Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 324: Chapter 321 Chessboard Stone

Perhaps it was because she possessed the Water-Repelling Pearl, but Huo Sining was far more sensitive to jade than the average person. Sitting in front of this stone slab, the boulder stirred an unusual feeling in her heart.

Huo Sining felt a slight movement in her heart and pretended to take something out of her backpack, when in fact she pulled out a bottle of mineral water from her space ring. Then, during the process of unscrewing the cap, she accidentally overturned the bottle.

The mineral water spilled onto the table, and although she steadied the bottle in time, the water quickly filled the entire table, following the chessboard’s pattern.

Because it was just a bottle of water that had been knocked over, even though the disturbance on Huo Sining’s side was somewhat significant, people only glanced over briefly and did not pay any more attention to it.

Huo Sining took out a tissue to wipe the water stains on the chessboard, and took the opportunity to press her hand on the stone slab. As the water spread, the Azure Pearl immediately detected the situation with the boulder.

”Auntie Mei, two hundred thousand is too high. If I cut the stone, I’m afraid there won’t be much profit left for me. I also have to consider labor costs. Paying two hundred thousand for your stone, I might even end up losing money. Let’s both take a step back. How about one hundred and forty thousand?”

After consulting with Ji Kun, the solemnity on Ouyang Jun’s face did not dissipate.

Contrary to what Auntie Mei expected, Ouyang Jun was not willing to spend an unjustified amount of money on a worthless stone.

After carefully examining the stone, Ji Kun calculated the probability of its market value increasing after cutting and the potential profit that could be earned. He pulled the price up to the highest he could go—one hundred and forty thousand was the max he was willing to offer.

Auntie Mei knew that Ouyang Jun might be speaking the truth, but she couldn’t reconcile with it. A human life, how could it just end with one hundred and forty thousand?

”Really, you can’t add any more?” Auntie Mei asked tentatively.

Ouyang Jun shook his head, refusing to dwell on it further, and stood up ready to leave.

Auntie Mei felt disappointment welling up inside her, just about to agree, when Huo Sining suddenly spoke:

”Two hundred thousand it is, but Auntie Mei, I would like to ask for a small addition. This stone slab is quite nice. Two hundred thousand, how about you throw in the Chessboard Stone as a sweetener?”

Huo Sining’s interruption caught Auntie Mei by surprise, and both Ouyang Jun and Ji Kun were caught off guard as well, their gazes simultaneously falling on the Chessboard Stone under Huo Sining’s finger.

”You want this Chessboard Stone?” Auntie Mei frowned.

The extra that Huo Sining was asking for wasn’t anything valuable. This Chessboard Stone had been brought back from Kunlun Mountain by her father-in-law during his lifetime.

Because the stone was the perfect shape of a cube, her father-in-law had placed it in the courtyard’s Shiting pavilion and had even had a chessboard specially carved onto it for playing chess.

However, this stone wasn’t Hetian jade ore excavated from the Kunlun jade mining area but was simply ordinary kaolin.

Such stones weren’t unique to Kunlun Mountain; they were plentiful in the mountains everywhere. Huo Sining’s request to take the Chessboard Stone as an extra was puzzling, to say the least.

Mei Dekang stood by the side and found it odd when Huo Sining voiced her interest in the Chessboard Stone.

This city woman had been silent since she entered the yard, so why had she suddenly taken an interest in this stone slab? Could it be that there was something extraordinary about this stone? Yet, their family’s Shiting had stood for so many years without revealing any anomalies in that stone.

Huo Sining seemed to notice the confusion on the faces of the others, and with a smile, she said:

”I blame myself for not making it clear before, I was an orphan with both parents deceased, and only this year did I find out that there are still relatives on my father’s side. I need to go to the Imperial Capital in a while to meet two of my uncles, and I’ve been worrying about what gift to prepare for the elders.”

”My uncles have no other hobbies, they just enjoy playing chess and collecting things. I’ve been thinking of collecting an interesting chessboard as a gift to amuse the old man, and I never expected to come across one so coincidentally.”

”Your Chessboard Stone seems to have been around for a while, right? Honestly, Auntie, I fell for this chessboard at first sight. I think my uncle will definitely like it.”

”Buying stones is all about fate, and since I’ve taken a liking to it, how about you do me the honor of parting with this Chessboard Stone?”

This speech sounded reasonable and without any flaws, and Huo Sining had carefully deliberated it in her mind before speaking out.

Sure enough, as soon as she explained herself, everyone present, except for Su Qingqing, believed her without any doubt.

Collectors love the unique and also value fate, which is true for both Ouyang Jun and Ji Kun.

Auntie Mei had dealt in jade before and naturally had seen many people from the city come to Wei District to buy jade. Many people are particular about fate when it comes to choosing stones; they buy what they like without caring about its actual value.

Moreover, the old man’s love for chess made it normal for Huo Sining to buy this chessboard to please her relatives.

Only Su Qingqing knew there was a problem with Huo Sining’s words.

Her grandfather enjoyed fishing and boxing, and the one thing he didn’t care for was chess because he was a soldier by origin and had absolutely no taste for these refined pleasures. As for collecting, it was even more bizarre - he might collect bullet casings but would never collect a chessboard.

However, Su Qingqing didn’t interrupt. She looked at Huo Sining with a strange expression and, seeing Huo Sining wink at her, immediately understood and realized that there must be a reason for Huo Sining to say this.

After hearing Huo Sining’s explanation, Auntie Mei had no suspicions.

It was just a worthless stone; no matter how much time had passed, it was still worthless.

Especially now that her husband and father-in-law were gone, there was no more chess players left. And with a prodigal son who had no interest in chess pieces but only liked to play with cards at the gambling table, the Chessboard Stone had become a mere decoration and was of no use to keep.

Auntie Mei, unaware of the intrigue, agreed without a second thought.

According to Huo Sining’s intention, Ouyang Jun was to buy the completely speculative raw material for 140,000, and she would cover the remaining 60,000. All she needed was for them to let her have the giant chessboard.

But Ouyang Jun was still skeptical about the completely speculative raw material and hesitated.

Huo Sining became inwardly anxious, fearing that the mother and son might change their minds and not sell it.

”If you’re not buying, I’ll buy it for 200,000!” To avoid any further complications, Huo Sining decided to act fast. She quickly settled on a price and transferred the money on the spot.

Ouyang Jun was taken aback by Huo Sining’s decisive and swift action. Seeing Huo Sining instruct Li Quan and Alimu to help pry the stone platform onto the wooden cart, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of laughter and tears.

When the stone platform was tied to the wooden cart, Su Qingqing became a bit impatient, tugging at Huo Sining’s sleeve and whispering, ”That stone platform...”

Huo Sining gave Su Qingqing a look, ”Let’s talk when we get back!”