Chapter 13

Ruiqi also followed Suzy to make the salad, knowing that such delicious vegetable salad should be guarded to ensure it doesn’t get finished by everyone as soon as it’s made.

Qin Yi found it amusing to watch: "Guys, don’t rush, I’ve prepared several baskets of vegetables. Today, we’ll all ask Suzy to help us make enough to eat our fill! But it’s best to leave some room for your stomachs, as Ryan’s barbecue is almost ready."

The cowboys all laughed heartily, saying they could never get enough!

Berk teased Ryan from the side: "Ryan’s barbecue isn’t as delicious as Suzy’s salad!"

Ryan, busy with the barbecue, smiled and shook his head, not at all bothered: "I’ve been cooking meat for you for so many years, and I’ve never seen you eat less!"

Everyone laughed heartily, and Qin Yi found it quite amusing.

After a while, Suzy finished another batch of salad, and the beer-drinking cowboys rushed over, afraid of missing out if they were too late. At this moment, Ryan and Berk’s barbecue, which they had been busy with for a while, was finally ready. Everyone gathered in small groups, standing or sitting, eating the barbecue and salad, and drinking cold beer, making the atmosphere even more lively.

Qin Yi also went to get a piece of barbecue from Ryan. Just as he was about to walk away to chat with the cowboys, Ryan waved at him, "Yi, it’s the first time the cowboys have gathered at the ranch, you should give a speech." He picked up a nearby cloth to wipe his hands, looking at Qin Yi expectantly.

Qin Yi was a bit speechless; on TV, leaders always give speeches before the meal, but it seemed he was a bit late here...

He didn’t dwell on it, as he hated formalities. It was more comfortable for everyone to be relaxed together. So, he put down the barbecue, took a beer, and walked to the center of the cowboys, nodding at Ryan. Ryan immediately clapped his hands and said with a smile to the quiet cowboys, "Ladies and gentlemen, let’s hear a few words from Yi."

He led the applause, and everyone put down their plates and stood up to follow.

This scene felt very familiar to Qin Yi. It reminded him of domestic leaders giving speeches, and he couldn’t help but comment: If Ryan were to work in the system in China, he would definitely be good at pleasing his boss...

Qin Yi quickly smiled and waved, "Guys, I’ll just say a few words, we can’t delay our barbecue, ha ha!" The cowboys laughed heartily, finding his words very considerate. Their stomachs were growling, and they were eager to eat the barbecue in front of them, but they had to wait for the formalities.

"First, I want to thank Berk, Ruiqi, and the rest of you. You’ve worked hard for several days when the ranch was short of hands. I promised a bonus, and today, since we’re all gathered, I don’t need to find another time!"

As he spoke, Qin Yi took out a checkbook and wrote out nine checks, distributing them to the nine cowboys who had worked at the ranch, including Ryan. The cowboys were very happy; their hard work had paid off.

Berk was the first to take the check and was surprised, "Ha ha, 300 dollars, a week’s salary, Yi, you’re a good person!"

Several cowboys also praised him, but fortunately, Americans didn’t understand the connotation of "good person," or Qin Yi would have been very depressed!

Qin Yi quickly stopped their praise, "Also, I’ve decided to increase your pay to 1500 dollars a month," he said, glancing at the smiling Ryan, "Ryan will get 2500 dollars a month."

"Oh, Yi, thank you so much!"

"Yi, are you an angel sent by God to bring gifts to us?"

"No, Yi is Santa Claus!"

Everyone thanked Qin Yi enthusiastically, making the barbecue party reach a new climax.

Qin Yi didn’t say more, raised his beer, and drank with everyone. Soon, everyone started dancing, and one of the cowboys ran back to the worker’s house to get a guitar for accompaniment. They ate, drank, and had a great time. The party started at 7 PM and ended at 9 PM. Ryan arranged for a few people to stay in the tents in the small forest, as the cattle were gathered there and needed to be watched at night to prevent wild animals from coming down the mountain to steal them.

Ryan and Berk helped Qin Yi clean up the barbecue grill and put it back in the warehouse. Qin Yi stayed to have a cup of coffee and then went to rest. Just as he was about to take a shower and go to bed, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was his brother-in-law, Yang Bin.

"Hey, bro, what’s up?" Qin Yi’s hometown custom was to call his brother-in-law "bro."

"I’m at home. Do you have any work? Your sister quit her job and wants to find a new one," Yang Bin’s voice was somewhat low.

Qin Yi knew from this that his elder sister, Qin Li, and Yang Bin had another argument. This had happened twice before. The first time, Qin Li felt that as the child was growing up, they needed to build a house and save money, so she wanted to work outside.

Yang Bin didn’t allow it, as if Qin Li working outside would make him lose face. They had an argument, and Yang Bin, unable to persuade Qin Li, followed her to work in a factory. The second time was even more unreasonable. Qin Li talking to other men made Yang Bin uncomfortable, leading to another argument. Qin Yi had to call both sides to calm them down, and after some persuasion, they stopped arguing.

This time, it seemed to be a serious argument, as Qin Li had quit her job and come home.

Qin Yi replied irritably, "Did you two argue again?"

"It’s all your sister’s fault!" Yang Bin said with a chuckle.

Qin Yi was a bit angry and didn’t want to listen to his nonsense. He and his two sisters had a good relationship, "Alright, alright, I know what’s going on!"

He originally planned to deal with it during the New Year, but this unexpected event happened.

"Don’t go out this year. Next year, I’ll help your sister find a better job, easier and more profitable. You and my sister can go to Mom’s place, help her renovate the house, and I’ll take care of the work."

After so many years as siblings, Qin Yi understood his elder sister well. She was straightforward and stubborn, and he knew who was to blame, but it was their business, so he couldn’t say much. After hanging up, he called his mother, Li Guilan, without mentioning the argument, but he knew she would understand. He asked her to talk to his sister and promised to arrange the work, but it would be better if his mother talked to her.

After the call, Qin Yi took Lai Pi to take a shower. Sigh, his good mood was ruined for the night.

The next morning, he didn’t dwell on the phone call. Every family has its own issues, and he would deal with it when he went home for the New Year.

Qin Yi got up early. When Ryan left the previous night, Qin Yi had said he would learn to ride a horse in the morning. He went to the stable, put on rubber boots and gloves, and helped Ruiqi clean the stable. From the remaining six horses, he chose a black one, washed and dried it, and Ryan returned from riding a horse around the ranch.

Seeing the black horse Qin Yi had chosen, Ryan patted the horse’s neck and marveled, "Yi, you know horses? This is a good horse!"

Qin Yi couldn’t ride a horse but had picked a good one from the six. Was it a coincidence?

Ruiqi also looked at Qin Yi curiously, thinking it was a coincidence. It was absurd for someone new to horses to know how to pick a good one! She thought he was just brushing the horse casually, but he had chosen this one to learn to ride. However, this didn’t seem like a good choice!

Just as she thought this, Qin Yi confirmed Ryan and Ruiqi’s suspicions!

"This is a good horse? Ryan, you know, I can’t even ride a horse. I just thought it was a beautiful horse because it’s all black!" Qin Yi was secretly pleased. See, even without knowing how to pick a horse, his luck was incredible, and he had picked a good one on his first try.

Qin Yi started to feel a bit self-satisfied.

"However, Yi, I need to tell you," Ryan became serious, trying to get Qin Yi’s attention, "This is a wild horse. It was a foal from a wild horse herd near the foot of the Rocky Mountains, found lost by a cowboy and brought to the ranch. This black horse is only three years old and has never been tamed. Every cowboy who tried to tame it couldn’t last more than 20 seconds! We thought about selling it, but because it’s a wild horse with an uncertain future, buyers weren’t willing to pay much, so it’s been kept at the ranch."

After hearing Ryan, Qin Yi became even more interested. This could be a good horse, and if tamed, it would be his own mount! Ryan could see the expectation on Qin Yi’s face and felt a bit frustrated. It seemed his words had only increased Qin Yi’s interest.

"Yi, I’m serious, I’m not joking!" Ryan was a bit anxious. This was the first day he was teaching Qin Yi to ride, and he didn’t want anything to happen!

Ruiqi, who was busy brushing the horse, also said seriously, "Yi, this is a wild horse, very dangerous!"

Qin Yi realized that he couldn’t ride a horse, and Ryan wouldn’t let him try a wild horse. In Ryan’s eyes, he was no different from someone asking for trouble! He decided not to make things difficult for Ryan and was considerate of his employees.

"I feel that Xiaohei is close to me," Qin Yi had an idea, "How about this, I’ll call Xiaohei to me. If Xiaohei listens, it should be fine."

He turned and walked a few steps, stopping. Xiaohei was the name Qin Yi had given the black horse. It was three years old, still a foal, and all black. Yes, Xiaohei, very fitting, Qin Yi was satisfied. Ryan didn’t object to Qin Yi’s words, thinking no one could tame the horse, so it couldn’t be close to anyone. This was better, as it saved him from being in a difficult position. Ryan felt relieved.

Qin Yi called out, looking at Xiaohei expectantly, "Xiaohei, come over!"

Qin Yi had decided that if Xiaohei didn’t come, he would try to lure it with some fruit later. Lai Pi had stayed because of a fruit.

But now, he wanted to try his idea first. If it didn’t work, he would try something else. He called out, but Xiaohei didn’t respond. Qin Yi was a bit disappointed, "Xiaohei, come over, I have something good for you!"

He tried to lure Xiaohei, but without anything in his hand, and Xiaohei didn’t understand him...

Still no response. Ryan and Ruiqi weren’t surprised; it was a wild horse, after all. Qin Yi decided to call one last time, "Xiaohei, Xiaohei, yes, yes, I’m calling you. Come over, I have delicious carrots here." He waved and clapped, jumping around, but Xiaohei snorted and didn’t come over.

Qin Yi lost all hope and walked over to Xiaohei, feeling depressed. Ryan and Ruiqi, seeing this, felt relieved, thinking Qin Yi wouldn’t ask to tame the wild horse. But just as they relaxed, they were surprised again.

Qin Yi had only taken a few steps when Xiaohei also walked towards him. All three were stunned. What was going on? After calling for so long and giving up, why come now...

Xiaohei walked to Qin Yi and rubbed his head against Qin Yi’s chest. Qin Yi was surprised and delighted! He had a theory that animals were closer to those who had eaten the space fruit. Thinking back to the first time he met Lai Pi, Ye Fang, and his parents, Lai Pi let them hold it, but others couldn’t unless Qin Yi gave permission. The space fruit was full of spiritual energy, and since he had a space, his spiritual energy was stronger, so he thought animals would be closer to him.

It seemed his theory was correct. As for why Xiaohei didn’t respond at first, he realized that Lai Pi had become smarter after drinking the spiritual spring water, but Xiaohei was just a regular horse and couldn’t understand complex actions or words. When he approached, Xiaohei, feeling closer to him, would also come over!

It was that simple, and he had jumped around for nothing...

Qin Yi was happy, but Ryan and Ruiqi looked at him in disbelief.