Chapter 80: Torn Between Gratitude and Duty

It had been over twenty days since Yan Ming went in search of old comrades from his army days. To Zhen Qian’s surprise, business had come knocking before he expected. Seven individuals arrived, all willing to partner with Drunken Immortal Tavern to open wine shops. However, their requirements varied greatly—some only wished to purchase spirits from the tavern to sell themselves, while others were willing to provide premises but not invest in the business. With a multitude of demands, Song Yi dared not make any decisions and had to send for Zhen Qian.

Originally, three partnership guidelines had been agreed upon with Yan Ming, but now, with seven people, there were seven different ideas for collaboration. The situation was almost laughable to Zhen Qian. Even so, small business is still business—there were no rapid advertising channels in this era; everything relied on word of mouth, which was frustrating to say the least.

After an entire day of negotiation, Zhen Qian finally settled the matters of the seven parties. No sooner had he finished than Wang Qun sent word—Mrs. Xing, having learned of Zhen Qian’s return, had delivered a list of the dowry provided by his mother, requesting a discussion about its transfer.

When Zhen Qian hurried back to the Zhen estate, he found Wang Qun furious, an uncommon sight. Wang Qun clutched a piece of paper, his hands shaking with anger. “Mrs. Xing has gone too far! She’s only returned the dowry and assets that were originally brought by the late mistress!”

“What exactly happened?” Zhen Qian asked, confused. Looking at the paper, he saw a long list of goods, which he estimated were worth no less than seven or eight thousand strings of cash. He had no objections to this, but Wang Qun clearly did.

Wang Qun, still fuming, explained, “There’s nothing wrong with the list itself, but it’s been over twenty years. What was worth a thousand strings back then must be worth two or three thousand now. Look at these properties—how much profit have they generated for the Zhen family all these years? Yet Mrs. Xing hasn’t offered any compensation for the earnings, not a single word! It’s outrageous!”

Only after Wang Qun’s explanation did Zhen Qian understand. Many of the items on the list were not stagnant like jewelry; they included lands and businesses that had surely multiplied their value. For Mrs. Xing to feign ignorance and not mention any compensation was indeed infuriating.

“It’s shameless! Should we ask the clan head to arbitrate this matter?”

“Wait,” Zhen Qian, though angry, realized that if he kept pressing the issue, it might look as though he coveted the family’s wealth. He scanned the list carefully, thought it over, and said, “Uncle Wang, there are quite a few properties here, and they have certainly profited the Zhen family over the years. But if we push, Mrs. Xing will have her own arguments. Even if I fight for it, we’d gain at most a thousand or two more. Perhaps it’s better to look for another approach.”

Wang Qun was puzzled. A thousand or two was no small sum, and these assets had all been managed by the Zhen family, with the profits reinvested—he doubted much could be reclaimed.

“What do you mean, Young Master? Are we just going to let it go?”

“Of course not.” Zhen Qian stroked his chin and closed his eyes thoughtfully. “I just don’t want to be entangled with Mrs. Xing over this. She knows what she’s done and will have a guilty conscience.”

Wang Qun couldn’t understand Zhen Qian’s thinking—letting go of real money, was there something more important he had planned?

Zhen Qian didn’t know what was going through Wang Qun’s mind, but after weighing his options and making sure there were no flaws in his reasoning, he continued, “Fighting over this will only turn it into a real family split, and that won’t benefit either the Zhen family or myself. Shall we invite the clan head again for a judgment?”

Wang Qun was reluctant—it was their right, yet Zhen Qian was ready to give it up. He couldn’t think of a reason to agree.

“Uncle Wang, I’ve been thinking. Doesn’t the Zhen family have some assets in Luquan County? I’d like to exchange the properties on this list for those in Luquan. Mrs. Xing should have no objections, and we’re planning to develop in Luquan anyway. What do you think?”

Wang Qun considered this and thought it a good idea. He didn’t know why Zhen Qian wanted to move to Luquan, but since they were leaving the Zhen family, it was best to keep a distance. He nodded, “I keep the Zhen family’s accounts. I’ll go check; we should be able to trade the listed properties for those in Luquan. I doubt Mrs. Xing cares about those assets.”

With Wang Qun’s assurance, Zhen Qian relaxed. Noticing Wang Qun’s familiarity with Luquan, he asked more questions and found him supportive of the plan. The business conditions there were not much worse than in Zhending, and Luquan was close to Hengzhou’s administrative seat. Many prominent Hengzhou families had assets in Luquan, which was also one of the vital routes connecting Shanxi to Hebei across the Taihang Mountains.

As he considered his prospects in Luquan, his gaze landed on Qin Meng—now known as Zhen Meng—passing by downstairs. He called out, “Zhen Meng, I have a long-distance task for you. Are you willing to go?”

Zhen Meng paused, momentarily startled, then bowed his head and said, “Godfather, I am sorry.”

Zhen Qian walked over and gave him a heavy pat on the shoulder. “I know it’s hard for you—caught between your own kin and me, your godfather. Mistakes are inevitable. I don’t want to make things harder for you. If you wish to return home, I won’t stop you. If you want to stay, it might be better to leave Zhending for a while.”

Zhen Meng clenched his jaw and nodded fiercely, his emotions too complex for words.

Zhen Qian felt a similar frustration. He had known all along that Zhen Meng was a pawn placed at his side by Qin Hao, but after more than two months together, he’d come to see the boy’s potential—cautious, intelligent, and worthy of cultivation. He’d grown fond of him. Yet, after all that happened in the Zhen family, and Qin Hao’s willingness to betray Zhen Meng without hesitation, Zhen Qian found his anger toward the boy diminished. He decided to give Zhen Meng one last chance.

“Think it over. I can help you break free from the Qin family, but you must be willing yourself. I won’t keep someone who is disloyal by my side. Consider carefully: if you wish to stay, leave Zhending for a while. In the future, the Qin family will only hold you back. You’re still young—the road ahead is long. Do you really want to spend your life as someone else’s puppet?”