Fan Ning went to find Mr. Zhou.

Zhou Yuanwai was a miraculous person in Jiangwan Village. His ancestors were from Jiangwan Village. Later, he moved to Changzhou County and gradually made money through business and wealth. He was a famous wealthy family in Pingjiang Prefecture.

Zhou Yuanwai was the third generation of the Zhou family. It is said that he passed the Jinshi and served as a prefect. He was dismissed for offending the powerful officials.

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

The only intersection between him and the village was that elementary school.

Fan Ning knew him because Fan Zhongyan lived in his house in those few days and the two were close friends.

In fact, Fanning was not interested in helping the fourth uncle find trouble. He just felt sorry for his grandmother. He had to cook and wash clothes for the family at such an old age.

If the fourth uncle has an errand, then the family will have the spare money to hire a servant.

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Like all small villages in Jiangnan, Jiangwan Village has the biggest feature of many rivers.

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

There are many rivers that mean there are many small bridges, and there are thirteen small bridges in the village.

To go to Zhou Yuanwai's house, you have to cross at least four small bridges.

Fanning took a shortcut. He was too lazy to cross the bridge and jumped directly over the stream from a few big rocks.

At this time, Fan Ning suddenly found someone sitting on the bridge. From the back, he clearly saw the fourth uncle.

He wasn't going to the county, why was he still sitting here? It seemed that Uncle IV was waiting for someone.

Fan Ning was about to wave his hand and shout, but saw Uncle Fourth stood up and looked into the distance with excitement.

I saw a young woman in a green skirt, carrying a basket on her arm, coming out of an alley with graceful alley.

Her face was covered with snow-white paint and her mouth was red, making her look particularly sensual. Her pair of peach blossom eyes looked at Fan Tongzhong with a smile.

Fan Ning was shocked. Isn’t there a famous Widow Yang in the village?

Fan Ning suddenly remembered the abnormal behavior of the Fourth Uncle on the day he came back from the capital.

"There's a good show!"

He was immediately full of interest and quickly squatted down. A cluster of reeds half a person tall just covered him.

Fan Tongzhong turned around and walked slowly under the bridge. Widow Yang followed him a few feet behind him. Both of them seemed to be on their own paths and had no connections with each other.

After walking down the bridge for a few steps, a silhouette of money fell from Fan Tongzhong, and the copper coins inside hit the stone road heavily.

Even Fan Ning could hear it clearly dozens of steps away, but the Fan Tong Bell seemed to have heard nothing, so he quickly walked away.

Widow Yang, who was walking behind, saw that there was no one around, quickly picked up her purse, put it in the basket, and walked towards another road.

At this time, Fan Ning felt a little sympathetic to Fat Fourth Aunt. He secretly cursed the fourth uncle who was already full of energy and walked away. This prodigal son would not feel sorry for selling his father's land.

No! He has to find something to do. If he has such a colander at home, his grandmother will not have a good life.

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Fan Ning came to Zhou Yuanwai's house. This was a large mansion covering an area of ​​about twenty acres. The walls were at least ten feet high. A stream passed through the house. There were dozens of centuries-old trees around it, surrounding the mansion.

It looks elegant and somewhat simplistic.

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

This is a middle-aged man wearing a matte head and a short blue dress. He should be the housekeeper or servant in the mansion. He looked at Fanning and asked coldly: "What's wrong with you?"

"I am Fanning of this village. I'm here to visit the owner of your mansion. Please inform the old man of the house."

The old man of the housekeeper was a respectful title for the housekeeper. The middle-aged man looked at Fanning for a moment and finally nodded, "Wait for a moment!"

He closed the door and walked quickly to the mansion. Soon, footsteps sounded and the door opened again.

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

Fanning followed the housekeeper to the atrium, which was covered with stone slabs and short trees such as plums on both sides, but there was a circular flower bed in the center.

There were five or six Taihu stones standing on the flower bed. In the middle was a thin blue-gray Taihu stone, which was as high as two feet high, exceeding the roof. It was exquisite and transparent, with mountains and ridges, which was breathtaking.

Fan Ning looked up at the high Taihu stone and couldn't help but exclaim, it looked very much like the Guanyun Peak in Liuyuan, a later generation!

But he immediately knew that it was not the same piece, Liuyuan Guanyun Peak was white, and this piece was blue, which was more elegant and elegant, extraordinary.

"This Taihu stone is called Cuiyun Peak. It came from the West Mountain twenty years ago." A clear voice came from behind.

Fan Ning turned around and saw a middle-aged man standing in the corridor behind him with his hands in his arms. He had a thin and pale face, long-legged head, a long blue gown, a fur coat, and a smile on his face. He looked at him.

Fan Ning quickly bowed and saluted, "Sister Fan Ning, please see Mr. Zhou!"

The middle-aged man was named Zhou Lin. He passed the imperial examination in the second year of Mingdao. He served as the Minister of Revenue and the Prefect of Jiangling. Five years ago, he offended Zhang Yaozuo, the father-in-law of Jiangling Prefecture. Soon after, a civil unrest broke out in Jiangling Prefecture. Zhang Yaozuo ordered the censor to impeach him. Zhou Lin was dismissed from his official position and demoted to a commoner.

Zhou Lin simply returned to his hometown and lived in seclusion in Jiangwan Village, living a quiet life, living a life without competing with the world.

Zhou Lin and Fan Zhongyan were fellow villagers and were also supported by him. Every time Fan Zhongyan returned to his hometown, he would come to his mansion to stay for a few days to enjoy the Taihu stones he collected.

He looks young, but in fact he is in his fifties, has passed the Jinshi late, and he is not in good health.

Zhou Lin nodded, "It's cold outside, let's go and sit in the house!"

Fan Ning followed him to the outer study room. A brazier was lit in the study room, which was as warm as spring. Through the window, you could see the Taihu stone in the atrium.

The study room is very elegantly decorated. There is a picture of calligraphy hanging on the front wall, with a line of words written on it, "Treat it like a guest, a close friend, a close friend, a respect for it like a gem, and a loving it like a child and grandchildren."

Fan Ning knew that this was a description of Niu Sengru, the prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, who loved Taihu stones. It seemed that Zhou Yuanwai was also a person who loved stones as much as his life.

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

Outside the screen is a place to entertain guests, with several soft chairs surrounding a brazier.

At this time, Fanning was attracted by the rows of bonsai rockery by the wall. It was actually a miniature Taihu stone with thirty or forty seats, with various shapes and exquisiteness, the largest is two feet, and the smallest is only a few inches.

"These are all the finest products I have collected. When the weather is a little warmer, I will take you to the stone room in the backyard to see. There are hundreds of Taihu stones there, but now the cold is too heavy, and my body cannot resist it."

"Master, these Taihu stones are very expensive!" Fan Ning pointed to the miniature Taihu stones.

Zhou Lin smiled slightly, "During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the top-grade Taihu stone was just a treasure. Of course it is of great value, but it also depends on fate. Like the Cuiyun Peak outside, it is a priceless treasure, but I only spent 2,000 guan to buy it."

"For example, how much is this one worth?" Fanning asked, pointing to a two-hole Taihu stone.

The reason why he cares is that there are several miniature Taihu stones under his bed.

Many people around Taihu Lake have more or less Taihu stones in their homes. Good quality is more valuable, but if the quality is different, it is worthless.

Fan Tiezhou fished in Taihu Lake and often caught some small Taihu stones. He left behind a few more beautiful Taihu stones and brought them back to give them to his son.

Fan Daidai treasured a few Taihu stones as treasures in the treasure box, but Fan Ning didn't recognize the goods and threw them under the bed as broken stones. Now that I think about it, Fan Ning is really a little ashamed.

Zhou Lin stroked his beard and smiled, "This piece is called Double-hole Dawn. I bought it at the strange stone hall in Mudu Town. I spent thirty taels of silver at that time."

"What if there were seven holes?"

"That's called the Seven Stars Moon. I've seen it, but unfortunately it's not natural. It's been formed after someone processed it and threw it into the lake for twenty years."

“What if it’s natural?”

"It's expensive if it's natural!"

Zhou Lin's eyes lit up and he asked with a smile: "Is it possible that there is Taihu Stone at Fan Shaolang's home?"

Fanning nodded, "My father is a Taihu fisherman. He caught a few small Taihu stones to give to me, and he piled them under my bed."

Zhou Lin was disappointed in the officialdom and focused on collecting Taihu stones. He called himself a stone crazy. In recent years, he has actually collected a lot of top-grade Taihu stones.

In the Taihu area, few people know about Zhou Yuanwai, but when it comes to Shi Chi, everyone knows it.

When Zhou Lin heard that Fan Ning had a Taihu stone at home, he quickly grabbed his arm and said excitedly: "Take me there!"

"It's cold outside, so I'd better go and get it!"

Zhou Lin smiled, "No need to be so troublesome. I also want to go out for a walk. If Shaolang doesn't welcome me to the door, then it's a different matter."

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

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Chapter completed!