Liu Erlang pushed Da Tou aside and stood next to Yun Ling. As the old saying goes, it's good to have a big tree to lean on. Yun Ling is better at polo than him and can beat Uncle Qian, so she is naturally the good big tree he has chosen.
Moreover, Liu Erlang has a secret: he greatly admires men, especially those stronger than him. He doesn't know why, but he just admires them. However, he has never told anyone about this. Only when he goes to the Nanfeng Pavilion can he slightly unleash his true nature.
Standing beside Yunling, he could faintly smell a woman's fragrance emanating from her. It was possible that she really was the twins they had mentioned. That would be perfect, and he could finally explain it to his family.
However, Yunling had already caught the eye of that seemingly gentle and refined man from that day, and the two even rode horses together and embraced. It's unclear whether she did it willingly or was forced...
Yunling was unaware that this man standing beside her harbored such ulterior motives. She simply pressed Gangzi's hand down, telling him to stop worrying. After all, this was someone else's territory, and it was best for outsiders like them to be cautious.
"By the way, how did you end up here, brother?"
"Hey, it's all thanks to you. Ever since I made that three-year agreement with you, I've regretted it. If it were a merchant ship from the He family passing by, it would be fine, but other merchant ships are also using the He family's name. I can't do anything about it. After all, when you're in the business world, integrity is the most important thing."
"We can't collect tolls or rob people, so we can't make a living here. We have no choice but to come to Bianjing to find work. We make a living by trading raw stones. Now, several of our brothers are married."
Yunling nodded with deep feeling; she hadn't expected this person to be so trustworthy.
"Will my brother stay here indefinitely?"
"Of course not. Three years. After three years, I'll take my brothers back. I'll say it again: if you do it again, you'll be beheaded."
Yunling smiled smugly. If they did it again, she would have to have a serious talk with He Da. It would be one thing if one company used the He family's name to pass through the passageway, but for them all to use the name of the He family's merchant ships was too much of a coincidence. She wondered what kind of shady dealings were going on.
"Brother, aren't you staying here? Isn't trading raw stones better than being a river bandit?"
Qian Xiaochong waved his hand and said:
"People like us are used to being wild, so we feel more comfortable being river bandits. We can swim, collect money, and don't have to work too hard. Isn't that great?"
Yunling understood his feelings very well, so she didn't say anything more, nodded, and walked up to the raw stones to examine them.
She unleashed her supernatural power and soon locked onto some potential stones. She picked them up one by one to feel them, and finally selected five that were of different sizes, but all of which had a very strong supernatural power.
Yunling wanted to ask Datou how the raw stones were sold, but when she turned around, she found Gangzi standing to her left, Liu Erlang to her right, and Qian Xiaochong behind her. Datou had been pushed to the back.
She could only groan:
"Brother, how much for this rough stone?"
Before Da Tou could respond, Liu Erlang had already eagerly replied:
"The raw stones delivered here are all fifty strings of cash each. If we go to the next location, they will be twenty strings of cash each, and the next location after that, they will be ten strings of cash each. Once they enter the market, they will be sold by weight."
Yunling nodded, and Qian Xiaochong asked:
"Do you know how to choose? I've looked at them several times and I don't think this batch of rough stones is likely to yield jade. Don't waste your money."
"I'm just going by my gut feeling, brother, why don't you take a look at this piece?"
Yunling originally wanted to take this piece as well, but she was afraid that picking all the good ones would arouse suspicion, so she left a few that didn't have a strong effect.
Qian Xiaochong picked up the stone Yunling pointed to, tapped it on the surface, examined its texture, and pinched it between his fingers. Finally, he found a stone of similar size, placed one in his left hand and one in his right, and said as he weighed them:
"It seems to be heavier."
Qian Xiaochong only had a superficial understanding of how to examine raw stones. He learned these techniques by watching others, and although they weren't very accurate, he still managed to sell quite a few stones thanks to his martial prowess and fierce-looking face.
Big Head also squeezed up from behind. He picked up the raw stone that Yun Ling had just pointed out to him from Qian Xiaochong's left hand, and after a short while, he nodded and said:
"Indeed, there is jade inside."
Qian Xiaochong immediately snatched the stone back; if there was jade inside, it would be even easier to sell.
Da Tou didn't pay any attention and turned to look at the five pieces Yun Ling had just picked out. The more he looked, the more he shook his head. After looking at the five pieces, he was shaking his head so hard it was like a rattle drum.
Yunling felt uneasy, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was something wrong with her special ability.
"Brother, are the ones I picked not good enough?"
"No, no, no, good, very good. Young master, you have quite the skill in selecting raw stones. You are truly amazing."
“I chose these based on the treasures that the boy showed me yesterday.”
Big Head nodded repeatedly, and the more he looked at Yunling's rough stones, the more he felt that they were not simple. If it was just a blind cat catching a dead mouse, it would be too coincidental. It was probably due to her experience in looking at stones that she had been exposed to since childhood.
He can play polo, fight, socialize, and even appraise stones. If he didn't come from a wealthy family, could he have come from a poor one?
Da Tou was secretly relieved that he hadn't offended Yun Ling, otherwise he would definitely have suffered the consequences!
Yunling was unaware that she had been elevated to such a high status. She was only concerned with having Gangzi help her carry the five raw stones to settle the bill. Each stone cost fifty guan, for a total of two hundred and fifty guan.
"Hey, are you guys leaving already?"
"What is it, brother?"
Qian Xiaochong, holding up the raw stone, said:
"You picked out a rough stone for me, why don't you stay for a simple meal?"
Yunling wanted to agree, but looking up at the sky and calculating the journey back to the city, as well as her already accepted invitation, she could only refuse with tears in her eyes.
"Brother, you're too kind. I just have other things to do. Next time, we'll have a nice meal together."
"You brat, you're out of luck. Your sister-in-law is making beggar's chicken today. It's fragrant, tender, and smooth."
Yunling's mouth was practically watering; she'd only had two spicy vegetable pancakes and a sesame seed cake for breakfast, and she was already starving.
"Have you ever tried pork skin? Zhouqiao is famous for its roasted pork skin. Your sister-in-law would buy pork skin and cook it herself. She would put it on a small charcoal fire, and the fat would sizzle and drip oil. The skin would be roasted until it was extremely crispy. When you took a bite, it would make a crunching sound. You could dip it in white sugar, minced garlic, or plum sauce. It was absolutely delicious."
Now, not only Yunling, but Datou couldn't hold back any longer. This was a great opportunity to save money on a meal, and he didn't understand why Yunling was still hesitating, so he urged her:
"Young man, don't be afraid. Let's finish this simple meal, and then wave a bean cake in front of the donkey. I guarantee it will run faster than a horse and will be able to get back to the city before dark."
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