Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
He walked over to the stone, shining his flashlight back and forth. Bird Uncle also leaned in, answering every question. However, whether it was a rise or a dip below was purely speculative; no one knew for sure.
After a while, Mr. Xu and Bird Uncle stepped out of the cutting shop and stood by the roadside. Mr. Xu took out a pack of Huanghelou cigarettes, pulled one out, and placed it between his lips. Bird Uncle stepped forward to offer a light, but after fumbling for a while, Mr. Xu still couldn't get it lit. The two of them stood there in the bustling corridor, blocking the way.
Bird Uncle said to Mr. Xu, "What now?"
"You’re right," Mr. Xu interrupted him, taking another puff of smoke. "I need to think this through."
Bird Uncle fell silent, glancing at me and then at the Blue-Clothed Man who was bidding for the stone. Everyone was waiting for Mr. Xu to make up his mind.
I had been observing from the side when I suddenly realized that Mr. Xu had never considered taking a good deal and walking away. A person truly deep in thought would look down or at the object of their contemplation. But ever since Mr. Xu left the bidder's side, he hadn't glanced at the Blue-Clothed Man even once; instead, he kept staring at the cut stone. I thought to myself that he must have had an answer in his heart all along; his so-called consideration was merely a way to validate his inner answer.
In truth, no one could really say how much color would be revealed; thus, many of Bird Uncle's stones only opened windows or cut covers. I pondered this.
Bird Uncle urged Mr. Xu to take the deal while it was good, but after hearing that, Mr. Xu fell even more silent. Bird Uncle understood immediately; he patted Mr. Xu on the back and stepped away slightly.
Seemingly having received Bird Uncle's tacit approval, Mr. Xu extinguished his cigarette and said to the Blue-Clothed Man, "Sorry, but I still want to take another look inside. Today, I trust myself."
He turned to the operator of the machine and said, "Thank you for your trouble."
This time when the machine started again, Mr. Xu's face became very serious. The pure thrill of anticipation transformed into a kind of anxious emotion that made me nervous just watching. Logically speaking, this cut should be quicker than the last one, yet it felt like an eternity had passed.
Finally, the machine stopped once more. This time, it was Mr. Xu who rushed forward first.
"Oh no!" This time it was Mr. Xu who held his forehead in dismay.
Old Bird and I followed him over and gasped in disappointment. The originally vibrant Bright Green looked fantastic at first glance, but as we looked closer, we saw that it was less than 1 cm thick; beneath that layer lay a gradual blend into black moss. The color lines did indeed run through the entire stone with a large area visible at first, but after just a few centimeters, the black began to dominate more and more until most of it was pure black with only scattered hints of green—completely unsuitable for making jewelry-grade jade products.
The black part is moss. In the image, if there is more green than black, it is highly valuable; otherwise, its value is low.
"Are these black parts still worth anything?"
"To be frank, they are practically worthless."
Upon hearing this, Mr. Xu exclaimed in dismay, as if he were experiencing a migraine. After a moment, he glanced at the Blue-Clothed Man beside him.
Seeing Mr. Xu looking at him, the Blue-Clothed Man shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, "What do you want from me?"
The stone had already been cut open, revealing its quality. Regardless of whether the outcome was an increase or decrease in value, the previous agreement of 340,000 was rendered void the moment the knife struck.
The Blue-Clothed Man walked away with a sense of disappointment. Watching his retreating figure, Mr. Xu sighed, "Ah, it's my own decision; I was too greedy."
He turned to Old Bird and asked, "How much is it worth now?"
"About tens of thousands."
"At least I can break even; that's not bad."
At that moment, a loud bang suddenly echoed through the air. I jumped in surprise and looked toward the source of the sound—it was De Long outside setting off fireworks. The dark stall, the stone, and the vendor sitting on the ground were illuminated in red with each burst of fireworks before fading back into darkness, then turning green again before returning to black.
"In Ruili," Old Bird explained, "there's a custom: whenever someone cuts a stone that increases in value, they set off fireworks. It wasn't always like this; it started around 2000 when people from Guangdong came and began celebrating with fireworks for every increase. Eventually, it became a common practice for every household."
The extravagant fireworks were so loud that we had to pause until the last explosion faded away.
Fireworks are often seen in Ruili.
Mr. Xu remarked wistfully, "Wow, so many people are cutting stones; you Ruili folks truly live in a treasure land."
"Actually, it's not quite like that. Every night, you wouldn't believe how many stones are cut; do you know how many actually increase in value?"
"How many?"
"Those who set off the firecrackers."
But just at the Delong Night Market, there were countless people wielding flashlights.
Comment 0 Comment Count