Chapter One Hundred Thirty-Six: The Stone

Wang Qian chuckled and said to Zheng Dabao, "Old Zheng, look at these young men; they aren't from around here and don't know the local customs, haha..."

Zheng Dabao turned his head and spoke a few sentences in the Xinjiang dialect to his wife. The Xinjiang dialect was quite unique, and to Zhang Can, it always sounded like a constant, rhythmic "lu-lu" noise.

Zheng Dabao’s wife nodded immediately, bowed, and retreated, no longer staying to pour the tea.

Wang Qian then explained, "Little Brother, Old Zhu, here in Xinjiang, when a host is entertaining you, as you are experiencing now, if you drink your milk tea and place the empty bowl back on the tablecloth, the host will refill it for you. As long as you set the empty bowl on the cloth, they will keep filling it. If you’ve had enough, you must hold the bowl against your chest; that signals the host not to refill it. If you just place the empty bowl directly on the cloth, it means you want more."

Zhang Can and Zhu森林 (Zhu Senlin) both exclaimed "Oh!" in sudden realization. Without being told, how could they have possibly known such a custom?

It was clear that Zheng Dabao’s wife did not speak or understand Mandarin. They had no way of communicating with her, so had Wang Qian not explained, they would have kept placing their bowls on the cloth, and she would have continued to serve them. In Xinjiang, refusing food or tea after a host has served it is considered highly disrespectful and would offend them.

Setting aside Zheng Dabao’s fierce and formidable appearance, even the Mastiff at the door, which looked just like a tiger, was enough to make them wary.

Zheng Dabao spoke Mandarin, but he seemed to care only about Wang Qian. He was indifferent toward Zhang Can and Zhu Senlin, and even more so toward a young girl like Su Xue. However, since the three were clearly close to Wang Qian, he treated them with courtesy.

Wang Qian smiled and introduced them to Zheng Dabao: "Old Zheng, let me introduce you. This is..." He pointed to Zhang Can and said solemnly, "Old Zheng, this is my friend—a friend as close as a brother. His name is Zhang Can!"

Seeing how seriously Wang Qian introduced Zhang Can, Zheng Dabao began to pay closer attention. Initially, he hadn't thought much of the young man, assuming he was perhaps a nephew or relative, so he hadn't asked. But now, it was clear that Zhang Can held significant weight.

Zheng Dabao reached out to shake Zhang Can's hand, nodding as he said, "I’m Zheng Dabao, a long-time friend of Brother Wang. I owe my life to him, so Brother Wang’s friends are naturally my friends. It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

Zhang Can quickly shook his hand, smiling, "You are too kind!"

Wang Qian’s introductions for Su Xue and Zhu Senlin were much more casual: "This young lady is my eldest sister’s daughter, Su Xue... and this is Old Zhu, Zhu Senlin, a friend of mine from Jincheng!"

Zheng Dabao merely nodded at Su Xue and Zhu Senlin without offering his hand. Firstly, he didn't feel it necessary to perform such formalities with a young girl, and secondly, he truly didn't care much for Zhu Senlin. However, knowing Wang Qian’s status and influence, he understood that anyone Wang Qian valued so highly must possess some extraordinary ability.

Zheng Dabao’s curiosity was written all over his face. He asked Wang Qian with a faint smile, "Brother Wang, your young brother must have some special talent, right?"

Zheng Dabao knew Wang Qian’s character well; he would never introduce someone with such protective emphasis unless they were truly exceptional.

Wang Qian laughed. "Old Zheng, your eyes are sharp. That’s right, my little brother is no ordinary man. When it comes to identifying antiques and jade, he is second to none. Don't let his youth fool you; few can match his expertise."

"Oh, really?" Zheng Dabao’s eyes lit up. He was a major businessman who had suffered massive losses over a decade ago while dealing in jade and antiques in the mainland. It was thanks to Wang Qian’s rescue that he had made a comeback, which forged their deep friendship. Here in Xinjiang, Zheng Dabao was a prominent figure, dealing in a variety of goods, primarily antiques and jade, followed by medicinal herbs. The latter were also highly profitable given the rare herbs available in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions.

That was why Wang Qian had sought him out for this medicine-hunting trip. Zheng Dabao was an expert, especially regarding rare herbs.

Zheng Dabao smiled, intending to test Zhang Can. However, he hesitated; he didn't want Zhang Can to lose face in front of him, as that would be disrespectful to Wang Qian.

Wang Qian, seeing through this, laughed, "Old Zheng, you want to test my brother’s skills? Don't worry, go ahead. He isn't a petty man. Even if he makes a mistake and loses face, he won't be angry."

Wang Qian knew Zhang Can was extraordinary—he almost felt there was nothing Zhang Can didn't know. He actually hoped someone could stump him, though he suspected that would be difficult. He also wondered if, despite Zhang Can’s knowledge of jadeite, he might be less familiar with the "Hotan jade" of Xinjiang.

Zheng Dabao smiled, nodded, and went to a back room, returning with a box. He opened it to reveal over a dozen stones that looked like pebbles—some white, some yellow, some a mix—all crystal clear and eye-catching.

Zhu Senlin’s eyes widened. "Hotan jade?" he blurted out.

Zheng Dabao didn't answer, just watched Zhang Can with a smile, waiting for his assessment.

Zhang Can glanced at the stones without touching them and said calmly, "Mr. Zheng, these aren't Hotan jade. They are just a pile of stones."

The room fell silent in shock.

Wang Qian knew the value of Zheng Dabao's collection; how could these be ordinary? Zhang Can hadn't even touched them, yet he dismissed them as fake. Wang Qian worried this might offend Zheng Dabao, though he hoped his friend would look past it.

Instead of getting angry, Zheng Dabao looked at Zhang Can in amazement. "Little Zhang, why do you say they are fake? Don't you think these are high-quality jades?"

Zhang Can smiled faintly. "That’s just their appearance. Mr. Zheng, I don't know if you’re testing me or if you actually bought these at a high price. If it’s a test, that’s fine, but if you paid a high price, you should be prepared: these are merely 'Jingbai jade' and 'Ba jade' that have been polished, chemically soaked, and machine-finished to look like high-quality jade. In the end, they are just cheap marble."

Zheng Dabao gasped, staring at Zhang Can for a long moment before giving him a thumbs-up. "Little Zhang, incredible! Truly incredible!"

If this result had come from high-tech equipment, Zheng Dabao wouldn't have been surprised. But Zhang Can had identified them at a single glance without even touching them. This couldn't be a conspiracy; the test was impromptu, and Zheng Dabao hadn't planned on showing these stones. Zhang Can truly possessed a profound eye.

These fake jades hadn't fooled Zheng Dabao, but they had fooled several of his expert friends who had brought them to him, hoping he could help them recoup some losses.

Zheng Dabao hadn't wanted to get involved, but he had kept the stones. When Wang Qian mentioned Zhang Can’s expertise, he had decided to take them out. Even Zheng Dabao had almost been fooled by their appearance and texture.

Wang Qian and Zhu Senlin, after their initial shock, chose to believe Zhang Can. They had seen him in similar situations before, and he was always right.

Zheng Dabao then pulled a false bottom from the box, revealing three more stones: two white and one with purple, green, and blue hues. They looked identical to the others.

"Little Zhang, what about these three?" Zheng Dabao asked, placing them before him.

This time, Zhang Can picked up the multicolored stone. He narrowed his eyes, activating his "Black and White Vision"—his second time scanning them since Zheng Dabao had taken them out.