Chapter 25

Fan Tiezhou returned home and told his wife about his father's visit to friends in Wuxi.

Zhang Sanniang clenched her teeth in anger, "I have been in your Fan's house for almost ten years, and I have never heard of your father going out to visit friends. Now that Ning'er is admitted to school, he has to pay, so he goes to visit friends. What does he mean? Is Ning'er his grandson?"

Fan Tiezhou had no choice but to comfort his wife: "Maybe it's just a coincidence, anyway, Dad will come back, and I'll ask him for money after Dad comes back."

"Hmph! When he comes back, the day lily will be cold, and now we need money urgently, what should we do?"

"Otherwise, I'd better borrow it! I'll ask Uncle Shuigen to borrow Wuguan money."

Zhang Sanniang sighed, "Yesterday we forgot that you need to pay a deposit when you rent someone's land."

Fan Tiezhou was stunned. He really forgot about this matter. There are rules for renting land, ten deposits for ten rents, that is, one deposit for ten acres of land, and five deposits for renting [-] acres of paddy fields. Money, if you buy another cow, it will cost ten pennies.

"Then ask Uncle Shuigen to borrow ten pennies!"

Fan Tiezhou gritted his teeth, "When Grandpa Ning'er comes back, I will pay back the five pennies first."

Zhang Sanniang hesitated and said: "Just now Erlang Wang came over to deliver two bags of rice, so I told him about your plan to sell the fishing boat."

"How did he say?"

There was an indescribable wry smile on Zhang Sanniang's face.

"He wants that fishing boat, but his family has no money, so he can only give you five pennies at most, and give you the other half next year. What do you think about it now!"

Fan Tiezhou squatted down with his head in his arms, trying to piece things together by himself, but he couldn't make them all together.

I don't know if he is willing to give daddy the five pennies!Why is it so difficult to do something yourself?
At this moment, Fan Ning's voice came from outside, "This is my home!"

"Hehe, I didn't bother you!"

Fan Tiezhou and his wife looked at each other, and Fan Tiezhou quickly got up and walked to the door, only to see his son leading a middle-aged man in rich clothes to appear outside the courtyard door.

"Are you..." Fan Tiezhou asked hesitantly.

Fan Ning introduced with a smile: "Daddy, this is Zhou Yuanwai from the village, come and sit at our house!"

Fan Tiezhou was at a loss for a moment, and quickly waved his hands, "It turned out to be Zhou Yuanwai, I'm sorry, come in quickly!"

Zhou Lin smiled and nodded, "Then excuse me!"

He followed Fan Ning into the yard, and saw that the yard was full of various ingredients, so he smiled and said, "Have you started preparing for the New Year so early?"

Zhang Sanniang said proudly: "This is a gift from everyone for my family Ning'er's No. 1 exam in Yanying Academy!"

Zhou Lin looked at Fan Ning in surprise, "Shaolang got the first place in Yanying Academy, not bad!"

Fan Ning scratched his head in embarrassment, "It's just that it's better to play on the spot, and the outsiders laughed."

"If you didn't say it earlier, I'm being rude!"

After thinking for a while, he took off the topaz ring on his finger and handed it to Fan Ning, "A little heart, congratulations on your admission to Yanying Academy."

Fan Tiezhou quickly turned it down, it was too expensive and they couldn't accept it.

Fan Ning found that this ring was exactly the same as the ring Zhao Xuezheng gave him, so he tentatively asked, "Does Yuan Zhou know Zhao Xuezheng from the county?"

"He is my mentor, of course I know him."

"That's right, Zhao Xuezheng also gave me a ring yesterday, which is the same as this one."

Zhou Lin laughed, "That ring and this one are a pair, it seems to be God's will! You must accept this ring."

Fan Tiezhou was at a loss, and he couldn't refuse any more, so he had to wink at his wife and tell her to make tea quickly.

Zhang Sanniang was a little strange, the brat had such a valuable thing, but she didn't know where he hid it?

Zhang Sanniang gave her son a hard look, and turned around to settle the score with him.

She turned and went into the house to make tea.

Zhou Lin sat down in the yard, and Fan Ning ran back to the house to get three Taihu stones and handed them to Zhou Lin, "Mr. Wai, these are the three stones!"

Zhou Lin took the Taihu stone, and one of the Taihu stones about one foot long surprised and delighted him.

Fan Tiezhou couldn't hold back his doubts anymore, he pulled his son aside and asked in a low voice, "What are you doing?"

"Zhou Yuanwai likes to collect Taihu stones. He heard that I have some Taihu stones, so he came to have a look."

Of course, Fan Tiezhou knew that the Taihu Stone was a precious stone. He shook his head and said, "It takes a big Taihu Stone to be valuable. This kind of small stone is worth a few pennies at most."

There are often stone dealers in the village who come to collect Taihu stones, and they take away such small Taihu stones for a few pennies or a dozen of pennies, so that everyone thinks that small Taihu stones are worthless.

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhou Lin smiled and said, "Fan Shaolang, sell me this piece of Qixing Mochiyue, and I will give you 100 taels of silver."

'100 taels of silver! '

Fan Tiezhou froze as if he had been hit by Lei Gong on the top of his head.

Fan Ning said with a smile, "If you sell it to the strange stone museum in the town, it will cost more than 100 taels of silver!"

Zhou Lin pointed at him and shook his head, "You little slicker, can I still lie to you? Let me tell you, the Kistler Museum accepts your stone. Even if you know the goods, they will give you up to five pennies. This is its The market price, if sold to stone collectors like us, is called the collection price."

"How much did the Strange Stone Pavilion sell to you, old man?" Fan Ning asked unwillingly.

Zhou Lin said unhappily: "If you bargain, the maximum is 80 taels of silver, and I will give you 100 taels of silver, which includes the price of the three stones. The other two Taihu stones are of average quality, but they are good materials for carving."

At this moment, Fan Tiezhou finally came to his senses, and hurried forward and said, "I caught this stone while fishing, and I gave it to the children to play with. If the staff members like it, they can take it back. Don't mention money."

"That won't work!"

Zhou Lin shook his head and said: "If you don't charge money, I won't take it either, and to be honest, the price of this stone is only in Pingjiang Mansion. If it is sold to the princes and nobles in the capital, the price will be increased by a few dollars." Times, let me take advantage of this, I am embarrassed."

Fan Ning muttered, "Since you always feel that you are taking advantage, then add some more!"

"To shut up!"

Fan Tiezhou turned his head and gave his son a hard look, feeling really annoyed that his son was as snobbish as a businessman.

Zhou Lin smiled and waved his hands, "Your son is not an ordinary person. Don't look at him with the eyes of an ordinary child. There is actually a tacit understanding between him and me, Fan Ning, right!"

Fan Ning said with a smile: "Sir and my third grandfather will also bargain!"

"Of course, last time I wanted to buy one of his stones, but we couldn't agree on the price. We got so angry that we almost got into a fight."

Although Fan Tiezhou is kind, he is still an ordinary fisherman after all, and he cannot understand the joy of bargaining between close friends of literati.

Even Fan Zhongyan was also bargaining, so he had nothing to say. Fan Tiezhou could only scratch his head and asked, "These three stones are similar to me. Why is this one expensive and the other two worthless?"

"This is the difference between knowing stone and not knowing stone."

Zhou Lin said to Fan Ning: "Fan Ning, go get a pot of hot water, don't be too hot!"

Fan Ning agreed, and rushed back to the house, bringing out a pot of hot water in a short while.

"Look!"

Zhou Lin tested the temperature of the water, and then put the bottom of the Seven Star Moonwatching Stone into the water. After a while, the seven holes were filled with mist, and soon they were connected as one, just like clouds and mist wrapped around the mountainside.

The Fan family father and son were taken aback, "How could this happen!"

Zhou Lin said with a smile: "This is the wonder of the top-grade Taihu stone. After tens of millions of years of water washing and long-term erosion, there are already countless pores connected inside, so as long as there is water vapor inside, it will come from some larger pores. Come out, and this piece of Taihu Lake stone has a strange and steep appearance, exquisite face, and perfect appearance, it is a rare boutique, and I have gained a lot today."

Fan Ning sighed softly, "I'm at a loss!"

Zhou Lin grabbed Fan Ning and said, "Boy, although I am a stone idiot, I am not a fool. If Fan Gong hadn't written to me and asked me to take care of you, I would have let you into my house? Buy your stone at the collection price? I will give you five pennies at most, so keep your head clear!"

Fan Tiezhou was really a little embarrassed.

Fan Ning didn't feel annoyed at all, he still smiled and stretched out his hand and said: "A man promises a thousand gold, how can he cheat, the silver, when can I get it?"

Zhou Lin laughed, "No wonder Fan Gong said that you are thick-skinned, and you really have a bit of a state, don't worry! You can't do without a tael of money."

"What money?" Zhang Sanniang came out with tea.

Zhou Lin hurried back to taste the stone, got up and said: "I'll go back first, and I'll ask the housekeeper to bring the money later."

The Fan family father and son sent Zhou Lin out. Zhang Sanniang was anxious, but she didn't want to ask more questions, so she had to follow behind.

Zhou Lin said to Fan Ning again, "Come over to my place if you have time, and I will teach you how to distinguish stone from jade."

Fan Ning was overjoyed, and hurriedly bowed and saluted, "Your junior must go!"

Seeing Yuanwai Zhou walk away, Fan Tiezhou sighed, "Ning'er, we shouldn't ask for so much money from him."

"Daddy, if he doesn't want to give it, he won't quote the price at all. He said it himself, and the price will be doubled in the capital. He won't suffer!"

"But I still feel unkind."

"Daddy, I'm actually very kind!"

Fanning pointed at his face and said with a smile: "Compared with others, I am more kind than anyone else here."

"You cheeky little fellow!" Fan Tiezhou was amused by his son and couldn't help laughing.

Behind her, Zhang Sanniang raised her brows upright, "Have you two finished talking?"

She stretched out her hands, as fast as lightning, and grabbed her ears, "Come in and tell me the truth!"

"My lady, let go!"

"Mom, you pulled my ear off!"

Zhang Sanniang crossed her waist and asked fiercely: "Quickly tell me, what money?"

"Mother, Zhou Yuanwai bought that stone at a price of 100 taels of silver."

"How much?" Zhang Sanniang screamed.

Seeing the lady's exaggerated expression, Fan Tiezhou smiled and said, "My lady, it's only 100 taels of silver."

"Just?"

Zhang Sanniang looked at her husband with a sneer, and Fan Tiezhou felt guilty for a while, "Well, this is Ning'er's business and has nothing to do with me."

After speaking, he quickly turned around and slipped away.

Zhang Sanniang hugged her son with a smile on her face, 100 taels of silver!Converted into money, it is [-] Wen. When did the family have so much money?

"Tell mother quickly, how do you know Yuanwai Zhou?"

"Oops!"

Fan Ning lost his voice: "I forgot about the business!"

Zhang Sanniang was startled, "What did you forget?"

Fan Ning patted his forehead in frustration, "I asked Zhou Yuanwai to let my fourth uncle take over the primary school, but I only thought about Taihu Stone and forgot about it."

"go with!"

Zhang Sanniang curled her lips in disdain, "What kind of business is that, selling stones is the business!"

At this time, Zhang Sanniang thought of the topaz ring, and with a smile on her face that she had never seen before, she said softly to her son: "My dear Ninger, do you have any good things hidden, show me, mother Promise not!"

"I have nothing!"

Fanning turned around and fled to his own room. He now knew why Daddy always had no money on him.

Zhang Sanniang saw that her son hadn't been fooled, so she immediately became aggressive, "Little bastard, quickly hand over the things to mother, otherwise, let's see how mother will deal with you!"

At this time, someone was knocking on the courtyard door, and Zhang Sanniang gave her son's room a hard look, and would clean him up later.

She opened the door, only to see a middle-aged man standing outside, holding a cloth bag in his hand.

"Excuse me, is Fanning at home?"

"I'm his mother. What can you do with my son?"

The middle-aged man handed the pocket to Zhang Sanniang, "My master asked me to give it to you, a total of 100 taels of silver."

The middle-aged housekeeper saluted, turned and left.

Zhang Sanniang hastily closed the courtyard door, opened the bag, and inside were ten ingots of official silver, ten taels each.

Just talking about it just now, but now that the one hundred silver is really held in Zhang Sanniang's hands, she suddenly felt dry mouthed, dizzy for a while, and she leaned against the gate weakly, feeling like she was dreaming.

100 taels of silver!
(End of this chapter)

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