klisemfg Chapter 195
Chapter 195
Before Robben could speak, the racecourse had already notified everyone to get in position and prepare to start.
Xia Chu didn't even bother to give Robben another glance. She quickly jumped onto the horse, her skirt fluttering in the wind, and she looked so heroic. Xia Tian memorized Robben's face and followed suit.
No one paid any attention to Robben anymore, but everyone was thinking that they must not lose face as a man and lose to a young lady.
As the bamboo whistle sounded, everyone whipped their horses and galloped out like arrows.
Xia Chu lowered her upper body slightly, imagining she was born upon this horse's back, her entire body rising and falling with the horse's galloping movements. She felt in excellent condition, both herself and the horse. Soon, the gap between the front and the back widened. Xia Chu was firmly in third place, half a length behind the second.
And Xia Tian, just as he'd promised, rode out front, finishing first. He'd never had much time to ride horses at home, but in the military camp, those opportunities were plentiful. Zhao Huazhang valued him, occasionally asking him to run errands, which meant he rode even more often. Furthermore, patrol training also required him to ride horses, and his riding skills were improving. And with his martial arts background, this kind of competition wasn't a challenge for him.
Robben's attention was distracted, and without glancing at the young woman for a second, he realized he was actually last. Furious, he whipped his horse's rump hard with his whip. The horse neighed and sped up, unexpectedly catching up with the two men. He was overjoyed, his eyes fixed on the young woman in front of him.
Xia Chucai had no time to pay attention to him. Her mind was empty. The wind whistled in her ears, and all she could see was the endless track. The people and sounds around her seemed to be drifting away. She even forgot she was racing, and wanted only to gallop freely across the grass.
Fang Yusheng inadvertently turned his head and was dazzled by the confident smile on the woman beside him. In that moment of distraction, he was overtaken by someone else, and he quickly focused on controlling his horse.
Jia Qingwu ignored any etiquette or danger and walked to the front, closely watching the figure that had captured her heart. She silently recited the Heart Sutra in her heart, praying that her daughter would be safe.
Robben whipped the horse again, and it sped up again. He felt the sweetness of success and whipped it several times, "Faster!"
The horse whined, and after being whipped again, its right hind leg gave way and it fell with a thud. Robben screamed and was thrown out. The man behind him was unable to avoid the horse's hoof and stepped on his arm.
"Ah!!!!" After a heart-wrenching scream, Robben fainted from the pain.
Immersed in her own world, Xia Chu heard the noise but didn't turn around. The sound wasn't close, but the destination was right before her.
A gong sounded, followed by a second and a third, and the top three all crossed the finish line. Xia Chu panted, looking at Xia Tian with starry eyes, unable to contain his smile, looking a little silly, "Brother..."
"You're third." Xia Tian smiled and said, "Congratulations."
Xia Chu jumped for joy, then remembered the cry she had just heard. She looked towards the arena and saw that the people from the racecourse had already surrounded the person and quickly carried him away.
"Congratulations, congratulations to all three of you," Fang Xu greeted them with a smile, having been surprised to learn that his master only came in second. He carefully glanced at his master's expression, seeing no sign of displeasure, and breathed a sigh of relief. He first went to appease those who didn't place, thanking them for their support of the stable and stating that even if they didn't place, those who made it to the finals would receive discounts on their horses at Chifeng.
Although these rich young men don’t care much about this little money, it’s always an attitude.
However, a few people looked at Xia Chu and decided to go back and find out whose daughter this was. As to whether they kept their distance or something else, it was unknown.
Xia Tian won first place, and her prize was a purebred pony. However, there weren't many purebreds, so it was hard to choose. Fang Xu had one brought directly to her. It was completely white, with only a hint of black on its forehead. Its eyes were dark, moist, and innocent. Its height barely reached Xia Tian's waist. It was a very beautiful mare.
"So beautiful." Xia Chu slowly stretched out her hand. The pony stared at her palm, then looked into her eyes. Xia Chu silently said, I won't hurt you, you are so beautiful, I like you so much. The pony blinked, took a step forward, and tilted its head. Xia Chu was delighted and touched its forehead, "So good."
"Madam Wang, please go inside and choose your horse yourself." Fang Xu pointed to the stables behind. "Those ponies over there are all small horses. Although they may not be as good as this one, they are still very good horses."
"Brother!" Xia Chu looked at Xia Tian, wanting to ask him to help choose.
Xia Tian shook his head and said, "I can give you some advice, but Xiao Ma, you have to look at it yourself. It's best if you like it."
Xia Chu nodded, seeming to understand a little. With an adult horse, one only needs to consider its aptitude, but with a pony, it's different. To raise a pony from foal to adulthood, besides aptitude, one also needs to consider temperament and rapport.
The two of them left the top-ranked pony in the care of the stable staff and followed Fang Xu into the stable. The stable was almost entirely filled with foals, some newly born, often accompanied by their mares. The older ones were kept in separate stalls. Some lay on the ground, leisurely munching on hay, while others were more lively, running and jumping around. Some even poked their heads out to look at Xia Chu and his group.
Xia Chu immediately took a liking to the one with its head poking out. It was a black and white horse with a gradient color scheme. It was like ink had suddenly disappeared: its head was black, its tail was white, and its center was gray-black. Its eyes were bright and playful, revealing a mischievous little creature. Unable to resist, she walked over. As soon as she extended her hand, the pony eagerly reached for its head and rubbed it against Xia Chu's palm.
"Let's take this one." Xia Tian didn't even say to take another look. He knew it just by looking at the degree of fit between the man and the horse.
"Okay, okay." It was this horse? Fang Xu paused, then smiled and had the horse led out. "Congratulations, Madam. You are as capable as any man. You are young, but your riding skills are amazing. It's an honor for this pony to be with you."
"Master Fang, you're too kind." Xia Chu stroked the pony's fluffy mane and loved it very much. "Mo Ranbai, I'll call you Ranran!"
Ranran tilted her head and nudged Xiachu again. Xiachu was ticklish around the waist and couldn't help laughing. Ranran seemed to have discovered something interesting and nudged her several times.
"She does have some spirit." Xia Tian smiled and walked over to pat Ran Ran. Ran Ran looked back at him and then became obedient.
The two of them led the horses back to Jia Qingwu's side, and Jia Qingwu finally felt relieved. However, she looked at Ranran with a strange look, but when she heard that her daughter had chosen it herself, she didn't say much.