Great Song Super Scholar

Chapter 24 Stone Crazy
Fan Ning is looking for Yuanwai Zhou.

In Jiangwan Village, Zhou Yuanwai belonged to an existence like a worldly expert. His ancestors were from Jiangwan Village. Later, he moved to Changzhou County and gradually made a fortune in business.

Zhou Yuanwai is the third generation of the Zhou family. It is said that he was a Jinshi, a magistrate, and was dismissed because he offended a powerful official.

Five years ago, Zhou Yuanwai returned to Jiangwan Village, renovated and expanded his ancestral house, and then he never showed up again.

The only intersection between him and the village is the small school.

And Fan Ning knew him because Fan Zhongyan lived in his house for a few days, and the two were close friends.

In fact, Fan Ning has no interest in helping his fourth uncle find work. He just feels sorry for his grandmother, who has to cook and wash for the family at such an old age.

If the fourth uncle had an errand, the family would have enough money to hire a helper.

. . . . . .
Jiangwan Village is the same as all small villages in the south of the Yangtze River. The biggest feature is that there are many rivers.

In addition to the Bailong River flowing into the Xujiang River, there are two other unknown streams.

More rivers means more bridges, and there are thirteen bridges in the village.

There are at least four small bridges to cross to Zhou Yuan's house.

Fanning took a shortcut. He didn't bother to cross the bridge, and jumped over the creek directly from several large rocks.

At this time, Fan Ning suddenly found a person sitting on the bridge, and from the back, it was clearly the Fourth Uncle.

He is not going to the county, why is he still sitting here?It seemed that fourth uncle was waiting for someone.

Just as Fan Ning was about to wave and shout, he saw Fourth Uncle standing up and looking into the distance excitedly.

I saw a young woman in a green dress, with a basket on her arm, coming out of an alley gracefully.

Her face was painted white, and her mouth was red with rouge, making her look extraordinarily bewitching. She looked at Fan Tongzhong with a pair of peach blossom eyes that seemed to be smiling but not smiling.

Fan Ning was taken aback. Isn't there a famous Widow Yang in the village?

Fan Ning suddenly remembered the abnormal behavior of his fourth uncle on the day he came back from the capital.

"There is a good show!"

He was suddenly full of interest, and quickly squatted down, and a cluster of reeds half the height of a person happened to cover him.

Fan Tongzhong turned around and walked down the bridge unhurriedly. Widow Yang followed a few feet behind him.

After a few steps down the bridge, I just heard 'Wow! With a sound, a money bag fell from Fan Tongzhong's body, and the copper coins in it hit the stone road heavily.

Even Fan Ning, who was dozens of steps away, could hear clearly, but Fan Tongzhong speeded up and walked away as if he didn't hear anything.

Widow Yang, who was walking behind, saw that there was no one around, so she quickly picked up the money bag, put it in the basket, and Shi Shiran walked another way.

At this time, Fan Ning felt a little sympathetic to the fat fourth aunt, and he secretly scolded the fourth uncle who had gone away in high spirits.

no!There must be something for him to do. With such a colander at home, grandma can't expect to have a good life.

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Fan Ning came to Zhou Yuanwai's house, which was a mansion covering an area of ​​about [-] mu. The walls were at least one foot high, a stream passed through the house, and dozens of century-old trees surrounded the mansion in lush greenery.

It looks both elegant and a bit quaint.

The black-painted door was tightly closed. Fanning walked up the steps and patted the knocker vigorously. After a while, the door creaked open, revealing a rich face.

This is a middle-aged man, wearing a fringe on his head and a blue short jacket. He should be the housekeeper or servant of the mansion. He looked at Fan Ning and asked coldly, "What's the matter with you?"

"I'm Fan Ning from this village. I'm here to visit the owner of your mansion. Please let the old man know."

Zhai Lao is the respectful title for the housekeeper. The middle-aged man stared at Fan Ning for a moment, and finally nodded, "Wait a moment!"

He closed the door and walked quickly to the mansion. After a while, footsteps sounded and the door opened again.

There was a gentle smile on the housekeeper's face, "Fan Shaolang, please come in!"

Fan Ning followed the butler all the way to the atrium. The atrium was paved with stone slabs, with dwarf trees such as plums and plums planted on both sides, but in the center was a circular flower bed.

There are five or six Taihu stones standing on the flower bed, and in the middle is a slender blue-gray Taihu stone, which is two feet high and exceeds the roof.

Fan Ning looked up at the tall Taihu Stone, and couldn't help but exclaimed, this is very similar to the Guanyun Peak in the Lingering Garden of later generations!
But he immediately knew that it was not the same piece, the Guanyun Peak in Lingering Garden was white, but this one was blue, more elegant, elegant and otherworldly.

"This Taihu Lake stone is called Cuiyun Peak, and it came from Xishan Mountain 20 years ago." A clear voice came from behind.

Fan Ning turned around, and saw a middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back in the corridor behind him. His face was thin and pale, he wore a long-legged cape, a blue gown, and a leather jacket. He stared at him with a smile on his face.

Fan Ning hurriedly bowed and saluted, "Junior Fan Ning, please see Mr. Zhou!"

The middle-aged man is called Zhou Lin. He was admitted as a Jinshi in the second year of Ming Dynasty. He once served as a member of the household department Wai Lang and the prefect of Jiangling. After impeachment, Zhou Lin was removed from office and demoted to a commoner.

Zhou Lin simply returned to his hometown and lived in seclusion in Jiangwan Village, reclusive, and lived a life of indifference to the world.

Zhou Lin and Fan Zhongyan are from the same hometown, and they are also supported by him. Every time Fan Zhongyan returns to his hometown, he will come to live in his house for a few days to enjoy his collection of Taihu stones.

He looks young, but in fact he is over 50 years old, and he was late in Jinshi, and he is not in good health.

Zhou Lin nodded, "It's cold outside, let's sit inside!"

Fan Ning followed him to the outer study, where a brazier was lit and it was as warm as spring. Through the window, you could see the Taihu Stone in the atrium.

The interior of the study is very elegantly furnished. There is a piece of calligraphy hanging on the front wall, and there is a line of words in it, "Treat him like a guest and friend, be close to him like a sage, value him like a precious stone, and love him like a son or grandson." '

Fan Ning knew that this was to describe Niu Sengru, Xiangguo of the Tang Dynasty, who loved Taihu stones very much. It seems that Zhou Yuanwai is also a person who loves stones like his life.

Next to it is a white jade screen, which divides the room into two. Inside is a desk, and on the wall is a calligraphy of the great grandfather Fan Zhongyan, with the words "Shi Chi" written on it.

Outside the screen is the reception area, with a brazier surrounded by soft chairs.

At this time, Fan Ning was attracted by the rows of bonsai rockeries by the wall, which turned out to be miniature Taihu Lake stones. There were thirty or forty of them.

"These are all fine items from my collection. When the weather gets warmer, I'll take you to the stone house in the backyard. There are hundreds of Taihu stones there, but it's too cold for me to resist."

"Excuse me, sir, these Taihu stones are very valuable!" Fan Ning pointed to the miniature Taihu stones.

Zhou Lin smiled slightly, "During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the best Taihu stones were treasures for viewing. Of course they were very valuable, but they also depended on fate. Like the Cuiyun Peak outside, they were priceless treasures, but I only spent two thousand guan Buy it."

"For example, how much is this one worth?" Fan Ning asked, pointing to a Taihu stone with two holes.

The reason why he cares is because he also has a few miniature Taihu stones under his bed.

Many people around Taihu Lake have more or less a few Taihu stones in their homes. If they are of good quality, they are more valuable, and if they are of poor quality, they are worthless.

When Fan Tiezhou was fishing in Taihu Lake, he would often catch some small Taihu Lake stones. He left some beautiful Taihu Lake stones and brought them back as gifts to his son.

Fan Daidai treasured a few pieces of Taihu Lake stones as treasures in a treasure box, but Fan Ning didn't know the goods, and threw them under the bed as broken stones. Now that I think about it, Fan Ning is really ashamed.
Zhou Lin stroked his beard and said with a smile: "This piece is called Shuangdong Breaking Dawn. I bought it at the Kistler Museum in Mudu Town. It cost 30 taels of silver."

"And what if there are seven holes in it?"

"It's called Qixing Mochiyue. I've seen it before. Unfortunately, it's not natural. It was processed by someone and thrown into the lake for 20 years."

"What if it's natural?"

"Natural words are precious!"

Zhou Lin's eyes lit up, and he asked with a smile, "Could it be that Fan Shaolang also has a Taihu Stone in his home?"

Fan Ning nodded, "My father is a fisherman in Taihu Lake. He caught a few small Taihu Lake stones and gave them to me, and piled them under my bed."

Zhou Lin lost his officialdom, so he put all his thoughts on collecting Taihu stones, calling himself a stone idiot, and he has collected a lot of top-grade Taihu stones in recent years.

Speaking of Zhou Yuanwai in the Taihu Lake area, few people know about it, but when it comes to Shichi, everyone knows it, everyone knows it.

Zhou Lin heard that there was a Taihu stone in Fan Ning's house, so he quickly grabbed his arm and said excitedly, "Take me to see it!"

"It's cold outside, so the younger generation should fetch it!"

Zhou Lin chuckled, "It doesn't need to be so troublesome, I also want to go out for a walk, if Shaolang doesn't welcome me, then it's a different story."

"Where can you not welcome Zhou Yuanwai, let's go together!"

(End of this chapter)