Chapter 11 The Value of the Stone Rises?

“You chose two stones for me, too?” Baojia thinks. Staring at the four stones, Lin Luoran picks out and puts beside her feet, Baojia doesn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Fine, it is okay to buy happiness with just a thousand yuan. While thinking like that, Baojia takes out two thousand yuan from her wallet and prepares to pay for all of them. Lin Luoran just smiles and doesn’t accept her money. Baojia says, “What a stubborn girl!” But she knows Lin Luoran too well, so she puts her money back to the wallet. Lin Luoran runs to Boss Zhang and pays the bills. Looking at the four watermelon-sized stones beside her feet, Baojia feels a little bit dizzy. “Lady, you have a great taste. These stones are very round.” Boss Zhang glances at the stones Lin Luoran picks out and gives a pertinent evaluation. People laugh, most of whom are laughing with kindness, not mocking. That’s precisely what beauty can take advantage of. Lin Luoran can’t help flushing red and rushing to Baojia. “Let’s cut it here. We don’t know how to open it when we go back!” Baojia rolls her eyes. It seems that it is going to be a shame for both of them today. The stones, five hundred for each piece, can never have something inside. Although thinking so, Baojia still helps Lin Luoran carry those stones. Lin Luoran recently feels her strength increases, so holding one in each hand is not too heavy for her. Baojia carries a bag in one hand and one stone in the other. Mrs. Cui comes forward, “Oh, you guys leave two little girls carrying stones here! Shame on you!” Saying that she helps to lift the other stone for Baojia. The men around her stare at one another in silence after hearing her loud voice. There is also a cutting machine in the place that sells raw materials. Lin Luoran puts down two stones of her own, feeling that Mrs. Cui is very nice despite her dark yellow skin and full figure. Baojia also laughs gratefully at Mrs. Cui. Mrs. Cui comes from a wealthy family, but she is still very kind. After all, they are just two poor girls. There is no benefit in playing up to them. People are embarrassed by Mrs. Cui’s words. So, they all ask Boss Zhang to help the two girls to cut these stones. Lin Luoran’s knows about her own stones. If Boss Zhang cuts them down the middle, there will be nothing left. She is about to negotiate with Boss Zhang when Liu Zheng comes out of the workshop and sees them gathering in a group. He pushes his eyeglasses and says, “You are still there?” Baojia throws a glance at him, “Luoran and I are here to cut stones for fun.” She is ashamed to say that they are cutting stones and looking for jade. Lin Luoran doesn’t care about that. When seeing Liu’s coming, she asks, “Mr. Liu, I don’t know if you take raw materials of jade or not?” Liu Zheng doesn’t say anything yet. Elly and Li Anping follow him closely. Elly comes to cut stones too. The price of raw materials of jade is soaring. Many companies can’t afford to buy jade materials anymore. Most importantly, even money cannot buy good materials these days, for they are too rare. Gambling on stones is full of uncertainties, but it is also a way for jewelry companies to ease the pressure of supply. This time Fortune House also purchased a batch of raw materials, but today Elly did not gain a single piece of jade, thus wasting tens of millions of yuan. Anybody who meets this situation will be outraged. After seeing that dowdy girl, Lin Luoran and Qin Baojia, who once embarrassed her in public, all of her anger has an exit to come out. “Even in five-million-yuan stones, there is nothing. And you can find jade in five-hundred-yuan stones? Do you really think that jade is like free mud in your hometown, and you can find it anywhere?” Elly raises her lips and is very proud. Lin Luoran does not say anything. Elly’s words offend Boss Zhang again. Although everybody knows that cutting five-hundred-yuan raw stones is just for fun, does Elly mean that all of the raw rocks he sells here are not good? Boss Zhang’s not happy after hearing this, because there is not much jade inside of this batch of raw stones and Boss Zhang is afraid of being commented about that. Although Fortune House occupies a large part of the market, all of the people on the spot are engaged in jewelry. Peers are enemies, and they don’t have to suffer from Elly’s temper. Most people don’t like her. Though everyone has the same thought, they all laugh on their faces. However, they all unconsciously turn their faces to Lin Luoran and Baojia. “Lady, I am not satisfied today. How about selling these five-hundred-yuan stones to me if there is jade inside?” Fatso Cui’s cheeks are chubby and plump while laughing, who looks quite cute at this time. Lin Luoran looks down upon herself in her heart since she instantly changes her impression to someone speaking for her. “My last name is Lin, and this is my friend Baojia. You have already known her.” Lin Luoran has to introduce herself for being called “Lady” all the time. Fatty Cui nods, “I know, I know. Who does not know the great designer Qin, right? Madam?” Elly just says that five-hundred-yuan stones cannot cut green out, and Fatty Cui immediately says that he wants to buy the jade from these stones. It is not only to help Lin Luoran, but also to please Mrs. Cui. Mrs. Cui throws him a glance, and everyone starts to laugh. It seems that they are pretty intimate except when they gamble on stones. Elly has more to say, but apparently, nobody pays attention to her. She holds Li Anping’s arm and pinches it tightly. She turns to laugh from being angry, “Let’s see here. If the five-hundred-yuan stones have jade in them, Miss Lin will be God's hand in the industry.” It is said that even the deities can’t judge an inch of jade. Elly’s words tend to be backhanded compliments. Lin Luoran just ignores her at this time. The fact is more convincing. Only if Lin Luoran puts the jade in front of her will let her shut. “Miss Lin, to cut or to rub these two stones?” “To cut, please. Boss Zhang, I will tell you where to cut, and can you help me to do it?” Lin Luoran looks like a curious baby. She picks up the pen Mrs. Cui hands her and draws a line at two-thirds of the “Watermelon Stone.” Boss Zhang says “OK” and points the cutting knife at the line that Lin Luoran just drew. “Pssst...” The cutting knife makes a noisy sound while cutting the raw stone, and the dust splashes everywhere. At first, people had no expectation of those five-hundred-yuan stones. Frankly speaking, they would rather keep looking at the two beautiful ladies. But with Elly’s irony, they start to look forward to the miracles that might happen to Lin Luoran’s stones. Even if there is only a little bit jade in the rock, it can be a smack in the face of the princess from Fortune House. As the owner of this stone, Lin Luoran is also very nervous. Although she has already known the result, it doesn’t mean that she can accept it calmly. After all, it is just a watermelon-sized raw stone. Whether people want to see jade in this stone or not, it won’t take long to cut. The noise stops, and the raw stone is divided into two parts. All of the people there can’t help looking at the bigger piece. But they can only see a white section. This stone can never have jade in it as expected! People know that it’s better not to expect anything, but at this time, they feel a little bit disappointed somehow. Only Elly laughs, “Being poor is not ridiculous, but dreaming to be rich is really ridiculous.” Before Lin Luoran says something, Boss Zhang looks up and says, “Miss Elly, do not say something stupid, the price of Miss Lin’s stone... rises after being cut.” It is white inside. Why does Boss Zhang say the price rises?