Original subtitles

[The Heir]

[Episode 25]

Eighth Master Li.

I brought you the carpentry tools

to kill time,

not for you to ruin the wood.

Yesterday, Jingdong

hung my Sixth Brother's portrait

in the ancestral hall.

When we were young,

he always loved to outdo me.

And I

also thought he was not as good as me.

Looking back now,

my Sixth Brother actually beat me to it

his whole life.

His portrait can be hung in the ancestral hall,

but what about me?

I am still not as good as him.

But,

on my way back from the ancestral hall,

I kept thinking—

he is already gone,

yet I am still comparing myself to him.

What is the point?

Third Master Chen,

am I right?

Enough.

When your family had an accident with your Tribute Ink,

you were doing even worse than I am now!

What right do you have to lecture me?

Then how did you persuade me back then?

You said people should look forward

and shouldn't get stuck, overthinking things in a dead end,

right?

Why are you comparing yourself to me?

Fine,

then let's compare ourselves.

My son is dead.

What about you?

Every time I see Junshan,

I think of my son, Jingfu.

Junshan.

Junshan.

Junshan,

what book were you reading just now?

Eighth Master Li,

I was reading an ancient book on ink-making.

I want to further my study of the glue-mixing method.

Why do you want to study it more?

Lately, I've been pondering over it.

During the Tribute Ink selection,

Tian Ink was able to beat our Chen Ink

partly because that Taoist meddled in,

but honestly,

it still came down to the fact that our Chen Ink

couldn't beat Tian Ink by much.

Tian Ink has Styrax resin.

Our Chen Ink doesn't take that path.

But Chen Ink has its own heritage.

If I

can carry forward our ancestors' heritage,

Chen Ink will be better than Tian Ink naturally.

I think

no matter who the judge is,

he would have to declare our Chen Ink the winner.

See?

Even Junshan is more clear-headed than you are.

Jinhe is gone.

Of us three brothers,

I am the only one left.

The Luo family has no one left.

And the Chen family

only has you, the old man, holding out.

We all have to look forward.

Considering the bigger picture,

we have responsibilities to shoulder.

The Chen and Li families

must not be defeated by anyone.

And personally speaking,

are you really willing

to live the rest of your life as a complete failure?

Eighth Master Li,

my father...

Jinshui!

Listen carefully.

In two days,

this set of chess pieces will be ready.

When it's complete,

I will beat

with no mercy in Jinhe's place!

Junshan, did you hear that?

Yes.

Good.

The soot produced by this batch of pine timber

is of really good quality.

Benchang!

Bad news, bad news.

What's wrong?

Right after the Li family delivered the pine timber,

we dug this up under the tree roots

at the Li pine yard.

What is this?

Rosin oil!

You were tricked by that uruly girl from the Li family.

Why did they choose Linxi pine yard?

It was exactly for this.

This can replace pine timber to make ink.

Brother,

for this pine timber,

we've suffered multiple losses!

Can you really let that slide?

Enough!

Father,

you watch the ink workshop.

I'm going out for a bit.

Okay.

Mr. Sheng, I finally found you.

Eldest Young Master Tian.

Without further ado,

I'll pay 100 taels of silver to buy your pine yard.

Well...

120 taels!

Young Master Tian!

Mr. Sheng, did you run into an acquaintance?

Isn't this the Eldest Young Master of the Tian family?

[Contract]

I'll leave you two to it.

But thank you, Mr. Sheng, for transferring your treasured property to us today.

Farewell.

You teamed up to trick me?

Manager Zhen.

Master Qi,

I was just about to go find you.

Today is an auspicious day.

I was thinking of inviting you and Mr. Xiao

to go to the Linxi pine yard with me and start working together.

Good!

But before we go, Manager Zhen,

you have to give me 300 taels of silver.

Give you 300 taels of silver?

Check this out.

What is this?

These are all the pine yards you've got by singing contracts?

I just planned to have someone

buy the surrounding pine yards.

Didn't expect you, Master Qi...

These days,

seeing you busy with the family affairs, Manager Zhen,

I couldn't help but think about what was on your mind.

So I

took a look at all the pine yards

around Huizhou.

These yards have trees of enough age,

and the bosses happened to want to quit.

Therefore,

I negotiated the prices with them.

It's quite a good deal.

I just got a little taste

of what it's like to be a manager in advance.

But you still have to pay the money.

Master Qi,

well done.

It's all thanks

to your guidance, Manager Zhen.

[Linxi Pine Yard]

Go gently, gently.

We dug it out.

Manager Zhen, Third Master.

Uncle Jingdong.

With the rosin oil here,

plus

that at the pine yards recently signed by Master Qi,

our ink workshop won't need to worry about raw materials

for the next 3 to 5 years.

Great!

Doggie, have them dig for it.

Get started!

Guys! Let's start digging for rosin oil!

Got it!

Thank you, everyone!

This one is so big.

Right?

The quality is good, too. Take a look.

Can you hurry up?

Stop playing.

You stick around like a shadow.

I told you not to follow me,

but you insisted on coming.

If we're late

and Aunt gets unhappy,

refusing to teach me glue-mixing,

you'll be in trouble.

Brother, wait for me.

Are you okay?

My butt hurts a little.

Serves you right.

Get on.

Brother.

Aunt is not married.

Why doesn't she live with us?

Why does she have to live

in this empty Linxi pine yard?

Because Aunt looks after all our pine yards.

It's convenient for her to do it living here.

You're lying.

I heard Ping'an say

that Father wanted Aunt to go home

to help prepare for the Tribute Ink selection,

but Aunt refused

and even had a fight with Father.

She must have been mad at Father,

so she moved out.

What do you know, little brat?

Watch your mouth when we see Aunt later.

Brother.

Aunt, what is this?

This?

It's called amber.

It's pine resin dripping down from the pine tree,

wrapping leaves or insects,

and buried underground for many years

before it became what it is now.

How many years do you mean by "many years"?

"Once an ancient tuckahoe, originally the pine liquid,

with falling mosquitoes inside, it shows everything vividly even after 1,000 years."

It takes at least 1,000 years.

A-A thousand years?

If you like it,

Aunt will give it to you. Is that good?

Wenqian, have some snacks.

This is Weighing Rod-Shaped Candy,

and this is usnea tea with pine needles added.

You haven't been back for a while.

I guess you haven't tasted

these hometown foods.

Thank you, Aunt.

Aunt,

I like it more in your place.

Father never plays with me.

He only wants me to study hard,

get a position through the imperial examination,

and earn the Luo family greater prestige.

Wenqian,

it is good for you to study hard.

You should focus on your studies

and grow up well.

When you grow up,

you can decide what to do in the future on your own.

Then,

will I not have to listen to my father?

That's not right.

You still have to listen to your father.

However, this time,

I didn't listen to your father either, right?

Try this Weighing Rod-Shaped Candy.

It's delicious.

Why are you zoning out, staring at the thatched cottage alone?

I was surprised by this, too,

so I came to take a look.

This thatched cottage looks quite old.

I guess it should be the place where the pine keeper

of the Luo family lived.

Although this cottage is decrepit,

if it is renovated properly,

living here

would be an amazing experience.

I never thought a worldly person like you

would actually have the idea of living in a secluded cottage.

No.

I mean,

if we buy this place,

if there are important guests to take a look at the pine forest,

there will be a place to have some tea and take a rest,

right?

But what a pity.

I am penniless now.

When I make a comeback one day,

I will definitely buy this place.

Huh?

Here, for you to play with.

I have one, too.

Mine is bigger.

Forget it if you don't want it.

I've warmed it for quite a while.

Mine is warmer.

Master Qi,

concerning the pine yards this time,

you did a great job.

So I was thinking of

giving you a small reward. What do you think?

A small reward?

Good.

Every little bit counts.

Tell me about this small reward.

The Li Ink's pine yards used to be

managed by my Sixth Grandfather.

Now that he is gone,

I was thinking of putting you in charge

of the pine yards.

In the future, when you are upset,

you can rest in this thatched cottage.

How about it?

For real?

For real.

But I don't have a contract right now.

So let's use this pine resin ball as a witness.

It's a deal.

Yeah,

it's a deal.

You crushed it.

Just squeeze it, and it'll be fine.

Zhen.

Thank you.

How about

we draw up

a contract later?

It's a promise.

Deal. It's a deal.

-Congratulations. -Congratulations.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uncle Jingdong,

let's unveil the plaque.

Some guests haven't arrived yet. Let's wait a bit more.

Who else hasn't arrived?

Here they come.

Jingdong!

Mother, Grandfather,

Zhengliang, Sister-in-law,

what brings you here?

-Eighth Master Li. -Eighth Master Li.

We didn't want to come at first.

Your Third Aunt went to City Gate Lane early this morning

and insisted on inviting us over.

Yes, yes.

Thank you for making the trip, Jin.

Jingdong,

I talked my head off and dragged

Jin and the others here for you.

Today

is the day Li Ink rises again.

I specially invited Eighth Uncle

and everyone from the Eighth Branch

back to unveil the plaque together.

Eighth Uncle,

Second Sister-in-law.

I have been so stubborn.

For so many years,

I trapped myself in my narrow world,

disregarding the Li family's fate.

I also repeatedly

made things hard for Zhen

and the Eighth Branch.

Here, I'd like

to apologize to you all.

Jingdong!

Jingdong, it's all in the past.

It's over now.

Third Brother,

let's forget about the past.

Zhen,

I burned down the ink workshop.

I'm too ashamed

and too unqualified to unveil this plaque.

Li Ink can restart making lampblack and ink,

all thanks to your great contributions.

This plaque

should be unveiled by you, the Head of the Workshop.

Li Ink!

Unveil the plaque!

[Li Ink]

-Bravo! -Nice!

Mother, did you see

the plaque inscription today?

That plaque was personally inscribed by Mr. Dongtu.

It's the one and only among Huizhou ink workshops.

In my opinion,

no matter whose calligraphy it is, it's not as impressive

as how you looked when unveiling the plaque.

Zhen.

You may not know.

Mother started preparing

this Mid-Autumn Festival dinner last night.

Winter bamboo shoots with ham, steamed pork with rice flour,

and arrowroot dumplings.

And also

your favorite rock tripe and chicken soup,

Mother made a huge pot of it.

Yes, yes.

Every Mid-Autumn Festival,

the main family invites the master ink makers of the ink workshop

to a banquet.

The managers toast them to celebrate.

Zhen,

during the hardest years for the Li family,

it was those masters who stayed by our side to pull through.

Now is the time to really celebrate.

As the manager, you can't be absent.

So, go and celebrate

with them properly.

Mother,

Grandfather, Zhengliang, Qiu'e,

I just calculated it.

There's still an hour before the Li family's banquet starts.

So I've still got time

to drink 3 bowls of chicken soup.

Let's go.

You know what? With one less mouth to feed,

that drumstick will be left for your brother.

Zhengliang, Qiu'e,

let's have a race. Whoever gets home first

can have the drumstick. How about that?

Come on! Run!

Hurry up, Grandfather. Let's go.

-You guys run. -Hurry up!

Zhengliang.

No!

Get back here!

Mother has something to tell you.

Eldest Aunt, here's a toast to you.

Uncle Jingdong.

Third Aunt.

Drink less.

Manager Zhen,

you are a great contributor.

Steward Shao.

A toast to you.

Okay, thanks.

Well...

Pour it.

You two masters have worked hard lately.

Thank you, Manager Zhen.

Come on.

Let me pour for you.

Let me pour for you.

Manager Zhen, thank you for your hard work.

A toast to you.

You two have worked hard, too, so don't mention it.

Thank you, Manager Zhen.

Drink less.

I know.

Come on.

Pick up your glasses.

Alright, cheers.

Come on, Master Qi,

a toast to you.

Oh, my goodness,

we hurried all the way yet only caught the tail end.

I was wondering why the great Manager Zhen

would sneak away halfway through the banquet.

Don't talk nonsense.

I wasn't sneaking away.

You saw it yourself just now.

Everyone was toasting me.

If I drank any more, I would have gotten drunk.

I promised my mother

that I wouldn't drink too much today.

So beautiful!

Did you see that?

I saw it.

♪ Raindrops fall on the moss-covered stone steps ♪

Why are you bullying him?

It's none of your business!

This little beggar broke my fish lantern.

♪ With a bamboo knife, you make the spring fade away ♪

I thought it was something serious.

Take mine.

♪ Last year's branches are still hanging in the window ♪

Don't hit him anymore.

♪ The tea left a stain on the sleeve ♪

♪ The wreathing smoke gradually dissipated ♪

♪ Counting the games of our childhood ♪

♪ You lower your eyes and count the rings of the tree ♪

Qi Jiu...

♪ Scars meander like a stream ♪

Where is he?

♪ The ink-black distant mountains resemble your eyes and brows ♪

♪ Amid the inky darkness, it seems as though a galaxy is shifting ♪

Where did you just go?

They all say the fireworks and fish lanterns are a must-see

♪ Lend me a bit of the courage of a piece of pine resin ♪

on the Mid-Autumn Festival in Huizhou.

Even though we only caught the tail end,

♪ Amid the frost, I sketch the unfinished prologue ♪

we can't miss out on this.

♪ The hazy, distant mountains are just like you ♪

Thank you.

♪ A winding bridge reflected in the water pavilion ♪

Pretty, right?

Pretty.

Really pretty.

♪ If we are to part ways ♪

♪ Let the ink speak for me and say, "Take care" ♪

Do you want to play something even more fun?

What is it?

Harvest Eve Foraging.

Let's go!

I'll take you to experience Harvest Eve Foraging.

Why are you following me?

During Harvest Eve Foraging,

we each take our own.

Let's see who gets a bigger one.

Go away. Don't follow me.

You do the Harvest Eve Foraging,

and I'll keep watch for you.

Keep watch?

You sound quite experienced.

Someone taught me.

Who?

No one.

I'll go

over there.

Look! Over there!

It's so big.

How about this one?

This is so big.

Not bad, right?

Who's in the field?

Come on, take it.

Okay.

Run!

Let's run.

Run!

Stop! Stop right there!

Hurry!

Stop running!

Stop there!

Let's go.

Wait, wait.

I can't see anything!

It's fine.

I can't see.

Here, here, here!

Go across that small stone bridge!

Come on.

Be careful. Take it slow.

Hurry. Come on.

Don't let me catch you!

I just don't get it.

Why is it that every time I do Harvest Eve Foraging,

I run into these farmers?

Logically speaking,

Harvest Eve Foraging on Mid-Autumn Festival isn't considered theft.

But why doesn't it work for me?

Alright, stop complaining.

This isn't the first or second time I've fallen for this.

Pardon?

I said, coming out with you to do Harvest Eve Foraging

is so much fun.

He didn't catch up with us, right?

Fool, stop peeping.

Let's go.

Didn't you want to rest?

Let's go quickly.

Honestly,

it's been a while since I felt this relaxed.

Usually at Li Ink,

I have to act like a manager,

being serious with everyone

and putting on airs.

It's exhausting.

Today is the happiest day I've ever had

in such a long time.

I'm glad you're happy.

What was that sound?

Are you hungry?

No wonder.

You barely ate at the banquet.

You were just drinking.

How about this?

I'll smash this pumpkin open for you,

and you can grab a bite.

Come on.

Smash both of them open for me.

Let me see

how you smash them open.

Don't underestimate me.

I brought you a mooncake.

Where did

you conjure that from?

To be honest,

when I left home earlier,

I brought one mooncake, too.

So I prepared this for nothing.

Let's swap.

Okay.

Since you kept me company to have fun

and made me happy today,

take this as a thank you

and your dividend.

My dividend is just this?

What?

Not enough?

This is a huge dividend.

Thank you.

But I really need to thank you.

When I was most helpless and lost,

you took me in

and gave me a job.

Even though

I've had nothing during this time,

I feel like I don't lack anything.

I feel at peace.

And you also sleep well every night, right?

I didn't lie to you, right?

Smelling the ink

helps you sleep soundly

because this ink

contains pearl powder, borneol, and sandalwood

to calm and soothe the nerves.

And the ink also has...

It's not because of the ink.

Then what is it?

It's because...

Your dividend.

Eat it up.

Why not? I want the dividends.

Darling,

although the wind in Huizhou

is different from that of the East Sea,

the moon is

just as bright and pure

as the one over the East Sea.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Here's a toast to you.

Darling,

I am doing great.

Don't worry.

Please.

You're back!

We're back.

How did it go?

Manager Zhen.

According to your instructions,

at today's new ink testing event,

Master Qi gave an eloquent speech,

recommending our new ink made with rosin oil.

The students were thrilled,

praising our ink one after another, saying that

the color is black and smooth enough, and it's a real bargain.

Asking Lord Yan to invite

the Education Official to test the ink was a brilliant idea.

After the Education Official tried the ink,

he thought highly of our new ink.

Not only did he praise it a lot,

but he also bestowed a name upon it.

Check it out.

Shize?

Previously, the academies in Huizhou used Tribute Ink as an excuse

to force students to buy Styrax resin ink.

But with the recommendation from the Education Official,

these academy tutors

turned to place orders for our ink instead.

Even the one who is very close to the Tian family,

Mr. Zhang,

also showed respect to the Education Official

and placed an order on the spot.

This way, our Li Ink has received dozens of orders.

Thank you for your hard work, both of you.

You did well, Master Qi.

"A volume of Lulin Classic passed down for generations

will lead straight to high official posts (Shi) and wealth."

"Benefiting (ze) the people." "Shize Ink."

What a good name!

The Education Official put a profound meaning into it.

Now we not only have received more orders,

but also got the recommendation from the Education Official.

Li Ink

finally got over this crisis.

This is the blessing for Li Ink.

Every obstacle is hard to overcome, yet each one is overcome.

You're really a sweet-talker.

Brother, I hope you can realize your mistake, return the pine timber,

and make peace with the Li family and Zhen.

Well done, Ronghua,

my "good" sister.

She is getting more and more arrogant now.

How dare she lecture me?

Brother,

Ronghua is now

serving Sage Qing He, after all.

If she gossips willfully and stirs up trouble,

we'll be in trouble.

What's there to be afraid of?

Even if she's good at flattering superiors,

she is just a woman, after all.

How can she understand the Sage's true intentions?

All the bustling in the world is for profit.

Qing He gave us the title of Tribute Ink.

How could he let it go without some return?

From now on, if Ronghua writes again with this nonsense,

just don't show it to me.

Yes.

And there's no need to pass it on to our parents either.

Okay.

Eldest Young Master,

Mr. Zhang is waiting in the main hall.

The Li family's Shize Ink is

[Shize Ink]

affordable and of high quality,

with the Education Official's personal recommendation.

The students are also responding very enthusiastically.

As tutors,

we are caught in the middle.

What are you trying to say, Mr. Zhang?

Manager Tian,

I'd like to call off

our previous deal.

Mr. Zhang,

it's so indecent to go back on your own words.

Mr. Zhang,

please be patient.

Just let them gloat for a few days.

I will handle this matter.

In a few days, I will deliver the goods

to your academy in person.

I promise you'll be satisfied with them.

Then I will

wait for your good news.

I'll take my leave.

Take care.

It's Li Zhen again.

Jingqi.

When you returned,

they didn't even put a pair of shoes on you properly.

It was late autumn.

You were barefoot.

You must have felt so cold.

Look,

these are the new shoes I made for you.

Look at my embroidery.

Has it improved a bit?

Third Aunt.

Third Aunt,

I have come to see you several times over the years,

but you always avoided me.

I thought

your heart had truly been set on the Li family.

Forget about the past.

Since I asked you to come today

and you were willing to come,

it proves that we share the same goal.

Then what is your goal, Third Aunt?

To kick Li Zhen out of the Li family

and make the Eighth Branch

never get back on their feet again.

So we indeed have the same goal.

If we want to get this done,

you must listen to me completely.

Tomorrow, go to Suzhou

and find a mother and son for me.

No problem.

I am at your command.