Chapter 560 Jiang Fenghua Has No Love for Him

The stall was filled with a dazzling array of ornaments, each one exquisitely crafted, which dazzled Jiang Fenghua. It wasn't that they hadn't been to the streets before; they had strolled around there during those few days, but they were always on high alert and had never felt so relaxed as they did today.

Xie Shang selected a jade hairpin and inserted it into her hair bun. "It looks very nice."

He then carefully selected other pieces, wanting to put together a set of jewelry for her. He could have someone make custom pieces for her, but that wouldn't be as enjoyable as going shopping together.

Jiang Fenghua looked away when she saw his extremely serious expression.

Suddenly, she saw a pair of jade dragon and phoenix pendants of superior quality.

Xie Shang finally found someone he liked.

They both reached for it at the same time, each picking up a piece. He smiled slightly at her and asked, "You like it?"

He suddenly touched her hand, and Jiang Fenghua blushed without saying a word. "It's alright!"

Seeing this, the shopkeeper began to introduce the jade pendants in a great manner: "These dragon and phoenix jade pendants look very simple, but they are actually the real treasures. If you look closely, you will see that the patterns inside are all naturally formed, just like a dragon and a phoenix flying together. The craftsman has skillfully preserved the original jade pendants. They look simple but are very noble and very pleasing to the eye. Those who say they are ordinary do not know their value."

Jiang Fenghua knew that businessmen would definitely exaggerate their own sales, and that the prices in the jade market were very chaotic, so one could easily be ripped off if one wasn't careful.

Xie Shang was about to say that he had bought it and how much it cost.

Jiang Fenghua quickly replied, "It's just average."

Her words made the shopkeeper roll his eyes in anger. "If you want to buy, then pay. This pair of jade pendants is 10,000 taels, no bargaining. If you don't want to buy, then leave. Don't delay my business. If you don't buy, there are plenty of others who will. This is the only pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants. They are a rare find."

Jiang Fenghua said in a deep voice, "I'll give you ten taels of silver."

Xie Shang was also dumbfounded. The other party asked for 10,000 taels, but she only offered 10 taels. He never spent less than 1,000 taels when buying jewelry in shops in Shengjing City.

In Jiang Fenghua's view, he has money but doesn't know how to spend it, and she wouldn't encourage such a trend when they're out and about.

The shopkeeper said, "Such high-quality jade is worth at least five hundred taels."

Xie Shang looked at the shopkeeper and immediately lowered the price from 10,000 taels (no bargaining) to 500 taels (worth it), meaning that further negotiation was still possible.

"The jade is fine, but the carving is extremely rough. I bet the owner has no interest in these two jade pendants to this day! A good piece of jade is just a piece of waste material if it is placed in the hands of an unsuitable craftsman, and it is worthless."

Jiang Fenghua said directly, "Jade that is not carved cannot become a useful object. Your jade pendant is worthless now!"

The shop owner was stunned, but insisted, "It is indeed good jade, worth the price. Go to other stalls and see if this quality of jade is worth the price."

Jiang Fenghua didn't argue with him, and said kindly, "The boss just said that the craftsman cleverly preserved the jade pendant itself. In my opinion, he dared not touch it. This piece of jade is not easy to carve. It barely looks like a dragon and phoenix based on the patterns inside, but it can also be compared to a snake and a chicken. It's not worth much. Ten taels of silver. If the boss is willing, I will buy it and carve it myself. It can still be worn. Wearing it out like this will only make people laugh."

The shop owner thought about it and realized that it was indeed a piece of jade that had been cut into pieces and was now worthless. It was clearly a good piece of material, but it had been turned into scrap. It would be a pity to throw it away.

“I can tell you’re quite knowledgeable, young lady. You can tell that good jade has been cut badly. All you need is a good jade carver. If you offer a little more money, I’ll sell it to you.”

"Twenty taels, fixed price." Jiang Fenghua added, "I won't take it even if it's more expensive."

The boss thought for a moment, then said, "Deal."

These two pieces of jade were cut from a single piece of jade. If they were cut well, they would be worth at least a thousand taels of silver.

Jiang Fenghua held the silver in her hands, took out thirty taels of silver from her purse and gave it to the shopkeeper, saying, "I'll borrow the extra ten taels of silver to use your carving tools."

The boss was stunned again, "You want to carve it yourself? Do you know how?"

“I feel like I can do it, and I want to give it a try. If the carving is ruined, it has nothing to do with the boss,” she said.

The shopkeeper was also eager to know how she would turn the scraps he had ruined into something useful. "Please, miss." Thirty taels would be enough.

Xie Shang asked, "If you want to do it yourself, are you really capable of carving?"

“Give it a try. Lin Yu said we started out in the jade business.” She leaned close to Xie Shang’s ear. “If the carving is successful, these jade pendants will be worth at least five thousand taels.”

Xie Shang was dumbfounded. No wonder Jiang Jinyan said that they were never short of money outside, and even made a lot of money. The profit margin of jade is huge!

There are also cases where a fine piece of jade can sell for an astronomical price.

She began to modify the jade pendant with great focus, which attracted many people. Some said, "If you can carve, it would be very meaningful to choose some jade you like and design it yourself."

Seeing that a lot of people had come to his stall, the owner quickly came up with a plan. "I have all kinds of jade that you want. If you want to carve a token of love for your husband like this young lady, you are welcome to choose one. I will provide the carving tools for free."

Upon hearing this, everyone, regardless of their ability, began to seriously select items.

Upon hearing the boss's words, Xie Shang's thoughts raced. Was Jiang Fenghua going to carve a token of their love for him herself?

He was overjoyed, watching her slowly sculpt the shape bit by bit, and he was also looking forward to her finished product.

From day to night, Jiang Fenghua patiently carved and polished the jade, and the boss made a fortune. Unexpectedly, the finished products did not sell well, but the semi-finished products were sold out, and everyone wanted to buy them to carve themselves.

When the shopkeeper saw the shapes of the two jade pendants, his eyes widened in astonishment. "Such exquisite craftsmanship! You're amazing, young lady!"

Jiang Fenghua smiled slightly and finished polishing the entire jade pendant with sandpaper.

After she finished grinding, she only showed the two jade pendants to the shopkeeper for a quick glance, and then said, "Okay, thank you for the tools, shopkeeper."

The owner knew that the value of jade was not in the jade itself, but in the craftsman who carved it. Jade was everywhere, but the craftsmanship was the most valuable asset.

No matter how good a piece of jade is, it's still a waste if there's no good carving master.

After leaving the stall, Jiang Fenghua put the two jade pendants into her purse.

Xie Shang held out his hand to her, "Give me the piece you gave me!"

"What?"

"It's a token of our love! It's the dragon and phoenix jade pendant you just carved yourself. You get one, and I'll take one." He just couldn't believe she would give the jade pendant to someone else; he was still full of anticipation.

Jiang Fenghua was speechless. "Who said I was going to give this to you? This is a gift for my parents, one for each of them."

Xie Shang felt very disappointed; he had thought it was a gift for him.

Looking at the bustling streets and lively crowds, Xie Shang lost all interest in strolling around. At this moment, he was only thinking about one thing: Jiang Fenghua didn't have feelings for him.

"What festival is it today? The streets are so lively, and all sorts of lanterns are lit up all around." Jiang Fenghua didn't notice his bad mood. She said, "It seems to be the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Xie Shang remained silent.