The Heir

Сhaptеr 150: А Fаthеr-Dаughter Heаrt-tо-Heаrt

Green mоuntаins flаnkеd bоth bаnks, with cleаr waters stretching beneаth а vast skу.

Sitting inside thе саbin, thе scеnеrу аlоng the shоres was eхсeрtionally bеautiful, yеt Zhen Niang sееmеd in nо mооd tо apрrеciаtе it аt the mоment. Shе hаd been роndering Luо Wenqian’s words.

Frоm the most cуniсаl pеrspectivе, реrhaрs Luо Wеnqiаn аnd his аssoсiаtes hаd business сonflicts with thе Qin familу, аnd thus usеd thosе wоrds tо dissuаde the Li familу from getting involved. But tо be honest, Zhеn Niang felt thаt while this роssibility might еxist, it was unlikely to be the main reason. Although Luo Wenqian could sometimes be quite cunning, he was ultimately an upright man. If there truly were business disputes, he should have been able to state them openly.

If it wasn’t about business conflicts, then it was indeed out of goodwill. The Qin family truly had connections with the Tatars and had already been targeted by Marshal Qi’s men. In that case, the Qin family was a dangerous place. Yet, the Qin family had shown life-saving kindness to her father—such a debt of gratitude weighed as heavily as Mount Tai. How could they simply avoid it as if nothing had happened? Where would the sense of gratitude be then?

Of course, this wasn’t what troubled Zhen Niang the most. What truly troubled her was an anecdote recorded in the later generations’ clan genealogy. It spoke of how, after Li Jincai’s branch seized control of the Li Family Ink Workshop, the other Li clansmen were naturally unwilling to accept it. One of the collateral branches rose to prominence a few years later and attempted to reclaim the Li Family Ink Workshop from Li Jincai. However, just as they were on the verge of success, this branch was suddenly arrested and imprisoned on charges of colluding with the Tatars. In the end, some died, and others were exiled, meeting a tragic fate.

Since the charges involved colluding with the Tatars, it was hardly a glorious affair. Thus, this incident was only recorded as an anecdote, with the related family branch referred to merely as “a certain branch.”

Could it be that the “certain branch” mentioned in the clan genealogy was actually the Eighth Branch of the Li family? Zhen Niang couldn’t help but wonder, clenching her fist and gently tapping her forehead. Upon careful consideration, it seemed somewhat plausible. For instance, Li Jingfu’s greatest wish was to earn enough money to redeem the Eighth Branch’s share in the Ink Workshop. Moreover, the Ink Workshop was Old Shopkeeper Li’s lifeline—how could he possibly stand by and watch the Li Family Ink Workshop fall into Li Jincai’s hands? Thus, conflict was inevitable. And Li Jincai was undoubtedly a ruthless and cunning individual. Combined with Luo Wenqian’s warning, if the Qin family truly had ties to the Tatars and the Eighth Branch of the Li family became entangled with the Qin family, wouldn’t they be playing right into Li Jincai’s hands?

Of course, if Li Jincai was no longer a factor, and whether the Eighth Branch of the Li family was indeed the branch mentioned in the anecdote remained unknown, regardless, this matter still needed to be handled with caution.

The kindness of the Qin family would be remembered by the Eighth Branch of the Li family, but as for the Qin family’s business, Zhen Niang intended to prevent her father from getting involved. In fact, even without considering Luo Wenqian’s warning, kindness was kindness—it was better to keep things simple. If business interests became entangled with it, it would likely do more harm than good. With this thought, she left her cabin and went to the neighboring one to speak with her father.

In the neighboring cabin, Li Jingfu was having tea with Zheng Fuli, listening to him recount some of Zhen Niang’s experiences in Nanjing.

“Father, why are there only the two of you? Where are the others?” Zhen Niang was referring to the nephews and other relatives who had gone to Nanjing to seek opportunities.

“The cabin was stuffy, so they went outside to play,” Li Jingfu replied. Sensing that Zhen Niang wanted to speak with her father, Zheng Fuli tactfully excused himself, saying, “I’ll go keep an eye on them.” With that, he closed the cabin door and left.Li Jingfu patted the stool and said to Zhen Niang, "Come, sit, and tell me more about Nanjing."

"Alright." Zhen Niang nodded, then recounted the details of the Nanjing Ink Manor and some local customs and practices of Nanjing. Afterward, she asked, "Father, what are your plans for Nanjing?"

"Well, I don’t have any specific plans. It’s just that I made an appointment with the Qin family to meet in Nanjing—back when we were in Shanxi. The Qin family mentioned to me that they wanted to collaborate with me to open a north-south goods trading house. I would be responsible for purchasing rice, grain, tea, and such here in Nanjing, while the Qin family would specialize in procuring medicinal herbs, furs, and horses from the northern regions. One would act as a stationary merchant, the other as a traveling merchant, facilitating the exchange of goods between the north and south. But you know me—I’m a bit lazy by nature. Besides, your older brother has his oil workshop and can’t help me, so I’m afraid I might not do well," Li Jingfu explained.

Back in Shanxi, the Qin family had proposed the idea of the north-south goods trading house. At the time, however, Li Jingfu was preoccupied with redeeming the family’s shares in the Ink Workshop and didn’t have the capital to start such a venture. Moreover, he was unsure of the situation at home, so the Qin family suggested he return first to assess things, leading to the arrangement to meet in Nanjing.

What Li Jingfu hadn’t expected was that upon returning home, he discovered the shares in the Ink Workshop had already been recovered, and both his son and daughter had achieved remarkable success. This, in turn, placed immense pressure on him as a father, reigniting his interest in the north-south goods trading house. Yet, given his lazy disposition, he still couldn’t bring himself to make a firm decision.

"Father, your concerns are valid. However, I don’t think it’s a matter of you not being capable—you’ve already worked very hard. It’s just that we owe the Qin family a debt of gratitude, and partnerships in business are often prone to conflicts. If that happens, regardless of who is right or wrong, our family might end up being seen as ungrateful," Zhen Niang mused, subtly flattering her father in the process.

This actually amused Li Jingfu, though he soon grew thoughtful as well. Indeed, Zhen Niang’s reasoning made sense.

"So, does that mean we shouldn’t open the north-south goods trading house?" Li Jingfu looked at his daughter, raising an eyebrow for confirmation.

"Yes, it’s better not to open it," Zhen Niang replied, nodding firmly at her father.

"Then wouldn’t I just be idling around?" Li Jingfu said somewhat sheepishly.

"What kind of talk is that, Father? You’ve brought back plenty of gold and deserve to enjoy your life," Zhen Niang said with a light laugh, then raised an eyebrow playfully. "Of course, if you could come help me at the Ink Workshop, that would be ideal. There are many matters at the Nanjing Ink Workshop that I’m not in a position to handle directly. With you supporting me, I’d feel much more confident."

"You? Lacking confidence? I’ve seen you at the Ink Workshop—your presence rivals even your grandfather’s when he was the head manager," Li Jingfu couldn’t help but chuckle. Earlier, at the Li Family Ink Workshop, he had watched his daughter command the workers with authority, decisive and unwavering, earning the respect of everyone in the workshop. It truly astonished him—this girl, who used to be all about good food, had such a talent he never saw coming.He then continued, "Your mother also reminded me of this, and of course I will support you. But the trouble I caused for the Ink Workshop back then was quite significant, and I feel rather ashamed. Even if I wanted to back you up in matters concerning the Ink Workshop, I’m afraid my strength falls short of my ambition. In this regard, I’m afraid I won’t be able to command much respect." Li Jingfu scratched his head.

"Father, have you ever thought about starting over?" Zhen Niang stared intently at her father.

"Starting over? What do you mean?" Li Jingfu looked at his daughter.

"Rise from where you fell. Father, Grandfather once told me that you actually have a natural talent for making ink. I inherited that from you. It’s just a pity that you were a bit too lazy by nature, which is why you never achieved anything. If you could start learning again from the basics of smoke generation, step by step, and build on your original foundation, the results wouldn’t be bad. I think by then, Grandfather would be very pleased." Zhen Niang encouraged her father.

In their usual conversations, whenever she and her grandfather talked about her father, her grandfather would often reminisce about her father’s childhood experiences with ink-making. Back then, he always felt a sense of pride, believing he had a worthy successor. But later, things didn’t go as planned. It could only be said that life rarely goes as one wishes. "You little rascal, you’ve found a tough job for your father. But I endured the bitter cold of the north, so I can handle this. Alright, I’ll rise from where I fell. Your father will start over." Li Jingfu declared with a touch of boldness. He wanted people to know that he, Li Jingfu, was no longer the scoundrel he once was.

He also wanted to contribute to Li Mo. The debts he owed from the past, he would repay himself.

"Yes, Father, do your best!" Zhen Niang laughed cheerfully.

"You little troublemaker, you’re afraid the younger members of the clan will be hard to manage, so you’re deliberately using your father as an example, aren’t you?" Li Jingfu said, both amused and exasperated.

"Ah... no way? Father, you’re overthinking it." Zhen Niang was taken aback for a moment before she understood what her father meant.

Several younger members of the clan had come this time, and more would follow in the future. Although it was agreed before they left that they would start with menial tasks—hard and tiring work—it was inevitable that everyone would harbor some hope, expecting Zhen Niang to assign them jobs with little work, high pay, and more authority than responsibility. This was the common flaw of many family-run enterprises, which often ended up supporting many who did nothing but eat.

If Zhen Niang strictly followed the rules step by step, her family would inevitably be labeled as harsh. But now, with Zhen Niang having her father start learning from scratch at the Ink Workshop, the other younger members of the clan would have nothing to complain about.

Thinking of this, Zhen Niang looked at her father with an innocent expression. She truly hadn’t intended this; she was purely worried about her father being stuck in the Qin family’s mess and had found something for him to do. She hadn’t expected it to inadvertently serve another purpose.

With this settled, Zhen Niang felt relieved.

Afterward, the journey by boat lasted more than ten days, nearly half a month. Once accustomed to it, it didn’t feel too slow. When Zhen Niang and her group arrived at the Qinhuai dock in Nanjing, it was already the nineteenth day of the first lunar month.

The Li family disembarked but saw no one from the Ink Workshop there to meet them.

"Strange. Usually, people from the Ink Workshop would come to inquire about boats from Huizhou these days. Why isn’t there anyone to meet us?" Zheng Fuli muttered. With so much cargo this time, the Ink Workshop should have sent carts to pick them up."What, no carriage came to pick you up? Would you like to ride in our carriage instead?" Luo Wenqian offered from the side, as Yan Xilai had brought a carriage to fetch him. At that moment, Yan Xilai also noticed Li Jingfu and recognized him as Master Fu. He glanced sideways at Luo Wenqian, clearly puzzled as to why Master Fu was with the Li family.

However, Luo Wenqian paid him no mind.

Li Jingfu had clashed fiercely with Luo Wenqian in the northern regions, so naturally, he wouldn’t accept his goodwill now. He waved his hand dismissively and said bluntly, "No need."

"Thank you, Brother Luo, but we have a lot of goods and people. We wouldn’t want to trouble you," Zhen Niang added with a polite smile, clasping her hands.

"Alright." Luo Wenqian nodded and said no more, then followed Yan Xilai into the carriage and departed first.

"Well, we did set out a few days later than planned. Perhaps the Ink Workshop was too busy to arrange a carriage. Let’s hire our own to go back," Zhen Niang said to Zheng Fuli.

Zheng Fuli nodded, seeing no other option. Having spent a year in Nanjing, he was quite familiar with the area. After looking around the dock for a while, he soon hired three large carts—one for the goods and the other two for both people and additional cargo. With that, the group boarded the carts and headed toward the official street inside Jubao Gate.