Li Jinhua, already worried about her elderly father at home, couldn’t stay still after hearing Zhenniang’s words. She called Li Jincai to leave together and return to Li Village.
Zhenniang saw them off at the city gate before turning back.
“Jinhua, let’s not rush back just yet. I’m thinking, since we can’t conveniently visit the main family branch, why don’t we go to Ninth Aunt’s place?” Li Jincai suggested, while internally calculating that he should stay in the city to gather more information.
“We’ve already been to Ninth Aunt’s place earlier, and everything’s been arranged. My second sister and Zhenniang’s elder brother are there helping out. Too many people would just be confused. Besides, I’m worried about my father. Let’s go back,” Li Jinhua reasoned.
“Your second sister and Zhenniang’s elder brother are helping out of their goodwill, but we should show our concern too. Besides, Father is at home with Changgen and the others, nothing will happen. Let’s stay and see how things develop,” Li Jincai continued to persuade.
“I know, but Changgen and the others still have work to do. With Father’s temperament, he must have already sent them to work in the fields. Who would be there to look after him? If you want to stay, then you stay. I’m going home.” Li Jinhua said. Somehow, after hearing Zhenniang’s words, she felt increasingly uneasy. She refused to stay.
With that thought, she headed toward the city gate first.
Li Jincai truly wanted to stay. He was focused on the possibility that if the Seventh Madam from the main branch passed away, there would surely be changes at the ink workshop. After all, the Sixth Branch had shares in the workshop – they couldn’t let others take advantage.
Moreover, he wasn’t content with their current situation. He had always wanted to find an opportunity to become independent again. Opening another shop elsewhere was impossible now, but he saw a glimmer of hope in the ink workshop.
However, while Li Jincai had these thoughts, ever since his attempt to take another wife in Suzhou was discovered, everyone in the Li family treated him with disdain. If he stayed alone, no one would pay him any attention. Without Jinhua staying, it would only be awkward for him to remain.
“Fine, let’s do as you say. We’ll go back,” Li Jincai had no choice but to follow Li Jinhua back.
With a donkey and cart, the two soon returned to Li Village.
Li Jinhua pushed open the door to find Runer chasing baby chicks in the courtyard.
“Runer, where’s Grandfather?” Li Jinhua asked.
“Grandfather left with a wine jug,” Runer said, looking unhappy. His grandfather hadn’t played with him these past two days.
Left with a wine jug? This was bad – Father must have gone to drink away his sorrows. Li Jinhua thought, then asked Run’er: “Do you know where Grandfather went to drink?”
“No,” Runer shook his head.
Li Jinhua grew anxious and turned to Li Jincai: “Runer’s father, quickly go check the houses Father usually visits. Father’s been upset these past few days. If he drinks too much, who knows what might happen.”
“Alright, I’ll go right now.” Li Jincai nodded and left.
Li Jinhua couldn’t sit still either. She instructed Zhang Sao to watch the children, then went out to check the hillsides and fields where her father liked to spend time.
It was spring plowing season.
The farm hand Changgen was plowing the fields with several others.
“Mistress, do you need something?” Changgen asked upon seeing Li Jinhua.
“Changgen, have you seen my father?” Li Jinhua asked.
“Oh, the old master? I saw him heading toward Lotus Pond with a wine jug just now,” Changgen pointed to a spot not far ahead.
“Oh, I’ll go find him.” Li Jinhua finally felt some relief and turned toward Lotus Pond.
Lotus Pond wasn’t far, just hidden in a mountain hollow. Li Jinhua walked along the field ridge, where plantain and purslane grew in clusters.
At this moment, by Lotus Pond, Li Jintai sat holding his wine jug, looking at his reflection in the pond with drunken eyes.
By now, he was so drunk he mistook his reflection for Li Jinhe, his ninth brother.
“Ninth Brother, you’ve always been better than me at everything since we were young. When I was little, I thought you were such a despicable brat. But as I grew older, I knew I couldn’t compare to you all. I have neither ability nor ambition, always just getting by. Well, I don’t have grand aspirations, and I think that’s fine. But I’ve always thought, as your elder brother, I should be better than you at something, right? Otherwise, it’s too frustrating. But I’ve never found anything. I thought I could at least have more children than you, but all I got were three girls who cost me money. Ah, there’s nothing to compare…”
Saying this, the Sixth Master took another drink from his jug, then pointed at his reflection in the water and continued rambling: “But I finally found something I’m better at than you – I lived longer than you! Isn’t that right? How could you be so useless? You were better than me at everything, yet in the end, you didn’t live as long as me. What a shame. Were you doing it on purpose? Did you feel sorry for your Sixth Brother who was worse than you at everything, so you did this in the end? Well, let me tell you, if that’s what you’re doing, I won’t have it! Is your Sixth Brother someone who needs others to yield to him?”
The Sixth Master stood up unsteadily as he spoke, pointing at the water: “You little rascal, get up! Won’t get up? Then I’ll grab you up…”
The old master was completely drunk.
At that moment, as he reached to grab his reflection, he toppled forward into the pond with a splash.
Li Jinhua had just arrived to see this scene, and her soul nearly left her body as she screamed.
“Father… Help! Someone help!” Li Jinhua’s screams seemed to tear the sky apart.
Changgen and the others, who were plowing nearby, heard the screams and knew something was wrong. They rushed over immediately: “Mistress, what happened?”
“Changgen, quick, save him! My father fell in the water!” Li Jinhua shouted.
Hearing this, Changgen didn’t hesitate. He and two other farmhands dove into the pond, and after some splashing, they soon pulled the Sixth Master out. They hurriedly carried him back home.
Someone went to fetch the village’s barefoot doctor.
“It’s fortunate he was rescued quickly. He’ll be fine. Make him some ginger soup, and I’ll prescribe some medicine to warm him up,” the barefoot doctor said.
Li Jinhua and the others finally relaxed. She had been terrified earlier. Now thinking back, if she hadn’t heard Zhenniang’s words and returned home early, her father…
Li Jinhua dared not think of the consequences.
“I said I’m fine, what are you worried about?” The Sixth Master had sobered up and was muttering, still smelling of alcohol.
Thinking how her father had nearly lost his life to alcohol, Li Jinhua grew angry. She grabbed the wine jug: “Father, you’re not allowed to drink anymore!”
She directly imposed an alcohol ban on her father.
Faced with his daughter’s rare anger, the Sixth Master could only shrink his neck and agree, also feeling frightened at how close he’d come to dying because of alcohol.
Meanwhile, Zhenniang had no idea that her single comment had prevented a disaster in the Sixth Branch.
At this time, Zhenniang was at home studying re-processed ink.
As for the situation with the Seventh Grandmother from the main branch, she had done what she could. As her grandfather said, they should stay calm and go about their business. Even if she wanted to help the Seventh Grandmother, one must be capable of helping others – without ability, how could one assist others?
For an ink maker, the most important thing was to stay grounded and progress step by step along this path.
The way of ink-making was never easy and allowed no slack.
Therefore, Zhenniang never forgot to improve herself at any time.
Now she had set her sights on re-processed ink, a technology that could turn waste into treasure.
Re-processed ink involves crushing waste ink, re-adding glue, re-processing it, and finally making it into new ink.
Third Grandfather Cheng had brought three pieces of ink for Zhenniang to appraise that day, and the ink had been left with her. The first piece, imitating Jia Sixie ink, was medicinal ink. Zhenniang understood the method and formula for making this medicinal ink.
However, the second piece of re-processed ink was special. The most crucial aspect of re-processed ink was the glue method. Zhenniang remembered what her grandfather often said before her transmigration: “In ancient ink making, the glue method was paramount. With the right glue method, average smoke and coal could make superior ink. Without it, even the finest smoke and coal might only produce mediocre ink.”
This shows the importance of the glue method, and the piece of re-processed ink in her hands now used a method that had been lost in later generations. How could Zhenniang not be excited about this discovery?
Zhenniang’s current goal was to recreate this glue method. As she was lost in thought, she was suddenly interrupted by a greeting.
“Zhenniang, what are you doing? Where’s your sister-in-law?” At that moment, two people squeezed through the half-open door.
Zhenniang, whose thoughts had been interrupted, looked up somewhat unhappily. Seeing it was the Du brothers, she stood up and greeted them: “Elder Brother Du, Second Brother Du, hello. Please sit. My sister-in-law is in the room putting little Xiaoguan to sleep. I’ll go call her.”
It was noon, time for little Xiaoguan’s rest.
Zhenniang went to knock on her sister-in-law’s door: “Sister-in-law, Elder Brother Du, and Second Brother Du are here, in the courtyard.”
“Oh, I know, I’ll be right there,” Du Shi responded from inside. Zhenniang left it at that and sat down by the window to continue studying the re-processed ink. As for the two in the courtyard, since there was no one else there, she naturally needed to avoid impropriety and didn’t go out.
Soon after, Du Shi came out, smiled at Zhenniang, and then went to the courtyard.
Shortly after, Zhenniang heard quiet arguing from the courtyard.
“Asking for money again? I gave you all my money, where would I get more?” Du Shi frowned.
“It’s almost time to buy rapeseed, and we used up all our money when we rented the oil press. Now it’s the start of the season, we can’t have any money to buy rapeseed. Think of something, scrape together a bit more,” Du Dalang said.
“How can I think of anything? Don’t you know the Li family’s current situation? It’s exactly when they need money, where would there be any spare?” Du Shi said quietly.
“That’s the business of the Li family’s Seventh and Ninth Branches, what does it have to do with your Eighth Branch? Please, please help. Once we collect the rapeseed and press the oil to sell, we’ll pay it back,” Second Du quickly added.
“Alright, alright, you go back, I’ll ask around. But no guarantees,” Du Shi was always soft-hearted toward her brothers, so she agreed, though having borrowed money many times before, she wasn’t foolish enough to make promises.
“Mm, then we’ll leave. Sister, please find a way. Otherwise, we rented the oil press but can’t start operations – wouldn’t that be a waste?” Du Da responded, then pulled Second Du away with him.
“Sister-in-law, they came to borrow money again?” Zhenniang leaned on the windowsill, looking at Du Shi in the courtyard.
“Ah, it’s almost time to buy rapeseed, and they used up all their money renting the oil press. Now they have no money to buy rapeseed,” Du Shi said.
“Sister-in-law, I don’t mean to meddle, but if you ask Mother for money now, you’ll get scolded,” Zhenniang said.
“Then what can we do? It’s just to help them get through this period. They’ll pay it back once they press and sell the oil,” Du Shi frowned. Mother-in-law had been frustrated at the Ninth Branch these past few days, her temper unusually volatile, arguing with Grandmother several times for no reason. Du Shi couldn’t risk provoking Zhao Shi now.
“What else can we do? It’s hopeless. Besides, my Sister-in-law, even if we had money, we couldn’t keep lending like this. We’re not a bank. Since they’re running a business, they need to follow business rules. They have the oil press – they could completely mortgage it to a bank, borrow money to buy rapeseed, then pay it back after making a profit,” Zhenniang said.
“Would that work?” Du Shi was completely unfamiliar with such matters.
“They can try it,” Zhenniang replied.