During famine years, I had a divination slip in hand, and my whole family ate chicken, duck, fish, a

Qiongju Studio.

"Please don't joke, young lady. This is a jade shop, not a stone shop."

The shopkeeper stared at the broken stone on the table, trying to revive himself. "Forgive my poor eyesight, but why don't you try looking at other shops?"

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Your house will do."

"Hiss..."

The shopkeeper's lips twitched.

Faced with the unreasonable demand to open up this fake, broken stone, he didn't throw the person out with a broom, which already showed a lot of professionalism.

The shopkeeper glanced at Ye Qingqing from head to toe. Although she wasn't wearing silk or fur, she was dressed in a thick coat made of fine cloth.

In those days, families who could afford thick cotton-padded coats were either landlords or well-off merchants, so it wasn't wise to offend them too much.

Although I didn't want to offend him, the shopkeeper's words were quite blunt and sarcastic.

"I still suggest you go to another place... Right across the street is Shuyu Pavilion. The manager there is a master in the field. Maybe he can see the jade in your stone?"

"Sorry, I'm busy here... Someone, see them out."

"How much does it cost to open a stone?"

Ye Qingqing crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking at the shopkeeper with a leisurely air. "I'll pay for the stones myself, and I'll give you the money to earn, okay?"

"If you're willing to give us money to earn for free, of course we welcome it."

The shopkeeper, with a disdainful look on his face, sneered and extended an elbow towards Ye Qingqing.

"However, opening this kind of stone grinding wheel is very expensive, plus the craftsman's labor, it will cost at least one or two taels of silver."

And regardless of whether you find jade or not, you two can't be crying and making a scene in my shop, disrupting my business. I'm not someone to be trifled with."

Offering a high price of one or two taels of silver was entirely intended to discourage the other party from making a decision.

Throughout the year, he has seen countless people bringing broken stones to open jade mines.

There are many people who have been swindled out of their money by stones dyed with the emerald green of willow leaves. Once the stones are cut open, they wail and beat their chests in despair. Isn't that troublesome enough?

This arrogant girl is one thing, but her sister-in-law, whose face screams "greed," doesn't look like she'll be easy to deal with.

"Clatter!"

A silver particle was dropped onto the table, making a crisp sound.

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow. "Drive it."

The shopkeeper, "..."

I didn't check the almanac when I opened the door today, how come I ran into such a stubborn person!

I took the broken stone to the backyard for my master, and even he rolled his eyes and gasped when he saw it.

"Shopkeeper, are you out of your mind?"

……

While the stones were being cut open, Ye Qingqing and Ye Dazhuang sipped their tea leisurely, occasionally glancing at the finished jade pieces in the shop.

Ye Dali hugged his daughter with a blank expression, not daring to say a word.

Little Huanhuan is eating candy in her father's arms.

Li Chunyan's buttocks felt like they were covered in thorns; she couldn't sit still or stand still, pacing back and forth in front of the group, muttering anxiously to herself.

"Second Girl, is there really jade inside this broken stone? How do you know?"

"If we can't get it out, wouldn't that be a complete waste of a tael of silver? A tael of silver!"

"Dali, say something!"

"Brother Dazhuang, you also think it's possible to find jade? That's impossible, didn't that family all go to the old beggar...?"

……

Ye Qingqing was extremely annoyed.

"Sister-in-law, could you please sit down? You're making me dizzy."

Li Chunyan looked resentful. "How could I possibly sit still!"

"Take one more step, say one more word, and ten taels of silver will be deducted from your share of the profits."

Ye Qingqing frowned and snorted, "Ten taels, sister-in-law, you can go as you please..."

"Gulp!"

Before she could finish speaking, Li Chunyan plopped back down in her chair.

Get it right!

Ye Qingqing couldn't suppress the smile on her face. When it came to dealing with her sister-in-law, no one but Yinzi could get the better of her.

Ye Dazhuang unconsciously tilted his head, unable to suppress a smile.

Of the family, the eldest sister-in-law is the most "vibrant and lively," shrewd and interesting.

The air seemed to be stuck together; the wait for the stone to be opened was even more agonizing than checking college entrance exam scores.

Li Chunyan clutched her chest nervously, feeling like she couldn't breathe.

After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but want to speak, otherwise she would really suffocate.

With a determined look, he decided to offer ten taels of silver first.

So, Li Chunyan swallowed hard and said in a hoarse voice,

"Second Girl, why do I feel so uneasy..."

"Oh dear, we've kept you waiting, our esteemed guest..."

Before she could finish speaking, the shopkeeper, beaming with joy, hurried over, flashing Ye Qingqing a fawning smile.

"I was truly blind to your greatness, I was blind to your greatness!"

Having examined jade for so many years, I never recognized the exceptional quality of this piece of jadeite!

"Whoosh!"

Li Chunyan jumped up like a cannonball, her eyes widening instantly, her facial muscles contorting with tension, and she screamed at the top of her lungs.

"What?! Shopkeeper, what did you say?! You opened... opened... opened a treasure?"

His lips were trembling as if they were burning.

"Emerald Ink?"

Ye Qingqing unconsciously smiled.

"Yes, it's a treasure, and it's even Emerald Black... Black Sheep Fat!"

The shopkeeper's eyes lit up with excitement, and he exclaimed repeatedly, "Black as lacquer, smooth as cream, delicate and translucent—it's a top-quality jade pebble for gift-giving!"

As he spoke, he shook his hand as if it had been burned and clicked his tongue.

"No wonder the stone skin is so black. Why didn't I think of that?"

I'm so ashamed! This is the first time I've ever been fooled by these eyes. Oh well, never mind!

"Shopkeeper, what is Cui Mo? How much is it worth?"

Li Chunyan's heart was pounding like a drum, just like when she checked her college entrance exam score and found out she got 740, enough to get into Tsinghua or Peking University.

Is she dreaming?

Is there really a precious jade hidden inside that broken stone?

If it really is jade, why is that old beggar pretending to be a fool and trying to scam people with it...?

A series of large black question marks hung over Li Chunyan's head, making her feel dizzy.

Ye Qingqing raised an eyebrow at the shopkeeper, "Please, shopkeeper, give me an estimate."

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment,

"Jadeite is already rare, and this piece is slightly smaller than an egg. If it were larger for use as a ceremonial object, it would be priceless!"

But its strength lies in its excellent translucency, lustrous texture, and jet-black color… As for the price, if you were to buy it from me, I would offer you 800 taels.

"Take away the young master?"

Li Chunyan shouted out, and her vision went black; she almost fainted.

800 taels?

She gritted her teeth, unable to believe that this broken stone could sell for so much money!

Ye Qingqing was unfamiliar with jade prices, so she planned to compare prices from several vendors before making a purchase. She stood up and smiled faintly.

"Thank you, shopkeeper. I don't plan to sell it for now. I'll ask around again... Please, give me the jade."

"What?"

A bolt of lightning struck Li Chunyan's head, a devastating blow.

800 taels! That's enough to live on for a lifetime even if you break your arms and legs. Why aren't you selling it?

Second daughter, how much is too much?

"No, no, miss, the price is negotiable."

The shopkeeper quickly put on a smiling face and stopped her, saying, "Just tell me what you think is a reasonable amount; we can discuss it!"

Ye Qingqing shook her head. "To be honest, I don't know how much this thing is worth. I need to find someone knowledgeable to find out... I'll feel bad if I sell it at a loss."

After saying that, she stretched out her hand again, "Please, give me the jade."