Chi Lian could see that i i was still battling with the betrothal so she decided to reveal sothing to her daughter that she was not aware of. "ilin, all of your brothers and younger sister also have potential marriage partners already lined up so kind of like betrothals.
After what happened with you, your great grandfather did not want to play with the marital affairs of the younger generation. He and other patriarchs of noble families t and ca up with an agreent to give their children an approved list of partners from which they could choose a husband or wife.
This is done on their eighteenth birthdays. Jun Yi for example has a list of twenty six n from noble or royal families to choose from. She can date anyone from that list and if she finds the one for her, they can make it official.
If she goes beyond the list then she has a lot to prove before that person is approved of."
i i had heard sothing similar about this from Zhilan. Her friend had ntioned that she t the perfect man after weeding through a list. She had just assud that it was a list from a matchmaking agency.
"Keeping it in the circle." i i laughed.
"It was nad the ilin list." Her father whispered to her.
i i gasped. She could not believe that audacity of the nobles to na this new tradition after her. "Who ca up with this?"
"That would be your uncle Chi Wei." Muyang reported with an evil smile because he knew i i would take revenge on his brother-in-law.
Chi Lian rolled her eyes and punched her husband on the arm just enough to make him wince but not hard enough to cause him devastating pain. "All this just because you lost so money to him in mahjong!!! Move on Muyang."
"He is cheating," Muyang hissed. "I don’t know how he is doing it but I know that he is cheating. I don’t lose money....ever."
i i decided to take one of the horses out for a ride while her parents were still arguing about the money lost in so family friendly gambling matches.
It had been so long since she last rode a horse and yet it was almost like she had just done so yesterday. She chose a gray mare that looked proud and arrogant. It was just like the horses she loved to ta back in her heyday. She loved them wild because they presented a challenge and she t them head on.
An employee in the royal stable saddled the horse for her and led it outside before handing her the reigns. She ran her right hand along the red leather saddle with a smile on her face.
"Watch out, Ali is spirited." The man that handed the reigns warned.
i i threw her head back and laughed. "So am I."
"I recognize you Miss Jun," He said, shuffling from his left foot to the right one. "You were a great rider. They say you were born to ride, so was she." He jutted his chin towards the mare. "She knows her way around this track so I won’t guide you."
i i mounted slowly and she drew in a asured breath as the familiarity of it all returned to her. But as it had been a while since she was on the back of a horse, her thighs burned and her spine protested.
The mare neighed and tried to throw her off. She grabbed the reigns and leaned into the motion, her body recalling what she had learned. Balance. Speed. Control.
Was she ready for this, she wondered. It had been eight years since she last rode a rode. Eight years, almost a decade! It felt like such a life ti ago.
i i stroked the mare’s neck. "Co on Ali, let’s ride."
The mare neighed and sped away at full speed like it was racing against ti and i i gripped the reigns fiercely. She rode with ease like she had not missed a day.
She passed royal riders that were training. Her hair flew in the wind like a cloak. The world narrowed in her eyes, reduced to hoof beats and heartbeat. Everything blurred as her legs dug in as Ali prepared to leap over over an small hill of hay.
Horse and rider sailed through the air for a mont and those that were watching applauded.
Muyang handed Chi Lian a one hundred yuan note as he had just lost a bet to her. He thought i i’s first ride back would be a slow one, just like when she was learning to ride a horse.
His wife was sure that she would take off like a rocket: like she had always done. His wife was right.
"I told you so." Chi Lian laughed. "She was born to ride and right now, she is not just racing to prove to herself that she still has it in her. She is racing against her current worries and past mories. Her eyes are focused on the horizon, racing to the future."
After her third lap, she brought Ali to the pond for a drink of water. Another horse caught up to them and mounted on the back was Junjie. He had sohow managed to get his hands on a cowboy hat.
"Oh my God!" i i exclaid.
"Howdy." He tipped the hat as he smiled mischievously. "How are you doing this hot afternoon Miss ilin?"
i i laughed. "What are you up to now?"
Jingzhe’s horse started to turn away as it had no interest on the mare or her rider. It wanted to walk, not chat. Jingzhe stubbornly turned it back while replying to i i’s question. "I was worried that you were feeling angry or lonely and my heart could not stand the thought of you crying sowhere."
"Now why would I be crying?"
The horse turned away again, determined to leave the pond. Jingzhe tried to get it to remain steady and it ended up walking around in circles.
i i giggled the whole ti. Jingzhe’s failure to control the horse reminded her of the saying her mother used to say. "Those with the biggest cowboy hats, ropes on their shoulders and the shiniest boots on the track rarely know what they are doing."
Jingzhe had the cowboy hat and he did not seem to know what he was doing.
"Have you ever ridden a horse before?" She asked him.
Jingzhe wanted to desperately say yes but the truth was already screaming loudly, waving for attention. He was not born to ride.
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