Chapter 307: Jade Bracelet
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The man sized up Jiang Chuan with a glance. While Jiang Chuan appeared modestly dressed, his demeanor and speech exuded a grandeur that hinted at wealth. The man gestured towards an area he usually didn’t dare to casually stroll, “Yes, there are rare items there, but it’s all about luck. You’ll have to go and see for yourself what’s available. Just make sure you bring enough money.” Jiang Xia recognized the area as the same one where she had earlier spotted a pearl transaction. It seemed the items in the black market were indeed rare, and the twelve coins entry fee might be worth it after all.
After the man left, Jiang Chuan imitated the way the man sold vegetables, and as expected, more customers approached him.
Jiang Chuan’s vegetables were fresher, larger, and reasonably priced not exorbitantly high. Hence, many were eager to buy from him.
Unlike regular markets, where prices were negotiated in the open and items were often uniformly priced, in the black market everything was more covert. Regardless of your price, there would be a buyer. The key was how ruthless the vendor wanted to be in setting the price.
Aware of the many watchful eyes, Jiang Xia dared not recklessly bring out vegetables from their secret storage. They only sold what was in the basket: ten green-tailed shrimps, forty fishes, and a basket of river shrimp.
Every vegetable was priced at three cents per half a kilograms. Wild mushrooms were more expensive, six cents per half a kilogram. A basket of white radishes weighing 20 kilograms sold for twelve coins a basket of carrots weighing 17.5 kilograms sold for ten and a half coins; mushrooms weighing 12.5 kilograms for seven and a half coins; wild mushrooms weighing 12.5 kilograms for fifteen coins.
While fish usually sold for five cents per half a kilogram, they sold them at the black market for a coin per half kilogram. Each fish weighed approximately 2 kilogram, selling in total for one hundred and sixty coin. The shrimps were sold at five coin each, amounting to fifty coin.
In total, they earned two hundred and fifty-five coin. Deducting the entrance fee, they still made a good profit. Overnight, Jiang Chuan’s family seemed to become wealthy.
The entry fee seemed more worthwhile in Jiang Xia’s eyes.
With money in their pockets, they felt more at ease to explore. They were not curious about what regular shopping mall offered, so they headed straight to the special area the man had mentioned.
In that area, Jiang Xia noticed that many people seemed to possess nothing. Oddly, there were more buyers than sellers.
Noticing Jiang Xia’s confusion, Jiang Chuan explained, “These people might be carrying small, inconspicuous but valuable items, possibly items like jade pendants or pearls.”
Jiang Chuan thought that since they were at the black market, they might come across some good-quality jade.
As he was pondering this, someone approached, “You seem to know your way around. What are you interested in buying?”
Jiang Chuan sized up the man, who seemed rather square in every feature. He countered, “What do you have?”
The man gave a mysterious smile, “Exactly what you just mentioned.”
Jade?
“Show me.”
The man carefully looked around and said, “One shouldn’t flaunt their wealth. How can I show it here? Come with me.” He pointed towards a withered tree nearby where there were fewer people, and led Jiang Chuan and his family towards it.
Once they reached the tree, the man mysteriously pulled out an object wrapped in tattered cloth. To create an ambiance, he deliberately unfolded the cloth slowly, layer by layer, like peeling an onion, finally revealing a jade bracelet inside.
Jiang Gu hadn’t seen jade before and was extremely curious, stretching her neck and standing on her toes to get a better look. Zhou Lan simply lifted her up to give her a clearer view.
Jiang Chuan examined the jade bracelet and then glanced at Zhou Lan’s bare wrist.
On their modern wedding anniversary, Jiang Chuan had spent hundreds of thousands on a jade bracelet for Zhou Lan. It had a greenish-white hue, was transparent and free of impurities. Zhou Lan loved it so much that she never took it off. However, after arriving here, the bracelet disappeared. Jiang Chuan had always been thinking of buying her another one.
The quality of this jade bracelet, although not as good as the one he gave Zhou Lan and not as finely crafted as modern craftsmanship, was still among the upper echelons of jade pieces.
Jiang Chuan, not one for beating around the bush, directly asked, “How much are you selling it for?”
The man held up two fingers, gauging Jiang Chuan’s reaction.
Jiang Chuan knew it wouldn’t be cheap, so he didn’t guess twenty, and directly offered a price, “Two hundred?”