Return to the small mountain village in 1983

Chapter 135 A majestic red-maned horse

This time when we went to town, we didn't encounter any horse-drawn carriages or ox-carts. The family of three walked to town.

Xiaoxia stopped walking within two kilometers and stuck to people.

Lin Heng carried her in a basket and carried Xiulan for one kilometer, then took her back for another kilometer.

There was no sun today, it was overcast, and a little hot. The two of them didn't talk much. They walked side by side, sweat dripping down from time to time.

When they arrived at the river, Xiulan washed her handkerchief, and the three of them took turns wiping their sweat.

There is only the gurgling of the river and the wisps of hot wind. No words are needed, the movements have already conveyed the emotion.

As they approached Huangtan Town, they met an elderly couple in their sixties.

They seemed to be quarreling, one walking in front and the other walking behind, one on the outside and the other on the inside.

After not walking far, the old man deliberately slowed down and leaned towards the old woman.

The old woman didn't want to talk to him at first, but after he leaned against her twice, the two started walking side by side and talking again.

Lin Heng glanced at Xiulan, she blinked and said nothing.

Lin Heng remembered Xiulan's angry look. She was the sulky type who kept silent and did her own thing.

He has never made Xiulan really angry in his life. She is a gentle and considerate woman, so it is difficult to make her really angry.

Lin Heng had offended her many times in his previous life, but later he couldn't offend her anymore and he changed all those bad habits that Xiulan hated.

After years of baptism, he has understood some things and understands some things, and now he hardly makes his wife angry.

When we arrived in town, it was around seven o'clock and almost eight o'clock. The streets were very lively, with scattered figures and shouts.

"Brother Lin, sister-in-law!" Wang Zhou greeted Lin Heng with a smile when he saw him entering the store.

Putting Xiaoxia on the bench, Lin Heng pointed to the medicinal materials in Xiulan's backpack and said, "I'll take it at the normal price and give the money to your sister-in-law."

"I want to sell it at the price in the city." Xiulan raised her chin slightly and looked at Lin Heng and said playfully.

Wang Zhou was stunned: "This..."

He looked at Lin Heng and didn't know what to do.

Lin Heng looked at him and said, "She is the boss lady and she is the biggest. You must do as she says."

"Okay!" Wang Zhou nodded, feeling envious that the relationship between the boss and his wife was so good.

Xiulan got the seven and a half dollars from selling medicinal materials and counted them. She glanced at Lin Heng and put the money into her pocket.

Wang Zhou poured a cup of tea for Lin Heng and Xiulan, and then said: "By the way, Brother Lin, Uncle Li told me yesterday that the horse Li Gui was willing to lower the price, and sold it for [-]."

"I know, let's talk about it in the afternoon." Lin Heng nodded.

He was not in a hurry, he could buy it back before August [-]th.

The two rested for a while. Lin Heng took his wife to visit the store, and people started selling mountain products one after another.

Xiulan and her daughter watched Lin Heng receiving the goods curiously. People who came were often a little surprised by the two of them.

After busying for a while, at around ten o'clock, Lin Heng left the work to Wang Zhou alone. He took Xiulan and Xiaoxia to go shopping.

"Dad, what is this!!" Xiaoxia asked, pointing to a straw pillar filled with candied haws.

"These are candied haws on a stick, do you want some?" The man selling candied haws on a stick answered this question for Lin Heng.

"Have a bunch!!" Xiaoxia said crisply. She didn't know what candied haws was, but she knew what sugar was. Her big eyes were bright.

"Thirty cents a bunch." The uncle looked at Lin Heng and said with a smile.

The price was a bit expensive, so Lin Heng bought a bunch for Xiulan.

Xiulan took one and fed it to Xiaoxia. Xiaoxia took a bite and puffed out her cheeks to eat for a while and then took another bite.

Xiaoxia finished one, and Xiulan opened her red lips and ate three of the remaining four, leaving one for her.

Xiaoxia looked at her mother with her eyes wide open. She dared not say anything in anger. She took her only remaining candied haws and licked it carefully. She finished licking the sugar coating before taking a bite of the hawthorn.

Lin Heng took Xiulan, and Xiulan took Xiaoxia. The three of them walked around the street twice and bought two catties of pears and two catties of apples.

"The clothes in this store are relatively good."

After choosing and choosing, Lin Heng took Xiulan into this clothing store to pick out clothes for his father-in-law and mother-in-law.

This place has clothes ranging from one yuan to eight yuan, but they are just expensive, and the quality of the most expensive ones is far inferior to what Lin Heng buys in big shopping malls in the city.

In rural towns, many shops rely on this cognitive gap to make money from farmers.

Xiulan picked out two sets of good quality and negotiated the price for [-] yuan.

When he was about to buy shoes for his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Wang Zhou came over.

Seeing Lin Heng, Wang Zhou quickly said: "Brother Lin, someone brought a red-maned horse to sell, right in front of the store."

"Red-maned horse?" Lin Heng became interested, nodded and said, "Then go and take a look first."

"The horse seller is an uncle in his forties. He said that the horse was carefully raised by the old man in the family. Recently the old man was hospitalized with cancer, and the family had no money to buy it in a hurry." Wang Zhou said as he walked.

Lin Heng nodded and said nothing. This kind of thing needs to be understood on the spot to know whether it is true or false.

It’s not uncommon for people to pretend to be pitiful to gain sympathy.

When you arrive at the door of the store, you can see a middle-aged man with dark skin and a ridged forehead leading a horse with maroon fur.

This horse looks very good from a distance. It has a well-proportioned and strong body. It looks like a yellow gelding and is much taller. The height at the shoulder is estimated to be [-] meters.

Judging from its soft and reflective fur, it is indeed an exaggeration to say that it was carefully raised.

It also comes with a leather saddle, which looks like it really wants to be sold.

"Uncle, do you want to sell the horse?" Lin Heng came over and asked with a smile.

The middle-aged man nodded, with anxiety and bitterness on his face: "Yes, boss, the old man has brain cancer and needs money for treatment. He has sold everything he can at home. No one has bought this horse. I heard that you are collecting horses here. I hurriedly pulled him over from Dahe Town."

Lin Heng nodded, looked at him and asked, "How much do you plan to sell this horse for?"

Cancer is an incurable disease in the future. This is still brain cancer, and there is no hope of going to the hospital. But Lin Heng would naturally not say it out loud. If he said this without any relatives or reasons, he would only be hated.

Moreover, if a loved one is sick, there is no hope for treatment. This is human nature. If it were his parents, he would do the same.

Although he sympathized with it, he wouldn't buy it if it was too expensive.

"Boss, what do you think of four hundred and fifty?"

The middle-aged uncle looked at Lin Heng and said, his voice was rough, revealing exhaustion and anxiety.

Lin Heng was a little surprised by the price. He was really planning to sell it, and it seemed like it was true.

"I'll take a look at the horse first." Lin Heng said with a smile.

He looked and felt it. Although the horse was a stallion, it was not very aggressive. He could see the hooves and tail from its eyes, ears.

I also took off the saddle and looked at it to make sure there was nothing wrong with it.

"Uncle, can you ride twice to show me?" Lin Heng asked again.

Although the uncle was miserable, he didn't want to spend so much money on a horse with problems.

"Okay." The middle-aged man strapped on the saddle, got on his horse and ran three times back and forth on the deserted road.

There were already a lot of people watching, and they all heard about the tragedy at the uncle's house, and felt that Lin Heng was a little inappropriate in being so strict with the horses.

When the horse came over, Lin Heng listened to his breathing for a while and was very satisfied.

The horse behaved very well during the ride just now, and its breathing was even and there was no problem.

Lin Heng turned around and went into the house to discuss with Xiulan for a while, and came out with five hundred yuan.

After looking at the onlookers and then at the middle-aged man, Lin Heng smiled and said: "Uncle, your horse is very good, I bought it.

My wife and I discussed it and decided to give you an extra fifty, five hundred yuan. Your horse is worth so much money. I also hope that the old man's illness can be cured soon. "

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, and then he was about to kneel down and kowtow to Lin Heng. After being stopped by Lin Heng, he couldn't help but nod his head: "Thank you, thank you, you and your wife are such good people, thank you..."

He originally thought that Lin Heng would lower the price, but he didn't expect that Lin Heng not only did not lower the price, but also provided help in times of need. How could he not be grateful?

During these days when the old father was hospitalized, he had seen through the warmth and coldness of human relationships. He never expected that a young man whom he had met for the first time would treat him like this.

"You're welcome, that's as it should be." Lin Heng said with a smile.

Naturally, he wants to earn a good reputation by doing good deeds. But no one gave him a thumbs up, after all, he really helped people.

With this good reputation, even if Liu Qicheng moves to the main street in the future, he will not have to engage in a price war. As long as he maintains the same price as Liu Qicheng, I believe that a large number of people will still choose to come to his place.

The uncle kept thanking him many times before taking the money and leaving. Lin Heng told him to be careful and put the money away before leaving.

The uncle left, and Lin Heng looked at the maroon horse again and again. He was very fond of it.

Although it is not a pedigree horse, it is indeed very majestic, and it is definitely worth the five hundred yuan.

The original owner raised much better horses than Li Gui's three-headed horse, and you can tell from the fur.

After touching it, Lin Heng rode on it and tried it. He shook the reins slightly and the horse walked forward.

After a slap on the butt, it started running. Lin Heng felt the wind roaring around him, and it felt like an ancient general galloping on the battlefield. After two laps of riding, Lin Heng jumped off the horse, looked at Uncle Gao and asked, "Uncle, is this horse good?"

Uncle Gao, who was drinking tea in the room, smiled and gave a thumbs up: "Ma is very good, Xiaolin, you are even more good."

"Haha, thank you for the compliment, sir." Lin Heng laughed.

"Dad, I want to ride a horse too!" Xiaoxia ran over and said in a sweet voice.

Her eyes lit up when she saw her father riding a horse.

"Then I'll carry you up, but don't move around."

Lin Heng put her on the horse and led the horse to the backyard to tie it up.

Wang Zhou couldn't understand Lin Heng, who was so fussy and shrewd before. Now I heard that someone was in trouble, but he took the initiative to give an extra fifty yuan. It was really strange.

However, he felt that following such a boss would have a good future.

"Let's call you Hongzao." Lin Heng touched the horse and gave it a name.

I just asked. It is four years old and did not have a name before.

After letting Xiaoxia sit for a while, Lin Heng took her down and took her and Xiulan to buy the unfinished shoes.

When he came back, Lin Heng also took two kilograms of crushed corn flour on his phone, poured it into a basin, added water, stirred it into a paste, and brought it to the jujubes.

"Zizi~"

Hong Zao lowered her head and drank sizzlingly. Lin Heng touched her head and felt very relaxed.

"Dad, I want to ride a horse!!"

Xiaoxia looked at the tall horse and waved her hands excitedly. She fell in love with it just after riding it.

"Wait a minute."

Lin Heng pulled her away. It would be terrible if she was kicked by a horse.

After the horse finished drinking the corn mush, Lin Heng put Xiaoxia on the saddle and led the horse away with Xiulan.

"Are you going back now?" Uncle Gao asked curiously.

"No, go to the blacksmith shop and see if you can shoe the horse." Lin Heng shook his head and said.

The horse was unshoeed because the original owner didn't ride much, and the shoes needed to be replaced frequently, which cost a lot.

If you ride often, it is better for the horse to have shoe shoes, which will not damage the horse's hooves.

"Then you really need to get one." Uncle Gao nodded.

"Xiulan, go up and hold Xiaoxia." After leaving the door, Lin Heng held the horse and looked at his wife and said.

Xiulan had never ridden before and was a little scared. She looked at him and said, "How about you come?"

"Don't be afraid, it's easy to ride with a saddle." Lin Heng comforted with a smile.

He hugged Xiaoxia down first, then helped his wife get on the horse, waited for her to sit down, and then picked Xiaoxia up.

Hong Zao had just eaten a bowl of cornstarch, and now she was very well-behaved, motionless from beginning to end. It didn't move slowly until Lin Heng led it forward.

"How do you feel?" Lin Heng asked with a smile. As long as the horse doesn't run and just walks slowly, there is no danger for beginners.

"Quite novel."

Xiulan had a smile on her face while riding the horse, and Xiaoxia cheered a little, her short legs swaying.

Lin Heng led the horse and walked slowly. It was only one o'clock now, and there were quite a lot of people on the street. Everyone looked sideways when they saw Hong Zao. Not only the horse is good-looking, but also the people.

When they arrived at the Li family's blacksmith shop, the family was having a meal. When they saw Lin Heng's uncle, he came out to greet them and said with a smile: "Boss Lin, what are you going to build this time?"

"I want to make a pair of shoes for my horse. Uncle Li, can you make them?" Lin Heng looked at him and asked.

When the middle-aged uncle Li Tie heard this, he smiled and patted his chest: "You really found the right person, I can not only beat horses, but also trim horseshoes.

Come down and rest for a while. Shoes can be made very quickly. They can be made in two or three hours. You are guaranteed to be satisfied. "

"Okay." Lin Heng nodded, being able to make hoofs is the best.

He took his wife and children away and tied the red date in the shade of the yard. It hissed and shook its head.

Li Tie brought tea to Lin Heng, but sugar water to Xiulan and Xiaoxia, which showed that he still valued Lin Heng.

"You guys sit down for a moment and I'll get started after eating." Li Tie said with a smile.

"Okay." Lin Heng nodded, sitting here with his wife and waiting.

After Li Tie and his son finished eating, Li Tie came over with tools and said, "Boss Lin, come over and help control the horse and measure the size of its shoe."

"I just bought this horse, so I might not be able to control it." Lin Heng said and stood up to help.

"It's okay, it shouldn't be too difficult." Li Tie waved his hand.

Lin Heng came over, grabbed its front hooves and lifted it up, shouting: "Lift the hooves."

Hong Zao didn't understand, so Lin Heng broke it several times before lifting its hoof. Carpenter Liang bent a bamboo stick to measure the length, looked at the shape, and printed it on the paper.

After a while, the shape of the four hooves was measured. Li Tie touched the red dates and said with a smile: "Your horse is quite majestic. It looks as powerful as a red rabbit."

Lin Heng grinned: "Haha, the majesty is enough, I don't want it to be so difficult to ride."

The hoofs were made of good soil, and they quickly found iron bars that were heated red and began to be forged. Lin Heng and Xiulan were not bored watching here.

They used long iron bars to make it very quickly. They punched out the shape in ten minutes, and then used tools to make grooves on the shoe and six holes for the shoe nails.

Two hoofs were made in less than forty minutes and were polished by the eldest son. Li Tie and his second son continued to forge the hoofs for the rear hooves.

Lin Heng held his daughter and watched with gusto, just like watching a knife forging competition.

"Come on, let's go over and see if the shape is suitable. If not, we can adjust it." Li Tie said with a smile after finishing it.

"Okay." Lin Heng and Li Tie walked to Hongzao together. Based on the experience last time, it lifted its hooves very quickly this time.

Li Tie made sure that the size was okay and started to install it. He first used a small scimitar to perform a pedicure on Hong Zao, and then heated the iron red to make grooves on the horse's hooves, and thick smoke suddenly billowed out.

"Don't be afraid, I have shoed many horses." Li Tie said with a smile.

After taking the shoe and quenching it, Li Tie came over with an iron nail made of lead, clamped the horse's hoof between his legs, and began to shoe the horse.

Lin Heng was stroking and comforting Hong Zao. Hong Zao struggled for a while before giving up and letting the blacksmith handle it.

"All right!"

After a while, Li Tie nailed all four shoes.

"how much?"

Lin Heng watched the whole process and was very satisfied. The uncle's work was very meticulous. It makes sense that the Li family's blacksmith shop is doing well.

Li Tie grinned: "Just give me two yuan. Generally, if you don't do heavy work, you can change it once a month. If you do heavy work, you may have to change it every half a month. Next time, just give me one and a half yuan."

It's also a long-term business for him.

Xiulan took out two dollars and gave it to Li Tie, who smiled and sent the three of them out of the yard.

"Let's try to see if it can carry three people." Lin Heng found a suitable position and let Xiulan hold the reins. He tried to ride on it too.

Horses usually have no problem carrying a load of five to six hundred kilograms, but the three of them combined were less than three hundred kilograms.

"hiss!!"

With the neighing of Hong Zao, Lin Heng stepped on the stirrups and sat on it.

"drive!"

Lin Heng took the reins and let go, patting the horse's butt gently, and Hong Zao slowly started walking.

"Not bad!" Lin Heng chuckled. It felt good to ride a horse with his wife and children.

He was not in a hurry, and just let the horse go slowly according to its temper. If it went too fast, Xiulan's daughter, who had never ridden a horse before, would be unbearable.

"Ride a horse!!" Xiaoxia waved her hands, excited, and wanted to pat the horse but was held down by Xiulan.

Lin Heng stretched out his hands from his wife's waist to pull the reins, his head was next to her head, and he could smell the fragrance of her hair as he walked.

Xiulan leaned into Lin Heng's arms, her head just on Lin Heng's shoulder. She also felt very comfortable and said with a smile: "This horse Hongzao is really good!"

There were no people on the streets of Huangtan Town. Lin Heng rode his horse back to the store to get the things he bought. After saying something to Wang Zhou and Uncle Gao, he got on the horse and walked back.

The walk was not fast, and Hong Zao didn't sweat much, so he walked slowly.

It was already after six o'clock when we returned to Hongfeng Village. It wasn't much faster than walking, but it took a lot of effort and was very happy.

"Brother Lin, is this your new horse? Is it so majestic?"

Under the road, Lin Hai, who had just turned over the straw, ran over and looked at Lin Heng's horse with envy as he sat down.

PS: I'm taking a day off today. This is the only one. It's been forty-seven days since it was put on the shelves. I'm really feeling a little uncomfortable today. I hope you can forgive me.

(End of this chapter)