“Liao! Don’t push your luck too far!”
Qin Yange raised her voice, and immediately, everyone from the Qin family’s Third Branch turned towards her and Jiang Ci. Even Qin Huai’an walked over alongside Old Master Qin, glaring at Liao Junfeng with obvious hostility.
Many people from the auction house were still present, including reporters. Hearing the commotion, they quickly gathered around.
Liao Junfeng deliberately waited until the reporters were close enough before provoking her with her own words, “What’s wrong? Weren’t you just saying that family ties and seniority don’t matter? Are you hiding behind your elders now?”
“When it comes to slandering others, I am certainly no match for Mr. Liao. But when it comes to a stone betting match, I have no fear,” Jiang Ci paused, then changed her tone, “However, just kneeling and kowtowing is rather meaningless. If we are going to bet, let’s make it a big one. You’ve already stated your wager, Mr. Liao, so to be fair, I will add one of my own.”
Hearing this, Old Master Qin frowned and muttered softly, “Ridiculous.”
Jiang Ci lowered her eyes coldly, ignoring him. She looked directly at Liao Junfeng and said, “Why are you silent, Mr. Liao? Surely you aren’t afraid of losing to me?”
“Arrogant! I’d like to see just how big a wager you are prepared to make!”
“Very well!” Jiang Ci turned to address the crowd, “I ask everyone present to be my witnesses. Today, I, Jiang Ci, openly accept this challenge. Win or lose, I will bear the consequences. I bet all the jade in my store, Longchang Jade Workshop, plus the three kowtows you mentioned. Longchang Jade Workshop challenges Jubao Zhai here and now! The loser must not only kowtow three times in public to apologize but also donate every piece of jade in their shop—both rough stones and finished products—to the charity gala organized by Director Qin to support Guanzhong!”
No one expected Jiang Ci to stake so much. The crowd fell silent, stunned by her boldness.
Old Master Qin came to his senses and snapped at Qin Huai’an, “Pull your wife back this instant! No one can force her to accept this bet. Why must she be so stubborn?”
Qin Huai’an stepped back and argued, “Father, the Liao family is the ones being unreasonable. Why should we belittle ourselves?”
“You! I really…”
Seeing Old Master Qin about to intervene, Liao Junfeng decided against haggling further. He immediately stretched out his hand and said, “Fine! It’s a deal! Nine o’clock tomorrow morning at the Qin Family Stone Betting Field. If anyone doesn’t show up, they forfeit!”
Jiang Ci reached out and slapped his hand firmly, “A deal!”
Photographers raised their cameras, snapping pictures frantically, while reporters scribbled notes furiously, sending their assistants running to the newspapers with the breaking news.
Seeing that matters had escalated beyond repair, Old Master Qin sighed deeply, stamped his foot, and turned to leave the hotel with his hands behind his back.
Liao Junfeng shot Jiang Ci a malicious look, said “See you then,” and strutted away arrogantly.
Qin Huai’an remained where he was, wanting to ask Jiang Ci if she was confident. But before he could move, Zeng Juemi stepped forward and invited her to dance.
Watching Jiang Ci place her hand in Zeng Juemi’s, Qin Huai’an abruptly pulled his foot back, snorted coldly, turned on his heel, and walked away to chat with some acquaintances.
She was clearly getting along famously with the Second and Third Branches; why should he make a fool of himself?
Meanwhile, as they moved onto the dance floor, Zeng Juemi said, “After today, you will be known as the second heroine of Shanghai, after Sister-in-Law. To be honest, apart from the two of you, no one else has ever dared to humiliate the Liao family’s Second Branch like this!”
“I didn’t intend to embarrass him. He brought this on himself.”
“Speaking of which, are you confident about this match?”
“Since it’s a gamble, there can never be absolute certainty,” Jiang Ci replied with a bright smile.
Looking at her expression, Zeng Juemi felt a sense of familiarity. He paused and said, “Looking at you like that, it seems you are quite confident.”
Jiang Ci just smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
As the song ended, another gentleman quickly stepped forward to invite her for the next dance.
From a distance, Qin Huai’an watched, downing his champagne in one gulp.
His friend, who had seen Jiang Ci at the billiards hall before, was even more impressed this time. Noticing Qin Huai’an’s expression, he teased, “What did I tell you? Never say never. You were so cold to her before, but now look at you… jealous, aren’t you?”
Qin Huai’an placed his empty glass on a waiter’s tray and glared, “What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I be jealous? I’m just worried that if she loses, she’ll bring shame to the Qin family!”
“Sure, sure. You’re just worried about the family honor,” his friend agreed, though his smile was knowing and meaningful.
Feeling like he couldn’t win the argument, Qin Huai’an said stiffly, “Dancing is boring. I’m going home. Are you coming?”
“I’ll stay. At least my father didn’t storm off in a rage tonight, so I don’t need to make excuses for him.”
“You speak in riddles. So boring. I’m done talking to you.”
Qin Huai’an left the hotel with a straight face, hailed a rickshaw, and headed home.
By the time Jiang Ci was free from dancing and meeting new people, it was already past ten o’clock. Although high society parties usually lasted until midnight, Jiang Ci had a match the next day and could not stay late.
Since Qin Yanting, the hostess, couldn’t leave her guests, she sent her brother and brother-in-law to escort Jiang Ci home.
In the carriage, Qin Yanchi looked at Jiang Ci through the rearview mirror and instructed, “When we get there, I’ll talk to Father for a few minutes. You just go straight to your room to rest. That way, once I leave, they won’t be able to call you back for a lecture.”
Zeng Juemi suddenly understood, “I said I could escort her alone, but you insisted on coming. So you were just here to be her bodyguard!”
Jiang Ci was more than happy to go straight to bed and nodded gratefully.
When they arrived, the house was still lit up. Old Master Qin and Madam Qin were still awake, clearly waiting to confront her.
However, before they could say a word, Qin Yanchi took charge of the situation. With Zeng Juemi, an outsider, present, the elders could hardly vent their anger and had no choice but to let Jiang Ci retire.
Jiang Ci slept soundly until morning, not waking up until eight o’clock.
Her in-laws had spent the whole night seething, their faces dark with suppressed anger.
But just as they were about to scold her, Jiang Ci picked up a pan-fried bun and said, “Father, Mother, if you have anything to say, please wait until I return. My appointment with Liao Junfeng is at nine, and it’s already a quarter past eight. If I delay any longer, I’ll forfeit by default.”
Thinking of the staggering wager—an entire shop full of jade plus public humiliation—Old Master Qin and Madam Qin could only sit there sighing heavily, as if she had already lost.
Yet Jiang Ci’s appetite was completely unaffected. She ate six buns, some side dishes, and a bowl of milk porridge before setting off by rickshaw for the Qin Stone Betting Field.
When she arrived, the venue was packed. The crowd spilled out onto the street, with food vendors and newspaper boys weaving through. Even rickshaws could barely squeeze by.
“It’s Boss Jiang!”
Someone shouted, and the noisy crowd instantly parted to make way.
Jiang Ci got out of the car, paid the driver, and walked in, nodding politely to those around her.
“Boss Jiang is certainly punctual. Not a minute early. I almost thought you got cold feet,” Liao Junfeng said smoothly from his chair. He glanced behind her and asked mockingly, “Why are you alone? Are you planning to compete personally?”
“So much nonsense,” Jiang Ci turned to Manager Yu and said sharply, “I suppose you plan to hide behind him like a coward?”
Before Liao Junfeng could retort, Jiang Ci addressed the crowd, “Since this is a competition, who will be the referee?”
Liao Junfeng swallowed his words.
Manager Yu stepped forward, “To ensure fairness, we have invited the most respected connoisseurs in the city. These gentlemen are known for their integrity and impartiality. With them presiding, no one can argue the result.”
“Well said. However, I believe we can make it even fairer. Why don’t we separate the selection and judging processes? The identity of the owner of each stone will remain anonymous until the masters have reached their decision. What does everyone think of that?”
As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd erupted in approval.
“That’s a great idea!”
“No favoritism allowed!”
With everyone in agreement, Liao Junfeng and Manager Yu could hardly object without looking afraid, so they had no choice but to accept.
The venue manager immediately arranged for the judges to be seated in the appraisal room, offering them tea and snacks.
Once ready, the manager struck a gong and announced loudly, “Ladies and gentlemen, today we witnessed a duel between Longchang Jade Workshop and Jubao Zhai! Before we begin, let me state the rules! It is a best-of-five series. The categories are: Color, Variety, Base, Mist, and Cracks. The first to win three rounds is the champion! By tradition, the first round is Color. Each contestant has the time it takes for one stick of incense to select their stone.”
He waved his hand, “Light the incense!”
As the thin smoke rose, Jiang Ci and Manager Yu went to opposite piles of rough stones.
The event had been widely reported, and many prominent figures were present, including several who had attended the auction the night before.
Mrs. Pan and a group of young women stood at the front. Qin Yanchi, Qin Yange, and Zeng Juemi stood in the southeast corner, accompanied by Elder Ge.
Everyone thought Jiang Ci was alone, but that wasn’t true. Elder Ge had arrived earlier and was simply observing quietly from the crowd.
Noticing Qin Yanchi looking at him, Zeng Juemi shrugged innocently, “I don’t know anything about this! I’m just here for the show. You should ask Elder Ge.”
Elder Ge explained, “Betting on Color means betting on the presence and quality of color. To determine a winner, the stone must show signs of color on the surface. Patterns like black or white bands, mossy patches, or pine-flower markings are indicators that there might be green inside.”
Qin Yanchi mused, “So essentially, it’s betting on whether it will turn green.”
“Exactly.”
“And how is the winner decided?”
“Simply put, we look for presence, vibrancy, saturation, and evenness. If the skin has color but the inside is empty, it’s a loss. If there is green but it’s dull, pale, or off-color, it’s also a loss. Only when the color is bright, pure, and full is it a win. However, such jade is extremely rare. Often, it comes down to who loses less badly.”
Zeng Juemi clicked his tongue, “That sounds incredibly strict.”
“That is why experts rarely challenge each other. When they do, it means they are sworn enemies.”
Just then, a man in a black suit walked through the crowd to the northwest corner and stood beside Lu Fengchun.
Lu Fengchun took out a thin imported cigarette, and his man immediately lit it for him before reporting in a low voice, “Fifth Master, the bookmakers have opened the odds.”
“Oh? Who has the most bets?”
“Naturally on Jubao Zhai. Less than ten percent are betting on Longchang.”
Lu Fengchun held the cigarette between his fingers, flicked the ash, and pulled out a thick wad of cash. He patted it against his subordinate’s chest and said, “Go. Bet all of this. On her.”
His subordinate followed Lu Fengchun’s gaze to Jiang Ci and asked in surprise, “You’re not betting on Mr. Liao?”
“I own the casinos. Why would I care about petty winnings? Taking a risk for a big payout is much more fun.”
His subordinate accepted the money and left. It wasn’t his money anyway; Fifth Master’s wealth flowed like water.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Pan was wringing her hands anxiously.
“It’s been half the time already! Why is she still walking around?”
“Yes! Look over there, they’ve already picked several candidates!”
They didn’t know that Jiang Ci wasn’t just looking for any green—she was looking for top-grade imperial green.
While Elder Ge thought in terms of “losing less,” Jiang Ci was determined to win.
But top-grade stones were rare, and these were new arrivals, untouched by previous buyers. Finding a gem was incredibly difficult.
Jiang Ci rubbed her eyes and moved to the next stone. She was looking for stones with good translucency and thick skin, hoping to see the color through.
However, the strong light reflecting off the surface made her squint and blink hard.
Qin Yanchi noticed this from a distance, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
Wiping her eyes, Jiang Ci signaled to an attendant, “I’ve made my choice.”
The crowd quieted for a moment, then erupted into noise.
“Already? There’s still half the time left!”
“I wonder what Manager Yu will choose…”
“She should be more careful! The stake is the entire shop! Do you know how much that is?”
“I don’t know about Longchang, but Jubao Zhai is huge. I heard their inventory is enough to build a bridge!”
“How much is that?”
“At least two or three million silver dollars! I read that the Qiantang River Bridge cost five million!”
“But if Longchang loses, they won’t have that money anymore.”
“Forget the money! Imagine having to kneel and kowtow in public! That’s the real shame!”
Liao Junfeng fanned himself, listening to the gossip. He glanced at Jiang Ci and sneered, “All show and no substance.”
Mrs. Pan and her friends surrounded Jiang Ci, “Miss Jiang, are you sure you don’t want to look some more? Then again, sometimes second thoughts are worse…”
They chatted until the incense burned completely down.
The gong sounded, and the two stones were carried into the appraisal room.
The door opened, and the crowd pressed against the entrance.
The stones were placed before the judges. One was large, the other small.
The large one, chosen by Manager Yu, had distinct band-like markings running across it and a patch of greenish moss on the side. He was betting that the green underneath the markings connected with the side patch, forming a large solid area.
Jiang Ci’s stone was smaller and had thick, rugged skin. However, it had a fresh fracture face covered densely with tiny green spots, looking very promising at first glance.
The experts leaned in to discuss.
“This smaller one… it seems…”
“It is said: ‘Better a line of green than a wide patch.’ This could be all green, or just skin-deep. But full green is so rare.”
“In my opinion, the larger one has finer skin. It has a better chance.”
“Let’s not waste time. Let them cut windows first.”
The cutters went to work, grinding windows on the most promising spots.
The sound of grinding filled the room.
“Mist is forming!”
“Green is showing! It looks like apple green!”
Manager Yu puffed out his chest, glancing at Jiang Ci with arrogance.
Little girl! You only got lucky last time! And that was a pre-cut stone anyway! How can you compare to me in real stone betting?
His stone had thin skin, and soon a large window was ground out. The green was vibrant and seemed to be spreading. It looked very likely that the veins connected deep inside.
Zeng Juemi craned his neck and said to Qin Yange, “This doesn’t look good. His stone has a lot of green!”
Qin Yange glanced nervously at Qin Yanchi. Seeing his calm expression, she relaxed slightly and said, “Didn’t you say that grinding doesn’t count? Only cutting tells the truth. Let’s wait.”
Meanwhile, the cutter working on Jiang Ci’s stone was having trouble getting through the thick skin. He put down the tool and asked the judges, “Shall we just cut it straight?”
The crowd murmured anxiously.
“The skin is so thick… it might be empty inside.”
“Boss Jiang might lose the first round.”
Liao Junfeng leaned back in his chair, “Overestimating oneself. She has a lot more to do.”
His voice was drowned out by the sound of the saw.
Everyone watched breathlessly as both stones were sliced deeper.
Jiang Ci’s stone was smaller, so it was cut faster.
Finally, the cut was complete.
The top slab was lifted away…
“It’s Zhengyang Green!”
A roar went up from the crowd.
Mrs. Pan, unable to see, frantically asked, “Is it Jiang Ci? Is it her?”
“It’s Boss Jiang! Full, vibrant Zhengyang Green! This is worth far more than apple green!”
“It’s Jiang Ci!”
Mrs. Pan and her friends held each other’s hands, stamping their feet in excitement.
This time, Liao Junfeng could no longer remain calm. He sat up straight in his chair and waved at his attendant, “Go check it out!”
Inside the appraisal room, Manager Yu’s face was ashen. He stared fixedly at Jiang Ci’s stone as if he had been personally insulted.
Damn it! Since when did Zhengyang Green become so easy to find?
Reluctantly, he looked away and said, half in defiance and half in self-assurance, “The stone hasn’t been fully cut yet. It could just be skin-deep green!”
Hearing this, Jiang Ci chuckled, “For apple green to compare with Zhengyang Green, how thin would that skin-deep layer have to be? Surely Manager Yu isn’t hoping this jade is as thin as paper?”
“This is only the first round. Don’t celebrate too soon!”
“Then let me advise you, Manager Yu, to watch your words. You just revealed which stone is mine, which makes one wonder if you have ulterior motives. However, the result here is so obvious that I won’t pursue it. For the remaining rounds, please keep your mouth shut!”
“You! We’ll see how long you can keep that attitude!” Manager Yu flushed with anger and snapped at the cutter, “Hurry up and make the second cut!”
The cutter rolled his eyes inwardly and signaled his colleague. They worked quickly to saw through the stone.
By the time Manager Yu realized what was happening, the cut was already half done.
He turned pale, “What are you doing? Cutting it like that will ruin the chance of making bangles!”
“Oh! Manager Yu, you were in such a rush to decide the winner, of course we cut it vertically! How else would we know how deep the green goes? You should have said something earlier!”
Before Manager Yu could argue, the second cut on Jiang Ci’s stone was finished.
A thick slab was removed, revealing that the remaining stone was still a vast expanse of pure green.
“There’s enough material left to make a pair of bangles!”
“Full-color Zhengyang Green! No matter what anyone says, Boss Jiang wins this round!”
At this point, the judges’ opinions were irrelevant. The difference was so vast that anyone with eyes could see the result.
The competition quickly moved to the second round: Betting on the Variety.
The gong sounded again, and another stick of incense was lit. Jiang Ci walked calmly out of the room.
Suddenly, Manager Yu stepped in front of her, “Wait a moment! This is the Qin family’s venue, and you have a connection here. To be fair, why don’t we switch sides for this round?”
Jiang Ci crossed her arms and scoffed, “I thought you were a veteran with years of experience. It seems you aren’t as confident as you pretend to be.”
She gestured grandly, “By all means.”
They swapped positions and began selecting stones.
Betting on the Variety meant betting on the quality and transparency of the jade, but it also required identifying the specific mine or origin (kou) the stone came from.
To win, one had to correctly guess the origin. Even if the quality was better, if the origin was misidentified, it counted as a loss.
Therefore, this round required picking eight small stones, one representing each of the eight famous mines. Points were awarded based on correct identification, and only then was the quality compared.
Jiang Ci was at a disadvantage here. Her experience was limited, and identifying origins required years of practice.
Frankly, she didn’t care too much about losing this one round. They were playing best-of-five, after all.
But for the crowd, this was the most interesting part. Many were enthusiasts themselves and began discussing the characteristics of different mines.
“That yellowish-red stone is definitely from the Damakan mine.”
“I’m not so sure. Nanqi also produces orange stones, and Huika often has red wax skin. The colors are very similar and hard to distinguish.”
“Huika is famous for green wax skin. Who would pick red wax skin for this round? Besides, Damakan stones are usually smaller water-worn pebbles. This one is only the size of a sweet potato—it has to be Damakan!”
Qin Yange asked, “They are talking so loudly. Won’t that affect the competition?”
Zeng Juemi teased, “This is your family’s place and you don’t know? These characteristics are just general tendencies. Stones from different mines often overlap. It’s not like one mine has something the others don’t. And only the most typical examples are easy to spot. Most look similar—either yellow or black sand skin. It takes years of experience to tell the difference.”
“That doesn’t make sense. It’s like saying not all book sellers are scholars,” Qin Yange retorted, then asked worriedly, “Jiang Ci is young. I’m afraid she can’t match Manager Yu’s experience.”
Elder Ge pondered for a moment, “Actually, Boss Jiang’s method seems different from others. She asked me for some manuals, but she rarely focuses on origins.”
“What do you mean?”
“Looking at the stones she brought back before, most had unremarkable skin, and many were mountain stones where the origin is hard to tell. Based on my experience, I would never have gambled on those.”
This made Qin Yange even more anxious.
But when she looked over, Jiang Ci was casually tossing a small, grey-green stone up and down like a ball.
Jiang Ci decided to pick the ones she was certain about first, and guess the rest.
The grey-green stone in her hand was unmistakably from the Houjiang mine. It was tiny, but the quality was excellent.
Houjiang stones are known for being small, thin-skinned, high quality, but very brittle and full of cracks. Usually, they are only good for making rings, but since this round only judged quality, the cracks didn’t matter.
The skin was so thin that Jiang Ci didn’t dare use her ability to look inside. She just checked the energy density and put it in her basket.
Next, she picked up a palm-sized stone with green wax skin. This was definitely from Huika.
She rubbed the surface with her thumb and listened closely. The texture was slightly rough and gritty, and the sound of friction was crisp. This indicated fine, evenly distributed particles, meaning the jade was “old” and high quality.
Jiang Ci couldn’t see the “age” of the jade with her X-ray vision; she had to rely on touch and sound. Even when cut open, you need a magnifying glass to see the structure.
Like the Guatemalan jadeite from later times, which looks beautiful at first but turns cloudy and dull over time because its structure is loose or “young”. The older and denser the structure, the better the quality. Dragon Stone type is the ultimate, the highest grade of Imperial Glass.
This Huika stone was also full of cracks, but the quality was top notch, typical of water-worn stones tumbled in riverbeds.
She then picked a cement-skin stone from Moxisha. For the rest, she relied on her memory of the books.
She vaguely remembered something about “Muna snowflakes”. That meant the colorless jade with snowflake-like inclusions she had won before was likely Muna material.
Thinking of this…
Jiang Ci activated her ability and scanned the area.
Found it!
She walked over, picked up an ordinary-looking yellow-white sand skin stone, and added it to her basket.
For the last four, she chose black wax skin, yellow-red skin, orange peel skin, and a blue-black metallic stone.
The attendants wrote down her guesses for each origin and stuck the labels on. When time was up, the baskets were taken to the judges.
The experts split into two groups, examining the stones carefully and comparing notes.
Jiang Ci noticed that after looking at her basket, the masters glanced at her with subtle surprise. It seemed she had guessed correctly far fewer times than Manager Yu.
Finally, they announced the scores.
“The basket on the left has all eight correct. The basket on the right has five correct.”
“A difference of three! She’s probably going to lose this one.”
“Experience counts! Manager Yu has been in this business for over twenty years.”
“Even if she loses this one, it’s still a tie overall. Three rounds to go!”
Meanwhile, Lu Fengchun’s subordinate ran over again, “Fifth Master, people lost money last round, so half are betting on her now. Do you want to keep betting?”
“Yes. Bet on her again.”
The man hesitated, “But Boss Jiang looks like she’s going to lose this round!”
“Nonsense! The game isn’t over yet!”
The subordinate hurried off with the money.
Back in the appraisal room, the cutters began grinding the stones.
“Moxisha! Colorless Steel Glass Type!”
Someone immediately commented, “Starting with Glass Type. It’s going to be hard for Boss Jiang to beat that.”
Then the cutter working on Jiang Ci’s stones shouted, “Muna! Sea and Sky Glass Type!”
“It has snowflakes! And it’s Blue Water!”
“Next one!”
“Muna! Colorless Old Nuo Type!”
“Houjiang! Colorless Ice Type!”
Mrs. Pan, listening from the back, cheered, “Jiang Ci won that one!”
But someone else said, “What’s the use? Manager Yu has eight correct. She has to win six times to take this round!”
“Jiang Ci only got five right. How can she win six times?”
“She would have to win all her remaining five, and hope Manager Yu’s last three are terrible, like Bean Type quality.”
“That’s almost impossible!”
Then the results came one after another.
“Huika! Clear Water Nuo Ice Type!”
“Huika! Peach Blossom Ice Glass Type!”
“Still Boss Jiang! Is she really going to turn it around?”
“Damakan! Lemon Ice Type!”
“Moxisha! Ice with Floating Flowers!”
Several draws broke the crowd’s expectations.
When the last stone was cut, everyone sighed.
“Kiwi Bay! Imperial Green! What a pity, she still lost!”
There was no need to cut the rest.
Manager Yu walked up to Jiang Ci, cupped his hands arrogantly, and said, “Nice game, Boss Jiang.”
He brushed past her shoulder and walked out.
Liao Junfeng, who had been tense for a long time, finally leaned back in his chair, relieved.
Outside, newspaper boys heard the news and ran off to spread the word. Soon, the entire city was talking about the match.
Back at the Qin residence, Old Master Qin and Madam Qin kept sending servants to inquire about the latest developments.
In the east courtyard, Qin Huainan had just made up with her brother. She tugged at Qin Huai’an’s sleeve, “Brother, take me to the stone field! Mom and Dad are too busy to notice us. Let’s go out the back door!”
Qin Huai’an was pacing restlessly, pretending to read *The Lady of the Camellias*. He frowned, “It’s chaotic there. What would a girl like you want to go there for?”
“To cheer for my Sister-in-law! This is about the Qin family’s honor! You should support her at a time like this! Please take me! With you there, no one will dare do anything to me!”
Qin Huai’an put down the book. He had hurt her feelings before; he shouldn’t keep rejecting her. Besides, with so many people there, Jiang Ci wouldn’t even notice he was there.
“Fine. But promise me you’ll stay quiet. Don’t make a scene. I don’t want Jiang Ci to see me and get the wrong idea… just behave yourself.”
“I promise! I’ll be quiet! Let’s go quickly!”
The siblings slipped out the back door and hired rickshaws.
By the time they arrived, the third incense stick was almost burned out.
Qin Huai’an’s friend spotted him and came over teasingly, “Huai’an! You’re late!”
Qin Huai’an stiffened, “Stop talking nonsense. How far along is it?”
“Third round. It’s Betting on the Base. I heard about it but don’t really get the difference between Base and Variety. But at least they don’t have to guess origins this time, so your wife has a better chance.”
“Stop talking rubbish!”
“She’s your legally wedded wife. How is that rubbish?”
With so many people around, Qin Huai’an didn’t want to argue. “Let’s go in and find out exactly what the rules are.”
In those days, elderly gentlemen loved to act knowledgeable.
As soon as they asked, an old man began explaining, “The Base, also called the Ground, works together with the Variety. Generally, a good base means the jade is clean and free of impurities. Like those snowflake stones from yesterday—great quality, but the base was flawed. Worse ones have spots, rough texture, or are loose and porous. But usually, if the variety is good, the base isn’t too bad…”
Before he could finish, the gong rang out again.
The crowd surged forward, pushing towards the appraisal room.
“Hurry! The result of the third round is coming out!”