The Heir

Сhарtеr 81 Marriagе? Мemoriаl Arch? Dосk

Тhе Nеw Yеar arrivеd in the blink of an eye.

Тhis уeаr, the Siхth, Sеvеnth, Еighth, Ninth, and Fоurth Вrаnсhеs of thе Li family cеlеbratеd the New Yeаr togethеr.

Just as the wоrld’s grеаt trеnds shift bеtwееn unity and divisiоn, sо toо dо fаmilies. Аfter уеars of sерarаtion, the variоus branches оf thе Li fаmily hаd now comе tоgеther оnсе mоrе.

Аs for thе Siхth Brаnch, Siхth Mastеr had fаllеn sеriouslу ill duе tо Li Jinсai’s affairs. Вrother Run, having lost his fathеr, had becоme notiсeаblу desрondent. Seeing this as a troubling situation, Aunt Jinhua temporarily entrusted the management of the Sixth Branch’s properties in Li Village to the village head, Changgen. She moved with Sixth Master and Brother Run to the Ancestral Residence.

After all, family members could find comfort in being together and sharing their thoughts.

Throughout the New Year, the festive atmosphere and the interactions among the sisters-in-law filled the Li household with laughter and joy.

Xi Ge’er spent his days leading You Ge’er and Brother Run in mischief, climbing onto roofs and causing trouble.

If not for the tradition of not punishing children during the New Year festivities, given Zhao Shi’s temperament, these three children would have undoubtedly received a good scolding.

Thus, February arrived in no time.

“Zhen Niang, how many people do you plan to take to Nanjing this time? Tell Seventh Grandmother, and I’ll help arrange it for you,” said Seventh Grandmother as she, Zhen Niang, and her grandfather toured the workshops in the Ink Workshop.

Spring had arrived, and with it, the peak season for the Ink Workshop. Throughout the Li Family Ink Workshop, from smoke generation to Ink Mixing and Turning and Drying, not a single idle person could be found.

“Well, I’m not yet familiar with the situation in Nanjing, so I won’t need to take many people with me initially,” Zhen Niang replied, then pondered before continuing, “Ma Sao has been with me for some time now, and I’m used to working with her. How about Ma Sao’s family of three? Brother Ma is not only skilled at Ink Pounding but also strong and capable. He’ll be useful for carrying luggage and such along the way. Xiao Ya is diligent and quick-witted, so she can come along to help run errands for me.”

Xiao Ya was Ma Sao’s young daughter. Ma Sao had mentioned several times to Zhen Niang that she hoped her daughter could spend some time with her. Zhen Niang had taken a liking to the girl and seized this opportunity to bring it up.

“Yes, Ma Sao’s family of three will do,” Seventh Grandmother nodded in agreement. These three were exactly as she had anticipated, as Ma Sao had been with Zhen Niang ever since she joined the Ink Workshop. They could be considered Zhen Niang’s trusted aides.

“Then there’s Elder Brother Zheng. He learned the methods of Glue Boiling and ink-making from Master Qin. The Ink Manor in Nanjing will surely need someone like him. Besides, he travels to Nanjing twice a year with Steward Shao, so he’s familiar with the place and has connections within the industry. I think he’s a suitable choice,” Zhen Niang added after some thought.

“Good. Even if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have suggested him. The properties in Nanjing were mostly handled by Fuli and Jingming’s branch. With him accompanying you, you’ll be able to quickly grasp the situation there.”

At this point, Old Madam Li’s expression darkened. “In recent years, the income from the Nanjing properties has been dwindling, and on top of that, I’ve had to cover substantial repair costs. Steward Shao felt something was amiss, but as a steward, there was little he could do. Moreover, the reasons Jingming provided seemed reasonable, so I couldn’t press the matter further. This time, when you go, investigate this thoroughly for me.”

“Understood, I’ll keep it in mind,” Zhen Niang nodded.Back in the day, the Li family's Ink Manor in Nanjing was quite sizable. Although a portion had been sold off later due to the Tribute Ink affair, some properties remained. Regardless of other considerations, the income from the storefront alone should have been substantial.

"Oh, Seventh Grandmother, I also need to bring someone along—Er Gou. In business, it's inevitable to deal with some idlers and troublemakers on the streets. Er Gou is familiar with these matters, and having him there will make handling such troubles easier," Zhen Niang added, as if remembering something.

"Hmm, I hadn't thought of that. Er Gou going is no problem," Seventh Grandmother nodded. Indeed, doing business involves not only dealing with officials but also mingling with all sorts of people from various walks of life. Er Gou would be well-suited for this.

"That should be enough for now," Zhen Niang thought it over again. For the initial setup, these few people would suffice. Once the Ink Manor was established, more ink artisans would need to be sent from here.

"Then let me recommend one more person for you," Seventh Grandmother said, seeing that Zhen Niang had no other candidates in mind.

"Who is it, Seventh Grandmother?" Zhen Niang asked curiously.

"Your Second Aunt," Seventh Grandmother replied with a smile.

Second Aunt? Zhen Niang was somewhat surprised. Second Aunt was a widow and generally wouldn't venture out easily. However, upon further reflection, Zhen Niang understood Seventh Grandmother's thoughtful intentions.

In Nanjing, she would inevitably have to deal with her Eldest Aunt. Moreover, the Jingming family, who looked after the property there, seemed to be of the same generation as her own father based on their names. Although the familial relationship was somewhat distant, the generational hierarchy remained unchanged. Therefore, having Second Aunt there to provide support would allow her to handle interactions with elders, making things much more convenient for Zhen Niang.

Additionally, Nanjing was home to many scholars and literati, where Custom Ink was quite popular. These custom inks often required last-minute Plate Carving, and Second Aunt's Plate Carving Technique was something even Uncle Jingdong admired. Her skills would undoubtedly be needed at the Ink Manor.

It could be said that sending Second Aunt was a well-considered decision by Seventh Grandmother.

"Thank you, Seventh Grandmother. It's just that this will trouble Second Aunt too much," Zhen Niang expressed her gratitude.

Although everyone was helping with the Ink Workshop's affairs, it was clear that Second Aunt was arranged by Seventh Grandmother to serve as Zhen Niang's backup.

"What trouble is there in that? I already spoke with your Second Aunt a few days ago, and she agreed. It'll also save her from staying cooped up in this big house every day, growing moldy with an old woman like me," Seventh Grandmother joked.

After this, they discussed the travel arrangements further.

Zhen Niang then took Ma Sao to Four Treasures Street to buy some gifts. After all, her Eldest Aunt's family was in Nanjing. Additionally, as Huizhou Merchants, they needed to visit the main officials of the Merchant Guild, as well as some of Grandfather's old friends. Therefore, necessary gifts were indispensable.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they entered Four Treasures Street, the entire street was crowded around Huiyuan Bank.

After the Li Jincai incident, Sun Baiyi was also implicated to some extent. However, since Huiyuan Bank was registered under Sun Baiyi's household registration, Wang Cuiqiao had to exert some effort to help him resolve the matter. Afterward, it was said that Sun Baiyi was sent away by Wang Cuiqiao to work on a boat, and now the person in charge of Huiyuan Bank was Sun Baiyi's younger brother, Sun Qianyi.

Taking advantage of this incident, Wang Cuiqiao stepped out from behind the scenes and began her journey toward legitimacy. Nowadays, locals were well aware that the owner of Huiyuan Bank was Wang Cuiqiao.Thanks to Wang Cuiqiao's extensive connections built over the years, Huiyuan Bank had now become the largest bank in the county. It was said that Wang Cuiqiao planned to open a branch in Nanjing next.

Wang Cuiqiao originally hailed from the Qinhuai River area of Nanjing, so Nanjing was truly her home ground.

"What's happening over there?" Zhen Niang asked a passerby.

"The Sun family is marrying off their daughter, and the Tian family is welcoming the bride," the person replied.

Only then did Zhen Niang realize that today was the day Sun Yuejuan was marrying into the Tian family.

Zhen Niang then stood at the entrance of a paper shop and watched as Tian Benchang, dressed in the bright red robes of a groom, rode a horse in front of Huiyuan Bank. He looked quite spirited and proud.

"Look, the bride is coming out, the bride is coming out!" the crowd ahead shouted excitedly.

At that moment, Sun Qianyi carried Sun Yuejuan on his back and placed her into the bridal sedan. As a string of firecrackers symbolizing "a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons" crackled, the wedding procession set off again with music and fanfare. A group of five- or six-year-old children chased after them, laughing and playing.

Life has countless paths.

From this day on, Sun Yuejuan would enter the gates of a wealthy household, while Zhen Niang was about to embark on her journey to Nanjing.

The tenth day of the second lunar month.

During the Yin hour, Zhen Niang woke up early and went downstairs, immediately catching the aroma of Bean Yellow Cake.

Zhao Shi, Zheng Shi, Du Shi, and others had risen in the middle of the night to prepare a bundle of freshly steamed Bean Yellow Cake for her.

Although the land route from Huizhou to Nanjing was shorter, it was plagued by bandits and unsafe. Thus, it was finally decided to take the water route instead.

They would travel from the Xin'an River to Hangzhou, then to Suzhou, and finally take the Suzhou Canal directly to Nanjing. This journey would take ten days to half a month, so provisions for the road naturally had to be prepared in full.

"Maybe... maybe Zhen Niang shouldn't go after all. For a girl, standing out and excelling isn't always a good thing. Besides, traveling outside... what if..." Just as they were about to depart, Zhao Shi suddenly grew uneasy.

She remembered the year Li Jingfu left for Suzhou. It was also this early in the morning when she saw him off, and he never returned after that.

As the saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. Zhao Shi was in exactly that state. With Li Jingfu's incident in mind, she was deeply worried.

Zhen Niang, already carrying a bundle over her shoulder, understood upon hearing Zhao Shi's words that her mother was thinking of her father.

"Mother, don't worry. Your daughter is a sedentary merchant, not a traveling merchant. I'll be staying within Nanjing city. What could possibly go wrong? If anything unexpected happens, I'd say it might just be me suddenly bringing a son-in-law home for you one day," Zhen Niang said playfully to comfort her.

"You silly girl, shameless and brazen," Zhao Shi was amused by Zhen Niang's words and knew that at this point, Zhen Niang couldn't possibly stay behind.

She waved her hand dismissively, "Go on, go on. Better than staying here and constantly arguing with me."

Zhen Niang grinned and waved goodbye to her family before heading to the Ink Workshop to meet up with the others.

"Is Chou Po coming too?" Upon arriving at the Ink Workshop, Zhen Niang noticed that the group had one more person—Chou Po.

"What, not welcome?" Chou Po said coldly, her expression somewhat aloof.

"Of course not. It's good that Chou Po is coming," Zhen Niang nodded. That Chou Po appeared in their traveling party undoubtedly meant Seventh Grandmother had agreed to it, so she naturally wouldn't object.

"At my age, I should take the chance to get out and see the world while I still can. Otherwise, when I can't move anymore tomorrow, I won't even have the chance to go out and look around," Chou Po added coldly before being helped onto the carriage by Er Gou.Zhen Niang and the others also boarded the carriage. With the luggage cart, there were three carriages in total.

After bidding farewell to everyone, the carriages set off, heading straight for the Yuliang Dock outside the city.

Xiao Ya sat by the edge of the carriage, occasionally lifting the curtain to look outside. This was her first time traveling far from home.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at the Sanli Pavilion outside the city.

From a distance, they could see a Chastity Archway—a tall stone monument, though several corners were missing, making it appear somewhat dilapidated.

"The Luo Family has fallen, and no one repairs this archway anymore," Ma Sao said with a hint of regret.

"Is this the Luo Family's Chastity Archway?" Zhen Niang asked curiously. Speaking of the Luo Family, Zhen Niang was reminded of Luo Wenqian again. Since the last letter, there had been no further news. Beyond the pass—now that was the territory of the Tatars. She wondered what kind of business he was engaged in there.

"Yes, this archway was erected decades ago. Back then, the Luo Family had a daughter named Luo Mengzhen, who was exceptionally skilled in ink-making. Unfortunately, fate was unkind to her. Before she could marry, her fiancé died. Unexpectedly, Luo Mengzhen was so fiercely loyal that she set herself on fire and died in her chamber. When the prefect learned of this, he praised her loudly and reported it to the court, which led to the construction of this archway," Ma Sao explained.

"Oh," Zhen Niang nodded. In her previous life, she had visited archways like this, each with a story that later generations could hardly understand but was highly revered in this era.

Turning her head, Zhen Niang suddenly noticed Chou Po with her eyes closed, faint traces of glistening tears beneath them.

"Chou Po, what's wrong?" Zhen Niang asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing, just old eyes that tear up in the wind," Chou Po replied calmly.

"Xiao Ya, close the curtain," Zhen Niang quickly instructed Xiao Ya, who was sitting by the carriage.

"Yes, Miss Zhen," Xiao Ya promptly lowered the curtain and tied it tightly with a rope to keep the wind out.

After that, no one spoke inside the carriage. The journey was accompanied only by the sounds of wheels turning and horses' hooves.

Soon, the carriage arrived at Yuliang Dock. The Li Family had already purchased the boat tickets, and two porters came over to help the Li Family load their luggage onto the boat.

Just then, several constables passed by on the shore, escorting a few prisoners.

"What crimes did these prisoners commit?" a few out-of-town merchants inquired.

"You don't know? This was the biggest case in Huizhou last year. The leader impersonated an Imperial Guards officer, swindling and deceiving people all along the way. I heard many suffered losses, but he finally met his downfall at the Huizhou Prefecture Office. The ones behind him are accomplices, originally a son-in-law of the Li Family. That ungrateful wretch actually colluded with others to cheat the Li Family. Serves him right—I heard they’re being exiled to Qiongzhou," a knowledgeable bystander explained animatedly.

This person clearly had some goodwill toward the Li Family and spoke up for them with effort.

"By the way, a few days ago, there was also a woman with a child, said to be the sister of the main culprit. What a tragedy—she was implicated too and was sold in an Official Sale. It seems Tian Rongchang from the Tian Family bought her. That Tian Rongchang is full of wicked schemes. I suspect he has ill intentions," a loiterer waiting to carry packages chimed in, clicking his tongue.Zhen Niang happened to be standing near these people and was taken aback upon hearing this. She hadn’t expected that Madam Su would be subjected to Official Sale, let alone that Tian Rongchang would be the one to purchase her.

As for the sentencing of Madam Su’s brother and Li Jincai, Zhen Niang was well aware—they had gotten exactly what they deserved.

She simply hadn’t anticipated this outcome for Madam Su. Yet, upon further reflection, it made sense. Madam Su’s brother had been involved in a major case, and with Li Jincai’s schemes in play, Madam Su, caught in the middle, could hardly avoid being implicated.