Chapter 414 - 404: Collectible Walnuts

After getting home, Yun Xiao Ba immediately asked where the walnuts they had picked up last time were.

Yun Jiao said, "Some of them were thrown out. I thought a few of them looked nice, so I kept them. Why?"

Those walnuts had very little meat and thick shells. They were too hard to crack—a real pain.

That’s why most of them had been thrown away. Only Yun Jiao had saved a few, thinking they were rather pretty.

Yun Xiao Ba said, "I took a couple too, you know? I put them in my school bag and brought them to my master today. He said these walnuts aren’t for eating—they’re for playing with."

Yun Jiao scratched her head. "What? You can play with walnuts?"

Yun Xiao Ba nodded. "The two I have are almost identical, with very similar patterns. Master said a matching pair like that is the rarest kind. You’re supposed to polish them in your hand, and over time, the surface will darken and develop a jade-like patina. They sell for way more than regular walnuts! Master said ours are a type called ’Lion’s Head,’ and even an unpolished pair can sell for about ten yuan."

Wow, that was definitely more expensive than regular walnuts.

Yun Jiao and Yun Xiao Ba exchanged a look, then hurried to find the walnuts she had brought back.

"Can we make a matching pair from these?"

The two of them piled the walnuts on the floor and began to inspect them.

One thing was for sure: Yun Jiao had excellent taste.

The thirteen walnuts she had saved were all uniform in size, with clear, beautiful patterns. Their color was also the most appealing of the entire batch.

After comparing them for a good while, they managed to find two pairs with similar patterns.

"Only two pairs, huh."

Yun Jiao held a pair in her hand, turning them over. "So how do you play with these?"

She was a bit curious how simply playing with them in her hand could give them a jade-like patina.

Yun Xiao Ba took two walnuts and rolled them around in his palm. "I think it’s like this. I saw my master doing this with my pair."

Yun Jiao’s hands were small; she couldn’t even hold both of them at once.

"My master also said that rotating them regularly can improve the circulation in your fingers and is good for your health."

Yun Jiao said, "Then let’s take these out for Grandpa and Grandma to play with."

Yun Xiao Ba nodded.

So the two of them took the walnuts out, and when Yun Xiao Ba explained their value, the entire Yun family was stunned.

"This stuff we find too troublesome to even eat is actually that valuable?"

Yun Xiao Ba replied, "Well, my master said they’re worth that much. He said that well-polished ones with really nice color are even more expensive. Top-grade collectible walnuts can even go for over a thousand."

And so, from that day on, every member of the Yun family had a pair of walnuts in hand. Whenever they were idle, they would roll them in their palms, even while chatting with others outside.

"I say, is there something wrong with you all? Not eating those walnuts, but playing with them in your hands."

’Is this some kind of special hobby for rich people?’

Mr. Yun rolled a pair of walnuts in his hand, making a soft CLICK-CLACK sound. He had to admit, polishing these things for a while was surprisingly addictive.

"These aren’t for eating."

"See my hands? When you get old, your hands and feet aren’t as nimble. But ever since I started polishing these walnuts, my fingers have been getting more and more flexible."

"Besides, these aren’t ordinary walnuts."

They had discussed the walnut situation. Since they weren’t planning on making a living off them, there was no harm in telling others.

If someone else had the skill to polish a pair until they looked good and could sell them, that was their own achievement.

Besides, it wasn’t like these kinds of walnut trees grew just anywhere.

"These are called collectible walnuts. See? Pretty, right? The longer you polish them in your hand, the more beautiful the color becomes. They can sell for a pretty penny, you know."

"What? This thing can be sold for money? For real? How much can you get for them?"

Mr. Yun didn’t hide the truth. "My Little Eight’s master said a good quality pair can go for a few hundred, but you still need to find someone who fancies them enough to buy them. After all, I imagine there aren’t many people who are into this sort of thing."

He deliberately downplayed the price.

Besides, he was telling the truth. In this day and age, very few people had the leisure to appreciate such things.

Even if they wanted to sell the walnuts they had gathered from the mountains, there would be few interested buyers.

It was only through Ancient that they had managed to sell any at all.

They were valuable, yes, but sales were not great.

"So where did you get these walnuts? What’s the difference between them and ordinary ones?"

A few hundred yuan, just for polishing them in your hands every day.

Whether they could actually be sold or not, it was worth a try.

"Oh, there’s a big difference. Take a look..."

Grandpa Yun explained the differences in the walnuts to his old friends, who all listened and nodded in agreement.

’No wonder they sell for so much,’ they thought. ’They really do look different.’

Yun Jiao was also holding a pair of walnuts.

Her hands were small, so she just rolled them slowly.

She even took the pair of walnuts with her to school.

And strangely, even though everyone had started polishing at the same time and she was actually slower than the others, the walnuts in her hands had a much nicer color. Some spots were already starting to show a jade-like patina.

"Jiaojiao, why are you asking for a leave of absence again?"

That’s right—Yun Jiao was at school today to request time off.

Yun Jiao answered, "I’m going to the Capital to see my Sixth Brother."

"Wow, you’re going to the Capital!"

Her classmates were all envious.

Even the children knew of the Capital. To them, it was a place of legends.

"Jiaojiao, what’s your Sixth Brother doing in the Capital?"

"He’s a student there."

"Then why don’t you go to school in the Capital?"

Yun Jiao replied, "It’s too far away. I’d rather be with my parents. My third brother is in the Capital, too."

After she finished chatting with her friends, her homeroom teacher arrived with the approved permission slip.

Yun Jiao was first in her class.

Even though her skills were a bit unbalanced—she struggled a little with the sciences—she wasn’t dumb. If she applied herself, she could learn anything.

She might not get a perfect score, but she could definitely pull an eighty or higher.

Her overall average still put her in first place.

So, after she promised it wouldn’t affect her studies, her permission slip was easily granted.

In reality, the main reason Yun Jiao wanted to go to the Capital was to experience an auction house.

Her Brother Ba was going too. Ancient was taking him to broaden his horizons.

Just as Yun Jiao stepped out of the classroom, she saw Brother Ba coming to find her.

"Jiaojiao, over here! Did you get the permission slip?"

Yun Jiao waved the permission slip in her hand. "Right here."

"Hehe, Fifth Brother and Brother Qi are so jealous of me."

When he had left his own classroom with his permission slip, he had held his chin up so high.

Oh, the way Fifth Brother and Brother Qi had stared at him—like they were trying to burn a hole through him.

This time, only Yun Jiao and Yun Xiao Ba were going. Yun Xiaowu and the others had wanted to go too, but their family told them not to cause trouble.

After all, it was the Gus who were taking them. They were bringing Yun Jiao because she was the one who had salvaged the artifacts and was planning to sell them.

They were bringing Yun Xiao Ba because he was Ancient’s disciple.

The Gus weren’t professional chaperones, and the Yun family wasn’t shameless enough to pack up their other little rascals and send them along for the ride.

"Brother Ba, look at the walnuts I’ve been polishing."

Yun Jiao showed him her two precious walnuts.

Watching the color of the walnuts become more and more beautiful, Yun Jiao found herself falling completely in love with them.