Chaрtеr 205: Тhе Wоrkshop’s Trеаsure
Just as Оld Mastеr Тiаn wаs instruсting Тian Ronghuа.
It was still evening. A sliver of sunsеt lingеred in thе west, slаnting асrоss the mоttlеd hоrsе-hеad wаlls, making the new lеаves оf the ivy clinging tо them aрpeаr еvеn mоrе vibrаnt аnd emerаld grеen—а sight full оf vitаlity.
Аt this momеnt, Оld Madаm Li stоod bеneath the gаte tower оf thе Li Fаmily Ink Wоrkshop, holding thе gоldеn plаquе оf Тributе Ink.
Тhe Li Fаmilу Ink Workshоp nоw had a histоry оf оvеr a hundrеd уеаrs. The gatе tower was built of rosеwood, and уears оf weаthеring had аdded a layer of wear and tear to its original deep red hue.
Yet within this sense of age lay an aura of timelessness and permanence, bearing witness to the ebb and flow of human affairs and the rise and fall of families.
At this moment, holding the Tribute Ink plaque, Old Madam Li’s heart was filled with uncontainable excitement.
“Old Madam, Old Master, hurry and hang up the Tribute Ink plaque!” the workers of the ink workshop called out excitedly. News of the Li family obtaining the Tribute Ink Privilege had spread today, filling the entire workshop with jubilation.
Old Madam Li looked at the gathering workers, then raised the Tribute Ink plaque. “Over the years, Li Mo has weathered storms and experienced ups and downs. But what I am most grateful for is all of you. Even when Li Mo faced difficulties, even during its quiet and bleakest times, you never abandoned it. You continued to support Li Mo with diligence and dedication. Therefore, today’s victory is the result of everyone’s efforts. I thank you all here.”
With that, Old Madam Li bowed respectfully to everyone while holding the Tribute Ink plaque.
“Old Madam, you are too kind. We dare not accept such gratitude. Which of us has not received the Li family’s kindness? Which of us does not rely on the Li family for our livelihood? We have long been part of Li Mo, and what we do is only what we ought to do,” several veteran workers immediately replied, clasping their hands in return.
“Good. I won’t say more. However, this plaque cannot be hung today. If it is to be hung, it must wait until after the Ink Competition concludes,” Old Madam Li added.
Hearing this, the initial excitement among the crowd diminished slightly, and their faces could not help but show a trace of worry.
Originally, obtaining the Tribute Ink Privilege was a joyous occasion, but with a single imperial decree, the Li family was now tasked with competing against the Japanese in the Ink Competition.
Although no one believed Li Mo would lose to the Japanese, there was an old saying: “Better safe than sorry.” If something were to go wrong, the intentions of the imperial family were too unpredictable to fathom.
Alas, even with the Tribute Ink, the Li family could not find peace.
Afterward, the crowd dispersed. Zhen Niang supported her grandfather and entered the ink workshop together with Seventh Grandmother. Old Steward Shao had already set up an incense altar, lit incense, and placed the Tribute Ink plaque and the imperial decree on it for veneration.
Then everyone sat down.
The various managers naturally congratulated the owners on obtaining the Tribute Ink Privilege. Afterward, they began discussing the upcoming Ink Competition.
Zhen Niang took out a stack of documents, all detailing the Ink Competitions involving Renji Eishō of Nanjing. Among them were many analyses by Ink Masters on the characteristics of Japanese ink.
First, its texture was very light, indicating fine soot and light glue. Second, it emitted a rich, pleasant fragrance. Additionally, it ground silently, produced clear and transparent liquid ink, and so on—all signs of the finest ink. When used for writing, its ink color was exceptionally brilliant, and even when exposed to moisture, it did not smudge. Its most remarkable feature, however, was that characters could be clearly seen in the dark without the need for a lamp.
“Could it be mixed with powdered luminous pearls?” Seventh Grandmother asked upon hearing Zhen Niang describe how Japanese ink allowed characters to be seen in the dark."Seventh Madam, according to the records, the Nanjing Ink Affairs Bureau, along with our family, the Tian family, and several ink masters from the Cheng Family in Nanjing, conducted joint research. They discovered that the ink does not contain powdered night pearls. The reason it can illuminate characters at night is likely due to thousand-year pine," Zhen Niang explained. The pine soot from thousand-year pine is rich in oils. Combined with the sedimentation over time, its luster becomes deeply embedded. At night, this inner radiance emerges, naturally outlining the characters.
"But where can we find thousand-year pine?" Steward Shao, standing nearby, asked anxiously.
"I'll have Zhengyan take two ink masters to search Mount Huangshan. I refuse to believe there isn't a single thousand-year pine left on the entire mountain," Uncle Jingdong said with a stern expression.
Upon hearing Li Jingdong's words, everyone present furrowed their brows. Mount Huangshan is vast, with countless peaks and ridges, concealing many rare pines and strange rocks. It stands to reason that thousand-year pines must exist somewhere. However, the mountain is shrouded in rolling seas of clouds, filled with steep cliffs and dangerous precipices, and even tigers roam its depths. Several uncles from the seventh branch of the Li family had died on Mount Huangshan while searching for rare pines.
Could it be that this tragedy is about to repeat itself?
"Let's not rush. We still have two jars of five-hundred-year Pine Soot Carbon at home. We can test those first. Then, we can offer a reward. There are many ink workshops in Huizhou. Even though some smaller workshops may not be well-known, many have deep histories, and each likely possesses some treasured heirlooms. We should first inquire discreetly. If necessary, the Li family is willing to spare no expense, even if it means exhausting all our resources," Old Madam Li said.
Hearing Old Madam Li's words, everyone nodded in agreement. In truth, the idea of searching Mount Huangshan was more of a consolation. The Li family had little time left, and Mount Huangshan was so vast—who knew where thousand-year pines might be found? Such things truly depended on chance rather than effort.
As for Zhen Niang, her thoughts drifted to the famous Welcoming Pine of later generations, which had a history of a thousand years. Of course, it might not exist at this time, but even if it were seven or eight hundred years old, that would suffice. With her smoke generation techniques, she could produce ink with the qualities of thousand-year pine. In her previous life, she had climbed Mount Huangshan several times and had a rough idea of the Welcoming Pine's location, making it much easier to find.
However, in later generations, the Welcoming Pine had become almost a symbol of Mount Huangshan. If she were to target it, wouldn't she become a sinner against the mountain? Honestly, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
Well, she needed to think this over for a couple of days. She would wait and see.
Just then, a shop assistant came to report: "Third Master Cheng has arrived."
"Oh, please invite him in quickly," Old Madam Li said. Everyone then went outside to welcome him.
Third Master Cheng had not come alone. He brought two assistants pulling a cart, on which rested a stone mortar and pestle.
The stone mortar and pestle shared matching grain patterns, clearly carved from the same piece of stone.
"Brother Cheng, what is this?" Seeing the stone mortar and pestle, Old Shopkeeper Li felt a surge of excitement.
There were legends in Huizhou about this stone mortar and pestle.
It was said that an ancestor of the Cheng Family had obtained a piece of Mount Tai's "Stone Dares to Resist" stone, which was then blessed by a high monk before being carved into this mortar and pestle. It was with these tools that the Cheng Family's famous Mysterious Origin Spiritual Energy Ink was created. Ink made with this mortar and pestle was said to ward off evil spirits and protect households—hence the name "Mysterious Origin Spiritual Energy."
Although the tales sounded somewhat mystical, the fact remained that these were heirlooms passed down through the Cheng Family. That much was undeniable."It is often said that to do a good job, one must first sharpen one's tools. This set from our Cheng Family can be considered a treasure. The ink paste pounded with this stone mortar and pestle becomes smoother, and the ink produced is darker and brighter. I'll lend it to you for now. Consider it a token of our Cheng Family's goodwill," said Cheng San Yeye, then he glared playfully at Li Zhenniang and added, "Girl, don't you go coveting your Cheng Grandpa's things. You must return them after use."
"Thank you, Third Grandpa. I'll definitely return them, no coveting," Zhen Niang replied, understanding that Cheng San Yeye was teasing, and she raised her hand with a cheerful promise.
In such a situation, the Li Family did not stand on ceremony and promptly had someone accept the items.
"Ah, speaking of the past... I once saw a glue-boiling pot from the Luo Family, forged from meteorite iron. The glue boiled in it was exceptionally clear, and the ink made with this glue resembled aged ink. It's a pity the Luo Family declined. When the Tian Family took over the Luo Family's ink workshop, they didn't find this pot. Now, its whereabouts are unknown—truly a great regret," Cheng San Yeye lamented, shaking his head repeatedly.
"Third Grandpa, the pot is here." Just then, a voice tinged with laughter came from outside the ink workshop. Who else could it be but Luo Wenqian?
At that moment, Luo Wenqian and Luo Ping An entered the Li Family's ink workshop, each carrying one handle of the pot.
Seeing Luo Wenqian bringing in the pot, Third Master Cheng's eyes lit up, and he hurried over. Circling the pot, he kept exclaiming, "Excellent, excellent! This is the very pot! You rascal, I asked you about it many times before, and you played deaf and dumb with me, didn't you?"
"Third Grandpa Cheng, you wrong me! I truly didn't know before. My Third Uncle discovered it in the Luo Family ancestral hall while helping me manage it," Luo Wenqian explained with a smile, feigning grievance.
"Hmph," Third Master Cheng snorted, unimpressed. The older one gets, the more childlike the temper becomes.
Luo Wenqian simply stood by, smiling leisurely. As for whether he truly hadn't known earlier or was just making excuses, no one really cared to dwell on it.
Seeing the Cheng Family and Luo Wenqian like this, Old Master Cheng felt a surge of emotion. At this moment, he didn't waste words on formalities and directly had someone accept the pot, but his confidence in the upcoming Ink Competition grew even stronger.
To put it in one sentence: the Li Family was not fighting alone.
Old Shopkeeper Li and Third Master Cheng also agreed to share a drink after the Ink Competition concluded.
Afterward, Cheng San Yeye took his leave, and Zhen Niang saw him out. When she returned, she overheard her grandfather saying to Luo Wenqian, "Wenqian, when you have time, ask Third Uncle and Third Aunt from Luo Village to come over."
"Yes, it was agreed back then that after the Tribute Ink Selection concludes, we would set your wedding date. We thought it might be best to hold your wedding before the Ink Competition," added Old Madam Li.
Standing outside, Zhen Niang first heard her grandfather's words and felt her heart race with a flutter of joy. She had some idea about this matter—it had been agreed upon during the engagement that the wedding date would be set after the Tribute Ink Selection, so inviting Third Uncle and Third Aunt from the Luo Family was only natural.
But Seventh Grandmother's words surprised her. Getting married before the Ink Competition? That was too soon. Besides, she still needed to prepare for the Ink Competition.Grandfather's health, the doctor has already made it clear, cannot be exposed to ink. And in the Li family, aside from Grandfather himself, she was next in line for the ink-making technique. How could she possibly get married at a time like this? At the very least, she had to wait until the Ink Competition was over.
However, upon careful consideration, Zhen Niang understood the well-intentioned concerns of Seventh Grandmother and her own grandfather. Although the Li family was confident of victory in the Ink Competition, there was still that old saying: better safe than sorry. Clearly, Grandfather and Grandmother wanted to arrange her marriage before the Ink Competition. That way, if by any chance the competition was lost, she would already be married into the Luo Family, and any blame or punishment would not fall upon her.
Thinking this, Zhen Niang felt a mix of emotions. She wanted to go inside, but she knew that once the two elders had made up their minds, there would likely be no room for her objections. Helpless, she could only discuss it with Wenqian.
With this thought, Zhen Niang left the Ink Workshop and stood under the locust tree not far from her home. Wenqian would pass by here soon, and she could ask him for advice—that fellow always had plenty of clever ideas.
Just then, the last glimmer of sunset faded, and the sky turned a pale, ashen gray.
In the distance, Zhen Niang saw Tian Ronghua approaching, carrying something in her hands.
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