The Heir

Sun Yuejuan's fathеr, Sun Dаhe, was thе deputу mаnаgеr оf thе Ink Workshoр. Upon hearing Zhen Niang sау she wаnted tо соllеct lаmрs аnd tung оil tо takе materials hоmе,

he wаs aware оf the reсent troublеs in Zhеn Niаng's fаmilу. Кnоwing that the оld shоpkеерer hаd evеn рawned thе сoffins mеant for him and his wifе, Sun Dahe understооd hоw difficult things wеre for the Li fаmilу nоw.

Althоugh thеrе wаs sоmе frictiоn bеtweеn the оld shopkеeреr аnd the mаin brаnсh оf the family, hе figured it shouldn’t be an issue fоr the youngеr generаtion tо еarn а little hard-earned money to make a living.

As for the smoke generation technique, even though Yuejuan had praised Zhen Niang to the skies, Sun Dahe was somewhat skeptical. Still, with the old shopkeeper in the Li family, he assumed there wouldn’t be any problems.

So, he vouched for Zhen Niang and took her to collect the materials.

"Thank you, Uncle Sun," Zhen Niang followed behind, thanking him cheerfully.

"Don’t be so polite. We’ve been neighbors for years. One of these days, I’d like to go back and have a drink with your father," Sun Dahe joked.

"Well, Uncle Sun might be disappointed then. My father ran off to Hankou with someone and was driven out by my grandfather," Zhen Niang replied.

Hearing this, Sun Dahe didn’t say anything more but nodded inwardly. As expected of the old shopkeeper—he had finally made the tough decision. Jingfu had really been too much of a disappointment over the years, and now his daughter was left running around to support the family.

As the three chatted, they arrived at the Ink Workshop’s storeroom.

"Manager Zheng, I’ve brought someone to collect a hundred oil lamps and twenty catties of tung oil to take materials home," Sun Dahe said to a middle-aged man dressed as an accountant in the storeroom.

"Deposit," Manager Zheng glanced at Sun Dahe, then at Zhen Niang, before raising his eyes.

Hearing the word "deposit," Zhen Niang thought, Oh no, how could my family afford a deposit right now? She couldn’t help but look at Sun Dahe.

"I’ll vouch for her. I’ll sign for it, alright?" Sun Dahe stepped forward. This Manager Zheng was the son-in-law of Chief Manager Shao and always spoke with such authority, so Sun Dahe had to be a bit more accommodating.

"You vouch for her? Can you vouch for so many? Your two sons each took a hundred oil lamps, and now you’re vouching for someone else. If there’s a loss, it’s not just about the money—it could delay the work schedule. No," Manager Zheng waved his hand dismissively.

"But isn’t it said that descendants of the Li family are exempt from deposits?" Sun Dahe said helplessly. Originally, knowing about the strained relations between the old shopkeeper and the main branch, he hadn’t wanted to stir up trouble and had intended to keep quiet about Zhen Niang being the old shopkeeper’s granddaughter.

But now, with Manager Zheng’s attitude, there was no hiding it.

"Oh, you’re a descendant of the Li family? Which branch?" Hearing that Zhen Niang was also a Li descendant, Manager Zheng’s expression softened slightly. He turned to Zhen Niang and asked.

"From Eighth Uncle’s branch. My grandfather is Li Jinshui," Zhen Niang replied clearly. She understood Sun Dahe’s earlier good intentions, but now that things had come to this, she couldn’t back down. She was out here representing the Eighth Branch and couldn’t lose face.

In Zhen Niang’s grandfather’s generation, the Li family had thirteen brothers in total, including both the main and collateral lines. However, many had died young or met with accidents. Now, apart from the deceased Seventh Grandfather from the main branch, the surviving ones were Sixth Grandfather, Eighth Uncle (Zhen Niang’s grandfather, Li Jinshui), and Ninth Uncle—all from collateral lines.Sixth Grandfather Li Jintai, after the passing of the Li family’s great-grandfather and great-grandmother, when the brothers divided the family property, he only took a rural estate and moved to the countryside to live the life of a wealthy gentleman. He had three daughters; the first two had long since married and now had children and grandchildren of their own, requiring no concern from Sixth Grandfather. Only the youngest daughter, whose temperament was too gentle and soft, worried him. Fearing she might suffer hardship if married into another family, he arranged for a son-in-law to marry into their household when she turned eighteen. The young man came from a poor family but was diligent and willing to endure hardship. They had a son, ensuring the Sixth Branch had an heir. Sixth Grandfather could be said to have everything go smoothly in life. In his spare time, he would stroll around visiting various households with a few sweet potatoes or corn in hand, living a leisurely and carefree life.

As for Eighth Uncle, he belonged to Zhenniang’s branch. It was said that he had received a considerable share of the family wealth back then. However, when the Tribute Ink incident occurred, Li Jinshui sold off part of it to compensate the losses of the main branch, and another portion was squandered by his gambling-addicted father.

Among all the branches, none fared worse or were less favored than the Eighth Branch.

Ninth Uncle Li Jinhe held shares in the Ink Workshop and now assisted Seventh Grandmother in managing the Ink Pavilion. He had one son and one daughter. His son, Li Jingdong, had once worked under Seventh Grandfather. When the Tribute Ink error occurred, he was also beaten, resulting in the crippling of both his legs. Later, through Seventh Grandmother’s introduction, he entered the Huang family, a renowned carving family, where he learned carving skills and even married a Huang family daughter. He now served as the chief carving master at the Ink Workshop.

From this perspective, Li Jingdong was also implicated by Zhenniang’s father, which explained why the Eighth and Ninth Branches had long ceased all contact over the years.

At this moment, when Manager Zheng heard that Zhenniang was from the Eighth Branch, his expression changed and darkened once again. “No, you cannot claim it.”

“Why can’t I?” Zhenniang frowned and asked.

“You probably don’t know, but your grandfather was expelled from the Ink Workshop back then and swore never to touch ink again in his lifetime. A person without integrity cannot stand. You should go back and ask your grandfather. In his pursuit to seize control of the Ink Workshop, he even resorted to tampering with the Tribute Ink, ultimately leading to Seventh Master’s death and Jingdong’s disability. Have such events been entirely forgotten?” Manager Zheng spoke with a look of disdain.

Zhenniang knew that her grandfather, fearing that her father’s actions would be exposed and condemned, had taken the blame for the incident, leading everyone to believe that the Tribute Ink affair had been intentionally caused by her grandfather.

Now, she was aware of the truth behind the matter, but it was all in the past, and explaining it further held no meaning.

Regardless, this was a feud among the older generation, a family matter of the Li family, and not something for an outsider to comment on.

“Matters of my grandfather’s generation are not for a junior like me to question. I only ask you: Was my grandfather expelled from the Li family? Am I still a descendant of the Li family?” Zhenniang pressed forward step by step.

Manager Zheng had not expected Zhenniang’s words to be so sharp and found himself cornered, feeling quite embarrassed.

“Naturally, you are a descendant of the Li family. No one can deny that.” At this moment, a slightly aged voice chimed in. The speaker was an elderly man in his sixties.

Those around bowed and greeted him respectfully, “Greetings, Steward Shao.”

Zhenniang turned to look at him. It was said that Steward Shao’s ancestors had been servants of the Li family for generations. Over the years, they had become virtually indistinguishable from the Li family members themselves. Now, he was highly trusted by Seventh Grandmother and managed all affairs of the Ink Workshop.

His status within the Li family was no lower than that of the uncles."Steward Shao, good day!" Zhen Niang greeted him with a slight bow. Since Steward Shao was a servant of the Li family, all members of the Li clan addressed him as "Steward."

"Miss Zhen, you are too polite," Steward Shao responded perfunctorily.

"The ancestral precept of the Li family states: The Li family's Ink Industry is for the benefit of future generations. All descendants of the Li family, regardless of lineage or closeness, as long as they are willing to put in the effort, may seek a livelihood in the Ink Workshop. Therefore, Steward Shao, is there anything improper about Zhen Niang coming to collect materials for smoke generation?" Zhen Niang continued.

"There is nothing improper at all. Miss Zhen need only sign here, and you may take the materials home," Steward Shao replied.

"Thank you, Steward Shao." Zhen Niang bowed again. Regardless of the circumstances, given Steward Shao's dedication to the Li family, she could not neglect the proper courtesies. Soon after, someone led her to collect the materials.

"Father-in-law, I think the Eighth Branch is up to no good," Manager Zheng said to Steward Shao after watching Zhen Niang leave. Manager Zheng was Steward Shao's son-in-law.

"Outrageous! How dare you speak like that? Who are you? And who is Miss Zhen? No matter what, she is a member of the Li family. It is not your place to gossip about her," Steward Shao rebuked sharply.

"I was just speaking up for the main branch," Manager Zheng defended himself. Then he added, "By the way, Father-in-law, when she delivers the materials in a couple of days, how should I handle it?"

"Nonsense! Handle it as you should. Do I need to teach you how to receive materials?" Steward Shao angrily flicked his sleeve.

Watching Steward Shao's retreating figure, Manager Zheng stood dazed for a moment before his eyes suddenly lit up. "Brilliant, truly brilliant."

Everyone knew Eighth Uncle's character. Once he said he would withdraw from the Ink Industry, he would never touch it again. As for the Li family, aside from Eighth Uncle, Li Jingfu was a drunkard and a gambler, and Li Dalang was nothing but a brute with no skill for smoke generation. Thus, who in the Eighth Branch could produce enough high-quality smoke materials? Following the rules, when the time came, Miss Zhen would not only have to compensate for the losses but also be unable to continue the work. Even Eighth Uncle would be utterly humiliated. This truly was a move that could kill several birds with one stone.