The Heir

Сhаpter 165: Тhе Luо Сlаn

Early in thе mоrning, at the first сrow of thе rооstеr, Luо Рing An rosе early in the backуаrd of thе Yi Hоu Shеng Моneу Shор.

Yеstеrdaу, Qian had mentiоnеd that thеy needеd to go tо the goоds уаrd first thing tоdау, аs a batсh оf Songjiаng сlоth was duе to аrrivе. As the саrriagе driver, he cоuldn’t afford to bе саrelеss about groоming thе hоrses, insресting thе саrriagе, аnd othеr such tаsks.

At this momеnt, Ping Аn’s wifе аlso wrарреd herself in her сlothes and sat up.

“Тhe roostеr has onlу crоwеd onсe. Why are you up so early? Sleep a little longer,” Luo Ping An said to his wife.

“I won’t sleep anymore. Last night, Qian got drunk. I don’t know what happy occasion it was. First, in the afternoon, he drank a round with Li Jingfu from the Eighth Branch of the Li Family, and later he dragged Shopkeeper Yan into another drinking session. In the middle of the night, he vomited, and Shunzi, who was with him, specifically asked me to get up and prepare some hangover soup for him. I reckon Qian won’t have much of an appetite this morning, so I got up early to cook some plain porridge. I also made some pickled vegetables at home—they can help stimulate the appetite,” Ping An’s wife replied.

“Hmm, Qian still hasn’t started a family yet. When we came here, Third Granduncle also reminded us to help take care of his daily life as much as possible,” Luo Ping An hummed in agreement.

“Yes, I know,” Ping An’s wife nodded, then added, “But lately, people have been asking me about Qian’s intentions. Now that Qian has built up some wealth, more and more people are eyeing him. I wonder what Qian’s thoughts are?”

“Don’t worry about these things. Just focus on your own tasks. When we came here, Third Granduncle also said that unless he brings up his private matters, we shouldn’t interfere casually. After all, we’re not from the same direct lineage. Meddling too much could cause trouble,” Luo Ping An said.

Luo Ping An was a member of the Luo clan from Huizhou, but the current Luo clan members were no longer the original direct descendants of the Luo Family. After the incident involving Luo Long, the original direct descendants had either fallen into decline or scattered. Most of those with connections had sought refuge with distant relatives. Even Luo Qian himself had left Huizhou back then to venture north.

Of Luo Qian’s direct lineage, the only one still in contact was a married younger sister, who was said to have settled in Wuxi with her husband’s family.

The current Luo clan members belonged to a collateral branch, most of whom lived in Luo Family Village on the outskirts of the city, not far from Li Zhuang of the Sixth Branch of the Li Family. Their familial ties were actually quite distant. However, after Luo Qian left Huizhou, this branch of the Luo clan couldn’t bear to see the ancestral hall of the direct lineage fall into disrepair, so they took over its maintenance. This was largely because, back when Luo Family Village was hit by a flood, it was Luo Qian’s great-grandfather, the Old Master of the direct lineage, who had helped everyone through the crisis.

Later, when Luo Qian arrived in Nanjing and learned of this, he wrote a letter back to inquire about the situation. Gradually, he began to reconnect with the Luo Family Village.

During the New Year, Luo Qian paid respects at the ancestral hall of the direct lineage and then went to Luo Family Village, where he spent the holiday. After the New Year, he brought Luo Ping An and his wife, along with two young men from the clan—Luo Ping An’s son, Luo Wuzi, and Third Granduncle’s grandson, Luo Duan. Both were around fourteen or fifteen years old and were placed in the goods yard, starting from the lowest-level odd jobs.

The work was tough, but both Third Granduncle Luo and Luo Ping An agreed on this arrangement."If you weren't virtuous in your past life, you're born in Huizhou; at thirteen or fourteen, you're tossed out." This is the self-deprecating saying of Huizhou people, which actually reflects the hardship of their survival. Yet precisely because of this hardship, it has forged the resilience and spirit of enduring bitterness among Huizhou people. They fear not hardship, but lack of opportunity.

Boys of fourteen or fifteen should be tempered through trials to become capable. For this reason, the clansmen in Luo Family Village naturally wanted to get closer to Luo Qian. To build closer relationships, nothing works better than interactions among the women in the inner households. However, given Luo Qian's status and his solitary situation, only Third Granduncle could really talk to him. Consequently, some inevitably began to scheme about Luo Qian's marriage.

Thus, Luo Ping An and his wife, who could accompany Luo Qian, became everyone's avenue. However, Third Granduncle had foreseen this long ago and had already warned them: unless Luo Qian himself brought it up, they must never interfere in his marriage matters.

Therefore, Luo Ping An and his wife had always focused solely on their duties, never meddling in any irrelevant matters. As a result, Luo Qian held them in increasingly higher regard.

"I know that, no need to tell me," Ping An's wife replied to her husband, then opened the door and went out. After the couple washed up with well water from the backyard, Luo Ping An went to tend to the carriage, while Ping An's wife entered the kitchen. Soon, the fragrance of plain rice porridge wafted out.

Just then, Luo Qian arrived wearing a simple linen robe: "Ping An's wife, cooking plain porridge this morning?"

"Yes, I thought since you vomited last night, your stomach might be a bit upset. Plain porridge is the best for nourishing the stomach. I also stir-fried two dishes of pickled vegetables to go with it, to help whet the appetite," Ping An's wife said cheerfully.

Luo Qian nodded: "Ping An's wife is always thoughtful." Then he added, "Ping An's wife, I need to discuss something with you."

"What is it?" Ping An's wife asked.

"Well, I've taken a liking to Li Zhenniang from the Li family. Before the New Year, Third Grandfather Cheng helped me make a connection with the Li family. Later, because the old emperor passed away, the matter couldn't be discussed and was set aside. Recently, with the new emperor's general amnesty, we've picked it up again. The Li family also thinks this marriage proposal is good. Now we're just waiting for Old Madam Li in Huizhou to make the decision. I've already sent word to Third Granduncle and Third Grandaunt. The matter is basically settled. They'll probably come in a while. I was hoping you could visit the Li family more often when you have time, chat more with Aunt Li. Also, the Xu family has been inquiring about Zhen Niang these past few days. If you hear any gossip, please help clarify it," Luo Qian said frankly.

"Oh, this is wonderful news! Alright, I know what to do," Ping An's wife replied, her face beaming with joy. She wasn't completely unaware of Luo Qian's interest in the Li family girl; usually, when Shopkeeper Yan's wife came to visit, she had mentioned it. But since she saw no movement, she kept it to herself. She never expected it would suddenly be settled.

As for the Xu family inquiring about Miss Li, she had actually heard some rumors yesterday, but didn't put much stock in them. For one, they were from Huizhou and had heard about the Li family's affairs. Setting aside whether she was ill-fated for husbands, Li Zhenniang had indeed been rejected by the Tian family. How could a family like the Xu family be interested?Although she had only been in Nanjing for a few months, Ping An usually drove the carriage and often accompanied Luo Qian on his errands, so she naturally knew what kind of family the Xu family was. When she and her husband chatted at home, they couldn’t help but discuss it.

Originally, she thought the rumor about the Xu family inquiring about the Li family’s daughter was pure nonsense. But now, hearing Luo Qian speak of it, it seemed as though it might actually be true. That Miss Li was giving up a great fortune.

Thinking back to how Miss Li occasionally passed by and spoke with Luo Qian, Ping An’s heart grew increasingly joyful. No matter what, the fact that Luo Qian entrusted this matter to her meant he regarded her as family.

Seeing that Ping An’s wife understood the situation clearly, Luo Qian said no more. After having plain congee with Luo Ping An, they headed to the goods store together.

Ping An’s wife tidied up a bit and hurried off to the market to buy groceries.

The market where she shopped was right by the Qinhuai River.

In the morning along the Qinhuai River, a line of black-canopied boats floated along the waterways. These boats were laden with fresh vegetables, fish, flowers, and even various sundries. The boatwomen rowed along the riverbank, calling out their wares. Those looking to buy vegetables stood on the piers, selecting the freshest produce.

Nearby, the brothels lining the river had their girls leaning by the windows, lowering small baskets on ropes from the windows down to the black-canopied boats below. There, they chattered away, placing orders for flowers, rouge, or fragrant powders, completing one transaction after another.

“Mrs. Yao, buying groceries?”

Ping An’s wife was standing on the pier, picking vegetables from a black-canopied boat, when she overheard two women nearby greeting each other. She glanced over and saw that it was Mrs. Yao, the proprietress of the Yao family cloth shop next door to Li Mo’s place, being greeted by Granny Shen from the tailor shop.

“Oh, it’s Granny Shen! Busy lately?” Mrs. Yao responded.

“Busy with what? Just the usual things,” Granny Shen waved her hand dismissively, then leaned in conspiratorially. “By the way, I heard the Xu family has been asking about Li Mo’s daughter, Li Zhenniang. Have you heard about it?”

“I’ve heard, but it must be false. How could a family like the Xu’s take an interest in Li Zhenniang? That girl was once rejected by the Tian family,” Mrs. Yao said, shaking her head.

“This time, it’s hard to say. You know what they say—there’s no smoke without fire. Since this rumor has started circulating, maybe the Xu family really does have some interest. If so, the Li family would be climbing to great fortune…” Granny Shen clicked her tongue.

“Granny Shen, don’t spread baseless rumors,” Ping An’s wife interjected from the side.

“What do you mean baseless?” Granny Shen glared at her.

“Of course it’s baseless. Mrs. Yao sees it clearly—the Xu family and the Li family are not on the same level. Besides, let me tell you, our employer already asked Third Master Cheng of Cheng Ink to propose to the Li family before the New Year. The Li family basically agreed, but because the emperor passed away recently, the engagement process had to be postponed. Now, with the general amnesty, it’s just waiting for the Li family’s matriarch to make the final decision…” Ping An’s wife explained.

“So, Miss Li is going to be engaged to Mr. Luo? Those two are quite well-matched,” Mrs. Yao remarked, somewhat surprised but quite approving of Li Zhenniang and Mr. Luo.Thus, news of the Li and Luo families' intention to form a marriage alliance spread. The Xu family's affairs had already seemed unreliable to begin with, and few had believed them, so this completely overshadowed that matter.

Eight days later, Old Madam Li, Old Shopkeeper Li, along with the Luo family's Third Uncle and Third Aunt, arrived in Nanjing. This confirmed the marriage alliance between the Li and Luo families.