132: Chapter 233 Gambling on Stones

Beneath the grey-white stone skin, a translucent, vibrant green cross-section of jade was revealed. It had excellent clarity, and the green was bright and uniform, shining brilliantly in the sunlight as if a pool of melted spring water had condensed within!

That green was an extremely pure, vibrant emerald color, pure and bright, without a trace of impurity. The texture was as fine as ice, with excellent transparency—it was truly a rare ice-variety vibrant green!

There was an immediate uproar all around. Exclamations and envious sounds rose and fell one after another, and more people crowded around, vying to witness this miraculous scene of a "huge gain."

"My God! This clarity, this color! It's top quality!"

"Look at this cross-section, there should be quite a lot of meat. If there are no cracks, how much would this be worth?"

"Just based on the appearance of this window, a palm-sized piece is already worth hundreds of thousands! If it could produce a bangle, that would be incredible!"

"Boss, are you selling this stone? I'll offer five hundred thousand! I'll transfer the money right now!" A middle-aged man wearing a gold chain squeezed to the front, staring greedily at the half-stone in Yu Bo's hand, eagerly making an offer.

"Five hundred thousand? Old Zhou, are you trying to send a beggar away? Given this quality, I'll offer eight hundred thousand!" Another elderly man wearing a Tang suit, twirling walnuts in his hand, spoke slowly, though his eyes were equally eager.

"I'll offer one million!" The gold-chained man refused to back down and immediately increased his bid.

The stone gambling stall instantly turned into a small auction, with the price soaring all the way, reaching one point five million in the blink of an eye. The Stall Owner stood to the side, feeling both excited and regretful. Excited because the stone came from his stall and would attract more people, but regretful because he had sold it for only one hundred thousand—a huge loss.

Tang Guo looked at the other half of the stone, which was still attached to the stone skin and revealed the same stunning green. Although she didn't know the trade, from the reactions of the people around her and the constantly doubling prices, she knew that this unremarkable little stone had become priceless in the blink of an eye. She subconsciously looked at Yin Tianxue, then at Yu Bo, her eyes filled with unbelievable shock and confusion.

Yin Tianxue was also completely stunned. She had originally thought Yu Bo was just playing around, and even if he really opened something up, it would just be some small trinket worth a few tens of thousands. She hadn't expected such an astonishingly huge gain! The value had instantly multiplied more than ten times, and it was still soaring! Was this really luck? How could such a coincidence happen? The clouds of doubt in her heart grew heavier, and her gaze toward Yu Bo was filled with scrutiny.

Facing the adulation and bidding of the crowd, Yu Bo appeared unusually calm, even carrying a hint of a nonchalant smile. He took the half-stone from Tang Guo's hand, weighed both pieces in his hands, and then, amidst the expectant gazes of the crowd, slowly shook his head.

"Not for sale." His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Not for sale?!" The bidder was stunned. "Boss, you're not selling even for one point five million? This price is very fair! Any higher and the risk becomes too great!"

Yu Bo smiled and turned his gaze to Tang Guo, who was still in shock beside him. His eyes instantly became gentle and focused. He took Tang Guo's hand, gently placed the million-dollar jade raw stone in her palm, and then said in a clear, affectionate tone that everyone around could hear:

"This stone is for my wife and child. It's a priceless treasure, not for sale at any price."

The people around were also stunned, and then erupted into even more fervent discussion and teasing.

"Oh! So it's for your wife and the future Baby! Boss, you're a lucky man!"

"Congratulations! A huge gain and a child, double happiness!"

"Sister-in-law is truly blessed! Keep this stone and carve a peace lock for the Baby later; you'll have a family heirloom!"

"Exactly, exactly! The meaning is good! Don't sell it for any amount of money!"

Yu Bo calmly accepted the compliments of the crowd. One hand naturally wrapped around Tang Guo's stiff, trembling shoulders, pulling her closer into his embrace. He lowered his head to her ear and whispered with a smile, in a voice only the two of them could hear: "How is it, Baby? Your husband has a good eye, right? Do you like this gift?"

His breath brushed against her ear, incredibly intimate, yet it made Tang Guo feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She was ice-cold all over and wanted to break free, but he held her even tighter. She wanted to retort and say "I am not your wife," but amidst the surrounding clamor of "Congratulations, sister-in-law" and "a perfect match," and under Yu Bo's seemingly gentle but actually irresistible force, she opened her mouth but couldn't make a sound. Immense fear, shame, confusion, and a trace of a twisted palpitation stirred by this sudden, coercive "declaration" completely overwhelmed her.

"Tianxue, look, Guoguo is so lucky. This stone will be the first big gift I give to her and the child. It also counts as... making up for some of my previous negligence."

"After cutting this one, I'll pick two more stones later and open up some good ones to make you a few beautiful accessories."

Yin Tianxue frowned and said: "Yu Bo, let's quit while we're ahead. Don't be greedy. We've already had a big gain on one piece; that's enough."

Yu Bo smiled: "It's fine. I'll just buy two more stones based on the value of this one. Even if they turn out to be duds, we won't have lost anything. Just wait for your husband to cut a jade bangle for you."

She took a deep breath, softening her tone, but still gave a reminder: "Then you need to gauge the situation yourself, don't play too big."

"Rest assured, my wife has given the order; how could I dare not obey?" Yu Bo winked at her, his tone light, with a hint of playful ingratiation. This title made Yin Tianxue slightly startled, and a complex feeling crossed her heart, but seeing his natural expression as if it were just a casual joke, she had no choice but to purse her lips and say nothing more.

Yu Bo turned his gaze back to Tang Guo. Seeing that she was still holding the jade, looking dazed, he gently took the stone from her hands, put it together with the one in his own hand, carefully placed them into a velvet bag provided by the Stall Owner, and stuffed it into her small handbag. "Guoguo, help your husband hold our 'family heirloom.' Watch me go and pick two more beautiful ones for you and Tianxue; maybe we can have another big gain!"

Tang Guo passively took the small bag. It was heavy, not just with the weight of the stones, but with the pressure brought by this sudden, overwhelming "generous gift" and "identity" that left her at a loss. But Yu Bo's attitude right now was too natural and casual, as if that "wife" from before and this "husband" right now were just the most ordinary nicknames between lovers. In the lively and relaxed atmosphere around them, it seemed that if she were to dwell on it further, it would be her making a mountain out of a molehill and being unable to let go. She forced the corners of her mouth up, which counted as a response.

Yu Bo pushed through the crowd, whose enthusiasm hadn't yet dissipated, and walked back to the depths of the stall. The relaxed smile on his face faded slightly, his gaze becoming sharp. He slowly scanned the mountain of raw stones, no longer picking as "casually" as before.

"Boss, among these goods of yours, only that one from just now was interesting." He spoke, his voice not loud but carrying the certainty of an expert. "Do you have any good stuff kept in the back? Don't try to fool me with these. I heard you recently got a batch of Damakan material? The red jade and yellow jade from there are unique."

The Stall Owner was still feeling a heartache over the fact that the stone that had such a huge gain had been sold for one hundred thousand. Upon hearing Yu Bo's words, his eyes instantly lit up. This was someone who knew the trade! And he was generous with his spending; he had given away that ice-variety vibrant green piece just now without even blinking.

"Boss, you are an expert!" The Stall Owner immediately put on a respectful and mysterious expression, lowering his voice. "To tell you the truth, a few pieces of old-pit Damakan material arrived just two days ago. Water stones, thin skin and fine meat, with excellent appearance! It's just that the price..." He rubbed his fingers together.

"The price is negotiable. Let me see the goods." Yu Bo said calmly.