Even when one hundred and thirteen people lose their horses, none would lose them all.

“It’s my dad bringing the horses,” Qiangzi said, pausing his movements.

His family’s stable was a fair distance from their house, and his father usually lived near the stable to take care of the horses.

Outside the courtyard, a man rode a horse while leading three others behind him. All the horses wore bridles and saddles, and since they were gentle mares, even a beginner could ride them quickly.

“Dad, have you eaten breakfast?”

Qiangzi stepped forward, holding the reins and ready to help his father down from the horse.

“I have. Here, this is the most docile horse on the ranch.”

Qiangzi’s father brushed his hand away and smoothly dismounted, smiling at Du Ruo and the others without saying much more.

His face was weathered from the sun, and his posture not particularly upright, but he gave off a solid, dependable aura, especially when he smiled so brightly.

“Dad, let’s go for a ride first,” Qiangzi said as he handed the reins to the group.

“Qiqi, do you know how to ride?”

Xiang Yuanyuan stroked the horse’s neck, as if only just remembering, and turned to ask Li Qiyao.

“No, I don’t,” Li Qiyao replied, tucking her hair behind her ear and holding the reins Qiangzi had given her, looking unsure.

“Come, I’ll teach you,” Xiang Yuanyuan immediately moved closer.

Sure enough, in her area of expertise, she was eager to instruct anyone.

“Boss Du, shall we go for a round first?” Qiangzi swung himself onto the horse without a second thought about whether Du Ruo could ride. To him, Du Ruo was a reclusive master who seemed to know everything naturally.

“Wait a moment, I need to get familiar with it first. I’ve never ridden before and might need some time to adjust,” Du Ruo said, touching the horse. The horse was entirely black, probably freshly groomed, its coat gleaming in the sunlight, with muscles well-defined.

The horse rubbed its head against Du Ruo when he stroked its neck, showing a lively intelligence.

After tapping the horse twice, Du Ruo recalled Qiangzi’s mounting technique and the riding tips he had seen recently. He stepped into the stirrup, applied some pressure with his arms, and swung himself onto the horse.

Perhaps because Du Ruo was heavier, the horse shifted its feet and moved slightly.

He felt the motion and realized it was quite simple.

“Giddy up!” Du Ruo gently squeezed the horse’s belly and called out. The horse raised its head and then started moving forward.

Riding a horse was actually straightforward. You squeezed the horse’s sides with your legs or tapped it with a whip to make it run. To turn, you pulled the reins left or right accordingly. Pulling both reins simultaneously made the horse stop.

Well-trained horses could even respond to simple commands, and the rider’s main job was to stay calm.

After all, horses were animals, not machines. They could sense the rider’s emotions, and timid horses were easily startled. So all that was needed was emotional steadiness and no loud screaming.

Du Ruo guided the horse around the grassy field. Given his physical condition and control over his body, riding was an effortless task for him.

“How are you two doing?” Du Ruo asked with curiosity after circling back on horseback, noticing the two still standing by their horses, whispering nervously.

“I’m… a little scared. I don’t dare get on,” Li Qiyao admitted, hesitant.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m right here; nothing will go wrong,” Du Ruo smiled. Li Qiyao was still the same timid girl.

“Come on, come on. What’s there to fear? With Boss Du’s skills, nothing will happen. I’ll lead the horse for you and help you get familiar with it first,” Xiang Yuanyuan said, placing her hand under Li Qiyao’s arm and gently guiding her toward the saddle.

Li Qiyao went from cautiously clutching the horse’s neck to sitting upright in a surprisingly short time.

“Giddy up! Hahaha, this is fun! Qiqi, let’s race! Giddy up!” Xiang Yuanyuan’s horsemanship was indeed impressive as she rode swiftly around the group, occasionally urging Li Qiyao to speed up and savoring the thrill of galloping.

Once everyone was comfortable, Qiangzi led them towards the stable. Xiang Yuanyuan had regretted missing the grand horse stampede earlier, but today Qiangzi was determined to let them experience the excitement of running alongside so many horses.

***

“Boom, boom, boom!”

Though the hundreds of horses didn’t quite match the grandeur of a stampede, the noise was still immense, especially while riding among them.

“Ohhhh!” Xiang Yuanyuan waved her whip, letting out wild cries, which scared Li Qiyao into clutching her waist tightly.

The ranch was vast, and they circled around several times. When they crossed a river, Xiang Yuanyuan even led the horses to run through the water, truly enjoying themselves.

***

“This life is wonderful—I love it here so much,” Xiang Yuanyuan sighed, lying on the grass beneath the blue sky while the horses grazed nearby.

“You should open a tavern here,” Li Qiyao said, sitting on the grass with a brush in hand, a sketchpad resting before her as she painted and chatted idly.

“Not a bad idea, but it’d be too much trouble. Still, I could come here often just to have fun. By the way, Qiangzi, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

“Ah? Go ahead, boss lady,” Qiangzi replied, lying on the grass and tapping the ground absentmindedly. He turned his head when Xiang Yuanyuan spoke.

“Yesterday’s opening ceremony said there were 100,000 horses. With so many horses, wouldn’t some get lost? And since these horses come from different ranches, how do they find their own horses afterward?”

Xiang Yuanyuan had always been curious but hadn’t found the chance to ask.

“Oh, that. Even if people get separated, the horses won’t get lost. Each herd has a lead horse that guides the group. If any horse falls behind or strays, the lead horse will call out, and the others will immediately regroup.

“As for finding their own horses, it’s even simpler. Ranch owners know their horses intimately, and each ranch also has a lead horse. Holding onto the lead horse allows the entire herd to be led away.

“These ranch owners have been working with their horses since childhood and are incredibly familiar with them after decades. Like my dad—if a horse is taken, he just needs one glance in the stable to know exactly which one is missing.”

Qiangzi explained at length, and when he mentioned his father, a warm smile spread across his face.

“Watch out!”