Resumen del episodio 11 de The Heir
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Luo Wenqian, operating under the pseudonym Qi Jiu of the Yihousheng pawnshop, visited the Seventh Old Madam. Knowing he had already visited the Tian, Chen, and Pan families, she questioned his true intentions. Luo Wenqian explained that as an outsider, he needed her support to establish a foothold in Huizhou. Intrigued, the Old Madam asked why he chose to open a pawnshop rather than an ink workshop.
Luo Wenqian modestly replied that his knowledge of ink was superficial, and rushing headfirst into the industry would ruin things. Instead, he had set the ancient lacquer-soot ink challenge to test local workshops and select the best partner, expressing his strong desire to collaborate with Li Ink. To show his sincerity, Luo Wenqian presented the Seventh Old Madam with an exquisite, unsigned scroll.
He shared that the pawner of the painting described it as depicting the legendary masters of Li Ink making ink along the river during the Southern Tang dynasty, right after the founder restored their ancestral Li surname. Touched by the meaningful gesture, the Old Madam accepted the gift, thanking him with tea instead of wine. Meanwhile, Li Zhen was working tirelessly in the smoke shed, her face and hands stained black with soot.
Luo Wenqian arrived to check on her progress, bringing along fine black tea sent by the Seventh Old Madam. Although reluctant at first, Li Zhen eventually allowed him inside the draft-free smoke shed. Once inside, Luo Wenqian noticed an open copy of the "Ink Chronicles". The rare manual brought back emotional memories of his brother, Luo Wensong, for whom he had purchased this very copy in the capital at a high price.
Luo Wenqian offered to buy the book back for a fortune, but Li Zhen firmly refused, stating that the manual was a priceless treasure that had taught her the essence of her craft. While leafing through the book, Luo Wenqian noticed a smudged portion of the text regarding a key ingredient.
Li Zhen explained that the recipe required one of the animal "hollow organs," but without knowing the exact animal or organ, she would have to test nearly a hundred combinations. Eager to prove his sincerity for cooperation, Luo Wenqian promised to help her find the answer. Shortly after, Li Zhen noticed her allotted raw materials were shorted and angrily confronted Manager Shao An.
Shao An calmly explained that he had deducted the difference because she had previously taken materials from other sheds without permission. He showed her the registration log, explaining that the strict rules of Li Ink were established decades ago by Eighth Master Li to stabilize the workshop. Upon reviewing the detailed entries and seeing records of her own father and sixth grandfather, Li Zhen realized that rules were indeed the foundation of their craft and sincerely apologized to Shao An.
Just as they reconciled, Sun Baiyi and Master Wei barged in, furiously accusing Li Zhen of sneaking into the smoke shed at night, causing a draft that ruined Master Wei's freshly made lampblack. Li Zhen defended herself, stating the shed was completely empty when she entered, and requested Shao An to check the ledger. Upon checking, Shao An revealed that Master Wei had no record of drawing any raw materials for yesterday’s work.
Caught in his lie, Master Wei sheepishly claimed his memory had failed him and that the ruined batch was actually a failed failure from days prior. Under Shao An's quiet pressure, Master Wei was forced to apologize to Li Zhen, clearing her name. During a family dinner, Eighth Master Li advised Li Zhen to study diligently under Shao An. Later, Luo Wenqian returned with the crucial breakthrough.
After consulting various scholars day and night, he confirmed that the text referred to the "purest internal organ," which meant a gallbladder. Though the exact animal remained unknown, this significantly narrowed down her search. Deeply grateful, Li Zhen apologized for her prior coldness but insisted she would handle the remaining trials herself. With the gallbladder clue, Li Zhen worked day and night to perfect the recipe. After countless exhausting trials, she successfully recreated the long-lost supreme-grade lacquer lampblack.
Shao An rushed the sample to Eighth Master Li, who enthusiastically confirmed its exceptional quality. News of her success spread quickly through the workshop, and Li Zhen’s brother, Jingdong, was finally told to rest. Li Zhen proudly presented the supreme-grade lampblack to her Seventh Grandmother. Deeply moved, the Seventh Old Madam declared that Li Ink was finally saved. Bowing in deep gratitude, she officially entrusted the entire multi-step restoration of the ancient lacquer-soot ink to Li Zhen.
The workshop craftsmen, now harboring immense respect for Li Zhen, worked closely alongside her. Together, they endured the grueling process of ten thousand hammerings and delicate molding. Once the ink sticks were complete, Shao An personally decorated them with elegant gold tracing. Li Zhen presented the finished ancient lacquer-soot ink to the Seventh Old Madam and her Seventh Aunt.
The ink featured a beautiful carving of the four seasons, which Li Zhen explained symbolized both the hardships of ink-making and her wish for the ink to accompany its writers through every season of the year. Finally, Eighth Master Li cradled the newly crafted ink, inhaling its rich fragrance. With tears of pride, he praised the creation, declaring it as firm as jade and a true testament to the unyielding spirit and backbone of Li Ink.
