The Heir

Сhарter 19: Thе Соаl Stоve

Zhen Niang nоw рaid no hеed to mаttеrs bеуоnd hеr immediatе surroundings, focusing entirely оn smоke gеnerаtiоn аnd sоot рigmеnt соllеctiоn in the woodshеd.

Тhe wеather was grаdually wаrming, and with the dооrs аnd windоws оf this mаkеshift smoke соlleсtiоn shеd tightly shut, thе interiоr wаs filled with stifling heаt. Тhough it wаs only mid-spring, Zhеn Niang alreаdу wishеd she сould wear shоrt slееves likе in lаtеr timеs.

Unfоrtunаtelу, this wаs the Мing Dynаsty. She hаd merеlу rеmovеd hеr оutеr garment, weаring only her inner shirt undernеath. This was рrecisеly whаt Zhаo Shi sаw when she happened to bring in the meal.

"You silly girl, have you no sense of propriety?" Zhao Shi exclaimed in a fluster, quickly picking up the outer garment Zhen Niang had set aside and draping it over her.

"Mother, it's too hot, and there are no outsiders at home," Zhen Niang replied helplessly, sweat beading on her forehead.

"Even without outsiders, it won't do. Your sister-in-law's two brothers often wander around the house, and even Xi Ge'er's playmates sometimes dash in. What if someone accidentally sees you? How will you ever marry then?" Zhao Shi glared at her.

"Alright, alright, I'll put it on properly," Zhen Niang quickly agreed.

Seeing the sweat on Zhen Niang's forehead, Zhao Shi wiped it dry with her sleeve, her heart aching a little. "Why don't you tell me how to do this, and I'll keep an eye on it for you."

"Mother, there's no need. You have your own tasks to attend to," Zhen Niang waved her hand. The timing for smoke soot collection was difficult to master without experience. Moreover, the soot pigment she needed to produce this time had to be of the same quality as the last batch—something her mother couldn't manage.

"Fine. If it gets too hot, take a break and cool off outside," Zhao Shi said, urging Zhen Niang to eat quickly before leaving.

Zhen Niang looked at the porcelain bowl she had just used for smoke collection. Well, there was quite a bit of idle time in between, so she picked up the bowl and headed toward the kitchen while eating. She ate swiftly, almost gulping down the food with the broth, and in no time, the bowl was empty.

As she reached the kitchen door, about to enter, she overheard her eldest brother and sister-in-law chatting.

Zhen Niang had no intention of eavesdropping, but since they were talking about her, it would be awkward to walk in now. She had no choice but to pause outside for a moment.

"Hmm, I'll take a walk up the mountain later to see if I can hunt some game. Zhen Niang has had it tough these past few days. When I saw her this morning, her face looked gaunt—she's lost quite a bit of weight," said Li Dalang.

"I think she's pushing herself too hard. How can a girl handle smoke generation? And Grandfather just lets her do it," Du Shi grumbled.

"What nonsense! Isn't she doing this for the family? Otherwise, why would a girl work so hard? Grandfather's illness is serious. I've heard him coughing so badly at night these past few days, and it pains me. With the whole family's livelihood to support, my wages at the oil mill aren't high, and the boss even withholds part of it until the end of the year. You're not exactly nimble at earning money either. Relying solely on me and Mother, it's hard to sustain the household. Besides, Father still owes quite a bit of debt outside. Who knows when the debt collectors might show up at our door?" Li Dalang muttered gruffly.

"You wretched man, so you're blaming me for not being able to earn money?" Du Shi pinched Li Dalang in annoyance, then sighed regretfully. "Ah, we could have made a little from the insulated buckets a while back, but in just a few days, everyone copied them. Now, every general store out there has a few for sale. Others have benefited instead."

"Who said anything about blaming?" Li Dalang grumbled."By the way, Dalang, why don't you talk to Grandfather and ask him to teach you ink-making? Then you could work at the Ink Workshop, and maybe even become a master craftsman someday. Nowadays, Zhen Niang is quite famous. When I went to the vegetable patch today to pick some greens, I ran into the Cheng Family's shopkeeper. He insisted on giving me a box of osmanthus cakes, saying it was to thank Zhen Niang." Du Shi said, her tone tinged with a hint of sourness.

"I don't have the talent for that kind of work. I can only do labor-intensive jobs. Grandfather tried to teach me when I was young, but I was too clumsy. I had no interest in it, and I couldn't learn it no matter how hard I tried. Father beat me plenty of times over it." Li Dalang replied. Then he added a reminder, "Don't say anything strange. What do you mean by 'famous'? That's Zhen Niang's skill. Don't be petty and speak such jealous words."

"You're making things up! If Zhen Niang can earn money, doesn't that mean I do less work at home?" Du Shi protested, sounding wronged.

"I never said you do less work," Li Dalang retorted.

After that, the two fell silent.

Zhen Niang deliberately made her footsteps heavier as she entered the kitchen.

"Finished eating, Zhen Niang? Want some more?" Du Shi asked, standing up as she saw Zhen Niang come in with an empty bowl.

"I'm full. That was a big bowl—more than I usually eat. It's just that Sister-in-law's cooking has become even more delicious lately." Zhen Niang said with a cheerful smile.

Although Du Shi had her petty moments and spoke jealous words behind her back, truth be told, she was actually an honest person. Zhao Shi, as the mother-in-law, had a fiery temper, and Du Shi was like a timid young bride in front of her. Most of the household chores were done by Du Shi, and her workload was no less demanding than Zhen Niang's smoke generation work.

So why bother with a few small remarks, especially among family?

Hearing Zhen Niang's flattering words, Du Shi's previously sullen expression softened into one of delight. She smiled and said, "It's not that my cooking is delicious—it's just that you work so hard, and when you're hungry, everything tastes good. I'll have your brother go up the mountain later to see if he can hunt some game. If he catches anything, I'll stew it for you tonight with wild mushrooms. It'll be fresh and delicious."

"Ha, then I'm in for a treat!" Zhen Niang said with a grin.

Li Dalang watched his wife, who had earlier been hesitant about him going hunting, now looking as if she couldn't wait for him to bring back game to stew for his sister. He couldn't help but think how difficult it was to understand a woman's emotions.

"Brother, could you make something for me?" Zhen Niang then said to Li Dalang.

"What is it?" Li Dalang asked.

Zhen Niang picked up a piece of charcoal from the stove and began drawing on the ground. What she sketched was none other than a coal stove. Just yesterday, when she went to Uncle Shui's place to fetch water, she had seen some loose coal discarded by his stove.

When she asked Uncle Shui about it, he said he used it as fuel when there was no firewood, but the smoke was too heavy, so he generally avoided burning it. That gave Zhen Niang the idea of a coal stove. Although she couldn't make honeycomb briquettes, coal balls shouldn't be a problem.

"Hmm, the outside is made of sheet iron, right? There's an earthenware liner inside, a bottom layer, and an iron grate in the middle. It shouldn't be too hard to make. But what's it for?" Li Dalang studied the cylinder Zhen Niang had drawn and listened as she explained each part. He understood the structure of the coal stove but couldn't quite figure out its purpose yet.

"Don't ask for now, Brother. Just make it first. Who knows—maybe our family's good days will depend on it in the future." Zhen Niang said with a secretive smile."Alright, I'll take care of it," Li Dalang said, patting his chest.

Zhen Niang clapped her hands and turned back to the woodshed to continue her smoke generation. With the family's finances being tight, this wasn't something that could change overnight. Even her smoke generation work was essentially hard labor for meager pay.

So, any practical methods worth trying shouldn't be overlooked. The coal stove was, after all, a relatively useful item. If it could be popularized, it would make for a decent livelihood.

Besides, if the main lineage ever faced a major crisis, given her grandfather's temperament, he would certainly not stand idly by. The family needed to build up some reserves to be prepared.