That evening, Zhenniang learned the whole story about the formula incident from her grandfather.

It turned out that ever since Zhenniang discovered the formula had been leaked, Madam Li had been secretly investigating, though without success. Later, Seventh Grandmother devised a plan: she took out the Li family’s ancestral ink formula and gave it to Master Qin, asking him to carefully prepare a batch of ink for next spring’s tribute ink selection.

A thief who was used to stealing couldn’t resist the temptation when seeing valuable things—it was hard not to reach out and grab them. This batch of ink supposedly prepared for the tribute ink selection was bait set by Seventh Grandmother.

Sure enough, Sun Baiyi took the bait once again, and this time he was caught red-handed. There was no way for him to deny it.

“Speaking of which, it was extremely dangerous this time. Sun Baiyi was just a fire tender at the Li family ink workshop, and originally he shouldn’t have been able to enter the ingredients room at all. Unexpectedly, using his father Sun Dahe’s name and throwing around silver, he managed to win over a group of workshop workers. That’s how he repeatedly targeted the Li family’s ink formula, committing such treacherous acts. It’s outrageous!” Under the dim oil lamp, Old Manager Li was so angry his mustache trembled as he glared.

Then he sighed: “These workshop workers nowadays…”

“Grandfather, it’s ultimately because people’s hearts have scattered. Now that Seventh Grandmother is advanced in age and can’t manage everything at the workshop. Let alone the ink shop, I’ve heard there are several factions just within the workshop itself. Manager Shao and Steward Zheng are in-laws and form one faction, with quite a few workers following them. Then there’s Uncle Jingdong’s faction, with basically all the mold makers and carvers following him. Some used to follow you, Grandfather, and still hope you’ll return to the workshop. With things like this, how can the workers not have wandering hearts? Add in outsiders sowing discord, and the current situation isn’t surprising,” Zhenniang consoled while helping massage her grandfather’s back.

“That’s exactly it. When all is said and done, it goes back to the trouble your father caused that year,” Old Manager Li sighed.

If it weren’t for Li Jingfu’s foolish actions back then, Seventh Master wouldn’t have passed away so early, and Li Jinshui wouldn’t have left the workshop. Even Jingdong wouldn’t have become disabled. Many things in the Li family wouldn’t be the way they are now.

“Grandfather, what’s past is past. There’s no use dwelling on it now,” Zhenniang consoled from the side.

“It’s impossible not to think about these things. I feel I have no face to meet our ancestors,” Old Manager Li coughed, his expression growing dim.

“You old fool, how can you say you have no face to meet the ancestors? Hasn’t Jingkui already given his life for the workshop? Even Jingfu has changed for the better now. Yesterday, Huaide returned from Suzhou and brought back twenty taels of silver from Jingfu. Didn’t you hear Huaide say that Jingfu is now the third manager of the trading company? If it weren’t for a shipment of goods going north for the New Year, he would have come back for the holiday. And now, Zhenniang, a mere girl, is making money making ink, while Zhengliang started from nothing and created a good business with coal stoves. Go ask around the neighborhood now—who doesn’t say our family’s children are making us proud? How have we wronged our ancestors? Now, for the mistakes of the past, those who needed to pay have paid, and those who needed to be punished were punished. What more do you want? I just don’t understand—how can you say you have no face to meet the ancestors?” From the side, Grandmother Wu was cutting New Year paper decorations under the dim oil lamp, and hearing the old man’s words, she became displeased.

So she rattled on with a string of rebuttals.

“Alright, alright, no one would think you’re mute if you didn’t speak. Just do your work,” Old Manager Li replied in annoyance.

“What, I’m not allowed to speak my mind?” Madam Wu retorted irritably.

The old couple started bickering.

The younger ones on the side watched and giggled.

Listening to all this from the side, Zhenniang understood that her Seventh Grandmother hadn’t misunderstood the Sun family—the formula was stolen by Sun Baiyi. As such, she couldn’t say anything about the Sun family matter. Although the Li family’s actions seemed to border on private punishment, this was the Ming Dynasty, not the modern world.

She, Li Zhenniang, couldn’t go against the rules of this era.

She slept heavily that night, and in the morning, Zhenniang went early to help Water Uncle at the Tiger Stove. After finishing, she returned home.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered the door, she was pulled along by Xi’er.

“What are you doing, you little rascal?” Zhenniang grimaced as her arm hurt from his pulling.

“Today they’re going to punish Sun Dalang at the workshop. Let’s go watch!” Xi’er said excitedly, being the type who loved to watch the chaos unfold.

When Zhenniang heard about this, she hadn’t expected them to act so quickly. Instead of resisting, she grabbed Xi’er’s hand and they ran together to the workshop.

The Li family ink workshop had a large courtyard for storing wood. Now in the middle of the courtyard, Sun Baiyi was tied to a chair, his legs propped up on stands on either side. Two Li family servants stood holding clubs as thick as small arms, just waiting for the order to carry out the punishment.

This was a private punishment, officially not allowed, but in the Ming Dynasty, there were clan laws and rules, village laws and rules, trade laws and rules, and so on, all with certain punitive rights. So as long as there was sufficient evidence, it was permitted—considered an ancient unwritten rule.

Sun Baiyi was now crying and wailing miserably, but no one paid him any attention.

“Zhenniang, Xi’er, come here.” Seeing Zhenniang and Xi’er, Old Madam Li beckoned to them.

Zhenniang pulled Xi’er over.

“Good, now everyone is here. I’ll ask one final time—does the Sun family have anything else to say? I’m giving you a chance to explain yourselves. If not, we’ll begin the punishment,” Old Madam Li stood up and coldly surveyed the crowd.

“Old Madam, my eldest son knows his mistake. Please spare him this time,” Madam Feng pleaded from the side.

“Dahe’s wife, countries have their laws, and families have their rules. Your eldest son’s mistake this time is too grave. If we don’t punish him severely, anyone will dare to move against the Li family in the future. The Li family cannot bear that responsibility. I’m sorry,” Old Madam Li sighed deeply.

Her expression remained resolute.

At this time, Sun Yuejuan from the side also looked pleadingly at Zhenniang.

“Little Zhenniang, remember, in this world, rules are rules. They cannot be abandoned for the sake of emotions. Business battles are like battlefields—one wrong step, and all is lost,” Old Madam Li suddenly said.

“Aren’t reason and emotion both types of rules?” Zhenniang countered. Although her Li family’s eighth branch was in an awkward position, and this time Sun Dalang had brought it upon himself, Zhenniang didn’t feel compelled to strongly stand up for the Sun family. However, her previous self had been very close friends with Sun Yuejuan, and she had promised to speak up when possible. Originally she didn’t have the opportunity, but now, with Seventh Grandmother’s words meant to teach her, she spoke up—not necessarily to plead for the Sun family, but rather to discuss the relationship between emotion and law.

“Law deals with matters, emotion deals with people. Law is impersonal, while emotion varies with the individual,” Seventh Grandmother said deliberately.

Zhenniang naturally understood this, but putting it into practice was very difficult. The hardest part was finding the right balance.

At this moment, looking at Seventh’s Grandmother, Zhenniang suddenly had a feeling that Seventh’s Grandmother was still plotting something.

“Very well, if there’s nothing else, let’s begin the punishment,” Old Madam Li ordered.

“Wait, I have something to say.” At this moment, Sun Dahe, pale-faced, walked out from the crowd.

“Manager Sun, what do you have to say?” Old Madam Li looked at him.

Sun Dahe tightly closed his eyes for a moment, then said: “In this formula incident, my eldest son was merely an accomplice. I am the mastermind—I told him to do it. Madam, if you want to punish someone, please punish me.”

When Sun Dahe said this, there was an uproar from the crowd. Since the last time when Steward Zheng was demoted due to Zhenniang’s coal incident, Sun Dahe had been promoted, and now he could be considered the third most important person in the workshop, after only Manager Shao and Li Jingdong.

For such a high-ranking person in the workshop to do something like this was truly shocking.

“Have you thought through the consequences of what you’re saying? You can’t take the blame just because you feel sorry for your son,” Seventh Madam said calmly from the side.

“It’s precisely because I’ve thought it through that I’m speaking up. As a father, I can’t let my son take the blame for me,” Sun Dahe replied coolly.

“Very well, then in front of everyone present, I’ll ask you one more time: in the matter of Sun Baiyi stealing the ink formula, are you, Sun Dahe, the mastermind?” Old Madam Li asked heavily.

“Yes… I am!” Sun Dahe said through gritted teeth.

“Good, it’s good that you can admit it and step forward.” Old Madam Li stared at Sun Dahe for another moment, then sat down dejectedly: “What a pity, what a pity… If this hadn’t happened, I had planned to entrust the workshop and You’er to you after I’m gone.”

Old Madam Li was truly heartbroken. Over these years, not only had she grown old, but Manager Shao had aged too. This Manager Sun was someone she had put effort into promoting, planning to have him assist You’er in the future.

“I… have let you down!” Sun Dahe said with difficulty.

Sighs rippled through the crowd.

“Release Sun Dalang,” Madam Li sighed, then turned to Sun Dahe: “Dahe, considering your over ten years of hard work for the Li family, I’ll spare your legs. Go home and settle your affairs, then turn yourself into the authorities.”

“Yes, this time Dahe won’t disappoint Old Madam.” Sun Dahe said calmly, though his words carried the weight of mountains.

Old Madam Li waved her hand: “Everyone disperse…”

The workshop workers scattered amid whispered discussions.

Xi’er had run off somewhere to play, while Zhenniang walked alongside Seventh Grandmother.

“Seventh Grandmother, Uncle Sun is innocent, right? He’s taking the blame for his eldest son, just like when my grandfather took the blame for my father?” Zhenniang asked.

“Correct, anyone who knows your Uncle Sun’s character even slightly could see that,” Old Madam Li said.

“If everyone could see it, why not expose the truth?” Zhenniang asked.

“First, Sun Dahe wants to protect his eldest son—this is a father’s heart, just like when your grandfather wanted to protect your father. So, he sought benevolence and received it; this must be respected. Moreover, this is between father and son—once Sun Dahe admitted to it, how could others expose otherwise? Second, for the workshop, punishing Sun Dahe is more beneficial than punishing Sun Dalang, so I naturally went along with it,” Old Madam Li explained.

Zhenniang pondered and understood. The first point was easy to comprehend, while for the second point, Sun Dalang already had a bad reputation, so punishing him was natural. But for the workshop, once Sun Dalang was punished, they would inevitably have tension with his father Sun Dahe, making it impossible to continue employing him. However, if they were to dismiss Sun Dahe, who had served the Li family diligently for over ten years and had his group of followers, he would become a difficult knot for the Li family workshop to untie. Dismissing him might cause unrest among the workers, but keeping him would mean not being able to trust him fully—this would be too difficult for the workshop.

Now with Sun Dahe stepping forward to take the blame, his influence in the workshop immediately became negative. From the perspective of consequences, punishing Sun Dahe was indeed more beneficial to the workshop than punishing Sun Dalang.

Of course, Sun Dahe suffered the most injustice here. One could only hope that Sun Dalang wouldn’t follow in the footsteps of her father Li Jingfu in the future, or it would truly be a waste of Sun Dahe’s sacrifice.

And Seventh Grandmother hadn’t demanded to break Uncle Sun’s legs as she had with Sun Dalang—this clearly demonstrated what she had said earlier about emotion varying with the individual.

For a good-for-nothing like Sun Dalang to do such a thing, any punishment would be justified, with no need for sentiment. However, Sun Dahe had worked diligently for the Li family workshop for over ten years, so naturally, some consideration of feelings was warranted.

If for nothing else, they couldn’t discourage the hearts of the workshop workers.

With everything connected so tightly, Zhenniang had the feeling that it was all within Seventh Grandmother’s control.

Ancient trees become spirits, old people become crafty—the ancients truly didn’t lie. Seventh Grandmother was too crafty indeed.