Chapter 14

Every new cowboy who came to the ranch would try to tame Little Black, but none of them could stay on the horse for 20 seconds. After all, it was a wild horse with a fierce temperament.

But the scene that just unfolded was truly unexpected, even surprising. Little Black, who had never shown any affection towards anyone, actually got close to Yi, who couldn't even ride a horse. Could this horse be specially prepared by God for Yi? The two couldn't help but be amazed. In the past, there had been horse trainers who tried every day, brushing and feeding the horse, talking to it, and even having meals prepared and brought to the stable, but even after a long time, they couldn't make Little Black show any affection. Yet, Qin Yi managed to win Little Black's favor after just a few meetings!

"Yi, this is truly amazing. Little Black has never shown any affection towards anyone. It seems Little Black is your horse and yours alone!" Ryan said with envy.

Rachelle also looked at Little Black enviously. Although Little Black had a fierce temperament, it was undoubtedly a good horse. Its black coat made it look cool, and its strong body, speed, and endurance were all excellent. As long as it could be tamed, it would be a great horse. Qin Yi, seeing their envious looks, felt a sense of pride. With his spatial ability, he had nothing to fear.

"Ryan, teach me how to ride a horse now. I want to ride Little Black."

"Alright, Yi, but you'd better be careful." Ryan rubbed his chin, looking at Qin Yi and then at Little Black. He decided to stay nearby to help.

Qin Yi went to the small warehouse and took out a spare saddle, bridle, and sweat pad. Under Ryan's guidance, he put them on Little Black. After finishing, Ryan checked everything again and then taught Qin Yi the techniques of horse riding.

"First, stand in front of Little Black's left shoulder, facing the side and rear of the horse, just like this. Yes, that's right. Now, it's time to mount. Hold the reins and the pommel with your left hand; this will help you stabilize your body when mounting. Hold the stirrup with your right hand. I'll demonstrate for you, watch carefully. Yi, you try it now."

Qin Yi had been eager to ride, so he learned very attentively and carefully repeated Ryan's actions.

"Good, very good, Yi! You did a great job! Now, step firmly into the stirrup with your left foot, push off the ground with your right foot, and swing your body onto the horse. Remember, don't sit too firmly in the saddle after mounting. Yi, now you try mounting once."

Following Ryan's instructions, Qin Yi pushed off with his right foot and swung his body onto the horse, sitting down. Little Black shook its head and snorted.

Ryan quickly grabbed the reins: "Relax, Yi. Step firmly into the stirrups with both feet, using equal force, and sit up straight. Don't sit too firmly."

Qin Yi followed Ryan's advice. Before mounting, Ryan had told him not to sit too firmly, but once on the horse, the change in perspective made him forget.

"Ryan, why can't I sit too firmly?"

Seeing that Little Black wasn't moving, Ryan let go of the reins. He had been a bit startled when Little Black showed signs of restlessness earlier. "If you sit down firmly when mounting, the horse will know you're a beginner and might take advantage of you. Little Black is a wild horse with a fierce temperament, so its reaction will be even more intense. Fortunately, Little Black is close to you. If it were someone else, they would have been thrown off by now!"

Qin Yi carefully noted these tips, finding his shortcomings, sitting up straight, and balancing his feet in the stirrups. He felt a bit eager. "Ryan, can I ride Little Black around the field now?"

"I'll lead you around the field first. Once you get used to the feeling of riding, you can ride on your own." Ryan stood next to Little Black's neck and led it forward slowly.

Qin Yi didn't insist. There was plenty of time to learn. Once he mastered it, he could ride as much as he wanted!

After two laps in the simple field in front of the stable, Qin Yi got used to the rhythm of riding. Ryan led Little Black back, mounted his own brown horse, and rode alongside Qin Yi, occasionally giving him pointers. After a while, he felt Qin Yi had learned enough and started a slow trot.

"Yi, don't pull the reins too tight, or the horse won't understand your intentions. Trust the horse; it's your partner. Once you remember these things, you'll be able to ride."

Ryan smiled. Qin Yi learned quickly and was very attentive, which made Ryan very satisfied. A smart and diligent student is always a teacher's favorite. Qin Yi relaxed the reins and his body, feeling the rhythm of Little Black. Indeed, riding became less awkward and tiring.

"Yes, that's it. Relax and trust your horse!"

"Ryan, can I go a bit faster now?" On the horse, the perspective was different, and everything around seemed new. Running gave a sense of freedom, like a bird flying in the sky.

"Don't rush, Yi. Practice the slow trot more. In a couple of days, when you're more familiar, you can let Little Black run faster. When running, lean slightly forward. Remember these things, and you'll be able to herd cattle on the ranch!"

Qin Yi nodded slightly, imagining himself galloping. Ryan found it amusing, as he had grown up on the back of a horse. After two more laps, Qin Yi checked the time; it was time for breakfast. He invited Ryan and Rachelle to his house for breakfast, but they politely declined, as Ryan's family usually ate together, and Susie had probably already prepared breakfast.

Saying goodbye to them, Qin Yi rode Little Black back to the main house, let it graze, and went to make breakfast. As usual, he made a homemade burger, which made him miss the food from home. He would have to endure for a while; in a month, he could arrange things here and go back to China. He took a big pear from the fridge, put it on a plate, and gave it to Lai Pi, who was lounging on the sofa. Smelling the sweetness, Lai Pi stretched its head and slowly chewed.

Qin Yi was speechless. With such good food, Lai Pi had become so lazy!

Qin Yi bit into his burger, which had more meat but less filling, and his thoughts turned to improving the pasture. The farm would no longer grow crops but would be converted into a ranch, expanding the cattle and sheep population and managing them uniformly. He wondered if he should keep some land for growing wheat, corn, and sorghum, which could be watered with the spirit spring water to make delicious liquor. But Europeans rarely drink white liquor...

Qin Yi didn't just want to run a ranch. With the spirit spring water, he could make a lot of money from liquor, which would greatly increase his wealth. This was a highly profitable industry that would help him achieve his big plans. With enough influence, he wouldn't have to worry about being dissected if he revealed the spirit herbs and fruits. After finishing breakfast, Qin Yi entered the space and took out the Spirit Essence Grass and Blood Spirit Fruit, planning to feed them to Little Black to make it smarter and stronger.

But Little Black was much larger than a person. He decided to take another one, giving Little Black a bonus!

Just as he was about to leave the space, the drowsy Lai Pi suddenly jumped up, ran to him, and grabbed his leg with its front paws, looking at the Blood Spirit Fruit and making a chirping sound.

"Damn, you react so quickly!" Qin Yi patted Lai Pi's head and gave it a fruit, then went back into the space to get another one. He left Lai Pi, who was happily munching, and went to find Little Black.

On the grass in front of the house, Little Black was grazing nearby. Seeing Qin Yi, it trotted over, nuzzled his arm, and looked at the fruit in his hand with big, cute eyes. Qin Yi patted its face, held a fruit in his left hand, and offered it to Little Black. This was a technique Rachelle had taught him to avoid being bitten while feeding the horse.

Little Black tilted its head, chewed a few times, and swallowed the fruit, even the core...

Qin Yi thought for a moment and put away the second fruit, deciding to feed Little Black the Spirit Essence Grass first, which could increase its mental power. Maybe after eating the grass, Little Black would become smarter. He offered the grass, and Little Black ate it in a few bites. Qin Yi looked at Little Black's bright, intelligent eyes, which seemed very happy. He quickly gave it the fruit, hoping Little Black would become smarter. To his disappointment, Little Black chewed a few times and swallowed the fruit, including the core.

Qin Yi rubbed Little Black's head, feeling helpless. Little Black was still the same silly horse!

What Qin Yi didn't know was that Little Black had a different idea. The fruit was so delicious that even the core must be good. It couldn't be wasted, so it ate everything.

Qin Yi took a plate, entered the space, and dripped two drops of spirit spring water, diluted it, and gave it to Little Black to drink. He hoped this would make Little Black smarter. He let Little Black continue grazing and went back to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Breakfast was over, and it was time to practice riding again!

He went to the porch, called to Little Black, and waved. Little Black, which was grazing, immediately ran over. Ha, it seemed Little Black had become smarter and understood when it was being called.

Qin Yi was very satisfied. His fine horse was growing up!

In the morning, he rode Little Black in the field, gradually increasing the speed until they were galloping. Feeling the hooves' rhythm and the scenery rushing by, Qin Yi's mood became more free-spirited. The wind blew in his face, and he felt like he was flying, a feeling he could never get from driving a car.

After lunch, Qin Yi called Ryan, wanting to ride to see the cowboys herding. In the past few days, he had been busy practicing driving and hadn't learned to ride, so he hadn't ventured deep into the ranch or seen the cattle and sheep. Now that he knew how to ride, he could go and see, and it would be a good opportunity to learn some ranching skills. Although he didn't need to herd himself, since he had a ranch, he should learn the skills of a cowboy to better integrate into the cowboy community and adapt to life here.

Qin Yi rode Little Black to the workers' quarters, where Ryan's office was also located. The workers' quarters had over 30 rooms, not far from the main house, and the cowboys now lived there. There were two other workers' quarters, one near the Rocky Mountains in the west and another near the farm in the north. The ranch was so large that it had to be managed in sections. Sometimes, when the cowboys were far from a section, they would set up tents and stay close to the herds at night.

Meeting Ryan, they rode to the pasture, galloping for over 30 minutes until the horses were sweating. They finally arrived at the pasture.

Qin Yi was seeing the herding scene for the first time in real life. The black cattle were scattered, grazing on the tall alfalfa, which had purple flowers. From a distance, it looked like a green carpet dotted with purple flowers.

Ryan explained, "The cattle on the ranch are all Angus cattle. You can see they are black and hornless, not very tall, but they have a good slaughter rate. Most of the cattle here in Montana are this type."

He led Qin Yi to a nearby cow, wanting him to observe it up close.

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(End of the excerpt)