Chapter 30: Chaijin Lane Has Always Belonged to Me

Yan Chaonian herself did not know how to dispel the image of being "muddle-headed" in her second uncle’s mind. She had heard that sentiment countless times over the past two years. *Sigh.*

After a moment, only the grandfather and granddaughter remained in the room. Old Master Li, usually a stern man, felt his mind racing with a thousand thoughts and endless possibilities, until Yan Chaonian sat down across from him. "Grandfather, there is no need for such wariness. I have come today simply to speak with you."

Old Master Li’s expression did not change; he clearly did not believe her.

Yan Chaonian did not mind, pouring herself a cup of water. "I know you do not like me, and I have no way to make you like me. Therefore, I have come today in my capacity as the owner of the Chaojin Workshop. If you do not wish to discuss family ties, shall we discuss interests instead?"

Old Master Li raised his eyes, clearly not regarding her with much respect. "You?"

"It is me." Yan Chaonian chuckled. "Your feelings toward me must be quite complex, Grandfather. I was cast aside by the Earl’s mansion, which not only implicated my father and brothers but the Li family as well. You resent me, yet you also pity me—otherwise, you would not have had my eldest uncle send us money."

Old Master Li said in a deep voice, "I did that out of pity for your mother, who, at an age when she should be surrounded by her children and grandchildren, is still suffering because of you."

Yan Chaonian shamelessly replied, "Since my mother pities me, that can barely count as you pitying me as well."

The old man glared at her but did not deny it. Yan Chaonian continued, "What must rankle you most is that I took over the Brocade Workshop. It was on the verge of closing under your management, yet it revived in my hands. You are pleased, but you refuse to accept the fact that I am more capable than you."

"On one hand, you have my two uncles follow my lead; on the other, you pick at my faults at every turn. To you, I am someone you cannot stand but cannot discard. That is why you do not wish to see me and cannot bear to hear anyone speak well of me."

"Nonsense."

The old man had started managing his own household in his teens. He was tall, short-tempered, and rarely smiled; he was usually stern, and even more terrifying when he put on a cold face.

Yan Chaonian smiled. "Whether it is nonsense or not, you know in your heart. I did not come today to discuss this, but to tell you that the imperial court has issued a summons. Yuan Shen must leave for the capital immediately, and I am going with him. I fear I will not be back for a year or two."

"Once I leave, the Brocade Workshop will have to be managed by my eldest uncle. But you know the situation of the Li family better than I do. The workshop is growing rapidly and is being watched by many. If there is no clear plan in place, I fear it will only be a fleeting success."

During those years when her father was an official and she was married into the Earl’s mansion, the Li family had failed to make the workshop successful, which showed that their business acumen was not outstanding.

Moreover, now that silver was pouring in, outsiders were envious, and even their own kin were jealous. Her two aunts were fighting openly and secretly, both wanting to bring their own brothers into the workshop. She could suppress these matters while she was here, but once she left, her two uncles would not be able to withstand the pressure for more than three months.

If the workshop were filled with relatives all looking to line their own pockets, its collapse would only be a matter of time.

Old Master Li naturally understood this. While Yan Chaonian’s words were not entirely correct, they were mostly true. The Li Family Brocade Workshop had gone nowhere under his own management, yet he refused to admit he lacked the skill, nor did he want to admit his sons were incompetent, so he blamed everything on Yan Chaonian’s divorce.

He knew she was pitiful, but he could not help but blame her; only then did he feel slightly better. Yet, for the past two years, he had been resentful—resentful that he was not as capable as a young woman. His heart was a tangle of complex contradictions, but he was not yet senile.

"State your proposal directly."

Yan Chaonian did not stand on ceremony. "My parents will remain here. After I leave, I want my mother to take my place."

Old Master Li instinctively wanted to refuse, but Yan Chaonian did not give him the chance. "You may not know this, Grandfather, but my skills were actually taught to me by my mother. Whether before she was married or now, she is the most capable among all your children. It is only because she is a woman that you refuse to give her a chance."

"My mother is the only one who can command the workshop. With her there, it will not fall into chaos, and the Li family will have no chance to fall into ruin."

The old man furrowed his brows, clearly unwilling to agree. In his eyes, both the Li Family Brocade Workshop and the Chaojin Workshop belonged to his family; how could he let them remain under the control of a married-out daughter? "Since you are returning to the capital, return the workshop to the Li family. We will pay you back whatever silver is owed."

Yan Chaonian laughed. "Grandfather, you forget that the Chaojin Workshop is mine to begin with."

"When we arrived, the Li Family Brocade Workshop had been losing money for over three months, unable to even pay the weavers. It was my father’s money that settled the trouble. Later, when my uncles wanted to sell it, I took it over, with the agreement that I would manage it while my two uncles served as stewards. Aside from their monthly wages, I provide them with a share of the profits annually."

"This was signed in a formal document."

She looked up at the old man, reiterating a point: "Grandfather, my father was dismissed from office, but his property was not confiscated. The Yan family’s assets remain intact."

If she did not make this clear, the Li family would continue to think they were merely hangers-on.

Old Master Li was silent. He had deliberately ignored these facts. Now that Yan Chaonian had put it so bluntly, she was telling him that the workshop he took such pride in had long since ceased to have anything to do with him. Even in decline, the Yan family was still far wealthier than the Li family. The Chaojin Workshop bore the name Yan.

Yan Chaonian continued, "The land for the workshop still belongs to you, Grandfather, so do not be distressed. Having my mother oversee the workshop is the best choice. Furthermore, she has a good relationship with my two uncles; if the siblings work together, they will not give outsiders a chance to take advantage."

"All you need to do, Grandfather, is oversee the Li household and ensure that those with selfish motives do not ruin the workshop’s fortune."

The source of the Li family’s conflict lay with the three women: the step-grandmother and her two daughters-in-law. If Old Master Li could not suppress them, the family would surely descend into chaos sooner or later.

"Of course, if you cannot accept this, I will choose to persuade my mother to start anew elsewhere and completely separate the Chaojin Workshop from the Li family. You must believe that finding another suitable plot of land is not that difficult."

"Are you threatening me?"

Old Master Li’s pride was wounded. Yan Chaonian, however, felt some things had to be made clear. The facts proved that she was the one who held the core control of the Chaojin Workshop; starting over, while troublesome, was not impossible.

"As the saying goes, 'Even brothers should settle accounts clearly.' I am only clarifying the situation and expressing my stance."

"I am willing to share in the Li family’s fortunes, but without your support, this path will not last long."

"After being together for two or three years, you should know that I am not a person who disregards family ties. I value my two uncles greatly and hope to work with them to make the workshop the largest in Rong City, or even the entire Southwest. They are capable; they only lacked a bit of vision before. Give them another year or two, and they will become leading figures in the textile industry of Xin'an. I do not wish to see things fall apart at this stage; that would be a great pity."