Chapter Eighty-Eight: Many Legends

Had the black aura of the Immortal Peach Manor not been so oppressive, Tang Long might have stayed a little longer. At the very least, he would have eaten before leaving, for he was hungry now. But the place’s atmosphere, and the baleful energy above it, made him dislike it intensely; he did not want to linger there for even a moment.

After leaving the manor, it was still not too late. If Tang Long headed back to Fishhead Village now, he would still make it in time.

After a brief hesitation, however, he turned the car toward the direction of the Baofeng Carving Factory. Since he had already asked Zhang Xiue for leave and said he would not be back tonight, he might as well handle a few matters while he was here. Some things were better dealt with early than late.

That night, the Baofeng Carving Factory had only the guards watching the warehouse and the patrolmen on duty. In front stood a three-story building facing the street, with a small garden attached; it had once been the residence of Boss Yang, but now the house belonged to Tang Long as well.

“You’re back.” When Diao Yunniang saw Tang Long again, her expression was calm.

Tang Long, by contrast, felt a certain awkwardness. According to their agreement, ever since he had paid Boss Yang five million, the Baofeng Carving Factory and this woman should both count as his private property.

There was no such thing as forced buying, forced selling, or bullying men and women here; it had all been done willingly.

“I’m a little hungry. Could you make me something to eat?” Tang Long asked with a smile.

Though Diao Yunniang appeared calm on the surface, the finer details of her body still betrayed how tense she truly was; she was only forcing herself to remain composed.

“Shall I go make you a bowl of noodles?” she said. She herself had not eaten dinner either. Such a huge upheaval had happened at home; she was no heartless stone. How could she act as though nothing had happened?

And who was there to blame? If she must blame anyone, it could only be her own bad fate.

“Sure. I love noodles,” Tang Long said with a grin.

Diao Yunniang said softly, “Then come with me.”

She led him toward the front building, or rather the small villa. Usually, Diao Yunniang preferred quiet and did not like others intruding on her own space, so few people ever came to the villa unless there was an emergency.

The living room inside was large. The decor, leaning slightly toward an old-fashioned European style, was somewhat dated, but very clean.

“Sit anywhere you like for a while,” Diao Yunniang said as she walked toward the kitchen. She knew that Tang Long was now the owner here, but in her subconscious she had not yet accepted that fact. Or perhaps, in a short time, such an old habit of thinking could not be changed so quickly.

Tang Long sat on the sofa. The place felt good to him, carrying a comfortable sort of atmosphere. Thinking that this would all be his from now on, he saw no reason to be overly polite. He lay down on the sofa for a while, then stood and walked toward the inner rooms.

He wanted to look at the layout of the villa. This house had been built privately, so it was fairly large in scale. With three floors above and below, it probably covered more than ten thousand square feet. Besides living quarters, there was also a small storeroom and a private carving studio.

In the rooms, Tang Long did not find any photos or other keepsakes of the former owner. They had probably been put away by the woman, which made him rather pleased. After all, his impression of Boss Yang had never been good.

About ten minutes later, Diao Yunniang came out of the kitchen carrying a pale bowl and placed it on the dining table.

“The noodles are ready. Come eat while they’re hot.”

Tang Long walked back and, looking at the bowl of noodles, could not help being startled. He looked up at the woman and asked, “This bowl isn’t jade too, is it?”

“Yes,” Diao Yunniang nodded. “It’s bean-jadeite. The quality of the stone isn’t all that great, but it’s fine for eating.”

Tang Long rubbed his nose. Not merely fine, this was downright extravagant. Forget ordinary households; even wealthy families probably never imagined eating from a jade bowl. Even if the material was not top-grade, it had to be worth something, surely?

And if it were dropped or chipped, wouldn’t one feel heartbroken?

Diao Yunniang lowered her head and said softly, “There’s also a set of exquisite tableware in the kitchen. We only use it during major holidays. If taken to market, it could probably fetch several hundred thousand. If you need money, you could sell it first.”

What is true foundation?

This, damn it, is foundation. Since ancient times people have said that gold has a price, but jade is priceless. Looking at this household, even the utensils for eating were made of jade.

Tang Long lowered his head and saw that the chair had a marble-like seat set into the wood. He could not help asking, “Is this chair inlaid with jade too?”

Diao Yunniang could not help but smile faintly, then nodded and said, “The Baofeng Carving Factory has existed for a very long time. I’ve been running it for twenty-eight years myself. Things like these are actually quite common in the house. Back then, I thought they were interesting and not worth much, so I kept them.”

You hear that? In her eyes, these were merely little odds and ends.

“So this huge piece of jade under your backside isn’t worth much?” Tang Long asked with a laugh, half-amused and half-helpless.

After a moment’s hesitation, Diao Yunniang said, “In the past, this kind of jade was very cheap. But now, with resources scarce and capital driving up prices, it should be worth something, I suppose.”

“Sit down and eat your noodles first. They won’t taste good once they’ve gone cold.”

After Tang Long sat down, Diao Yunniang stood by his side and explained softly, “Things like these, scattered here and there, can always be found around the house. He always wanted to move out and buy another place to live, but I refused to agree. Who knows what might be hidden in some corner here, or even buried underground? If we moved away, those things might never be found again.”

Slurp.

Tang Long drew the noodles into his mouth and, suddenly intrigued, asked, “So by your account, there are still treasures in the Baofeng Carving Factory?”

Diao Yunniang smiled beautifully. “They can’t really be called treasures. But the Yang family has worked in jade carving for all these years, so there are always some things around. They may not be worth a fortune, but if you gather them up, you can still make do.”

After a slight pause, she let the smile fade and said calmly, “From now on, all of these things are yours.”

Tang Long nodded without speaking. These things had not come to him for free; they had been bought with real money.

Only after he finished the bowl of noodles and wiped his mouth did he look up and ask, “You said you had a way to solve the issue of that thirty-million order?”

Diao Yunniang nodded. “That order belongs to the Hezheng Jade Family. The major shareholder of Hezheng Jade is surnamed Niu, and he is also the controller of the Hezheng Gem Group. The Niu family has a piece of violet glass jade rough, and they’ve long wanted someone to carve it into a finished work.”

Tang Long quickly understood and asked, “You mean the Niu family from Hezheng Jewelry wanted you to carve jade for them?”

“Yes.”

Diao Yunniang looked up, radiating an unshakable confidence, and said proudly, “In the art of carving, across the whole country, I may not dare claim to be among the top few, but I am certainly one of the very best. Among carvers under fifty, no matter who they are, none of their works would be worthy of my approval. In the younger generation, if I say I am second, no one dares call himself first.”

Damn, was she really that formidable?

Tang Long laughed. “The Niu family commissions a set of jewelry from you, and that can erase this thirty-million order?”

Diao Yunniang hesitated, then said softly, “The Niu family found me and was willing to pay one hundred million for me to carve that violet jade rough. I have seen the material; it is a supreme treasure, priceless on the market.”

“One hundred million?” Tang Long asked with curiosity. “Boss Yang didn’t know about this?”

If the former Boss Yang of Baofeng Carving Factory had known that this woman’s skill was worth one hundred million, would he still have cared about the thirty-million order and chosen to run?

“I never told him,” Diao Yunniang said, shaking her head. As for why she had not told him, she did not say.

“Then why didn’t you accept the Niu family’s offer? One hundred million is hardly a low price, is it?” Tang Long asked curiously.

Diao Yunniang nodded. “It isn’t low. Carving consumes both mind and spirit. If someone offered one hundred million to buy twenty years of your vitality, would you sell?”

Tang Long froze for a moment, then suddenly began to understand why Diao Yunniang was unwilling. If it were himself, even if someone offered more than that to buy twenty years of his life, he would not be willing either.

“You don’t believe me?” Diao Yunniang asked quietly.

Tang Long shook his head and said seriously, “No, I believe you. Because in this world, there are many things ordinary people do not understand.”

Then he frowned and asked, “Did the Niu family first place an order with the Baofeng Carving Factory, and only afterward come to you about carving the violet rough? Or was the order placed after you refused them?”

“Afterward,” Diao Yunniang said with certainty.

Tang Long frowned. Something about this felt suspicious. Connecting today’s events, could it be that the Niu family behind Hezheng Jewelry wanted Diao Yunniang to carve that violet material for them, and when she refused, they found that venomous woman Liu Meijia and set a trap to frame the Yang surname boss?

As for the Niu family behind Hezheng Jewelry, since they could afford a carving fee of one hundred million, they naturally would not care about a thirty-million order. Their only goal was to force Diao Yunniang to sell her carving skills.

He looked up at the woman before him. Her complexion was moist and radiant, and she possessed the beauty of maturity. She did not look old at all; only the way she dressed made her seem somewhat antiquated, giving people the impression of a middle-aged woman. If she washed up properly and changed into younger, brighter clothes, she would look only about thirty.

“After carving the Niu family’s piece, I suppose you’d be worn out too, wouldn’t you?” Tang Long said with a smile.

Diao Yunniang said calmly, “I’d probably age by about ten years, with my skin becoming loose and no longer lustrous.” After a pause, she added, “By then, even if I stood naked before men like you, I doubt anyone would look at me twice.”

There was no doubt about it: a woman’s most precious possession was youth. If youth were gone, what use was money? Money could not be brought into birth, and it could not be taken into death; it was nothing but a pile of waste paper.

“Don’t worry. I won’t force you,” Tang Long said with a smile. As for the name of the Baofeng Carving Factory, he did not care. At worst, he could just pay the Hezheng Jewelry Group thirty million himself.

“Unless you bring that batch of materials back from the Immortal Peach Manor, I have no choice but to do it myself,” Diao Yunniang said, as though she could guess what Tang Long was thinking, and gently shook her head.

Tang Long looked at her. Her gaze was fearless. The two of them held each other’s eyes for quite some time.

“Why?”

Diao Yunniang said calmly, “This craft of mine was learned from the Baofeng Carving Factory. It may decline and become worthless, but it cannot be ruined in my hands.”

“No room for discussion?” Tang Long asked with a smile.

Diao Yunniang shook her head and gave a wry smile. “What is there left to discuss? Still, before I grow old, there’s some time left. You can still... enjoy yourself for a while.”

Tang Long rolled his eyes. Was he really that unbearable?