Miss Truth
Chapter 231 - 145: Gambling on Stones (2)_2

Chapter 231: Chapter 145: Gambling on Stones (2)_2

At this point, the first batch of rough jade had been sold off, fetching around seventy guan.

Immediately after, the second batch was presented on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen..." the stall owner ascended the stage, just about to speak, when he was suddenly interrupted by the exclamation of the master cutting the stone nearby.

"Congratulations to Young Master Yang! Well done!" The stone-cutter handed a pigeon-egg-sized piece of jade to Young Master Yang, sighing, "Such a large piece with such high quality, Young Master Yang’s spending of twenty guan was not in vain! Even if you were to take this uncarved piece of rough jade to a jewelry store, you could easily fetch around forty guan for it! Plus these two smaller pieces, you’ve truly made a fortune."

Only then did a smile of joy appear on Young Master Yang’s face as he clasped his hands and returned the courtesies to the people thanking him.

"Young Master Yang is really lucky!" the stall owner praised before announcing the start of the second round.

Ran Yun also participated, competing with others for the piece of stone she had her eye on. Initially, Young Master Yang, who had won before, bid against her, and perhaps because everyone thought he was an expert, they all followed suit and bid. In the blink of an eye, the price of an inconspicuous stone had soared to twenty guan.

Ran Yun seemed determined to outbid him, but Ran Yan gently tugged at her and whispered with her head down, "Any more and we’ll be losing money."

Hearing the mention of a loss, Ran Yun immediately reined in her desires, glaring at the man in green robes, Young Master Yang, and reluctantly gave up.

The second batch of rough jade was quickly sold out, and Ran Yun managed to secure the last piece of the second batch for six guan.

The atmosphere among the crowd was electric, and many were losing their sense of reason.

It’s no wonder that gambling can drive one mad. Guessing which stones contain jade is a kind of gambling, where even an expert can only speculate which stones may contain rough jade. As for the size and quality, those are hard to determine, which means that even for experts, such activities carry a certain level of risk.

After the second batch was sold, another group was brought up on stage. These stones were three to four times larger than the previous two batches, looking like mini-mountain ranges. These five pieces of rough jade were newly brought out and were not included in the earlier display.

Soon, Young Master Yang had another stone cut open, revealing another pigeon-egg-sized piece of rough jade. Although its quality wasn’t as good as the previous one, it was still a profitable find compared to what he paid.

Following that, two or three other people also found rough jade of varying qualities.

"It seems today’s batch of rough jade is indeed top-notch!" the stall owner exclaimed, successfully drawing the attention of the almost uncontrollable crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, among these five pieces of rough jade, our experienced masters in the shop speculate that some may contain superb Lantian Jade."

Upon these words, the scene fell silent, with more and more onlookers gathering around, and even many small vendors pressed in to see.

"Originally, this massive piece of jade was not meant to be offered for guessing, but seeing everyone’s high spirits, we decided to bring it out. However, our shop cannot afford to take too much of a loss, so those patrons who wish to guess this batch of jade must pay a guessing fee of twenty guan. The base price for the rough jade remains at two guan, and it is still possible to guess on separate pieces, but as before, the highest bidder has the right to take the rough jade they desire," the stall owner said with a beaming smile, "However, only two pieces from this batch will be sold! Please do not miss this opportunity."

There was a commotion below. Superb Lantian Jade! Such large pieces of rough jade, if one could uncover a piece of Lantian Jade as big as a fist, it could be worth a hundred guan!

However, the twenty-guan guessing fee obviously raised the bar quite a bit. As long as three or four people participated, the stall owner would recoup his costs.

Yet for individuals, there was still a potentially significant margin for profit.

Many merchants below instantly saw through the scheme, and thus would not foolishly squander their hard-earned money.

The others were also hesitant. After all, it was twenty guan! If they couldn’t outbid the others, those twenty guan would be gone without return.

"I wouldn’t let you all put down these twenty guan for nothing," the stall owner said, looking anxious as nobody had responded for quite some time. "I’ll allow you all to come up close and inspect these five pieces of rough stone!"

Gambling, this sort of activity detests a lull in the middle; once the scene goes quiet, many people’s minds become calm again. If they tried to stir the excitement at that point, it would be much more difficult.

As soon as the stall owner spoke up, that Young Master Yang, who had already revealed jade from two pieces, actually signed up again. Suddenly, there was a rustle among the crowd, and a few brocade-dressed young masters followed suit and registered.

One glance at these individuals revealed they were from noble families with substantial family wealth, and were mostly there for the thrill of it.

"Qidian, are there any officials surnamed Yang in Suzhou City with considerable wealth?" Ran Yan asked in a low voice.

Ran Yunsheng thought for a moment and then shook his head, "I can’t seem to recall anyone like that at the moment."

Ran Yan’s gaze fell on the young Master Yang as she scrutinized him carefully, then suddenly said, "Qidian, help me pay later on."

Before Ran Yunsheng could even react, Ran Yan had already walked up to the stage.

Ran Yun clenched her eyes shut, her face filled with anger, but in the end, she could only huff, "Considering she is to be the future Lady Cui, I’ll write this off as giving a favor."

Including Ran Yan, a total of five people participated.

The others on stage, seeing a woman wearing a mask coming up, didn’t think much of it, assuming she was likely a playful young lady from a wealthy family. They graciously allowed Ran Yan to guess first.

Ran Yan touched each piece of rough stone from left to right, carefully feeling them, while her peripheral vision subtly monitored the expressions of people around her.

After the others had made their choices, the stall owner announced the start of the bidding, starting at two guan.

Young Master Yang quickly made his choice, and the other few naturally followed his lead.

Ran Yan hesitated between two pieces of rough stone, walking back and forth several times, eventually settling on the largest piece in the center that looked quite impressive.

"This lady obviously doesn’t have much experience!" Young Master Yang murmured under his breath.

Ran Yan, including the stall owner and the other few on the stage, all heard him clearly. The crowd below, upon seeing the situation, cast peculiar glances at the figure in purple who stood unwavering before the central piece of rough stone. The very experienced Young Master Yang had already chosen a different piece, so why was she still stubbornly choosing another?

*****

I hope there aren’t any typos, as data usage on phones is precious.

Today, I did another silly thing; I accidentally locked myself outside my own room, and the key was locked inside, oh no! I tried futilely to pick the lock for a long time to no avail, and eventually, I had to let my dad smash the door lock with an axe... only then could I retrieve my computer... (To be continued. If you like this work, you’re welcome to cast your recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.