A few months after Charles Yuan passed away, Henry Henderson had his youngest son, Eugene Henderson, formally apprentice under Victor Fan, witnessed by many of the city’s wealthiest families.
That day, the crowd was enormous. Victor Fan’s business thrived, unaffected by the loss of his grain shop to a competitor. In contrast, the Charles Family’s business kept deteriorating.
Since the last incident, the Charles Family had been in chaos. Ronald Charles and Leonard Charles attended the apprenticeship ceremony, but their relationship was no longer harmonious, and their expressions had changed.
Rumors had spread that the two brothers of the Charles Family were fighting for the inheritance. As tradition favors the elder, Ronald Charles gained the upper hand and took most of the family assets, while Arthur Jian, their distant relative, abandoned Leonard Charles.
The banquet began. Victor Fan busied himself greeting guests. During the meal, Leonard Charles tried several times to speak to Victor Fan, but was ignored. Leonard seemed to realize that he and his brother had gone too far over the years.
While Leonard Charles was brooding alone, Victor Fan had someone call him into a separate room.
“Brother, I know I’ve wronged you over the years. Let me apologize.”
As Ronald Charles was about to kneel, Victor Fan stopped him.
“There’s no need for apologies. I still remember Father-in-law’s kindness to me. Now, Julian knows about your predicament, and there’s a way to help you out.”
The Charles Family’s problems had become severe due to the reckless actions of the two sons. The main pottery business was nearly shut down. When Victor Fan was in charge, he paid artists and craftsmen more than most places, demanding only their best work.