The Heir

Chaрtеr 34: Рrерaring for the Wоrst

Lеaving asidе Old Shoрkеереr Li’s visit tо the Ink Workshоp, within a few days, the nеws оf Luo Lоngwen’s imрrisоnmеnt sрreаd fаr аnd widе. Тhe Luо Family was оnсe аgain thrust into the еye оf the storm, аnd thе аtmоsрhеrе throughout thе еntire Нuizhоu Ink Industrу toоk on аn еerie quаlitу.

It felt аs though a storm wаs brewing.

On the twеntу-third dаy оf the twelfth lunar mоnth, thе dаy tо bid fаrеwеll tо thе Kitсhеn God.

"А cuр of clеar tеа, а wisp оf smоkе, sеnding the Kitchеn God up to the heаvens. If the Jadе Empеror аsks аbout mоrtal affairs, life in the mortal world is truly pitiful…" Early in the morning, Old Shopkeeper Li led the Li family in setting up an incense altar to send off the Kitchen God.

"Grandfather is lying, it’s not pitiful at all," Little Official Xiao chimed in, bundled up in a thick coat and looking round as he bowed with everyone else toward the incense altar.

The boy had just learned to speak fluently and now chattered nonstop all day. Hearing his great-grandfather’s words, he immediately objected. He had no memory of the family’s past hardships. Thanks to the coal stove business, the family’s life had now reached a point of basic sustenance and was gradually moving toward modest prosperity. Thus, the little fellow felt life was anything but pitiful. Compared to most families in the city gate district, the Li family was now considered well-off.

"What do you know, kid? Grandfather is asking the Kitchen God to plead poverty before the Jade Emperor when he ascends to heaven, so that next year’s days will be even better. Otherwise, if the Jade Emperor thinks life in the mortal world is too peaceful and stops caring, what will we do when disasters and illnesses strike? Pleading poverty never hurts," Xi Ge’er said sternly, adopting a lecturing tone as he instructed Little Official Xiao.

The exchange between uncle and nephew drew knowing smiles from everyone.

This was another manifestation of the saying, "The crying child gets the candy."

After sending off the Kitchen God, the family busied themselves with cleaning.

Zhen Niang gathered all sorts of curtains, cloth towels, and other items that had been taken down from the house into a large bamboo basket and headed to the Hexi Bridge outside the city gate district to wash them.

On the twenty-third, every household was busy with laundry, and Hexi Bridge was bustling with activity.

Just as Zhen Niang reached the bridgehead, a horse suddenly galloped past. Fortunately, Zhen Niang reacted quickly and dodged to the side, but even so, she was startled into stumbling.

"How reckless!" Zhen Niang muttered angrily.

The rider galloped a good distance before pulling to a stop. With a tug on the reins, the horse reared up, turned around, and galloped back to Zhen Niang. The rider dismounted swiftly.

Only then did Zhen Niang recognize him—it was Luo Wenqian, the young master of the Luo Family. The Luo Wenqian before her now bore none of the carefree elegance of his former self. Stubble covered his chin, and he looked somewhat haggard, his eyes bloodshot.

"My apologies, Miss Li. I was in a hurry on the road," Luo Wenqian said, cupping his hands in apology.

"No need for apologies, Young Master Luo. It’s fine," Zhen Niang replied politely, seeing Luo Wenqian in such a state. After all, given his current circumstances, it was hard to blame him further.

"That’s good, that’s good," Luo Wenqian said, clearly preoccupied. He repeated "that’s good" twice, as if responding to Zhen Niang, but she sensed he was speaking more to himself.

As they had little connection, Zhen Niang didn’t linger. She hoisted her basket and prepared to descend the riverbank.

"Do you think my Luo Family can survive this ordeal?" Luo Wenqian asked from behind her.Was he asking her? Zhen Niang turned around in surprise. Logically, she shouldn’t have an answer to such a matter, yet she actually did know. But why would Luo Wenqian ask her this out of the blue?

“Ah, never mind.” Seeing Zhen Niang’s surprised expression, Luo Wenqian realized his abruptness. This question had been lingering in his mind, and coupled with Zhen Niang’s earlier prediction that something would happen to the Luo Family, he had unconsciously asked it.

“Oh.” Zhen Niang nodded, turned back, and continued walking. But after two steps, she stopped again and looked back. “My grandfather once said that when doing things, one should plan for failure before planning for success. In short, think of the worst-case scenario and prepare for it. That way, no matter how bad things get, they won’t be worse than expected.”

In the end, Zhen Niang still offered a reminder.

To be honest, when reading historical records in the past, she never paid much attention to the life or death of historical figures. But now, living in this era, she realized that those historical figures were all real, living people.

Remaining completely detached and indifferent was difficult.

So, if she could offer a reminder, she would—if only for her own peace of mind.

“Zhen Niang, are you all right?” Zhen Niang descended the riverbank with her basket. Nearby, Huaide’s Wife from across the street was washing bed curtains. Everyone had seen what happened on the riverbank earlier, so she asked with concern.

“I’m fine,” Zhen Niang replied. She squatted beside Huaide’s Wife, took out the curtains and cloth towels, and began washing them.

“By the way, was that the young master of the Luo Family? I heard something happened to his family,” another woman said mysteriously from the side.

“Damin’s wife, who doesn’t know about this? Why are you being so mysterious?” Granny Ma chimed in from the other side, then pursed her lips. “Don’t make a fuss. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to the Luo Family. With the Yan Family’s influence, who knows? In a few days, Lord Luo might be released, and the Luo Family will be fine.”

“Granny Ma, this time seems different. Recently, the young master of the Luo Family has been pacing back and forth by the city gate every day, and their belongings are being moved out. I think the Luo Family is in real danger this time,” Huaide’s Wife added.

“Oh well, who can say for sure until the very end?” Granny Ma waved her hand dismissively, then smiled at Zhen Niang. “Zhen Niang, you were quite foresighted, weren’t you? By offering the Medicinal Ink and getting close to Eunuch Yan, once the Luo Family falls, the Tribute Ink business will surely go to the Li Family.”

“Granny, I don’t like the sound of that. What do you mean by ‘getting close to Eunuch Yan’? That doesn’t sound good at all. Eunuch Yan heard about the Medicinal Ink in my possession and summoned me to offer it. How could I refuse? As for the Tribute Ink business, whether the Luo Family is involved or not, the Li Family competes for it every time it’s selected. Whether we succeed or not, it’s not about getting close to anyone but relying on the Li Family’s centuries-old reputation and skill in ink-making.”

Zhen Niang spoke firmly. Although the Luo Family’s troubles this time increased the Li Family’s chances of securing the Tribute Ink business, whether they succeeded would still depend on the true strength of Li Mo.

Granny Ma’s words made it sound as if any future success of the Li Family’s Ink Workshop in securing the Tribute Ink business would be entirely her doing. Her phrasing was quite misleading.

So, this point needed to be clarified.The relationship between the Eighth Branch and the Seventh Branch of the Li family had just begun to ease a bit. If such words were to spread, it would surely invite more gossip.

It must be understood that idle talk cuts like a knife.

"Alright, alright, let's talk less about such matters," Huaide's Wife chimed in, noticing the awkwardness in the conversation, trying to smooth things over.

Granny Ma muttered with a resentful expression, "These young girls nowadays, each and every one of them has a sharp tongue." After saying this, she went back to pounding her clothes.

The atmosphere remained tense.

"By the way, have you heard about the Sun family?" At this moment, Damin's wife, who was nearby, changed the subject.

Huaide's Wife quickly responded, "Which Sun family?"

"The Sun family that used to live next to Zhen Niang's house," Damin's wife replied.

"What happened to them?" Granny Ma immediately perked up and asked. Zhen Niang also turned her head. Sun Yuejuan was her good friend, but ever since her mother came to propose marriage unsuccessfully, their relationship had become as distant as strangers. Now, she was curious—what had happened to the Sun family? As she thought about it, Zhen Niang couldn't help but recall the incident half a year ago when Sun Yuejuan had followed her eldest brother.

"People really can't handle having money. Back when the Sun family lived near the city gate, although their life was tight, their two sons were known to be hardworking and diligent. But ever since they moved away from the city gate, the Sun family gained wealth, and their eldest son changed for the worse. I heard he became infatuated with a woman of questionable reputation and recently even openly married her. Sun Dahe was so furious he nearly tied him up and beat him to death..."

Damin's wife said, her face slightly flushed.

Her husband, Cheng Damin, got along quite well with the two Sun sons and knew some of the finer details.

"What do you know? I know about this. The eldest son of the Sun family is quite shrewd. As soon as he married this woman, he bought a house outside. Although the eldest son of the Sun family wears a bit of a green hat, he gained practical benefits. In life, that's what matters most," Granny Ma interjected.

Hearing it was such a matter, Zhen Niang remained indifferent. It was a case of one being willing to take the beating and the other willing to give it—nothing more to say.

As they were chatting, another sister-in-law came over to wash clothes. There happened to be an empty spot next to Zhen Niang, so she squeezed in. Instead of starting to wash clothes right away, she took out a piece of ink from her pocket and handed it to Zhen Niang. "Zhen Niang, help me take a look at this ink."

Zhen Niang took it, thinking to herself that this sister-in-law was interesting—bringing a piece of ink while washing clothes.

Huaide's Wife teased her, "Why are you carrying a piece of ink while washing clothes by the river? Trying to show off your knowledge?"

"Not at all. I went to buy groceries this morning and passed by Four Treasures Street. Today, the Tian Family Ink Workshop opened, and the first ten customers got a free ink stick. I happened to be there, so I got one," the sister-in-law said proudly. Then she added, "They say it's good ink, but I don't know much about it. Since Zhen Niang is here, I thought I’d ask her to take a look."

At first, Zhen Niang didn’t pay much attention, but the more closely she examined the ink, the more serious her expression became.

She held the ink close to her nose and sniffed it carefully, then dripped two drops of water onto a nearby bluestone slab and ground the ink lightly on it.

Since she was young, her original grandfather had trained her sense of smell and her eye for detail. So, whenever she handled ink, she could generally identify its composition just by smelling it and carefully observing its color.Therefore, she could now be certain that the soot pigment used in the inkstick she held was indeed made from the ultra-premium lacquer soot pigment she had previously developed.

This formula had been sold to her Seventh Grandmother, who intended to use this soot pigment to produce Tribute Ink. It could be said that for the time being, it was a closely guarded secret. Yet, strangely, how did the Tian family come to know how to produce this type of soot pigment? It couldn’t possibly be that the Tian family had researched it themselves—historically, this type of soot pigment had been developed through the inheritance of ink makers across several generations during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Moreover, the Tian family had no prior accumulation in this area.

Thus, Zhen Niang could be certain that the formula had been leaked.

With this thought, Zhen Niang could no longer stay put. She first returned the inkstick to the woman, simply saying it was quite good. Then, she quickly gathered the cleaned items, bid farewell to everyone, and hurried back home in a flash.

Upon arriving home, she immediately addressed Old Shopkeeper Li: "Grandfather, the soot pigment formula I sold to Seventh Grandmother has been leaked."

"What happened?" Old Shopkeeper Li’s expression changed. A leaked formula was a serious matter for the Ink Workshop, and he promptly inquired further.

Zhen Niang then recounted her earlier discovery.

"Come with me to see your Seventh Grandmother," Old Shopkeeper Li said, unable to sit still any longer. He took Zhen Niang by the hand and headed straight for the Li family’s main branch.

…

Upon arriving at the main branch, Zhen Niang once again explained the matter in detail.

As soon as Seventh Grandmother heard Zhen Niang’s account, she immediately sent someone to purchase two inksticks from the Tian family’s Ink Workshop.

Steward Shao and the ingredient-mixing Master Qin, who were also present, examined the inksticks together. "Hmm, judging by the ink’s color and luster, it does indeed seem likely that this was produced using our workshop’s new soot pigment formula."

"Very well. For now, let no one speak of this matter. I want to see who the traitor is," Seventh Old Madam said, her face icy. This matter had crossed her bottom line.

Zhen Niang understood perfectly well that Seventh Grandmother was about to begin purging the disloyal.

She couldn’t help but feel somewhat expectant.

…

However, the next two days passed uneventfully.

On the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth lunar month, Zhen Niang’s family was busy making rice cakes. These rice cakes were similar to the New Year cakes of northerners; once made, they were soaked in clear water and could be eaten throughout the winter.

Just as a fresh batch had finished steaming, Zhen Niang’s mouth watered, and she took one to eat. The freshly steamed rice cake carried the pure sweetness of rice and was especially delicious.

"Wait before eating more. Take a plate over to Huaide’s Wife across the street," Zhao Shi said, patting Zhen Niang’s arm and placing a plate piled high with rice cakes into her hands.

So, munching as she went, Zhen Niang carried the plate out the door.

No sooner had she stepped outside than someone suddenly darted out from the side.

Zhen Niang straightened up and looked—it was Sun Yuejuan.

"Yuejuan? Why did you pop out like that? You startled me. Why didn’t you come inside?" Zhen Niang asked.

Before Yuejuan could speak, her eyes reddened.

"What’s wrong, Yuejuan? What happened?" Zhen Niang asked urgently.

"Old Madam Li wants to break my elder brother’s legs and send him to the magistrate’s office. Zhen Niang, my father and second brother are still being held at the Ink Workshop. My mother and I have exhausted every possible idea, but there’s nothing we can do. I had no choice but to come to you, begging you to put in a good word with Old Madam," Sun Yuejuan said, her face full of anxiety.

The "Old Madam" Yuejuan referred to was, of course, Zhen Niang’s Seventh Grandmother.

"Why?" Zhen Niang asked, suddenly recalling the earlier matter of the leaked formula she had discovered."They say my eldest brother stole the recipe for the super-lacquer lampblack," Sun Yuejuan said, then quickly added, "I think there must be some misunderstanding..."

Zhen Niang fell silent. This recipe was the lifeblood of an ink workshop. If Sun Dalang truly was the one who stole it, then this matter likely could not be resolved peacefully.

Not to mention outsiders like the Sun family—even if it involved one's own kin, they would either face death or be stripped of a layer of skin.

"Yuejuan, I won't speak empty words with you. If this truly involves a recipe matter, the state has its laws, and the family has its rules. Moreover, I am just a junior—you should understand how much weight my words carry. So, I cannot make you any promises. Let me first inquire about the specific situation. If I can plead on his behalf, I will, but if I cannot, you must understand," Zhen Niang said.

In her mind, however, she pondered the matter of Eldest Brother Li. Whether the house he acquired was funded by that half-open door's woman's own losses or had some other source was rather unclear and hard to explain.