The Heir

Сhарter 65: A Lеttеr frоm Аfаr

In such a small рlаce, sеcrets соuld hаrdlу bе kеpt. Thе news that the Tian familу’s ink hаd run into рroblеms sрrеаd within momеnts, rеасhing еverу ink workshop in tоwn.

Fоr a whilе, discussions buzzed еverywhеre. Given thе аggrеssivе stаnсе the Tiаn fаmily hаd аdоptеd sincе еntering the trаdе, most рeoplе were simplу wаtсhing the sрectaсlе unfоld.

In the еvеning, аftеr dinnеr, Zhеn Niang, аs usuаl, sat dоwn with her grаndfather tо discuss mаttеrs rеlatеd tо ink. Nаturаlly, the Tiаn family’s troubles beсame the tоpic оf cоnvеrsatiоn between the two.

"Those who are new to the trade always have to pay their dues. Back when they were cutting down the pine trees, I said they might end up hurting themselves. Now, it’s turned out exactly as I predicted," Zhen Niang remarked as she sorted through some documents.

When the Tian family entered the ink trade, they did so with great fanfare, leveraging the Luo family’s foundation. They even secured the Tribute Ink Privilege in one fell swoop, almost instantly reaching the peak of success.

However, their foundation was shaky. It was only natural for problems to arise; it would have been strange if they hadn’t.

This was also another reason why Zhen Niang hadn’t stopped the Tian family from cutting down the pine trees back then. A merchant’s way of doing things was hard to change. Having cut down those pine trees, how could the Tian family let them go to waste?

Moreover, as newcomers to the trade, they lacked a deep understanding of the ink industry. They wouldn’t have realized that even the slightest discrepancy in raw materials could ruin an entire batch of ink. This was the importance of details—details determined success or failure.

"Hmm, there’s no need to worry about the Tian family’s affairs. We should focus on our own work. Although our Re-blended Ink is doing well, remember that it is not the mainstream. We must maintain the advantage of the Li family’s Pine Soot Ink while advancing our oil soot ink in parallel," said Old Shopkeeper Li.

"Yes, we’ve almost stored enough soot pigment for the Pine Soot Ink. We’ll start making ink in the autumn. As for the oil soot ink formula, Qin Zheng is leading a team of masters to tackle the challenges. The issue of cracking has already been identified. After a few more trials, the formula for the oil soot ink will be finalized. By autumn, we’ll produce the first batch of ink with the new formula," Zhen Niang explained.

The problem of Li Mo cracking easily in the north was due to the improper use of soap pods. Once this issue was resolved, the quality of the Li family’s oil soot ink would improve significantly.

Ink-making was generally divided into spring and autumn seasons. In winter, the weather was too cold, making it difficult for the ink to dry evenly and prone to cracking. In summer, the heat was excessive, which also posed challenges. Therefore, most ink workshops produced ink during spring and autumn, while the rest of the time was spent on smoke generation and storing materials.

Although Zhen Niang had several ready-made oil soot ink formulas at hand, she didn’t want to present them outright. For one, these formulas might not be the best. Secondly, as an ink workshop, it was essential to cultivate a spirit of continuous improvement and innovation.

If she simply handed over the formulas, it might foster a mindset of complacency and stagnation, which was undesirable.

"Good, that’s reassuring," Old Shopkeeper Li nodded. Then he added, "By the way, we should still keep an eye on the Tian family’s situation."

"Grandfather, what do you think the Tian family’s next move will be?" Zhen Niang asked, tapping her nose bridge with a pen—a habit from her previous life.

"A young lady should act like a young lady. Be careful, or you might end up unmarried," Wu Shi chimed in as she came over to drape a coat over Old Shopkeeper Li. The night was cold and damp, and the elderly couldn’t withstand such conditions. Seeing Zhen Niang’s casual gesture, she couldn’t help but lightly swat her hand in disapproval."Grandmother. I'll never marry in my life, I'll just stay by your side." Zhen Niang set down her brush, and though she spoke in jest, she obediently straightened her back and sat properly.

For no other reason than to follow local customs.

Seeing her like that, Wu Shi felt a pang of heartache—it was all because of that mess with the Tian family. Sighing, she turned to discuss with her two daughters-in-law. Zhen Niang would turn sixteen in another year, yet for a girl nearly of age, not a single marriage proposal had come. What kind of situation was this?

After Wu Shi left, Zhen Niang refilled Old Shopkeeper Li's tea, and the grandfather and granddaughter continued their conversation. As long as they were talking about the Ink Workshop, the two of them had endless things to say.

Anyone who saw how well these two got along would sigh, wondering why Zhen Niang wasn't a boy.

However, neither Old Shopkeeper Li nor Zhen Niang harbored such thoughts.

"What else can we do? Naturally, we can only produce another batch. But now, Century-old Pines are hard to come by, so starting over won't be easy. The best approach is to re-blend it once more," said Old Shopkeeper Li.

"Grandfather, are you saying the Tian family might try to target our Li family's Re-blended Ink formula?" Zhen Niang asked. After all, the Tian family had a history of such actions. Then she smiled: "But they won't succeed in targeting the formula. The Re-blended Ink formula is adjusted based on waste ink—there's no fixed formula to speak of. What could they possibly target?"

"What if they ask our Li Mo to help them re-blend this batch of ink?" Old Shopkeeper Li added.

Hearing her grandfather say this, Zhen Niang thought it quite possible. From a business perspective, this deal could be accepted—after all, no one turns down money, especially since the Ink Workshop had yet to overcome its operational difficulties. The Re-blended Ink was merely an additional channel, but as her grandfather said, it wasn't mainstream. It could only slightly improve the workshop's situation, not drive its overall development.

For true growth, they had to rely on their original Pine Soot Ink and the oil soot ink currently in development. Progressing hand in hand was the right path, and all of this required funds. So, why not earn a little extra money?

Yet emotionally, Zhen Niang couldn't accept it. After all, the Tian family had betrayed the Li family over that batch of pine materials, and she believed Uncle Jingdong would find it even harder to forgive.

As she pondered, the courtyard gate was knocked.

"Is this Li Zhenniang's home?" an unfamiliar male voice called from outside.

"Who is it? At this late hour?" Zhao Shi emerged from the neighboring room and asked.

"I'm from the courier station. There's a letter for Li Zhenniang," the person outside replied. Only then did Zhao Shi open the door.

Inside the room, Zhen Niang listened, puzzled. A letter for her? Who would write to her? And delivered by a courier? Thinking this, she stood up and went outside. She took the letter from the man while Zhao Shi saw him out.

Zhen Niang opened the letter—a thick stack of pages—and glanced directly at the signature at the end. She was momentarily stunned. It was actually a letter from Luo Wenqian. Thinking back, he had left Huizhou half a year ago.

With that in mind, she began reading Luo Wenqian's letter carefully.

"...It has been half a year since I left Huizhou. Now I am beyond the myriad passes and mountains, amidst the white mountains and black waters. Though this journey has been fraught with countless dangers, I have witnessed the vastness of the sky and the breadth of the sea. I still remember my grandfather saying in my youth that a man's path in this world should be rugged. Back then, I was ignorant and naive, but now I understand the true meaning of his words..."With many thoughts and emotions, I will not elaborate further. I write to Miss Li because I recently encountered a merchant and learned by chance about the current landscape of Huizhou's ink industry. Although I cannot claim to have a complete understanding of Huizhou's ink industry, I can still see through some aspects. Thus, I share some of my insights with Miss Li.

I have heard that in the current Huizhou ink industry, the Tian family holds the top position. The Tian family has shallow foundations and is not a cause for concern in the short term. However, Tian Benchang—I was once friends with him—is most adept at strategizing. When faced with matters, he often pushes others within the situation while he reaps the benefits. Yet, his nature is overly self-assured, and he often neglects details, frequently causing himself trouble. When dealing with him, one must focus on the finer points.

As for the Cheng family, their approach to the ink industry is steady and balanced. Though stable, they often miss many opportunities, which is why the Cheng family has been unable to rise over the years. However, with accumulated strength and time, Cheng ink should become the leader of Huizhou's ink industry. Therefore, if you ever find yourself competing with the Cheng family, you must rely on ingenuity to prevail.

As for the Li family's ink industry, it is the one I least favor and am most concerned about. Especially after hearing about the successive misfortunes of Ninth Master Li and Seventh Old Madam, and Miss Li unexpectedly taking over the ink workshop, I observe that Miss Li is self-reliant and exceptionally intelligent. However, what worries me most is that although Miss Li inherited the ink workshop through Seventh Old Madam's written instructions, in terms of propriety, it is not entirely justified for a daughter of the eighth branch to inherit the property of the seventh branch. During difficult times, everyone may unite and cooperate, but once the Li Family Ink Workshop overcomes its operational challenges, disputes over interests will inevitably arise. While open attacks can be avoided, hidden arrows are hard to guard against. Miss Li must be extremely cautious.

Seventh Grandmother is an exceptionally shrewd figure. She should not have failed to see the difficulties Miss Li would face in inheriting the ink workshop. Therefore, I suspect she may have other arrangements. Thus, if Miss Li finds herself in an extremely difficult situation, it might be wise to step back and observe quietly.

Furthermore, to develop the ink industry, limiting oneself to Huizhou alone is not feasible. The profits from ink are mostly taken by traveling merchants who exploit and suppress prices. Therefore, to develop the ink industry, one must venture beyond Huizhou.

Well, these are all my sincere thoughts. I will say no more, as I must work hard to repay the silver Miss Li lent me.

After reading Luo Wenqian's letter, Zhen Niang's heart remained unsettled for a long time.

She never expected Luo Wenqian's insight to be so sharp. No wonder he had managed to uphold the Luo Mo foundation since his youth. Now, after experiencing hardships and broadening his horizons, his judgment had become even more precise.

The Tian family's strategy was evident from their competition for the Tribute Ink Privilege. And this time, hadn't Tian Benchang caused trouble for himself precisely because he neglected the details?

As for the Cheng family, if things unfolded as he said, wouldn't the Cheng family become the leader of Huizhou ink in the future?

And as for her own situation, who could understand it better than herself? She had not wanted to take over the ink workshop initially, but circumstances forced her hand. Moreover, she knew deeply that if she did not take over, the ink workshop would splinter and eventually fall into the hands of outsiders. The aunts of the seventh branch would also face hardships, and the Li Family Ink Workshop would vanish, becoming a great regret for the Li clan. For all these reasons, and out of gratitude for Seventh Grandmother's recognition, she mustered the courage to take over the ink workshop.

Zhen Niang pondered deeply. If she truly found herself in an extremely difficult situation, stepping back and observing would indeed be a wise strategy. After all, through her efforts, the Li Family Ink Workshop might still have its issues, but compared to the situation described in the clan records, it was already much better.

It should not deteriorate to the extent described in the clan records."Whose letter is it?" Zhao Shi asked from the side.

"It's from Young Master Luo Wenqian," Zhen Niang replied.

"Why is he writing to you?" Zhao Shi asked curiously.

"When he left Huizhou, I lent him some silver. He says he can't repay it for now," Zhen Niang explained, not wanting to worry her mother with matters of the ink industry.

"Oh, you're quite kind-hearted," Zhao Shi said, giving Zhen Niang a sharp look before dropping the subject.

...