"Uncle," she said softly, "maybe it's time you took one shot."
Li Jianping looked at her with surprise, then chuckled. "The stones are worth tens of thousands of yuan, A Qing," Li Jianping said with a wry chuckle, shaking his head. "It's not something for people like us."
But Li Ziqing wasn't fazed. Instead, she casually patted the canvas bag hanging from her shoulder and smiled. "Uncle, did you forget? I have one hundred thousand yuan in here."
Li Jianping's smile faltered. He turned to her sharply, his voice turning stern. "A Qing, don't even think about using that money. That was given to you for the hard work you put into that banquet. Keep it for yourself. You'll need it—for a laptop, for books, for your entrance exams. But not for gambling."
Li Ziqing's expression remained calm, almost amused. She gave him a soft, reassuring smile. "Uncle, you know better than anyone how skilled I am at cooking. That money is just the beginning. My skills will ensure my survival. Not this small amount."
Before he could interrupt, she added, "And did you forget? We already earned forty-eight thousand yuan in just two days. One morning breakfast stall, two lunch stalls, and one banquet. So tell me—does this one hundred thousand really make a big difference now?"
Li Jianping fell silent, his brows furrowed in thought. He looked at his niece—bright-eyed, confident, so sure of herself. Still, the hesitation lingered in his eyes.
Seeing that he was beginning to waver, Li Ziqing gently grasped his hand and said with a grin, "Besides, we're not going to be some backward family anymore. We have a proper house now. And when the demolition compensation comes through, we'll be more than stable. So just this once, Uncle… let's indulge ourselves a little, hmm?"
Before he could protest again, she tugged at his hand and pulled him forward.
"W-Wait, A Qing—slow down!"
Laughing, she dragged him toward the stone gambling stalls.
The moment they entered the area, the atmosphere changed. Compared to the antique and herb stalls, the stone gambling zone was crowded, noisy, and filled with a strange kind of tension—like the air right before a thunderstorm.
Over twenty stalls were lined up in two long rows. Each stall displayed rough, greyish-green stones in different shapes and sizes. Most looked like ordinary rocks, but the crowd buzzed with excitement around each one.
Masked buyers wandered from stall to stall, some carrying small torches, others with magnifying glasses and calipers, inspecting stones with the focus of seasoned treasure hunters. Some stood in groups, whispering, bargaining, arguing in low voices.
Every few minutes, the sharp screech of a cutting machine or the harsh grinding of a polisher echoed across the marketplace, drawing cheers—or groans—from the onlookers.
A man nearby shouted excitedly, "It's ice jade! He opened ice jade!"
Another voice cursed, "Damn! Just white mist again! Nothing inside!"
The contrast between excitement and disappointment was palpable in the air.
Li Ziqing's eyes sparkled as she looked around. "So this is the world of stone gambling…"
Li Jianping sighed quietly behind her, the weight of caution evident in his voice.
"A Qing… this isn't a game. Stone gambling can either change your fate or completely ruin it. One stone—just one—can make or break a man."
Li Ziqing didn't respond immediately. Instead, she called out silently in her mind.
"System, if I use the Luck Coupon… how often do you think I could get a green jade?"
[Ding… Host, the Luck Coupon is one of the most powerful tools in the known universe. Once activated, your luck will be unmatched. Every gamble you make within the hour will succeed. Misfortune will not touch you. Even death will avoid your path. The very Goddess of Luck will walk by your side.]
Li Ziqing's eyes brightened like stars at midnight.
"So… every stone I pick will contain jade?"
[Ding… Indeed, Host. All you must do is follow your instinct. Think clearly about what you desire, and let intuition guide your steps. That is the essence of true luck.]
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she turned to look at Li Jianping. "Uncle," she asked, "tell me more about stone gambling. How can you tell whether a stone is good or not?"
Li Jianping glanced at her, surprised by her sudden seriousness. But seeing her genuine curiosity, he relented with a nod and a small sigh.
"You can never be entirely sure," he began, "that's the nature of the gamble. These are raw jade stones—also called jadeite roughs. On the surface, they look like ordinary rocks. The jade is hidden deep inside, covered by a layer of skin that can hide everything or reveal nothing."
He stepped closer to a nearby stall and pointed to several stones laid out on a tarp.
"Look here—these outer layers, we call them skin. The texture, color, and pattern of the skin tell you a lot—at least if you know what to look for. Stones with pine flower skin, python skin, or cuttlefish skin are often preferred. They're believed to have a higher chance of concealing good jade. But still, no one can guarantee it."
He reached out and tapped lightly on a grayish-green stone. "Some even come with window cuts—small sections that are sliced open by the seller to show a glimpse of what might lie within. But even that can be misleading. The jade might look good on the surface, but inside it could be completely worthless."
Li Ziqing listened intently, absorbing every word.
"There are also several types of jade," he continued. "The most common ones found in stone gambling are white jade, green jade, purple jade, yellow jade, and black jade. But what people really chase after—what makes hearts race and wallets open—is Imperial Green. That's the highest grade of jadeite: vibrant, rich, and translucent. It's so rare and beautiful, it's often worth millions."
She raised an eyebrow. "Imperial Green? That sounds powerful."
Li Jianping nodded solemnly. "It is. Then there's glass jade—almost transparent like ice. That's another top-tier variety, incredibly rare. Floating flower jade, bean jade, oil green jade—they all have value, but none quite match up to the clarity and richness of Imperial Green or glass jade. Transparency, or the ability of jadeite to let visible light pass through, is the final piece of the puzzle. A truly priceless piece of jadeite must be both highly transparent and free of cracks, a rare and precious gemstone that is truly one of a kind. "
"When it comes to quality, three factors reign supreme: type, color, and transparency. The type of jadeite is determined by its variety, with the most valuable types being those that are hard and durable. From old pit glass to gold, each type has its own unique characteristics that make it special."
He gestured toward a distant stall where a loud whirrrrrr of cutting machinery echoed. "When someone buys a stone, they often have it sliced open right there—see that man cutting? The direction and depth of the cut matter. A single wrong slice can ruin the value of the entire jade. It's called killing the jade. One bad cut, and it's all over."
Li Jianping folded his arms and added, "You might get a stone for ten thousand yuan… but if you cut too deep or from the wrong angle, and it breaks or reveals low-quality material, you're done. You lose everything. On the other hand, if you find high-quality jade and cut it right, its value could jump from ten thousand to hundreds of thousands—or even millions."
Li Ziqing's fingers tightened around her canvas bag. She felt the comforting weight of the hundred thousand yuan inside.
"And yet…" she murmured, her tone more thoughtful than uncertain, "this gamble still draws people in."
Li Jianping chuckled softly. "Because hope is addictive. The dream of uncovering treasure hidden in stone is enough to keep people coming back, again and again."
Yes—hope.
Li Ziqing's gaze swept across the bustling night market. With quiet determination, she walked towards one of the larger stone gambling stalls. The crowd was thick, and the air was charged with a strange tension, as if every breath was laced with risk and the scent of fortune.
She didn't activate the Luck Coupon immediately. Instead, she chose to observe first—watch the flow, understand the rhythm. From the chaotic haggling to the trembling fingers placing it for cutting, she wanted to learn everything. How the stones were chosen. And how the dreams were shattered or fulfilled in the cutting area.
Beside her, Li Jianping had already become engrossed. He knelt by a display of rough stones, muttering softly under his breath. From his satchel, he took out a small flashlight, a jeweler's loupe, and a magnifying penlight. One by one, he examined the stones with meticulous focus, tapping, feeling the texture, testing the skin's surface. He was so absorbed that he completely forgot about Li Ziqing.
Suddenly, a stir rolled through the crowd.
From the corner of her eye, Li Ziqing saw a tall, broad-shouldered man in a tailored black suit approaching the cutting area. He moved like a minor king among merchants, flanked by an entourage of bodyguards and sycophants. A heavily made-up woman clung to his arm, draped in branded luxury from head to toe.
"Master Su! You've got sharp eyes—unmatched, truly!"
"Last time, Master Su picked a raw stone that turned out to be pure Imperial Green!"
"Unbelievable! Even the professionals didn't see it, but Master Su did in one glance!"
The flattery followed him like incense smoke, thick and unrelenting though no one knew if those rumours even true. Master Su offered only a slight smile, clearly used to the attention. His steps didn't pause as he made his way to the cutting table, followed by a vendor who held a mid-sized raw stone with shaking hands, half in reverence, half in fear.
Li Ziqing, mildly curious, drifted after the crowd. Her face remained partially hidden behind a plain gray mask, the upper half of her features the only part visible. She blended easily among the onlookers, unnoticed and unremarkable… at least, to most.
The woman beside Master Su was basking in the glow of attention, her chin slightly raised as if she were royalty herself. People praised her beauty in passing, compared her to movie stars, complimented her skin and her taste.
That was—until she glanced lazily toward the crowd and saw Li Ziqing.
At first, she was about to look away, assuming it was just another girl watching the show. But then Li Ziqing, sensing the stare, turned her head slightly—and their eyes met.
The woman's breath caught.
Even with half her face covered, Li Ziqing's eyes were striking.
Cool, glassy, like deep lake water under moonlight—calm but endless. The gentle curve of her lashes framed the irises like silk threads, and a subtle shimmer lay hidden in their depths, as if the stars had chosen to rest inside her gaze.
The skin around her eyes was smooth and flawless, glowing softly under the market lights.
A strange, cold sense of inferiority crept into the woman's chest.
She froze.
Just moments ago, the crowd had been telling her she was the most beautiful woman here, a goddess beside Master Su. But now, with only a glimpse of this girl's eyes, everything felt false. That calm stare—so quiet, so unaffected—it wasn't looking at her with envy or curiosity.
It was just… looking.
As if she were nothing special. As if her entire presence didn't matter.
The woman's lips tightened.
She had spent a fortune on her face—special contouring for her cheekbones, surgeries to reshape her nose and eyes, skin-lightening procedures, permanent makeup near her lips and lashes. She had tried everything to look alluring, seductive, flawless.
And yes, people praised her. But she had overheard the whispers behind her back.
"Plastic beauty."
"Too fake."
"She looks different in every photo."
And now this girl—wearing plain street clothes, no jewelry, no makeup, no branding—had the audacity to look like that?
Jealousy flared, hot and acidic in her chest.
She forced a laugh and turned her head dramatically toward Master Su. "Su-ge, you said tonight you'd win something even more valuable than last time, right? Don't disappoint me." She made sure to speak loudly, drawing the crowd's attention back to herself.
Master Su chuckled, "Of course. For you, I've picked up a stone that will make the jade enthusiast fight over it, once cut open."
But the woman wasn't smiling anymore. Her fingers dug slightly into his arm, nails pressing hard. Her mind, however, was still stuck on that girl's eyes.
She looked back at Master Su and sighed dramatically, her voice laced with false concern. "Master Su, teenagers these days really have no sense of shame. They care more about vanity than education or self-respect. It's honestly disgusting."
Then, shifting her gaze meaningfully toward Li Ziqing, she added with a sigh, "Hey, kiddo. I know Master Su looks rich and handsome, but using such cheap tricks to seduce a man? That's disgraceful. You're young—go home and study. If your parents knew what you were up to, do you know how disappointed they would be?"
Her tone was patronizing, a deliberate performance of righteousness meant for the crowd, but her eyes glittered with malice.
Li Ziqing, who had merely been quietly observing the cutting process, was startled. She looked around in confusion, half-expecting someone else to be standing behind her. Surely, this had nothing to do with her? She hadn't said a word or taken a step toward anyone.
Still uncertain, she looked back and asked politely, "Aunty, are you talking to me?"
The moment the word 'Aunty' left her lips, the woman's expression froze.
For a brief moment, silence enveloped the stall. Even Master Su paused, his gaze shifting fully to the girl for the first time. She couldn't have been more than fifteen—slim and dressed simply, her face half-hidden beneath a mask. Only her eyes and a small portion of skin were visible, but even that was enough to cause a stir, but he dismissed it.
The woman stiffened. Her artificial smile twisted with barely-contained rage. Her carefully curated image—elevated by makeup, surgery, and flattering words—had just been cracked open by a single word: Aunty.
"You little bastard! Who are you calling aunty? I'm only twenty-eight!" she shrieked, her voice sharp enough to pierce through the murmuring crowd. Though her face was concealed behind a mask, her bloodshot eyes betrayed her fury.
Seeing the woman angry and Master Su getting impatient, people around them came forward.
"She's got a sharp tongue, that one," someone muttered.
"Disrespectful brat. She clearly lacks any proper upbringing," another scoffed.
One man pointed at Li Ziqing's clothes and sneered, "Look at her—bargain-bin fashion. Probably some street rat with no manners."
"I've seen girls like her," another woman added coldly. "Throwing themselves at men the moment they see a little money and a designer suit. Disgraceful."
Their accusations, baseless and venomous, fell upon Li Ziqing like hail on dry ground. She stood frozen in place, her brows slightly furrowed, still trying to make sense of how she'd become the villain in a drama she hadn't even signed up for.
Master Su, meanwhile, smirked. The flattery inflated his ego like a balloon. With a faint flick of his wrist, he turned to the stall owner. "Do you let just anyone wander in here these days? Look at the scene this girl is making. Get rid of her. Now."