The Heir

Сhарtеr 61: Wang Cuiqiао

Тhе Sun fаmily’s bank was саlled Huiуuan Bаnk.

Zhеn Niаng stооd аt the entrаnce of the steamеd bun shоp, wаtching thе реоplе соming аnd gоing aсross the streеt. Мanу congratulаtory guеsts enterеd thе bаnk, but mоst wеrе fаmilies who hаd bеen сlоsе to thе Suns in dailу lifе. The mоst рrestigiоus among them wаs the Tian fаmilу, уet nоt a single offiсiаl figurе aрреаrеd. If this wаs the ехtent оf their bаcking, how wоuld the Sun fаmilу mаnagе tо sustаin thе bank’s opеrations?

Howevеr, Zhen Niang alsо noticеd somеthing: thе guards mоving in and out of the bank were all dark-skinned, weathered-looking men with a fierce, unfamiliar demeanor. It was unclear where the Sun family had hired them from, but they commanded a certain respect.

Just then, a woman wearing a black veil hat entered the bank, escorted by several guards.

Sun Baiyi and his wife greeted her warmly.

Who could this lady be? As Zhen Niang pondered, she glanced up and met Sun Yuejuan’s eyes across the street. Their gazes locked briefly. Zhen Niang patted her clothes, then clasped her hands in a congratulatory gesture—whether for Sun Yuejuan’s engagement or the Sun family’s grand opening was left to interpretation.

Sun Yuejuan pursed her lips, glanced back into the shop, and nodded at Zhen Niang before turning to busy herself with greeting the female guests. She did not look toward Zhen Niang again.

Since their last conversation, the two had not spoken.

When the firecrackers ceased, Zhen Niang picked up her dough and headed back. At the intersection, she spotted Er Gou sneaking around.

“Er Gou, slacking off again? This is work hours—no excuses, your pay will be docked,” Zhen Niang scolded, glaring at him.

Er Gou, caught red-handed by Miss Zhen, scratched his head in frustration. Then, as if remembering something, he said, “I have some news, Miss Zhen. Please be lenient.”

“Rules are rules; they can’t be bargained with. If every worker at the ink workshop acted like you, how could the Li Family Ink Workshop stay open?” Zhen Niang insisted.

“Important news! Don’t you want to know who’s behind the Sun family’s bank?” Er Gou pressed.

Hearing this, Zhen Niang had to admit she was curious. She raised an eyebrow. “Go on, then.”

Her expression made it clear that whether this would offset his penalty was entirely up to her.

“Alright, alright, I’ll tell you first,” Er Gou conceded, looking as if he’d suffered a great loss. “The real owner behind Huiyuan Bank is Madam Wang. Sun Baiyi’s wife, Cuixiang, is Madam Wang’s younger sister.”

Madam Wang? Wang Cuiqiao? This was the second time Zhen Niang had heard the name—the first was during the Tribute Ink Selection at Taibai Tower. Back then, she had only heard the name without seeing the person.

“Wang Cuiqiao, the wife of the sea bandit Xu Hai?” Zhen Niang confirmed.

“Exactly,” Er Gou nodded.

Zhen Niang was astonished. So she really hadn’t died. Many operas claimed she had drowned herself in the end. But then Zhen Niang slapped her forehead—this woman had been the wife of Xu Hai, a sea bandit, for years and had spent plenty of time on ships. Her swimming skills likely weren’t poor.

Drowning herself? More likely a clever escape.No wonder then. Xu Hai was completely wiped out by Hu Zongxian after surrendering, but as a pirate of many years, he was bound to have multiple hideouts. Who knows how much wealth he had accumulated? Opening a money shop wouldn't have been difficult for him.

As for Wang Cuiqiao's appearance, it was likely related to Hu Zongxian's imprisonment. Hu Zongxian was implicated by the Luo Family. When the Luo Family's residence was raided, a letter from Hu Zongxian to Luo Longwen was discovered, which implicated Yan Shifan. Consequently, Hu Zongxian was imprisoned as a member of the Yan faction.

In the end, Hu Zongxian would take his own life in prison by the end of this year.

Fortunately, the Luo Family was no more; otherwise, Wang Cuiqiao would certainly not have let them off.

After all, back then, it was Luo Longwen who facilitated Xu Hai's surrender. It was Luo Longwen who persuaded Wang Cuiqiao, and she in turn convinced Xu Hai to surrender. Yet, in the end, the surrender turned out to be nothing but a trap. Xu Hai was captured as soon as he came ashore, most of his remaining followers were also caught, and even Wang Cuiqiao fell into Hu Zongxian's hands, leading to her drowning herself.

Of course, all of the above were merely opera plots. The truth of the matter was something Zhen Niang did not know.

It seemed the Sun Family had truly latched onto a formidable figure. The commercial landscape of Huizhou was becoming increasingly intriguing.

"Miss Zhen, this news isn't bad, is it?" Er Gou said with a hint of smugness.

"Whether it's good or bad has nothing to do with us. Hurry back to the Ink Workshop and get to work. Here, this dough is for Chou Po. Take it to her." Zhen Niang said, handing the dough in her hand to Er Gou.

Er Gou took the dough, rubbed his nose, and thought, indeed, it really had nothing much to do with them. He could only lower his head and return to the Ink Workshop.

Of course, how would the situation in Huizhou unfold? Zhen Niang couldn't concern herself with that yet. She only knew she had to work diligently. If the work was done well, opportunities would naturally open up.

Thus, she simply shook her head and set these matters aside for the time being.

With the difficulties of Re-blended Ink resolved, everyone set to work producing another batch. When the finished ink was ready, it was truly as hard as jade, with a black, bright, and translucent hue. Moreover, because it was Re-blended Ink, its color carried a mellow quality reminiscent of ancient ink, truly deserving of the title "fine ink."

"The ink is done." Everyone in the Ink Workshop was elated.

With the ink completed, the next step was naturally promotion. The old saying "Good wine needs no bush" had never been the mainstream approach.

"Third Grandfather, how about it? Help me get an introduction to Mr. Dongtu." At the Cheng Family's Ink Pavilion, Zhen Niang smiled and pleaded with Third Master Cheng.

"Why do you need me to introduce you? Don't you already know Mr. Dongtu? Last time you even helped him. Go find him yourself." Third Master Cheng squinted at Zhen Niang.

"I'm just following the rules. Mr. Dongtu has always only tested ink for Cheng ink. If my Li Family were to casually poach him, it would put Mr. Dongtu in a difficult position and break the rules. Although I am a woman, I will not do such a thing." Zhen Niang said firmly.

In truth, Zhen Niang understood well that without an introduction from the Cheng Family, Mr. Dongtu would not agree to test ink for the Li Family.

"Well said, 'Although I am a woman, I will not do such a thing.' You have the bearing of the Seventh Madam of the Li Family." Third Master Cheng praised, then nodded. "I can help you get an introduction to Mr. Dongtu, but you have to tell me where you've been getting the Pine Resin Oil you've been using all this time."

"Ha! Third Grandfather isn't following the rules, prying into my family's Ink Workshop secrets." Zhen Niang glared at Third Master Cheng."This isn't about breaking rules. The marketplace is like a battlefield—knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle. That's what military strategy books say." Third Master Cheng stroked his beard with some satisfaction.

"Fine. I can tell you, but Third Grandfather must exchange it for the usage rights to the Qingxi Pine Forest—not long, just three years." Zhen Niang was never one to suffer losses, her expression firm and unyielding.

"No way, that's too good a deal. This is just a source of materials—hardly worth us trading the Qingxi Pine Forest usage rights for it. Absolutely not, you little girl, you're asking for far too much." Third Master Cheng shook his head, his beard bristling with indignation.

"Third Grandfather, this source is absolutely worth trading the Qingxi Pine Forest usage rights for. I can guarantee you won't regret it." Zhen Niang spoke with conviction.

"You're not me—how do you know I won't regret it?" Third Master Cheng began to dig in his heels.

"This information will allow your Cheng Family to solve the raw material problem for Pine Soot Carbon during the Pine Blight period without spending a single coin. Would you regret it then?" Zhen Niang countered.

"Is that true?" Third Master Cheng's expression turned serious. Though Zhen Niang was a junior, as the heir to the Li Family Ink Workshop now, her words couldn't be taken lightly.

"Of course it's true. It's up to you whether to make the exchange, Third Grandfather. Actually, the Qingxi Pine Forest hasn't escaped the Pine Blight either. Plus, it's small—how many usable pines are left inside is easy to guess. Why cling to sesame seeds and lose a watermelon?" Zhen Niang teased.

Since taking over the ink workshop, Zhen Niang had put in considerable effort. Not only had she clarified matters within her own workshop, but she had also gathered basic information about other workshops—just as Third Master Cheng said, one must know both oneself and the enemy.

The Cheng Family had inherited several pine forests from their ancestors. The Qingxi Pine Forest was the smallest but had the highest quality pines.

"Easier said than done. Though the Qingxi Pine Forest is small, its pines are of excellent quality." Third Master Cheng retorted irritably. Then he stood up and paced around the room, weighing the pros and cons.

As the girl said, the Qingxi Pine Forest had also been affected by the Pine Blight, leaving limited usable pines. Moreover, it was only for three years. If what she said was true—that it could allow the Cheng Family to solve the Pine Soot Carbon raw material problem during the Pine Blight without spending a single coin—then it might indeed be worthwhile.

Although the Cheng Family didn't specialize in pine soot, Pine Soot Ink still held considerable weight in their workshop.

"Fine, I'll trade with you." Third Master Cheng nodded, then added with a serious expression, "But let me be clear upfront—if I think it's not worth it, I'll turn hostile. Don't blame me for being ruthless, little girl."

"Deal..." Zhen Niang nodded. Then she explained about the pine resin oil formed from rotting pine roots.

After hearing this, Third Master Cheng looked both shocked and delighted. He finally understood why the Li Family had previously asked the Tian Family to exchange the Luo Family's pine forest for Ninth Master Li's batch of pine timber.

"Hahaha!" Third Master Cheng laughed heartily once he grasped the situation. The Tian Family had suffered quite a loss! This was the most carefree laughter he'd had since losing the Tribute Ink Selection.

But after just a few laughs, Third Master Cheng's eyes widened again. Thinking of his own Qingxi Pine Forest, his face twitched—this little girl had managed to swindle him too."Stinky girl, sneaky and sly, you actually managed to trick your Third Grandfather. Aren't you afraid I might not honor the deal? There's no contract signed, you know." Third Master Cheng huffed, his beard bristling.

"Would Third Grandfather do that? Compared to other pine resin fields, and compared to the source of this Pine Resin Oil, Qingxi Pine Field is just a small matter. Third Grandfather wouldn't lose the greater for the lesser." Zhen Niang stated with certainty.

The matter of Pine Resin Oil couldn't be kept secret for too long, so revealing it to the Cheng Family at the right time was necessary. Zhen Niang understood this clearly—hoarding everything alone would invite jealousy.

"You're trapping Third Grandfather with your words again, you little fox. Fine, I won't hold it against you. Have Steward Shao come tomorrow to handle the handover for Qingxi Pine Field. As for Mr. Dongtu, I'll help you make the connection." Third Master Cheng said.

Just as Zhen Niang had said, Qingxi Pine Field was indeed a small matter. He had no reason to lose the greater for the lesser.

"Thank you, Third Grandfather." Zhen Niang clasped her hands in gratitude.