Chapter 83: A World of Black and White

With a flash of insight, Zhang Can’s eyes returned to seeing the world in vibrant color, and he stood rooted to the spot in astonishment. The few vases and jars the old woman had brought out from the house were worth almost nothing. He had intended to give her two hundred thousand yuan to have her stash away for future expenses and her grandchildren’s school fees. But now, having suddenly discovered the secret of those pigpen stones, his mind was changed.

After some thought, Zhang Can returned to the yard. Zhu Senlin was sitting comfortably, legs crossed, gazing at the dozens of large trees outside the yard, utterly at ease—country air truly was different.

The old woman was in the kitchen boiling water. After steeping tea, she brought it out and then started cooking—stir-frying some dishes and boiling noodles to entertain the two of them.

Sitting down beside Zhu Senlin, Zhang Can spoke in a low voice, “Old Zhu, do you have a bank card on you? The bag in my car only has two hundred thousand, and my card is just one, my entire fortune. Do you have a single card with a million or two?”

Zhu Senlin was taken aback, surprised. “What? Two hundred thousand isn’t enough? Isn’t a million or two a bit much?” His excitement made his voice rise a little.

Zhang Can quickly motioned for him to quiet down, then whispered, “Old Zhu, it’s not about compensating the old lady as we discussed before—two hundred thousand is enough for that. None of the vases and jars she gave us are worth anything. But just now, when I went to relieve myself by their pigsty, I saw that among the seven or eight stones holding down the pigpen, four of them are top-quality Burmese jadeite rough. I know jadeite best, and I’m certain that two of those stones contain the finest glass-type jadeite. The value of the raw stones alone will exceed twenty million, and if we have them crafted by a master, the finished pieces could be worth more than a hundred million. Do you understand?”

“What…?”

Zhu Senlin was utterly stunned!

The surprise Zhang Can had given him was overwhelming. If what Zhang Can said was true, this was a fortune beyond imagination—a couple of million paled in comparison. But could he truly be certain, just by eye, that those pigpen stones contained jadeite? And top-grade, at that?

Although not a master appraiser, Zhu Senlin was no stranger in this business. Years dealing in antiques and jade had made him quite familiar with the finest jadeite. He didn’t need Zhang Can to explain further; he knew Zhang Can wasn’t speaking nonsense. The only question was whether his judgment was accurate.

But Zhu Senlin had no doubts about Zhang Can’s abilities—he trusted his eye completely. So, after a moment’s pause, he took out his wallet, opened it to reveal seven or eight bank cards, selected one, and handed it to Zhang Can. “This card has two million two hundred thousand in it. It was meant for my daughter’s overseas studies, but if you need it, take it.”

Zhang Can accepted the card with a nod, then said, “Compared to what we’re getting, this is a small price to pay. If we were dealing with those market regulars, I wouldn’t mind making as much as possible off them. But with someone like this old lady, I always feel a bit guilty. Still, business is business. For a family like hers, too much money might be a disaster. The grandchildren are too young to understand much—what’s important is ensuring they grow up, finish school, and gradually learn about life. After all, her son is still the head of the family, and as a gambler, he’s beyond redemption.”

He sighed and continued, “Old Zhu, I know what you’re thinking. These two million are for the four pigpen stones, but if I’ve misjudged and lost, giving them this money won’t be a loss, will it?”

Zhu Senlin was startled again. Of course, it would be a shame if Zhang Can was wrong—after all, that was a lot of money. But looking at Zhang Can’s calm demeanor, he didn’t seem like someone guessing blindly.

Zhu Senlin relaxed, realizing Zhang Can was merely expressing his feelings. From what he’d seen of Zhang Can’s abilities, he knew that Zhang Can wouldn’t make such a judgment lightly. If he said it so directly, then he was confident. Trading two million two hundred thousand for something worth over a hundred million—just thinking about it made Zhu Senlin blush with excitement!

Soon, the old woman brought out two bowls of noodles. There was no meat in the house, but she had fried two eggs for one bowl—already a rare treat, since they usually saved the eggs to sell. She also served a small bowl of noodles with an egg for her granddaughter. When the old woman went back inside, Zhang Can picked up an egg and put it in Xiang Lin’s bowl, whispering, “Little sister, don’t say a word!” and winked at her.

Because of the pigpen stones, Zhu Senlin and Zhang Can didn’t stand on ceremony; they ate heartily, which eased the old woman’s mind.

To be honest, the noodles had little flavor—just some salt and oil, and two eggs. But both men ate with gusto, finishing quickly. When the old woman returned, Zhang Can said, “Granny, we’ll take all these antiques. I’ve prepared a bank card here with two million two hundred thousand yuan—please keep it safe, don’t let your son find it. There’s also two hundred thousand in cash in my car; I’ll bring it in a moment.”

The old woman was so shocked she could barely speak. Not only had Zhang Can returned her seal and refused her money, now he was offering her a sum she could never have imagined. She knew the jars and vases were worthless—her son had stolen and tried to pawn them already, but no one wanted them. If they were worth anything, it was only because the buyers hadn’t realized, or perhaps the young man in front of her was making a mistake.

Zhang Can asked, “Granny, did your late husband like jade and gemstones?”

The old woman was startled, then nodded. “He did like to tinker with those things. He even went to Yunnan once to get some stones. When we moved from the city to the countryside, he brought seven or eight stones and kept them under the bed. After he died, I found them in the way and used them to weigh down the pigpen. They’re of no use—if you want them, take them.”

Zhang Can nodded, went to the car, brought the bag of cash, and handed it to the old woman along with the bank card, whispering the card’s password in her ear.

The old woman opened the bag, confirming it was full of neatly bundled, bank-sealed hundred-yuan notes. She was so stunned she hurried inside to hide the cash and card.

Zhang Can beckoned to Zhu Senlin, and the two of them rushed to the pigsty. Zhang Can picked out the four stones he had his eye on, pointed them out to Zhu Senlin, and without caring about the smell, grabbed one and dashed to the car.

Zhu Senlin, tall and burly, was even stronger. He picked up the largest stone—over a hundred jin, heavy and foul-smelling. But he didn’t care; if this rock was worth millions, what did a little stench matter? Even if it was a heap of manure, he’d haul it away for that kind of money.

They loaded the stones into the trunk of the new Mercedes. There was plenty of space, though the stones made it stink. Zhu Senlin didn’t mind at all; the car had cost him two million, but if these stones were as valuable as Zhang Can said, he could buy dozens more. And following Zhang Can had turned out to be a thrill—good fortune seemed always to follow. He hadn’t expected to profit today, let alone stumble upon such treasures.

After storing the stones, they loaded the vases and jars into the car as well and returned to the table. The old woman was still inside, hiding the money, clearly nervous. She’d never had anything to hide before, and now didn’t know where would be safe enough.

Xiang Lin was still eating her noodles. Zhu Senlin glanced at her, suddenly recalling the previous incident, and quietly asked, “Little sister, do you still have any of those copper coins for making shuttlecocks—the kind you traded with Uncle Zhang last time?”

Xiang Lin licked her lips and nodded, “I have several more. I found them in Grandpa’s old trunk, and my brother helped me pull feathers from the rooster’s tail.”

Both men perked up, especially Zhu Senlin, who flashed a triumphant smile at Zhang Can, then asked Xiang Lin, “Can you bring them out and show Uncle?”

Xiang Lin nodded, put down her bowl, ran inside, and brought out a shoebox, placing it on the table. She opened it to reveal an assortment of small toys, among them seven or eight copper coins.

Zhang Can glanced at them and saw they were the most common kind—modern, mixed-metal coins, worth nothing.

Zhu Senlin looked at Zhang Can, who barely glanced at the coins and shook his head, so he asked Xiang Lin, “Is that all? Are there any more?”

Xiang Lin shook her head. “That’s all. I took every coin from Grandpa’s trunk. Are you going to make shuttlecocks too? Didn’t Uncle Zhang buy me lots of pretty shuttlecocks last time? Don’t they sell them in the city?”

Zhu Senlin replied, “Oh, it’s not that. My little girl wants to make some herself. The ones in the shops are all factory-made, but she wants to try making her own.”

“Oh!” Xiang Lin said, not sure if she understood, but she took out all the coins and gave them to Zhu Senlin. “Uncle, I’ll give you all these coins. Take them back for your daughter to make shuttlecocks. I have plenty from Uncle Zhang, and I haven’t even worn one out yet.”

Zhu Senlin was genuinely fond of this little girl now. He accepted the coins, patted her head, and said, “Remember, if you and your grandma ever run into trouble, come to our shop and find me. Uncle and Uncle Zhang will help you.”

Xiang Lin nodded, her childish voice soft and sweet, “Thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Uncle Zhang.”