C18 Super Waste Jade

In today's world, there's a significant emphasis on wellness and health. It's foreseeable that in the next few years, perhaps even a decade, products with high production rates will be cast aside in favor of health-centric products, which will take center stage globally.

The health products referred to here aren't simply what's marketed as 'green products,' which are often limited to organic foods. Many items claim to be pure and green, yet they fall short of being truly natural. This is akin to the local chickens you find in the market.

Vendors will assure you that their chickens are standard, farm-raised locals. But local chickens that weigh four or five pounds? That's unlikely. Therefore, the breed isn't authentic, and the diet of these so-called local chickens isn't natural either. The most nutritious chickens are those that forage for insects and grasshoppers. And the most aromatic pork? That comes from pigs that have roamed free for two or three years.

Yun Buhui has long harbored the dream of establishing an Ecosystem Breeding Farm, yet numerous technical challenges remain unresolved. His educational background didn't cover this field, after all.

This reminds him of an article he once read about a farm in the United States that didn't rely on humans to remove pests. Instead, thousands of chickens were kept in the vegetable fields, consuming any insects present. In essence, the vegetables were grown to feed the insects, which in turn fed the chickens.

Ultimately, the vegetables were pest-free, and the chickens grew plumper. This epitomized Ecosystem Breeding and represented a genuine food chain. The conundrum, however, was how to ensure the chickens ate only the insects and not the vegetables.

At the moment, despite Buhui's reluctance, his father insisted he not return home empty-handed, knowing well that Buhui's pockets held no more than a hundred yuan. Reluctantly, Buhui accepted five hundred yuan to carry with him, leaving the rest with his father.

Upon departing, Buhui hastened to catch a bus home. Yet, as he approached the hospital's entrance, about to head to the bus station, he spotted the owner of the Jewelry Store scanning the area, seemingly in search of something. Recognizing the man, Buhui decided to approach and offer a friendly greeting.

"Why is the Great Boss not holding down the fort at the shop? What brings him here? Is he looking for someone?"

The sudden question startled the Jewelry Store Boss. But upon recognizing Yun Buhui, his face broke into a smile.

"Brother, I've been looking for you."

Yun Buhui was taken aback by the remark. He hadn't expected to be the one sought after. Was this some kind of joke? Could it be that the man regretted purchasing the Qilin jade? That didn't make sense, though!

"You're not regretting buying that Qilin Jade from me, are you?" Yun Buhui asked, a touch of embarrassment in his voice. The real issue was, if the man did have regrets, Yun Buhui didn't have the money to refund him.

"How could that be? The quality of your jade is exceptional. My sister was thrilled with it; there's no way she'd have regrets," the Jewelry Store Boss replied, his face betraying a hint of discomfort. After a brief pause, he went on, "Actually, I'm here because I need your help. You didn't leave any contact information at the store, and we only saw you heading towards the hospital. We had no idea where to find you."

"That's why I brought two security guards with me to search for you. We've been on the lookout for a while, and I certainly didn't expect to catch you just coming out of the hospital. Is someone in your family hospitalized?"

"My mother is staying here. If there's anything I can assist with, I won't hesitate to offer my help," Yun Buhui said, briefly mentioning his personal situation before swiftly steering the conversation elsewhere. He was reluctant to discuss his family with strangers, even though he was somewhat acquainted with the Jewelry Store Boss. He felt that their statuses were unequal; after all, he was just a poor young man, whereas the other was the esteemed Jewelry Store Great Boss.

"My sister noticed you have a knack for jade, so she wanted to ask for your help this time," the boss explained. After hearing the full story, Yun Buhui finally understood.

It turned out that the boss had made a purchasing error. Those in the jewelry trade, like him, often traveled to Myanmar to select quality jade stones to process back home. Jade, particularly from the old mines of Myanmar, was renowned worldwide. Not only was it valuable, but people were also more than willing to invest in it.

However, she had erred during her recent trip to Myanmar, where she purchased a piece of Covered Jade Material. It wasn't entirely pure, as it had been partially cut, revealing at least a hint of green. This semi-covered jade piece measured roughly three to four centimeters in length and width. At first glance, the exposed section was unmistakably a piece of extremely valuable jade, potentially even Imperial Green Jade.

There's always a risk of unexpected issues with Half-Covered Jade Material, and her purchase was no exception. She believed that even if only the small section was Imperial Green Jade, it would be a worthwhile investment. A gold ring featuring this jade could be immensely valuable. Yet, when she returned and fully cut open the jade, she was utterly shocked.

The jade she had acquired did indeed contain Imperial Green Jade, but only a fragment the size of two adult fingertips. The rest of the stone was a disappointment. Jade is prized for its purity, but what she had bought was an oddity, a bizarre fusion of jade that defied explanation.

The jade's outer layer was violet, but within this violet shell was a type of impure jade known as Star of the Sky, indicating the presence of extremely fine jade particles, though minuscule in size and completely isolated from one another.

Despite being separated, this was still considered jade. However, this particular variety was quite common and valueless. While each type of jade might be acceptable on its own, their combination resulted in a piece that was effectively junk.

The violet layer was practically worthless, and the Star of the Sky within it couldn't withstand exposure. Most critically, there was no guarantee that the two pieces of Imperial Green Jade would maintain consistent quality once cut. Consequently, the stone was almost a write-off.

The Jewelry Store Boss had initially intended to cut the Imperial Green Jade for a ring setting. However, the risk of inconsistency between the outer and inner quality could lead to a significant financial loss. Business naturally involves both gains and losses, but such a substantial setback was not sustainable. Six hundred thousand yuan was at stake, and it seemed it might all be for naught. That's when she remembered Yun Buhui's exceptional carving skills, which he had demonstrated before her. Could his craftsmanship transform this failure into a treasure? She had overlooked this possibility while Yun Buhui was at the Jewelry Store, only recalling it after he had departed.

"Until I see the item in person, I can't make any judgments. Let's go have a look first," Yun Buhui remarked after getting the full picture of the situation.

"Brother, I'm really counting on you this time. If you can help me with this challenge, I promise you won't be left unrewarded," she said.

Hearing this, a subtle smile played across Yun Buhui's lips.

Shortly thereafter, they arrived at the Jewelry Store one after the other. The Jewelry Store Boss then led Yun Buhui to a room on the second floor. Presented with the jade, Yun Buhui examined it closely and, truth be told, it gave him quite the headache.

The jade was a sizable piece, nearly 30 centimeters in length and 20 centimeters in height. Despite its size, the real issue was its difficulty to carve. Cutting it into two or more pieces would render it worthless. The jade's quality was mediocre at best, its value hinging solely on the two Imperial Green Jades and the ring of purple violets that framed it. Dividing it would strip it of all its worth.

Yun Buhui paced around the jade, racking his brain for a solution. On closer inspection, he noted that the thinnest area of the purple violet was less than a centimeter thick, with the thickest part barely reaching four to five centimeters. During carving, if even a fraction too much was removed, the star-like patterns within would be revealed.

Such a mistake would ruin the entire piece. It wasn't that the purpose of carving was to deceive; rather, it was crucial that the surface quality of the jade remained impeccable. Confronted with this dilemma, Yun Buhui sat deep in thought, recalling a lesson from his youth. His third uncle, a skilled carver from his village, had once told him that every stone in this world has its unique feature.

The inability to discern how to carve a stone stemmed from not recognizing its strengths. Each stone, with its odd shapes and peculiarities, provided them, the stone carvers, with an opportunity to demonstrate their craft. Up until high school, Yun Buhui had spent every day learning the art of carving from his third uncle.

Despite the busyness of his high school years, Yun Buhui never let his craft fall by the wayside; in fact, his stone carving skills had advanced significantly. Upon returning from high school, he had carved a small trinket for his third uncle, earning such high praise that his uncle proclaimed Yun Buhui's skills had already surpassed his own. However, now faced with the stone before him, Buhui had to concede that it posed a challenge. Up to this point, he hadn't been able to discern anything particularly special about it.

The stone was somewhat elevated in the middle, tapering down at both ends. Around it, there were vertical striations that exuded the unique essence of violet. Interestingly, these striations resembled both flowing water and rising steam. The jade's surface was rough and uneven, giving the impression that numerous small stones had been forcibly joined together when one ran their hand over it.

As he continued to explore the jade's surface, Yun Buhui began to sense something unusual. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the surface irregularities amounted to exactly seven distinct stones. Observing this, Buhui spoke aloud to himself, pondering, "What is associated with the number seven?"

Without hesitation, the Jewelry Store Boss responded, "The Seven Fairies."