Bo Nan was certainly looking forward to exploring Chen Shan’s warehouse, but with the man still confined to a hospital bed, it would have been poor form to say, “Get up, let’s go check out your stash.” Fortunately, he had managed to scavenge a few decent items from the antique market over the past two days. They were enough to make do, but today he needed to find a way to acquire something better.
He couldn’t go back to the antique market just yet. Now that the stall owners recognized his face, picking up “leaks” at a bargain wouldn’t be as easy. Besides, his previous success had been a stroke of luck; one couldn’t expect to find buried magical artifacts every single time.
Bo Nan rested his chin on his hand and thought of his brother’s credit card. Sorry, Bro, your little slush fund is about to take a hit.
He decided to head to Jewelry Street.
In Suzhou, the most famous specialty was undoubtedly Southern Red Agate. A variety of agate known in ancient times as “Red Jade,” it possessed a fine, oily texture and was rare in production. It felt like jade without actually being jade. Ancient people even used agate in medicine to nourish the heart and blood.
However, Suzhou was not the origin of this agate; Southern Red, as the name implied, came from the southern frontiers, specifically the Yunnan region. Suzhou’s fame for Southern Red was primarily due to the legendary “Su-style craftsmanship.” With jewelry and gemstones, “without carving, it cannot become a vessel,” highlighting the supreme importance of the artisan’s work.
Because Suzhou was a gathering place for master craftsmen, it naturally attracted countless high-quality raw materials seeking to be transformed into masterpieces. Over time, this had expanded into a massive market.
But Bo Nan wasn’t looking for Southern Red; he was looking for jewelry and gemstones that had existed for a long time. Just as the gathering of spiritual energy at Mount Xiaoqing could grow a patch of Jade-Heart Bamboo, materials like Southern Red and Jadeite similarly concentrated the spiritual energy of heaven and earth within themselves.
“A person nourishes jade for three years; jade nourishes a person for a lifetime.” This ancient proverb remains popular to this day. Even now, there is a common belief that if a frequently worn jade ornament breaks or chips, it has “blocked a disaster” for its owner.
This didn’t mean all jade stones were magical artifacts, but the probability was simply higher.
Furthermore, buying jade required “affinity” (Yuanfen). The better the stone, the stronger its Qi field. In the past, Bo Nan wasn’t particularly keen on going out of his way to buy these things. Thanks to his special sight, if he accidentally bought something that wasn’t meant for him, he might block someone else’s fortune, which would bring him bad luck.
But he couldn’t be too picky now. If a little bad luck came, so be it; at most, he’d do some extra charity later to balance his karmic scales. After all, he didn’t have a single handy artifact in his possession right now, and that made him feel uneasy.
Jewelry Street was bustling. Bo Nan arrived just in time for the once-a-month gathering. A glance down the street revealed crowds of people, most of whom were wealthy individuals with high-quality prayer beads wrapped around their wrists or emerald-green jadeite pendants that almost seemed to glow.
Numerous “cloth-bundle” stalls (street vendors) lined the road, displaying a variety of Southern Red, crystals, and jadeite that shimmered pleasingly under the sunlight.
Bo Nan strolled slowly along the street. Many of the bundle stalls were “fishing in troubled waters,” selling items with zero spiritual energy—likely dyed materials of unknown origin. There wasn’t much to see there. Conversely, several established storefronts radiated a comfortable, soothing Qi field as he walked past their entrances.
He entered a shop. The owner inside also had the aura of a “big boss”; he didn’t care about Bo Nan at all. He glanced at Bo Nan, threw out a casual “Look around, call me if you see something you like,” and went back to drinking his tea. Bo Nan scanned the counters before his gaze finally settled on a curio shelf. There sat a statue of the Deliverance Guanyin, a rare and exquisite find.
Judging by the material, the Deliverance Guanyin was made of jadeite. It was rimmed with a circle of “Yellow Jadeite” that perfectly formed the Goddess of Mercy’s golden wheel of flame. The center was a watery, pale lavender, carved into the form of the Guanyin. Aside from the rarity of the material, the carving itself was vivid and ethereal, with delicate and graceful lines that screamed high-tier Su-style craftsmanship. Its Qi field was exceptionally stable and vast, carrying the characteristic upright peace of Buddhist nature. The slight yellow fading into purple signified wealth and great fortune.
Purple is a noble color; in ancient times, it was a restricted color reserved for royalty. The Forbidden City’s Chinese name, Zijincheng (Purple Forbidden City), hinted at the nobility of the color. In the world of Feng Shui, there is the saying “Purple Qi comes from the East.” Having a streak of purple in a Qi field made it precious enough.
“Boss, that Deliverance Guanyin statue looks like it has a good appearance,” Bo Nan said, using the tone of a seasoned expert. “I wonder if you’d be willing to part with it?”
Only then did the owner turn his head to properly size up Bo Nan. He said slowly, “I could, but it’s ‘hot’ to the touch. It’s the piece that anchors my shop. If you don’t have the affinity, don’t ask.”
“Affinity,” of course, meant cash.
“Good goods aren’t afraid of lacking affinity,” Bo Nan countered.
“Fine.” The owner finally stood up, put on gloves, and carefully lifted the Guanyin from the shelf. He placed it on a thick velvet cloth and stepped back, signaling Bo Nan could inspect it. “Glazed-gold Deliverance Guanyin, sticky-ice variety. It’s the work of Su-style master Gu Yiming and even won an award at an exhibition last year. The clarity isn’t the highest, but the color… well, young man, you can see it for yourself.”
Bo Nan didn’t really need to inspect it, as he wasn’t after the stone’s transparency or “water” quality, but he went through the motions anyway. After a moment, he said, “This outer layer is ‘Mist-to-Jade,’ right? It’s not actually Yellow Jadeite.”
The outer layers of jadeite are often covered by a “mist” layer that is jade-like but not quite. Usually, there is a stone skin, then the mist, then the true jade meat. “Mist-to-Jade” meant the jadeite was so old and high-quality that the mist layer had become nearly identical to the jade itself.
Typically, the mist layer is discarded, unless a carver uses it for a specific artistic effect. This statue was a prime example of that skill.
The owner couldn’t help but nod. “Good eye.”
“Give me a price so I can weigh it?”
The owner glanced at the watch on Bo Nan’s wrist and quoted a price. “Meeting today is a form of affinity. Real price: 300,000 yuan.”
As soon as Bo Nan heard the price, he knew it was inflated. The statue wasn’t very large—about the size of two palms. Considering a sticky-ice bracelet on the market went for 20,000 to 30,000 yuan, even doubling that for the carving, the material cost wasn’t that high. Decorative statues were rarely as expensive as fine jewelry.
He deliberated for a moment. Following the Suzhou rule of haggling, he cut the price in half. “150,000. Can you let it go for that?”
The owner paused. “I can’t give it for that.”
“I’m a sincere buyer, give me a real price,” Bo Nan said. “Since this isn’t true ‘Glazed Gold,’ the price shouldn’t be that high.”
The owner nodded and hesitated for a second. “Add a little more.”
“160,000?”
200,000,” the owner said. “Let’s call it making a friend.”
Bo Nan shook his head. “168,800. I’ll give you a lucky number. Everything goes smoothly, and everyone prospers. What do you think?”
The owner lit a cigarette, touched the face of the Guanyin statue, and fell silent for a while. “Fine, it’s yours. Just to make a friend. Come back to me next time. Scan code or card?”
“Card.” A QR code scan didn’t have such a high limit anyway.
While he was swiping the card and signing, a man came in from outside. “Uncle Liu! The goods are here. Should we bring them in or take them to the back warehouse?”
“Take them to the warehouse. I have a guest here, wait for me a moment,” the owner replied. Once the transaction was done, Bo Nan asked casually, “Any other good stuff? Let me open my eyes a bit?”
“Some raw stones (Maoliao), and a batch of Southern Red beads. Interested, young man?” The owner perked up. Though he didn’t fleece a “fat sheep” on this deal, he still made a profit. Seeing Bo Nan’s composed manner, he figured he was dealing with a genuine benefactor. The owner didn’t mind showing him more.
“My surname is Bo. You can just call me Xiao Bo,” Bo Nan smiled.
Boss Liu made a gesture of apology. “I still need to tidy up here. If you’re interested, Xiao Bo, why don’t you come back in two hours?”
“Sure.” Bo Nan left his contact number and departed with his purchase.
After walking a few steps, he saw a circle of people gathered ahead. It looked very lively, accompanied by a piercing mechanical sound. Everyone was straining their necks to get a look inside.
Curious, Bo Nan squeezed in. In the center, an old master was operating a machine—the noise came from him cutting a raw jade stone.
A middle-aged man who looked to have a short temper crossed his arms and said to another man, “You really expect to find something good in ‘kilogram material’? Keep dreaming!”
The other man snorted coldly. “Stop your yapping. We’ll know once the stone is out!”
Bo Nan’s gaze shifted past them to the shop behind them—it was indeed a jadeite “Stone Gambling” shop specializing in raw stones.
A sign was prominently posted: Stone gambling is risky; purchase with caution.