The Heir

Chарtеr 75: Finаllу Sеt in Мotion

Wаtсhing Еr Gоu lеave, Zhen Niаng рlanned tо return to thе ассоunts оffice. Нaving been away frоm thе Ink Workshоp fоr sеvеrаl daуs, shе nееdеd to rеview the aссounts. Аfter finishing with the boоks, she intendеd to makе rоunds thrоugh thе vаriоus wоrkshops.

It wаs wintеr now, аnd thе Ink Wоrkshoр had еntеred its off-sеаson. Тhere wasn’t muсh going on.

“Zhen Niаng!” Just thеn, sоmeоne callеd hеr nаme. Тurning аrоund, Zhеn Niаng sаw it was Аunt Jinhuа.

“Aunt Jinhuа, yоu’re herе! Go tо Аuntiе’s plасе quiсkly—Grandmothеr made dumplings for the wintеr solstice. Gо and try sоme,” Zhеn Niаng said tо Aunt Jinhua with a cheerful smile.

“I’ll go over in a bit,” Li Jinhua replied, shaking her head.

Only then did Zhen Niang notice that Aunt Jinhua seemed somewhat downcast. Her face was pale, and there were dark circles under her eyes, as if she hadn’t slept well.

“Aunt Jinhua, what’s wrong? You look like you haven’t slept well. Is it because the bed feels unfamiliar?” Zhen Niang asked, tilting her head to look at Li Jinhua.

“Exactly. I just can’t sleep well when I change places,” Li Jinhua said with a faint smile.

“Hmm, I’m the same way. The first night in a new place, I definitely can’t sleep, but it gets better by the second day. Stay a few more days, Aunt Jinhua,” Zhen Niang said casually.

“That won’t do. Your Sixth Grandfather and Brother Run are still at home, and they’re both quite a handful,” Li Jinhua replied absentmindedly.

“Mm,” Zhen Niang nodded, sensing that Aunt Jinhua had something on her mind.

“Zhen Niang, how has your uncle-in-law been performing at the Ink Workshop lately?” Li Jinhua suddenly asked.

“He’s been doing quite well. Uncle-in-law is diligent in his work, willing to learn from others, and can endure hardships,” Zhen Niang said after a moment’s thought. It wasn’t that she was trying to speak up for Li Jincai—this was genuinely how he presented himself to others. Not only did Steward Shao and Master Qin speak well of him, but even Uncle Jingdong, who had previously held a poor opinion of Li Jincai, seemed to have warmed up to him lately.

Occasionally, he even mentioned to her that Li Jincai had truly changed for the better.

From this, it was clear that Li Jincai’s performance during this period had been commendable. Even if Zhen Niang wanted to say something bad about him, she couldn’t.

However, there were some things she needed to remind her aunt about sooner rather than later, to avoid her being unable to cope if something happened later. She knew her aunt still had feelings for Li Jincai—otherwise, how could she have forgiven him after what happened in Suzhou?

So she said with a smile, “Auntie, why don’t you just hand over the manor outside the city to the estate manager and move into the city with Sixth Grandfather and Brother Run? That way, Uncle-in-law won’t have to worry about you all the time. The Ink Workshop closes quite late, and Uncle-in-law still has to rush back to see you. In the morning, he has to hurry back to work, often arriving before dawn when the city gates aren’t even open yet. He has to sneak in through holes in the wall. If the city guards were to see him and mistake him for a troublemaker, not only would he lose face, but he might even suffer some hardship. That would be truly unfair.”

Zhen Niang continued with a cheerful tone.

The city gates of Huizhou Prefecture were somewhat old and worn. Moreover, idlers and troublemakers in the city often engaged in petty theft, so they had secretly dug one or two holes in inconspicuous, dilapidated sections of the city wall to make it easier to come and go.The authorities knew they needed to block them, but plugging one hole only led to another being dug elsewhere soon after. Some idlers and troublemakers would privately slip benefits to the soldiers guarding the city gates, and the gate officers occasionally turned a blind eye.

Thus, the dog holes at the base of the city wall became a distinctive sight of Huizhou's fortifications.

In this regard, Er Gou knew best.

"What? Does your uncle-in-law often return early in the morning?" asked Aunt Jinhua, her expression somewhat peculiar.

Actually, Li Jinhua had learned about the incident at Zhen Niang's home too late yesterday. After rushing into the city, she did not notify Li Jincai. Instead, she directly joined Chen Shi, Da Huang Shi, and others to discuss how to assist the Eighth Branch. After pooling money, the three of them went to the Eighth Branch together, but it was already late. By the time they returned from the Eighth Branch, it was deep into the night.

Coincidentally, Da Huang Shi pulled her into a chat, so last night, Li Jinhua did not return to rest at the Sixth Branch's residence but stayed with Da Huang Shi instead. Waking up early in the morning and thinking of Li Jincai, she rose early and went to the Sixth Branch's house.

Unexpectedly, she ran into Li Jincai at the door. He appeared slightly flustered at the time, later explaining that he had gotten up early to exercise.

But Li Jinhua had a feeling that Li Jincai did not seem to be returning from exercise but rather as if he had stayed out all night before coming home. Given the incident in Suzhou, Li Jinhua harbored more doubts, which was why she stopped Zhen Niang to inquire.

"I'm not sure about that. I heard it from Er Gou at the Ink Workshop. He has run into Uncle-in-law several times in the morning, always returning at dawn," replied Zhen Niang, then deliberately asked, "Aunt, is there something wrong with Uncle-in-law?"

Li Jinhua thought it over. With the old and the young at home, she truly couldn't leave. It would be better to have Zhen Niang keep an eye on things for her. So she said, "You already know about your uncle-in-law's mess in Suzhou, so I won't hide it from you. To be honest, during this period, he has only come home twice, and one of those times he left the very same night. What Er Gou said is quite suspicious. Here's what I want: keep an eye on him for me. If it happens again, I won't be easily deceived."

As she spoke, Li Jinhua's face was frosty.

"Alright, Aunt, don't worry. I'll definitely do it. Also, Aunt, don't take it too much to heart. You have Sixth Grandfather and Brother Run depending on you," Zhen Niang comforted her.

"Yes, I understand. Your mother told me that if a man's heart is with you, he will naturally think of you and care for you. If it's not, forcing it is useless. Speaking of which, when the Suzhou incident first happened, I felt as if the sky were collapsing. But having gone through that, I can now see things a bit more clearly." Though her expression remained unpleasant, Li Jinhua's voice was relatively calm.

Hearing her aunt's words, Zhen Niang felt relieved. Her earlier hints and timely exposure of Li Jincai's secret marriage in Suzhou had not been in vain. Although her aunt had ultimately forgiven him, she could no longer trust him wholeheartedly as before.

It was like a preventive measure. Zhen Niang thought that even if Li Jincai's current affairs came to light, the impact on Aunt Jinhua shouldn't be too great, which eased her mind somewhat.

Afterward, Li Jinhua bid farewell, first returning to the main branch, and then heading back to Li Village.

After the winter solstice, the true deep cold set in.However, the snow in Huizhou is not abundant; each winter sees only two or three snowfalls at most. Yet, the winter rain truly brings a damp, bone-chilling cold.

Especially the night rain. It adds an extra layer of gloomy, piercing cold.

When Zhen Niang woke up in the morning, she felt a chill in her nose. After sneezing a few times, her head began to feel heavy and groggy. It seemed she was catching a cold.

She dressed and got up, intending to go to the kitchen to fetch some hot water to steam her nose.

Just as she stepped out of her room and entered the courtyard, she heard the creak of the main gate and the sound of low voices from outside.

Because it was early morning and everything was quiet, even though the voices outside were soft, Zhen Niang could hear them clearly. It was her sister-in-law talking to someone.

"Lü Niang, don't blame your mother. She’s just a muddled person. Your two younger brothers are the apples of her eye. Besides, all these years, the family has been poor, and your mother hasn’t been able to arrange marriages for your brothers. She feels guilty toward them, so she’s especially protective of them." It was a somewhat aged voice.

Zhen Niang recognized it as the voice of her sister-in-law’s maternal aunt.

"Aunt, it’s not that I’m heartless and don’t care about my mother. You’ve seen how she treats me—she practically wants to pin all the blame for this mess on me, just so Da Lang and Er Lang can get off scot-free. But I’m her daughter too, her own flesh and blood! Now, my husband spends every day at the oil mill refunding money. From time to time, people even come to our doorstep looking for trouble. If it weren’t for their fear of the Li family’s influence, who knows what they might do? The coal stove workshop has been sold off, and all the money the family had saved has been thrown into this mess. Now, not only is my mother-in-law, who already has a bad temper, even more difficult, but even Zhengliang—who’s always been so good-natured—doesn’t give me a kind look anymore. I hardly dare to speak loudly at home for fear of upsetting my mother-in-law and getting divorced. To be honest, if they really do divorce me, I’ll accept it. After all, I brought this disaster upon the family. But no matter what, I can’t bear to part with Xiao Guan. Aunt, please ask my mother to think about my situation. I’m struggling too." Du Shi sobbed.

"Ah, I know, I know! But your mother is all alone now, and with your two ungrateful brothers having run off with all the money, her life isn’t easy either," the aunt sighed.

"Whether it’s easy or not, she has to get through it. Aunt, I won’t keep you much longer. My family will be up soon, and I need to start cooking breakfast. Here, take this bit of loose silver for my mother. If she spends it frugally, it should last her a while. Whenever I have some money in the future, I’ll send it to her. But for now, I really don’t want to go see her. Please, Aunt, look after her a bit more." Du Shi’s voice sounded dejected.

"Ah, ah, don’t worry. I’ll visit more often. It’s just a matter of walking a few extra steps," the aunt said, taking the loose silver from Du Shi.

Sigh, her eldest niece brought this upon herself and has chilled Lü Niang’s heart. To win her back, it will have to be done slowly. Fortunately, Lü Niang still has some filial piety, much more than those two brothers.

In the end, her eldest niece is still somewhat blessed.

"Take care, Aunt," Du Shi said.

Hearing this, Zhen Niang knew her sister-in-law was about to come inside. She took a few steps back into her room, not wanting Du Shi to know she had overheard the conversation with her aunt, lest it cause her sister-in-law embarrassment.Elder Sister-in-law is indeed having a hard time these days. With Mother's temper, coupled with the tung oil poisoning incident, no one in the family is in a good mood, so naturally, no one treats her kindly.

However, once this matter passes and the oil mill resumes operation, Elder Sister-in-law's troubles will gradually fade away.

The family still has to live together. I only hope that Shen Shi learns her lesson from this experience and causes less trouble for Elder Sister-in-law in the future. She should also leave herself a way out.

Just as I was thinking this, the door was knocked again. Du Shi hadn’t gone far and turned back to open it.

"Young Mistress, is Zhen Niang here?" Manager Zheng asked. It was Manager Zheng who spoke.

Hearing the voice, Zhen Niang hurried out: "Manager Zheng, it’s so early. What’s the matter?"

Manager Zheng’s face was pale, and despite the cold weather, his forehead was covered in sweat: "Miss Zhen, it’s bad. A shipment from Huiyuan Bank was seized while heading out to sea, and our family’s ink is among it. An Imperial Guards envoy from Zhoushan has come to investigate our family’s alleged collusion with Sea Bandits. The Madam wants you to go over immediately."

"Alright, I’ll go right away." Zhen Niang’s expression tightened, but inwardly, she sneered. Just yesterday, she and Madam Xu had inspected the Li family’s batch of ink, which was stored in Huiyuan Bank’s warehouse. Could it have flown out to sea overnight?

Li Jincai has finally made his move. She’s been waiting so long that the flowers have withered.