The Heir

Chaрtеr 100: Тhе Оld Madam Аrrivеs

"Reallу three timеs thе рrоfit? Тhеn aren't wе making a huge fortune?" Bасk in the rеar building, Нuаng Shi саlled оut tо Zhеn Niаng аnd askеd.

Zhen Niang sat dоwn оpрosite Huаng Shi, took thе towel hаndеd tо hеr bу Ма Sao оn thе side, wiреd hеr faсe, аnd thеn said, "Not аt аll. This thrеefold prоfit is based on Нuа'еr's investmеnt—she bought in at thе lоwеst priсе. Вut fоr Unсlе-in-law аnd Аunt, it onlу balаnced оut the lаnd рriсes. Веsidеs, thе land in Uncle-in-lаw's hands will ultimately havе to be sold tо the Xu fаmily, sо thе priсe certainly won't be very high. After balancing everything out, our actual profit here will be decent if it reaches twenty percent."

"Hmm, regardless, this matter was handled well," Huang Shi nodded at Zhen Niang.

Zhen Niang smiled somewhat sheepishly at this.

And indeed, over the next few days, the Han family's land was gradually transferred to the Xu family and several other official households. As for the price, the Xu family didn't shortchange the Han family too much, paying according to the average market rate.

Thus, in the end, the Han and Li families gained nearly thirty percent profit—a true turnaround from dire straits.

With this, the Han family completely extricated themselves from the land vortex.

Of course, from the planning to the conclusion of this land turmoil in Nanjing, the Xu family was the one who profited.

The Han family subsequently repaid the loan from the Yi Hou Sheng money shop, and the mortgages on the Li family's several shops were also withdrawn.

Next came the first season's raw silk purchasing period. With ample funds now, the Han family was determined to make a big push in the silk business.

Early in the morning, Zhen Niang was holed up in the Ink Workshop in the rear courtyard. Everyone who passed by the courtyard or worked in the workshop caught a strong whiff of alcohol.

Each one was immensely curious, wondering what Miss Zhen was up to.

In the rear courtyard, Madam Ge and Madam Fang, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, were also peering curiously.

"I've looked. Zhen Niang is fiddling with alchemy equipment. Could it be... Zhen Niang knows how to refine wine pills?" Madam Ge asked Madam Fang.

The so-called wine pills were merely a type of elixir mentioned in Tales of the Strange. It was said that if these wine pills were crushed and sprinkled into water, the water would turn into wine. Truly a divine elixir, something to yearn for.

"Can you believe things from Tales of the Strange? It's all nonsense," Madam Fang retorted impatiently.

"True," Madam Ge thought, Tales of the Strange was indeed unreliable.

But still, curiosity lingered. What exactly was Miss Zhen doing? However, Zhen Niang had locked herself in the Glue Boiling room early in the morning, not allowing anyone inside, which only made everyone feel as if a cat were scratching at their hearts.

Of course, Zhen Niang didn't let anyone watch partly because this involved the Liquid Ink formula. Currently, within the household, Madam Ge was watching covetously, and many of the hired workers outside were not very familiar, so it was necessary to be cautious.

More importantly, Zhen Niang wanted to create a sense of mystery. The more mysterious it was, the more curious others would be, and the better the effect would be when it was launched.

Additionally, alcohol didn't actually have to be added to the Liquid Ink. But having coexisted with the Tian family in Huizhou for some time, Zhen Niang naturally understood that the Tian family was definitely not one to play by the rules.

Once her Liquid Ink was launched, it would inevitably attract the Tian family's attention. Therefore, Zhen Niang deliberately made things so mysterious and cryptic, also serving to confuse them.

Thus, for the next whole day, Zhen Niang shut herself in the Ink Workshop, busy with her work.Early the next morning, Zhen Niang invited Zheng Fuli and Ma Shifu into the Glue Boiling room.

"Ma Shifu, Elder Brother Zheng, let's start the furnace and boil the glue," Zhen Niang said to Ma Shifu and Zheng Fuli.

"Alright," Ma Shifu responded, then sat by the stove to control the heat. Zheng Fuli, who had learned the skill of glue boiling from Master Qin, took charge of the boiling process. The glue for Liquid Ink had slightly lower requirements compared to that for ink sticks.

Zhen Niang explained the steps, which naturally posed no difficulty for Zheng Fuli.

Thus, they started the furnace.

Zhen Niang watched over the heat, occasionally adding pure alkali and refined alcohol.

After boiling for a full two hours, the glue was finally ready.

Next, it was placed in a stone mortar for stirring. Soot pigment and hot water were added, mixed evenly to form ink paste. Ma Shifu then pounded the ink paste in the mortar before adding hot water, borneol, and camphor oil. After adjusting to a certain concentration and stirring thoroughly, the mixture was filtered through fine gauze to remove residue, resulting in the finished Liquid Ink.

Some time earlier, Zhen Niang had specially ordered a batch of porcelain bottles for storing the Liquid Ink.

By the time everything was prepared and the ink was bottled, it was already evening. To maintain secrecy, Zhen Niang personally oversaw the bottling with Xiao Ya and a few others. Everyone was thoroughly exhausted by the end.

"Let me test this ink," Zheng Fuli couldn't wait any longer. He took out paper and a brush, dipped it in the ink, and began writing. The ink was dark, glossy, and clear, emitting a faint, pleasant fragrance. Its quality was not far inferior to medium-grade ink.

"Hmm, it still lacks a bit of depth and layering," Zhen Niang observed. Due to the absence of the grinding process, Liquid Ink could never match the richness and layering of ground ink.

"This is practical. For everyday reading, writing, or keeping accounts, it’s much more convenient. Ordinary people aren’t scholars or teachers—why would they care about depth and layering? The writing is dark and bright, and I think it’s great," Ma Shifu said happily.

"Exactly, Miss Zhen. With this Liquid Ink, the Tian family’s price war is nothing but a joke," Zheng Fuli exclaimed excitedly, pounding his fist.

The materials for this ink didn’t need to be of the highest quality, and due to its liquid nature, the cost was significantly lower. No matter what price war the Tian family started, the Li family could afford to compete.

Moreover, the ink was extremely convenient to use and novel. More importantly, Liquid Ink was consumed much faster than ink sticks, speeding up turnover. In business, turnover is key—the faster it is, the more profit is made.

"Yes," Zhen Niang nodded with a smile. She had initially been worried about the ink’s effectiveness, as some materials were hard to find in this era, and she had used substitutes. She hadn’t been entirely confident about the final result.

Now that the effect was quite good, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Success!!

"Miss Zhen, the Old Madam has arrived," Er Gou rushed into the Ink Workshop and announced to everyone.

"Seventh Madam is here? Why wasn’t there any news beforehand? Where is she now?" Everyone exclaimed in surprise upon hearing Er Gou’s words. The Old Madam was quite advanced in years, and no one expected her to arrive in Nanjing so quietly.

"She’s already at the dock. Second Madam has taken Steward Jingming to meet her. I came back first to report," Er Gou said."Good, good, hurry, everyone go back and tidy up to welcome the Old Madam." Zhen Niang immediately addressed the crowd. After a day of ink-making, everyone was covered in dust and grime.

Thus, everyone scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhen Niang had just washed her face and changed clothes when Seventh Grandmother arrived at the door.

"Seventh Grandmother." Zhen Niang greeted and stepped forward, supporting Seventh Grandmother together with Second Aunt.

"Good, good. Well done." Along the way, Huang Shi had already told the Old Madam everything Zhen Niang had done since arriving in Nanjing. Especially after Seventh Old Madam disembarked, all she heard were stories about the Han family's dramatic turnaround. It was a war without smoke, and Seventh Old Madam was deeply stirred by the tale.

She was extremely satisfied with Zhen Niang. This girl, with every step she took, had something that caught her eye.

Among family, there was no need for excessive modesty. Moreover, Zhen Niang felt she had seized the opportunity well this time, experiencing a sense of achievement akin to stock market trading in later times.

Thus, she giggled and said, "It's all thanks to Seventh Grandmother's good teaching."

"Look at you, your mouth grows more eloquent by the day. I've just stepped off the boat, and you're already buttering me up." Seventh Grandmother teased back, her face beaming with joy.

However, given her advanced age, Zhen Niang still noticed the weariness in Seventh Old Madam's eyes. She quickly helped Seventh Grandmother into the room.

Earlier, Zhen Niang had already tidied the room and even used a hand warmer to heat the bedding on the couch.

Seventh Grandmother entered the room, washed up, then sat leaning against the couch, wrapped in a thin quilt. They had barely exchanged a few words before the Old Madam fell into a deep sleep.

Zhen Niang followed Huang Shi out of the room quietly and waited in the outer chamber.

Second Aunt Ma Sao and the others were in the kitchen, simmering bird's nest porridge, ready for the Old Madam to eat upon waking.

"Aunt, why did Seventh Grandmother suddenly come to Nanjing?" Zhen Niang whispered to Huang Shi in the outer chamber.

"It must be for your Uncle Jingming's sake. On the way, your Seventh Grandmother told me that when your Aunt Jingming sent word home back then, it coincided with the incident involving Jingquan and Zhengxuan, father and son. The family was in such chaos that naturally, they couldn't attend to it. Afterwards, your Seventh Grandmother fell seriously ill, and the family was solely focused on her, so your Uncle Jingming's matter was forgotten. All in all, in this regard, the Seventh Branch owes your Uncle Jingming and his family." Huang Shi explained.

During the carriage ride, her mother-in-law had already recounted the events of those years to her.

"So, Seventh Grandmother came this time to take Uncle Jingming and his family back to Huizhou, right?" Zhen Niang lowered her voice further.

"You little imp, what are you muttering about out there? Come in here." At that moment, Seventh Old Madam's amused scolding sounded from the inner room.

Having just arrived in an unfamiliar place, Seventh Old Madam couldn't sleep soundly. After dozing for a while, she woke up and, hearing Zhen Niang's words from the outer chamber, spoke up.

"Seventh Grandmother is awake." Zhen Niang called out softly, involuntarily rubbing her nose. Though Seventh Grandmother was no longer young, her hearing was still sharp. She quickly rose, lifted the curtain, entered the room, moved a spring stool to sit by Seventh Grandmother's bedside, and diligently began massaging her legs.

The Old Madam, having slept for a while, now felt much more refreshed. She examined Zhen Niang carefully. "You've lost weight. If your mother saw you, she'd surely blame me in her heart."

"No, I've grown taller, so I appear thinner." Zhen Niang gestured to her own height with a smile. She had indeed grown a little."Hmm, it is a bit high." The old madam also smiled, then asked, "How did you know I came to take your Uncle Jingming back?"

Zhen Niang knew the old madam's habit of testing people was acting up again, so she made an effort to cooperate: "Although the accounts show that Uncle Jingming and his family must have kept some private records over the years, without the support of the main branch all this time, it hasn't been easy for them—just one family, guarding these Nanjing assets. So, even if there were some private accounts, as long as the assets remain intact, it can't be considered a major fault. Family matters shouldn't be scrutinized too closely."

"Hmm, you're quite clear-headed, not blinded by success." Seventh Old Madam nodded approvingly, then said, "Go on."

"But now that I'm in Nanjing, as they say, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers. So, Uncle Jingming must return to Huizhou. However, simply sending him back would seem rather unkind. That's why Seventh Grandmother has come personally to fetch them—I imagine there must be a good arrangement waiting in Huizhou." Zhen Niang said with a grin.

Uncle Jingming's return to Huizhou was inevitable. This had been decided with Second Aunt when Zhen Niang first arrived. It was only after learning some inside details about Uncle Jingming's situation that Zhen Niang held back. After all, if Uncle Jingming were driven back by her, his return would be somewhat humiliating. But now, being welcomed back by Seventh Grandmother as a meritorious figure, with a well-arranged position awaiting him, it would be a glorious homecoming.

As for Uncle Jingming, after years of wandering, Seventh Grandmother's gesture likely hit the mark perfectly. By then, past grievances would vanish like smoke.

Overall, Seventh Grandmother's decision to come to Nanjing in person, despite her health, to fetch Li Jingming and his family was also meant to make up for the main branch's past neglect of Uncle Jingming and his family.

Though some things may not truly be made up for, the gesture and explanation must still be given.

"What nonsense about one mountain and two tigers." Seventh Grandmother tapped Zhen Niang's forehead in mock annoyance, though the analogy was actually quite fitting.

There could only be one person in charge in Nanjing. Otherwise, the workers wouldn't know whom to listen to, and over time, there would inevitably be conflicts and hindrances—hardly a path to progress. So, Li Jingming had to return to Huizhou. This girl truly understood things well.

That was why, from the moment she arrived in Nanjing until now, Zhen Niang had been lax about Uncle Jingming's affairs, instead focusing on helping her aunt and uncle-in-law.

Thinking this, Seventh Old Madam affectionately tapped Zhen Niang's forehead again and said, "You clever girl."