Сhарter 60: News frоm thе Sun Fаmilу
Sоme problеms mаy aрpeаr simрlе, but withоut finding thе kеy, theу become extrеmеly diffiсult.
Mаstеr Qin соuldn’t wait tо trу it оut аnd аsked Zhеng Fuli to preраre thе materials.
Zhеng Fuli acknоwledged аnd hurriеd аwау. Веfore lеаving, he gаvе Zhеn Niang а cоmрlicatеd glаncе. This Miss Zhen hаd a profоund undеrstаnding of ink-mаking, even surpаssing his оwn, whiсh left him sоmеwhаt unwilling tо аdmit it.
Вut for а wоman tо honе her ink crаft to suсh а lеvel, thе hаrdshiрs shе must have endurеd were beyond whаt outsiders cоuld imagine. Fоr this alоnе, Zheng Fuli сouldn’t help but admire her.
After Zheng Fuli left, the work continued. The ink mixing and glue addition were already completed, and what followed were pounding, pressing, and molding. These tasks no longer required Zhen Niang’s involvement, as the workers of the ink workshop would handle them. From this point, it would take another ten days or so for the ink to be fully formed, as the ink needed time to dry slowly in the shade.
What followed was a period of patient waiting.
Half a month passed in this manner. For the Li Family Ink Workshop, these two weeks were filled with good news. First, a considerable amount of soot pigment from pine resin oil had been produced, all of it high-grade pine soot carbon. As long as the subsequent ink mixing went smoothly, this batch of pine soot ink would surpass the quality of previous ones.
Second, the re-blended ink was now complete and ready for testing today.
“Miss Zhen, it’s done. This is the ink color we’ve achieved,” Master Qin said, dipping a brush fully into the liquid ink on the inkstone and leaving lines of varying shades on the rice paper.
Though they were just lines, the ink color appeared glossy, deep black, and bright. The brushstrokes flowed smoothly, with distinct layers. Even in the lighter areas, there was a sharp, defined quality—the ink’s “bones” were beginning to take form.
“The ink color is exceptional! It would be best to find a renowned figure to test the ink. That way, the reputation of this re-blended ink can spread,” Steward Shao added excitedly.
The Li Family Ink Workshop hadn’t released a new ink product in a long time, and this re-blended ink would undoubtedly exceed everyone’s expectations.
“What about Mr. Dongtu?” Zhen Niang asked.
“He has always only tested ink for the Cheng Family. It won’t be easy to get him to help us, will it?” Steward Shao worried.
“Hmm, it’s hard to say. Let’s give it a try,” Zhen Niang replied. Back when Mr. Dongtu purchased the Cheng Family’s Five Minerals Powder Ink, the inkstone he used caused the ground ink to bubble, leading him to question the Cheng Family about it.
At that time, it was Zhen Niang who identified the cause. Whether it was the Cheng Family or Mr. Dongtu, there was some goodwill involved. If they extended an invitation, perhaps he might agree.
Additionally, Zhen Niang remembered that Mr. Dongtu would pass the imperial examination and become a provincial graduate in the first year of the Longqing era.
She knew this not because she had paid special attention to him in her previous life, but because he was a well-known figure in Xiuning, frequently mentioned in local records. As someone involved in the Huizhou ink industry in her past life, Zhen Niang had paid more attention to such matters and thus remembered this roughly.
“Alright, let’s give it a try,” Li Jingdong also nodded in agreement.
Thus, it was decided.
Steward Shao waved his hand, calling a nearby assistant to clear the table. The assistant, rushing through his task, accidentally brushed his sleeve against a piece of ink, causing it to fall to the ground with a sharp crack as it broke.
The assistant was startled and quickly bowed in apology.
Zhen Niang’s expression changed at that moment—not because the assistant had broken the ink, but because the hardness of the ink felt off. The sound it made when it shattered on the ground was too brittle.
Master Qin also noticed the unusual sound. He picked up the broken ink from the ground and dropped it again, only for it to shatter once more."Miss Zhen, there's an issue with the hardness of the ink," Master Qin said. Previously, they had only focused on problems like ink color, completely overlooking the testing of ink hardness.
"Yes..." Zhen Niang also squatted on the ground. Looking at the broken ink pieces, the color, quality, and scent were all fine. Yet, the problem lay precisely in the hardness.
The two of them pondered over it again.
Seeing them like this, Steward Shao waved for the assistant to leave, not wanting to disturb Master Qin and Miss Zhen's thoughts.
Afterward, they tested several newly made pieces of Re-blended Ink, all with the same result. They searched for various reasons, but none seemed definitive.
In the evening, Zhen Niang returned home, her expression naturally not looking good due to this problem.
"What's wrong? Did something happen at the Ink Workshop?" Old Shopkeeper Li asked, noticing Zhen Niang's expression.
"The Re-blended Ink has been produced, and there are no issues with the color or anything else, but it's brittle and easily breaks. This clearly won't do," Zhen Niang said anxiously. She had put a lot of effort into this Re-blended Ink, only to fail at the last step, which was truly disheartening.
"Brittle and easily broken—it must be a problem with the glue," Old Shopkeeper Li mused.
"I already used the steaming and soaking method to thoroughly remove the old glue. The newly boiled glue is also of the highest quality. There shouldn't be this problem," Zhen Niang was equally puzzled.
"What do the other masters at the Ink Workshop say?" Old Shopkeeper Li asked.
"They think it's likely due to the deterioration of materials in the waste ink. If that's really the case, then this batch of waste ink can only be scrapped," Zhen Niang said with a pained expression.
"Then simply try one more time. If it doesn't work, decisively give up," Old Shopkeeper Li advised.
Zhen Niang nodded; there was nothing else she could do.
Just then, voices came from the alley outside, along with the playful shouts of many children: "Candy time! Candy time!"
What was going on? As Zhen Niang was wondering, Zhao Shi stormed in from outside, with Zheng Shi trying to calm her down.
"This is absolutely outrageous! What does the Sun family's engagement to the Tian family have to do with our Zhen Niang? Everyone finds it amusing, as if they're laughing at Zhen Niang," Zhao Shi sat heavily on a stool, taking deep breaths, clearly furious.
"Mother, what engagement between the Sun and Tian families? What do you mean they're laughing at me?" Zhen Niang asked, looking confused.
"You don't know. Just now, someone from the Sun family came to hand out candy, saying that Sun Yuejuan and Tian Benchang are engaged. You know how people in the alley love to gossip. Since you and Yuejuan used to be good friends, they naturally brought you up along with her. And as it happens, Tian Benchang was originally engaged to you. In others' mouths, this became some kind of sister-swapping marriage. Your mother is angry about it," Zheng Shi explained the situation.
Only then did Zhen Niang understand that the children's earlier commotion outside was because the Sun family had sent someone to distribute candy.
Madam Feng had been eyeing Tian Benchang before, and Zhen Niang had noticed. At the time, she thought it was hopeless, but she never expected it to actually happen. This was truly unexpected.
"Just look at the Sun family. How many years has it been since they moved away from the city gate area? They’ve only just gotten engaged, and they’re already sending people here to hand out candy. Isn’t it obvious they’re trying to make us unhappy?" Zhao Shi slammed the table."The Sun family's situation with the main branch has become such a mess, and now Sun Dahai is still serving labor at the quarry. It's only natural for the Sun family to want to make things difficult for us. We'll just ignore them. Jingfu's wife, you need to calm down and stop stirring up trouble. This matter will blow over in a few days." Old Shopkeeper Li said to Zhao Shi.
Since Old Shopkeeper Li had spoken, Zhao Shi dared not disobey and had no choice but to swallow her anger.
"That girl Sun Yuejuan is quite good. It's a pity she's being matched with that wolf cub from the Tian family," Wu Shi remarked. Ever since the Tian family broke off the engagement, the Tians had become "wolf cubs" in Wu Shi's mouth.
"I think most people would still consider it the Sun family marrying above their station," Du Shi chimed in from the side.
"Enough, enough. Stop meddling in these idle matters. If there's nothing else, go to bed early." Old Shopkeeper Li spoke up, and then the old couple returned to their room.
Zhao Shi, still fuming, grumbled to Zheng Shi for a long time before finally falling asleep.
Zhen Niang didn't sleep well that night. One moment she was thinking about the problem with the re-blended ink, the next about Sun Yuejuan's engagement to Tian Benchang. She didn't fall asleep until dawn was breaking, and when she woke up in the morning, her head felt foggy. Splashing cold water on her face helped a little.
After breakfast, she hurried to the Ink Workshop. She arrived early, while the morning mist had yet to fully dissipate. Holding the broken ink stick, Zhen Niang stood to one side. Although she felt Sun Yuejuan's situation wasn't quite suitable, such matters were hard to predict. Everyone had their own fate; perhaps they were destined to be together. Beyond her surprise, Zhen Niang could only offer her blessings.
Right now, her focus was naturally on the re-blended ink issue. Without identifying the problem, further attempts would be useless.
Chou Po was sweeping the floor with a broom, and as she swept near Zhen Niang's feet, Zhen Niang remained oblivious.
"Move aside, don't stand in the way here," Chou Po said irritably.
"Oh." Zhen Niang quickly shifted aside, her eyes still fixed on the broken ink stick, trying to discern the cause.
"If you have nothing better to do, go to the steamed bun shop and ask for a piece of fermented dough for me. I'll need it later to leaven and proof the dough. No matter how well the flour is mixed, without old dough as a starter, it won't rise properly," Chou Po added, her expression blank.
"Oh, I'll go right away." Zhen Niang's mind was still on the ink, and her response was almost automatic. But suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind.
"I understand! I know what's wrong with the ink!" Zhen Niang exclaimed joyfully. Chou Po's words had given her the clue.
Just as Chou Po said, no matter how well the flour is mixed, it needs old dough to rise. The same principle applied to the re-blended ink—it was missing a "starter" like the dough. And what was that starter? It was the waste glue contained in the discarded ink.
Her previous method had completely steamed and extracted all the waste glue from the discarded ink, which was the mistake. She should have retained at least a little to serve as a "wake-up agent" for the re-blended ink.
"Chou Po, you're truly a lucky charm!" Zhen Niang said happily to Chou Po, then dashed out to fetch the dough starter for her. Now that she had identified the problem, there was no need to rush.
"This girl really has talent," Chou Po muttered to herself as she watched Zhen Niang's retreating figure, then resumed sweeping.
The nearest steamed bun shop to the Ink Workshop was on Four Treasures Street."Auntie, could I trouble you for a piece of dough to take back for leavening?" Zhen Niang smiled at the proprietress of the steamed bun shop. Having once set up a small stall nearby, she was familiar with all the shop owners in the area.
"It's Miss Zhen! Here you go." The proprietress of the steamed bun shop was very enthusiastic, wrapping a piece of dough for Zhen Niang.
Zhen Niang accepted it with a smile. Just then, a burst of firecrackers went off from the shop opposite, scattering bits of red paper everywhere. Zhen Niang quickly covered her ears and stepped aside.
"Whose new shop is opening?" Zhen Niang raised her voice to ask the bun shop proprietress.
"It's the Sun family—they're opening a money house," the proprietress replied loudly, though her voice was still somewhat drowned out by the firecrackers.
The Sun family was actually opening a money house? Running a money house required no small sum of capital. Where did the Sun family get such a large amount of money?
"I heard it was a distant relative of the Sun family's eldest daughter-in-law who invested. The Sun family is really thriving now," the steamed bun shop proprietress continued.
Is that so? Zhen Niang remembered that the wife the Sun family's eldest son had married was from a less-than-respectable background. How could she have such a wealthy distant relative?
OpenNovel