“Sharp-tongued,” Luo Wenqian snorted coldly, then drew his clothes around himself and leaned against the tree, turning his face away, ignoring everyone.

Zhen Niang rubbed her nose and turned her face away as well, continuing to sell her ink, each ignoring the other.

“Zhen Niang, how are your ink sales?” Just then, Tian Benchang walked over, examining her ink while asking with a faint smile.

“Decent enough, just enough to get by,” Zhen Niang replied indifferently, having even less to say to this person.

Her indifferent expression left Tian Benchang unsure of how to continue the conversation.

After a while, Tian Benchang finally said, “Zhen Niang, why did Li Ink suddenly withdraw from the tribute ink competition? Why care about some idle gossip? Hasn’t there always been rumors before every tribute ink competition?”

“How would I know my Seventh Grandmother’s thoughts? Our family left Li Ink Workshop long ago. You should speak to my Seventh Grandmother about this,” Zhen Niang said with a pout, knowing without doubt that he was also trying to probe why Li Ink suddenly withdrew from the competition.

She raised her eyebrows and feigned puzzlement: “I’m curious, isn’t the Tian family also participating in the tribute ink competition this year? Shouldn’t you be happy that Li Ink withdrew? One less strong competitor.”

“How could I have any say before your Seventh Grandmother? I’m just showing goodwill, nothing else. We’re all in the ink-making industry, bound to meet frequently, there’s still some friendship there. I just think it’s a pity the Li family gave up this opportunity,” Tian Benchang explained with a bitter smile.

Zhen Niang had always been cold towards him, leaving him feeling powerless.

“Then thank you for your concern, Young Master Tian, but I don’t know,” Zhen Niang replied coolly, inwardly finding his mention of friendship rather nauseating.

“You woman, don’t be ungrateful! My elder brother is showing concern for your Li family, yet you’re so cold,” Second Young Master Tian, Tian Rongchang, who had come with Tian Benchang, said angrily.

Then Tian Rongchang turned to Tian Benchang: “Elder Brother, why show such kindness? I think the Li family withdrew from the competition because they lacked confidence, knowing their ink couldn’t compete with our Tian family’s ink. They withdrew to save face. Well, at least they show some self-awareness.”

“Who’s being ungrateful? Speaking of self-awareness, I think some people lack it. I didn’t want to say this, but while I don’t know why my Seventh Grandmother isn’t participating in the competition, I guess she simply disdains competing alongside thieves, that’s why she withdrew.”

Tian Rongchang’s words were truly aggravating, so Zhen Niang’s response was equally harsh.

“Who are you calling thieves?” Tian Rongchang jumped up in anger.

“Whoever responds is guilty,” Zhen Niang replied.

“You…” Tian Rongchang’s face turned ashen. Just as he was about to argue further with Zhen Niang, Tian Benchang stopped him. Then Tian Benchang turned to Zhen Niang with a dark expression: “Zhen Niang, I know you’re angry with me, but it’s not good to make such accusations without evidence.”

“I’m making accusations?” Zhen Niang pointed at herself, then said seriously: “Young Master Tian, I didn’t want to break face, but you forced me. Your Tian family’s flagship ink, the one you’re preparing for the tribute competition, supposedly called Agarwood Ink, actually uses our Li family’s lacquer smoke formula for the soot component, which Sun Dalang previously sold to you illegally. Do you think the Li family discovered Sun Dalang’s betrayal? It was because of your Tian family’s ink. Though this humble girl may not excel at much else, I do have some expertise in ink appraisal. When your Tian family’s ink came out, I immediately recognized that the soot formula was the one I had previously sold to my Seventh Grandmother, which led her to set a trap and catch Li Dalang red-handed. And your ink’s binding formula, I assume you stole it from Cheng Ink? Three steaming and pounding processes, using deer horn glue, combined with pearl powder, copper sulfate, pomegranate skin, egg white, plus borneol, musk, gold foil, and pig bile to bind the ink—am I correct?” Zhen Niang’s rapid-fire words left the Tian brothers speechless.

“Oh, right, I forgot one thing,” Zhen Niang deliberately tapped her forehead: “The agarwood soot—probably added to avoid criticism, right? Your Tian family added a bit of agarwood soot to the Li family’s lacquer soot and then called it your flagship Agarwood Ink. But let me tell you, adding agarwood soot is this ink’s biggest mistake. Agarwood’s fragrance is strong, and precisely because its scent is so strong, you must ensure the purity of the fragrance for it to be considered fine quality. That’s why traditional agarwood ink uses as few additives as possible—the more additives and mixed materials used, the lower the quality.”

“You… must be mistaken,” Tian Benchang could only deny it, but his heart was churning—Zhen Niang hadn’t been wrong about a single detail. He never imagined this young woman would have such discerning eyes. At this moment, Tian Benchang was filled with regret and silently cursed his mother—this should have been his wife, but his mother had thoroughly ruined it.

“Well said, very well said!” Just then, Luo Wenqian stood up from beside the tree, applauding.

“Brother Wenqian, what are you doing here?” Tian Benchang greeted him with a dark expression.

“Don’t call me brother, I’m not worthy,” Luo Wenqian asked mockingly.

“Surnamed Luo, what, still haven’t given up? Forget about my sister in this lifetime,” Tian Rongchang said disdainfully. The current Luo Wenqian was no different from a street vagrant.

“Heh, your sister—I’m not fortunate enough to deserve her. However, we still have some accounts to settle,” Luo Wenqian said with a grin, though his eyes were cold as ice.

Zhen Niang watched from the side, feeling something wasn’t right. Her eyes caught sight of Luo Wenqian’s right hand hidden in his wide sleeve, and she glimpsed a knife handle partially exposed.

Zhen Niang’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening. What was Luo Wenqian planning to do? She recalled the rumors that Luo Wenqian had previously moved his family and some assets away, but was reported by Tian Rongchang, resulting in all his property being confiscated. Now he didn’t even know his family’s whereabouts, whether they were dead or alive.

Was this going to be revenge?

Zhen Niang inwardly groaned—if they wanted revenge or to settle scores, why do it in front of her? She didn’t want to get involved. At this moment, seeing Luo Wenqian’s hand about to move, she acted without thinking and bumped into him.

“What are you doing?” Luo Wenqian stumbled from Zhen Niang’s bump, and after regaining his balance, glared at her.

“If you want to settle scores or whatever, go somewhere else. Don’t block my business—aren’t you harming others?” Zhen Niang said to Luo Wenqian, emphasizing the words “harming others.”

Tian Benchang had no desire to stay any longer—their ink formula, from the smoke component to the binding process, had been completely exposed by Zhen Niang. Moreover, there had been many people around, and Zhen Niang hadn’t spoken quietly. Others must have heard, and no doubt the Cheng family would soon come knocking. He needed to hurry home and discuss with his father how to handle this situation.

He felt like he had lifted a rock only to drop it on his foot.

He had originally just been curious about why Li Ink suddenly withdrew from the competition and came to sound out Zhen Niang, but his second brother’s interruption had angered her, leading to this face-slapping revelation.

Therefore, Tian Benchang now had no concern for what Luo Wenqian might do. He cupped his hands and said, “Brother Wenqian, I have urgent matters at home and must leave immediately. If you have any difficulties, you can find me at the ink gallery.” With that, he pulled Tian Rongchang away.

Luo Wenqian just stood there, watching the Tian brothers leave with a cold face. Just now, if he had taken two more steps forward, he could have taken one of their lives.

“What? Afraid I’d hurt your beloved, rushing to save him?” After the Tian brothers had gone far enough, Luo Wenqian turned to Zhen Niang with a cold smirk.

“Young Master Luo, Lord Luo, please use your brain. I said before, if you want to settle scores, do it elsewhere, not in front of me. Just now, if you had injured the Tian brothers, I would have been implicated. Wouldn’t that be unfair? Besides, how many people does your Luo family have left? You might be the last one. If you killed one of the Tian brothers, well, at least a life for a life wouldn’t be too unfair. But with your noble upbringing and lack of strength, you might fail at revenge and lose your own life instead—that would be even more unfair,” Zhen Niang said irritably.

“Sounds so noble, but you’re just afraid of being implicated, aren’t you?” Luo Wenqian said mockingly.

Zhen Niang felt today was truly unlucky, with everyone, living or ghost, coming to needle her. She glared: “That’s right, I’m a respectable young woman from a good family. If I get involved in a lawsuit, how am I supposed to live?”

This was Ming Dynasty Huizhou, heavily influenced by Zhu Xi’s Neo-Confucianism, where the famous memorial arches would later stand—life was difficult for women.

“Good family? Respectable young woman?” Luo Wenqian raised his eyebrows: “As I recall, you’re supposed to bring bad luck to husbands, and had your engagement broken off, right?”

Zhen Niang nearly choked with anger, but let it go. This Young Master Luo had become bitter after his downfall. She considered herself broad-minded and decided not to argue with him.

Zhen Niang began packing up her stall, preparing to go home.

“I’m leaving Huizhou soon,” Luo Wenqian suddenly said.

Zhen Niang was crouching on the ground, packing her ink box. Hearing Luo Wenqian’s words, she looked at him in surprise, wondering why he was telling her about his departure. Then she thought about the Luo family’s situation—he probably had no one else left to tell, and she and Luo Wenqian were acquaintances of sorts.

“Oh, where are you planning to go?” Zhen Niang asked casually, continuing her work.

“Don’t know, just need to go out and try my luck. If I ever make it big, I’ll return. If not, I’ll die out there,” Luo Wenqian said, looking up at the sky. The debts that needed collecting would be collected—it just depended on whether heaven was willing.

Zhen Niang looked at him, unsure what to say. Then she straightened up and took some silver pieces from her purse: “Here, I’ll lend these to you, at thirty percent interest.”

“Such high interest! Aren’t you afraid I won’t pay it back? You won’t be able to find me then,” Luo Wenqian looked at the silver, then took it, weighing it in his hand while looking at Zhen Niang.

“Making money always involves some risk,” Zhen Niang said indifferently.

“Yes, true,” Luo Wenqian nodded, then tucked the silver into his clothes.

By now, Zhen Niang had finished packing everything, and Xi’er had arrived. Zhen Niang gave him the small stool to carry, and without even a word of farewell to Luo Wenqian, left with Xi’er.

After all, they were nothing to each other.