Zuo Ling used the excuse of going back to the ancestral hall to drive, and said that if there was anything suitable, he could just load it into the car directly, saving himself the trouble of carrying it back and forth.

She was afraid that with so many people around, some unscrupulous individuals might sneak away a few Go sets when she wasn't looking, since they were expensive.

Although I may have some petty thoughts, it's always better to be cautious than to make a big mistake.

Such opportunities cannot be approached with excessive caution.

The little boy offered to help carry the chessboard and pieces; it was quite heavy.

The observant villagers quickly came to help.

Only after putting the item in the car and transferring it to the storage space did I feel at ease.

We drove back to the village chief's house and continued collecting stones.

Having received a tremendous opportunity in the village, Zuo Ling wanted to make amends to the villagers, so she loosened her grip considerably.

They collected over fifty energy crystals of varying sizes and grades, not counting the little boy's, spending over 100,000 yuan.

Almost every household had a harvest, and the villagers were as joyous as if it were Chinese New Year.

Zuo Ling reaped a rich harvest, acquiring two pieces of each of the secondary black and white energy crystals.

The pockmarked man the villagers mentioned last time has also arrived, bringing a black and white companion stone. Its quality isn't as good as the little boy's, but it's still considered a high-grade energy crystal.

The old village chief's family received over 5,000 yuan, and his juicy face beamed with the radiance of a blooming chrysanthemum in October.

Several men were squatting or standing in the corner, with a few stones piled up at their feet.

Seeing that Zuo Ling wasn't looking this way, his heart grew colder and colder.

They've been observing for a while now, and once Zuo Ling takes a liking to a piece, she'll immediately make a bid, almost without hesitation.

The fact that they haven't looked this way means that their stones aren't what Zuo Ling wants.

Seeing that the villagers had all earned something, one man couldn't help but timidly step forward and say to Zuo Ling:

“Girl, take a look. We went through a lot of trouble to dig this out of the river. It’s very beautiful, really, I’m not lying to you.”

Fearing that Zuo Ling wouldn't believe him, he splashed a ladle of water onto the largest rock.

Then, he scooped up a few more ladles of water and splashed them onto the other smaller stones.

Nourished by water, the stone underwent a magnificent transformation before Zuo Ling's eyes, as if by magic.

On the largest rock, under the blazing sun, three sika deer—one large and two small—were leisurely grazing by the river.

A rock the size of a fan, resembling a colorful peacock with its tail feathers spread.

Several brightly colored fish were swimming in a fish tank about 20 centimeters in size.

An old man carrying a hoe and leading a young child walks along the ridge of a field, the setting sun casting a long shadow behind him.

The most amazing part is the rooster embracing the morning stone, with its head pointing exactly in the direction of the map of China, and its magnificent tail feathers exuding pride and confidence.

I couldn't help but take out my phone and take pictures of each stone.

Seeing that Zuo Ling was interested, the man splashed a few more scoops of water to make the picture clearer so that Zuo Ling could take a picture.

Zuo Ling believed that the stone was retrieved from the river and was not fake.

If he truly possessed such skill, he wouldn't have fooled her.

He said, "I don't collect these kinds of stones. These stones of yours should be very valuable to collectors. If you don't like them, they're worthless..."

The man felt utterly disheartened. He had mobilized his entire family to go down into the river in the dark to retrieve the best and most beautiful stones, but all their hard work had been for nothing.

Then Zuo Ling said again:

"I can buy them all for 20,000. Think about it and see if you want to sell them to me. If you're not satisfied, you can try selling them yourselves."

The man's heart was racing like a rollercoaster. 20,000! The same price as a Go set, and the highest price in the whole village!!

"Okay, okay, 20,000 is fine, 20,000 is fine."

The man only heard "20,000," and didn't hear a word else.

I heard it, but I ignored it.

He's a country bumpkin who's only ever been to the county town, and he barely knows anyone there. Who could he possibly sell to? It's more practical to just take 20,000 yuan.

The men who came with the man were so excited they jumped for joy. They all thought it was hopeless, but they didn't expect such a pleasant surprise.

The stone was beautiful, but it was useless to Zuo Ling.

Given her personality, even if she bought it, it would only cost her 10,000 yuan at most.

The other 10,000 was to distract the little boy who was selling Othello.

Having a large sum of money suddenly appear around a young child is not a good thing.

It was a way of subtly doing something for the little boy, to alleviate his guilt about taking advantage of him.

The villagers were surprised to find that another item sold for 20,000 yuan. The news spread like wildfire, making it even more lively than a market day.

After collecting the remaining energy crystals, Zuo Ling's trip to the ancient village came to an end.

The old village chief warmly invited them to stay for a meal, which brought a significant increase in income to the village, making him proud.

He wanted to build a good relationship with Zuo Ling, hoping that Zuo Ling would come to collect stones again next time.

Those caught in the river can sell for 20,000! Let's get everyone to go and catch them in the river.

The villagers spared no effort and didn't slack off; how come they still managed to produce tens of thousands of yuan?

Having finished her business, Zuo Ling had no desire to stay.

Take out 1,000 yuan and buy some chickens, ducks and geese from the village chief.

In the city, a free-range chicken costs 100 yuan or more, and ducks and geese are even more expensive.

In the village, they are worthless, and every household raises them.

Raising twenty or thirty is considered low; most raise dozens or even hundreds, with chickens, ducks, and geese roaming all over the mountains and fields.

Besides, Zuo Ling didn't take it for free; she even paid for it.

Hearing that Zuo Ling wanted to buy chickens, ducks, and geese, families who thought they had made a profit sent their chickens, ducks, and geese over.

The man selling colored stones gave away two chickens, two ducks, and two geese, along with cages.

No, the villagers are just that honest.

When we left the ancient village, the co-driver and rear seat of the Tank 500 were crammed with three large cages filled with chickens, ducks and geese.

Suddenly, a suffocating smell filled my nostrils.

The feathers of chickens, ducks, and geese, as romantic as snow and as fluttering as willow catkins, filled the small space of the Tank 500.

As soon as Zuo Ling got on the bus, the cats gave her a warm hug with a distinct scent.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!