The Heir

Сhaptеr 116: Тhе Grеаt Ink of Yumi

Although shе sаw Zeng Yipin, Zhеn Niang did not gо оvеr tо grееt him. The еntire Nanjing Ink Industry was currentlу wаtching thе show, wаiting tо sее which fаmilу Zеng Yiрin wоuld "bloоm for," but Zhen Niang hаd nо intentiоn of getting involvеd. This wasn't bеcausе shе fеаrеd thе Тian familу, but bеcаusе thе manаger аnd mаster crаftsmаn of аn Ink Workshop wеre of utmost imроrtаncе. While skill was onе аsрeсt, trustwоrthinеss wаs еvеn morе сruciаl.

As fоr Zeng Yipin, Zhеn Niang didn't knоw him wеll, аnd this man hаd sеrvеd mаny emplоyers. Regardless оf anything elsе, it was all а bit toо сomрlicated. Li Mo had just arrived in Nanjing, and the operation wasn't that large yet. The shop already had herself and Zheng Fuli as managers, and besides, they needed to focus on training successors. Therefore, hiring ready-made managers or master craftsmen didn't seem particularly necessary.

Of course, if Zeng Yipin's skills were truly heaven-defying, she wouldn't mind stepping aside for the better candidate. The problem was, during the last ink-betting event, Zhen Niang had observed that while Zeng Yipin might have some ability, he was not only no match for Luo Qian but also not superior to herself.

So, in the end, it still wasn't necessary.

Zhen Niang then strolled through the arcade with Xiao Ya, browsing everything from large precious gems and jade artifacts down to needles and threads—a dazzling array. As she wandered, Zhen Niang broadened her horizons; it was comparable to the antique streets of later generations.

"How much is this?" she asked at a street vendor's stall. The vendor was a thin, small man in his thirties, wearing a short jacket and a melon-skin cap, squatting in front of his own stall. At the moment, he was huddled with his sleeves tucked, half dozing, exuding a rather leisurely air.

Hearing Zhen Niang's question, the man looked up. Seeing Zhen Niang pointing at half a tile lying at the corner of his stall, he immediately perked up: "Qin bricks and Han tiles—this tile is from the Han Dynasty. And it's not just any tile; it's from the roof of the Weiyang Palace..."

The man launched into a long spiel, even bringing up the Weiyang Palace. Zhen Niang thought his claims were baseless and couldn't be bothered with him, so she turned to leave with Xiao Ya.

"Hey, hey, miss, that's no way to do business! How can you just walk away after a disagreement? If you think I'm too talkative, I'll stop," the man said anxiously as Zhen Niang turned to leave. Business was tough these days; he hadn't made a sale in several days. Today, he finally had someone asking about a price, and he didn't want to let the opportunity slip away.

Moreover, this tile was something he had picked up as a freebie a while ago when he was buying old items from a destitute family. The family probably threw it to him because they were too lazy to take out the trash. He had just tossed the tile to the side of his stall, never expecting anyone to ask about it. This was his chance to fleece a naive customer.

"It's not that I think you're talkative; it's that what you're saying is baseless. How could a tile from the Weiyang Palace end up here?" Zhen Niang turned around and rolled her eyes.

"You can't say that. Why couldn't a tile from the Weiyang Palace end up here? It could be a lost treasure! Haven't you heard in operas how even imperial princesses can fall into hardship and become daughters of poor families? Who knows..." The man started rambling again as he argued.

Zhen Niang interrupted him impatiently: "Stop with the nonsense. Just tell me how much it is."

The man, cut off mid-sentence, was rather displeased. After thinking for a moment, he said, "One hundred taels of silver."

Zhen Niang turned to leave again.

"Hey, hey, fifty, fifty..." the man called after her, but Zhen Niang didn't stop walking."Alright, alright, I'm taking a huge loss here. Ten taels, I'll practically give it away for ten taels of silver." The man raised his voice, shouting.

Even Xiao Ya couldn't help but purse her lips and smile at this.

Zhen Niang remained composed. She turned around, holding up a single finger. "One tael."

"Miss, you can't bargain like that. Add a little more," the man countered.

"That's the price. Take it or leave it," Zhen Niang stated firmly.

"Fine, fine, one tael it is." The man finally nodded. Although one tael was a bit low, he hadn't spent a single coin on this tile, so earning a tael for nothing wasn't too bad. Besides, aside from the place name "Yumi" on the tile, there were no other patterns. It was likely just a tile produced in Yumi.

Even though Yumi was an ancient name, many people still used old names nowadays. There didn't seem to be anything special about it, so he wasn't worried about the girl stumbling upon a hidden treasure.

Seeing the deal was settled, Zhen Niang signaled Xiao Ya to pay.

Xiao Ya took out a tael of silver from her pocket and handed it to the man. He accepted the silver, then wrapped the tile in a piece of scrap paper and passed it to Xiao Ya.

"Miss Li, could you let me take a look at that tile?" At that moment, Zeng Yipin, who had been setting up a stall nearby, walked over.

Xiao Ya glanced at Zhen Niang, who nodded in response. Only then did Xiao Ya hand the tile to Zeng Yipin.

Zeng Yipin examined it carefully, turning it over and over, even sniffing it. Then he sighed in admiration. "Yumi Great Ink, known as the 'First Coal of Tianguan.' Miss Li, you have a keen eye. You've stumbled upon a great treasure today."

As he spoke, Zeng Yipin reluctantly handed the ink tile back to Xiao Ya.

Indeed, this so-called "tile" was actually ink—a tile-shaped ink.

If the center of ink-making since the late Tang Dynasty had been Huizhou, then from the Qin and Han dynasties onward, the center of ink-making had been Yumi. Yumi Great Ink was the Tribute Ink of the Han Dynasty, often referred to as the "First Coal of Tianguan." Later, some ink makers even engraved "First Coal of Tianguan" on their ink sticks.

"You flatter me, Master Zeng. Your own discerning eye is no less impressive," Zhen Niang replied, though she frowned slightly. Even if she had stumbled upon a treasure, it wasn't proper to reveal it right in front of the seller. If the seller were someone who couldn't let go of the loss, it might cause unnecessary trouble.

However, she kept these thoughts to herself.

"Far from it. I've been setting up my stall here for several days and have looked over the items on this small stand, yet I never noticed this ink. Miss Zhen, this is your first time here, and you spotted it right away. It shows your eye is even sharper than mine. I must admit, I'm getting old," Zeng Yipin sighed.

Meanwhile, the vendor was filled with regret, stomping his feet in frustration. He crouched on the ground, holding his head, utterly miserable.

"Let me tell you a story, brother," Zhen Niang said with a smile, looking at his pitiful state.

"Whatever you say," the vendor grumbled, clearly in no mood for pleasantries."Back in my hometown, there was an uncle. Although his family wasn't wealthy, they lived peacefully and happily. But one day, he suddenly received a letter. It turned out he had an uncle living in another region—a widower with no children. Now that this uncle had passed away from illness, he left his vast fortune to him. The whole family rejoiced. Yet, just two days later, he received news that a great fire had broken out a few days earlier in the area where his uncle's house was located. All the immense wealth his uncle had left him was burned to ashes. As a result, the uncle fell gravely ill from heartache and eventually died in depression..."

"That man was truly foolish. It wasn't as if he couldn't get by without that money. The wealth his uncle left him was unexpected fortune to begin with—gaining it was luck, and losing it was fate. Since it burned away, it simply wasn't meant to be his. Yet he couldn't let it go and ended up paying with his own life. What a waste." The stall owner shook his head and sighed.

Then he looked up and saw Zhen Niang smiling at him, and understood. "You, young lady, are gloating over your good fortune. But what you said makes sense—after all, I still earned a tael of silver."

Zhen Niang smiled without saying more. Although her words might have sounded like gloating, her real intention was to avoid unnecessary trouble. The Langfang market was, after all, a secondhand market. Hunting for treasures here was like hunting for antiques—it all depended on one's eye. Whether you gained or lost, you had to accept it. In the end, it was your own judgment that determined the outcome.

So, ultimately, one must be able to bear the gains and let go of the losses.

Afterward, Zhen Niang, with Xiao Ya in tow, nodded to Zeng Yipin nearby and prepared to leave.

Just then, two men suddenly rushed out from the side. One of them bumped right into Xiao Ya. Remembering that the "tile" in her arms was actually a highly valuable inkstick, Xiao Ya deftly turned her body, clutching the ink tightly to her chest. Even though her back ached from the impact, she gritted her teeth and held on.

But the other man turned and lunged toward Xiao Ya, clearly intending to snatch the "tile ink" from her arms.

Earlier, these two idlers had been standing nearby. Hearing Zhen Niang and Zeng Yipin's exchange, they had grown covetous of the inkstick. Now, seizing the moment when Zhen Niang and Xiao Ya were about to leave, they made their move.

"Thieves! How dare you!" Zeng Yipin shouted sternly from the side, rushing forward to block the two men. He yelled again, "Thieves stealing! Thieves stealing!"

Immediately, the surrounding crowd gathered around.

"Meddlesome fool, remember this: don't let me see you again, or I'll beat you every time I do!" Seeing the crowd closing in, the two men knew they had to flee quickly. One of them shoved Zeng Yipin angrily and kicked him before the two scurried away in disgrace.

"Master Zeng, are you all right?" Zhen Niang and Xiao Ya hurried over to help Zeng Yipin up. He had been knocked to the ground by the shove, and his forehead had struck the stone step at the entrance of a nearby shop. Blood was now streaming from the wound.

"Is there anyone with a cart who can lend a hand and take him to the clinic?" Zhen Niang clasped her hands together and addressed the onlookers.

Soon, someone brought a cart over. Since many people here were selling goods, there were plenty of carts for transporting merchandise, and plenty of kind-hearted souls willing to help.Zhen Niang and Xiao Ya helped the man onto the cart, then headed straight for the official street where their Ink Workshop was located. Right next door was the Medicine Hall, and Physician Gong’s medical skills were quite reliable. What mattered most for Zeng Yipin was the wound on his forehead. As for that last kick, the assailant had been in a hurry to escape and hadn’t put much force into it, so it turned out to be harmless.

“Master Zeng, are you facing any difficulties at home?” Zhen Niang chatted with Zeng Yipin in the carriage.

Zhen Yipin held his wound with one hand, looking somewhat puzzled. “Why do you ask, Miss Li?”

“If there are no difficulties, then with your status, Master Zeng, why would you set up a stall in Langfang?” Zhen Niang asked curiously.

“I’ve spent my whole life studying the art of ink-making. Apart from this, I don’t know what else to do. Now that the Tian family has issued a ban, I can’t risk harming others, so I simply set up a stall in Langfang for my own amusement,” Zeng Yipin replied.

Zhen Niang nodded. “Then, I wonder if Master Zeng would be willing to serve as an honored guest at my Li Mo?” she said. Regardless of anything else, Zeng Yipin had been injured today because of her and Xiao Ya. For this reason alone, she felt obliged to take him in.

“Thank you for your kind offer, Miss Li, but I’d rather not. I don’t want to cause trouble with the Tian family,” Zeng Yipin said.

“The feud between the Li family and the Tian family has been going on for a long time. One more incident won’t make much difference,” Zhen Niang explained with a smile. Then she added, “Master Zeng, don’t rush to decide. You’re injured now, so focus on recovering first. You can think it over later.”

“In that case, allow me some time to consider it,” Zeng Yipin nodded.