A few days later, when First-Rank Official Zeng’s forehead wound had healed, Zhen Niang sincerely invited him again, and he finally agreed to become a master craftsman at the Li Family Ink Workshop.
Thus, the recent commotion surrounding First-Rank Official Zeng finally settled.
After Zeng joined the Li Family Ink Workshop, Zhen Niang specifically arranged a welcoming feast at a restaurant on Official Street.
According to news from the Tian family, Second Master Tian had smashed several fine Jingdezhen porcelain bowls and beaten two workers to vent his anger.
However, since the Li and Tian families knew each other well, and Second Master Tian ultimately couldn’t control the Tian family, he could hardly cause trouble for the Li family even if he wanted to. After sulking at the Tian Family Ink Workshop for several days, he dropped the matter entirely.
First-Rank Official Zeng’s arrival proved tremendously helpful to the Li family.
Among other things, through Zeng’s connections, they managed to poach several of the Wei family’s former customers from the Tian family. The Li family’s mid-grade ink, which had been struggling to gain traction, finally began to break through.
Because of this, everyone in the workshop came to fully accept First-Rank Official Zeng.
The Li Family Ink Workshop had only recently opened, and besides ink liquid sales, there wasn’t much counter business. Ink-making itself was a process of long accumulation, not something to be rushed. First-Rank Official Zeng, with his exceptional ink-making skills and enthusiastic nature, often visited the workshop’s back courtyard when counter business was slow.
He helped workers evaluate smoke and ink, and even offered enlightening suggestions about glue boiling, earning praise from everyone in the workshop. Zhen Niang was pleased to see this development.
Most workers were newly hired, with several masters teaching specific skills, but only First-Rank Official Zeng was versatile, with a broader vision. Having him supervise would benefit everyone’s ink-making skills.
Therefore, Zhen Niang didn’t interfere with First-Rank Official Zeng’s activities. Even regarding the ink liquid, she kept nothing hidden. Zeng would sometimes come over to watch the step-by-step ink-making process, remarking that in this trade, one never stopped learning.
“Girl, what mischief are you up to now? This First-Rank Official Zeng is suspicious, yet you let him wander freely around the workshop?” Early morning in the back courtyard, Ugly Woman was sweeping when Zhen Niang strolled by. She set down her broom and gave Zhen Niang a questioning look.
Zhen Niang hadn’t told anyone in the workshop about her suspicions regarding First-Rank Official Zeng, mainly because she wasn’t completely certain—they were just hunches, and speaking up might cause problems. Moreover, she didn’t want to alert him, so she’d only asked Ugly Woman to watch him. As just a sweeper, no one would pay attention to her, so all of Zeng’s actions fell under her observation.
“I know what I’m doing. Besides the ink liquid, we’re not producing any other ink yet, so there’s nothing for him to learn,” Zhen Niang replied. The ink was made in spring and autumn; summer’s heat made ink prone to spoilage, so summer and winter were typically for storing smoke and coal. The ink currently being sold at the workshop was all transported from Huizhou. The workshop hadn’t begun large-scale production yet; workers were just burning and collecting smoke in preparation for autumn production.
Hearing this, Ugly Woman snorted. The girl was trying to mislead her—she was talking about the ink liquid! If that formula leaked out, the Li family would suffer tremendous losses. However, since the girl was deliberately being cryptic, Ugly Woman couldn’t be bothered to pursue it. She waved Zhen Niang away, telling her not to interfere with her sweeping.
Zhen Niang left with a giggle.
Before they knew it, high summer had arrived. Cicadas sang endlessly, and the second season of raw silk procurement was drawing to a close.
Recently, there has been quite an uproar in raw silk procurement. Previously, silk cocoons were purchased directly by silk factories, but this year, local government offices were handling the purchases, and cocoon prices were nearly twenty percent lower than in previous years. Zhen Niang, who had raised silkworms before, knew that with such a price reduction, silkworm farmers could hardly make any profit.
Moreover, with government offices handling purchases, common people had even less bargaining power. There were reports of clearly superior-grade cocoons being paid only second-grade prices, causing widespread discontent among silkworm farmers.
However, these matters were just after-dinner chat topics for Zhen Niang. She was just a common person herself and couldn’t influence such things, so she focused on her small corner of the ink business.
Near noon, Zheng Fuli had just shipped a batch of goods to the Imperial City’s Ink King Pavilion. Upon returning to the workshop, his face and clothes were drenched in sweat. He first went to the back courtyard to change clothes, then returned to submit the receipts. Zhen Niang had the young maid serve him a bowl of sour plum soup, which had been chilled with water from the old well in the back courtyard—refreshing in this weather.
Zheng Fuli held the sour plum soup, feeling sweet inside.
“Haha, when I was delivering goods earlier, I ran into the Tian family also making a delivery. When Second Master Tian saw me delivering to the Ink King Pavilion, his face turned green with anger. He even threatened me, saying not to celebrate too early, that the real show was yet to come. Ha! Empty threats are all he can make now,” Zheng Fuli drained the bowl of sour plum soup in one gulp and smacked his lips mockingly.
Hearing this, Zhen Niang’s bright eyes dimmed slightly. She turned to First-Rank Official Zeng, who was leisurely sipping tea nearby, and said, “This is all thanks to First-Rank Official Zeng.”
The Ink King Pavilion had originally been the Wei family’s customer, later pulled to the Tian family by First-Rank Official Zeng. Now that Zeng had joined the Li family, he had brought the Ink King Pavilion’s business to them. As a major scholarly supplies store in the Imperial City, the Ink King Pavilion finally gave Li family ink access to the Imperial City market.
It’s worth noting that Li ink had previously been driven out of the Imperial City market due to its tendency to crack in the northern climate.
“Miss Zhen is too kind. I don’t deserve such credit. Even without my intervention, the Ink King Pavilion would have eventually found its way to the Li family. Not just for the ink’s quality—Manager Jia has asked me several times about the ink liquid. It was simply a matter of time,” First-Rank Official Zeng said with a smile. The Manager Jia he mentioned was the Third Manager of the Ink King Pavilion.
Just then, First-Rank Official Zeng’s son rushed into the workshop looking anxious: “Father, Maternal Grandfather is critically ill and wants to see Mother. Mother is crying uncontrollably at home, please come back quickly!”
Hearing this, First-Rank Official Zeng also became extremely anxious. He cupped his hands toward Zhen Niang, clearly asking for leave.
For such matters, Zhen Niang couldn’t refuse. She even had some money drawn from the counter for Zeng’s emergency use—not much, just a gesture of goodwill.
First-Rank Official Zeng thanked her with cupped hands, then left the Li Family Ink Workshop with his son. They left Official Street but didn’t go far, instead circling and using small paths to re-enter Official Street from the other end, passing through several private residences before entering the Tian Family Ink Workshop.
The story about his father-in-law’s critical condition was, of course, something First-Rank Official Zeng had instructed his son to say.
“First-Rank Official Zeng, you’ve arrived,” Second Master Tian greeted him respectfully, showing none of his usual roughness.
The two entered the inner hall, sat down, and had servants bring tea before closing the doors. They instructed the maids to guard outside and prevent eavesdropping.
Only then did First-Rank Official Zeng take out the ink formula. Second Master Tian reached for it, but Zeng circled his hand away and tucked it back into his robes.
Second Master Tian grew annoyed: “First-Rank Official Zeng, what’s the meaning of this?”
“Money first, goods after,” First-Rank Official Zeng said with a grin. Truth be told, he had little regard for the Tian family’s Second Master, and the only reason he was willing to sacrifice his reputation this time was because he had his eye on both the Li family’s ink liquid and a sum of money from the Tian family. With the ink liquid formula, plus his years of savings and the Tian family’s payment, he could start a business back in his hometown and return in glory.
Therefore, he insisted on a simultaneous exchange with the Tian family.
“You think I’d cheat you?” Second Master Tian said irritably.
“It’s always good to be careful. Once this comes out, my reputation will be ruined. I’ll need the money to flee,” First-Rank Official Zeng said.
“Fine, have it your way.” Since they had agreed beforehand, Second Master Tian wouldn’t go back on his word. He took out ten silver notes from his robes, each worth fifty taels, totaling five hundred taels. As First-Rank Official Zeng reached for them, Second Master Tian mimicked Zeng’s earlier gesture, circling his hand in the air before counting out five notes: “Half first. After we test the formula and confirm it’s genuine, you’ll get the other half.”
Second Master Tian wasn’t completely unreasonable. Since arriving in Nanjing, if nothing else, he had suffered several defeats at Zhen Niang’s hands and had learned his lesson. He conducted business much more prudently than he had in Huizhou.
“Agreed.” First-Rank Official Zeng nodded, accepted the notes, and handed over the formula.
“Manager Fang, please keep First-Rank Official Zeng company while I take workers to test this formula,” Second Master Tian called Manager Fang over to watch Zeng—’keep company’ really meant ‘guard,’ in case the formula proved problematic, preventing Zeng from escaping with the money.
First-Rank Official Zeng remained calm. He had tested this formula several times in private, and the ink liquid produced was identical.
Second Master Tian ordered servants to bring wine, dishes, and snacks, then left with the formula.
Outside, he ran into Tian Ronghua rushing over.
“Second Brother, where are you going?” Seeing her second brother hurrying along with several workers, Tian Ronghua quickly asked what was happening.
“Testing an ink formula,” Second Master Tian replied irritably, still angry with his third sister.
Testing an ink formula? What formula? She had heard workers mention First-Rank Official Zeng’s return. Could it be related to him? Thinking this, Tian Ronghua hurried after her brother.
“Second Brother, what formula? Where did it come from?” Tian Ronghua asked, holding up her skirts to keep pace.
“Got it from First-Rank Official Zeng—the Li family’s ink liquid formula,” Second Master Tian said proudly. This was his masterpiece.
By now, Tian Ronghua understood that her second brother’s recent targeting of First-Rank Official Zeng had all been an act. She was stunned that he had quietly made such a major move.
As for right or wrong, Tian Ronghua couldn’t judge. After all, such tactics had been used by their father and eldest brother back in Huizhou, when the Sun family was driven out of the ink workshop by the Li family.
However, when they came to Nanjing, her eldest brother said that Nanjing was an unfamiliar territory and that Huizhou people would have difficulty establishing themselves there, so they should cooperate with the Li family. Recently, because of the ink liquid matter, Tian Ronghua had been thinking of finding an opportunity to talk with Li Zhen Niang.
If the Li family could cooperate with the Zhu family, why couldn’t they cooperate with the Tian family?
But unexpectedly, her second brother had quietly pulled this scheme. What chance of cooperation with the Li family remained now?
She had heard that Third Grand-Uncle Cheng had also come to Nanjing. If the Li family allied with the Cheng family, then when the Zhu, Li, and Cheng families joined forces, even with the Tian family’s tribute ink reputation, they would struggle to make headway.
“Second Brother, Eldest Brother said we should cooperate with the Li family. Nanjing isn’t Huizhou—relying on our family alone will make us a target for everyone,” Tian Ronghua said urgently.
“Stop with your ‘Eldest Brother said’ this and that! You only have eyes for Eldest Brother, not for Mother or me as your Second Brother. Too bad you weren’t born to First Mother instead!” Second Master Tian exploded at the mention of their eldest brother. Since childhood, his elder brother had always been better at everything, more accomplished in all ways. Everyone in the family valued the eldest brother while treating him like dirt. His chest had long been full of resentment.
Having said his piece, he ignored Tian Ronghua and led his people into the workshop.
Tian Ronghua’s eyes reddened with anger, but since they already had the ink-liquid formula and things had progressed this far, they could only press forward. She just hoped they wouldn’t lose more than they gained. So she followed Second Master Tian into the workshop.
Her second brother didn’t understand ink-making—she needed to supervise.