred kilograms, displayed in a large pile at the shop entrance.

"Hey, little boy, you two are back again?"

Seeing Qin Feng enter, an old man in his sixties stood up and smiled, "Come, come, take a look at this piece. It's genuine Hetian jade pebble, and such a large piece is quite rare."

The old man was the owner of "Qishi Zhai," surnamed Ge, with the given name Jun. However, his appearance, with small eyes and a sharp face, did not match his name. Even if he were thirty years younger, he wouldn't be considered handsome.

Although he wasn't good-looking, Ge Jun had a significant reputation in the antique and jade business in Stone City. His shop was one of the earliest jade shops in the city, while the Nie family was a rising star in the industry.

After being invited by Ge Jun, Qin Feng didn't hesitate and picked up the jade pebble on the counter to examine it. After a while, he said, "Old man, this pebble is entirely white, with a lustrous color. The most remarkable thing is that it's as big as a fist, which is quite rare and a precious item."

Yesterday, when they visited White Buddha Street, Qin Feng spent over two hours in this shop, having a very enjoyable conversation with the old man. Ge Jun, being a seasoned businessman, didn't underestimate Qin Feng just because of his young age.

"Who taught you all this, kid?"

Ge Jun took the Hetian jade pebble from Qin Feng and carefully put it back in the cabinet. He then turned around and said, "Xiao Qin, are you still in school? Is your family in the stone business?"

"Old man, my family is from Yangzhou. I learned carving from my elders when I was young, so I know a bit about stones."

Qin Feng smiled and pointed at Xie Xuan, saying, "I have an aunt living in Stone City. I came to visit her. I like this stuff, so my cousin brought me here to take a look."

Qin Feng spoke very naturally, and his accent had a hint of the Jiangnan region. Most jade traders had connections with factories in Yangzhou, and Ge Jun had noticed this.

"Most carvings come from Yangzhou. No wonder, it's a family tradition..."

Hearing Qin Feng's explanation, Ge Jun was relieved. Yesterday, he had wondered where such a young expert in jade craftsmanship and quality had come from.

Jade carving is divided into Southern and Northern styles, each with its own characteristics, such as the Northern, Shanghai, and Suzhou schools, which are either grand or intricate.

In today's market, Southern-style carvings account for 80% of the market, while Northern-style carvings make up less than 20%. Yangzhou, as the center of Southern-style carvings, is home to countless jade masters.

Although Ge Jun had been in the jade business for most of his life, he didn't recognize all the jade masters from Yangzhou. After thinking for a long time, he couldn't think of anyone surnamed Qin, so he gave up.

"Xiao Qin, are you here today just to chat with the old man again?" Ge Jun took out a tea set from under the counter and smiled, "You people in Yangzhou are particular about tea. I'll make you a pot of this year's Longjing tea."

"Old man, don't bother, I'm leaving."

Seeing this, Qin Feng quickly stopped Ge Jun. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Grandpa Ge, you know, I learned jade carving from a young age, but I left in a hurry and didn't bring any material. I'm a bit itchy to practice..."

"Oh? You can already carve jade?"

Hearing Qin Feng's words, Ge Jun immediately understood. It seemed Qin Feng had come to look for raw materials, which surprised Ge Jun a bit.

Jade carving has many rules, and it's not always better to start early. When young, hands are unstable, making it easy to get injured or even ruin one's hands.

In the past, apprentices had to learn painting for at least three years to build a solid foundation in art before they could practice on radishes or softer stones.

Generally, apprentices had to wait until they were eighteen or nineteen, with steady hands, before they could start carving jade. By the time they achieved success, they were usually in their thirties or forties.

A kid like Qin Feng, who looked only sixteen or seventeen, actually starting to practice on jade was something Ge Jun had rarely seen, as even the cheapest jade is still money.

"Um, Grandpa Ge, I... I don't have much money. Can you give me a piece of stone?"

Qin Feng took out a few one and two yuan bills from his pocket, looking embarrassed, and said, "Grandpa Ge, I only have twenty yuan. Can you give me a piece of stone?"

"Twenty yuan to buy raw material?"

Ge Jun smiled bitterly, "Xiao Qin, it's not that Grandpa Ge is stingy. I do have raw stones, but the cheapest one costs at least a thousand yuan. How can I sell it to you?"

Doing business like Ge Jun, simply buying from jade carving factories was no longer enough to meet market demand. He bought raw stones from Xinjiang and then sent them to jade factories for processing.

So, Ge Jun's shop was not short of raw stones. Even the lowest quality stone, when carved by machine, could sell for ten to twenty yuan. Qin Feng's twenty yuan was far from enough.

"Grandpa Ge, are those stones that expensive too?"

Qin Feng's eyes darted around, and he pointed at a pile of stones at the entrance, saying, "I've never seen these jade stones before. Are they also valuable?"

Where Qin Feng pointed, there were about seven or eight stones, ranging from thirty to fifty pounds to the size of a fist.

However, unlike Hetian jade, these stones had no visible jade on the surface, looking black and rough to the touch.

"Hey, you reminded me of these stones."

Ge Jun slapped his head, walked out from behind the counter, and smiled, "Xiao Qin, it seems your family only deals with soft jade. These are raw jadeite stones, which are hard jade. They weren't popular in the past but have become more popular in recent years..."

The difference between soft and hard jade lies in their hardness. Soft jade generally has a hardness of 6 to 6.5, including varieties like white jade (mutton fat jade), greenish-white jade, green jade, and black jade, all classified as soft jade.

Hard jade, on the other hand, has a hardness of over 7, with jadeite being the representative. It comes in various colors, including green, light purple, white, pink, brown, red, blue, black, orange, and yellow.

In China, the history of soft jade carving can be traced back over eight thousand years, making it a long-standing tradition. Throughout history, it has always been a favorite accessory of the nobility.

Jadeite, however, comes from Myanmar. In ancient times, it was only occasionally presented to the imperial court during tributes, and it was not common among the general public, so it didn't become popular.

However, during the late Qing Dynasty, Empress Dowager Cixi had a particular fondness for jadeite. She collected the finest jadeite pieces, which sparked a jadeite craze. This was the first time the public became aware of jadeite.

After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the third Miss Song, who later became the First Lady, was also a jadeite enthusiast. Her taste further increased the value of jadeite, making it a rival to Hetian jade.

However, after the liberation, due to the difficulties in mining and transportation, jadeite disappeared from the domestic market. It only reappeared in the market in the late 1980s, but its recognition and value were far from those of Hetian jade.

However, due to its colorful and beautiful appearance, jadeite began to gain popularity among consumers by the late 1990s. So, Ge Jun also followed the trend and bought some raw stones from southern cities.

Unlike soft jade, buying raw jadeite stones focuses on the "gamble." This is the popular "gambling stone" practice in recent years, though its history goes back much further, existing for decades in some southern border cities.

Before cutting, it's impossible to determine if there is jadeite inside the raw stone, as the thin layer of stone skin blocks any instrument from detecting it.

Thus, in the raw jadeite market, a unique purchasing method called "gambling stone" emerged. Buyers can analyze and judge whether there is jadeite inside the raw stone and then bid to purchase it.

Since it's a gamble, there are both gains and losses. Some people have become millionaires, while others have lost everything.

Of course, not everyone is so adventurous. Some jade traders, like Ge Jun, specialize in buying the jadeite extracted from gambling stones.

Ge Jun was not very familiar with gambling stones, so when he went south to buy some raw jadeite, out of curiosity, he also bought a few fully gambled stones to play with, spending only a few hundred yuan in total.

However, Ge Jun's luck was not good. The seven or eight raw jadeite stones he bought didn't yield any good material. The best one had a green and black mottled pattern, a rough structure, and poor translucency, known as "dog shit ground."

Such material, when carved, would look almost like ordinary stone. Ge Jun didn't even bother to send it to the jade factory for processing. He had piled it at the shop entrance, planning to throw it away. If Qin Feng hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have thought of it.

"Grandpa Ge, hard jade has a higher hardness, making it better for practicing carving..."

Qin Feng listened to Ge Jun's introduction about the history of jadeite, and after the old man was satisfied, he smiled and said, "Can you give me those few stones? I'll give you my twenty yuan. Is that enough?"

"Hey, you're making fun of me, Grandpa Ge. For that fertilizer, I wouldn't even charge you."

Ge Jun laughed at Qin Feng's expression, waved his hand, and said, "These stones aren't worth much. If you want them, take them. I was just going to have someone throw them away anyway!"

"Thank you, Grandpa Ge. Then... I won't be shy."

Qin Feng was delighted and quickly ran to the pile of stones to pick some. However, Ge Jun didn't notice that when Qin Feng turned around, a sly smile appeared on his face.

PS: It's Monday, please give me some recommendations. This is crucial for a new book, really!

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