The Heir

Chарtеr 66: Тhе Seventh Brаnсh's Thoughts

Тhat night, Zhen Niаng kерt thinking аbоut thе contеnts of Luo Wenqian's letter.

Еаrly in thе morning, аs thе skу wаs just beginning tо brightеn, Zhеn Niаng wоke uр. She dressed, gоt оut of bеd, and pushed thе door оpen. Тhе оutеr rооm wаs Xi Ge'еr's bеdroоm.

Аftеr the fаmily's finаnсial situatiоn imрrovеd, although theу still couldn't affоrd tо buу a hоuse, they hirеd sоmеonе tо rеnоvаtе the fеw rоoms thеy hаd. Theу alsо tоrе down thе оld wооdshed and built a lаrger room in its plaсe, dividing it into two sеctions. Тhe innеr rоom bеcame Zhen Niang's bedroom, while the outer room served as Xi Ge'er's room.

This way, their living space finally became much more spacious.

"Xi Ge'er, time to get up. You have to go to the clan school soon," Zhen Niang said, patting the still-sleeping Xi Ge'er, who was mumbling in his dreams.

With the family's improved finances, they naturally couldn't let Xi Ge'er waste his time. A few days earlier, they had enrolled him, and he was now studying at the clan school.

"Second Sister, it's still early. The sky just started to brighten," the boy grumbled, unhappy at being woken up during his favorite time for sleeping in.

"It's not early anymore. By the time you get up, wash your face, and eat breakfast, it'll be just the right time," Zhen Niang glared at him.

Xi Ge'er had no choice but to mutter and grumble as he got out of bed.

Sure enough, after washing up and eating breakfast, the two of them walked together to the Ink Workshop. Although it was still early, it wasn't as early as before.

The Li Clan School was right next to the Ink Workshop. In fact, the entire Li Clan was concentrated in one area. At the center was the main residence of the Seventh Branch, which served as the clan's direct lineage. Next to it was the Ink Workshop, and on the other side of the workshop was Ninth Uncle's house. Originally, Zhen Niang's family had also lived in this area, but the losses from the incident back then were too great. The Eighth Branch had to compensate the Seventh Branch with their house here, which was why they moved to the area near the city gate.

The clan school was located behind the Ink Workshop. All members of the Li Clan or children of the Ink Workshop could study there.

The teacher at the clan school was an old juren scholar. Although he wasn't a renowned literary figure, his teaching was solid and proper. A few years earlier, one of the Li Clan's children had even passed the xiucai examination. He was considered a decent teacher.

Unfortunately, among the Li Clan's Sixth and Seventh Branches, there were many with talent for ink-making, but few with talent for studying. The highest achievement among them was passing the xiucai examination, which was accomplished by Little Wen You's father.

As for Xi Ge'er, the family didn't expect him to achieve anything remarkable through studying. It was more about gaining knowledge and understanding principles.

At this moment, the sister and brother entered the Ink Workshop one after the other. It was still early, and the workers hadn't arrived yet, so the workshop seemed empty and quiet. Only from the east warehouse came the sound of running and panting.

Zhen Niang looked over and saw it was Little Wen You. This kid couldn't be underestimated. Ever since Zhen Niang had told him to exercise, he had been running laps around the east warehouse every morning without missing a single day.

"I'll go run a few laps too," Xi Ge'er said, clutching his books as he dashed off to catch up with Little Wen You. He then overtook him and glanced back at Little Wen You with a smug look, as if showing off.

Zhen Niang gave him an exasperated sideways glance. Only then did the boy start running properly. Zhen Niang walked leisurely beside Little Wen You and gave him a thumbs-up.

When Little Wen You saw this, his eyes curved into crescent moons as he smiled. But after a moment, as if remembering something, he tightened his little face again. Zhen Niang simply smiled faintly.

"Is Little Uncle going to the clan school later?" Little Wen You suddenly asked. He was referring to Xi Ge'er. Although they were only a year apart in age, there was no helping it—Xi Ge'er was of a higher generation.

Zhen Niang glanced at him sideways. "Yes. Aren't you going, You Ge'er?""Mother has hired a tutor to teach me reading at home," little Wenyou said.

"It's still better to study at the clan school," Zhen Niang replied.

"Why?"

"Studying at home is learning, and studying at the clan school is also learning. But at home, you won't make friends, while at the clan school, you can. A hero needs three helpers; when you grow up and want to accomplish things, you can't do without friends. A lone wolf can't achieve much. Haven't you read about the Oath of the Peach Garden in Romance of the Three Kingdoms?" Zhen Niang said with a smile.

Little You fell into thought after hearing Zhen Niang's words.

Zhen Niang didn't say more, instructing Xi Ge'er to go to the clan school on his own later. She then entered the Li residence. As usual, every morning she would visit the Seventh Branch to see Seventh Grandmother.

In the small room beside the Buddhist hall, Seventh Grandmother remained unconscious.

Looking at her, Zhen Niang thought of Luo Wenqian's letter. In the letter, Luo Wenqian mentioned that Seventh Grandmother might have other arrangements for the Li Family Ink Workshop, but Zhen Niang couldn't imagine what they might be. After all, Luo Wenqian was only speculating. As the saying goes, even a fool occasionally hits on a good idea, while even the wise can make mistakes.

Seventh Grandmother might not have been able to arrange everything perfectly, Zhen Niang thought.

However, none of this mattered much to Zhen Niang. As long as Li Mo didn't fall into Li Jincai's hands—whether Uncle Jingdong or the Seventh Branch took over—and the Li Mo tradition continued uninterrupted, there would be no regrets.

"Zhen Niang, let's go out and let Seventh Grandmother rest peacefully," Chen Shi said from the side.

Zhen Niang nodded and walked out to the outer room with Chen Shi. She then took out the account book and explained the Ink Workshop's operational situation to Chen Shi one by one. Afterward, she withdrew a portion of the profits from the Re-blended Ink during this period and handed it to Chen Shi.

"Zhen Niang, what is this for? The Ink Workshop is struggling right now," Chen Shi declined.

"Aunt, please take it. No matter how difficult the Ink Workshop's situation is, our lives aren't easy either. What's the point of earning money if not to live better? We don't know how much Seventh Grandmother's illness will cost, plus everyone's daily expenses. This money may be little, but the Ink Workshop is improving now, and I believe things will get better in the future," Zhen Niang said.

"Alright, alright, I'll accept it then," Chen Shi said without further hesitation, putting the money into the cabinet. Managing the household was hard for her, and Zhen Niang's money came as a timely relief.

At the same time, she sighed inwardly: The old lady truly had good judgment; Zhen Niang had not failed her trust.

"Also, Aunt, You Ge'er is eight years old this year. When I was five, Grandfather began teaching me smoke generation. So, I was thinking if we could set aside some time each day for You Ge'er to go to the Ink Workshop and learn. The art of ink-making isn't something that can be mastered quickly. Though it's tough, a man's path should be rugged—only then can he grow up to bear responsibility." Zhen Niang added, borrowing a line from Luo Wenqian's letter.

"Good, good, I'll arrange it," Chen Shi said, somewhat moved by Zhen Niang's words. How could she not understand? Zhen Niang was grooming You Ge'er.

Zhen Niang smiled and nodded. As they spoke, voices of several aunts could be heard from outside.

It turned out Li Jincai had sent several baskets of watermelons, and Madam Tian was having them moved to the well in the back garden to chill.

Zhen Niang then followed Chen Shi out."Zhen Niang, Li Jincai is after all your uncle-in-law, how could you have him working in the smoke generation shed? Such rough labor is hardly fitting for your uncle-in-law. Doesn’t that make your Aunt Jinhua lose face?" Madam Tian remarked somewhat indignantly when she saw Zhen Niang approaching.

Since entering the Ink Workshop, Li Jincai had kept a low profile, but he had been quite attentive to the wives of the seventh branch, earning their favor—especially Madam Tian’s.

"Third Aunt, Uncle Jinhua is serving as a supervisor in the smoke shed. How does that make Aunt Jinhua lose face? When Uncle Jingdong first entered the Ink Workshop, he wasn’t even as well-placed as Uncle Jinhua—he was a proper apprentice."

Zhen Niang paused before continuing, "As for learning smoke generation, everyone in the Ink Workshop must learn it. It’s a fundamental skill here. If one can’t even manage smoke generation or distinguish the quality of smoke materials, how can they handle the later steps properly? Besides, Uncle Jinhua also works in the accounts office. Though it means more tasks, it’s to help him adapt quickly and contribute to the workshop. Aunt Jinhua knows this and agrees with it."

Of course, in Zhen Niang’s mind, she had long been keeping a close watch on Li Jincai.

That so-called supervisor position was actually a deputy supervisor. Zhen Niang had deliberately assigned him to the smoke generation team led by Er Gou, where the master’s skills were the finest among all the smoke shed masters. Even Zhen Niang herself had been given a stern lesson when she first went there. Now, with Li Jincai having no technical skills, it would be impossible for him to manage others—he had no choice but to obediently learn the craft first.

As for the accounts office, ever since Zhen Niang took over the Ink Workshop, she had instituted a rule that every entry in the accounts must undergo cross-checking. Even if Li Jincai wanted to play tricks, he wouldn’t be able to pull it off.

"Third Sister-in-law, what are you doing? Stay out of the Ink Workshop’s affairs. Zhen Niang is actually putting Li Jincai to good use. Some people don’t appreciate it, and you’re following their lead? I’ve told you before—stay out of the workshop’s matters." Chen Shi said to Madam Tian, her tone carrying a hint of admonishment.

"Eldest Sister-in-law, that’s not right. Although the Old Madam entrusted the Ink Workshop to Zhen Niang, it remains the foundation of our seventh branch’s livelihood. Zhen Niang is still young, so we elders should offer guidance when we can and help where possible. In fact, I have a business matter to discuss with Zhen Niang," Madam Tian retorted.

"Third Aunt, please go ahead," Zhen Niang said respectfully. Regardless of the situation, she was the younger generation and would not neglect the proper etiquette.

"The Tian family has a batch of ink they want to entrust to our workshop for Re-blended Ink production. How about it? A big deal, right?" Madam Tian said.

Upon hearing Madam Tian’s words, Zhen Niang’s mind raced. She and Grandfather had guessed that the Tian family might hand over that batch of defective ink to the Li Family Ink Workshop for re-blending—they had anticipated that. What they hadn’t expected was that Madam Tian would be the one to bring it up.

Among the main seventh branch, Chen Shi’s household, as the current matriarch, was dignified and supportive of Zhen Niang. Honestly, without her backing, the Ink Workshop might not have remained so stable.

As for Sun Shi, Little You’s mother, her intentions were harder to gauge. Judging by Little You’s various actions to guard against Zhen Niang, at the very least, Sun Shi was wary of her. This was only natural—after all, she was Little You’s mother, and no mother would fail to plan for her son. Zhen Niang didn’t mind it.As for Da Huang Shi, her temperament was placid, and she was wholly devoted to carving, so she had never cared about such matters.

But Madam Tian harbored considerable resentment over the old lady handing the Ink Workshop over to Zhen Niang. She had tried several times to interfere in the workshop’s affairs without success. Now, with this batch of ink from the Tian family, Madam Tian had finally seized an opportunity.

If Madam Tian stepped forward and the Ink Workshop refused, it would be seen as disrespectful to the main seventh branch of the family. After all, Zhen Niang had taken over the workshop from the seventh branch, and refusing to honor the seventh branch would appear ungracious.

Moreover, this was indeed a good business deal that could bring considerable profit to the workshop.

Therefore, with Madam Tian involved, not even Zhen Niang herself, nor even Uncle Jingdong, could easily refuse.

It could be said that once Madam Tian stepped in, regardless of any complications, this deal was bound to go through.

At the same time, Madam Tian used this opportunity to meddle in the workshop’s affairs. And where there was a first time, there would inevitably be a second—human greed always grew.

Zhen Niang thought this over, her eyes narrowing. Truth be told, she wasn’t afraid of Madam Tian. No matter what, Madam Tian was still a daughter-in-law of the seventh branch. Above her was Chen Shi, the senior sister-in-law managing the household, and below her was You Ge’er, the sole male heir of the seventh branch. No matter how much Madam Tian interfered, she would only be lining her own pockets, with little impact on the overall structure of the Ink Workshop.

But just now, Madam Tian had spoken up for Li Jincai, clearly trying to secure a higher position for him in the workshop. This was rather intriguing.

Recalling Luo Wenqian’s letter, Tian Benchang was indeed skilled at laying traps and manipulating people within a web of interests. Even as rivals at this moment, Zhen Niang couldn’t help but admire the cleverness of Tian Benchang’s move. Not only did it achieve the goal of resuming Ink Mixing, but it also used Madam Tian to stir up trouble in the workshop. Once the workshop was in disarray, the Tian family could sit back and reap the rewards.

Still, this wasn’t entirely bad. Let Madam Tian step forward and expose herself—pulling up the radish would bring the mud with it. Li Jincai had been keeping too low a profile lately, making it difficult for Zhen Niang to find fault with him.

The current situation appeared calm on the surface, but beneath it, undercurrents were swirling. The Tian family’s disruptive move actually suited Zhen Niang’s intentions.

Open confrontations were always easier to handle than hidden schemes.

Of course, for now, Zhen Niang needed to test Madam Tian and gauge the situation. So she said, “Is Third Aunt referring to that batch of defective ink from the Tian family?”

“Exactly,” Madam Tian nodded.

“It does seem like a good business opportunity,” Zhen Niang replied. “But as a junior, I can’t make this decision alone. I’ll need to discuss it with Steward Shao and Uncle Jingdong first.”

“What is there to discuss? A deal like this is something others would beg for,” Madam Tian said unhappily.

“Profit is important, but so is integrity,” Zhen Niang replied with a smile, saying no more. She bid farewell to Chen Shi and the others and returned to the Ink Workshop.

“What kind of attitude is that? As if I’m the one lacking integrity for bringing in business,” Madam Tian grumbled, watching Zhen Niang’s retreating figure.

“What do you think? Did you bring in this business, or did the Tian family come begging to you?” Da Huang Shi remarked coldly from the side.

“So what if the Tian family came begging to us? Aren’t the Li and Tian families in-laws?” Madam Tian retorted indignantly."Since you know we're in-laws, why did the Tian family push the Li family so hard over the matter of Songcai back then? Were we not in-laws then? Zhen Niang is right—making money is important, but so is having backbone." Da Huang Shi silenced Madam Tian with that remark.

Madam Tian was fuming but couldn't find the words to retort.

"Mother, Grandmother, I don't want to study at home anymore. I want to attend the clan school." At that moment, You Ge'er walked over and addressed Chen Shi and Madam Sun.

"Why do you suddenly want to study at the clan school?" Madam Sun patted his head.

"Uncle Xi also studies at the clan school," little Wen You said.

Madam Tian chuckled from the side: "Look, look at this—everyone in our seventh branch, young and old, seems to be led around by the nose by the eighth branch."

"You shut your mouth. Don't think I don't know what you're scheming. I advise you to give up any improper ideas right now. As for the Tian family's affairs, if the Ink Workshop wants to take them on, fine. If not, stay out of it. Don't end up with nothing to show for it." Chen Shi spoke sternly.

Then, turning to little Wen You, she said: "Alright, you can go to the clan school. In the afternoon, set aside another hour to go to the Ink Workshop and learn from your Aunt Zhen Niang." Chen Shi had the final say.