Chapter 19: The Young Jade Appraisal Master

Chapter 19: The Young Jade Appraiser

Another half hour passed before the last two raw jade stones were fully opened, revealing jade of excellent quality and considerable size, prompting renewed admiration and discussion among the onlookers.

It was impressive that they had stood for nearly two hours without boredom, instead watching with keen interest.

Only after all the stones had been opened did they reluctantly agree to go eat, chatting about the seven raw stones they had just seen and how eye-opening the experience had been.

It was not uncommon to find good jade, but to uncover seven pieces of fine material in a row was rare.

Such a feat placed them among the top experts in the jade world, and some interested parties had already begun quietly inquiring about the owner of the materials.

Lan Xiaohé wiped the sweat from her brow and respectfully presented the opened jade to Yu Xian, her tone full of admiration.

“Sir, your discerning eye is truly remarkable. Every piece of raw jade you selected contains hidden treasures. I believe even the renowned jade appraisers are no better than this.”

“He’s much more impressive,” muttered Lu Yuan under his breath.

In Lu Yuan’s family, there were two jade appraisers, and even they would be satisfied if eight out of ten attempts were successful, and it wasn’t always a guaranteed profit.

He was no naive rookie who could be easily fooled into giving away a ten-thousand tael discount.

The prices of jade—except for the top-tier stones—were often inflated.

That piece of green jade wasn’t particularly fine in appearance, only notable for its large size. To sell it at a good price depended on fate—whether a foolish buyer could be found.

Being able to quickly sell it for cash, even at a slightly lower price, was not a loss.

Additionally, building a good rapport with Yu Xian might allow him to glean some special jade appraisal techniques in the future.

Even if not, if his family ever encountered a rare and difficult piece to appraise, they could ask Yu Xian for help.

After all, given the ten-thousand-tael discount he’d received today, how could he refuse?

Yu Xian barely glanced at the jade handed to him; the spiritual energy in these pieces was very faint, hardly worth his attention.

“Miss Lan, please have the masters from Baibao Pavilion come over to appraise these. I intend to buy them all from Brother Lu.”

“Yes, sir,” Lan Xiaohé replied, though fatigue was evident on her face, she mustered the strength to agree.

She had been standing for two hours, continuously monitoring the stones and dealing with persistent customers inquiring about prices, which had exhausted her.

Yulan noticed Lan Xiaohé’s exhaustion but did not speak up. Instead, she clung to Yu Xian’s arm coquettishly.

“Sir, I’ve been with you so long, I’m starving. Let’s eat first.”

Yu Xian was momentarily taken aback, then apologized, “I forgot how long we’d been here. Alright, let’s do that. Miss Lan, you should eat and rest. Come back in an hour.”

As his cultivation deepened, most of his energy needs were supplied internally, so his appetite was minimal; eating was more a formality.

But he’d forgotten that those around him were still mortal and needed to eat.

If not for Yulan’s reminder, they might have stayed with him much longer without complaint. Yet he wasn’t a tyrannical employer to exploit them so harshly.

Lan Xiaohé gave Yulan a grateful look, then said to Yu Xian, “Thank you, sir. I will take my leave now.”

...

More than an hour later.

Yu Xian, having eaten and rested with Yulan, returned lazily to the stall.

Lan Xiaohé was already waiting, Manager Liu had arrived, and the burly Lu Yuan was engaged in a heated debate with a middle-aged man.

Seeing Yu Xian approach, Manager Liu respectfully greeted him with an apology.

“Yu Gongwei, I regret not personally welcoming you this morning. Please forgive my negligence.”

Yu Xian smiled, “Manager Liu, you are too polite. You sent Miss Lan over—the service was excellent. I am very satisfied.”

Manager Liu smiled in agreement, “Xiao He is my most capable assistant. It is her honor to serve Yu Gongwei.”

“Enough with the pleasantries,” Yu Xian said, beckoning Lu Yuan, “Brother Lu, have you appraised my jade?”

Lu Yuan shot a sharp glance at the middle-aged man and said, “You tell him.”

Manager Liu promptly introduced the man, “Master Zeng is our jade expert. Since I heard you wanted an appraisal, I invited him.”

Master Zeng, careful not to offend even the manager, cleared his throat and said, “Sir, I estimate these jade stones to be worth about 26,700 taels of silver. However, Boss Lu disagrees and says they are worth no more than 22,000 taels.”

Lu Yuan huffed, “With so much jade flooding the market, prices are bound to fall. I’m already offering a high price. If you want more, take it yourself.”

Master Zeng looked to Manager Liu awkwardly.

Manager Liu was also embarrassed; he had only intended to help raise the price for the Gongwei but had inadvertently stirred up trouble.

Yu Xian saw the tension and guessed Manager Liu had overreached, though he meant well and Yu Xian could not blame him.

“Stop arguing. Let’s settle on 22,000 taels.”

“Huh? Why suddenly so generous?” Lu Yuan eyed Yu Xian suspiciously.

Yu Xian snapped, “Then 25,000!”

“No, no, 22,000 is fine,” Lu Yuan quickly paid up.

The jade merchants attending were not only selling but also buying, prepared with plenty of cash.

Yu Xian waved the silver notes and said to Manager Liu, “Please bring a few more people to follow me. I want to buy more stones.”

His spiritual perception could reveal the jade within raw stones—gambling on jade was like picking up free money for him.

Though this boldness was somewhat contrary to his usual discretion, for future financial freedom, a little extravagance was worth it.

Ten thousand taels nearly stirred his desire to kill and seize treasure; several times that amount was even more enticing.

“No problem,” Manager Liu, having heard of Yu Xian’s morning exploits from Lan Xiaohé, immediately summoned more assistants.

“Take them all!” Yu Xian waved the notes, entering full buying mode, purchasing all the promising raw stones he had seen earlier—not just jade, but also white jade, yellow jade, red jade, agate, crystal, and more.

In the gambling-on-jade trade, any stone wrapped in a skin could be wagered on.

The 22,000 taels vanished like water; he even supplemented it with the remaining 2,000 taels on him.

Fine jade was expensive, but raw stones were cheap.

Lu Yuan’s raw jade had been carefully selected, so a single piece could command hundreds of taels, but many small traders sold raw stones for mere dozens or even a few taels.

Twenty-four thousand taels was a considerable sum.

But such a chance to pick up money like this was rare.

Also, by making such a high-profile purchase this time, next time he might be blacklisted despite any shamelessness.

They might even treat stones he’d inspected as non-sale items, opening them secretly.

Soon, the towering pile of raw stones attracted the attention of nearly the entire second-floor hall.

Manager Liu’s face flushed as he waved his hand.

“Call all the stone-opening masters in the pavilion! These stones must all be opened today.”

“Friends, don’t miss this chance! These stones have been personally selected by our Baibao Pavilion’s jade appraiser. Every piece will yield jade. If you like any, feel free to bid—the highest offer wins!”

He had abandoned his usual duties entirely.

Based on this morning’s profit estimates, the 20,000-plus taels could turn into over 400,000.

Yu Gongwei even intended to give Baibao Pavilion a ten percent commission.

This was a substantial sum and a great honor for Baibao Pavilion; even if the pavilion master found out, he would not blame Yu Xian but rather commend him.

As for Yu Xian himself, amid the murmurs of “the young jade appraisal master,” he quietly achieved both fame and merit.

(End of chapter)