That evening, a cloud of sorrow hung over the household.
The lamp smoke stung everyone’s eyes, making them water.
Zhenniang was sorting through her father’s belongings under the oil lamp while Madam Zhao sat nearby, occasionally wailing and cursing, clearly still immersed in grief.
Madam Zheng sat beside her, offering comfort.
“Sister-in-law, the dead cannot return to life. You need to think about moving forward. This whole family still depends on you to get by. If you let grief destroy your health, how will everyone manage?” Madam Zheng said while patting Madam Zhao’s back.
“Sister-in-law, I understand in my mind, but my heart won’t listen.” Madam Zhao wiped away her tears. Her eyes fixed on the dim oil lamp, seemingly lost in memories.
“To tell you the truth, I used to hate Zhenniang’s father. Besides not visiting brothels, what vice didn’t he have – drinking, gambling, everything! To speak ill of the dead, when I was at my angriest, I wished those debt collectors would beat him to death. But since last year, after his father drove him away, I started missing having him around. Then he began sending money to help support the family…” At this point, Madam Zhao gave a slight laugh, though it looked more painful than crying.
Beside her, Madam Zheng just nodded, knowing that Zhao just needed someone to listen, so she remained quiet.
“You know, he first worked as a porter at the docks. How much could he earn? After living expenses, the money he sent back was less than what Zhenniang made in a day. But to me, that money meant everything. I saved all of it. He said he had been foolish before, making mistakes that caused Father-in-law to compensate the Seventh Branch with the Eighth Branch’s shares in the ink factory. He said he would earn money, enough money to buy back the Eighth Branch’s shares in the ink factory. So I kept saving and saving… but I never expected…” Madam Zhao continued rambling.
“Since Second Uncle had such intentions, shouldn’t you be even more determined to help him fulfill this wish? Besides, we should think positively. Who can say what happened beyond the passes? Although the merchant convoy met with trouble, we never saw Second Uncle’s body. I heard from Jinggui that Second Uncle was clever since childhood. Perhaps he escaped when the Tatars came. He might return any day. Whatever the case, we must live our lives well and happily.” Madam Zheng said.
Having vented her emotions, Madam Zhao felt somewhat better. Hearing Madam Zheng’s words, she managed to raise her spirits: “You’re right, that makes sense. I’ll go check the kitchen. Father-in-law and Mother-in-law haven’t eaten all evening. I’ll make some plain porridge.”
As Madam Zhao stood up, just as Madam Zheng had said, with the elderly and young in the family, she had little time for grief. She had to pull herself together and manage the family’s daily life.
“You rest here, I’ll go, I’ll go,” Madam Zheng quickly said.
“I’d better go. Keeping busy helps me think less about that dead fool. Now I’m thinking it might be better if he never reformed – one less thing to miss.” Madam Zhao shook her head and left the room.
Madam Zheng, still worried, followed her to check on the elderly in-laws. For parents to bury their child – that was the most unbearable pain of all.
Zhenniang remained in the room, methodically folding her father’s clothes one by one, smoothing out even the smallest wrinkles.
In her mind, she pondered her mother’s words.
She hadn’t known that Li Jingfu’s deepest wish was to earn money to buy back the Eighth Branch’s shares in the ink factory.
Though the Li family ink factory was mainly controlled by the main lineage, initially the Sixth, Eighth, and Ninth Branches all held shares.
As the Li ancestors had said, the ink factory was the hereditary enterprise of the Li descendants.
However, the Eighth Branch had compensated their shares to the Seventh Branch due to past events.
Zhenniang now wondered if, should she not take over the factory, would it fall into Li Jincai’s hands as recorded in the family genealogy, leaving not even a trace of the inheritance.
If that happened, how could her parents’ wishes be fulfilled?
She thought of Seventh Grandmother’s high regard for her, and how Seventh Grandmother had stood up for her when the Tian family broke off their engagement. Then she recalled her grandfather’s pained expression from her previous life when the Li ink-making tradition was broken, along with his recent words. She also remembered the fates of several aunts recorded in the genealogy.
With all these thoughts in mind, for the first time, Zhenniang seriously considered whether she should accept Seventh Grandmother’s arrangements and inherit the ink factory.
Some paths in life, no matter how difficult, must be walked. Moving forward, there was no room for retreat.
“Oh no! There’s a fire somewhere! Look at that smoke, it’s reaching the sky!”
At that moment, chaos erupted outside the courtyard, with the sound of hurried footsteps and alarmed shouts coming from the city gate alley.
The Li family, still absorbed in their grief over Li Jingfu’s death, paid little attention. But then someone shouted: “It looks like it’s coming from the Li family ink factory…”
The houses near the city gate had virtually no soundproofing. Zhenniang, hearing this faintly from inside, gasped and rushed out. By then, Old Manager Li and others had also heard and emerged from their rooms.
Everyone stood in the courtyard, watching the thick smoke billowing in the distance, seemingly from the direction of the Li family ink factory.
“Grandfather, I’ll go check,” Zhenniang anxiously said to Old Manager Li.
Regardless of everything else, since Seventh Grandmother had left instructions for her to inherit the factory, she couldn’t ignore this situation. With that thought, she rushed out.
“Second Sister, wait for me, I’ll come with you,” Li Zhengliang, concerned for her safety, quickly followed.
Soon, the siblings arrived at Sibao Street.
The Li family ink factory outside Sibao Street was in chaos, with everyone trying to fight the fire. If it caught hold, it could spread to a large area. The street was lined with various shops’ storerooms – how could people not be anxious? Everyone fought the fire with all their might.
With everyone working together, the fire was finally contained to a small area, though the smoke remained terrifying.
“Don’t tell me your Li family started this fire to avoid requisition of the pine wood? I should warn you, that this batch of pine has already been registered with the Ink Affairs Bureau. If you can’t produce it when the time comes, your factory is finished.” At this point, Tian Benchang pushed through the crowd and addressed Manager Shao, who was directing the firefighting efforts.
“Young Master Tian is overthinking. This was merely an accident. That batch of pine is stored in the east warehouse, far from this fire. Even if these buildings burned down completely, it wouldn’t reach that pine.” Manager Shao’s face was covered in soot, making his expression unreadable.
“Very well then. I won’t disturb Manager Shao further, but let me remind you – one of the three days has already passed, and only two remain. You need to hurry.” Tian Benchang said.
Manager Shao kept his lips tightly sealed. The factory faced both internal and external troubles.
“No need for Young Master Tian’s concern. I assume if the Tian family wants to requisition the Li family’s pine, you can’t just take it without compensation? That’s also stipulated by the Ink Affairs Bureau.” At this point, Zhenniang, protected by her elder brother, pushed through the crowd and addressed Tian Benchang.
“Oh, Miss Li, you’re here too? As for the price, we’ll pay a market rate of course. We won’t shortchange the Li family.” Tian Benchang smiled faintly.
“Market rate? As far as I know, hundred-year pine is priceless now – you can’t buy it even if you want to. Surely just market rate won’t do? Could it be that the Tian family, newly entered into the business, wants to use their power to bully others? Let me tell you something – you can’t control Huizhou’s ink industry alone.” Zhenniang’s voice was sharp. Since she had decided to take over the factory, she naturally had to counter the Tian family.
With pine disease widespread, hundred-year pine had become the scarcest raw material. Ninth Uncle had only managed to buy a batch by acting quickly – now it was impossible to buy any.
Yet Tian Benchang dared to speak of market rate.
“Hmph.” Zhenniang snorted coldly.
“Miss Li seems quite involved in the factory’s affairs now. Don’t worry, for Miss Li’s sake, I’ll consider offering a good price.” Tian Benchang said, glancing at Manager Shao with a sly smile.
Everyone in Huizhou’s ink industry knew about the Li family’s wariness of Li Jinshui.
Add to that the conflict between the Eighth and Ninth Branches – Zhenniang’s enthusiasm might be overstepping, likely causing displeasure from both the Seventh and Ninth Branches. Perfect – he could fan these flames, making things even more unpleasant between the Eighth Branch and the factory. Perhaps he might even have a chance to draw Li Jinshui and Zhenniang to his family’s factory.
Tian Benchang calculated carefully.
“Thank you, Young Master Tian. I have a suggestion – why don’t you go back and tell your father to trade ten years’ logging rights to the Luo family pine farm?” Zhenniang said sweetly, without a trace of anger.
Hearing this, Tian Benchang’s mouth twitched. Ten years’ logging rights to the Luo family pine farm? Only a fool would make that trade. He forced a laugh: “Miss Li must be joking. I’ll take my leave now.”
Tian Benchang dismissed Zhenniang’s words as a jest.
“Young Master Tian, please.” Zhenniang made a gesture of farewell. After watching Tian Benchang leave, she turned to Manager Shao, whose expression was complicated: “Manager Shao, what exactly happened here?”
Zhenniang pointed at the still-smoking Li family factory.
“Miss Zhen, please follow me.” Manager Shao led the way.
As soon as they entered the factory, they heard a commotion.
“Let go of me! Let me burn it! I must burn this factory down!” The speaker was Madam Jin, Ninth Uncle’s wife, making a scene. The brothers Zhengsheng and Zhengyan were restraining her.
Zhenniang’s head throbbed. She hadn’t expected that Ninth Uncle’s wife had started the fire. Looking at the smoke-blackened workshop, this was really…
Zhenniang was speechless.
“Grandmother, you can’t burn down the factory!” Li Zhengyan, the second cousin from the Ninth Branch, pleaded earnestly.
“Why can’t I burn it? Your grandfather put his life’s work into this place. Rather than let the Eighth Branch take it and ruin it, I’d rather burn it clean!” Ninth Uncle’s wife shrieked.
First her husband’s death, and before his body was even cold, the factory had unexpectedly fallen into the Eighth Branch’s hands. How could Madam Jin swallow this? Her husband and the Eighth Branch had been at odds their whole lives, and even Jingdong’s leg had been ruined because of the Eighth Branch. The Ninth and Eighth Branches were mortal enemies.
If the Ninth Branch couldn’t have the factory, the Eighth Branch wouldn’t get it either – she’d burn it all down. Madam Jin had lost all restraint.
Zhenniang rubbed her forehead, understanding – it was still about Seventh Grandmother passing the factory to her.
“Ninth Aunt, you can’t do this. Yes, it contains Ninth Uncle’s life’s work, but it also holds the collective effort of all Li descendants. Not to mention Eldest Uncle Jingquan, Second Uncle Jingguo, Third Uncle Jingqi, and Elder Cousin Zhengqi – they all gave their lives here. And my Eldest Uncle Jinggui, plus Ninth Uncle’s life, and Uncle Jingdong’s leg. Can all of this be erased by your fire?” Zhenniang stepped forward, unable to hold back.
“Hmph, if I burn it now, it’s just a natural disaster. But when you run it into the ground, the Li family will become a laughingstock. Better to burn it down.” Ninth Uncle’s wife looked at Zhenniang with contempt.
“Fine.” Zhenniang took a deep breath, first looking at Ninth Uncle’s wife, then turning to address everyone: “Seventh Grandmother favored me with the inheritance of the factory, but since last night until now, my heart hasn’t known a moment’s peace. Trepidation – that’s been my state of mind. I feared I couldn’t bear this responsibility! But today, seeing Ninth Aunt go to such extremes, I realize things can’t get worse than being burned to ashes. So what do I have to fear?”
She paused, then continued deliberately: “Therefore, I, Li Zhenniang, will take over this factory!”