Chapter 9 third quarter

Yugong lifted the curtain from the back and came out, saw Lu Guichen standing by the window looking out at the street in a daze, and smiled: "Master, I have been looking at it for a long time, but there is still nothing to like? The shop is small, and you are laughing at me." Lu Guichen came back to his senses, and shook his head hastily: "No, no. There are many beautiful things, like the pair of dragon's blood crystal frozen square badges. They are really top-notch. I have never seen such a good material." "Then Fangzhang?" Yugong shook his head, "It is indeed expensive, but the material of the dragon blood crystal steatite is too pure, so it has no charm. If you like it, you can sell it for 300 gold baht .”

Lu Guichen hesitated for a moment, stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Actually, I came here this time to find an emerald ring. I heard that there is one in this shop, but I haven't found it after looking for it." .” "Emerald rings? There are a lot of these things, but a few days ago a big shop in Tianqi came to see the goods and bought a lot. These small things are not displayed outside. What does the ring you want look like?" "I haven't seen it before. I heard from friends that it is a jadeite ring with a glazed bottom. It is transparent. Only one point of it is dark blue, which dyes the whole piece of jade green." Lu Guichen said.

Yu Gong thought for a while, then patted his head: "Oh, the one that the young master said may still be there, wait for me to look for it." When he came out from behind again, he held a delicate lacquered wooden box in his hand.He invited Lu Guichen to sit down in a corner of the shop.Lu Guichen knelt on the fine white bamboo mat, looked up and saw a skylight, the sun was shining directly from the carved lattice window.Yugong opened the box with a smile. For a moment, it seemed that emerald light overflowed from the box, reflecting greenery on Yugong's skinny fingers. It was a ring of emerald jade lined in the heavy crimson brocade, like a frozen bend of spring water, ready to flow at any time.

"That's it, that's it!" Lu Guichen shouted in surprise. He took out the emerald ring from the box, and was surprised to find that the greenness had faded away quietly. The whole emerald ring was actually transparent, almost crystal, only a spot the size of corn was so black, and the strands of emerald green It diffused towards the surroundings like a mist, but it was like throwing a pierced snake gall into a glass of clear water. "It's really good stuff. It's the top-grade jadeite from Beiman Mountain. It's so rare that it's green and vivid. It's the base of water. I'm not boasting. Compared with it, Qinggui from Honglu Temple is just a piece of dead jade." The young master looked at the light, it was condensed but not heavy, transparent but not scattered. The jade mines in Beiman Mountain have been extinct, and if you want to buy such good jade in the future, you will be hard-pressed if you have money." The jade worker was a little proud.

According to his words, Lu Guichen turned the emerald ring against the sun. Strange to say, as soon as the jade ring was turned, the green color suddenly came alive. The deep color is basically colorless when it is light. "This piece of jadeite has eyes," the jade worker pointed to the green color of corn, "this is the jade eye. In fact, all the green comes out of that little jade eye. In the old saying, this kind of jade is snake jade , there are poisonous snakes coiled around and guarded in the jade pit, so it is not easy to get." Lu Guichen stroked it lightly, and couldn't help but smile: "How do you sell this emerald ring?"

"Two hundred and fifty gold baht." "Is such a fine jade not as expensive as Fang Zhang?" Lu Guichen looked at him in surprise. The jade craftsman looked at him seriously, and couldn't help laughing: "I haven't heard that people who buy jade dislike cheap jade. Although this jade is good, the rich merchants of Tianqi don't like it, because the jade material is too small to grind. The ring that comes out is too small, at most it can only be worn on the girl's wrist, and it can't be worn when it grows up. If it is worn on a chain and worn around the neck, it is too big, so the price cannot be raised."

"Well," Lu Guichen nodded, "If it is ground into a hook or a pendant, it may be worth a lot of money." "That's what I said, and I know it too," the jade worker smiled and shook his head, "But such a good jade material, it's a pity to grind it into such a vulgar thing, I can't bear it. This jade has another advantage." "Oh?" "If you wear this jade close to your body, body temperature will warm the jade, and the green color of the jade eyes will slowly overflow. If you wear it for ten or twenty years, the entire jade ring should be emerald green."

"Is there such a thing?" "Of course it's true." Yugong unbuttoned his neckline to reveal a jade pixiu tied with a silver chain around his neck, "When I first wore this pixiu, only half of it was green, but now the whole piece is green. That's right. The old jade will have yellow ooze when it is placed against the iron, and this green ooze is actually the same, but it comes out of the jade itself." Lu Guichen nodded in admiration: "This is the first time I've heard of this." "It turned green after more than forty years of warming." Yugong sighed softly. "It was a dowry gift for my wife when she got married. She is no longer here, so I will miss it."

He put the pixiu back into his collar: "Is it a promise of love when you buy this, sir?" "A promise?" Lu Guichen was taken aback. "Of course! Yuhuan and Yuhuan are intended to achieve a consummation." Yugong laughed, "Anyone in the city who has surplus money will have a jade ring in the dowry gift. If you stop, you won’t be able to run away. From the look on your face, Young Master, it’s also to buy jade for your sweetheart, right?” Lu Guichen stopped talking, and turned the jade ring gently in his hand.The greenery reflected by it is illusory, like a pool of clear water overflowing and flowing on the white bamboo grates.

"If it's an ordinary friend, is that okay?" After a long time, he raised his head. "I'm afraid there may be some misunderstandings?" Yu Gong laughed. Lu Guichen stopped talking again, and gently wiped the jade ring with a flannel cloth, staring at it in a daze. "Young master, take a look, I'll go around." Yu Gong stood up. "Young Master! Young Master!" The little guy cleaning outside opened the curtain and rushed in rashly. "There are no rules!" Yugong scolded in a low voice, "Is there anything you can't say slowly?"

"No...not..." The little boy was sweating in anxiety, "Outside...someone is looking for young master, and they say it is...the surname is Chi, big...big...big man!" "Surname Chi?" Lu Guichen was taken aback and got up hastily. He ran a few steps outside, turned around, and bowed to the jade worker: "Please keep this jade ring for me, sir. I am willing to offer three hundred gold baht." He ran out in a hurry, Yu Gong followed behind, and quietly opened a gap in the curtain to peek.In the middle of the small street stood seven maroon horses, all with iron palms and bronze pedals, and covered in red and gold embroidered horse clothes.The knights on horseback were wearing cotton armor of the same color, with a long saber in a sharkskin sheath on their waists, and one of them held a crimson banner with golden blooming chrysanthemums painted on it.That is the family emblem of Baili Jinghong, the lord of the Lower Tang Dynasty.People with foreign surnames cannot take this banner lightly. "Yes...it's the banner of the palace," the young man said tremblingly, "The one with the red banner seems to be General Chi Haonian, the deputy commander of Jinwu!" Yugong nodded silently. The middle-aged general waiting on horseback under the red flag was wearing silver heavy armor and a red cloak, revealing a faint official authority, which made people dare not look directly at him.But as soon as Lu Guichen walked out of the shop, he dismounted from his horse and stood quietly by the side, and the few executive kings behind him also dismounted and saluted, with all the courtesy.Chi Haonian went up to Lu Guichen and said a few words in Lu Guichen's ear, and the group immediately got on their horses and galloped towards the end of the small street.This small street in Huangyuefang is full of jade shops, and jade cocoons are hung under the eaves as a signboard. The horses are carrying a gust of wind, and the sound of Yuco ding ding dong dong can be heard endlessly, like the gongs and drums playing on the stage to herald the coming storm. For a long time. "It's a child in a cage." Yu Gong muttered to himself.