The Heir

Сhарter 134: Thаnk Yоu fоr Yоur Lаmp

Upon hеаring Zhen Niang's wоrds, Huang Shi knеw thе girl wаs trulу dеtеrmined to givе her all this time. She was well аwаre оf the girl's tеmреrаment. Васk whеn thе Eighth Вranch of thе fаmily wаs struggling, this girl had shut herself in а small woоdshed during the hоttеst dауs, еnduring оvеr ten daуs оf smokе gеnеratiоn with soоt рigment. When shе еmergеd, Zhao Shi said hеr face wаs соverеd in soot, loоking likе а cоаl minеr's lаbоrеr. Thоugh Zhаo Shi didn't vоicе it, her heаrt aсhеd tеrribly fоr thе girl.

Yеt this girl сould endure suсh hardship.

Now it was the sаme. Huang Shi sаid no morе abоut giving hеr best еffort, merely patting Zhen Niang's shoulder and urging her to rest. Then she left the room, returning shortly with a bowl of bird's nest and lily soup. She watched Zhen Niang finish it before taking the empty bowl away.

Zhen Niang naturally understood her aunt's concern. After sitting for a while and seeing it was already late at night, she blew out the lamp to sleep, not wanting her second aunt and others to worry.

But though she lay down, sleep was nowhere to be found.

Zhen Niang had a stubborn streak. The pressure from Qi Chun weighed heavily on her. A person's reputation is like a tree's shadow—this Qi Chun originally came from the Imperial Ink Supervision and was no flashy prodigy who rose young. He had honed his skills within the Imperial Ink Supervision until middle age before gaining prominence, eventually achieving renown equal to her grandfather's. His ink-making craftsmanship was certainly no ordinary feat.

Even compared to her own grandfather, Zhen Niang knew she fell short. Thus, to defeat Qi Chun, she would need to employ some tactics.

Come to think of it, the Tian family's methods in competing for the Tribute Ink Commissioner position, though deceitful, had been truly effective.

Should she learn from them?

Yet she felt that no matter what tactics were used, they would ultimately be unfair to the craft itself. But without employing any, her chances of winning seemed genuinely slim.

The more she dwelled on it, the more agitated she became, unable to lie still. She sat up, hugging her knees with her chin resting on them. Thanks to a faint moonlight, the room wasn't too dark.

But moonlight? Today was the new moon. Where was the moonlight coming from?

Puzzled, Zhen Niang quietly got out of bed and gently pushed open the window. Only then did she realize the light wasn't from the moon but from a storm lantern hanging in the attic window of the Yi Hou Sheng money house not far away. Its soft glow happened to shine into her room.

Faint and gentle, it wouldn't disturb others, yet that subtle light brought a sense of calm.

She didn't know when Yi Hou Sheng had started hanging this lamp. She hadn't noticed it before—it must have been recently.

Strangely, in the quiet night, such a softly glowing lamp brought an extraordinary peace to her heart, sweeping away the earlier agitation.

Standing there quietly for a while, Zhen Niang suddenly slapped her forehead in frustration. "Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire." Back then, she had disapproved of the Tian family's actions. How could she now, in her own situation, consider using similar tactics?

Though business is like a battlefield, competitions of skill shouldn't be tainted by too much scheming. One should win with honor and lose with grace. As she had always believed, those who rely on their craft must let their skills speak for themselves.

These past few days, under the pressure from Qi Chun, she had been racking her brains to find alternative paths and shortcuts. In truth, this only showed that Qi Chun's reputation had made her somewhat timid.In the end, wanting something too much only makes one lose composure.

With this attitude of hers, it was hard to say whether she could make it to the final round to compete with Old Master Qi. After all, this Ink Competition was open for all to see, and with her current mindset, there was a high chance she would lose midway.

Thinking this, Zhen Niang lightly clenched her fist and tapped her forehead. Hmm, she should let go of those shortcut-seeking thoughts. In these last few days, she should properly plan everything for the Ink Competition and compete steadily and earnestly—that was the right path.

She still wanted the position of tribute, but she didn’t want to take shortcuts. She would strive for it solely through her own skills and work hard toward that goal. Zhen Niang clenched her fist, encouraging herself.

Having thought it through, Zhen Niang suddenly felt clear-headed. She turned her face to look not far away, where the faint light of the storm-proof lantern shone. Tilting her head, she squinted and smiled. Tomorrow, when she met that fellow Luo Jiu, she would thank him. He’d probably be utterly confused. Hmm, she wouldn’t explain then—just let him be confused. That would save him from always trying to cause trouble and laugh at her expense.

Thinking this, Zhen Niang secretly chuckled. She glanced at the lantern once more before closing the window.

After closing the window, the faint light grew even dimmer.

Zhen Niang lay back in bed and soon fell into a deep sleep—the soundest she had slept in days.

Early in the morning, Zhen Niang woke up, washed up, and first took a stroll around the courtyard before heading toward the shop entrance. Chou Po was sweeping fallen leaves with a broom. Autumn was gradually setting in; although the days still carried some lingering summer heat, leaves occasionally drifted down.

"Chou Po, good morning." Luo Jiu stood at the entrance of the Yi Hou Sheng Money Shop, holding a horse stance stance, huffing and puffing as if he had just finished a few punches, while also calling out to Chou Po, who was sweeping.

Chou Po merely glanced at him without a word and continued sweeping.

Actually, when Zhen Niang brought Chou Po along this time, considering her age, she hadn’t intended for her to do any work. But Chou Po was the type who couldn’t stay idle and wasn’t one to listen to others, so she still did whatever she pleased.

Chou Po ignored Luo Jiu entirely. Luo Jiu rubbed his nose, feeling somewhat awkward.

Zhen Niang smiled, and Luo Jiu looked over. Then, swinging his arms and stretching his legs, he walked over. "Zhen Niang, how are the preparations for the Ink Competition going? Don’t lose too embarrassingly when the time comes."

Zhen Niang squinted, wearing an expression that said, "You’ll find out when the time comes." Then, with a smile, she said, "Shopkeeper Luo, thank you for the lantern."

"Thank me for the lantern? What lantern?" Luo Jiu indeed looked utterly confused.

At this, Zhen Niang slightly lifted her chin, turned around, clasped her hands behind her back, and walked back into the shop, imitating the way Cheng San Yeye paced. She had no time for idle chatter—she still needed to use the last bit of time to ponder over the Ink Line Diagram and style of the Birthday Ink, as the Birthday Ink’s design was also part of the Ink Competition.

Watching Zhen Niang return to the shop and noticing Yao Niangzi from next door, who had just opened her shop, curiously looking over, Luo Jiu calmly continued his stroll. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the storm-proof lantern hanging on his attic, his eyes filled with amusement.

Soon, it was Chen hour. The streets gradually filled with people, especially as the Ink Competition approached. Some Ink Masters from regions not far from Nanjing had arrived in the city. With the mindset of knowing oneself and one’s enemy to ensure victory in every battle, they naturally came to observe the ink craftsmanship of several competitors.Therefore, in recent days, business at the Ink Manor hadn't improved much, but the flow of people had noticeably increased. Moreover, they were all the type who asked extremely professional questions.

Some even inquired about information in a very direct manner.

"Hmm, are all your inks displayed here? These inks seem quite ordinary. I heard you're going to participate in the upcoming Ink Competition Tournament at the princess's estate. With these inks, your chances of winning are slim. Are you hiding something special? Bring it out and let us have a look." This person's question was truly straightforward.

"Trade secret, no comment." Every time this happened, A Tang and Hua'er, who were guarding the counter, would reply with stern faces, thinking these people had thick skin indeed.

They hadn't seen them bring out their own inks for others to examine either.

Thus, this also added some topics of conversation among everyone at the Ink Manor. Ma Shifu, who was pounding the ink sticks, spoke up, saying that next time someone asked like that, he would respond with his fists.

Today was no exception to this situation. Several individuals suspected to be ink masters entered the shop and headed straight for the elegant seating area, then carefully studied that set of Han Xizai's Night Revels Collection Ink. They even discussed among themselves, believing that this ink represented the pinnacle of Li Mo's craftsmanship.

Hua'er stood nearby, glaring wide-eyed at them, treating these people like thieves.

Zhen Niang observed the scene, which was largely similar to usual days. She still needed to experiment with making a few more types of ink, so she planned to return to the Ink Workshop in the backyard. Unexpectedly, just then, she heard someone outside the door shout, "Where did this arrogant fellow come from? He's here to Challenge the Hall!"

"Challenge the Hall? Challenge what hall?" another person asked curiously.

"Right at the street corner. There's a brash young man holding an ink stick. He's made it clear: those who recognize this ink will receive it as a gift; those who don't recognize it should obediently withdraw from the princess's estate's Ink Competition Tournament and not embarrass themselves." The first person said loudly. These words were indeed extremely arrogant.

Immediately, the few people inside the Ink Manor who were looking at inks stopped and, putting down the inks, invited each other along: "Let's go, let's go. Let's see who's so arrogant. We'll make him eat his words soon enough."

"Ah, there are three major Ink Manors on our street. He really is here to Challenge the Hall!" Yao Niangzi chimed in from the side, joining in the excitement.

At this moment, the members of the Li Family Ink Manor exchanged glances. This truly was a Challenge the Hall situation, just like when Luo Jiu had shamed the money shops and pawnshops with that Han Xizai's Night Revels painting back then.

Only, back then, Luo Jiu had been provoked by others. Now, it seemed they hadn't troubled anyone, had they?

"Cousin, let's go take a look." Hua'er, who loved joining in the excitement, tugged at Zhen Niang's sleeve.

Zhen Niang nodded. Her main intention was to see what kind of ink that person held, daring to make such a statement. So, the group of them went out together.

At the corner of the official street, there was a small open space. At that moment, it was surrounded by layers of people—three layers inside and three layers outside. Of course, most of those on the outside were just there for the spectacle, while the few ink masters inside were sweating on their foreheads.

When Zhen Niang and Hua'er walked forward, they heard the onlookers whispering among themselves.

"Ah, those few really can't identify it. Could this dull, unremarkable ink stick actually be a treasure?"

"It's hard to say."

...

"Brother Luo, your discerning eye is exceptional. Why not step forward and teach that arrogant fellow a lesson?" At that moment, on the street, Luo Jiu stood together with Tian Benchang, who was egging him on."This is a matter of your Ink Industry, and as an outsider, I shouldn't interfere. Moreover, the Ink Industry no longer has a place for my Luo Family. If not, Brother Tian, how about we make a bet? If I win, Brother Tian returns the Tian Family's Ink Manor to me intact." Luo Jiu raised an eyebrow as he replied.

Tian Benchang paused for a moment before responding somewhat awkwardly, "Brother Luo, you must be joking."

"I'm not joking; I'm serious," Luo Jiu said earnestly. Tian Benchang laughed it off, not daring to continue the conversation.

"Why don't you go up and give it a try?" On the side, Hua'er, who was clear about grudges and favors, saw the Tian Family targeting the Li Family as adversaries and naturally showed no goodwill.

However, her words inadvertently helped Tian Benchang out of the awkward situation: "I'm a latecomer to this field and not very proficient in the Ink Industry. It's better not to embarrass myself by going up."

Hua'er wanted to say more, but Zhen Niang tugged at her sleeve, signaling that there was no need to say anything further.

"Girl, go up and identify it. We can't let others take advantage of us." At that moment, Cheng San Yeye also approached, pacing slowly.

"Old ginger is spicier. Third Grandfather, you go up first, and I'll cheer you on," Zhen Niang said with a smile.

"I, an old man, won't join in the mischief with you youngsters," Third Grandfather replied, also unwilling to intervene.

"Hurry up, if you want to identify it, then do so. If you admit you can't recognize it, just quietly retreat back home. It's important to know one's limits, especially for some young girls—they should find a good husband, marry, and focus on managing the household and raising children. That's the proper way." At that moment, the arrogant scholar in the crowd spoke up again.

Zhen Niang's eyes widened slightly. So, this person was targeting her. There was no reason to just stand by and watch.