The Heir

Сhарtеr 41: Misfortunеs Nеvеr Соme Singly

Thus, thе nеxt daу, Zhen Niang tооk аdvаntаgе of selling ink tо visit the Li Family Ink Pavilion. Shе рaid а visit to hеr Sеvеnth Grаndmothеr аnd, whilе thеrе, tried tо consolе hеr abоut the matter оf the Pinе Blight.

"Alright, уоu sillу girl, аlwауs wоrrying abоut оthers. Yоur Sеvеnth Grandmоther hеrе has weаthеred mаny storms; yоu don't need tо frеt оver mе. It's just Pine Blight, nоthing tоо seriоus. Аftеr аll, оur Li fаmily hаs thе advаntagе. A cоuplе оf dаys аgо, уоur Ninth Uncle sent а letter saying he hаd alreadу purchаsed а bаtch оf fine pine wood. It won't be difficult for our Li Family Ink Workshop to overcome this hurdle," said Seventh Old Madam.

"Mhm. That's good then." Zhen Niang nodded emphatically, feeling much more at ease. She then asked, "Will Ninth Uncle be back soon?"

"Yes, he should return within the next couple of days," Seventh Grandmother nodded.

That was good. As long as the family worked together, no difficulty was insurmountable. Zhen Niang clenched her fist firmly, her determined expression amusing Seventh Grandmother.

Afterward, the grandmother and granddaughter chatted about daily life, finding great enjoyment in each other's company. When the conversation turned to ink-making, they discovered a shared passion. They talked until evening, unaware that a drizzling rain had begun to fall outside.

The long street paved with bluestones grew damp, and the air became misty, painting a perfect picture of Jiangnan's misty rain.

Only then did Zhen Niang bid farewell, hurrying home through the curtain of rain.

That night, perhaps due to the steady drip-drip of rainwater from the eaves outside, Zhen Niang slept restlessly. When she finally managed to fall asleep, she was plagued by continuous dreams.

In her dream, she saw many people surrounding her, their eyes full of accusation. She stood bewildered in the middle, feeling deeply wronged. An indescribable sense of stifling grievance welled up inside her, making her want to burst into loud sobs.

Unbeknownst to Zhen Niang, she actually did cry out: "Wah..."

This startled Zhao Shi and Zheng Shi, who were sleeping behind the curtain.

"Zhen Niang, Zhen Niang, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?" Zhao Shi threw on her clothes, got up, and holding a lamp, walked to Zhen Niang's bedside. Zheng Shi also got up, dressed, and followed, looking at Zhen Niang with concern.

She was quite content with her current life. Moreover, destined to have no children of her own, she felt a motherly affection for Zhen Niang.

"Mother, what's wrong?" Awakened by Zhao Shi's call, Zhen Niang opened her eyes to see both Zhao Shi and Zheng Shi sitting by her bed. Still groggy, she shook her head and asked in confusion.

"That's what we're asking you. Why were you crying? Did you have a nightmare?" Zhao Shi asked, both amused and exasperated.

"I was crying?" Zhen Niang was puzzled. She touched her face with one hand and felt tear stains. Remembering the chaotic dream, she said somewhat sheepishly, "I don't know why I cried. I just felt terribly wronged in the dream."

"You silly girl, always so full of spirit. Who could possibly make you feel wronged?" Zhao Shi tapped Zhen Niang's forehead lightly, scolding her with a laugh. Then she motioned for Zheng Shi to return to bed.

"Mother, Auntie, I'm sorry for waking you," Zhen Niang poked her head out from under the quilt to apologize.

"It was just a dream; don't worry about it," Zheng Shi waved her hand dismissively. She helped adjust Zhen Niang's curtain and went back to bed.

But now, Zhen Niang couldn't fall asleep again.

She tossed and turned until the sky began to lighten.

Just as she was getting up, she heard the heavy pounding of someone knocking on the courtyard gate.

"Who is it?" Zhen Niang quickly fastened her clothes and tidied herself up before going to open the door. Naturally, she called out a question before opening it."Zhen Niang, it's me, Zhengyan." Li Zhengyan's voice sounded from outside, somewhat hoarse.

"It's Cousin Zhengyan. Why so early? Are you looking for my elder brother? He didn't come back last night; he's at the workshop." Zhen Niang said as she opened the door.

"No. I'm looking for my elder brother." Li Zhengyan stepped inside, his face full of anxiety. He was looking for Li Zhengshēn.

"Cousin Zhengshēn should be at the workshop with my elder brother. A few days ago, a goods firm from Suzhou placed a large order for coal stoves. My elder brother and Cousin Zhengshēn have been working overtime these past few days." Zhen Niang explained.

"Then I'll go to the workshop." Without another word, Li Zhengyan turned and ran.

"Cousin Zhengyan, what exactly happened? Why are you in such a hurry?" Zhen Niang couldn't help but raise her voice, as Zhengyan's expression was truly frantic.

"Tell your Eighth Grandfather that my grandfather is in trouble. The boat he was on capsized at Shendu." Li Zhengyan shouted from afar before disappearing from sight.

Upon hearing Li Zhengyan's words, Zhen Niang felt her head spin.

"Zhen Niang, who's in trouble?" At that moment, Old Shopkeeper Li emerged from the house and asked. The old man slept lightly and had been dreaming all night, waking early. Hearing the commotion, he came out.

"Grandfather, it's Ninth Uncle. The boat he was on capsized at Shendu." Zhen Niang said, her face pale.

"Ninth Brother!" Upon hearing this, Old Shopkeeper Li's eyes widened instantly. He let out a loud cry before breaking into a violent coughing fit.

"Grandfather, don't panic, don't panic." Seeing his state, Zhen Niang was startled and quickly patted his back.

"Old man, don't panic, don't panic. Your health can't take this. Maybe it's a false alarm, and everything's fine. Let's go to Ninth Brother's house to check. Don't panic." Wu Shi hurriedly comforted him.

At that moment, Zhao Shi, Zheng Shi, and Du Shi all rushed out.

"Zhen Niang, what happened?" Zhao Shi asked urgently.

Zhen Niang repeated what she had just said.

"Zhen Niang, I'll go with you to your Ninth Uncle's house. Lamei, you and Eldest Brother's wife take good care of Father and Mother." Zhao Shi said decisively.

"No, no need. I must go myself. Ninth Brother might really be in trouble. I haven't dreamed of him in a long time, but last night I dreamed of him all night, all about our childhood. Ninth Brother... he was sending me a message in my dreams." Old Shopkeeper Li said, his voice choked with sobs.

Zhao Shi borrowed a donkey cart from the neighbor's wife, Huai De, and then took Old Shopkeeper Li and Wu Shi straight to the Ninth Branch of the Li family.

Soon, they arrived at the Ninth Branch of the Li family. From afar, they could see white lanterns hanging at the entrance.

Seeing the white lanterns, Zhen Niang couldn't help but tightly close her eyes. There was no need to ask—Ninth Uncle was surely gone.

"Old Wei, what happened to your Ninth Master?" As soon as he got off the cart, Old Shopkeeper Li grabbed the gatekeeper Old Wei's head and asked, his voice choked.

"Eighth Master, Eighth Master... Ninth Master is gone, gone." Old Wei nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down his face.

"How could he be gone just like that?" Old Shopkeeper Li hunched over, also weeping bitterly."Heaven has no eyes, the boat had already reached Shendu when it capsized. Li Si, who went out with him, also perished. Wang Liu managed to save his own life and brought both bodies back." Old Wei's voice trembled as he spoke, then he turned to Old Shopkeeper Li and said, "Eighth Master, please accept my condolences. Go inside quickly and comfort Ninth Madam. You must take care of yourself." Old Wei squatted on the ground, weeping uncontrollably.

"Ah, yes, yes. I'll go comfort her, I'll go comfort her." Old Shopkeeper Li hurriedly replied.

Soon after, Zhen Niang and the others entered the house, hearing loud wails from the front hall from afar.

It was then that Li Zhengyan finally brought Li Zhengshēn home. Zhen Niang's eldest brother, Li Zhenliang, had also come along.

As soon as Li Zhengshēn entered, he threw himself before the coffin in the hall: "Grandfather, Grandfather, I've changed. I no longer practice Daoism or alchemy. I've started a small venture with Cousin Zhenliang, and I was planning to prepare a fine gift for your sixty-fifth birthday... How could you leave like this... I am an unfilial grandson."

From Cousin Zhengshēn's words, Zhen Niang felt the regret of wanting to care for a parent who is no longer there.

"You wretched boy, you wretched boy! You finally know to come back?" Madam Jin lay beside Li Zhengshēn, wailing and pounding him with her fists.

Madam Jin was Zhen Niang's Ninth Aunt.

Beside them, Huang Shi, Li Zhenliang's mother, wiped away tears. Zhengyan also stood nearby, his eyes red.

Only Li Jingdong sat in his wheelchair, his expression still icy.

However, from where Zhen Niang stood, she could see his right hand gripping the wheel, veins bulging. His knuckles were white from the force with which he clutched the wheel.

At that moment, Zhen Niang understood that Uncle Jingdong's grief was heavier than anyone else's, and it was suppressed, making it even more painful to witness. Her own heart ached with sorrow.

She felt that life was truly unpredictable.

Zhao Shi and Wu Shi hurriedly tried to console everyone, but in such moments, consolation often only intensified the weeping.

Seeing her grandfather overwhelmed with grief, Zhen Niang worried about his health, fearing he might not withstand it. After all, her grandfather was advanced in age and had always been in poor health. Such profound sorrow could...

Zhen Niang dared not continue the thought. She could only join Wu Shi in offering comfort. After a while, Old Shopkeeper Li finally regained his composure.

But then, Zhen Niang suddenly remembered Seventh Grandmother. A possibility occurred to her: perhaps the family records stating that Seventh Grandmother fell ill due to Pine Blight were mistaken—maybe it was because of Ninth Uncle's incident.

Thinking this, Zhen Niang quickly asked Huang Shi beside her, "Aunt Jingdong, has Seventh Grandmother been notified?"

"Oh my, I've been so busy I forgot. Not yet. I'll send someone to inform her right away." Huang Shi patted her forehead.

The coffin had only arrived late at night, and dawn had just broken. If not for the urgency of finding the eldest son, Zhengshēn, even the Eighth Branch wouldn't have been notified so quickly.

"Aunt, Seventh Grandmother is quite old. When notifying her, we must be careful not to be too abrupt. I'm afraid she might not withstand the shock. What if..." Zhen Niang didn't need to finish the sentence; she believed Aunt Jingdong would understand.

"Exactly! She's over seventy. I'll have Zhengyan notify your Aunt Jingquan first. As for Seventh Grandmother, we'll keep it from her for now." Huang Shi nodded and called for Zhengyan to inform Madam Sun of the main branch.She also urged Zhen Niang to take good care of Old Shopkeeper Li before turning to her own tasks.

Zhen Niang breathed a slight sigh of relief. She knew this matter couldn’t be kept from Seventh Grandmother forever, but she hoped there would be some buffer in between to soften the blow and prevent too sudden a shock.

Afterward, Zhao Shi and Li Dalang stayed behind to help, while Zhen Niang and Wu Shi supported Old Shopkeeper Li back home. Given his advanced age and frail health, they feared something might happen to him.

Once home, Zhen Niang still felt uneasy about Seventh Grandmother and decided to go to the Ink Workshop.

“Second Aunt, how is Seventh Grandmother?” Zhen Niang asked.

“She’s holding up. We haven’t dared to tell her about Ninth Uncle’s situation, but she seems to have a vague sense of it. Early this morning, she kept asking whether Ninth Uncle had arrived yet,” Da Huang Shi sighed. (Since the second aunt of the main branch and the wife of Li Jingdong from the ninth branch both came from the Huang family, the former would be referred to as Da Huang Shi and the latter as Xiao Huang Shi.)

“Second Aunt, we can’t keep this from Seventh Grandmother forever—she’ll find out eventually. I think it might be wise to have a doctor come to the house, just in case. If anything happens, we can act quickly,” Zhen Niang suggested cautiously.

This was the precaution she could think of. It was better to be prepared than caught off guard—taking extra measures never hurt.

“Yes, that’s a good idea. I’ll send someone to fetch a doctor right away,” Da Huang Shi said.