Original subtitles

[The Heir]

[Episode 20]

Zhen?

Zhengshen?

Why are you here in Suzhou?

If we didn't come to Suzhou,

how would we know that the Li family had a "Lord Wang"?

Take her away.

Master, what's happening?

How dare you!

Do you have any respect for your elder?

I am your uncle.

If your Aunt Chunhua finds out,

she won't spare you guys!

Bah!

How dare you bring up Aunt Chunhua?

Li Decai,

you totally live off the Li family's support,

yet you are so ungrateful, reselling raw lacquer secretly.

To cover for you, Aunt Chunhua

cooked the books behind the Li family's back.

And what did you do?

You used this money to keep a mistress?

Don't you feel guilty towards Aunt Chunhua?

The raw lacquer belongs to our Sixth Branch.

I am one of the Sixth Branch, too.

Why can't I sell it?

Besides,

it's just natural for men to have multiple wives and concubines!

Look up!

Li Decai,

do you think Aunt Chunhua

will bear with you forever for Run's sake?

Or do you think

I don't have evidence of your illicit dealings in raw lacquer?

Listen,

someone like you

should have his hands broken,

be kicked out of the Li family,

and be sent to the government to be dealt with!

When that happens,

if Aunt Chunhua leaves you,

the Literary Association will make your crimes public.

Who in the ink industry in Suzhou and Huizhou would dare to hire you?

I'd like to see

how you'd survive then!

Zhen, Zhen...

I was wrong.

For your Aunt Chunhua's sake,

please forgive me this time.

Give me a chance to turn over a new leaf...

Drag him away!

Understood!

Take him straight back to Huizhou.

Zhen... Zhen!

You're literally a disgrace to the Sixth Branch!

Zhen, calm down.

He should have learned his lesson after this beating.

Zhengshen, look at this house!

It just serves him right!

No.

Zhengshen,

you must sell this house.

Firstly, it's to fill the hole left by the raw lacquer.

Secondly,

it's to deprive him of his fallback in Suzhou.

You are indeed thoughtful.

Also, be careful when handling this.

After all, it involves Aunt Chunhua.

Don't let anyone in the main family know.

I got it. Don't worry.

Chunhua!

I was wrong.

I really know my mistake!

I was wrong!

Decai.

Let bygones be bygones.

I will be satisfied as long as you

treat Run well from now on.

With a wife like this,

what more could a husband ask for?

Chunhua.

I

will head back

to the Li's Residence this afternoon.

I'll tell Aunt Rujun

that I want to resign from all my duties at the ink workshop.

I'll come back and focus

entirely on keeping you and Run company.

I-Is that good?

Commuting back and forth

is indeed exhausting.

Quitting your job at the ink workshop

might not be a bad thing.

However, with the supply of raw lacquer being cut off,

those merchants who have bought your raw lacquer

will probably come after you for their money.

Chunhua,

don't worry.

I have already

resolved this matter.

Where did you get so much money?

Chunhua, I...

previously bought a large house in Suzhou.

I wanted to give you a surprise.

But who would have anticipated this...

Now,

I might as well sell it

just to cover this deficit.

That's good then.

Father,

where are you going?

To find Li Zhen

and settle the score with her!

No, wait. What do you want to find Zhen for?

Don't you know?

She fired your uncle.

Isn't that like a slap in the face to our Sixth Branch?

No.

Wait, Father!

There might be some misunderstanding here.

What misunderstanding?

What misunderstanding could there possibly be? Tell me.

Get out of the way.

If you speak up for her,

I'll break your legs with my cane!

No,

it was clearly Uncle who betrayed Aunt!

Li Decai resold the ink workshop's raw lacquer secretly,

and he even kept a mistress in Suzhou.

They even have a child!

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

Don't talk nonsense.

How is it impossible?

I went to Suzhou and found it out myself.

For real?

For real! Would I lie to you?

Have a seat. I'll explain it in detail.

Sit down.

That ungrateful Li Decai.

I'll break his legs with my cane!

Please sit down first.

Tell me about it!

Aunt knew about Li Decai's mistress long ago.

It was only for Run's sake

that she had to keep up appearances.

If you go out and make this known to everyone,

how could Aunt bear the shame?

Father, don't worry.

Zhen handled this matter perfectly.

She even cut off Li Decai's way out

in Suzhou.

Then why didn't that girl, Li Zhen,

tell me the truth?

Zhen has just taken over the ink workshop,

and many people are having issues with that.

If she rashly told you

that Uncle resold raw lacquer,

and Aunt cooked the books for him,

would you believe her?

Not only would you not believe her,

but you would also think

she was sowing discord in our Sixth Branch.

Well... There's solid evidence.

Why wouldn't I believe it?

Even if you believed it,

given your temperament,

you'd definitely take Li Decai to court.

If it caused a stir,

it would only humiliate Aunt,

leave Run fatherless,

and make our Sixth Branch a laughingstock.

Then our Sixth Branch

would inevitably resent Zhen,

and the discord between us would grow.

This would be bad for Li Ink, too.

Father,

in every sense,

Zhen did everything for the Li family.

Fine... I see.

Go mind your own business.

You're not going?

Why would I go?

I'll cool off here for a while.

Go ahead... Go do what you need to do.

Okay.

I'll pour you some tea.

That bastard,

Li Decai.

Hold it well.

Put it outside.

[Li Ink]

Miss Li Zhen,

the ink workshop's lacquer-soot ink orders

are mostly delivered now.

And with the raw lacquer transported back from Suzhou,

it's enough for our ink workshop to finish the rest of the orders.

You truly surpass your predecessors.

I'm flattered, Manager Shao.

I've finally fulfilled

Sixth Grandfather's entrustment.

I'll get back to work then.

Take it slow.

Be careful.

The Sixth Branch owes you a favor, and I'll repay it.

Grandfather,

it's already midnight.

Why are you still up?

I can't fall asleep.

So I might as well

roll some lamp wicks.

Nice, I haven't done this in a while.

Let me roll them with you, Grandfather.

You may go to sleep.

It's fine.

Grandfather, you can't sleep so late at night

because you worry about Sixth Grandfather's safety in the mountains, right?

Aunt Chunhua told me

that when Sixth Grandfather was young,

he was in charge of pine wood for Li Ink.

He's used to braving the elements in the mountains.

You don't need to worry too much.

That was decades ago.

Back then,

he was young,

strong,

and not afraid of any hardship.

I remember

when I was your age,

the Li family had lost the right to offer Tribute Ink for a long time.

Our family was declining.

We even sold our own pine yard

and couldn't afford good pine from others.

Your Sixth Grandfather

took some men

into the mountains

to find pine wood.

As a result,

as soon as they went into the mountains,

they encountered a fierce tiger.

He fought against this tiger

for several rounds

and lured the tiger

into a hollow.

Then he shot it dead with a single arrow.

The tiger's gallbladder

was used to make medicinal wine for your great-grandfather.

The tiger skin was sold

to expand the ink workshop.

I got a tiger paw,

treated it like a treasure,

and kept it in my room.

It wasn't until after I got married

that I threw it away.

Sixth Grandfather kept a tiger tooth for himself, right?

I knew it.

I remember when I was little,

Aunt Chunhua and I once

sneaked into Sixth Grandfather's study

and saw a huge tooth hanging on the wall.

It terrified us back then.

When your Sixth Grandfather was young, he would sleep

with that tiger tooth

under his pillow

to feel at ease.

No wonder.

I begged Sixth Grandfather for months back then,

but he wouldn't let me play with it even for a day.

Your Sixth Grandfather said that the tiger tooth

bore witness to the time

when he saved Li Ink like a hero,

relying on that tiger skin

to revive Li Ink from the brink of collapse step by step.

Your Sixth Grandfather,

your Seventh Grandfather, whom you've never met, and I,

the three of us

worked hard together.

I managed the ink making.

Your Sixth Grandfather managed the pine yard.

Your Seventh Grandfather supervised the whole ink workshop.

After a few years of such struggle,

we finally regained the right to make Tribute Ink.

When you get old,

you just love to reminisce.

It's embarrassing.

Su Shi wrote,

"Rejuvenated, my fiery zeal I display,

On left hand leash, a yellow hound; on right hand wrist, a falcon grey.

A thousand silk-capped, sable-coated horsemen sweep."

My Sixth Grandfather went

into the mountains just with this resolve, right?

I've made up my mind.

When Sixth Grandfather returns,

I will give him an ink stick made by me.

I'll name it

"Fiery Zeal."

Guys, keep it up!

-Okay! -Okay!

Sixth Master, the weather in the mountains is unpredictable.

Look,

the scales on this pine cone have closed up.

I'm afraid it's going to rain soon.

Once it rains,

the whole valley will flood.

How about we take a detour back?

No way.

Taking a detour will waste even more time.

The date for the Tribute Ink is near.

We must hurry up and transport the pine wood back.

But this is way too dangerous.

No.

Hurry up! Faster!

Hold on tight!

Mother,

you've been standing here for quite a while.

How about you go sit over there and rest while waiting?

I'll keep waiting.

Listen to me, Mother.

You can't keep standing.

Come on.

Why didn't Zhen come?

She and Master Qi went to deal with the ink merchants.

They will be back a bit later.

They're back, Mother.

Get up.

There they come.

Eighth Master Li,

something bad happened.

Where is Jinhe?

What on earth happened?

Didn't you say in the letter the other day that you found the pine

and started the logging?

But Sixth Master Li...

The water rose in the rain.

Sixth Master refused to take a detour.

He accidentally fell into the river while transporting the pine wood.

We spent half a day

finding his body downstream.

Grandfather,

what was going on?

How could this happen so suddenly?

Sixth Grandfather.

Sixth Grandfather.

Zhen.

Your...

Your Sixth Grandfather...

Encoffin!

Father,

this is Mother's birthday inkstick.

When you get there, talk to her more.

Don't keep it all to yourself.

[April 28, the 8th Year of Hongzhi's Reign, made by Zhu Lan.]

[Sincerity Ink]

Jinhe,

why did you...

Grandfather.

Sixth Grandfather,

rest in peace.

Seal the coffin!

Father!

Kneel!

Father!

-Father... -Father...

Mother!

Mother! Mother!

-Seventh Grandmother. -Rujun.

Mother, what's wrong?

-Seventh Grandmother! -Seventh Grandmother!

-Seventh Grandmother! -Seventh Grandmother!

-Old Madam! -Mother!

Go get a physician! Now!

-Seventh Grandmother. -Mother.

Dr. Gu,

how is my Seventh Grandmother doing?

Seventh Old Madam is already advanced in age.

And she also has a chronic illness.

The Sixth Master Li's incident happened too suddenly.

That the Old Madam has held on

until now

is already a miracle.

Dr. Gu, please prescribe medicine for my mother quickly.

Okay, I will write a prescription right away.

Decoct it immediately and take three continuous doses.

There may still be hope for her to wake up.

Hope?

How sure are you?

If my mother doesn't wake up,

what will happen?

Zhengshen,

go get the medicine.

Do not waste any time.

Yes.

Mother,

you must get better soon.

Zhen,

go call everyone to the main hall.

Mother has left words for everyone.

Understood.

A few days ago, when Zhen came to the ink workshop,

Mother left this letter.

She also invited the Literary Association to bear witness in person,

just in case.

On the letter

is the seal of the Literary Association.

Please take a look.

Logically,

Jingdong should be the one reading this letter.

Today, let Huang Ying read it in place of Jingdong.

Sister-in-law.

The testator, Wang Rujun of the Li family.

I am the wife of Li Jintai.

Recently, I feel that my time is drawing to an end.

While I am still lucid,

I'd like to leave this testament to instruct my descendants.

Blessed by our ancestors,

I have fortunately managed the entire clan for several years.

However, the decline of Li Ink is hard to reverse.

The family's prosperity

and the ancestors' glory have yet to be restored.

I feel deep regret

and will not rest in peace in the netherworld.

Therefore, I leave these instructions.

I hope you will strictly follow them,

with no violations.

The Seventh Branch of the Li family has few successors and has suffered a lot.

With only a young child,

they cannot bear the heavy responsibility.

Besides, my brother of the Sixth Branch is long in the tooth.

My eldest nephew, Jingdong, is ill.

My eldest grandson, Zhengshen, knows little about ink-making.

Fortunately, Li Zhen, my granddaughter of the Eighth Branch,

has excellent talent in ink-making.

Moreover, she is loyal, kind, and hardworking.

After careful consideration,

if anything happens to me,

the Li family's property,

including the ink workshop,

will be temporarily...

Will be temporarily managed by Li Zhen of the Eighth Branch

to make the ink workshop flourish

and restore our ancestors' glory.

I've made my decision.

No one in the clan

shall object.

How is it possible?

Leaving the family property to this girl from the Eighth Branch,

is Mother muddle-headed?

Mother wrote the letter in front of me.

How could there be a mistake?

Eldest Young Lady, do you mean

that from now on, Miss Li Zhen can officially

take charge of the Li Ink Workshop?

Yes.

Let her take charge of Li Ink? On what grounds?

Not to mention that the Eighth Branch has long been expelled from the clan,

even if they were still in the clan,

Zhengyou'd still be the direct descendant of the Li family's heir bloodline.

No matter what,

Benchang should be the ink workshop's acting manager

and raise Zhengyou until he comes of age.

How could it be her turn?

Eldest Aunt,

I am deeply grateful

for how highly Seventh Grandmother

thinks of me.

But with Uncle Jingdong, Eldest Aunt,

and Third Aunt in the Li family,

I can help out at the ink workshop for a few days,

but I am not qualified to be the manager.

Eldest Aunt,

I cannot shoulder the responsibility

of taking charge of the Li family.

Third Brother...

Say something, Third Brother.

Mother wants to hand over the Li family

to that girl from the Eighth Branch.

Please say something, Third Brother.

Zhen,

it may seem abrupt,

but it is my mother's wish.

You don't have to agree right away.

You can go back and take your time to think it over.

But I hope you can look after the workshop

while you consider it.

Can you promise me that?

Yes, Miss Li Zhen.

The Li family has suffered such a tragedy.

The ink workshop can't be left unattended.

Please think twice, Miss Li Zhen.

Take it.

Third Brother, say something fair.

You must stand up for the Seventh Branch, Third Brother!

Jiangyue, stop making a scene.

Jingdong can't take any more stress.

I'm making a scene?

Have you all forgotten?

Who brought the Li family to such a desperate state?

They have committed grave sins. How can she be the manager?

Even if you accept her

as a manager, I will never accept it!

Seventh Grandmother,

I know

you are just asleep.

You can definitely hear me, right?

Don't be afraid.

I am staying right here with you.

You will surely wake up.

How about I sing a song for you?

♪ Step on the fire ♪

[The melody is inspired by a folk song in Huizhou, "Rice and Wheat Grinding."]

♪ We hold Corn Guozi in our hands ♪

♪ Eat the pork in a bowl ♪

♪ I'm living a life of bliss, like a god ♪

Seventh Grandmother,

please wake up.

Didn't you promise me before?

You said

that I only needed to manage the New Li Ink Workshop well.

But you broke your word.

Now you've thrown this whole mess

all to me.

What am I supposed to do?

Seventh Grandmother.

Please wake up, Seventh Grandmother.

Let's

inspect all the workshops today.

What's this smell?

Miss Li Zhen, Miss Li Zhen.

Emergency.

Manager Shao, don't panic. Speak slowly.

The medicinal ingredients prepared for making pine soot ink have all spoiled.

How could this be?

These medicinal ingredients are exceptionally precious.

Master put in a lot of effort to get them

for the Tribute Ink selection.

They have always been personally kept by Master.

They should have been aired out every few days.

Probably because of the Sixth Master's incident lately,

Master failed to properly handle and store them,

causing them to spoil.

Does Uncle Jingdong know about this?

He probably still doesn't know.

Okay, send someone to repurchase the medicinal ingredients right away.

The Tribute Ink selection is approaching.

And these medicinal ingredients are so precious.

I'm afraid we can't get them ready anytime soon.

No matter how hard it is, we must buy them.

If necessary, just pay extra.

I believe,

with a hefty reward, we can surely find some.

Okay, I'll have someone arrange it immediately.

Manager Shao.

Remember, keep this secret from everyone else,

especially Uncle Jingdong.

Understood.

Jingdong.

Stop working on it.

Zhen has successfully recreated

the supreme-grade lampblack

of the ancient lacquer-soot ink.

What about you, Jingdong?

You complain every day and make enemies everywhere.

You changed a long time ago.

You're criticizing me?

What about you?

Besides supervising production in the ink workshop,

have you made a single new ink stick?

When a son is not taught properly, it is the father's fault!

We're dropping out

of the Tribute Ink selection.

The pine wilt disease broke out in the pine yard.

Father,

despite the outbreak of pine wilt disease in the pine yard,

we can go out to look for pines.

Why are we not participating?

Father, do you know how much effort

I've put into this selection?

I don't care.

Anyway, I

will absolutely not quit!

I, Li Jingdong, will set up my own business.

Let's part ways

so you won't be bothered with me anymore!

Fire!

Miss Li Zhen!

Miss Li Zhen! The ink workshop is on fire!

Where exactly is the fire?

Master's... Master's ink-making room!

Let's go.

Master!

Master!

Doggie!

Hurry!

Hurry!

Water!

Uncle Jingdong!

Uncle Jingdong!

Jing...

Master!

Hurry!

Uncle Jingdong, why are you doing this?

If anything happens to you,

what will everyone else do?

Come out quickly, Uncle Jingdong!

Hurry! Water!

Uncle Jingdong!

Master!

You don't have to go to such lengths!

It doesn't have to come to this!

Hurry!

I am unworthy of it!

I don't deserve to be a descendant of the Li family.

I've brought shame on the Li family!

I am just like these medicinal ingredients,

moldy

and useless!

Uncle Jingdong!

Uncle Jingdong!

Zhen!

I'm begging you! Please come out, okay?

-Father! -Come out quickly!

Uncle Jingdong!

I'm begging you!

Jingdong!

Please come out, okay?

Jingdong! Zhen!

Don't come any closer!

Do you want to die?

Father!

Everyone, stay back!

Third Aunt!

It's dangerous, Huang Ying!

Father, what are you doing?

Don't come closer!

If you do, I'll end my life right now!

Uncle Jingdong,

with the pine wood gone, we can still use tung oil.

With the medicinal ingredients gone, we can buy new ones.

Come out quickly!

We can buy new medicinal ingredients.

But I've completely lost my heart.

It's hopeless.

For so many years,

I've racked my brains

and never slacked off for a day!

But in the end, I've accomplished nothing!

I'm no nowhere as good as either your father

or my Eighth Uncle!

I'm not even as good as a little girl like you!

I've brought shame on Li Ink!

Go away.

Come out quickly!

Jingdong, come out! Jingdong!

Were it not for me, my father wouldn't have died.

Uncle Jingdong!

I'm begging you! Please come out!

What should we do?

Please come out.

Move out of the way!

Get up!

-Zhengshen! -Zhengshen!

-Zhengshen! -Young Master Zhengshen!

Young Master Zhengshen!

Zhengshen!

Zhengshen!

Fire! He's on fire!

He's on fire!

Put out the fire!

-Put out the fire now! -Hurry!

Hurry! Go get a physician to save them!

Zhengshen!

Aunt.

Third Aunt!

Zhengshen.

Zhengshen!

Zhengshen!

Zhengshen.

Someone, help!

Come on.

-Be careful! -Careful!

Hurry!

Help them!

Lend a hand.

Gently, gently.

Master.

Hurry, put out the fire.

Father, Father.

He's still breathing.

Mother, he's still breathing.

Why did you do this?

Li Jingdong, are you crazy?

If you want to die, die alone!

You burned down the ink workshop.

How is everyone else in the Li family supposed to survive?

Jiangyue.

Stop pretending.

Get up.

If you die,

the Li family will completely

fall into Li Zhen's hands!

How dare you hit me?

Who do you think you are?

Get a hold of yourself!

Jiangyue, stop messing around!

Sister-in-law! I'm her elder!

How dare she hit me?

I am the manager appointed by Seventh Grandmother!

Why wouldn't I dare to hit you?

Uncle Jingdong is still in a coma,

but you're making a scene here, not caring at all.

Don't you deserve the hitting?

Are you even part of the Li family?

Manager Shao!

Help me send Jiangyue back.

Enough, Jiangyue.

Young Lady, Young Lady.

Let me go!

Let's go quickly.

Let's go. Let's go.

Zhengshen, hurry.

Carry your dad home.

Don't delay his treatment.

Third Aunt, go home first.

Come on.

Take it slow.

What's wrong

with our Li family?

Eldest Aunt,

I'm still here with the Li family.

Don't worry, I won't just stand by and do nothing.

I will take over

the Li family.

Zhen.

Sit down, please, Eldest Aunt.

Zhen, you should take some rest, too.

I have to go to the ink workshop to check the situation again.

Manager Shao!

What's wrong?

Eldest Young Lady, Manager Zhen,

things have gotten much worse.

The fire reached the smoke shed,

and the warehouse was also affected.

We have put out the fire,

yet the goods we were supposed to deliver inside

were mostly destroyed.

Manager Shao.

When are the delivery dates?

Is there still time to remake them?

Most of them are due soon.

The earliest order is due tomorrow.

Tomorrow?