Chapter 16 Two Stubborn Kids
After eating some flatbread at noon, the two rested for a while before Lin Changning followed Old Liu into the horse farm next door.
The air was filled with the scent of earth and grass, mixed with a faint smell of horse manure.
Dozens of horses strolled leisurely inside the enclosure, or grazed with their heads down, the sound of their hooves pawing the ground rising and falling.
Old Liu seemed to become quite relaxed, humming a country tune, and appeared to be in an exceptionally good mood.
"Kid, we'll train the horses this afternoon. We don't have that many horses under our charge. After training them, we can feed them and go home."
As Old Liu spoke, he walked toward a black horse.
The horse's coat was glossy, like it was draped in silk, and its hooves were long and slender. It was clearly a fine horse, but at this moment its eyes were wary and it was full of hostility towards anyone who approached.
Old Liu gestured for Lin Changning to stand aside, while he slowly approached the chestnut horse, humming an unknown tune softly, his movements gentle and slow, as if afraid of startling the spirited steed.
He stretched out his hand and let the horse sniff his scent. After a while, the horse gradually relaxed its guard.
Old Liu gently stroked the horse's neck, running his fingers down its mane from its head to its back, muttering to himself, "Horses are all sentient beings. On the battlefield, we might have to rely on them to save our lives."
"Kid, you give it a try," Old Liu suddenly said.
That old bastard had ulterior motives. This horse was the most ferocious in the batch, and after half a year of training, there was still no progress. But it was also really fat and strong, and it would be a pity to abandon or sell it.
It took Old Liu more than half a year to finally become gentler with him.
If you let a newcomer go up and touch it, they're bound to stumble.
Lin Changning stepped forward and, imitating Old Liu, slowly extended his hand.
But as soon as his hand touched the horse's body, the chestnut horse suddenly shook its head, pawed the ground with its front hooves, and let out a neigh.
Lin Changning: ? ? ? ?
Does a horse discriminate based on who it serves?
The horse stared warily at Lin Changning, its ears pricked back, and neighed again, seemingly warning him not to come closer.
Lin Changning glanced at Old Liu and found that the old man was still quietly watching her.
After thinking for a moment, Lin Changning turned around, took some alfalfa in his hand, and continued to approach the horses.
After a long while, the black horse seemed to realize that the person in front of it posed no threat, and finally lowered its head to start eating alfalfa.
Lin Changning was delighted and slowly reached out to gently stroke the black horse's neck. The black horse did not dodge.
Old Liu coaxed patiently, "It's a good horse, isn't it? This horse is quite intelligent; it hasn't recognized a master yet, and who knows who it will end up with."
Lin Changning's eyes lit up as he looked at Old Liu: "Still no one?"
Old Liu found it amusing, but still hooked his arm around Lin Changning: "Too fierce. Several commanders came, but none of them could train him. You try it and you'll be thrown off as soon as you get up there."
Lin Changning was indeed tempted by the horse. The quality of a horse was also very important on the battlefield, and this one was clearly a good horse.
As she slowly approached the black horse with the saddle in her hand, the black horse seemed to sense something, and its eyes once again showed wariness.
Lin Changning carefully placed the saddle on the black horse's back, and the black horse immediately began to jump restlessly, its front hooves raised high.
Lin Changning gripped the reins tightly and shouted loudly, trying to calm the black horse down.
The black horse kept shaking its body, trying to throw off the saddle. Lin Changning was swayed from side to side by it, but she never let go.
Lin Changning, who had been pulled so hard, subconsciously used all her strength and stood firmly in place.
After a fierce struggle with little effect, the horse finally calmed down temporarily, but its body remained tense, ready to resist again at any moment.
Taking the opportunity, Lin Changning quickly fastened the saddle straps, then gently patted the black horse's neck, trying to soothe it.
Old Liu nodded as he watched Lin Changning perform the task with great skill, thinking that he might actually be able to tame him.
It's better than selling it. If it can't be trained properly, this good horse will have to be sold, which would be such a waste.
Lin Changning gripped the reins with one hand, placed one foot in the stirrup, took a deep breath, and prepared to mount the horse.
Just as she was about to mount the horse, the black horse suddenly galloped forward. Lin Changning stumbled and almost fell, but thanks to her quick reflexes, she managed to mount the horse successfully.
The black horse began to run and leap wildly, trying to shake Lin Changning off.
It would leap high into the air, then suddenly stop, and then rampage through the riding arena.
Lin Changning gripped the reins tightly, his body rising and falling with the black horse's movements, nearly being thrown off several times.
Lin Changning held the horse tightly with both arms to prevent himself from falling off, but he seemed to have no idea about his own strength.
The horse, in excruciating pain from being restrained, went berserk.
Old Liu was startled and jumped up and down in a panic: "You brat!!! You pulled the reins too hard!! The horse will go berserk in pain!"
Fearing that Lin Changning might fall, Old Liu rushed towards the horse and her in a panic.
Lin Changning's internal organs were almost shaken out, and after she relaxed a little, the horse continued to toss her around wildly.
One wants the other to quiet down, while the other wants to shake the person off their feet.
The two stubborn individuals immediately clashed.
Lin Changning felt nauseous from the jolting, and her temper gradually flared up, causing her to slowly lose her balance.
She dismounted and gripped the reins tightly with both hands, hearing the black horse's heavy breathing.
Both the man and the horse were furious. The horse was restrained and could no longer jump, and the man, in his anger, tripped the horse and pinned it to the ground. Both the man and the horse had their eyes filled with resentment.
The horse, having been tripped, kicked wildly, and Lin Changning, caught off guard, was kicked squarely, his right arm throbbing with pain.
Lin Changning, who was in pain from being kicked, became really angry and pounced on the horse, slamming it hard onto the horse paddock.
The immense pressure rendered the dark horse unable to move.
Lin Changning's fist, carrying a gust of wind, grazed past and stopped right in front of the black horse. The black horse's long eyelashes trembled a few times, but it still stubbornly stared.
"Are you convinced?"
The black horse snorted and tried to roll over, but it was held down tightly.
Noticing the black horse's defiant look, Lin Changning slammed his fist on the fence surrounding the horse farm.
"Click~"
The thick wooden stake snapped with a crack. Old Liu, who had rushed over with a flushed face, swallowed hard, stumbled, and took two steps forward before regaining his balance.
Good heavens!
The man was stunned, and so was the horse.
Lin Changning, his eyes bloodshot, stared intently at the black horse, its fist approaching the horse's face, a fierce glint in his eyes, as if he would kill the horse with a single punch if it dared to resist.
"Do I submit?!"
The black horse paused its struggling movements, a hint of human-like fear flashing in its dark eyes, and slowly stopped moving.
His heavy breathing eased a bit.
Lin Changning breathed a sigh of relief, slowly loosened the reins, and watched as the black horse slowly sat up. Both man and horse calmed down a bit.
Lin Changning tentatively stroked the black horse's head, and the black horse seemed to be truly convinced, gently nudging Lin Changning's palm and panting twice.
Lin Changning stood up and gently tugged on the reins, signaling the black horse to stand up as well.
After the black horse stood up, Lin Changning mounted it. The black horse stopped kicking and jumping and carried Lin Changning steadily as they ran.
Old Liu looked at Lin Changning galloping across the horse farm, a strange feeling stirring within him.
He was so angry when he saw the wooden fence that had been broken by a punch that he jumped up and down.
Lin Changning, who was riding a horse, ran very fast, leaving behind Old Liu, whose beard bristled with anger.
"You brat!!! Get down here right now!!! You smashed the fence with one punch, come down and fix it!!!"
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