Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
However, if you were to see Bird Uncle on the street, you wouldn't associate him with being wealthy. At that moment, Bird Uncle was wearing a white T-shirt, a pair of flip-flops made in Myanmar, and carrying a large rectangular bag. The bag was made of brightly colored synthetic material with a very poor texture. Yet, it wasn't just any domestic synthetic woven bag; this one was handwoven by the Burmese, giving it a rough and simple appearance.
In the city of Ruili, whenever you see such a bag, you know that the person is there to buy stones. It’s sturdy, spacious, durable, and most importantly, it has an understated charm. Gradually, it has become customary for everyone to use this type of bag to carry heavy and precious stones.
Bird Uncle noticed me looking at his bag and chuckled, "They all call this bag the Ruili Hermes." The "Hermes" looked quite light; he probably hadn't found the stones he wanted yet. I asked him, "How long have you been coming to Delong to buy materials?"
"I came to accompany a friend for a stroll," Bird Uncle said, introducing the man next to him who was dressed in a tailored suit. "This is Mr. Xu; he's an old friend of mine who has always taken good care of me."
I quickly greeted Mr. Xu. He seemed somewhat indifferent and gave me a slight nod.
Bird Uncle continued with the introductions, "This is Xiao Kun, our local emerging jade carver and a disciple of Master Wei." Upon hearing his master's name, Mr. Xu showed some interest. "Oh, Xiao Kun, nice to meet you."
I followed Bird Uncle as we wandered through the night market. Whenever Bird Uncle was around, I always tried to get closer—not just out of opportunism but because he was the only senior who spoke the truth to me. Being with Bird Uncle felt like a special learning experience.
However, the Delong Night Market was indeed crowded that evening. He and Mr. Xu walked ahead while I trailed behind, listening to their casual chatter about how today they had to help me pick out a good stone.
Bird Uncle joked, "If Mr. Xu wants me to pick women for him, I really can't do that; but choosing stones? No problem at all." After some banter, Old Bird fell silent and began examining the stones closely. I followed behind him, using my flashlight to illuminate the stalls on either side. Bird Uncle's flashlight beam moved quickly; he only needed half a second to glance at each stone. But occasionally, he would linger on one for as long as ten seconds, picking it up to examine it closely without ever asking for a price.
A strong flashlight illuminated the jade rough stone, revealing its internal conditions. After walking past more than twenty stalls, Bird Uncle stopped, holding a sizable rough stone with one hand. I leaned in to take a closer look: it had a black-gray outer shell, and under the flashlight's beam, the sand-like texture appeared very fine and evenly shaped, giving it a solid feel. It seemed that if it were any larger, it would be impossible to hold with just one hand.
"Xiao Hei, is this material from Houting?" Bird Uncle asked the Burmese vendor across from him.
"Yes! This one will yield a good profit when cut! Will your boss buy it?"
"How much?"
Xiao Hei quoted a price of 170,000. After some intense bargaining from Bird Uncle, they settled on 90,000. Mr. Xu nodded in agreement, indicating his approval. Although he didn't understand stones, he trusted Bird Uncle's judgment. He was confident that Bird Uncle wouldn't lead him astray and thus pulled out his phone to make the payment without hesitation. However, there was a complication: Xiao Hei did not accept mobile payments. Despite using a smartphone, he didn't have any digital wallets or payment apps; it was even more unlikely that he had a card reader.
I asked him, "Why not set up mobile payments? It would make doing business in China much easier."
Xiao Hei replied, "We, the Burmese, are not allowed to withdraw cash."
Comment 0 Comment Count