Disaster Apocalypse: Farming, Family, and My Hidden Secret Space
Chapter 166. Space Devouring

Chapter 166: 166. Space Devouring

If this deal goes through, he won’t have to worry for the next two months.

Speaking of which, the young lady really has a keen eye, picking the best one right off the bat.

He hurriedly handed the jade bracelet to the young lady, unable to hide the anticipation in his eyes.

As soon as the jade bracelet was in Hua Jin’s hand, she felt that mysterious sensation again, as if some sort of energy was being absorbed by the space through the jade bracelet.

To prevent anything unexpected, Hua Jin quickly contained that desire from the space, fearing the jade bracelet might truly disappear in her hand.

But this sensation made Hua Jin’s eyes light up for a moment, an idea surfacing in her mind.

She couldn’t afford to buy too much jade with her current abilities, but she could discreetly absorb a little from each jade piece without anyone noticing as long as she was careful not to affect the jade’s appearance.

Thinking of this, she set the jade bracelet down and, with the clerk’s permission, began selecting piece after piece.

Each time she held one, the space under her control would absorb a bit of the jade’s spiritual energy, ensuring no visible change in the jade occurred.

Almost every piece of jade went through her hands like this, bringing more and more smiles to Hua Jin’s face.

No matter how small, even mosquitoes are meat, and Hua Jin could already feel some changes in the space.

The clerk was well-trained and patient; otherwise, he would have shown displeasure long ago.

After going through her selection, she finally picked up the one she had initially fancied.

"Excuse me, what’s the price of this jade bracelet?"

Hearing this, the clerk’s smile widened, even raising his voice a bit.

"Miss Hua, you have a good eye; you picked out the best jade among them. This is a fine nephrite, though it’s a bit pricey at fifty taels of silver. If you’re interested, I’ll wrap it up for you."

When he mentioned the fifty taels, he carefully glanced at Hua Jin. Though eager to sell, he felt a bit nervous inside.

Fifty taels was no small amount, but considering the young lady often bought jewelry here and clearly wasn’t short on money—her attire was also quite good—the clerk held some hope.

Fifty taels was less than what Hua Jin had anticipated, giving her a sense of relief. But buying things is about the process, especially the bargaining.

No matter how much she desired it in her heart, she couldn’t show it; upon hearing the price, Hua Jin frowned, clearly finding it too high.

"Too expensive," she uttered those three words, appearing conflicted, then glanced towards the less expensive jade pieces.

"It’s not expensive, not at all. Miss, just look at the quality of this jade; it’s rare top-grade nephrite. Buying a piece could make it a family heirloom. Moreover, in big cities, jade of this quality couldn’t be bought at this price..." The clerk tried his best to promote, though calling it an heirloom might have been a bit exaggerated, the jade was indeed good.

"It looks nice, but... it’s still a bit expensive. Maybe I should look at something else," Hua Jin said regretfully, her gaze shifting away.

The others were cheaper, and naturally, the clerk hoped to sell the more expensive ones. So he clenched his teeth and, with a pained expression, said, "How about this, Miss—you are a regular here. If you truly want it, I can give you a discount of 500 wen. Is that acceptable?"

Five hundred wen was quite a bit, enough for an ordinary person to live for two months.

But would someone willing to spend fifty taels on a jade bracelet care about the 500 wen?

Hua Jin shook her head: "I still think it’s expensive. I only brought forty-five taels of silver with me, which isn’t enough?"

Prices for jewelry are usually fixed; even if discounted, it wouldn’t be by much—just trimming off a little. Hua Jin estimated five taels as the largest possible concession.

Forty-five was close to their minimum price; the clerk calculated quickly in his mind and decided to suggest, "If you really want it, Miss, I’ll discuss it with the shopkeeper. If approved, you can have it."

"I do like it, but..."

"Alright then, please wait a moment, Miss. I’ll go find the shopkeeper..." He said, asking a fellow clerk to cover for him, and swiftly left.

Hua Jin’s eyes gleamed with a hint of joy, thinking it must be successful.

Soon the clerk returned, as Hua Jin expected, with consent.

Hua Jin got the jade she wanted and, under the knowing gaze of the clerk, chose another fine jade bracelet. The clerk tactfully lowered the price again, and this time Hua Jin didn’t haggle further, spending less than eighty taels for the two jade pieces.

Feeling quite pleased, she then visited another jewelry shop—one larger and with more exquisite items—and spent nearly a hundred taels on a piece of even better quality. She didn’t waste the opportunity, as nearly every promising piece went through her hands.

It was fortunate Hua Chengtian had no interest in jewelry and didn’t stick by his daughter; otherwise, upon learning she spent so much silver all at once, he would clutch his chest in distress.

Hua Jin decided not to spend the remaining silver, as there wasn’t anything worthwhile, and she had discovered a better method. There were only these two jewelry shops in their town, and Hua Jin shook her head in minor regret.

It seemed she needed an excuse to have her father take her to the city.

New Moon City was big, with surely more good stuff to be found.

With her goal achieved, she wandered around various shops, adding more delicacies to the ox cart, before heading home with her father.

At home, she handed the silver to her grandparents and, claiming fatigue, retreated to her room, bringing the jade bracelet into her space.

As soon as she entered the space, the jade in her hand vanished.

So impatient! Sitting on the sofa, Hua Jin couldn’t help but pout, while observing the space’s transformation intently.

There didn’t seem to be much change, yet she could sense the space’s excitement. Was it in the courtyard?

Hua Jin quickly got up and headed to the courtyard; everything seemed in place—the vegetables and grains were growing well, the fruit on the trees had seemingly gotten larger over the days she was away from the space. Was it that the spiritual energy wasn’t enough?

True, how could such a large space change easily with just a few pieces of jade? Aside from a tinge of disappointment, Hua Jin found it understandable.

As her gaze reached the courtyard’s edge, her eyes tightened, and she hurried over for a closer look.

Somehow, faint traces of the courtyard wall could be seen in the slowly drifting mist... that... was her home’s courtyard wall.

It really did work; Hua Jin’s lips couldn’t help curving upward. But the thought of needing a large amount of jade made that smile fall again.

For such a vast space, who knew how much would be needed. Hua Jin indeed felt troubled. If only there were raw jade stones sold in the city, she could quietly absorb what was needed, leaving a bit of spiritual energy without damaging the jade’s structure. But as country folks, how would they know where such raw stones were sold?

Maybe... she could ask Luo Song.

Almost immediately, the image of Young Master Luo Song appeared in Hua Jin’s mind.

Their business was quite large, extending their connections wide; they might have some knowledge in this area. Additionally, with the bond of saving his life, surely Young Master Luo Song would tell her if he knew.