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

"Please take them to the guest room first... I'll talk to them here later..."

"—By the time you finish talking, the old man will have been kidnapped by you bastards!"

However, before the patriarch could finish speaking, a voice that was undoubtedly that of Golden Ship rang out. Soon, the door was kicked open violently, and Golden Ship, wielding a wooden sword, stormed in aggressively. Behind her, several bodyguards of the Meguro family, who had been knocked down, lay on the ground clutching their stomachs...

"The Golden Ship...?"

"Grandpa, don't be afraid! I'm here to save you! Those cunning bastards from the Megumi family won't be able to take you away from me!"

Chapter 44: Bringing Back a Healthy and Virtuous McQueen?

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Mejiro family mansion, Mejiro McQueen, who had returned home after a long absence and was chatting with her sisters about everyday matters, never imagined that in just one hour, their situation would undergo such a drastic change...

"...Gold Master, Jotsu from Japan, and Keiki Nakayama, what brings you three to the Mejiro family?"

"I was just asked by the Golden Ship to come and help put on a show." Nakayama Keiki, who almost never takes off his hat, was also holding a wooden sword and said listlessly to the four Mejiro family racehorse girls, McQueen, Ryan, Dober, and Shining. "Don't worry, we're not here to rob them. Although the Golden Ship has been lawless for a long time, she still wouldn't do anything criminal... right?"

"Really? It's understandable that Zhongshan Qingdian and Golden Ship have a good relationship..." McQueen calmed down a bit. She was the only one who could remain calm at the moment. Megumi Ryan had already sent Dober and Guangming back to their rooms and was ready to protect his sisters with his actions.

"But, Jordan from East Japan, I remember you and Gold Ship shouldn't get along, why are you..."

"I was just asked by the master. It's rare for a master to ask me for help. Although it's for the Golden Ship, I'm willing to lend a hand."

The twin-tailed horse racing girl, known as the "Eastern Jordan," smiled with interest. She also had a wooden sword in her hand, but it wasn't for self-defense. The Golden Ship had given each of them one, saying it would make them look more imposing.

And there he was, the Golden Master, who was staring at Meguro Ryan with fierce eyes. He was also the source of Ryan's current tension. He was carrying a wooden sword and looked menacing. Although he hadn't taken off his mask, the ferocity in his eyes was enough to make people wary.

At first, Megumi Ardan was almost scared to tears by the Golden Master's gaze... which is why he hurriedly went to find his grandmother...

However, in reality... the Gold Master looked fierce at this moment, but deep down he had already begun to panic.

"Waaaaah... Golden Ship, you big idiot, hurry up and finish! If we really fight, I can't beat Megumi Rayon..."

The goldsmith's hands, holding the wooden sword, trembled slightly. The gold ship had specifically instructed him to maintain a fierce look no matter what, in order to keep the scene in check. This was the first time the gold ship had ever been so formal, so the goldsmith had no choice but to obediently agree...

Why is this happening...? She should be the older sister... Why is she so afraid of the Golden Ship?

However, the Golden Master can't understand this principle right now. Although the Golden Ship also calls her "Master Sister", she can only obediently follow orders at this time... Damn it, so infuriating, I really want to kick something.

……

"...Child of the Golden Family, I remember, your name is Golden Ship, right?"

Meanwhile, on the Meguro family head's side, facing the menacing golden ship that had barged in, the Meguro family head remained completely calm. This junior dared not cause trouble here. Beating up a few bodyguards was still negotiable, but if he really dared to turn against the Meguro family head, then there would be a big problem.

Although the Golden Ship was causing trouble, they still understood what was important and what was not, and Madam Meguro was quite at ease about that.

"Since you are a junior, please have a seat." The head of the Meguro family said calmly, then looked at Imanami Takatoshi beside him and asked, "Mr. Imanami, would you mind leaving for now?"

"No need, the old man is right here, there's nothing we can't talk about!" Golden Ship stubbornly shook his head, took Jin Lang's hand with one hand, and sat down with a wooden sword in the other, staring at the head of the Mubai family with a rather unfriendly look.

"...Young members of the Huang family, if you were planning to visit, you could have called us in advance. Isn't it rather impolite to show up uninvited?"

"Where is your patriarch? Where is the Golden Journey? Bring her out to see me."

"I'm sorry, the head of the family is very busy. I will temporarily take over the affairs of the Golden Family!" Golden Ship said frankly. "I'm here to announce to the head of the Mejiro family that the old man... Mr. Imai Takatoshi is the trainer that our Golden Family has long reserved. We will absolutely not give him to the Mejiro family."

"Reservation..." However, Jin Lang's lips twitched slightly. How come he didn't know about this?

However, even Jin Lang found it unusual to see the Golden Ship so anxious and flustered. But no sooner had he arrived than the Golden Ship, who was still asleep, caught up with him… Had she run all the way here?

“However, as the head of the Mejiro family, my negotiations with Mr. Imai were already quite amicable before your arrival. I believe we are about to reach an agreement.” The Mejiro family head, however, remained completely calm, instead smiling slightly as he looked at Imai and asked:

"So, Mr. Jinlang, what is your answer to what I said earlier?"

"Old man?"

For a moment, even the Golden Ship looked at Jin Lang with a subtle gaze, a look of both expectation and reluctance, pitifully clutching Jin Lang's sleeve, and said aggrievedly:

"Grandpa, you don't want to abandon me, do you? You don't really want to abandon me and become the Mejiro family's trainer... right?"

"The Golden Ship..."

Suddenly, Jin Lang found himself in a dilemma. One hand gently rubbed the head of the golden ship as always, trying to calm her down a bit, but he was unsure of what to do about the current situation.

On one hand, there was the sincere invitation from the head of the Mejiro family, and on the other hand, there was the racehorse girl he cared about most. It was a difficult choice. Both paths had their own prospects and their own trade-offs. For Izanami, if he really had a choice, he would like to choose both paths.

However, he cannot split himself, nor can he create a second person. Once he accepts the invitation from the head of the Mejiro family, he will have no spare capacity to teach Golden Ship—at least the head of the Mejiro family certainly wouldn't allow him to teach Golden Ship anymore.

He didn't know if the Golden Ship in this world was the same racehorse girl who possessed the bloodlines of both the Golden and Mejiro families. At least for now, it seemed that the Golden Ship's stance was biased towards the Golden family...

Under the expectant gaze of the Meguro family head, and with the pitiful grip of the Golden Ship's hand tightening its hold, Jinlang didn't hesitate for long before making his decision.

"Ugh……"

A sigh came from Jinlang, and the next moment, Jinlang silently grasped the hand that the golden ship was using to hold his sleeve. Under the golden ship's increasingly joyful gaze, he said calmly to the head of the Mubai family:

"I'm sorry, Madam Mejiro, I must decline your request."

"I'm just a small trainer. I don't have the ability to save every Mejiro family racehorse girl from death, nor do I have the ability to serve as the exclusive trainer for such a large family."

"I just want... these kids to run on the track and then come back safely every day."

Has Jinlang seen few racehorses? Absolutely not. Whether it's riding them himself or taking care of them later, Jinlang has probably seen more racehorses than people have ever seen... But it is precisely because of this that he has gradually come to understand something.

Honor is something every rider pursues, like Wada and Ikezoe. They are both young, and they have a strong sense of purpose and a fierce competitive spirit. They want to fight and try again, and Jinlang understands that.

But now, Jinlang considers himself to be quite old. He is no longer the jockey who once rode a racehorse to victory... His mindset has aged, and he only hopes that the racehorses that compete will return to the stables safely.

He has witnessed too many partings and deaths, and too many legends come to an end. What he pursues now is not victory and honor, but the hope that every racehorse can retire without injury, just like the Golden Boat.

They have brought so much honor and pride to the team on the field. Shouldn't they deserve a safe and painless retirement?

Seeing the gradually dimming gaze of the Meguro family head, Jinlang also revealed a gentle smile and added:

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

"For me, it shouldn't be entirely impossible to bring you back a Megumi McQueen who won the Emperor's Award and is not suffering from illness."

"……Really?"

However, under Jin Lang's gaze, he saw the somewhat dim eyes of the Meguro family head gradually regain their luster, and Jin Lang nodded solemnly, indicating that his thoughts were correct.

The Mejiro family is known to have two major fears: late bloomers and those who suffer leg injuries. These are widely acknowledged facts. But what if, in this story, we can truly bring back a Mejiro McQueen who has won the Emperor's Award but is unharmed and without any apparent injury…?

Perhaps, then, the Mejiro family still has hope.

"Trainer Jinlang, if you can fulfill your promise, then as the head of the Mejiro family, I promise you that you will be a friend of the Mejiro family forever!"

"No need to be in such a hurry, Madam Megumi, we had an agreement beforehand."

Jinlang waved his hand, relieved that the situation seemed to be resolved. He then said to the head of the Mejiro family, "I am just a trainer. I helped McQueen because she is my assigned racehorse girl, but that doesn't mean I will continue to train the Mejiro family's racehorse girls. My choices are very strict."

“Of course.” The head of the Meguro family agreed without hesitation. She could tell that Jinlang’s implication was that he might also put a lot of effort into training Golden Ship or other racehorse girls, and might not focus all his attention on McQueen, but the head of the Meguro family was at ease.

She knows trainers like Jinlang very well; being demanding represents a sense of responsibility, and once he's chosen to be a racehorse girl, he'll definitely take full responsibility.

"Well, we still need to discuss many details, Mr. Jinlang. Why don't you stay here tonight?"

"I want to come too!" Upon hearing this, Golden Ship immediately stopped making a fuss, threw the wooden sword aside, grabbed Jin Lang's arm, and laughed.

"Miss Golden Ship, your room has been arranged elsewhere, but I don't know about the others..."

"Ah, them? I'll let them go right now!"

The matter was resolved, and the work was done, so there was no need for them to continue getting in the way. The Golden Ship immediately ran out to inform the Golden Master and the others that they could go home.

However, she had to stay, lest that cunning old woman make any moves that would harm the old man!

Chapter 45: The Golden Ship is Sleeping.jpg

After a night of discussion, it seemed that both sides had reached a satisfactory conclusion. The Golden Ship allowed the Golden Master and his party to return home and indicated that they would stay overnight. Finally, everything calmed down.

Inamami neither joined the Mejiro family nor gave up anything; she simply accepted the established fact that "Mejiro McQueen would become her designated racehorse girl." In fact, after this friendly match, Mejiro McQueen could have invited Inamami to be her trainer much earlier, but she stubbornly insisted on winning her debut race.

After the discussion with Imai ended, the head of the Mejiro family also called Mejiro McQueen in for a talk. No one knows what the two talked about, but it seems that McQueen didn't sleep much all night after he left...

Even on the morning of the second day, when the sun rose, Jinlang still habitually got up early—although his body was much younger, Jinlang's routine was still very much like that of an elderly person, going to bed very early and getting up very early.

In reality, most horse trainers, riders, or stable staff get up earlier than the horses. They also need to maintain their physique, so they need to exercise. This is especially true for riders, whose weight can affect the performance of racehorses.

As a stable worker and a retired rider, Jinlang also maintains this habit, and morning exercise is a must.

"Mr. Jinlang?"

Just then, a female voice came from the side. Megumi McQueen, dressed in a Treson Academy tracksuit, seemingly doing her morning exercises, stopped gently upon seeing Jinlang and asked softly:

"Mr. Jinlang, did you sleep well last night?"

"It's not bad, I'm just a little unaccustomed to sleeping in such a big room." Jin Lang looked around after seeing McQueen before asking, "Where's Golden Ship? Didn't she come for her morning exercise?"

"No, Golden Ship rarely exercises in the morning; she's probably still fast asleep." McQueen smiled slightly, wiped his sweat with a towel he carried, and then said to Jin Lang:

"Mr. Jinlang, if you just woke up, why don't you go have some breakfast now? I've already had them prepare it. I need to take a shower first, I'll be right there."

"No need, how about we talk instead, Miss McQueen?"

Jin Lang waved his hand and then slowly walked towards an outdoor courtyard. After hesitating slightly, McQueen followed and sat down in front of Jin Lang.

Neither of them spoke, and there were no teacups or desserts in front of them. They just sat there silently for a long time before McQueen, unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, finally spoke up and asked:

"Mr. Jinlang, did your grandmother... give you any trouble?"

"It's nothing, he just told me a lot about you and the Mejiro family." Jinlang shook his head and replied, "I had only heard about many things about the Mejiro Ranch before, but since yesterday, I have finally understood how difficult it is to run a ranch and a family."

Jinlang wasn't referring to the Mejiro Ranch in this world, but rather the Mejiro Ranch from his original world. The Mejiro Ranch in Jinlang's original world had declined, and Jinlang had heard many rumors, mostly about "poor management" and "lack of good horses." But now that he's in this world, Jinlang has experienced it firsthand and knows the true plight of the Mejiro Ranch.

No wonder that old lady went to such lengths to win him over... Jin Lang could understand, after all, he was the key to the prosperity of a family.

"The old lady spoke to me at length, including about you, Miss McQueen."

"...Grandmother must have said a lot about the mission of the Mejiro family." McQueen smiled without hiding his laughter. "Yes, like the other Mejiro family racehorse girls, I aim for the Emperor's Prize."

"To dominate all long-distance races, and to win the Emperor's Shot, would mean that the Mejiro family's legendary dominance in long-distance races remains intact—I have always aimed for this goal, therefore, I absolutely cannot fail."

"The ancestors of the Mejiro family...Mejiro Asama and Mejiro Titan, were both proud racehorse girls. They dominated the Emperor's Prize at the time, which made the Emperor's Prize our goal."

"'If the children of Titans can also win the Emperor's Prize, I will have no regrets.' — These are the words of an elder of our Mejiro family, her last wish before she passed away."

"But as time went by, this hope became increasingly faint... And I, although only a collateral branch of the Mejiro family, also inherited this bloodline."

"And if even I can't do it... then I'm afraid the Titan's bloodline will truly have no way to realize the Emperor's reward dream..."

At this point, Megumi McQueen had no complaints about her predetermined fate and mission. She had carried this mission for many years and had never questioned why she had such a mission.