Chapter 230: Saving Her
Chapter 230: Saving Her
"There's a large-scale auction event coming up on Hongdao Island. If these stones are of good quality, I'll have someone appraise them and see if they can be sent for auction," Zhang Rong said, feeling that they had picked up these stones just in time, and this was a great opportunity!
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia asked, "Can we open them up and then take them to the auction?"
Zhang Rong replied, "We can, but once they're opened, their value will be immediately apparent, and the price won't be hard to estimate. The difference could be significant."
Auctioning raw stones was essentially a high-stakes gamble. The reason people were willing to spend a lot of money on it was that it was the most risk-free and profitable venture! There were both advantages and disadvantages to opening them.
If the jade inside was good, then that would be great.
But if it wasn't...
Well, no need to spell it out.
Jiang Xia said, "It's fine, I still want to open them."
Zhang Rong looked at Zhou Chenglei.
Jiang Xia also looked at Zhou Chenglei.
Zhou Chenglei said, "I'll listen to my wife. Whatever she says goes."
Zhang Rong: "..."
Who would've thought that the team leader was actually afraid of his wife.
Zeng Yuan couldn't help but glance at Zhou Chenglei, feeling a twinge of heartache.
"Alright! Then I'll find someone to open them when I get back. Should I have a few more experts take a look before making a decision?" She couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Xia: "No need, just open them!"
Zhou Chenglei remained silent, appearing to be obedient.
Zeng Yuan couldn't bear to watch, so she walked away.
"Okay," Zhang Rong replied.
He thought about the city's first high-rise building, the Shangmao Dasha, which was being funded for construction and was set to begin next year. It would be the city's first high-rise building, with 50 floors, and would be a multi-functional building integrating commerce, trade, offices, and dining.
He had already planned to invest in it and hadn't considered inviting Zhou Chenglei to join, as the investment required a substantial amount of money, which he assumed Zhou Chenglei didn't have.
However, if his guess about these two stones was correct, he would have the money to invest after selling them.
He believed it was a worthwhile investment, and such a good opportunity shouldn't be missed by his brother. With no outsiders present, Zhang Rong shared this idea.
"Are you interested in investing? Once we sell these two raw stones, if the money is sufficient, I can help you invest?"
Zhang Rong knew that Zhou Chenglei had bought a large ship and went on long voyages, often staying away for ten to fifteen days at a time. So, he mentioned this in advance to avoid any communication issues later.
Although Jiang Xia was at home, this was a substantial amount of money, and it was better to discuss it in front of both husband and wife.
"Don't be fooled by the current swamp and low, dark houses there. You know that area is undergoing vigorous construction, and the prospects are definitely bright."
Jiang Xia squeezed Zhou Chenglei's wrist, her grip a little tight.
Zhou Chenglei said, "Sure, if the money is sufficient. If it's not enough, let me know how much more is needed."
"Alright, I'll inform you when the time comes."
As it was getting late, Zhang Rong finished discussing the important matter and suggested leaving.
As Zeng Yuan was leaving, she said to Zhou Chenglei, "I've been transferred to this side's military hospital. If you need any help in the future, you can find me."
Zhou Chenglei nodded, "Okay, when my wife gives birth, please help reserve a quieter spot."
Jiang Xia: "..."
This guy really dares to say anything!
"Pfft..." Zhang Rui couldn't hold it in and covered his mouth.
Zeng Yuan turned and walked away!
She genuinely wanted to help him, but he was deliberately provoking her with his words!
Zhang Rui laughed happily, "Is Fourth Brother about to become a father? Then I'll be the godfather!"
Zhang Rong also laughed, "Little Sister-in-law is pregnant?"
Jiang Xia felt a bit embarrassed, "No, I was just joking."
Zhang Rong and his brother didn't say much more, laughing as they said goodbye and agreed to meet the next day before leaving.
The next day, they didn't go out to sea. Zhou Chenglei took Jiang Xia for a run, and after the run, they went to the rocky shore to pull up the crab traps they had set the previous day.
By then, the sky was already bright.
Wen Wan had also come early to pull up her crab traps.
The three of them happened to meet, but they didn't greet each other, each busy with their own tasks.
Zhou Chenglei pulled up the first crab trap, which contained two crabs, one large and one small, and a Sandpoint fish. One of the crabs was a butter crab, its claws indicating a generous amount of roe. The other crab was slightly smaller, so he took out the fish and the larger crab, leaving the smaller one in the trap as it didn't have any roe.
In this era, few people enjoyed eating crabs, and those without much roe were often unwanted. Jiang Xia watched as Zhou Chenglei, without hesitation, tossed a crab larger than her palm back into the sea.
Jiang Xia had once seen a video from modern times where fishing boats set out crab traps specifically to catch crabs, as they were more valuable than many types of fish. Hundreds or even thousands of crab traps were set, and machines were used to retrieve them. The workers would quickly pull up one trap after another, but such methods were not yet available in this era.
Noticing that the bait in this crab trap was still untouched, Zhou Chenglei threw it back into the sea, not wanting to waste it. He had specifically bought pig offal the day before, including half a pig liver, to use as bait.
The second crab trap contained three crabs, a small perch, and two shrimp. One of the crabs had its roe exposed, so Zhou Chenglei pulled it out and threw it back into the sea, along with the perch, which was too small.
He continued pulling up the crab traps, while on the other side, Wen Wan was also hauling in her traps.
She had already pulled up two traps but didn't immediately take out the fish and crabs. Instead, she proceeded to pull up another one.
Jiang Xia noticed that Wen Wan's traps also had a similar catch to theirs, mostly one or two crabs each.
Wen Wan had set out more traps than Zhou Chenglei, and while he had finished pulling his, she was still working on hers.
It was unclear if she had run out of strength or if the trap was stuck. As she struggled with the sixth trap, she pulled with all her might, but it wouldn't budge.
In a sudden move, she gave it a forceful tug, but her footing became unstable, and with a 'plop,' she fell into the water, taking one of the traps down with her.
Just then, a wave crashed onto the rocks and receded, carrying her away from the rocks and into the deeper part of the ocean.
Jiang Xia: "..."
Damn it, she always caused trouble!
Being with her was bound to bring nothing but trouble!
Wen Wan could swim, but after falling into the sea, choking on the water, and being carried away by the waves, she panicked and struggled desperately, shouting, "Help! Help... Ugh..."
Jiang Xia: "Throw a crab trap down for her to grab onto, and pull her back!"
Zhou Chenglei had the same idea and quickly grabbed a crab trap, waiting for the next wave to bring Wen Wan closer. As the wave approached, he aimed and threw the trap, which landed right in front of Wen Wan.
Jiang Xia shouted, "Grab it if you don't want to die!"
Instinctively, Wen Wan grasped the crab trap.
Zhou Chenglei immediately pulled her closer.
Wen Wan scrambled onto the rocks with Zhou Chenglei's help.
Jiang Xia extended her hand, saying, "Grab me, and I'll pull you up."
Zhou Chenglei held onto Jiang Xia's arm, fearing she might fall.
Wen Wan gave Jiang Xia a complex look.
She hadn't expected Jiang Xia to take the initiative to save her.
Wen Wan reached out and grabbed Jiang Xia's hand.
Jiang Xia, with a dark expression, pulled Wen Wan up and immediately let go, not saying a word to her. Instead, she turned to Zhou Chenglei and said, "Clean up, let's go!"
Zhou Chenglei nodded, picked up the crab trap and the bucket of fish and crabs, and, holding Jiang Xia's hand, they left.
In total, they had set out five crab traps, catching eight crabs, three sardines, a squidlet, and some shrimp.
Wen Wan coughed and caught her breath before looking up to see their figures fading into the distance.
At that moment, Jiang Xia pointed to the side of the road, saying, "It must be Second Brother Zhang coming to take away the jade-crystal chenqu!"
Wen Wan followed her gaze and saw a jeep followed by a pickup truck.
So, Jiang Xia had indeed sold the jade-crystal chenqu?
Wen Wan's feelings were mixed.
(End of Chapter)
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