As the sun set, Xu Ji's sedan chair slowly stopped at the door of Xu's mansion. He took off his hat and hurried inside. The old housekeeper was so anxious that he trotted in with Xu Ji. "Ge Lao has been reading some agricultural book in his mouth, the preface. Sir, go in and take a look. ”

Xu Ji threw his hat on the table in a panic and hurriedly walked into the East Pavilion. Mrs. Xu was already so anxious that she stomped her feet outside and shouted, "Master, you go in quickly." Dad, he's dying. On the one hand, except for Xu Rong, Xu Ji's four sons and the daughter who married out have not come back. Xu Rong is even more pear blossom with rain.

"Kang'er and Jue'er got out of school and immediately asked them to stay here. and hurriedly sent someone to Jinling to summon Er Jue back. After Xu Ji finished instructing something, he hurriedly walked in. The bit of skin on Xu Guangqi's face has begun to erode. A normal person, such a small wound, even if it is not treated, will heal quickly. But Xu Guangqi's face is rotten at the moment. , and only those who have a short life will be like this.

"Father, the child has returned."

"Huh......" Xu Guangqi turned his back to the sky, his lips moved, and his eyes opened.

Xu Ji leaned up, put his ear to Xu Guangqi's mouth, and said, "Father, you can talk about it again, the child didn't hear clearly just now." ”

"Agricultural Book...... Preface...... Yang Fan......"

"Yang Fan?" Xu Ji was stunned for a moment and said, "Father, you wait, the child will send someone to find him." Xu Ji hurriedly went out, poked his head out and said, "Send someone to find Yang Fan." ”

Xu Rong nodded and said, "I'll go find him." How's Grandpa? ”

Xu Ji sighed and said, "You can go and find it." ”

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that Xu Guangqi is like that, and he is about to take his last breath. The pillars of the Xu family are about to fall, and the entire Xu family is gloomy. The carriage of the Xu Mansion quickly arrived at the old shop street. Xu Rong didn't stop for a moment and walked towards the people. Sun Shenming commanded his men and was hoarding the goods collected in the warehouse. Liang Fu's abacus crackled. Seeing a figure shaking, Liang Fu didn't raise his head and said, "I'm sorry for you, let's close." Hurry up early tomorrow! ”

"Fauber, it's me. Xu Rong. ”

Liang Futou stretched out the ticket counter, looked at it, and said, "It's Miss Rong." Sit inside, tiger head, make tea! ”

"Fauber, don't bother. As for Yang Fan, I have something urgent to find him. That's right. What about the Su'er people? Xu Rong spoke with a slight gasp. Qiu Changsong put down the items in hand and said, "Miss Rong may be running away in vain." Miss Su'er went to a far place, and the lord was busy until noon last night, and he didn't close his eyes. I'm in a bad mood, and now I'm asleep, and I'm telling no one to see. ”

Xu Rong was so anxious that she was about to cry, and said, "My grandfather wants to see him." Somebody else is inside, I'll go and talk to him. She hurried towards the courtyard.

"Miss Rong, Miss Rong. Alas...... "The third elder hurriedly followed up." Compared to the mansion, Yang Fan, the mansion of Ling Hebo, may be regarded as the most shabby mansion. Anyone can walk in and take a look.

"Yang Fan, you open the door. I've got something to look for you. ”

"Yang Fan, open the door quickly. My grandfather is dying, and he wants to see you. Hurry up and open the door! Xu Rong knocked on the door and shouted.

"Miss Rong, don't knock. Sir, he's really tired, how do you see this, tomorrow, tomorrow, I will definitely call the lord to come to your house, and then talk about it, can you? ”

Xu Rong shook her head and said, "It's too late." Yang Fan, I beg you. You and I should go meet Grandpa. He really can't do it anymore. ”

Click.

The door slowly opened, Yang Fan held the book in his hand and glanced at Xu Rong. Said: "I'm sorry, I slept a little deeply, and I only heard it now." No delay. ”

Xu Rong shook her head and said, "It's not too late, it's not too late." Come with me and take a look. Grandpa, he's dying, and he wants to see you. He dragged Yang Fan to the carriage. Yang Fan took a brush from the tall cabinet on the side. After adding a few inks, he hurried into the carriage.

On the way, Xu Rong wanted to talk to Yang Fan, but she didn't open her mouth after all. He understood that Yang Fan was doing something very important, that is, to write a preface to the book that his grandfather was worried about.

Yang Fan was very ashamed, he was running around for Wang Su'er's affairs these days, and he didn't have the time to read Xu Guangqi's agricultural book, so it was really difficult for him to write something like this. However, I didn't want him to regret his death, so I picked up the pen and hurriedly wrote a few words at the top of the page.

When he arrived at Xu's Mansion, Yang Fan's pen was also dry, and there were only a few crosses, but Yang Fan wrote very quickly, and he wrote neatly in fly-headed letters. He blew the handwriting and said, "Let's go in quickly." The two of them hurried to Xu's mansion. The autumn breeze is bleak, and it is even colder at dusk. On the dead branches of the trees, a few blackbirds were inexplicably parked, and the family members on the side were driving away with bamboo poles.

Yang Fan glanced at it silently, and when he walked to the east wing, he saw that the door was open. Xu Rong and he hurriedly ran in. I found that all the people in the Xu Mansion were kneeling in front of the window. In the center are Xu Ji and his second son and third son, with the female dependents on the side. Behind the old man's bed, a permanent lamp had been lit.

Yang Fan hurriedly stepped forward and shouted softly, "Old Xu." Xu Lao? ”

Xu Guangqi's eyes couldn't open anymore, and when he heard Yang Fan's shout, his lips moved, and he exhaled with some difficulty. Yang Fan understood his consciousness and said, "Your book, the student has already made a preface, please read it as soon as you go." ”

By the faint light, he opened the book and read it hurriedly, for fear that the old man would leave with regret.

"The public bestows a great work, and wants to do it in order. The reason why people worship their feet, and the reason why they treat themselves, don't they take Si as a foot to believe in the present and the future! And to make the servant openly mark the frontispiece, fortunately! Thankfully!

The servant thinks that there is no farming today, and the public heart is concerned about the people's livelihood, and the line is simple and practical, but there is an ancient phoenix. The servant thinks that when he ascends to the imperial examination today, he should take the real text as the top. Gongzhiwen was a model of agricultural literature at that time. Student Yang Fan respectfully. ”

After Yang Fan finished reading, he closed the agricultural book and stepped aside. Xu Guangqi smiled, and then passed away. The crying inside the house shook the sky. Yang Fan slowly withdrew from the east chamber. When people get old, they have to die. To be old and not die is to be a thief, which is not bad at all.

The old people around me are growing old and dying one by one. Yang Fan couldn't say sadness, but he just had a feeling. He sat in the cloister, looked at this agricultural book, and muttered: "All the officials in the world are like you, so who else will save the way of the world?" However, everyone in the world is turbid, and there are only a few people who are good at themselves. ”

He sighed with emotion and said no more.

After a while, the lights dimmed. The whole Jingshi knew that an old man had passed away. In the imperial study, Zhu Youzhen listened to this obituary and muttered: "There is a beam and pillar missing from the court......"

On that day, the whole city was full of sorrow. The court stopped for three days to comfort the old man's death. (To be continued.) )