Chapter 135: A Majestic Red-Maned Horse

This time, they didn’t manage to catch a passing cart or wagon, so the three of them walked all the way to town.

Xiaoxia only walked for less than two kilometers before she started clinging to them, refusing to walk anymore.

Lin Heng put her in the back basket and carried her for a kilometer, then Xiulan took over. After another kilometer, they switched again.

There was no sun today. The sky was overcast and the air was muggy. Neither of them spoke much, walking shoulder to shoulder, sweat occasionally trickling down their faces.

When they reached the river, Xiulan washed a handkerchief, and the three of them took turns wiping their sweat.

Only the sound of the flowing river and the hot wind remained. No words were needed; their actions conveyed their feelings clearly.

Just as they were about to reach Huangtan Town, they came across an elderly couple in their sixties.

They seemed to have quarreled. One walked ahead, the other behind, one on the outer side of the road, the other on the inner.

Not long after, the old man deliberately slowed his pace and moved closer to the old woman.

At first, she ignored him, but after he approached twice, the two were walking side by side again, talking softly.

Lin Heng glanced at Xiulan. She blinked but said nothing.

Lin Heng suddenly remembered what Xiulan looked like when she was angry. She was the type to get quietly upset—no words, just silently busying herself.

In this life, he hadn’t truly made Xiulan mad even once. She was gentle and considerate by nature—it was hard to actually anger her.

But in his past life, he’d done it more than a few times. Eventually, he learned not to. Every habit she disliked, he changed.

With time and hardship, he came to understand a few things, to see things clearly. Now, he almost never made his wife upset.

When they arrived in town, it was just past seven, close to eight. The streets were lively, people bustling, vendors shouting all around.

“Brother Lin, Sister-in-law!” Seeing Lin Heng come into the shop, Wang Zhou quickly came over with a smile.

After setting Xiaoxia down on a bench, Lin Heng pointed at the medicinal herbs in Xiulan’s basket. “Take these at the usual price, give the money to your sister-in-law.”

“I want to sell at city prices,” Xiulan said playfully, tilting her chin up as she looked at Lin Heng.

Wang Zhou froze. “Um…”

He looked at Lin Heng, unsure of what to do.

“She’s the boss lady, so she calls the shots. Do as she says,” Lin Heng said, smiling.

“Got it!” Wang Zhou nodded. In his heart, he felt a little envious. The boss and his wife clearly had a great relationship.

Xiulan counted the 7.5 yuan she got from selling the herbs, glanced at Lin Heng, and tucked the money into her own pocket.

Wang Zhou poured tea for both Lin Heng and Xiulan, then said, “By the way, Brother Lin, Uncle Li came by yesterday. That horse Li Gui mentioned—he’s willing to lower the price. He’ll sell for 450.”

“Got it. We’ll deal with it this afternoon,” Lin Heng nodded.

No rush. As long as he got it before the Mid-Autumn Festival, it would be fine.

After resting for a bit, Lin Heng showed Xiulan around the store. Soon, people started arriving to sell local goods.

Xiulan stood by with their daughter, watching curiously as Lin Heng weighed and priced items. Many of the visitors were quietly stunned by the sight of the two of them—mother and daughter both quite eye-catching.

After a while, around ten o’clock, Lin Heng left Wang Zhou to handle the shop and took Xiulan and Xiaoxia out to walk around town.

“Daddy, what’s that!!” Xiaoxia asked, pointing at a straw pole covered in skewered candied hawthorns.

“That’s called tanghulu. Want one, little girl?” the candy vendor answered with a smile before Lin Heng could.

“Yes, I want one!” Xiaoxia chirped. She didn’t know what tanghulu was, but she knew what sugar was—and her big eyes sparkled at the sight.

“Thirty cents a skewer,” the old man said to Lin Heng with a grin.

It was a bit pricey, but Lin Heng still bought a skewer—for Xiulan.

Xiulan fed Xiaoxia one of the candies. Xiaoxia took a bite, cheeks puffed out as she chewed, then bit into it again.

After she finished one piece, Xiulan popped three of the remaining four into her own mouth, lips red and glistening, then left the last piece for her daughter.

Xiaoxia stared at her mom with wide eyes—frustrated but not daring to protest. She held her last piece of candy carefully, licking the sugary coating clean before biting into the sour hawthorn.

Lin Heng held Xiulan’s hand, Xiulan held Xiaoxia’s, and the three of them strolled through the streets, circling around a couple times. They bought two jin of pears and two jin of apples.

“This shop has the best clothes,” Lin Heng finally said.

After much browsing, he brought Xiulan into a clothing store to pick out outfits for her parents.

This place sold clothes priced from one to eight yuan each, but even the most expensive ones didn’t come close to the quality of the big-name department stores in the city.

In rural towns, many stores made money off this perception gap—charging more despite lower quality, profiting off the villagers’ lack of information.

Xiulan picked two decent-quality sets and bargained hard, ending up paying twenty yuan.

They were about to head off to buy shoes for her parents when Wang Zhou came rushing in.

“Brother Lin, someone’s brought a red-maned horse to sell—it’s right outside the store!” he said quickly.

“A red-maned horse?” Lin Heng’s interest was piqued. “Alright, let’s go take a look.”

“The guy selling it is in his forties. He said the horse was raised with great care by an elder in the family. But recently, the elder was diagnosed with cancer and had to be hospitalized. The family’s out of money and urgently needs to sell,” Wang Zhou explained as they walked.

Lin Heng nodded silently. Stories like that needed to be verified in person—some people played the pity card to manipulate buyers.

When they reached the store entrance, they saw a middle-aged man with dark skin and deep lines on his forehead holding the reins of a chestnut-red horse.

Even from a distance, the horse looked impressive—strong and well-proportioned, taller than a typical yellow dun, with an estimated shoulder height of about 1.3 meters.

Its coat gleamed with a healthy sheen, and the leather saddle on its back suggested this was a serious sale.

“Uncle, you’re selling this horse?” Lin Heng approached with a smile.

The man nodded, his face a mix of anxiety and bitterness. “Yes, boss. The elder in my family has brain cancer and we need money for treatment. We’ve already sold everything else. No one wanted to buy this horse, so I rushed over from Dahe Town after hearing you might take it.”

Lin Heng nodded and asked, “How much are you asking for it?”

Cancer—especially brain cancer—was practically incurable even in the future. But of course Lin Heng wouldn’t say that. Saying such things to a stranger with no connection would only stir resentment.

Even if there was no hope, people still sought treatment for their loved ones. If it were his parents, he would too.

He sympathized, but if the price was too high, he still wouldn’t buy.

“Boss, how about 450?” the man asked, his voice coarse and tired.

Lin Heng was a bit surprised. The man clearly meant to sell—the story might very well be true.

“Let me inspect the horse first,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

He reached out and examined the horse. It was a stallion, but not aggressive. He checked the eyes, ears, hooves, and tail, even removed the saddle for a closer look.

“Uncle, can you ride it a few laps for me to see?” Lin Heng asked.

Even if he sympathized, he wasn’t about to pay good money for a sick or unsound horse.

“Sure.” The man saddled up and rode the horse back and forth along the quiet stretch of road three times.

A crowd had already gathered to watch. Many had heard the man’s tragic story and felt Lin Heng was being overly cautious.

When the horse returned, Lin Heng listened to its breathing. He was very satisfied.

It had performed well, and its breathing was steady—no problems at all.

He went back inside and discussed it with Xiulan. Then he came out carrying 500 yuan.

He glanced at the onlookers, then at the middle-aged man, and smiled. “Uncle, this is a fine horse. I’ll take it.”

“My wife and I discussed it and decided to give you an extra fifty. We’ll give you five hundred yuan. This horse is worth that much, and we also hope your elderly father recovers soon.”

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then he tried to kneel and kowtow to Lin Heng, only to be stopped by him. The man could only nod repeatedly, unable to contain his gratitude: “Thank you, thank you, you and your wife are truly good people, thank you…”

He had thought Lin Heng would try to haggle, but not only did Lin Heng not haggle, he even lent a helping hand in his time of need. How could he not feel moved?

Over the past days while his father was in the hospital, he’d seen the cold and warmth of human relationships all too clearly. He never expected a young man he’d just met for the first time to treat him like this.

“No need to thank me, it’s what I should do,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Of course, he had the intention of doing good to earn a good reputation. But no one could deny he had genuinely helped someone.

With a good reputation established, even if Liu Qicheng later moved his stall to the main street, Lin Heng wouldn’t have to get into a price war. As long as he matched the price, he believed many people would still choose to come to him.

The uncle thanked him over and over before finally leaving with the money. Lin Heng reminded him to be careful and to put the money away properly before heading off.

After he left, Lin Heng looked at the chestnut-colored horse again, utterly delighted.

Although it wasn’t a purebred horse, it already looked quite majestic. Five hundred yuan was definitely worth it.

Its previous owner had raised it better than Li Gui’s three horses—that much could be seen from its coat alone.

He gave the horse a pat, then climbed on to give it a test ride. With a gentle tug on the reins, the horse started walking forward.

A light slap on its rear, and it took off running. Lin Heng felt the wind howling past his ears, giving him the illusion of being an ancient general charging across a battlefield.

After two rounds, he dismounted and turned to Eldest Uncle with a grin. “Uncle, isn’t this horse nice?”

Eldest Uncle, who was sipping tea in the house, raised a thumbs-up with a laugh. “The horse is great, but you, Xiao Lin, are even better.”

“Haha, thanks for the compliment, Uncle,” Lin Heng laughed heartily.

“Daddy, I want to ride the horse too!” Xiaoxia came running over, speaking in a sweet, childlike voice.

Her eyes sparkled as she watched her dad ride.

“I’ll hold you up, but you have to promise not to squirm.”

Lin Heng lifted her onto the horse and led it to the backyard to be tied up.

Wang Zhou couldn’t quite figure Lin Heng out. Just a while ago, he was penny-pinching and so shrewd. But now, hearing someone was in trouble, he just gave away an extra fifty yuan on his own. It was truly baffling.

Still, he felt that following a boss like this might not be a bad future.

“I’ll call you Hongzao (Red Date),” Lin Heng said, patting the horse as he gave it a name.

He had just asked—the horse was four years old and didn’t have a name yet.

After letting Xiaoxia sit for a while, Lin Heng carried her down and took her and Xiulan to finish buying the shoes they hadn’t gotten earlier.

When they returned, Lin Heng had also picked up two jin of ground cornmeal, which he stirred into a paste in a basin and brought out for Hongzao.

“Szz—szz—”

Hongzao drank noisily, its mood clearly relaxed as Lin Heng patted its head.

“Daddy, I want to ride the horse again!!”

Xiaoxia waved her arms excitedly, thrilled after just that short ride.

“Hold on.”

Lin Heng pulled her back. It would be terrible if she got kicked.

Once the horse had finished its cornmeal mash, Lin Heng put Xiaoxia in the saddle, then led the horse out with Xiulan beside him.

“You heading home already?” Eldest Uncle asked curiously.

“No, we’re going to the blacksmith’s to see if we can get some horseshoes made,” Lin Heng replied, shaking his head.

This horse didn’t have shoes. The previous owner rarely rode it, and horseshoes need to be changed often, which isn’t cheap.

But if he planned to ride it regularly, getting shoes would protect the horse’s hooves.

“Yeah, that’s definitely necessary,” Eldest Uncle agreed, nodding.

“Xiulan, you get up and hold Xiaoxia,” Lin Heng said as they stepped outside, leading the horse and looking at his wife.

Xiulan had never ridden a horse before and was a little scared. “Why don’t you ride instead?”

“Don’t be afraid. There’s a saddle—it’s easy,” Lin Heng said with a comforting smile.

He first lifted Xiaoxia down, then helped his wife into the saddle. Once she was settled, he lifted Xiaoxia back up.

Hongzao had just eaten a basin of cornmeal mush and was behaving very calmly. It didn’t move at all. Only when Lin Heng led it forward did it slowly begin to walk.

“How does it feel?” Lin Heng asked with a smile. As long as the horse didn’t run, walking like this was safe even for a beginner.

“It’s kind of novel,” Xiulan said with a slight smile, as she rode along. Xiaoxia cheered joyfully, her little legs swinging back and forth.

Lin Heng led the horse along slowly. It was just past one o’clock, and the street was still quite busy. People turned to look at Hongzao—not just because the horse was handsome, but also because its riders were good-looking.

When they arrived at the Li family blacksmith shop, the family was eating. Seeing Lin Heng, the uncle quickly came out to greet him with a smile. “Boss Lin, what are we forging this time?”

“I want to get some horseshoes made for my horse. Uncle Li, do you know how to do that?” Lin Heng asked.

The middle-aged man, Li Tie, laughed and patted his chest. “You came to the right person. Not only can I make them, I also know how to fit horseshoes properly.

Come on in and rest a bit. Making horseshoes doesn’t take long. Two or three hours and you’ll have them. Guaranteed satisfaction.”

“Great,” Lin Heng nodded. It was perfect if he could do it.

He helped his wife and daughter down and tied Hongzao in the shaded part of the yard. The horse let out a soft neigh and shook its head.

Li Tie brought tea for Lin Heng and sweetened water for Xiulan and Xiaoxia, clearly showing how much he valued Lin Heng.

“Just sit tight for a bit. I’ll get started after I finish eating,” Li Tie said with a smile.

“Okay.” Lin Heng nodded and sat with his wife to wait.

After Li Tie and his sons finished eating, he came over with his tools. “Boss Lin, come help me hold the horse steady so I can measure the size for the horseshoes.”

“I just bought this horse. Not sure if I can hold it properly,” Lin Heng said as he got up to help.

“No worries, it shouldn’t be too difficult,” Li Tie waved it off.

Lin Heng went over and grabbed its front hoof, lifting as he said, “Lift your hoof.”

Hongzao didn’t understand. Lin Heng had to wrestle it a few times before it finally lifted its hoof. The carpenter, Liang, used a bent bamboo stick to measure the length and shape and marked it down on paper.

Soon, the shapes for all four hooves were recorded. Li Tie patted Hongzao and smiled. “Your horse is quite majestic—looks a bit like the mighty Red Hare.”

Lin Heng grinned. “Haha, majestic is enough—I don’t need it to be that hard to ride.”

The soil for the horseshoes was good. They quickly found suitable iron bars, heated them red-hot, and started hammering. Lin Heng and Xiulan watched with interest—it wasn’t boring at all.

They shaped the bars quickly. Within ten minutes, the front horseshoes were ready. Then they carved grooves and drilled six nail holes into each one.

In less than forty minutes, two shoes were done and handed off to the eldest son for polishing while Li Tie and his second son started hammering the rear shoes.

Lin Heng held his daughter and watched with fascination—like watching a blade-forging contest.

“Come on, let’s check the fit. If they don’t fit, we’ll adjust them,” Li Tie said with a smile.

“Sure.” Lin Heng walked over with him to Hongzao. This time, the horse lifted its hoof much more readily.

Li Tie confirmed the size was right and began fitting the shoes. First, he trimmed the hooves with a small curved blade. Then, heating the iron red-hot again, he seared it onto the hoof to create grooves, sending smoke billowing.

“Don’t worry, I’ve shoed plenty of horses before,” Li Tie said with a reassuring smile.

Li Tie quenched the horseshoes, then walked over with iron nails made of lead. Holding the horse’s hoof between his legs, he began to nail on the horseshoe.

Lin Heng stood beside him, gently stroking and soothing Hongzao. After a brief struggle, Hongzao gave up and allowed the blacksmith to proceed.

“All done!”

Before long, Li Tie had nailed all four horseshoes into place.

“How much do I owe you?”

Lin Heng had watched the entire process and was very satisfied—the uncle’s work was meticulous, and it was clear why the Li family’s smithy had such good business.

Li Tie grinned. “Two yuan will do. If it’s not doing heavy work, changing the shoes once a month is enough. If it is, then you might need to change them every half month. Next time, just give one and a half yuan.”

For him, this was the start of a long-term business relationship.

Xiulan took out two yuan and handed it to Li Tie, who smiled and saw them out of the courtyard.

“Let’s see if it can carry all three of us,” Lin Heng said. Finding a suitable spot, he asked Xiulan to hold the reins while he tried mounting as well.

Most horses can carry five to six hundred jin (about 250–300 kg) without issue, and the three of them together didn’t even come to 300 jin.

Neigh!!

With a spirited neigh, Lin Heng stepped into the stirrup and mounted.

“Hyah!”

He took the reins, gave Hongzao a gentle pat on the rump, and the horse began to move slowly forward.

“Not bad at all!” Lin Heng grinned. This feeling of riding with his wife and daughter was pretty great.

He didn’t rush—he let the horse set its own pace. If it went too fast, Xiulan and their daughter might get jolted too much, since they’d never ridden before.

“Ride the horse! Ride the horse!” Xiaoxia cheered, waving her arms in excitement, trying to slap the horse, but was held back by Xiulan.

Lin Heng reached around his wife’s waist to hold the reins, his head resting beside hers. As they moved along, he could catch the scent of her hair.

Xiulan leaned back against Lin Heng’s chest, her head resting right on his shoulder. She felt at ease too and said with a smile, “Hongzao really is a great horse!”

By then, the streets of Huangtan Town were almost empty. Lin Heng rode back to the shop to grab the things he’d bought. After letting Wang Zhou and Eldest Uncle know, he mounted again and headed home.

The journey was slow—Hongzao didn’t even break a sweat, just trotting along at a steady pace.

By the time they returned to Red Maple Village, it was already past six. It hadn’t been faster than walking, but it was less tiring and far more enjoyable.

“Brother Lin, is this your new horse? So cool!”

By the roadside, Lin Hai, who had just finished turning over some straw, ran over. He looked at the horse under Lin Heng and couldn’t hide his envy.

(End of Chapter)