Song Yuzhang: Chapter 92 - Horse Ranch
Chapter 92: Horse Ranch
Mao Dan had changed his name to Liu Chu.
“Liu Chu,” Song Yuzhang looked at the newly transformed little boy and smiled lightly. “Not bad at all.”
Perhaps due to long-term hunger, Liu Chu claimed to be ten this year, but both his height and face looked like that of a seven- or eight-year-old. He wasn’t dark-skinned, and with his freshly shaved mushroom-style haircut, he revealed a very delicate and pleasant face, resembling a gentle and scholarly child. That is, until he opened his mouth—his voice was rough and grating, like a forty-something smoker with a ruined throat. “Give me money.”
“Give you money?”
“Changing my name is like being reborn. Being reborn means today is my birthday. So—”
Liu Chu raised his face and held out his hand. “Give me money.”
Liu Chuanzong lowered his head awkwardly. “A-Chu, you can’t talk to the president like that.”
“It’s fine,” Song Yuzhang waved generously and flicked Liu Chu’s mushroom head with a finger. “Here’s ten yuan. Go buy some candy. Remember to give him ten yuan,” he said, pointing to Liu Chuanzong. “Put it on my tab.”
Song Yuzhang walked downstairs with light steps.
Liu Chu looked at Liu Chuanzong with his hands behind his back. “He’s pretty good-looking, but so stingy—only gave ten yuan.”
Liu Chuanzong patted his head. “Don’t talk about the president like that.”
“Why are you defending him so much?” Liu Chu’s clear, innocent eyes swiveled, and he said in his hoarse voice, “I saw it with my own eyes—him and Old Dog Shen… they were… both with the same woman!”
As he looked on expectantly, Liu Chuanzong replied flatly, “If you’re going to lie, don’t stutter.”
“I—I didn’t stutter!”
Liu Chuanzong had taken Liu Chu as his godson. The boy was sharp—so sharp it startled him. But what startled him even more was that Liu Chu’s vulgarity surpassed his intelligence. He constantly spouted filth, with not a trace of childish innocence or sweetness.
In this area, Liu Chuanzong had no experience. He could only patiently try to correct the boy, telling him not to talk nonsense.
As for Liu Chu, he knew he was crass, vulgar, and nasty, but he found it fun. So he had no intention of changing.
Liu Chu leaned over the second-floor railing, watching Song Yuzhang chat with people in the bank lobby. He blurted out, “He looks that good—why bother running a bank? Selling his ass would be much easier.”
Song Yuzhang was talking with staff downstairs when he suddenly heard a shriek from overhead. Looking up, he saw Liu Chuanzong holding Liu Chu upside down by his legs.
Liu Chu’s head and face were completely covered by his robe, which had fallen down. His arms flailed, unable to curse, just shrieking incoherently.
Everyone in the lobby was stunned. Song Yuzhang withdrew his gaze and said calmly, “It’s nothing—just disciplining a child.”
The bank’s finances had eased up quite a bit due to interest rate adjustments. Song Yuzhang said he wanted to buy American stocks and insisted that Song Qiyuan go personally to trade, which Song Qiyuan strongly opposed. Song Yuzhang ignored him. “What are you afraid of? Once bitten, twice shy—if you don’t have guts, how can you get rich?”
Song Qiyuan said, “The bank’s debts haven’t been cleared yet. Once the railway is open and we start seeing returns, we can talk about investing. Wouldn’t that be better?”
“Exactly because the debts aren’t cleared, we need to open new income sources. The railway will bring in loads of money, but it’ll take time. The bank already caused a scare once. No matter what rumors of losses come up now, most people won’t believe them again. So now’s the perfect time to bluff.”
As Song Yuzhang spoke, he waved his cigarette in the air. The trails of white smoke made Song Qiyuan’s eyes dizzy. He calmed down slightly and shuffled on the edge of Song Yuzhang’s desk. “Then… what if we lose again?”
“Third Brother, you’re a legendary winner at the gambling table. Tell me—why do you always win?”
Song Qiyuan rubbed his fingers slowly.
“When gambling, the most important thing is nerve. You’re not afraid, and you can afford to lose. That’s why you stay calm and calculating at the table. Others get scared—scared of losing—so they panic and fall apart. To put it bluntly, isn’t that exactly what happened to Song Zhenqiao?”
Song Qiyuan raised his head and looked sharply at Song Yuzhang.
Song Yuzhang remained calm. “He got scared—convinced he’d never win again. That’s why he fled the table.”
Song Yuzhang walked over and patted his shoulder. “Third Brother, don’t be afraid. Wherever you fall, you should stand back up. Don’t you want to see for yourself what kind of beast the U.S. stock market that devoured both the Chen and Song families really is?”
Song Qiyuan lowered his head in silence for a long time. When he looked up again, his expression had calmed. He nudged Song Yuzhang’s chest lightly with his elbow. “Who exactly are you? Where do you get all this courage from?”
Song Yuzhang draped an arm over his shoulder and turned to him, cigarette between his teeth, grinning lazily. “Born with it.”
Song Qiyuan took the cigarette from his mouth and snuffed it out. His expression softened, a tacit agreement to Song Yuzhang’s plan. “Fourth Brother’s been staying at my place for several days now. When are you letting him go home?”
“Oh? How’s Fourth Brother?”
“How do you think? He must be miserable. Leaves early, comes back late, never smiles, barely eats or speaks. If Second Brother really wants to become a monk, tell the tailor to make him a fancy kasaya.”
Song Yuzhang couldn’t help but laugh.
Song Qiyuan glanced at him with a smirk. “Stop laughing. Tell me—when is Fourth Brother going back? And why did you suddenly make him stay with me? I asked him, but he won’t say. You tell me.”
Song Yuzhang smiled faintly. “Why else? You’re real brothers. Can’t have him drifting apart from his own blood, right?”
He patted Song Qiyuan’s shoulder. “I’m off.”
Song Qiyuan straightened up. “Another social engagement?”
“Business, huh,” Song Yuzhang said with a gentle smile after taking two steps forward with his hands in his pockets, then turned back, “Together?”
Song Qiyuan politely declined, raising his hand in a gesture of refusal. “You’ve worked hard, please, after you.”
Liu Chuanzong was driving Song Yuzhang’s car, and Liu Chu also sat quietly in the front passenger seat. He seemed much more well-behaved, quiet, and even a bit childlike.
Song Yuzhang asked, “Did you give the ten yuan?”
Liu Chuanzong replied, “Yes, I did.”
Song Yuzhang smiled, “Ten yuan for a birthday is a bit stingy. I’ll make it up later.”
Liu Chu muttered quietly, “Tricking kids.”
Song Yuzhang heard it but pretended not to. When getting off the car, he pinched Liu Chu’s cheek, “I never trick kids.”
Liu Chu got goosebumps from the pinch. After Song Yuzhang went inside, he touched the spot on his face and said to Liu Chuanzong with a surprised tone, “His fingers are so smooth, even smoother than a woman’s...”
Liu Chuanzong looked at him. Liu Chu opened and closed his mouth twice, then sulkily shut it.
This event was organized by Liao Tiandong. Whether because they were afraid Song Yuzhang would back out or because officials just liked hosting gatherings, Song Yuzhang had been quite busy with social engagements recently.
The location was a horse ranch on the outskirts, a place Song Yuzhang was very familiar with. Previously, to get closer to Nie Bonian, he often brought him here to ride horses. This ranch was almost like part of the Nie family’s domain, very safe and reliable.
It was mid-November. Haizhou wasn’t very cold yet, and the afternoon was pleasant—perfect for leisurely riding and chatting. Song Yuzhang arrived first, went inside to change into riding gear. The groom offered him a hat, but he waved it off and only tightened his gloves. “Bring me the horse I usually ride.”
Song Yuzhang’s riding skills were learned from Tang Jin.
Before Xiao Yingtao died, she absolutely forbade him from doing anything risky like horse riding. Later, when he wandered about with no conditions or time to learn, he developed a liking for horse betting. After being chased by Nie Yinbing, he resolutely decided to learn horse riding.
Just in case he encountered such situations again, it would give him a way to escape rather than helplessly staring at a horse tied to a tree by the roadside.
Song Yuzhang mounted his horse and leisurely rode around the ranch. Haizhou had no tall mountains, just a stretch of green grass with woods ahead. He had heard one could hunt inside, but it was too dangerous, so he never brought Nie Bonian in.
There was no wind in the afternoon; only the sound of the wind whooshing past when the horse ran. Song Yuzhang held the reins and urged the horse along the track. Halfway through, he saw Nie Xueping and sped up towards her.
“Hoo—”
Song Yuzhang pulled the horse to a stop, sitting high on the horse looking down at Nie Xueping with a smile. “You’re here.”
Nie Xueping was still in a suit, not yet changed. Song Yuzhang wore a light-colored riding outfit. He liked light colors in general; though difficult to wear well because they could look dull or tacky, Song Yuzhang managed to look fresh, clean, and natural. Smiling from his horse had a bit of a fairy-tale charm.
Nie Xueping said, “You ride quite well.”
“Just barely passable,” Song Yuzhang said. “Bonian said you taught him horse riding. I’m curious about your skills.”
Nie Xueping smiled, “Just barely passable as well.”
Song Yuzhang liked Nie Xueping’s occasional playful remarks and laughed heartily. He pulled the reins, “Come, let’s race, let me test your skills.”
Song Yuzhang wanted to race Nie Xueping to see who was faster, but she refused, “Our horses aren’t the same, it’s not a fair match.”
“I don’t mind,” Song Yuzhang said.
“I’m afraid winning wouldn’t be honorable.”
Song Yuzhang laughed again, “Mr. Nie, don’t be too arrogant.”
In the end, they didn’t race. Liao Tiandong hadn’t arrived yet, and they couldn’t sweat it out too early. They rode side by side slowly, enjoying the scenery. Song Yuzhang asked about Nie Bonian’s condition, and Nie Xueping invited him to visit her home that evening.
Song Yuzhang pursed his lips, slightly lowering one shoulder, fluttered his lashes, and his eyes sparkled mischievously, “Visit? I’m afraid I’d bother the host.”
Nie Xueping smiled silently, touched the reins, and urged her horse forward.
Song Yuzhang lazily sat on his horse. After Nie Xueping rode a bit away, he raised a hand, put his fingers to his lips, and whistled long toward her back. Before seeing her reaction, Song Yuzhang heard Liao Tiandong calling from behind, “President Song, Mr. Nie—”
Song Yuzhang lowered his hand from his lips and turned his face with a smile.
Liao Tiandong was walking over from the fence along the front track, waving his hand.
He wasn’t alone.
Against the blue sky and green lawn, a figure in black robes stood out sharply. Black gauze on his arms fluttered in the sudden autumn breeze, and his jet-black eyes seemed blurred in the wind.
Liao Tiandong ran up to Song Yuzhang’s horse. Nie Xueping had already turned his horse and was slowly returning.
“President Song, Mr. Nie, I’m hosting today. Please come to Boss Meng’s place,” Liao Tiandong smiled like a chrysanthemum blooming in autumn, “Let’s sit down and have a good talk about the railway cooperation.”
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