Chapter 44: Without Martial Arts, There's No Chance to Beat People

Since Fang Ning had already put it that way, Si Yuheng had no choice but to go along with her words. "Old Madam, I am truly sorry. It was my fault. I had originally planned to come back, but something came up at the last minute, so I could only send someone back to pass along the message for us."

You An wore a bamboo hat that concealed half of his face.

Having previously accompanied "Si Xingyun" to Futian Village, he naturally could not let anyone see his face.

Besides, the person who had come to the Fang household yesterday to deliver the news was a waiter from the All-Flavor Pavilion.

Hearing this, Old Madam Fang’s expression softened considerably. "I thought Ningning was just being playful, pestering the young master and causing him trouble."

"Not at all, he has been very obedient," Si Yuheng lied through his teeth.

Fang Ning feigned embarrassment and scratched the back of her head. "You flatter me, Young Master."

"As long as you're back safely, that's what matters. Let's head inside first." Old Madam Fang naturally could not scold Fang Ning any further.

"Wait, Third Brother, come and help! The young master bought us so many local specialties from Donglin County to eat." Fang Ning grabbed Fang Hong and ran toward the carriage.

Lowering his head, You An began unloading the items from the carriage one by one.

Fang Hong’s eyes lit up, and he happily thanked Si Yuheng, "Thank you, Young Master."

Si Yuheng gave a slight nod and shot Fang Ning a warning glare.

Fang Ning remained completely unfazed.

She couldn't let the Fang family know what she had been up to last night; otherwise, frightening the old lady into having a heart attack would be an unforgivable sin!

"The eldest brother from the Pan family came by earlier, saying he would teach us how to brew wine, and your mother has already learned from him," Old Madam Fang told Fang Ning, before resuming her nagging. "You really are something, child. Do you think the young master's silver grows on trees?"

"It's fine, Old Madam. These didn't cost any money."

After all, he wasn't the one who bought them.

"Young Master, I cannot make decisions on your behalf regarding your silver, but children shouldn't be spoiled—especially Ningning. Be careful, or he'll push his luck and reach for the skies."

Fang Ning: "..."

I'm not a sky-rocket.

Oh, Grandmother, you really are my biological grandmother.

A flash of amusement crossed Si Yuheng’s eyes. "Understood. I won't buy any sky-rockets for him next time."

Fang Ning glared at Si Yuheng.

Si Yuheng remained entirely unbothered.

Without missing a beat, Fang Ning piled the specialties from Fang Hong's arms on top of her own and shoved the whole load straight into Si Yuheng's arms. "Young Master, since you've started a good deed, you might as well see it through to the end."

With that, Fang Ning grabbed Fang Hong and bolted away.

Si Yuheng: "..."

He really ought to consider teaching Fang Ning martial arts.

Otherwise, he'd never get the chance to beat some sense into her!

Old Madam Fang wanted to take the things from Si Yuheng, yet felt too embarrassed to do so. "Please, Young Master, let me hold them. Ningning has been spoiled rotten by his parents—please don't be angry with him."

"It's quite all right, Old Madam. I can carry them; they aren't heavy."

How could Si Yuheng possibly let the old lady carry anything? With his long strides, he walked past Old Madam Fang and headed toward the old Fang family residence.

The moment Fang Ning stepped through the threshold, she was greeted by the concerned inquiries of everyone except her parents.

After talking until her throat was dry, she finally managed to stop the Fang family from asking any further questions.

"Ningning, that cement you mentioned is truly miraculous and immensely practical. Can we use it when we build our new house in the future?"

The usually honest Fang Wenqin asked with an excited expression.

Even the taciturn Fang Wenchang looked at Fang Ning expectantly.

Fang Ning nodded. "That's right. Cement has countless uses. Aside from building houses, it can also be used to pave floors, repair roads, and much more."

"Just how did you come up with all this?" Old Han Fang asked, finding it hard to connect this clever and capable child with the stubborn rascal she used to be.

"Grandfather, I just figured it out by messing around. I don't really know how to explain it to you—can you please not ask me about it?"

Unwilling to explain, Fang Ning resorted to her ultimate weapon: acting spoiled and playing dumb.

True to form, Old Han Fang dropped the subject and asked no more.

Carrying the local specialties, Si Yuheng walked into the courtyard.

Fang Ning immediately scurried over with eager attentiveness. "Thank you for your hard work, Young Master! Grandfather, these are the specialties I brought back for you all from Donglin County. They're delicious—everyone drop what you're doing and come try some."

Si Yuheng: That mischievous brat really needs a beating!

Hearing that Fang Ning had returned, Jiang San rushed over at the earliest opportunity to discuss the matter of cement with her.

"Ningning, have you ever thought about selling this cement?"

"Does Third Uncle Jiang have something specific in mind?"

"I don't have any other skills, but I do know quite a few masons. I was thinking of having them try it out and eventually sell it."

"Third Uncle Jiang, cement isn't that easy to sell. After all, the production cost is right there, and ordinary people simply cannot afford it."

"Is the production cost that high?"

Fang Ning looked over at Si Yuheng.

Si Yuheng nodded in confirmation.

Jiang San's enthusiasm deflated instantly.

Fang Ning continued, "Third Uncle Jiang, we can't sell cement to ordinary people, but we can sell it to the government."

"Sell it to the government?"

"Yes, but before that, we need to show the government just how wonderful this cement is."

"Then what—what should we do?"

"I want to pave the road from our village to the town."

At this, not only Jiang San, but everyone in the Fang family as well, drew in a sharp breath.

"Pave the road? Ningning, can we actually pull that off?"

"We can. Isn't the young master here? He will definitely help us think of a way. However, as for the labor, I hope the villagers can contribute their own manpower."

Si Yuheng: "..."

Do I look that much like a walking purse of money?

"We'll have to discuss this with the village chief first; I can't make that decision alone. Should I go call the village chief over?" Jiang San asked.

"Please do," Fang Ning nodded.

Jiang San immediately sprinted toward the Yu family's house.

Old Madam Fang frowned. "Ningning, why are you talking to them about paving a road? While most people in the village are good-hearted, there are bound to be selfish ones. Don't end up putting in all the hard work for no gratitude! Besides, how much money have you even made yet that you're already thinking about paving roads?"

"Grandmother, I have a purpose for doing this. You'll understand when the time comes, and I promise you this will be entirely beneficial with no drawbacks. To let people know how good cement is, we must first let them see it with their own eyes." Fang Ning coaxed the old lady.

Old Han Fang didn't approve either. "Didn't you say you wanted to go study? If all our silver is spent on this, how will you afford your studies later?"

"Grandfather, the reason our Futian Village can't compare to the Xu family's village right now is simply because we don't have anyone whose words carry more weight than a scholar. If we want to surpass the Xu family's village, we naturally have to make Futian Village better. Don't worry, this road won't cost much silver; the main expense is just human labor."

"Didn't you just say the cost of cement is high?"

"It will be expensive in the future, but not right now."

Since no one knows what those materials can do yet, how could they possibly be considered expensive?

Besides, if she wants to make a stunning impression, she has to do something that shocks people.

Fang Ning had actually calculated that, excluding labor costs, eight hundred taels of silver would be enough to pave the road and the streets.

"Father, Mother, if the village chief agrees, can we settle on paving the road? Trust Ningning; she isn't just acting recklessly," Fang Cinian spoke up.

Liang Anrong chimed in as well, "That's right. Ningning must have her reasons for doing this. Besides, if this road isn't paved, it turns into a muddy mess every time it rains, and it's too easy for people to slip, fall, and get hurt."

Old Han Fang and Old Madam Fang exchanged glances and both sighed inwardly.

Now that the eldest branch was showing some promise, why were they starting to squander money again?

Though it seemed to be for a righteous cause, could something like this actually succeed?

At that moment, Jiang San and Yu Dong arrived.

The moment Yu Dong stepped inside, he went straight to the point: "Ningning, do you want to use cement to pave the road for our village?"