Unlimited Black Cards! A Mysterious and Wealthy Young Lady!

Upon hearing this, the old man slowly raised his eyes, a gentle smile appearing in his cloudy eyes. His hands, however, did not stop moving; the carving knife lightly traced the surface of the jade, producing fine jade shavings. "Does the young lady like this?"

"I love it! I love it so much!" Fu Siya nodded vigorously, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and she asked curiously.

"Grandpa, are you using the traditional jade carving techniques passed down from our ancestors? I've seen similar exhibits in museums; they're said to be extremely challenging. Can I try? Just a light scratch, I promise I'll be very careful!"

The old man looked at her earnest face, her eyes filled with longing for jade carving, and then glanced at Jiang Wenxi, who stood quietly to the side, her gaze calmly fixed on the tools on the workbench, without the slightest impatience.

The old man couldn't help but smile, put down his carving knife, took out a piece of polished ordinary white jade from the drawer of his workbench, and then took out a small carving knife with rounded edges, handing it to Fu Siya: "Not bad, but this carving knife is very sharp, so you have to keep your hand steady. Here, I'll teach you how to hold the knife."

Fu Siya excitedly accepted the carving knife and jade material, her fingertips trembling slightly. The old man patiently held her wrist, adjusting her posture little by little:

"Your fingers should be bent, with the fingertips pressing against the handle of the carving knife. The pressure should be light, following the grain of the jade. Don't force it." Fu Siya learned the technique quite well, holding her breath and following the old man's instructions to slowly place the carving knife against the jade.

But as soon as she applied force, her hand trembled involuntarily, and the carving knife instantly deviated from its intended trajectory, slicing towards a nearly finished jade Guanyin pendant.

"Oh dear!" Fu Siya froze instantly in fright, her face turning pale in an instant. She almost dropped the carving knife in her hand and hurriedly apologized.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't mean to! My hand slipped... Is your pendant alright? Maybe I should just buy it."

The old man smiled nonchalantly and reassured him gently, "It's alright, beginners are always like this, it's normal to be clumsy. Look, this pendant is fine."

Then the old man said, "Feel it, the pressure should be even, follow the texture of the jade, just like drawing lines on paper naturally."

Fu Siya followed the old man's movements and slowly felt the changes. Her tense emotions gradually calmed down, and a focused expression returned to her face.

Jiang Wenxi stood aside and watched this scene quietly. Her gaze inadvertently fell on a bamboo basket in the corner of the workbench. The basket was filled with a pile of inconspicuous scraps, which were all pieces cut off during the carving process. Most of them had impurities and damage, and they looked to be of little value.

She walked over slowly, bent down and picked up a palm-sized piece of white jade, gently stroking its surface with her fingertips.

The jade material has a faint milky white color throughout, with a noticeable break at the edge and several dark spots on the surface, making it seem like a piece of scrap material with little carving value.

"Grandpa, how much is this scrap?" Jiang Wenxi looked up at the old man and asked in a calm tone.

The old man was intently instructing Fu Siya when he heard this and casually replied, "This material has many impurities and the texture is uneven. It has little value for carving. Keeping it is just to make up the numbers; it's not for sale."

Jiang Wenxi nodded slightly, pointing to a spot on the jade material covered with blemishes, and said with certainty, "Look here, cut along this texture, remove the blemishes on the outside, and there is a pure white jade core inside. Although it is not large, the texture is delicate and warm, with few flaws. It is just right to make a small pendant."

Upon hearing this, the old man was taken aback for a moment, then put down Fu Siya's hand, quickly walked over, and took the jade from Jiang Wenxi's hand.

He first examined it carefully with his naked eye, then took out an old magnifying glass from his pocket and repeatedly observed the place Jiang Wenxi pointed to. His brows gradually relaxed, and a look of surprise gradually appeared on his face.

He had been in the industry for over forty years and handled countless pieces of jade, yet he had never discovered that such a treasure was hidden in this unremarkable piece of scrap.

"Young lady, you have a really good eye!" The old man looked up at Jiang Wenxi with admiration in his eyes.

"I just tossed this piece of jade into the basket without ever really looking at it. If I cut it in the spot you suggested, it might actually yield a good piece! Thank you for reminding me, otherwise it would have been such a waste!"

Jiang Wenxi smiled faintly and shook her head gently: "It was nothing, you're too kind."

Fu Siya also stopped what she was doing and came over to watch the excitement. When she learned that Jiang Wenxi had found something good in the scrap, she was filled with admiration.

"Wenxi, you're amazing! You can even tell that!" Ma Yun also came over, peered at the jade, but still couldn't figure it out, and didn't dare to say anything more.

After pausing for a few more moments, Fu Siya thanked the old man and said goodbye before the three of them continued on their way.

After walking only a few steps, Ma Yun rubbed his stomach, his face showing obvious fatigue and hunger, and said helplessly:

"We've been walking around for so long, the sun's almost setting, and I'm starving. There's an old teahouse not far ahead, a place many of the older generation in Shanghai frequent. Not only can you rest and have tea there, but they also sell authentic Jingdezhen snacks, like alkaline rice cakes and cold noodles. Shall we go sit down?"

Fu Siya was feeling a bit sore in her legs, and upon hearing this, she immediately nodded in agreement, her tone full of anticipation: "Great! I'm tired too, and I want to rest my legs and try the snacks you mentioned!" Jiang Wenxi had no objection and nodded slightly to indicate that it was okay.

The three quickened their pace and walked in the direction Ma Yun pointed. Before long, they saw an old-fashioned teahouse. The teahouse had an old-fashioned wooden lattice door, and above the door hung a black plaque with gold lettering that read "Tea House" in strong and vigorous characters.

As you enter the teahouse, a rich aroma of tea mixed with the fragrance of pastries wafts towards you.

The teahouse is decorated in a simple and rustic style, with flat bluestone slabs on the floor and heavy eight-immortal tables set up, with long benches next to the tables.

Many guests were sitting around the table, some chatting in small groups, and others enjoying tea and reading alone, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.

The waiter, dressed in a blue coarse cloth jacket, carried a tea tray and moved between the tables and chairs, calling out "Here you are!", exuding a strong sense of everyday life.

Ma Yun led the two to an empty seat by the window, a spot with a wide view of the ancient town.

"What would you three like to order?" The waiter quickly came over, wiped the table swiftly, and handed over a yellowed menu.

"Give me a pot of your signature cloud and mist tea, a serving of alkaline rice cake, a serving of cold rice noodles, and a plate of osmanthus cake."