Having trained real horses, why are we now training racehorse girls after time-traveling?

Wada's journey was truly worrying. Whether it was the news of the opening of the passage from Paris, or Ikezoe's promise to Maruzensky, or Wada's own thoughts, all of this was based on the premise that Wada's performance of the Hoshin Opera at the Arc de Triomphe would be outstanding.

If a good opera doesn't perform well at the Arc de Triomphe, the green channel proposed by the French Union of Female Horse Races will simply not be honored, especially since they have no idea what the judging criteria are there, or what the opera's condition will be on that day—all of this is completely unknown.

Wada simply didn't have that much time to think about his personal love life. Compared to his future and everyone else's dreams, these things... were things he would think about after he retired.

"I understand, Senior Jinlang, I know what I should do."

"Yes, very good. We will take care of Nu Tao in Japan, so you can rest assured. We will arrange her competition schedule in China."

Now, Nami Wada relaxed and nodded with a smile. He even secretly sighed that it was so good that he, an old man, didn't have to deal with the same troubles that young people had.

Just as Jinlang was thinking this, his phone suddenly rang. Jinlang opened it out of curiosity and found that it was a message from Megumi Ardan.

—Mejiro Ardan and Imamura have separate ways to contact each other, mainly because Ardan acts as a messenger for the Mejiro family. This time, Ardan also sent a message:

"Trainer Jinlang, please come to the Mejiro family. The head of the family has something important to discuss in detail."

Chapter 324: Jin Lang: Why do you still remember the whole "marrying into the family" thing?

Jinlang had no idea why the old lady of the Meguro family wanted to see him, but since it was Meguro Aldan, who had been in contact with Jinlang for a long time as the representative of the Meguro family, who relayed the message, Jinlang had no doubts. That evening, he, Ikezoe, and Wada had just finished a party when they found that Aldan and the Meguro family's car were already waiting outside the izakaya.

"Good night, trainer Jinlang." Meguro Ardan greeted Jinlang with a smile, maintaining his elegant demeanor befitting a Yamato Nadeshiko.

"...Sometimes, I really wonder if the Meguro family has connections in various national security systems. Why are you always able to pinpoint my location so accurately?" Jinlang said, his expression showing a hint of fear as he forced a smile despite his toothache.

"Miss Aldan, is it really true that no one in the Mejiro family is spying on me?"

"Please rest assured, Trainer Jinlang, aside from the necessary bodyguards secretly protecting McQueen, the Mejiro family never tracks anyone." Mejiro Aldan's smile was so warm; born into the main family, she possessed the quintessential air of a well-bred lady, replying gently:

"Furthermore, if we really want to find someone, even if that person has fled to Europe, with the strength of the Mejiro family, we can definitely find them within half a month, let alone in Japan?"

"Please don't underestimate the strength of the Mejiro family. Although we have fallen a little behind, we are still a major ranch in Japan. Of course, we also have to thank Trainer Imanami for helping our Mejiro family recover its strength."

"It's getting more and more terrifying." Jinlang felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this, but still slowly entered the car at Aldan's gesture. After Aldan also entered, he couldn't help but ask:

"Miss Aldan, what exactly is the matter that you went to see Madam Mejiro this time?"

"You'll see when we get there, Trainer Jinlang." Aldan smiled without revealing a word, but the slowly moving car caused Jinlang, who sensed something was wrong, to lose his last chance to escape.

Now, whatever awaits Jinlang ahead, he has no choice but to bite the bullet and head forward...

……

"Click".

“Grandmother, Trainer Jinlang has arrived—ah, McQueen, you're here too.”

"Trainer...why is the trainer here too?"

Jin Lang had just arrived at Madam Meguro's office with Aldan when, to his surprise, McQueen was also summoned there at the same time. Judging from McQueen's expression, Jin Lang's arrival had not been announced to her beforehand.

"McQueen, you're here too." Seeing McQueen here made Jin Lang feel a little more at ease. After all, if they were all present, they would basically talk about results and training. Jin Lang's biggest fear was that the old lady had called him here alone, because there were some topics... that McQueen really couldn't hear.

When Madam Meguro saw Jin Lang arrive, her expression improved considerably, and she smiled slightly, saying:

"Thank you for your trouble, Aldan. Go back and rest."

"Yes, then, goodnight, Grandmother, and Mr. Jinlang and McQueen~"

Aldan obediently withdrew slowly. Just as Aldan left the office, the elderly Madam Meguro's voice, slightly cheerful and relaxed, as if she had become several years younger, rang out:

"It's been a while since the Spring Emperor's Prize, Mr. Imai. We haven't had a chance to properly thank you for your contributions. The Mejiro family has been so busy lately, and I've finally managed to get some rest. We haven't had a chance to properly thank you for helping the Mejiro family realize their long-cherished wish of winning the Emperor's Prize."

"This is all part of my job, Madam Megumi, just like we agreed on back then."

Upon hearing this, Jin Lang breathed a sigh of relief and replied fluently, "On the contrary, I want to thank you for your continued belief in my abilities during the low point of the classic year, and for your continued trust in me to encourage McQueen to keep running after the blunder at the Hanshin Grand Prix."

"My performance since the classic years hasn't been good, but the fact that Madam Mejiro has always been willing to trust me is the biggest factor that allows McQueen to keep running and realize his long-cherished wish."

While Jinlang certainly meant to flatter Madam Meguro, he wasn't entirely lying. For a team, internal disagreements often have a significant impact on horse racing results and arrangements. Changing the jockey, trainer, or stableman can directly affect the horse's condition, and in this world, changing trainers is an equally serious issue.

Therefore, I am still very grateful that even after experiencing the low point of the Classic Year and the near collapse of the Hanshin Awards, the old lady of Mejiro, who regarded Mejiro McQueen as the last hope of the Mejiro family, still chose to believe in I am and McQueen instead of changing the trainer she approved of halfway.

It's not that Jinlang thinks McQueen won't win the Spring Emperor's Award if he gets a new trainer, but it will definitely have a significant impact on McQueen's emotions.

Therefore, as a trainer, he was indeed grateful to Madam Meguro for being such a steadfast "patron".

"Hehe, actually I really did consider replacing you, trainer Jinlang." But Madam Mejiro laughed and said, "If it weren't for the timing of the Hanshin Awards, and my concern that McQueen's condition would be even worse, I would have suggested that you leave."

"And I have this idea now too. As for trainers, McQueen has already proven that she has the ability to dominate the Spring Emperor's Prize, and as for the Autumn Emperor's Prize, I have several better trainers for middle-distance races."

"..." Upon hearing this, both Jinlang and McQueen fell silent, silently watching Madam Meguro. After a long while, a smile appeared on Madam Meguro's face.

Just kidding.

"Phew...Grandmother, you scared me to death." McQueen breathed a long sigh of relief upon hearing this. When she heard that her grandmother was planning to replace Jin Lang, her heart was in her throat.

Although she appeared calm, if the old lady Meguro remained silent for any longer, she might take action. She wouldn't dare to slam her fist on the table in front of her grandmother, but she certainly had the courage, and a great deal of courage, to use that as an excuse to explain to her grandmother how important Jinlang was to her.

She had actually thought about what reason she should use to refute her grandmother if she made things difficult for the trainer back when the classic opera was suppressed. She even wrote a draft for this purpose and kept it in mind.

However, it seems unnecessary now; Grandmother would never allow her to be separated from her trainer.

"So the next stop is the Autumn Emperor's Slam, right? How about this mid-range race? Are you confident?"

"We have a good grasp of the situation... Although mid-range isn't McQueen's strongest area, we're confident we can win even against a renowned general like Raging Waves, especially if we're on the Good Opera Expedition."

When this was mentioned, Inamami answered very carefully. Although the matter of ensuring the safety of Suzuka in the Autumn Emperor's Prize had distracted him a little, his goal was to achieve victory as much as possible while ensuring that Suzuka would not break her bones.

However, Jin Nan still intends to ask Lady Mejiro for help. If other racehorse girls from the Mejiro family, such as Mejiro Rei and Mejiro Zenshin, could participate in this Autumn Emperor's Summoning event, everything would go much more smoothly, especially ensuring that the Silent Suzuka wouldn't break her leg.

Of course, such a victory is not honorable and may attract criticism, but Jinlang thinks that if he explains the pros and cons to Madam Meguro, she might agree.

"Since that's the case, I have nothing more to say." Madam Meguro nodded upon hearing this, then finally adopted a serious expression and got to the point.

"Then, let's talk about something more important, Trainer Jinlang."

"Huh? Something more important?" Jin Lang and McQueen were both slightly taken aback. What could be more important?

However, seeing the blank expressions on Jin Lang and McQueen's faces, Madam Meguro knew they had forgotten, and without hesitation, she spoke:

"Of course it's about marrying into the Mejiro family. Mr. Imai, after winning the Autumn Emperor's Prize, we will, according to our previous agreement, make you a member of the Mejiro family from now on."

"Cough cough!"

However, upon hearing Madam Meguro's words, both Imai, whose memories had suddenly returned, and McQueen, who had just learned of the matter, almost instinctively choked on their saliva, and then exchanged bewildered glances.

Now, Naruto gradually recalled the agreement he made with Madam Mejiro, which he seemed to have refused at the time... But why would Madam Mejiro bring it up again?

Could it be that because the agreement was verbal, the right to interpret it belongs to the Mejiro family?

Chapter 325: This rice cake is beyond saving; we need to find a new one.

"Wait... Madam Meguro, I remember we did discuss this matter back then, but I remember I declined, didn't I?"

Although Jinlang didn't know what the old lady was thinking, he could only explain the facts first, so he immediately said, "I will only promise to bring back a healthy and carefree McQueen. I will guarantee that the only essence and hope of the Megumi family will be healthy, able to safely pass on the excellent bloodline, and live out the rest of his life without injury or illness."

“But I certainly never said I wanted to marry into the Meguro family, did I? Madam Meguro, I think it’s necessary for us to revisit what happened between us back then…”

"No need, Trainer Jinlang. Although I am old, I am not senile." Madam Meguro smiled slightly, observing the serious Jinlang and the slightly unnatural expression on McQueen's face, and said with a smile:

"You did reject my proposal back then. According to my original idea, if you can really help McQueen fulfill our Mejiro family's long-cherished wish, then please become McQueen's husband and officially marry into the Mejiro family. From then on, you will not only be a member of the Mejiro family, but also become the Mejiro family's exclusive trainer, enjoy the best resources, and live a carefree life."

"You did reject the proposal, but you only rejected the part about becoming McQueen's husband. You didn't completely refuse the part about marrying into the Mejiro family."

"...Huh? Is that so?" However, seeing the confident look on Old Madam Meguro's face, Jinlang, who had somewhat forgotten about this matter, suddenly became doubtful.

But Jin Lang didn't notice that McQueen, who had been looking embarrassed and a little ashamed, actually showed a hint of unhappiness when he heard that his trainer had refused to become her husband.

But McQueen himself didn't know exactly why he was unhappy. He just felt that his trainer had rejected this particular point, probably because he felt it was a disrespect to his feminine charm.

Faced with Jin Lang's question, Madam Meguro seemed to have already thought of this. She silently took out a tape recorder from under the table, and as her fingers slowly fell, the old-fashioned tape recorder slowly started working, playing Jin Lang's voice.

"I'm just a lowly trainer. I don't have the ability to save every Mejiro family racehorse girl from disaster."

"But I might be able to bring you back a healthy and unharmed Megumi McQueen. I think I should still be able to do that."

"Click." Madam Meguro slowly pressed the recorder's switch again, smiling as she said to Jinlang:

"So, Trainer Jinlang, what are your thoughts on my statement that you did not refuse the marriage proposal to the Mejiro family?"

"..."

Well, now that things have come to this, Jinlang has no room for argument. He now understands very well that Old Madam Meguro has him completely under her thumb. Regardless of whether he actually said those words or even had such thoughts, Old Madam Meguro is determined to keep him in the Meguro family.

The tape recording was completely meaningless, because although Jinlang did not refute his intention to marry into the Meguro family, the tape did not mention anything about marrying into the family. Jinlang simply "did not refute" but also "did not agree".

However, this was meaningless to Madam Mejiro, because this was the Mejiro family, whose influence was considerable, while Jinlang was just a lowly trainer. He had no choice but to accept the offer from the Mejiro family.

If we really ask Jinlang to think about it rationally, he himself is not very resistant to this kind of life. On the one hand, the Mejiro family is indeed very large and powerful now. He can become a part of this big family and help the family avoid crisis and avoid bankruptcy like before. In a sense, Jinlang should be considered a hero of the Mejiro family.

Furthermore, upon further reflection, Madam Meguro's lifespan is probably not long, at most five or six years, maybe ten years at most, and she might pass away before her. Meanwhile, Jin Lang, having become younger, still has a long youth ahead of him; even in ten years, he will still be in his prime.

Furthermore, as a meritorious member of the Mejiro family, if he could train several more excellent racehorse girls for the Mejiro family, it wouldn't be impossible, but there would be a tiny chance of becoming one of the leaders of the Mejiro family. Or, if he had a bigger dream, becoming the head of the Mejiro family directly wouldn't be out of the question.

On the other hand... he couldn't really refuse. The reason why Madam Meguro was treating him so well was mainly because she needed him. Moreover, in Madam Meguro's eyes, he was indeed a talent, a talent who was very suitable for the Meguro family, which had now regained its wealth but needed fresh blood.

Moreover, Jinlang is on the same team as the two genius trainers, Ikezoe and Wada, and Jinlang is the backbone of this team. In a sense, winning over Jinlang is the same as winning over Ikezoe and Wada, and the resources of these two are exactly what the Mejiro family needs right now.

Moreover, this was originally a good thing for Jinlang, a mere trainer. By attaching himself to the Mejiro family, and even taking this opportunity to marry one of the Mejiro family's uniformly beautiful racehorse girls, he could live a life of ease and glory. Wasn't this the ultimate dream of any trainer?

Putting everything else aside, if Trainer Okino knew about this amazing opportunity, he'd probably be completely smitten. Anyone would be tempted by something like this, especially trainers like them who have no power or influence—it's like a windfall.

However… Jin Lang clearly still had some concerns. After all, although he was an old man, from a rational perspective he seemed to think it was worthwhile, but from an emotional point of view… he still felt that this matter was somewhat inappropriate.

"I think marriage should be decided by the children of the Mejiro family. Madam Mejiro, I am just a lowly trainer. I am not very talented. It would be too much for me to sacrifice the youth of a beautiful racehorse girl from the Mejiro family for my meager abilities."

“I am extremely boring and dull, and I have a very indifferent attitude towards fame and fortune. Someone like me is not capable of taking on the future of the Meguro family. The future of the Meguro family may need someone younger... I mean, a more energetic young person, perhaps only they can take over.”

"Mr. Jinlang, do you think the children of the Mejiro family are not good-looking?" Upon hearing this, Madam Mejiro asked with some surprise that Jinlang was still refusing. "I think the children of the Mejiro family are very good in terms of personality, upbringing, and even physique. It is rare to find children as outstanding as the children of the Mejiro family in Uma Musume."

"Ah, or perhaps, Mr. Jinlang, you haven't met our other children? They're not like McQueen. McQueen... probably because of some genetic mutation."

"Grandma?!"

McQueen never expected that the people who usually teased him about his figure in the team would not be able to escape it even at the Meguro family's house. He subconsciously covered his somewhat flat chest, his face turning bright red.

She didn't want this to happen, and she certainly wished she had a figure as good as Ryan's, but that's just how fate works, and there's nothing she can do about it!

“Mr. Jinlang, there’s no need for you to refuse. There are still things you don’t know about the other children of the Mejiro family, and of course, the same goes for our Mejiro family.”

"Why don't you rest here tonight? We can discuss it again tomorrow, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Madam Meguro smiled and told Jinlang and McQueen to go and rest. However, Jinlang and McQueen, who had just suffered two consecutive mental blows, silently withdrew.