She Came to Heal, Stayed to Conquer

The elderly lady tightened her grip on the chopsticks, a hint of concern flashing through her tea-colored eyes.

She always felt that Hua Tianyou’s thoughts were not quite right, but since Hua Tianyou was a good friend of Zhao Zun and had grown up with Zhao Ling’er, she didn’t know how to bring it up.

However, if Hua Tianyou’s thoughts were heading in that direction, she would not agree no matter what, because, after all, Hua Tianyou had a reputation as a playboy and was not a suitable match for Zhao Ling’er.

Big Fatty’s eyes lit up at the story, forgetting to chew his braised pork: ”Is it really as amazing as you say? Are those cement houses fireproof?”

”It’s more than just that!”

With a ”clang,” Hua Tianyou slammed the chopsticks onto the bowl, causing a few drops of the soup to splash out.

”It rained a few days ago, and half of Li’s thatched roof collapsed. We rebuilt it with cement, and it was ready for people to live in by the next day!”

At this point, Hua Tianyou suddenly lowered his voice and leaned in mysteriously toward Big Fatty.

”Han Lai left some blueprints before he left, saying that if you mix in iron rods, you can build a ten-story building!”

”Ten stories?!”

The drumstick in Big Fatty’s hand dropped into the bowl with a ”plop,” ”Wouldn’t that reach the clouds?”

”Hahaha...”

Big Fatty’s words prompted everyone to burst into laughter.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, two fine horses trod over the dewdrops on the grass.

Hua Tianyou led the way on a chestnut horse, its mane flying: ”Fatty, keep up, ahead after the turn is the cement road!”

Big Fatty was about to mock his exaggeration when he suddenly noticed a change in the sound of the horse’s hooves.

”Clip-clop, clip-clop, clip-clop.”

The crisp knocking sound instantly replaced the muffled thud of the dirt.

Big Fatty looked up to see a gray-white flat road snaking away like a giant dragon, shimmering with a metallic sheen in the morning sun.

”Is this... is this the cement road? Whoa!”

Big Fatty couldn’t help but pull the reins to stop and then jumped off the horse, crouching down to touch the smooth road surface.

Having grown up in the Capital City, the best road surface was the bluestone slab, which still had seams between the joints, whereas here on the cement road, he couldn’t even feel a single crack.

After Hua Tianyou dismounted, he laughed heartily and pulled him to his feet.

”This is just the beginning! Look over there.”

Hua Tianyou pointed with his whip to a distant area, and Big Fatty looked up.

Ahead, a four-wheeled tricycle sputtered by, its cargo bed filled with freshly made cement.

Further beyond, blue-roofed factories were neatly aligned, with several chimneys emitting white smoke.

Big Fatty took a sharp inhalation of surprise, standing dazed in the middle of the cement road, almost getting hit by a passing tricycle.

The old cyclist cursed with a laugh: ”Are you new here? Keep to the right!”

Only then did Hua Tianyou laugh, mount his horse, and gallop forward with Big Fatty.

Rounding the mountain bend, the scene was even more breathtaking.

Dozens of robust men were shouting in rhythm as they pulled stone rollers, compacting the new roadbed.

The generator hummed, driving the pump to channel river water into the newly built reservoir.

Seeing everything in front of him, Big Fatty’s mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.

When he finally could close his mouth, in that first moment, he couldn’t help but exclaim.

”A miracle!”

Everything here was so novel and advanced, as if it were another world.

”Tianyou, I’m not going back.” Big Fatty excitedly grabbed Hua Tianyou’s sleeve, ”I want to stay here like you.”

But Hua Tianyou shook his head and said, ”You can only play here for a couple of days before heading to Beiguan Yong’an City to find Zhao Zun.”

”Huh? Why?”

Big Fatty looked at him in confusion.

Hua Tianyou explained, ”When Han Lei left, he instructed that there’s a coal mine in Beiguan. Han Lei said that’s where your main battlefield is.”