2 Encountering Something Strange

"...Now for news from Qingning City. Limu County experienced a 4.2 magnitude earthquake, with a depth of seven kilometers. According to preliminary measurements by the Qingning Earthquake Bureau, at 13:18:32 on the 27th, the earthquake occurred in Limu County, Qingning City..."

After clearing away the breakfast dishes, Luo Yu called out toward the living room, "Grandpa, let me take care of the shop today. Why don't you take a day off and relax? It's a holiday anyway, and I might get lucky and find something valuable, earn a bit of pocket money."

The old man laughed and scolded, "Has your father cut your allowance?"

"Too much money never hurts! And it feels more rewarding to earn it myself."

"Alright, then go ahead! Remember to lock the door when you leave."

Luo Yu cheerfully ran over to his father, begged for the car keys, and dashed off to the Treasure Pavilion.

The old man let his grandson go off treasure hunting without any worries that he'd get duped. Perhaps, after generations in the trade, the Luo family had developed a sixth sense. Luo Yu had a natural talent for appraising antiques; in his own words, whenever something good was in his hands, he felt a certain spiritual resonance that couldn't deceive him. While he sometimes misjudged, when he was sure, he was rarely mistaken.

A dozen minutes later, Luo Yu had parked his car on Chuan Deng Temple Street. Walking down the familiar road, someone teased him, "Hey, rare to see the young boss at the shop! Where's the old man?"

Luo Yu waved it off, "I've given the boss a holiday!"

Before he reached the shop, he noticed a crowd gathered in front of the Jade Store, all abuzz with excitement. Luo Yu glanced over, slipped into the crowd, and tugged on someone's sleeve. The man was thin, with a dark complexion from the sun, but young—about twenty-five or twenty-six—with sharp, lively eyes. Recognizing Luo Yu, he grabbed him and led him out of the crowd.

"Shovel Bro, what's all the fuss about?" Luo Yu asked curiously.

"Did you hear about the earthquake in Limu yesterday?" the man, known as Shovel Bro, replied.

"No, I hadn't. Was it bad? I slept right through it, didn't feel a thing... Why's everyone gathered here?"

"Hey," Shovel Bro lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously, "the quake wasn't strong, but just that little tremor might have shaken loose an ancient tomb. Someone found a jade piece—white jade, no less!"

Luo Yu was surprised, "There's a tomb over there? I've never heard of anything being unearthed from that area. Limu isn't exactly considered a prime location, is it?"

"Who knows? Everyone's here trying to figure out if it's real."

"Did you see the jade?"

Shovel Bro shook his head. "They're inside looking. The guy who found it is a farmer from Huangyang Ao in Limu. The quake was near there. The villagers heard noises nearby, went to investigate, and apparently a hillside collapsed."

Luo Yu laughed, "How come you didn't rush over? Doesn't live up to the reputation of 'Shovel Bro'!"

Shovel Bro smiled wryly, "Some faster folks already went, but found nothing but yellow earth. Maybe they're just saying that. I'm waiting for someone to judge the item—if it's genuine, I'll make a trip."

Luo Yu joked, "Fake or real, you have to check it out. Not very professional, is it? That's the wrong attitude!"

As they spoke, some people emerged from inside. Shovel Bro, unconcerned whether he knew them or not, approached everyone asking, "How was it?"

Someone replied, "It's good jade, but the origin is unclear—hard to date." Shovel Bro became anxious, "How can that be? There are plenty of experts inside. Why can't they date it?" The man hesitated, "I'm not sure. It looks old, but also new. You should see for yourself."

Shovel Bro pulled Luo Yu inside, saying, "Little Yu, you come take a look too."

After squeezing in, Luo Yu finally saw the people inside. One man looked honest and rustic, probably from the village. Two elderly men were examining a jade plaque, two fingers wide and square, resting on a velvet-lined box, turning it over and over, feeling it, even using a magnifying glass to search for any clue.

Luo Yu studied the jade in the old man's hand, sensing something unusual: the patina was perfect, yet the jade itself showed no signs of age, and instead had a striking brilliance, quite different from the usual gentle, understated luster of nephrite. The carvings on the plaque were also extraordinary, unlike anything he'd seen—almost as if they were naturally formed. In the center, about the size of a coin, the intricate patterns resembled clouds or a labyrinth, somewhat abstract, with no obvious symbolism.

Unless it was a modern fake made with high-tech materials, achieving such refined carving in ancient times was unimaginable. This left the two elders even more doubtful: Was it really jade? Ancient jade? But even if it was fake, the magnifying glass couldn't find a flaw; the texture and feel confirmed it was a fine piece of jade. Its brilliance and perfect patina were so dazzling that it was bewildering.

One of the old men noticed Luo Yu's intense gaze, sized him up, and smiled, "Isn't this the Luo family's boy? I hear you have a sharp eye—care to take a look?"

Luo Yu nodded eagerly, "I've never seen anything like this, truly fascinating—may I ask your surname, sir? I rarely get to witness such occasions, and have not had the fortune to meet senior experts. It's embarrassing for my grandfather, but I won't be so rude next time."

The old man was pleased by his words, smiling, "You're still in school, aren't you? Education is important for young people; it's normal not to know us old men. But in the future, it's up to you youngsters to carry on the traditions—it's good to come out and learn. My surname is Song, and this gentleman here is Sun. Calling us 'sir' is just right; we're of your grandfather's generation."

Luo Yu quickly greeted Elder Song and Elder Sun with respectful humility. It wasn't an act, but a habit; he knew the people in this circle valued etiquette, and if he wasn't respectful, the elders would shake their heads behind his back, to his grandfather's embarrassment.

Elder Sun, examining the jade, also gave Luo Yu a careful look. The grandson of Elder Luo was indeed handsome—rosy lips, white teeth, clean and attractive. He took a liking to him. Cheerfully, he placed the jade plaque on the velvet, gesturing for Luo Yu to proceed.

Luo Yu stepped forward and picked up the plaque. Instantly, a strange sensation passed through his fingertips—as if his fingers suddenly learned to breathe, drawing in the freshest mountain air at dawn. Cool and invigorating, it sent chills up his spine—not unpleasant, but surprising. Fortunately, his hand was steady and he didn't lose composure.

He quickly regained his senses and examined the plaque closely. The refreshing feeling lingered, as if his fingertips kept taking deep breaths. Was it possible the two elders hadn't noticed this? Their expressions suggested they felt nothing unusual... What kind of jade was this? It was bizarre! Calming himself, Luo Yu tried to ignore the physical sensation and focus on his intuition, appraising the jade as he would other antiques, seeking its sense of history. But after a long look, he couldn't discern anything—the jade was simply too dazzling.

Could this be some legendary treasure? The feeling made Luo Yu wonder. He ventured, "It feels good in the hand, but the appearance is very strange." The two elders nodded in agreement. Luo Yu blinked innocently, "I'm not very versed in jade—it's not something we deal with much in the shop. I don't have the eye for it. What do you gentlemen think? Please enlighten me."

The two elders appreciated his modesty and clever speech—so much more mature than most seventeen- or eighteen-year-old boys. They thought, "The younger generation in our circle is indeed reliable. Those loud, brash youths on the street can't compare to this Luo family boy—though if they saw his true self at home, would they be disappointed?"

The elders explained their appraisal to Luo Yu, and their conclusions matched his initial impression. Of course, they spoke tactfully, never directly suggesting the jade was inferior or possibly fake in front of the owner and the potential buyer, only saying, "It's hard to say,"—a phrase Luo Yu understood well.

After observing, Luo Yu realized they hadn't detected the jade's peculiar qualities, so he wondered silently why only he felt such a reaction, though he couldn't guess the reason.

In the end, the elders offered no advice, just shared their opinions, leaving the shop owner to decide. The jade store owner understood they couldn't be certain, but he himself liked the jade, so he quoted a price for Hetian white jade. Unexpectedly, the farmer refused to sell—he'd already asked around about the value of antique jade, knowing that well-carved, high-quality, old jade was a treasure. He was convinced his piece was an exquisitely carved antique, and thought the experts simply lacked the eye for it. He decided to take it elsewhere for another appraisal. Thus, the deal fell through.

After bidding farewell to the two elders, Luo Yu and Shovel Bro exited together. The nickname "Shovel Bro" was one Luo Yu had given him; his real name was Lin Shengqiang, and he was in the business of "digging up treasures"—traveling from village to village to acquire antiques and resell them for a profit, much like Elder Luo had done in his youth. He often supplied items to the Luo family shop, so over time, he and Luo Yu became friends. Luo Yu called him Shovel Bro, and the name stuck.

Shovel Bro had watched the jade closely but couldn't reach a conclusion. Whether it was truly an antique, no one could say. Now outside, he asked Luo Yu directly. Luo Yu thought it over; even if the jade wasn't an antique, it surely held some mystery, and his curiosity was piqued. He said to Shovel Bro, "I can't say if it's really old, but it definitely isn't ordinary. It's worth a trip—even if nothing comes of it, at least we'll have peace of mind."

Shovel Bro nodded, planning to go. Whether there was something or not, he'd feel better knowing, rather than worrying that a treasure had slipped away. Once decided, he was ready to leave immediately. Luo Yu, now interested, offered to go with him. Shovel Bro gladly agreed.

They learned that traveling from Qingning to Huangyang Ao by car would take half a day. Luo Yu checked the time—it was only about nine o'clock, so if they hurried, they'd make it. He considered driving his father's car, but lacked confidence in handling the rough country roads and feared scratching it and incurring his father's wrath. So he called home to inform his father, then packed water, a sun hat, and other essentials, and went with Shovel Bro to the bus station—better to trust an experienced driver.

Buddy Cultivation Chronicles 2_Buddy Cultivation Chronicles full free reading_2 Encountered something strange, update complete!