The Heir

Сhарtеr 143: Li Jingуi’s Thoughts

“Моthеr… whаt аre you dоing?” Zhеn Niang hurried оver to рull hеr mоthеr аwаy. Thе bamboo broom in her mоthеr’s hand hаd sweрt асrоss her fаthеr’s fасе, leаving streaks of blооd.

“Sister-in-lаw, sister-in-law, what’s gоing on? Let gо quickly. Sесоnd Вrоthеr hаs finally rеturnеd—this is a jоуоus oсcаsiоn.” Zheng Shi alsо rushеd ovеr to intervenе.

Only then did Zhао Shi thrоw the brоom aside, wiрing аwаy hеr tеаrs bеfоrе turning to shоut аt Zhen Niаng, “Why аren’t yоu going tо рrеpаrе hоt wаter for yоur father?”

“Yes, as yоu command.” Zhеn Niang reрlied сhеerfullу, thinking to herself that her mother and father’s squabble was nothing but a display of affection.

“What’s going on now, Jingfu’s wife? Can’t we have peace even during the New Year?” On the other side, Wu Shi, who had been waiting for hot water, walked over. Hearing Zhao Shi’s shouting from afar, she approached with a frown. But the moment her eyes fell on Li Jingfu, her entire body swayed.

Zhen Niang, who was nearby preparing to fetch water, quickly dropped the bucket and rushed to support Wu Shi, exclaiming joyfully, “Grandmother, it’s Father! Father has returned. Father isn’t dead.”

At that moment, Li Jingfu knelt with a thud before Wu Shi and called out, “Mother, your son has worried you.”

“Is it Jingfu? Yes, it’s Jingfu.” Wu Shi’s eyes were also brimming with tears as she stepped forward and tightly grasped Li Jingfu’s arm. Then, with unexpected strength, she cried out loudly, “Jingfu, I’ve missed you so much…”

This cry immediately startled Old Master Li in the main hall.

Unaware of what was happening, Old Master Li hurried over in a panic, followed by Li Jingyi.

What followed was a scene of chaos, but everyone’s hearts were filled with joy.

“It’s good that Jingfu has returned. Congratulations to Uncle Jinshui on the family reunion. I won’t disturb you any longer and will take my leave now.” Although Li Jingyi had come with his own intentions, the discussion had barely begun when Old Master Li pretended not to understand. He had intended to speak plainly, but unexpectedly, Li Jingfu, who had been presumed dead for nearly two years, had returned. Seeing this situation, Li Jingyi realized that no matter how important the matter was, it couldn’t be discussed today. He had no choice but to take his leave.

Liu Jin Sao saw him out.

Li Jingfu glanced at Li Jingyi’s retreating figure. This distant cousin, who prided himself on being a scholar, had never paid him any mind before, let alone visited his home. Yet now, he had come to their doorstep, which made Li Jingfu deeply curious. Moreover, why had his family suddenly moved back to the Ancestral Residence? In short, it seemed that during the two years he had been away, the family had undergone earth-shattering changes, leaving him feeling somewhat unsettled.

“Father, the hot water is ready. Go wash up first. I’ll take Xi Ge’er to set off a couple of strings of firecrackers at the door later.” Zhen Niang stepped forward and said. Her father’s return was a joyous occasion, and since it was also the Minor New Year, setting off firecrackers was a must.

“Alright.” Li Jingfu nodded. Meanwhile, Zhao Shi had already fetched Li Jingfu’s old change of clothes from the room. As Li Jingfu took them, he suddenly remembered something and pulled a cloth bag from his pocket, handing it to Zhao Shi.

“What is this?” Zhao Shi held the bag, which felt quite heavy, and curiously opened it to take a look."Good heavens, where did all these gold beans come from?" Zhao Shi was stunned, her eyes filled with the sight of gleaming yellow. She hastily handed the bag to Wu Shi as if it were a hot potato. Wu Shi, holding the bag of gold beans, was also dumbfounded.

"Where did this come from? I told you not to come back unless you made something of yourself, but if you resorted to robbery for this, I’ll turn you over to the authorities right now," Old Man Li glared at Li Jingfu. In his mind, such a large amount of gold beans could only have been obtained through robbery.

"Father, your son may be a bit of a scoundrel, but I’d never stoop to murder and robbery. This gold was earned legitimately. I dug it up in the north. I’ll explain everything in detail after I take a bath," Li Jingfu explained. With that, he picked up his change of clothes and headed into the washroom next to the kitchen.

Zhao Shi, her face slightly flushed, followed him inside.

Meanwhile, the others, hearing that the gold had been dug up and considering that Li Jingfu’s troubles had also occurred in the north, found the explanation plausible.

Even so, the Li family still felt somewhat dazed.

The gold was simply too dazzling.

Zhen Niang, however, was somewhat surprised. Luo Wenqian had made his fortune by digging for gold in the north, and now her own father had done the same. She wondered if the two knew each other, but then shook her head, thinking it unlikely. Otherwise, in Nanjing, Luo Wenqian would surely have mentioned her father to her.

Lost in such thoughts, Zhen Niang’s mind began to wander.

Before long, Li Jingfu finished his bath and came out. After devouring a steaming bowl of wonton noodles, he wiped his mouth, and everyone returned to the room to sit down. Zhen Niang brewed some hot tea. After two cups, Li Jingfu sighed contentedly, feeling that this was truly the life worth living.

He then recounted the events of those years in detail.

Back then, when the merchant caravan encountered the Tatars, Li Jingfu could not escape misfortune. However, he was fortunate enough not to die on the spot. Later, a gold-digging team passed by and rescued him. By the time Li Jingfu fully regained consciousness, nearly a month had passed.

Gold-digging teams had always been targets of crackdowns by the authorities. As a result, although Li Jingfu was saved by the team, they naturally did not report it to the authorities. Moreover, the bodies were later devoured by wolves and other animals, so the authorities never learned that anyone had survived.

After recovering from his injuries, Li Jingfu intended to return home. However, as an outsider, the gold-digging team feared he might reveal their mining location and thus kept a close watch on him, forbidding him from leaving. It was only after Li Jingfu began digging for gold like everyone else and risked his life in several fights that he gained their trust, becoming one of the team. Only then did they stop guarding against him. By that time, however, Li Jingfu had decided to make something of himself at the gold mine. After sending a letter home, he remained at the mine. Unfortunately, the letter was lost along the way.

Afterward, Li Jingfu continued digging for gold at the mine. Because he was somewhat literate, he eventually rose to become a supervisor, managing several gold diggers and acting as a foreman. The bag of gold beans was his savings from the past two years.

Hearing Li Jingfu’s story, the entire Li family sighed with emotion. Although he did not go into detail about many of the hardships at the gold mine, they could imagine he had endured great suffering.

Nevertheless, in the end, his hardships had finally given way to sweetness."Dad, then why did you come back dressed like this?" Zhen Niang asked curiously at this moment.

"The north is in chaos, and there are many bandits and such along the way. Among the travelers on the road, anyone dressed decently is accompanied by a large group of servants and bodyguards. For someone like your father, traveling alone and carrying this bag of gold, if I hadn't dressed this way, it's hard to say whether I could have made it home safely," Li Jingfu said. The world is not at peace.

"Hmm. At least your thinking was somewhat thorough," Old Shopkeeper Li rarely praised Li Jingfu, which made him chuckle foolishly with delight.

"By the way, why did our family move back to the Ancestral Residence?" Li Jingfu then asked the questions that had been on his mind. The current state of the family was completely different from when he left, and he couldn't help but be curious about the changes in between.

Everyone was amused, so they let Zhen Niang take the lead in explaining. Others chimed in, recounting in detail the events of the past two years.

The events that had befallen the Li family over these nearly two years were truly thrilling, and even Li Jingfu was moved as he listened. Especially at the end, when he heard about Zhen Niang's accomplishments in Nanjing and how she had secured the position of Ink Production Official for the princess's residence, Li Jingfu could hardly believe it. Was this really his gluttonous little girl?

After a while, he patted Zhen Niang's shoulder with emotion and sighed, "Girl, you've really made something of yourself. You're more capable than your father. I'm useless."

Li Jingfu was filled with mixed feelings. He had returned with gold, intending to buy back the shares in the Ink Workshop that originally belonged to the Eighth Branch. But now, everything had already been settled perfectly. While he was relieved, he also felt a sense of loss, like the younger generation surpassing the older—the older generation washed up on the shore.

Zhen Niang naturally didn't know how to respond to her father's words, so she just pursed her lips and smiled.

On the side, Zhao Shi shot Li Jingfu a glare. "What's this about being useful or useless? Without you, there wouldn't be her. What nonsense."

Immediately, everyone couldn't help but laugh.

"By the way, what's going on with Jingyi?" Li Jingfu then asked with a frown.

Old Shopkeeper Li proceeded to explain how Li Jingyi had sought the clan's support to secure an official position through donations and even tried to use the princess's residence as a pathway. Wu Shi added with some annoyance, "This Jingyi is becoming more and more unreasonable. We won't even mention how he used to look down on us. Just this time, when Li Jingming's family returned, he secretly incited some of the clan elders to stir up trouble. It was only after Jingming admitted his own mistakes that the matter was settled. Not long after that, now he actually expects the clan to support him? It's just because he's the only scholar in the clan now. Has he ever considered how much effort he's put into the Ink Workshop over the years? Not only has he not contributed, but he hasn't even said a single good word about it. On ordinary days, he even looks down on the Li family for being 'tainted by the smell of money' and barely interacts with our branch of the Li family. So why should the entire clan expend all its resources to support him?"

Wu Shi, who was usually good-tempered, gritted her teeth with resentment as she spoke of Li Jingyi. Li Jingyi had truly pushed people too far recently. Moreover, helping a scholar enter the officialdom through donations would require no small amount of money—it would truly demand the entire clan's resources and manpower. Li Jingyi simply didn't deserve it."I think it would be better to buy Father an official title," Xi Ge'er chimed in from the side. He was now studying alongside You Ge'er in the Li family's private school. Among the older students in the clan school who failed the prefectural exams year after year, their enthusiasm for studying had gradually waned, and they began to explore unorthodox paths. The topic they discussed most was purchasing scholarly honors and official positions. Being a quick-witted lad, Xi Ge'er had picked up quite a bit from these conversations and now offered his suggestion.

"Father wouldn't be suitable for that. He isn't even a xiucai, and he knows nothing about the intricacies of officialdom. That would just be throwing money into the water. Brat, stop talking nonsense." Li Jingfu glared at Xi Ge'er.

Xi Ge'er stuck out his tongue and fell silent.

Old Shopkeeper Li pondered quietly. In truth, the business world could never truly separate itself from the support of officialdom. The Li family had always sought to cultivate and support scholars, precisely to provide backing for the clan and the Ink Workshop. Originally, Li Jingyi from the clan would have been a good candidate, as he already held a scholarly honor. However, his selfishness ran too deep, and his character was lacking. With Wang Jincai's example as a cautionary tale, the Li family naturally could not afford to nurture another ungrateful wolf.