The night market was still bustling with crowds.
Upon closer inspection, most of the people were foreigners interested in jade gambling from abroad.
There were hardly any visitors at the handicraft and snack stalls; everyone had gathered in the various raw jadeite shops. Approaching the entrance of these shops, one could see people inside, some squatting on the ground examining raw jade pieces with flashlights and magnifying glasses, occasionally splashing water on the surface, while others were bargaining with the owners.
In the northeast corner of the market, a constant whirring of machinery, sighs, and cheers could be heard, evidently coming from the jade cutting area.
"Let's buy a piece of raw jade too; who knows, I might get lucky," Tang Xin said eagerly, pulling Ling Yue into a raw jade shop.
The shop's floor and shelves were piled high with raw jade pieces of various sizes, from fist-sized to seemingly low-quality ones bundled together at thirty or fifty yuan each, mainly to satisfy customers' gambling urges rather than yield any green jade.
The larger pieces were categorized and priced individually, especially those with "windows" cut into them, through which the quality of the jade inside could be clearly seen.
However, even jade with visible quality through these windows did not guarantee a profitable yield, as the visible part might only be a thin layer of green skin, or the jade could undergo color changes. Experience, keen eyes, and luck were crucial in this trade, giving rise to the saying "even immortals struggle to judge a cun of jade."
"So many raw jade pieces!" Tang Xin's eyes were dazzled by the vast assortment, unsure which one to choose.
"Miss Tang Xin, look at that piece over there," Zhu Yang, the president of the Jade Gambling Association, pointed to a piece on a nearby shelf. "Its thin skin is yellowish-white, with fine crystals. It must be from the Pagan Old Pit. If it yields green jade, it will undoubtedly be of high quality, with excellent transparency and color."
He grinned at Ling Yue, "Miss Ling Yue, would you like me to help you pick a piece of raw jade? I guarantee it will produce green jade."
"No need," Ling Yue replied coolly, walking towards the pile of thirty-yuan raw jade pieces.
Lan Ji shot Zhu Yang a cold glare and followed Ling Yue. How dare he make a move on his sister without considering his own character?
Tang Xin approached the piece Zhu Yang had pointed out, a football-sized raw jade priced at five hundred thousand yuan.
"So expensive!" Tang Xin hesitated. It wasn't that she couldn't afford it, but she merely wanted to experience jade gambling for fun. As a first-timer, she was reluctant to spend such a considerable sum, fearing potential losses.
Zhu Yang, examining a jade piece with a cut window, overheard Tang Xin's remark and turned towards her. "The more expensive, the more likely it is to yield green jade. If you don't want it, I'll take it." He had his eye on that piece from the start and would have bought it if not for wanting to show off his expertise in front of Ling Yue.
Tang Xin stared at the piece, conflicted. "Ling Yue, do you think I should buy this raw jade?"
Ling Yue bent down, picked up a black raw jade piece from the thirty-yuan pile, and grabbed another as she heard Tang Xin's question. "Why don't you buy this one instead?" The jade inside the piece Tang Xin was considering had poor quality, with only a faint trace of spiritual energy, likely indicating a low-grade "peas species" jadeite.
Even if Tang Xin decided to buy it, Ling Yue would have dissuaded her, as a friend, from making such a costly mistake.
"Okay," Tang Xin replied, running over to Ling Yue and accepting the piece she offered. "Let's get this one then."
Zhu Yang clenched his teeth in displeasure, approaching the piece Tang Xin had been eyeing. He scrutinized it with a magnifying glass and flashlight, then turned to the shopkeeper. "I'll take this piece, and that one too. Can you cut them here on-site?"
The shopkeeper approached enthusiastically, "Of course, just over in the northeast corner, we have a large cutting area. Pay for them, and I'll have the workers deliver them there."
Zhu Yang handed the shopkeeper his bank card. "Charge it, I'll take this piece and that one too." He pointed to the other jade he had examined.
"Certainly, one moment please!" The shopkeeper scurried off to process the payment.
Zhu Yang shot a smug smile at Ling Yue's group. It was their loss for not picking that raw jade piece; they would soon regret it.
Ling Yue and Lan Ji didn't even spare him a glance, viewing Zhu Yang as nothing but a fool.
Tang Xin didn't bother looking at Zhu Yang's situation, instead crouching beside Ling Yue. "Ling Yue, help me pick another piece, good things come in pairs."
Ling Yue scanned the pile and handed Tang Xin a piece with a thicker, grayish-yellow skin. "How about this one?"
"Great, I'll take this one," Tang Xin said happily, accepting the fist-sized raw jade.
"I've made my purchases. Have you chosen yours?" Zhu Yang asked, rejoining them after retrieving his bank card.
Ling Yue stood up, and along with Lan Ji and Tang Xin, they went to pay. Each had selected two pieces.
"Let's go get them cut," Tang Xin said impatiently, having longed to experience jade gambling. Her family's basement housed raw jade pieces, but her grandfather and father had never allowed her entry.
Ling Yue nodded, and they headed towards the cutting area.
Before they arrived, cheers erupted from the crowd.
"Green jade! That's the first raw piece to yield green jade today!"
"Based on its quality, it seems to be yang green jade. This young man is incredibly lucky."
"Young man, don't cut it further. I'll offer one million for that raw jade."
"I'll give you one and a half million, sell it to me."
"Two million!" The crowd outbid each other fervently.
The young man glanced at them impassively. "Sorry everyone, but this jade is not for sale."
"Excuse us, we need to get some jade cut," Tang Xin said, squeezing through the crowd while carrying a plastic bag containing her two raw jade pieces, pulling Ling Yue along.
Hearing someone wanted to cut jade, the crowd parted to create a path.
"Little lady, you want to cut some jade? If it yields green jade, consider selling it to me. I guarantee a price you'll be satisfied with."
"Sell it to me, I won't let you lose out."
Tang Xin shook the plastic bag. "I'm just doing it for fun."
Seeing the two small pieces of raw jade in the bag, the crowd fell silent in disbelief.
