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

However, such a good trainer could not be given to those troublesome guys from the Golden Family—this was the intention of the Mejiro family head, so Aldan came with a firm decision.

"Mr. Jinlang..."

Megumi McQueen looked at Jinlang with an expectant gaze. Jinlang silently looked at McQueen, then turned to look at the Golden Ship, and finally relented.

"Shall we set off now?"

Chapter 42: Meguro Clan's Chief Trainer?

Having accepted the invitation from Mejiro Ardan, Takatoshi Imamiya boarded a luxury car arranged by the Mejiro family and drove towards a road far from the city, the so-called Mejiro Ranch.

"Mr. Jinlang, have you ever been to Mejiro Ranch before?" Mejiro Aldan sat opposite him, while McQueen and Jinlang sat in the same row. Aldan asked curiously.

"This is my first time here, but I do know a thing or two about the Mejiro Ranch." Jinlang answered honestly. The Golden Ship had already been detached from him and was probably fast asleep somewhere at Treson Academy.

This child must have been really tired today. Not only did I carry him all the way, but he also cheered with extra energy during the winner's round, and he didn't burn out until the winner's round was over.

Jinlang didn't plan to wake up the Golden Ship, since the Mejiro family was looking for him, and as for what the Mejiro family wanted to talk to him about... Jinlang felt he could handle it.

"Really? Then I'm sure you'll be amazed this time." Aldan smiled gently.

"McQueen wrote to us more than once, saying that he had found an excellent trainer, so we all came here specifically to watch this friendly match, and the outcome was truly unexpected."

"McQueen won beautifully, which is certainly thanks to your guidance, Mr. Jinlang—of course, please pay attention to the winner's stage next time!"

"Sister Aldan..."

However, Aldan's gentle teasing made McQueen, who was sitting next to Jin Lang, a little uneasy. She hadn't told Jin Lang that she had written a letter home, after all, her wording in that letter... might have been a little inappropriate.

After all, vying for Goldship's favorite trainer... can't be said in front of Mr. Jinlang. McQueen can see that Jinlang dotes on Goldship quite a bit, and Goldship is very dependent on Jinlang. If he's not decisive, he might lose such a good trainer.

Therefore, the letter contained some inappropriate wording. McQueen didn't want Jinlang to know how much effort he had put in behind the scenes to win the position of racehorse girl and to convince his grandmother to believe in him.

“McQueen is really easily embarrassed. Ah, we’ve arrived.” Aldan smiled gently and then opened the door for the two of them as the car slowly came to a stop.

"Welcome to Mejiro Ranch—Mr. Imami, this way please."

Mejiro Ranch, but what appeared before Inamami at this moment was less of a ranch and more of an estate. It had none of the old-fashioned and somewhat rustic feel that Inamami remembered. The entire estate was full of charm, and the fountain in the center was even carved with a statue of a racehorse girl—probably one of the famous racehorse girls from the Mejiro family?

“Let’s go, Mr. Jinlang.” At this moment, McQueen also stepped forward. As a racehorse girl of the Mejiro family, she was highly valued in the family and had the right to show hospitality to her trainer. She smiled and said, “Grandmother is waiting for us.”

“No, no, no, McQueen, you stay with us.” But Aldan waved his hand and said with a smile, “Grandmother wants to see Mr. Jinlang alone.”

"Is that so..." McQueen also felt a little strange upon hearing this, but he didn't suspect anything. He simply apologized to Jin Lang and said, "Then, Mr. Jin Lang, I'll have to take my leave."

"Mr. Jinlang, this way please. The matriarch of the family is waiting for you." Aldan led Jinlang toward the villa in the center, where the true matriarch of the Mejiro family was waiting for Jinlang Takatoshi.

……

"Takatoshi Ichinami, the top scorer in this year's Central Trainer Examination, achieved a perfect score on the written test, and did so within a month."

After some time, under Aldan's guidance, Ima Nami finally met the head of the Mejiro family—an old woman who was clearly a goose-haired horse girl at a glance. As for whether she was a racehorse girl, Ima Nami dared not speculate.

"Truly a genius, Mr. Jinlang, no wonder McQueen has such high hopes for your trainer."

"You flatter me, Madam." Facing the head of the Meguro family, Jinlang showed no nervousness whatsoever, simply displaying his respect for the other party.

Jin Lang's composure surprised the head of the Meguro family. Although she rarely had guests as the head of the Meguro family, everyone except the younger generation of the Meguro family treated her with utmost respect.

After all, the Mejiro family is very famous in the horse racing world, and in this world, what else is more worthy of everyone's attention besides horse racing events?

Unfortunately, Jinlang was unaware of the Meguro family head's thoughts; otherwise, he probably would have found it amusing.

Putting everything else aside, Imanami Takatoshi's mental age is probably more than ten years older than the patriarch in front of him; he's not the kind of young man who gets easily startled. Moreover, Imanami is a very influential figure in the horse racing world. Although he's just a stable boy, he's a stable boy who has worked his way up from jockey to horse trainer.

Even the higher-ups at the sports broadcasting station had to address him respectfully as a senior. If it weren't for his passion for horse racing, Jin Lang would have been qualified to be a high-ranking executive at the station long ago, instead of working as a stable boy.

"I just don't know, Madam, is there something important you want to discuss with me, so you've gone to such lengths to see me?" Jin Lang asked calmly. "I'm just a lowly trainer, I'm sure there's nothing of value to you, Madam."

“No, Mr. Jinlang, your talent is the most valuable treasure I cherish.” The head of the Meguro family immediately retorted, “The Meguro family is currently lacking talents like you.”

“I’ve read all the letters McQueen sent. There are quite a few that praise you. I initially thought McQueen was just lucky, and that you and McQueen got along well, so I didn’t pay much attention to it.”

"—But it wasn't until a week ago, when you realized McQueen's hidden dangers even before our Mejiro family's attending physician, that I truly realized you are a genius."

"...That was just luck."

Upon hearing this, Jinlang finally realized where the problem lay, and immediately felt a pang of pain in his teeth. What kind of doctor was he? Even though he was an experienced stable boy, if someone could diagnose a human or horse's illness at a glance, it must at least be a threat.

Jin Lang suddenly recalled the events of McQueen's debut battle, and diagnosed the periostitis after pressing McQueen's leg. But to say that he could see McQueen's hidden danger at a glance would be giving him too much credit.

All I can say is that if every stable hand could spot early signs of a horse's illness at a glance, then the world wouldn't need veterinarians. Just make the stable hand qualification exam a hundred times harder, so everyone could switch to veterinary work anytime.

—But Jinlang can't say these things. How can he explain it? That he actually knew about McQueen's periostitis a long time ago? Can a trainer like him have a sharper eye than the head doctor of the Meguro family? Isn't that taking away someone's livelihood?

"Luck only favors the prepared mind, Mr. Jinlang, there's no need for such modesty." The head of the Meguro family clearly didn't believe Jinlang's words and immediately stood up, saying:

"Mr. Jinlang, your talent is exactly what the Meguro family needs most right now, and this time, I also hope to gain your recognition."

"...If the old lady intends for me to be Miss Megumi McQueen's trainer, please rest assured, I have already made an agreement with Miss McQueen." Jinlang suppressed his slight unease and said, "As long as Miss McQueen wins her debut match, we will immediately sign the agreement."

"No, Mr. Jinlang, you've misunderstood me."

However, the head of the Meguro family silently crossed his hands, stared at Jin Lang, and said, word by word:

"I hope you can become the Mejiro family's exclusive racehorse trainer, stay with the Mejiro family from now on, and provide targeted training for the Mejiro family's new racehorse girls."

"From now on, you are a member of the Mejiro family, as well as the Mejiro family's chief trainer, and you will receive the same treatment as the core members of the Mejiro family. And I only have one request for you—to help more of the Mejiro family's rising stars step onto the Emperor's Slam arena."

"..."

At this moment, even Jin Lang's knowledge made him slightly stunned, but the old lady's subsequent words made his expression slightly strange.

Becoming a member of the Mejiro family... does this mean he should marry into the family?

Chapter 43: The Golden Ship: You are now surrounded by the Golden Family!

"Um, Madam Mejiro, I don't quite understand what you mean."

The thought flashed through Jinlang's mind for only a moment before he subconsciously erased it. Now, gradually realizing the seriousness of the situation, Jinlang forced himself to calm down and asked, "Does Madam Mejiro mean... if I agree, I will be employed by Mejiro Ranch for life?"

"No, it's even closer than a lifetime employment, Mr. Jinlang." However, the head of the Meguro family ruthlessly shattered Jinlang's illusions, saying very solemnly:

“I will declare you a member of the Mejiro family in the name of the head of the Mejiro family. Of course, we will not force you to change your surname. You can retain all your original assets, but we can establish a relationship with you in the name of the Mejiro family... um... similar to a kinship.”

"Furthermore, if you have a child from the Mejiro family that you fancy, I can officiate your wedding after you retire, then you will truly be a member of our Mejiro family..."

"—Please wait."

The words of the head of the Meguro family were increasingly weighty, and the repeated goodwill made Jinlang feel a little dizzy. He wondered if he was still asleep and actually in the hospital under anesthesia.

However, the lingering pain in his nasal bone told Jin Lang that this was not an illusion. Jin Lang, enduring the toothache, said:

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam, but I have no intention of getting married at the moment... Moreover, regarding Megumi McQueen, although I don't know how to explain it, I really guessed her illness based on my intuition."

"I'm just a trainer with relatively little experience. Shouldn't the Megumi family have more experienced trainers than me?"

"—No, Mr. Imai, actually, the situation of the Mejiro family is more serious than you imagine."

However, upon hearing Jin Lang's words, the head of the Megumi family hesitated for a moment before suddenly uttering this sentence. She looked directly into Jin Lang's eyes, seemingly wondering whether she should say these words to such an outsider.

But in the end, she decided to take the gamble; this might be the Meguro family's last chance.

"Mr. Jinlang, is this your first time visiting Mejiro Ranch? What do you think of our place?"

"It's very grand and magnificent, completely different from the ranch I imagined." Jin Lang didn't know why the topic suddenly turned to this, but he still answered honestly: "To be honest, at first I thought I had come to some tycoon's manor."

"This is the result of the construction and management of the Mejiro family by generations of heads of the family, as well as the hard work of the Mejiro family's racehorse girls who have followed one after another."

The head of the Mejiro family sighed and turned to look at the wall behind him—it was covered with black and white photos of various Mejiro family heads, including racehorse girls and ordinary people. Without exception, they were all ancestors who had given their all for the Mejiro family.

"My predecessors entrusted the heavy responsibility of the Mejiro family to me. Like everyone else, I thought that a large family like the Mejiro family was enough to rest easy. We are arguably the most famous racehorse racing family in the country, and every one of our rookies is a prodigy. This idea only changed after I took over."

“Large families have their own troubles, Mr. Jinlang. My current trouble is how to maintain the glory of the Mejiro family, and how to ensure that our children… can not only step onto the arena, but also run for much longer.”

"The Mejiro family doesn't have many outstanding bloodlines left. Trainer Ima, look at the few children my Mejiro family has left."

As they spoke, the head of the Mejiro family became somewhat somber, and Jinlang gradually recalled some things about the Mejiro Ranch—he hadn't paid much attention to it before, but now that it was brought up, he naturally knew about the final fate of the Mejiro bloodline.

As the head of the Mejiro family said, the Mejiro family bloodline is indeed running low. The Golden Ship possesses both the "Mejiro" and "Golden" bloodlines, so it can be considered part of the Mejiro family bloodline. However, in the end, there are not many horses left in this bloodline. According to what I know, there is another Mejiro family bloodline that seems to be in another great country across the sea, a continuation of the Mejiro Ardan bloodline.

However, despite offering a hefty price, the Shedai (a local organization) failed to acquire the racehorse of this bloodline to Japan, demonstrating just how difficult the negotiations were. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Mejiro family's bloodline has declined.

"Madam, there's no need to worry too much. As long as you preserve a few more bloodlines, it shouldn't be difficult in this... well, this era, right?"

"I'd love to do that, but who can stop those children from wanting to step into the arena?" The head of the Meguro family shook his head helplessly and said calmly.

“Mejiro Raien, our current star racehorse girl from the Mejiro family, I have high hopes for her. I hope she can fulfill the expectations of our Mejiro family and win the Emperor's Prize... But I also know that with her current level, it will be very difficult for her to win the Emperor's Prize.”

"Meguro Aldan is very talented, but unfortunately her legs are too fragile... stepping onto the field would only shatter her like glass. I don't want her to take that risk."

“Mejiro Tohaku and Mitsuaki are too young... As for Mejiro Zenshin... he has chosen a path different from the Mejiro family’s principles.”

"After all is said and done, the only children left in our Megumi family who were able to show their talents at the right age, so as not to be late bloomers, and who are as fragile as broken glass, are McQueen and Ryan."

"And this is the predicament the Mejiro family is facing today, Mr. Imanami. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

In fact, the problem with the Mejiro family nowadays is that although there are outstanding descendants in each generation, the Mejiro family's ancestral weakness and tendency to achieve great things late in life have caused many problems for each generation of racehorse girls.

The Mejiro family's goal is the Emperor's Slam, but not many of their racehorse girls achieve this goal. Most of the Mejiro family's racehorse girls are late bloomers and cannot continue to compete in the Emperor's Slam, retiring due to reasons such as fractures.

Nowadays, the Mejiro family has fewer and fewer new generations, and there are fewer and fewer outstanding descendants. The Mejiro Ranch, which seems to be very famous, has fallen into a state of being strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

"Therefore, we need your talent, Mr. Imai. You are a trainer who can potentially change the current situation of our Mejiro family because you possess a composure, calmness, and... love for racehorse girls that most trainers lack."

The head of the Mejiro family also opened his mouth slightly, and said with a hint of sadness, "I have witnessed one child after another step onto the stage in pursuit of the Emperor's Prize, only to end up with a broken bone and forced to retire... Whether or not they have the talent to run for the Emperor's Prize, they all know it, but for the sake of the Mejiro family's mission, they are all duty-bound to do so."

"But I don't want them to ruin their entire careers in pursuit of this mission. Mr. Jinlang, I only hope that these children can safely carry on our bloodline. This is the right way to continue the legend of the Mejiro family."

“You have the talent to make the Meguro family’s racehorse girls gallop on the track; you have the gift to spare them from the torment of illness and fractures—that’s why I so hope you can lend us a hand.”

Having said all that, the head of the Meguro family had shown his utmost sincerity, to the point that Jinlang couldn't find an excuse to refuse, as if "agreeing" was the only option left.

However, at that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the house, immediately attracting the attention of Imai and the head of the Meguro family.

"Knock knock knock!" A rapid knocking sound came from the door, but before the head of the Meguro family could speak, the door opened abruptly, and Meguro Aldan rushed in, panting, and said to the head of the Meguro family:

"Grandmother, something terrible has happened..."

"What's the matter that you're in such a hurry? Aldan, maintain the elegance of the Mejiro family." The head of the Mejiro family reprimanded him first, making Mejiro Aldan immediately realize the need to maintain his composure, before asking, "What happened?"

"Someone...someone broke into our house through the front door." Aldan swallowed hard, clearly terrified, and said tremblingly, "It's the Golden Family..."

"The Golden Clan?" Upon hearing this, the head of the Meguro Clan's eyelids twitched slightly. He clearly knew how troublesome the Golden Clan was, and immediately felt a headache coming on.