In this paper, we demonstrate the synthesis of sulfide and selenide nanocrystals in a water-ethanol mixed solution system. This synthetic way was based on the direct reactions between metal ions and S2-/Se. Linoleic acid was adopted to protect the nanocrystals from agglomeration. Without involving extreme experimental conditions, this less toxic synthetic route can be expected to bring more opportunities to nanocrystal-related research and application fields.