Chapter 145: Finding Black Jade

Xiang Xinyao’s eyes sparkled as she quietly praised, “This really is something special!”

Mo Jinnan smiled warmly. “You’re the expert in shopping. You handle the bargaining, and I’ll handle the silver.”

“Deal! Watch me.”

She glanced around at the other items on the stall. To be honest, apart from that one stone, nothing else caught her interest. But when you’re scouring stalls for hidden treasures, you can’t just hone in on your favorite item right from the start.

Squatting down, she picked up a jade bracelet lying next to the black stone. At that time, jade was genuine, only varying in color and quality. This bracelet was decent, with a hint of green, though it lacked translucency.

Setting the bracelet down, she picked up a nearby purple clay teapot and examined it. The craftsmanship was ordinary, but it had an air of age to it.

“How much for this teapot?” she asked.

The vendor replied, “Ah! Good eye, miss. This teapot’s been around for some years. They say it’s from a prominent family, so it’ll be 30 taels.”

She raised her brows. “Mister, are you inflating the price just because I look new around here? The workmanship on this teapot is so rough, yet you’re asking 30 taels? Not very honest of you.”

The vendor chuckled awkwardly. “Miss, you’re welcome to bargain if you like! Thirty taels isn’t overpriced.”

“Forget it, this teapot’s too poorly made—not worth it.” Pretending to notice something, she exclaimed, “Hey, this stone’s unusual! It’s black, but not coal. Mister, what kind of stone is this?”

The vendor shrugged. “To be honest, I don’t know. Just thought it looked special, so I brought it along. It’s probably not worth much. If you buy the teapot, I’ll throw in the stone for free.”

The stone was irregular and pitch-black, lacking any obvious allure.

Feigning hesitation, Xiang Xinyao asked with slight disdain, “Then what’s the lowest you’ll go for the teapot?”

“Twenty taels, no lower. And I’ll include the stone. I’ve got a family to feed, you know.”

“Alright then, twenty it is. My uncle could use a teapot for his tea anyway.”

“Let me wrap that up for you.”

“Yes, please.”

Mo Jinnan pulled out the silver and paid without a fuss.

The vendor grinned from ear to ear, secretly scoffing at how easy it was to trick these two young fools. The teapot was worth only two taels, and even with the free stone, he’d made ten times his cost! He could hardly contain his joy.

Meanwhile, Xiang Xinyao and Mo Jinnan could barely keep from laughing. While others might overlook that black stone—just a little bigger than a fist—they recognized it immediately.

It was black jade.

More valuable than regular jade, even rarer than imperial green jade—true black jade.

Jackpot!

After the vendor finished wrapping the teapot and jade, Mo Jinnan took the bundle, and the two walked off, leaving the vendor still grinning, proud of selling a low-value teapot at a high price. Little did he know, the only reason Xiang Xinyao agreed to twenty taels was for that black jade.

After they left the stall, Mo Jinnan handed the black jade to Xiang Xinyao.

“Yaoyao, keep this safe. When the time comes, make yourself a pair of bracelets.”

“Alright! Hehe, I didn’t expect to find such a treasure today. I’ll come back tomorrow!”

Mo Jinnan chuckled fondly. “Have your sister accompany you tomorrow. I’ll arrange for someone to watch over you both.”

Xiang Xinyao understood her current situation well—her strength wasn’t quite there yet, and she didn’t want to take any risks. Besides, she’d be with Xiang Xinyu, so she agreed readily.

“Alright, then I won’t hold back,” Xiang Xinyao replied with a smile.

The two continued to leisurely stroll through the market.

Meanwhile, back at the palace, the Emperor was receiving a report from the guards he had assigned to tail them. Hearing that Mo Jinnan had actually hugged and even kissed Xiang Xinyao, his veins bulged in anger. A beauty as exquisite as Xiang Xinyao should only belong to him. What right did Mo Jinnan have to even dream of her?

What right did he have to hold Xiang Xinyao?

Apart from being younger, what else did Mo Jinnan have that could compare with him?

The Emperor brooded, thinking, No, a beauty like her must be mine. If the Xiang family father and son wanted to keep their place in court, they’d have no choice but to send Xiang Xinyao to the palace. With a bit of pressure on the Xiang family, they’d know what to do.

But just the thought of Xiang Xinyao and Mo Jinnan holding each other, whispering sweet nothings, made him seethe with jealousy.

Hmph! Such shameless behavior at such a young age.

Once Xiang Xinyao entered the palace, he would make sure she regretted it.

—

“Achoo!”

Xiang Xinyao suddenly sneezed.

Mo Jinnan quickly grew concerned. “Yaoyao, are you feeling cold? Did you not wear enough?”

“No, maybe someone’s just thinking about me.”

“Want to keep looking around?”

“Let’s walk a bit longer. It’s still early; we can head back around dinnertime.”

Mo Jinnan nodded slightly and strolled alongside Xiang Xinyao without any hint of reluctance.

By the time they finished, they had found quite a few treasures, and only then did they contentedly head back home.

After dropping Xiang Xinyao off at the residence, Mo Jinnan took his leave.

Upon her return, Xiang Xinyao noticed an unusual buzz of excitement in the household.

As she entered, Bai Jing warmly pulled her close.

“Yaoyao, let me introduce everyone. This is your eldest uncle and his wife; here are your second uncle and aunt. And this is your eldest uncle’s second son, your cousin.”

Then she continued, “This is your third uncle and his wife, and this is your cousin, their eldest son.”

Xiang Xinyao greeted each of them politely.

Both of her uncles’ families and her third uncle’s family had all brought gifts for her. Even those cousins who couldn’t make it had sent gifts through family members.

Only her eldest uncle’s family seemed unmoved. They neither brought any gifts nor even responded warmly when Xiang Xinyao greeted them.

Once everyone else had given their gifts, her aunt Yao spoke up with a sour tone.

“Xinyao! We don’t have as much as your uncles or third uncle’s family. We wanted to prepare a gift for you, but we were worried you’d look down on us, so we didn’t bring anything.”

Xiang Xinyao smiled politely. “Auntie, though I grew up in the countryside, I’m not lacking in anything now. I’m already happy that you came; there’s no need for a gift.”

“Well, I didn’t expect that you’d be so well-mannered, even after living in the countryside for eleven years. I was worried you’d blame us for not bringing something nice for you!”

“Not at all, Auntie; you’re overthinking it. Gifts are a matter of personal choice. I have no right to blame anyone.”

At this, her third aunt Qin stepped forward, grasping Xiang Xinyao’s small hands, her eyes red with emotion.

“Yaoyao, you’re finally back. Your parents searched so hard for you all these years! Thankfully, you’re home. You must have suffered a lot during those years, haven’t you?”

Xiang Xinyao shook her head gently. “Third Aunt, it wasn’t difficult. Being able to reunite with my parents makes any hardship worthwhile.”