Li Jin washed away the loose dust on the surface of the stone with water, and the color beneath the stone shone through.
Everyone was stunned.
A touch of bright red, like a red sun, appeared on top of the stone.
"Red jade?" Even Xiao Yi was surprised.
Xiao Yi couldn't help but push his wheelchair closer to get a better look.
Amidst his amazement, Li Jin continued to rub the skin of the stone, expanding the exposed area.
"This is top-quality red carnelian!" the shopkeeper beside them suddenly exclaimed.
"Heavens, such a huge piece of top-quality red carnelian!" The shopkeeper suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Top-quality red carnelian is very rare. It's impossible to have such a big piece, right?" the stone-cutting master voiced his doubts.
"I have been dealing with stones since I was young, and I have never seen anyone with such a large piece."
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo, who was squatting aside looking at the stone. "Duoduo, what do you think?"
Duoduo tilted her little head. "Won't we know once we rub it all out?"
Xiao Yi immediately ordered, "Rub it all out and let's see!"
The master also joined in, and the shopkeeper poured water from the side.
Several people worked together. As more and more red jade showed through the stone, everyone in the shop gathered around to see the marvel.
It took a full incense stick's worth of time before the whole stone finally revealed its true appearance.
The entire piece was red jade!
It was like the sun in the sky had fallen into the mortal realm.
Everyone's eyes fell on the red jade, reluctant to look away.
The jade was too beautiful!
The clear red was stunningly beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful, so beautiful that it seemed unreal!
This jade only had a thin layer of stone skin on the outside.
Once the outside was rubbed away, the inside was entirely top-quality red carnelian.
"Your Highness, if this jade is made into an ornament, it will be worth at least ten million taels of silver!"
The shopkeeper had already estimated the most appropriate price for the stone in his heart.
Duoduo opened her mouth wide. "How much?"
The shopkeeper thought he had quoted too little. "Princess, I am only making an estimate."
"When the time comes, let the carving master take a look. If he can carve out a unique pattern, the price should be even higher!"
Duoduo glanced at the bright red carnelian, hardly able to believe her ears.
"How much silver is that jade piece worth?" Duoduo pointed to the small stone from the very beginning.
The shopkeeper looked at the quality of the jade.
"If that jade is like this piece, and the whole thing is this kind of azure green, it can be made into a complete set of headpiece jewelry."
"I estimate it is worth at least one hundred taels." The shopkeeper's estimate was very conservative.
Duoduo looked at the stones on the ground glowing with colorful lights, and she looked at Xiao Yi in disbelief.
"Father, just five small stones like this can earn back all the costs we just spent?"
A smile appeared on Xiao Yi's face.
"Yes! How about it? Do you still regret the silver you spent now?"
Duoduo shook her head. "No regrets!"
Duoduo immediately came to her senses and reached out to pull Xiao Yi.
"Father, let's go buy more! Let's buy all those stones!"
"This way, you won't lack silver to spend!"
At the thought that a stone worth one tael of silver could turn into one hundred taels, Duoduo couldn't wait to bring all those good-looking stones back immediately.
Xiao Yi held Duoduo back. "Haven't I taught you that a person cannot be greedy?"
Duoduo froze.
Father actually wouldn't make money when the opportunity was right there?
Why?
"The fact that you bought these two stones shows that you have good luck."
"If you continue to buy, in case what you buy back is a pile of waste, you will cry."
Duoduo shook her head. "I won't buy waste!"
The smile on Xiao Yi's face disappeared.
His expression became serious.
"Do you know that a person's good fortune is limited."
"If you consume your good fortune today, you will usher in bad luck."
"Do you want to be entangled in bad luck and constant misfortune?"
Duoduo shook her head in confusion. "I don't want to!"
Xiao Yi stared into Duoduo's eyes. "Since you don't want to, then drop the idea you just had!"
Seeing that Xiao Yi's tone was very stern, Duoduo pouted and stopped talking.
Seeing this, Li Jin hurriedly smoothed things over.
"Your Highness, Princess, how should we handle this jade piece?"
"I want to sell it!"
"Keep it!"
Xiao Yi and Duoduo expressed different opinions at the same time.
Duoduo looked at Xiao Yi with disapproval. "Father, what are we keeping this stone for?"
"It's better to sell it, and then we will have silver!"
Duoduo firmly remembered what Xiao Yi had said about having no silver in the accounts.
Xiao Yi glanced at Duoduo. "This kind of top-quality red carnelian is very rare. We are keeping it for your future dowry!"
Duoduo shook her head uncaringly.
"I won't marry! Father, sell it! I want silver!"
Seeing the father and daughter arguing, Li Jin hurriedly said, "Your Highness, how about our shop buys it?"
"This way, the Princess gets silver, and you get the jade?"
Xiao Yi glanced at Li Jin. So he had to bear it all alone?
"Your Highness, should we still cut open the remaining stones?"
Having cut open two jade pieces in a row, the shopkeeper and the stone-cutting master looked at the remaining stones with eager eyes.
"There's no need for the rest. Take them back to the manor to line the pond."
Xiao Yi said, instructing Yunxiao.
"Yunxiao, take a few of them and load the stones onto the carriage."
"Yes." Yunxiao led the men and moved the stones from the ground onto the carriage at the door.
Hearing this, the shopkeeper was immediately very disappointed.
It seemed that only these two stones contained jade!
However, it was still a rare treasure seen once in a century.
Once the stones were loaded onto the carriage, Xiao Yi and Li Jin took Duoduo and also boarded the carriage.
Duoduo sat next to Li Jin, staring blankly at the stones in the carriage.
"Are you unhappy?" Li Jin asked softly.
Duoduo gently shook her head. "No."
Li Jin looked at Xiao Yi and patted the back of Duoduo's hand.
"Princess, do you know why His Highness disagreed with your suggestion just now?"
Duoduo answered absentmindedly, "Didn't Father say that in case I bought waste, it would be a waste of silver."
Li Jin glanced at Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo and didn't explain.
Li Jin shook his head.
His Highness's temperament!
In Li Jin's eyes, Xiao Yi cherished words like gold and wouldn't explain half a sentence of nonsense.
It was fine for those who understood, but for those who didn't, they would misunderstand by a hundred and eight thousand miles.
"Princess, you have misunderstood His Highness!"
Li Jin sighed. It seemed that this opportunity to explain could only fall to him.
Who made him Duoduo's teacher!
Isn't a teacher responsible for answering questions and resolving doubts?
Duoduo looked at Xiao Yi in confusion. "If that's not what he meant, then what did Father mean?"
Xiao Yi looked at Duoduo. "Use your own brain to think!"
Duoduo looked at Xiao Yi's eyes and froze for a moment.
Did she misunderstand? Wasn't what Father said exactly what he meant?
