CHAPTER 746: CHAPTER 746: THIS IS AN INFERIOR STONE

At this time, it was the peak hour for business, with people coming and going in the storeroom on the first floor. The women selling goods provided attentive service and had a keen eye for detail. Upon seeing Su Ran and the others enter, she first glanced at Su Ran and noticed that, although dressed plainly, Su Ran could not hide her tranquil temperament. Her every move was gracious and dignified, not the least bit uncomfortable, as if she was accustomed to grand scenes.

One of the women immediately came forward with enthusiasm, inviting them in. However, Lian Wanzhen had some trouble entering, burdened as she was with too many items. Tall and sturdy, with fabric bundles strapped to her back and towering over her head, she bumped her way through the door.

The cheerful saleswoman greeted them, "The store is really bustling with people today. It’s a bit inconvenient here in the inner city with no carriages allowed, and you all must be tired. Once the crowd thins, the official family will permit carriages inside. Come, have some hot tea and rest your feet. Sir, shall I find a place to put your things first?"

After everyone had entered and handed over their belongings, Lian Wanzhen felt much lighter.

Having taken a sip of tea, they began to explain their purpose. The saleswoman looked at the stone with hesitation but still led them to the old master, letting them do as they pleased.

The old master, surnamed Wang, was a skilled craftsman who had worked at Zhenbao Square for many years. He had seen countless raw gemstones and could discern the type of jade, its place of origin, and its quality with just a glance.

At that moment, he was polishing a piece of jade in the backyard of Zhenbao Square. When he heard their intentions, he asked Lin Yuejuan to bring him the raw stone.

The other craftsmen gathered around to watch the excitement.

Master Wang took the stone to the light, scoffed immediately, and tossed it aside with the remark, "There’s no need to cut it; it’s an inferior stone. Working on it is a waste—it’s not even worth the effort."

The craftsmen around him shook their heads and dispersed, murmuring things like "Just a useless rock," "Cutting it is a waste; surely it has more flaws than virtues— the lowest of the low," and "Not worth it, not worth it."

Lin Yuejuan, who had been full of hope, felt her heart grow cold upon hearing this. She had spent forty taels on a piece of inferior raw stone that even the master craftsman deemed unworthy of cutting. A bitter taste filled her mouth, regretting that she hadn’t stopped herself from wasting that money. Forty taels weren’t blown in by the wind; that amount could buy dozens of fabrics.

She glanced at Su Ran, not wanting to cause too much thought, and, holding back her pain, took Su Ran’s hand to comfort her, "Sister-in-law, it’s alright. We learn from our mistakes; we’ll just be more careful in the future."

Su Ran smiled and shook her head, grasping her hand back and looking towards the old master.

Lian Wanzhen immediately protested, "Master Wang, could you be mistaken? Please look again."

The wrinkled face of Master Wang scrunched up, "You youngster, why so much nonsense? I’ve been in this trade for almost forty years or at least thirty, and I only need to handle it and take a few glances to know its origins. Did you buy this stone on the main street outside?"

Lian Wanzhen was stunned, "Yes, what’s the issue with that?"

The wrinkles on Master Wang’s face deepened as he sighed. Although the world had improved, there were still those who deceived honest folk. He had seen many people taken in by stone gambling scams; every so often, he’d encounter a few who came to him for assessment.

Looking at the few who appeared honest and simply dressed, not like those unreliable ones, he earnestly advised them, "Young fellows, don’t aspire for the unattainable. The path of stone gambling is very deep, and many are looking for a windfall, all hoping to get rich by taking a chance. This stone of yours may come from a foreign land, but it has passed through the hands of unscrupulous gem dealers. The good stones have long been picked out, leaving only the dirty stones..."

Master Wang spoke at length about the ins and outs of the trade, which left Lian Wanzhen feeling quite confused but in agreement. However, he asked, "Are there no experts in stone gambling?"

Master Wang smacked his lips and said, "There are, indeed. Our Zhenbao Square’s boss is one such expert, but he rarely makes a move. He only steps in when faced with highly-priced raw stones that are difficult to judge. In this industry, his reputation is second to none. There are very few who can match his renown. Oh, there was one other person who had a great relationship with our boss; I met him once. But that man, alas, it’s a pity..."

Decades ago, Siam had ambitious and restless intentions, unwilling to submit to our dynasty. They sent envoys as a tribute, presenting the Emperor Taizhong with a batch of gemstones, all uncut raw stones, some good, some bad, intending to humiliate our dynasty. They claimed it was to witness the capabilities of our extraordinary talents. The Emperor invited our own experts to appraise the stones alongside their own, turning it into a wager. The process was full of twists and turns, but in the end, that person shone brilliantly, reversed the tide, and in his final move, defeated Siam, preserving our dynasty’s dignity. At that time, that person was only fifteen years of age. Truly, the young are to be feared. That battle truly shook the Capital City, though very few know of that person’s real identity.

"It’s a pity about what?" Lian Wanzhen pressed.

Awakened from his reverie, Master Wang became melancholic and shook his head, saying, "It’s all happened decades ago, let’s not talk about it anymore."

Su Ran, who had been quietly listening all this while, didn’t object. Only when the conversation reached this point did she finally interject, "Is your boss doing well now?"

Master Wang glanced at Su Ran, feeling she looked somewhat familiar, then hesitantly said, "Nowadays, our boss rarely shows his face, and it’s the junior boss who handles matters. I really wouldn’t know."

Delight appeared on Su Ran’s face, "Is your junior boss the child of your boss?"

Master Wang grew even more disheartened, sighing and shaking his head. The boss’s life had been full of ups and downs, tragic twists and turns. In his youth, he encountered a bad match and was wed into a wretched official family. His mother-in-law was unkind and always coveting her daughter-in-law’s dowry, while her husband favored his concubine over his wife. In the end, the boss had to give up half her dowry to escape that filthy place and get divorced. It was said that she had offspring, but they died young. The junior boss was adopted by the boss, alas.

It was not his place to speak more of the boss’s personal misfortunes; all he could do was shake his head in regret.

Perceiving something from his demeanor, Su Ran fell into silence, a touch of dejection settling on her.

Lian Wanzhen flipped the stone in his hands, looking at it from all sides, feeling something was not right; his mother could not have misjudged it.

Seeing that the two had finished speaking, he stubbornly said, "Master, please look at the stone my mother chose again. You might have seen it wrong."

Although he had learned quite a bit from the old master, he did not believe the same about their stone. He was convinced of one thing in his heart: His mother could not be wrong; if anyone was mistaken, it would be this old master, perhaps blinded by age, he might also have seen it wrong.

But this comment was like poking a hornet’s nest. The previously amiable Master Wang suddenly got angry, snatched the stone, and scolded them, pointing at it, "This stone comes from the bottom of a mine, an edge stone. How good do you think its color could be? Look, it’s full of dense residual and accumulative formations. Even if it’s cut, it will just be dirty jade, the most inferior kind of trash, not worth wasting my time on. Commoners should not speak of high matters; I’ve said too much to you already. Go on, get lost, and don’t bother me."