Chapter 214: Snowflake
Translator: DragonRider
After this talk with Ji Yin, Ling Zhang had made up his mind and come to know what he should do next.
The two of them took their leave. Ji Yin, though unwilling to part with his grandson, saw them out of the house.
At the front gate, they met the princ.i.p.al and Professor Gu. Seeing they indeed didn’t seem to have any conflict, both of them felt a sense of relief, which was why when Yuwen Tong said Ling Zhang needed a few days off from school, the princ.i.p.al unhesitatingly gave his consent.
After the request was granted, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong left the Imperial College, heading directly for the drugstore located in the trading center in the west of the city.
w.a.n.g Qing had been waiting for them in the drugstore. Seeing them coming, he walked up to their welcome. “Young Master, Marshal.”
Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong went into the rear yard, appraising the newly revamped drugstore. The more they saw it, the more satisfied they felt, particularly with the rear warehouse, which was not only s.p.a.cious but also had many newly added designs suitable for storage of crude drugs. All other ancillary facilities were also in readiness.
“… Apart from that, all craftsmen have been fully paid. The next step is to hire some sales clerks with the right expertise. I’ve been putting up employment ads during the past two days. Yesterday some men came here to apply. I tested them and hired two. The hiring will continue and I’ll offer a chance to whoever has the requisite qualifications. After the medicinal herbs are delivered here, I’ll appraise them. If their performance is acceptable, they may all stay, and those who prove incompetent shall be fired,” w.a.n.g Qing reported.
At this time, Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong had walked up to the second floor of the drugstore, where there were some booths specially reserved for VIP customers as well as some rooms provided for the storekeeper and store a.s.sistants staying in the store to take care of things.
After checking the whole drugstore, Ling Zhang was very satisfied. w.a.n.g Qing, who received praised for his work, was also very happy.
“There’re probably still a few days before the trade caravan departs for this city from Tanyang. You might as well pay some visits to the general storekeeper of the Jiang’s Drugstore Chain and see if you can get more pointers from him,” said Ling Zhang.
w.a.n.g Qing replied, “I’ve been in constant contact with the general storekeeper and also told him I’d pay a visit to some branches of the Jiang’s Drugstore Chain.”
The general storekeeper of the Jiang’s Drugstore Chain had stayed in the capital city for quite some time but didn’t seem to have an intention of going back to Tanyang in the near future.
“Schedule a time for me to meet the general storekeeper. I want to thank him personally after the horse race,” instructed Ling Zhang.
“Yes, Young Master,” w.a.n.g Qing answered.
Ling Zhang, after seeing the drugstore, began to antic.i.p.ate the day when the trade caravan built in Tanyang would arrive in the capital city. He was eager to find out what the future held for this drugstore of his.
Yuwen Tong said, “Don’t worry. This is such a promising commercial area, and the medicinal herbs from the farm of your family are of pretty high quality, too, so I’m sure the business will be good.”
Ling Zhang beamed, “Well, that’s true. Medicinal herbs from the farm of my family are well-known to locals in Tanyang.”
The two of them, after leaving the trading center in the west of the city, made for the racetrack to practice riding. Because of Yuwen Tong’s high rank, they entered the place unimpeded by anyone.
Miao s.h.i.+ba holding halters of two horses had been waiting for them in the hunting ground.
Neither of these two horses were from the racetrack. One of them was a winged steed of Yuwen Tong’s which had been with him for many years. Its entire body was glittery-black, with glossy hair, st.u.r.dy legs and an air of arrogance about it. Its name was North Wind.
The other one, which appeared relatively docile, was specially prepared for Ling Zhang. It hadn’t been named yet.
“Let’s call it Snowflake.”
This was a white horse. Its legs were just as st.u.r.dy as those of the other one, and its white hair was well groomed and very clean. Seeing Ling Zhang coming over, it didn’t go wary or restless. Instead, it curiously stepped up and sniffed at him. As if smelling something making it feel close to him, Snowflake swished its tail.
Ling Zhang ventured to stroke its head and it willingly let him. He was very happy, growing to like it.
Compared with Yuwen Tong’s North Wind which seemed quite haughty, Snowflake looked much meeker. Ling Zhang fed some fodder to it, and it rubbed its head against Ling Zhang, as if there was a natural affinity between the two of them.
Even Yuwen Tong was astonished by this. He had thought that it would take some doing for Ling Zhang to tame Snowflake. It was surprising that Snowflake liked Ling Zhang so much and things went so smoothly.
“Childe Ling, it seems that this horse is meant for you. Although it looks very docile right now, previously it refused to let anybody approach it or touch it, except for me and the groom. I never thought it’d let you stroke it on first acquaintance. Just now it struck me as a pet of yours,” observed Miao s.h.i.+ba in an envious tone of voice.
Ling Zhang became even happier after hearing this. He’d taken a liking to Snowflake at a glance, feeling that Snowflake had an uncommonly imposing presence and fit perfectly his mental image of a horse that could cover a thousand miles a day. Now, after being informed of Snowflake’s exceptional att.i.tude towards him, he couldn’t help but put his arms around its head and gently rubbed his forehead against that of Snowflake.
Snowflake meekly let him and gave a snort of delight in response.
Ling Zhang decided to spend some more time cultivating good relations with Snowflake before trying riding it.
Yuwen Tong’s North Wind had been having an arrogant bearing all along, but surprisingly, when Ling Zhang afterwards failed to keep from giving it a tentative stroke, it willingly let him, which amazed Miao s.h.i.+ba even further. “North Wind is actually letting you touch it, Childe Ling!”
Ling Zhang was also somewhat surprised. He had thought that North Wind would dodge aside.
This horse of Yuwen Tong’s obeyed n.o.body but Yuwen Tong. Even the groom and Miao s.h.i.+ba could merely approach it. If any of them tried to get on its back or do something else, it would definitely fly into a temper.
Yuwen Tong gave his loved horse a praising look, feeling that his horse indeed would never let him down.
Ling Zhang, out of curiosity, stroked all horses in the racetrack one by one. To everybody’s surprise, all horses didn’t mind Ling Zhang touching them. Though none of them affectionately rubbed their heads against Ling Zhang as Snowflake had done previously, all of them acted very docilely.
All staff members of the racetrack were shocked, for many of these horses were temporarily left in the care of them by others, every one of which had its particular type of temper. Apart from the groom and their masters, in the normal course of events they wouldn’t let anybody else get close to them, but strangely enough, they were all very meek to Ling Zhang.
Yuwen Tong looked at Ling Zhang, a thoughtful expression on his face. He remembered that those horses hadn’t shown such docility back then when they’d been in Tanyang.
Ling Zhang returned from his horse-stroking trip and said to Yuwen Tong, “It’s so surprising. None of them is afraid of me. Previously when we were in Tanyang, horses owned by my family were the only ones obedient to me.”
Ling Zhang himself had also sensed the anomalous part of this situation. “Is it because horses in this racetrack are relatively docile?”
A staff member of the racetrack replied, “That’s not possible, Childe Ling. You see that horse over there? The General Zhongwu’s (AKA. General of loyalty and valor) nephew left it with us. It’s a pedigreed horse from the Western Regions (the area west of Yumenguan, including what is now Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia). Except for its master and the groom, it doesn’t allow anybody to get close to it, not even its own kind, and the stable for it is the roomiest in this racetrack, but it didn’t show a shred of temper when you walked up to it a moment ago.”
Ling Zhang was astonished, looking at Yuwen Tong in perplexity, a confused expression in his eyes.
Yuwen Tong, face impa.s.sive, gave him a wink, as if suggesting he show patience. Then he said to the staff member of the racetrack, “Maybe it’s because Brother Zhang has a mild disposition. Also, the incense he used today has the efficacy of easing nervous tension. Horses are intelligent animals, and they naturally don’t shun those meaning no harm.”
After hearing Yuwen Tong’s explanation, the staff member of the racetrack, who didn’t know the exact reason for this situation, felt that Yuwen Tong had got a point, so he merely made a few remarks about Ling Zhang possessing some natural attribute appealing to horses. After that, he said no more.
“Today you don’t have to wait upon us. We’ll just be practicing riding in the racetrack,” said Yuwen Tong.
The staff members answered “Yes, Marshal,” and then all left.
After they took their leave, Ling Zhang c.o.c.ked an inquisitive eyebrow at Yuwen Tong. “What’s going on?”
The aroma about him was from his clothes which had been incensed with a spice after being washed by servants. It was faint, and he wasn’t carrying any sachets on him. This was a fact both he and Yuwen Tong were fully aware of.
Yuwen Tong responded, “I don’t know for sure either, but I guess it has something to do with the mental cultivation method you’ve been following.”
Ling Zhang was surprised. The mental cultivation method of internal energy he’d been following was from the Millennium Pavilion. It could make him attractive to horses?
“If there’s anything different you’ve been doing after coming to this city from Tanyang, it’d be your cultivation of internal energy. I’m not certain about this, of course. We may pay some extra attention to this matter in the future,” said Yuwen Tong.
Ling Zhang inclined his head, feeling that they had no alternative.
After Snowflake finished the hay, Ling Zhang led it out of the stable, walking it in the racetrack and talking to it along the way with the intention to bond with it, heedless of the fact that Snowflake might not understand him.
Yuwen Tong leading North Wind walked side by side with him. The two of them, leading two horses, walked around the racetrack several times. During the process, Ling Zhang had tentatively tried riding it several times. Finding that Snowflake was okay with him riding it, he’d felt greatly relieved.
“There’s no hurry. Take your time,” said Yuwen Tong.
There were some horses in Yuwen family that had been tamed and were very docile, and anybody could ride them, but none of those horses compared with Snowflake. Ling Zhang would have a better chance of winning a prize if he used Snowflake as his racehorse during the compet.i.tion.
Next, Ling Zhang swung himself onto Snowflake’s back and slowly walked along the racetrack, trying to establish a stronger bond with it.
There were three days left before the horse race. This was the first day. Yuwen Tong was in no hurry to teach Ling Zhang advanced riding skills.
“Bonding with Snowflake is more important than any riding skills,” Yuwen Tong said.
Snowflake was a good horse which was of great inwardness and intelligence. Ling Zhang would get twice the result with half the effort during his practice of riding after building a basic rapport with it, which would save him a lot of time.
They spent the whole day in the racetrack. When it was time to return home, Yuwen Tong suggested that Ling Zhang ride back to the city, that he groom Snowflake and spend more time with it at home.
Ling Zhang, feeling that Yuwen Tong had got a point, rode back to the city with him.
Both Snowflake and North Wind were progressing at a gentle pace, and their masters were in no hurry. They leisurely returned to the city, dismounted and walked along the street side by side. The two of them seemed to be meant for each other, and so did their horses. All pedestrians looked at them.
There was a restaurant on the street, which was crowded with customers, one of whom was wearing a student’s uniform of the Imperial College. Hearing the commotion from the crowds outside, he also looked at the street and caught sight of Ling Zhang and Yuwen Tong, who were proceeding abreast of each other, talking and laughing. His eyes rested on Yuwen Tong, a mixture of misery, jealousy and intentness in his eyes. It was not until the two of them walked far away that he turned around and resumed eating the food in his bowl.
Ling Zhang, after leaving that crowded section of the street with Yuwen Tong, flicked a backward glance at that restaurant, looking somewhat confused. A moment ago, he had sensed that someone had been staring at them. The gaze of that person had been different from that of other people and struck him as very strange, but he had no idea who that person was.
When he had returned to the Ling Mansion, everybody was astonished and excited by Snowflake’s appearance in the residence. All of them gathered around it, but just as Miao s.h.i.+ba had said, Snowflake was not as friendly to other people as it was to Ling Zhang. Qiu Bing curiously ventured to touch it but nearly got kicked by it. Seeing this, Ling Zhang thoroughly believed Miao s.h.i.+ba’s words.