Original subtitles

[The Heir]

[Episode 5]

Grandfather,

please teach me how to make ink.

Zhen,

I have sworn an oath that,

from now on,

I'll never involve myself in ink-making again.

Just give up on this.

You only swore never to make ink,

but you didn't say you wouldn't teach others.

No means no.

There's no use saying more.

Zhen,

don't be stubborn with your grandfather.

Our family has suffered misfortunes all these years,

all because of this ink.

Your father died because of ink.

Your grandfather suffered worse than death because of it.

It also ruined the marriages

and future of you and your brother.

Hasn't ink harmed our family enough?

That's right.

Mother,

our family has hit rock bottom,

all because of ink.

Therefore,

I must earn

it all back through ink.

Earn it all back?

What do you have to earn it back?

How can you do it?

I suggest you

give up this idea now.

I will absolutely not agree to it!

I want to live with my head held high!

As for the ink-making,

I have made up my mind!

Even if Grandfather won't teach me,

I will go to other workshops to learn.

I must make a mark out there!

Zhen.

Are you sure this will work?

It will.

Zhengliang, don't worry.

I've asked around.

Every ink workshop is hiring new recruits.

I should try them one by one.

Which ink workshop do you plan to go to?

Third Grandfather's place, of course.

The Chen's Ink Workshop.

What if you get discovered?

It's fine.

I'll go first

and deal with it if I'm discovered.

Besides,

even if Third Grandfather discovers me,

he can't do anything to me.

Remember,

you must help me hide this from Mother

and never let her know.

If Mother finds out about it,

she will definitely tear me apart.

Zhen,

this is a new set of clothes Ms. Du made for me.

I haven't even worn them yet.

Don't ruin them.

I see.

Zhengliang, remember

to keep it from Mother.

I'm leaving.

Be careful!

[Chen's Ink Workshop]

Starting today,

you will pound ink here.

No running around.

If you break the rules, you leave.

You go pound at the back.

Okay.

You

use this pestle to pound.

You three,

go pound over there.

Master,

how many times do we have to pound this?

A hundred thousand times for light glue.

Just focus on pounding.

Someone will come to check it later.

Lin!

Bring the ink blocks

and distribute them.

[Win Laurels in the Golden Palace]

Third Master,

we recently hired a new worker to pound ink.

But the more I look at her,

the more she looks like Eighth Master Li's granddaughter.

Where is she?

That's her over there.

She works pretty hard

and looks sharp-witted, too.

Should we

[Third Master Chen, Chen Jiru, Manager of Chen Ink]

keep her or not?

The ink workshop recruits

and keeps anyone who can work.

Okay.

Send her to the smoke shed to burn soot.

Jinshui,

we two brothers

haven't had a drink together for a long time.

Cheers.

You invited me for a drink out of the blue.

Tell me.

What's the matter?

I was afraid you'd be bored not making ink,

so I came to chat with you.

Come on, eat up.

Come on.

What has your granddaughter, Zhen,

been busy with lately?

She's working at Mr. Shui's food stall.

She goes out early

and comes back late every day.

You saw it?

What do you mean?

Just say whatever you want to say.

Jinshui.

I have something to tell you.

You can't get mad when I say it.

If you do, I just won't say it.

Then I won't get mad.

Go ahead.

Zhen...

She is now

working in my ink workshop.

Then why didn't you stop her?

Look, look.

You promised not to get mad.

Hear me out.

I think Zhen is quite a good girl.

She's smart,

and she works hard.

Just as the old sayings go,

like father, like daughter;

the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I already noticed she had a talent

for learning ink-making when she was little.

Cut it out.

I don't care what your son does.

But Zhen cannot do it.

Why did you get worked up

just from talking?

Don't regret it when I finish teaching her.

Chen the Third,

kick Zhen out of your ink workshop.

Otherwise, we are no longer brothers.

The young one is stubborn,

but the old one is even more so.

[Luo's Ink Workshop]

Working anywhere is the same

as long as I can make ink

and learn the craft.

Master Zeng,

we've taken in a new batch of apprentices recently.

Please take a look.

[Zeng Yipin, Ink-making Master of Luo Ink]

Pounding ink requires strength.

Other ink workers are all wearing undershirts.

Why aren't you wearing one?

I'm not hot.

So there's no need.

Is it that you don't need it,

or you can't wear it?

I don't n-need it.

You...

What are you doing?

So you are indeed a girl.

Women cannot make ink.

How dare you violate the industry rules

and ruin the reputation of our Luo family?

Who says women can't make ink?

That's just word of mouth.

Which book

records a written rule,

saying that women can't make ink?

What a sharp-tongued girl.

You broke the rules and still talked tough.

Fine.

Then come with me to the Literary Association

and sort this out properly.

Guards!

Take this girl

and come with me.

What? Don't touch me!

I can walk by myself!

President Hu,

and all the Heads of the Houses in the ink industry,

today,

please judge it for my Luo family.

This girl disguised herself as a man

and snuck into the Luo's Ink Workshop.

She ruined the family's tradition

and disgraced the industry.

-This is outrageous. -What a shame.

I only found out today

that you, Zeng Yipin,

can already represent the Luo family to handle things.

Eldest Young Master,

I have worked for Luo Ink for years,

so, of course, I share the honor and disgrace of the Luo family.

Share the honor and disgrace?

Li Zhen!

You are a woman.

How could you disguise yourself as a man

and sneak into the ink workshop?

How inappropriate!

You've been such a disgrace to the Li family!

Uncle Jingdong, you really are forgetful.

I've long been expelled from the clan.

Even if I'm a disgrace,

what does it have to do with your Li family?

Enough.

Since you are here at the Literary Association to argue,

the Literary Association

will help you settle this.

President Hu,

our Huizhou ink industry

has always had a rule that women cannot make ink.

That is merely an old cliche passed down by word of mouth,

but not a written conclusion.

How can it serve as a constraint?

I've heard

that Aunt Luo Mengzhen of the Luo family had astonishing talent

in ink-making.

The ink-blending technique

still used by Luo Ink today was

just invented by Aunt Luo.

I have a question for you, Master Zeng.

Since you've worked for Luo Ink for so many years,

have you ever used

the Luo family's ink-blending technique?

Well...

Since you have used it,

using a technique created by a woman

while blatantly

claiming that women cannot make ink

is truly contradictory

and ungrateful.

Miss Li, I know you are

an expert at identifying pine and ink.

Not until today did I learn

that you're also this sharp-tongued.

That "ungrateful" comment

was really well said.

I think

ink-making

is about talent.

As long as one can make good ink,

who cares if it's a man or a woman,

a person or a dog?

Every family has its rules, and every trade has its regulations.

If even random nobodies could make ink,

wouldn't our Huizhou ink industry be turned upside down?

Are you worried that you lack talent

and can't even beat these "random nobodies"?

Eldest Young Master Luo, please mind your words.

How can you compare me to her?

I am the orthodox ink-maker!

What is "orthodox"?

Making good ink is orthodox.

Failing to make good ink

is disappointing one's ancestors!

You.

Tell me

how the ink made by Miss Li is.

Eldest Young Master,

I heard

that she did learn how to melt glue pretty well.

That's an honest comment.

Miss Li

also came to the Pan's Ink Workshop.

The master said

[Pan Yongnian, Manager of the Pan family]

she was not very good at woodblock printing,

but she worked really hard.

Miss Li,

please stretch out your left hand.

It's fine.

Just show them.

Open it and hold it high.

Higher.

Everyone here is an expert in ink-making.

If you want to know whether a person

is truly sincere about ink or just faking it,

it's all in their hands.

Look carefully!

I guess you've been rich for so long

that your hands have been blessed,

lost their calluses,

and grown new flesh, huh?

Since Eldest Young Master Luo said so,

if I stick to the word of mouth that women

cannot make ink,

wouldn't I seem pedantic?

It's just that

our ink industry only passes skills to men, not women.

This is actually because women will eventually marry someone,

and the ink recipe cannot fall into the hands of other families.

Previously,

the Li family's ink recipe was almost leaked.

Regarding Miss Li Zhen breaking off her engagement in public,

I suppose

you all

know it.

President Hu,

my learning to make ink

has nothing to do with Li Ink.

How could the ink recipe be leaked?

If anyone here is worried,

I can just swear an oath

that I will never marry anyone.

Well...

Miss Li,

it is wrong for you to say so.

If so,

Eighth Master Li

will definitely blame us.

Third Master.

Third Master.

Everyone,

after all,

Li the Eighth is the head of the Five Ink-making Grandmasters.

He has contributed a lot to Hui Ink.

Even though he has quit mading ink for a long time,

we shouldn't forget what he's done for us.

Today,

if we make things difficult for his granddaughter like this,

I think everyone here

would feel bad about it.

Why don't we just

give Miss Li Zhen a chance?

She has learned to make ink for a while.

We might as well let her make an ink stick.

Well...

Then,

we can all

take a look and evaluate it together.

If Miss Li Zhen

truly has a gift for making ink,

the ink industry

should not let such a talent go to waste.

Third Master,

you've got a point.

Miss Li Zhen,

do you accept it?

She disguised herself as a man

to sneak into various major ink workshops.

How shameful!

As her older brother,

why didn't you stop her?

You...

You've really grown some nerve!

You're getting bolder and bolder!

You're really pissing me off!

Zhen did that

to learn ink-making and earn more money

to support our family.

Our family doesn't need to rely on her to make a living!

Mother,

just let Zhen do it.

If she really fails in the end,

she won't blame us.

If we stop her,

and she gets angry,

who knows what she will do?

That would be even worse.

This girl

from the Li family

actually had no shame

and went to work at an ink workshop!

She made such a big scene,

causing all my peers to laugh at me.

Ronghua.

Come down here.

I have something to tell you.

Sit down.

Ronghua,

from now on,

don't get mixed up with that crazy girl from the Li family

anymore.

A woman's reputation

matters so much!

Besides,

I

have arranged a marriage for you.

Just stay at home.

Don't ruin it

because of her.

Marriage?

Father,

Mother,

w-why didn't I know about this engagement?

It's just right that you don't know.

Since ancient times,

children's marriages

have always been

determined by their parents

and matchmakers.

For Eldest Young Master Luo

becoming related with our Tian family by marriage,

we are already climbing above our station.

You should be happy about it.

Father,

well,

you know Eldest Young Master Luo's temper

better than I do.

Besides...

Besides, he already had a wife and concubines.

I don't want to marry him.

You have to marry him whether you want to or not.

Look,

just because she's spent too much time

with that girl from the Li family,

now she can even say such words

against filial piety.

Mother,

I don't want to leave you and Father yet.

Besides, I've never spent time with Eldest Young Master Luo.

I don't want to leave my fate

in the hands of a stranger like him.

Did you hear that?

What on earth were you saying?

Why are you throwing such a temper tantrum?

If you have something to say,

talk to her nicely.

She will understand.

Shut up.

All you do is spoil the children.

Look at the 3 children of our Tian family.

Each of them is a hard nut to crack.

This matter is settled, then.

For the sake of our Tian family,

just be good and stay at home.

If you dare to have thoughts like Li Zhen's

and want to call off the engagement,

I'll break your legs!

Master.

A bunch of goof-got-nothings.

Ronghua, how do you have time to visit me today?

Zhen,

my marriage has been arranged.

That's a good thing to have your marriage arranged!

Which young master is so lucky?

It's...

Eldest Young Master Luo.

Luo Wensong?

He is

so old

and also eccentric in personality.

Besides,

he is taking a second wife.

The Luo family is so prominent.

Many girls would be

willing even to be his second wife.

Speaking of this,

it's me who climbs above my station, marrying Eldest Young Master Luo.

My father said that,

in a few days,

he will go dig a well for the Luo family.

[Cave Digging: In Huizhou, before a girl gets married,]

[her natal family should go to dig a well in her husband's house,]

[implying that after marriage, her natal family will cover her expenses.]

Ronghua,

[This is the marriage tradition in ancient Huizhou.]

do you

like Eldest Young Master Luo?

Marriages are decided by parents and matchmakers.

Whether I like him or not

doesn't matter.

Alright.

They say

older men are more caring.

Perhaps

it'll be a good marriage.

Enough about this.

Zhen,

I came today

to give you something.

What is this?

Zhen, I know

you will need these since you've

started learning ink-making.

I took these

from my family's ink workshop.

Use them for now.

Otherwise, you'd have to buy them.

Ronghua,

these gold foil and pearls are way too precious.

I can't take them.

If your family finds out,

you'll be in trouble, I'm afraid.

Don't worry.

I didn't take much.

It's fine.

Take them,

and consider

that I, Tian Ronghua,

contribute a bit to the ink you make.

From now on,

you can help me do the things

that I can't do.

Father,

thanks to Third Grandfather Chen for lending me his ink workshop,

I spent quite a lot of time

managing to make this only piece

of fairly good-quality ink stick.

Father,

you must bless me to succeed in the ink assessment.

The ink is grayish,

and it feels too sluggish.

It's still not good enough.

What exactly went wrong here?

Show me

what kind of ink you made.

Don't look.

The ink hasn't even taken shape.

Then what kind of ink is considered to have taken shape?

Of course, it requires precious materials

and skilled craftsmanship.

When writing,

it should be as smooth as floating clouds and flying dragons.

I don't understand any of what you're saying.

Anyway, your father said that,

no matter how beautiful the ink stick looks on the outside,

or how precious the materials it's made from,

it is ultimately made for people to use.

So, who uses ink

and what kind of ink they need

are not as complicated as you think.

Just make an ink stick

that is comfortable and handy to use.

Isn't that enough?

Mother,

you really know a lot.

I don't know much.

It's all what your father said.

Eat slowly.

Slowly.

I'm going out for a bit.

Where are you going now?

Come on, madam, take a look at our ink.

Wen.

It's nice and affordable.

I've seen you come here so often

to buy ink for your son.

Why don't you go over there

to buy a good piece?

It's just that my son uses a lot of ink

when he practices writing.

Our family

can't afford to always use good ink.

President Hu,

all the Heads of the Houses in the ink industry,

this is the Original Intention Ink I made.

One look at this ink,

and you just know the lampblack was over-burned.

The pounding was also inadequate.

It was made very carelessly.

Indeed.

This ink neither looks like commercial goods

of high prices,

nor does it have the qualities of ink to be treasured as an heirloom.

Its production is very ordinary.

In Huizhou, where good ink abounds,

it's really not worth being presented in public.

Shoddy workmanship!

If I made this ink,

I would be even too embarrassed to enter the gate of the Literary Association.

I thought

you would ask Eighth Master Li to help you.

President Hu,

come on, please evaluate this ink.

Having such courage

and showing such sincerity

actually make me think highly of you.

The materials are ordinary,

and the craftsmanship is rough.

It can only be considered a low-grade ink.

It seems that Miss Li Zhen can only...

President Hu,

I gave Zhen the task.

Why

didn't you even show it to me?

Here you are, Third Master.

Zhenniang.

Tell me

why you made an ink stick with such a simple recipe?

You must have known before making it

that such ink

would not impress the seniors in the ink trade.

Yes, I know.

Because I couldn't make ink of better quality

or a more complicated technique.

This is the best ink

I can make for now.

I also thought about adding precious materials,

but I couldn't blend the ink, no matter what.

I couldn't meet higher standards,

so I thought

making a simple and useful ink

would also be worthwhile.

This is my original intention.

How could you be so shameless, directly saying that you couldn't make it?

And "original intention"?

You are just embarrassing yourself!

My abilities fall short.

I admit it.

Everyone here

is a senior in the ink industry.

It's understandable that you don't think much of this ink.

But to me,

I have done my best.

I can say I have no regret.

Although this ink is of inferior quality,

it has the advantages of being dark enough

and being cheap to produce.

Whether

for keeping accounts in workshops

or for children practicing writing,

it might as well be a better choice.

In this regard,

I believe

I haven't gone against my original intention,

so I have no regrets.

Now that I know the result today,

I'd like to ask Third Grandfather to give this ink

to someone who needs it as a gift,

so it will fulfill its value.

It's dark enough.

It's a piece of good ink.

Good ink?

Eldest Young Master Luo,

are you out of your mind?

That is an inferior ink,

and you call it good?

Everything has its suitable function;

materials have their uses;

everything in its right place, so there is nothing else to be done.

Miss Li Zhen said earlier

that this ink is cheap

and suitable for accounting and children's writing.

Everyone,

when you first learned to write as a child,

if given a piece of top-quality ink,

would you be willing to use it?

When our ancestors made

the first piece of ink,

it was to write down their thoughts and feelings.

How could there be so many rules?

But nothing can be accomplished without rules.

Without rules, how can we determine superiority and inferiority?

If we don't tell between good and bad,

what's the point of having

our ink workshops,

having us, and having

this Literary Association?

Hui Ink has been passed down to the present.

Huizhou ink workshops are ubiquitous.

Aren't we all striving

for perfection?

Yes.

Striving for perfection is the foundation of ink-making.

I asked the manager of the ink workshop.

He said Miss Li Zhen started learning ink-making at the ink workshop

only 3 to 5 months ago.

I have a question for you all.

When you had just learned ink-making for a few months,

could you make

the inferior ink you said?

Yes.

Wensong's words remind me

of when I first entered the ink industry.

Not until I had learned ink-making for 2 years,

I mean, 2 whole years,

did I make my very first piece of ink.

As for its quality,

it was nothing special.

That being the case,

Miss Li Zhen's ink

must be considered a piece of good ink for now.

You all have been making ink for a long time.

Do not forget your original intentions.

Besides,

it's none of your business whether Miss Li Zhen

makes ink or not.

If I were Miss Li Zhen,

I wouldn't have even bothered to take this test.

I'd make my own ink.

Why care so much?

You are trying everything to stop her

because you are afraid.

You're afraid that one day,

Miss Li Zhen might become a master ink-maker

and surpass all of you as a woman,

making you lose face.

You think we'd be afraid of a callow girl?

Ridiculous!

In this case,

there's no need to discuss this further.

Did Zhen really say that?

Word for word.

At her age,

her understanding of ink

is probably...

It's probably even better than yours or mine.

She asked me to give the ink away.

After careful consideration, I think

the one who needs it most right now

is probably you, Li the Eighth.

Jinshui,

just take her as your apprentice.

Yes,

I know you follow the rules.

You made a vow

that you wouldn't make ink.

But no one ever said that you couldn't teach others to make ink.

The Literary Association "sealed" your ink-making hands,

but not your mouth.

Can't you even talk?

Li the Eighth!

Zhen is such a good talent!

What's the harm in taking her as your apprentice?

Forget the rule of passing it to men but not women.

Even the Literary Association has tacitly allowed it!

Jinshui, I'm telling you.

You don't even know how lucky you are!

If Junshan had half of Zhen's talent,

if I had such a brilliant granddaughter,

I'd be willing to stop making ink for the rest of my life!

Also,

don't you want Li Ink

to have an inheritor?

That's all I want to say.

Think it over yourself.

You stubborn man!

Jingfu.

[Li Jingfu's Tomb]

I'm here to visit you.

This is

the very first ink

your daughter, Zhen, made.

Look,

it's called "Original Intention Ink."

I swore before the Literary Association

that I would never

make ink again.

I have left the ink industry.

But now,

Zhen wants to learn ink-making.

What do you think I should do?

Mother!

Mother, look who's here.

Jinshui.

Seventh Sister-in-law.

Jinshui, what are you doing?

My first kowtow

is for

the ink recipe incident.

I failed your trust, Rujun,

and I am truly

a sinner to Li Ink.

The second kowtow

is for the appreciation

Seventh Brother and you showed me.

I was born in the family's side branch,

with both my parents dead.

Thanks to Seventh Brother, Jingqi,

who strongly recommended me to the Old Master

and led me into the path of ink-making,

and thanks to you, who always

looked after me like a mother,

I made those achievements later.

I can't

pay you back enough

for this kindness.

Jinshui,

these are all in the past.

Let's leave them behind.

This third kowtow

is for my granddaughter, Zhen.

Rujun,

I once thought Zhen wanted to learn ink-making

out of momentary anger.

And I didn't want her

to suffer from the smoke and fire.

I didn't expect Zhen

to be genuinely devoted to it, sticking to her original intention.

Today, I'd like to plead with you, Rujun,

to allow me to teach Zhen ink-making.

There is no need to plead with me.

I've been waiting for you to say this

for ages.

Jinshui, get up. Get up.

Jinshui.

Zhen is gifted

just as you are.

If her talent were to be buried

merely because she is a girl,

wouldn't it be a great pity?

You have my approval.

Thank you, Rujun.

Father, I tried my best.

But I don't regret it.

From now on,

no matter what obstacles lie ahead,

I will never give up on ink-making.

Since I can't learn in the ink workshops,

I'll buy books and learn by myself.

Don't worry, Father.

I will definitely work hard

to make our family live a good life.

Zhen.

Grandfather,

what are you doing?

Zhen,

come over here.

The path of ink-making is

full of hardships and obstacles.

Can you endure them?

I'm willing to endure hardships!

Good.

Founding Master above,

I, Li Jinshui, inheritor of the Li's Ink-making,

from this moment on,

take Li Zhen

as my apprentice.

I will pass on the art of ink-making to her.

May you bless her ink-learning journey

to be smooth and successful,

fulfilling her original intention.