Chapter 28: To Kill, or to Spare?

No matter what Fang Ning said, Old Man Pan remained adamant that he would never brew wine again.

Fang Ning had no choice but to say, "If that’s the case, then let me buy your wine-brewing recipes!"

"Buy? Are you a fool? I’m offering them to you for free, and you want to give me silver?"

"Grandpa, your grandson needs money for his medical treatment. We shouldn't take advantage of your misfortune, should we? Besides, if I buy these recipes, I’ll need you to teach us personally!"

"Aren't you afraid of poisoning someone?"

"People die for many reasons. It might not be because of your wine—perhaps it’s just bad luck?"

Old Man Pan did not seem like the type of person who was greedy for money or full of schemes. Fang Ning trusted her instincts when it came to judging people.

"Fine, if you put it that way, I will teach you. Just give me whatever amount of silver you think is fair. I never intended to make money from brewing again anyway. Being able to exchange these recipes for some silver now means my effort in learning the craft won't have been entirely in vain."

"If they are unique, secret recipes, I will pay one hundred taels for each."

Fang Ning was incredibly generous. Her family knew nothing about brewing; what they called "bayberry wine" was really just bayberries soaked in liquor. If they could learn the actual craft of brewing, it would provide another steady stream of income for the household. Although she had endured harsh conditions while carrying out missions in the past and was no stranger to hardship, she naturally preferred to improve her circumstances rather than stagnate.

"Child, you should think carefully. One hundred taels is not just one tael. I have more than one secret brewing recipe, you know!"

"How many do you have? I’ll buy them all."

Old Man Pan held up his hand. "Five."

Five hundred taels? She could afford it!

"Deal."

"Child, are you really not joking with me?"

"Grandpa Pan, I should ask you the same. Are you really selling them to me? Once you sell them, you truly cannot brew wine again in the future."

"I am selling." Old Man Pan did not hesitate. With that sum of money, he could start any number of businesses; why must he cling to brewing? Many had tried to buy his recipes over the years, and he had refused them all—not because he intended to keep brewing, but because he did not want his ancestral craft to be cheapened or ruined by others.

"Then please wait a moment, Grandpa. I’ll call someone in. Since verbal agreements are unreliable, let’s draw up a formal contract as proof. How about that?"

"I’ll leave it to you."

Fang Ning scurried out on her short legs and called Si Yuheng inside. Si Yuheng had actually been listening to their entire conversation from outside. He now feigned ignorance and asked, "What’s going on?"

"Young Master, Grandpa Pan wants to sell me his ancestral wine-brewing recipes. I don't know how to read or write yet, so I wanted to ask you to draft a contract for us to avoid any disputes later."

Watching Fang Ning’s round, bright eyes, Si Yuheng swallowed the refusal that had been on the tip of his tongue. He calmly observed Old Man Pan. Shopkeeper Lin had approached him at least ten times trying to buy these very recipes, only to be rejected every time. He had not expected Fang Ning to secure them so easily. Shopkeeper Lin would likely be devastated if he found out.

After Si Yuheng drafted the document, he read it aloud to Fang Ning. However, instead of signing it herself, she ran out and called Fang Cinian inside. The events at Xu Village were still fresh in her mind, and the feeling of being used was still vivid. The current Fang Ning was meticulous to a fault; he wondered just how old the soul hiding inside that child’s body truly was.

"Father, please sign this contract with Grandpa Pan." After Fang Cinian entered, Fang Ning handed him the document.

Fang Cinian read it through, confirmed it was in order, signed his name, and pressed his thumbprint. Only then did he ask, "Why on earth are you buying wine-brewing recipes?"

"They’ll be useful," Fang Ning said, keeping him in suspense.

Fang Cinian was used to this; he knew his daughter always had a plan, so he stopped asking. Si Yuheng stood to the side, quietly observing the interaction between Fang Ning and Fang Cinian. They were close and familiar, clearly not strangers; they seemed to be a genuine father and daughter. Had the original family of three really died, only to have their bodies taken over by unknown spirits? Si Yuheng did not know. That was exactly why he had chosen to stay in Futian Village—to find out the true origin of the Fang family. Should he kill them, or let them live?

Fang Ning sensed Si Yuheng’s gaze and tilted her head, looking at him deliberately. "Young Master, don't tell me you wanted the secret recipes too?"

"No," Si Yuheng replied, snapping out of his thoughts and looking away, denying it flatly.

"Then, Brother Yu, could you lend me five hundred taels of silver?" Fang Ning’s expression shifted, and she looked up at Si Yuheng with a pathetic, pleading face.

Si Yuheng was speechless. When she needed him to do something, he was "Young Master," but when she wanted money, he was suddenly "Brother Yu"? He had a very good temper, or he would have knocked her out long ago!

"Brother Yu, please, I’ll definitely pay you back later." Fang Ning acted like a spoiled child, showing absolutely no shame in a grown woman’s soul playing the part of a toddler. What was shame, anyway? It couldn't be eaten. If she could catch a big fish without using any bait, she would never hesitate!

Si Yuheng looked down at Fang Ning tugging at his sleeve, swaying back and forth, his temples throbbing violently.

"Let go."

"The money."

"Let go!"

"The money."

...

Fang Ning simply refused to let go. Si Yuheng really wanted to brush her off, but the moment he met her clear, black-and-white eyes, he suppressed the urge. This Fang Ning, he suspected, was sent specifically to be his nemesis! If she were his younger brother, he would have beaten her to death ages ago.

Old Man Pan watched this, his expression subtle and indescribable. He really did not want to watch Fang Ning and Si Yuheng bicker, so he spoke up, "Ningning, don't rush the money. Just give me some emergency funds for the child’s medicine first, and the rest can wait."

"Brother Yu, you saw that Grandpa Pan’s child has a fever. Please, will you lend it to me?" Fang Ning still would not let go of Si Yuheng.

Si Yuheng endured and endured. "I’ll have Shopkeeper Lin pay it out to you later; I don't have that much on me right now." He had conceded.

"Thank you, Brother Yu! Grandpa Pan, you’ll have it by tomorrow at the latest."

Old Man Pan never expected that Fang Ning would actually succeed in borrowing five hundred taels. That was silver, not five hundred copper coins! However, he did not want to get involved in the affairs between Fang Ning and Si Yuheng. After taking the ten taels Fang Ning had retrieved from Grandma Fang, he hurried away.

Grandma Fang asked her in a low voice, "What on earth are you buying these brewing recipes for? Do you intend to start brewing at home? You can’t swallow an entire meal in one bite; you have to take it slowly!"

"They will be useful, Grandma. You have to trust me; I won't waste money on things that can't earn it back."

"You have too many tricks up your sleeve, but fine, I’ll trust you this once!"

"Just wait, Grandma. I’ll make sure we live in a big house and have white rice and meat for every meal."

Grandma Fang was so delighted by her words that her face lit up with a smile. "Alright, alright, I’ll just wait for my Ningning to bring us a good life."

Some of the villagers who had come to weigh their bayberries heard this and felt a bit of disdain. It was already a miracle that the Fang family’s eldest branch was doing better; to think they could get rich? If it were so easy to get rich, there wouldn't be any poor people in Futian Village.

Still, what was the Fang family cooking? Why did it smell so good? Those people subconsciously looked toward the kitchen.