Chapter 31: A Small Test of Skill

In the morning, Qin Yun waited for Su Huan in the car for an hour; at noon, Su Huan waited for Qin Yun in the car for an hour.

Seeing Qin Yun's happy expression, Su Huan rolled her eyes: "Did you fall into a hole? Took you so long."

Qin Yun laughed heartily, offering no explanation—he certainly wasn't going to say he'd gone looking for birds. He put away the camera, got into the driver's seat, and was very satisfied with the reward for this task.

【Check-in task completed, received random reward: Carving skill +1】

【Carving Skill LV1: Blade follows heart, all forms can be carved, one cut defines the essence】

Already skilled in wood carving due to his woodworking ability, he now leapt straight to the master level in carving. Wood carving, jade carving, stone carving, nut carving—all reached an absurdly high level.

Give him a stone now, and he could carve flowers out of it on the spot.

The other reason he was happy was that carving was an excellent skill to showcase in videos—even if he filmed nothing else but his carving process, it would be fantastic content.

After all, carving isn't a skill ordinary people can master; there are barely any on Douyin, let alone someone at his level.

Su Huan said: "I've sent you the location. First, let's go to a jewelry store—I need to buy something."

"A gift for Shao Yan and Chen Ziyi?" Qin Yun started the car, pressed the accelerator, and sped toward the north gate of Xixi Wetland.

Su Huan nodded: "Shao Yan and I were close in college, and now we're both in Hangzhou—we see each other often. Since they're engaged, I definitely need to give them a gift."

"Just give money," Qin Yun said. Giving a gift is less practical than cash—you might buy something they don't like, but money never fails.

"Tacky."

Qin Yun smiled, drove out of the Xixi Wetland gate, and followed the location to their destination.

An hour later, the two arrived at a jade shop. The shop was sizable, with four or five female sales staff inside.

Seeing them, one immediately rushed over warmly; the others rolled their eyes and muttered under their breath.

This industry works this way—securing customers is critical; if you're not proactive, you won't eat. Even a fixed salary won't cover your rent.

"Miss, anything catch your eye? Bracelet or bangle? Today we have a promotion—new customers get 20% off."

Su Huan nodded and began examining the display counter herself.

Qin Yun glanced around and noticed that nearly all the jade here was machine-processed; he saw almost no hand-carved pieces.

But that was normal—this place was mass-producing; hand-carving was too costly and unnecessary.

The few hand-carved items on display were priced extremely high, likely used as store showpieces. But in Qin Yun's view, their craftsmanship was mediocre—flaws were obvious at a glance. For example, one jade bracelet's carved bird-and-flower motif lacked both form and spirit—mere outline, nothing more.

Yet this bracelet was priced at 188,888 yuan—the boss was crying while making 188,000 off you.

After looking around, Qin Yun pointed to a square piece of Xiuyan jade on the counter and asked the salesperson: "Miss, is this Xiuyan jade for sale?"

Xiuyan jade is one of China's four famous jades, but it's cheap—a bracelet costs only a few hundred yuan.

The salesperson glanced at the Xiuyan jade and frowned: "Sir, this is just used to fill corner space."

Qin Yun smiled: "Ask your manager—if it's for sale, I'll take it."

With his new carving skill, he was itching to carve something.

The salesperson turned and went into the back room to ask. Soon, the store manager emerged—a stout middle-aged man.

"Sir, you want this piece of Xiuyan jade?"

Qin Yun nodded: "Will you sell it?"

"Sold!" The manager didn't hesitate. "But this large block could make about five bracelets. Xiuyan jade bracelets usually sell for around five hundred yuan each. I'll give you a discount—four thousand yuan total. How's that?"

Qin Yun nodded, called Su Huan over, and leaned close to her ear: "Buy this piece of Xiuyan jade. I'll give you a gift later."

Su Huan's ear tingled, her heart fluttered slightly, but she asked no questions and paid immediately.

Qin Yun picked up the heavy piece of Xiuyan jade and pointed to the nearby workbench: "Manager, may I borrow your tools to carve something?"

The manager blinked, then asked, "Sir, do you know carving?" Before Qin Yun could answer, he nodded: "Go ahead—no customers right now."

Beside him, Su Huan looked stunned: "Qin Yun, when did you learn carving?"

Qin Yun didn't answer. He sat down at the workbench, took a quick look, and saw all the jade-carving tools were present.

"By the way, what are Shao Yan and Chen Ziyi's zodiac signs?"

Su Huan replied: "Shao Yan is a Tiger. Chen Ziyi is a Bull."

She had a hunch about what Qin Yun intended to do.

With no other customers present, the manager and the sales staff gathered around, eager to watch Qin Yun's work.

Qin Yun placed the Xiuyan jade on the bench. The jade was perfectly square, about eight or nine centimeters tall, with a pale, translucent pale-green hue, watery and clear. Among jades, it was ordinary—but its texture was even and free of cracks, perfect for carving four or five pendants.

Shao Yan was a Tiger, Chen Ziyi a Bull. Qin Yun planned to carve a matching pair of Tiger and Bull pendants from this Xiuyan jade—far better and more sincere than any ready-made product.

He took a carving knife from the side, tested its flexibility and sharpness, then, confident, began.

Focusing his mind, he swiftly carved four lines across the jade surface—"chī chī"—four cuts as precise as ruler marks, encircling the jade.

Then, with precise force, he tapped lightly. "Kā lā"—a few crisp cracks—and the entire block split cleanly into four neatly shaped pieces.

He picked up one piece, mentally refining the tiger's form. He didn't sketch first—his current carving skill meant his drawing ability had reached an extremely high level; he could sketch the tiger's outline effortlessly from memory and touch alone.

As the blade touched the jade, fine chips fell like snowflakes.

His movements were steady; with a flick of his wrist, the blade glided like a dragon. Soon, the tiger's head emerged on the jade surface.

The manager and sales staff stared, nearly shouting in astonishment.

As jade shop employees, they often saw the master craftsman at work—but he was arrogant, guarded, and painfully slow, never swift or smooth. This handsome man, by contrast, moved with calm poise and fluid grace—clearly a master's bearing.

Of course, the most important thing was his looks.

Su Huan's astonished gaze rested on Qin Yun's profile. She couldn't imagine what he'd done in the years since graduation.

He could climb cliffs bare-handed, now he could carve jade—did all men become this absurd after marriage? Or was Qin Yun just special?

Qin Yun carved the tiger's head, then its body. The muscle textures followed the jade's natural curves, never appearing fierce—instead, they radiated a calm, dignified strength. In no time, a lively tiger leapt to life on the jade.

But Qin Yun didn't stop after the tiger. He carved mountain ridges and forest outlines beside it, making the tiger crouch within, majestic yet not menacing—visibly gentle beneath its grandeur.

When done, he trimmed the edges, drilled a hole at the top, and completed a full jade pendant. The entire process took less than half an hour—so fast the staff couldn't believe it.

The manager silently cursed: Damn it, that old bastard takes a week or half a month to carve one thing. Next time, I'll use the surveillance footage to confront him—see what he has to say.

Qin Yun handed the jade pendant to Su Huan and smiled, "I still need to polish it a bit—what do you think of giving this to Shao Yan?"

Su Huan looked at the pendant in her hand, her emotions complicated, almost reluctant to let it go.

"Bro, your craftsmanship is incredible—so much detail, the tiger looks like it's come to life. How about selling it to me? I'll give you four thousand for this piece," the manager suddenly interjected.

Su Huan immediately glared: "This isn't for sale—it's meant as a gift."

The manager looked disappointed.

Qin Yun began carving the ox. The ox's silhouette needed to be sturdy and gentle; he deliberately slowed his blade, letting the edge barely cut into the jade, shaping the ox's horns, then following the jade's natural curve to form its round, plump body, which soon rose to the surface, its four hooves firmly planted, radiating a sense of steadiness.

Placing the tiger and ox jade pendants side by side, he carved a tiny auspicious cloud beside the tiger's paw and a small bell at the ox's neck. Holding both pendants in his palm, they looked perfectly harmonious.

He nodded in satisfaction, asked the manager for fine sandpaper, dipped it in a little water, and began polishing meticulously. Soon, the rough jade surface grew smooth and lustrous, cool to the touch.

Then he asked the shop for two red cords, threading a small knot at the top of each pendant—the red cords complemented the blue-green jade, bright yet unpretentious.

He held them up, shook them gently, then carved "Peace" on the north side of the tiger pendant and "Joy" on the north side of the ox pendant. The elegant script blended seamlessly with the carving.

"Done." Qin Yun handed both pendants to Su Huan. "The tiger guards the home, the ox brings fortune. Give these to them—it's your money anyway."

What could Su Huan say? She naturally agreed.

He put away the two leftover jade pieces, and the two left the shop. Su Huan's heart was unsettled; she wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin. The car drove all the way to the banquet restaurant before she finally steadied her emotions.

As the two stepped out of the car, another BMW 3 Series suddenly pulled up beside them, and the doors opened to reveal two people.

One was Fei Kai; the other Qin Yun had never met.

"Qin Yun, Su Huan."

Fei Kai greeted them, then stepped forward to hug Qin Yun, punching his chest lightly: "Damn, Qin Yun, haven't seen you in years—you're driving a Land Rover Defender now? That thing's not cheap—it could buy me four of my cars. You hit the jackpot, huh?"

Qin Yun laughed. "I'm a jobless drifter—how can you call me rich? Haven't seen you in years, but you look like you're living the good life. You must be doing well in Hangzhou."

"Hahaha, not bad, not bad," Fei Kai looked the picture of a simple man, but he could drink anyone under the table. After graduation, he didn't stick to his original field—Su Huan said he went into sales and thrived, becoming the manager responsible for the East China region. Reaching this level in four years was impressive.

On the other side, the stranger's eyes lit up the moment he saw Su Huan, and he immediately stepped forward.

"Su Huan, you're here."

"Manager He," Su Huan smiled and nodded, but the distance between them was clear.

Yet the man acted as if he noticed nothing, pressing close, asking after her well-being—his intentions were obvious.

Fei Kai nudged Qin Yun and whispered, "What's going on between you and Su Huan? You two getting together?"

Although Fei Kai had introduced his friend to Su Huan, he had no strong preference—success was fine, failure didn't matter.

Qin Yun laughed bitterly. "Get your head out of the gutter—I'm just passing through Hangzhou. I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Alright, what a shame," Fei Kai shook his head, then called out loudly, "Come on, don't stand around outside—let's go in. Shao Yan and Chen Ziyi are already here."