Riding a horse was a technical job. Even putting on a saddle had to be done carefully.
Li Du put on the saddle, but it made Austin uncomfortable and it kept pacing.
Jones took the saddle and threw it up. The saddle flew steadily to the horse's back. After it was fastened, Austin swung its tail and looked very comfortable.
"You're really good," Li Du said in admiration.
Jones laughed, "Practice makes perfect. If you had been with horses for 30 years, you would be better than me. Alright, young man, get on the horse! "
Li Du stepped on the stirrups and got on the horse. He was a little scared. He was afraid that the horse would suddenly jump or run. That would be terrible.
But he was thinking too much. Austin let him sit on the horse's back, but it kept snorting.
Jones waved his hand and said, "Straighten your back, my friend. Have confidence. Look straight ahead. Don't lower your head. Very good. Shake the reins and let it walk …"
Li Du shook the reins and Austin started to walk with light steps as if it had received a signal.
The horse's back was a little bumpy, but Li Du felt it was bearable.
Jones mounted the horse and said, "This is a good, tame horse, Li. You don't have to worry, just enjoy the ride. And don't be nervous. Relax. "
Li Du laughed, "It's my first time. I'm a newbie. It's inevitable that I'm nervous."
"If you and Sophie are this nervous for the first time, you'll definitely be a fast shooter," Hans joked.
Li Du said, "Get lost!"
Jones said, "Even if it's your first time, you need to relax. Horses are very intelligent animals. They can feel their owners' emotions. If you're nervous, they'll be nervous too.
"And, buddy, your back is too tense. Relax. Don't sit so hard on the saddle. Let your body move with the horse's rhythm …"
Li Du took two deep breaths and followed Jones's instructions. Sure enough, the saddle was much more comfortable and Austin could walk more freely.
Later, Jones asked him to control Austin to run. Considering that it was his first time riding a horse, Li Du decided to play it safe and walk slowly.
Hans rode to his side and the two horses walked slowly together.
Looking at Li Du, he said, "When you have time, you can invite Sophie to come for a ride. This will improve your relationship."
Li Du nodded. "You're right, but does she know how to ride a horse?"
He had seen the scene of a man and a woman riding side by side on TV, and it was indeed very beautiful.
Hans said, "It's best if she doesn't know how to ride. You two can share a horse. That way, when the horse jumps, your thing will jump into its home!"
"It's not good to do that right away, Big Fox. Don't be a bad teacher." Jones laughed.
Li Du shook his head. Two hooligans. But thinking about it, it was really exciting.
After riding for more than half an hour, the sun was blazing hot, and the horse was soon drenched in sweat.
Then they dismounted and began to clean the horses.
When everything was ready, Jones took them to the stud area, where a dozen strong ponies were sheltering in the shade.
"Two thousand for a stallion and two thousand and five hundred for a mare. Take your pick," Jones said.
Hans said, "Choose a stallion …"
"Mares," Li Du said, shaking his head. "Amish farmers probably prefer mares."
Hans said, "Of course, but mares are expensive."
Li Du said seriously, "They trust us, Big Fox. We have to live up to their trust!"
"You're the boss," Hans shrugged. "You call the shots."
In the end, they chose a small brown mare and temporarily left it with Jones. When they bought the textile machine, he would send it over by truck.
Mechanical pedal-powered textile machines were indeed difficult to buy. Li Du searched online, and even looked at Amazon and Alibaba in the United States, but there was nothing.
They still had to rely on Hans.
Hans made a lot of phone calls, and finally smiled. "Good luck, Li. A mechanical textile machine appeared at Hoffman's Old Goods Market. It's being auctioned this weekend."
Li Du was overjoyed. "What a coincidence!"
Hans nodded. "Yes, it is. Looks like God wants you to get the bird's bone specimen. By the way, have you confirmed the identity of the specimen? "
Li Du shrugged. "No, I didn't have time to get someone to appraise it."
He didn't expect the specimen to sell for a lot of money. He just wanted to find out why the little bug's time reversal ability didn't work on it, or rather, it didn't have much effect.
After the auction of the old house and the past two days of torment, another week had passed.
The reason why Hans said they were lucky was because the auction was going to be held this weekend. If they missed this opportunity, they might not be able to find a textile machine anywhere else.
Li Du wanted to buy the textile machine directly, but the buyer told them that the textile machine had already been included in the brochure. According to the old goods auction rules, the goods that were included in the brochure were not allowed to be traded privately.
They waited until evening, and then drove to Hoffman's Old Goods Market.
Blacktooth was chewing something and laughing with someone. When he saw the two of them, he waved and said, "Hey, Big Fox, we meet again here. Are you going to steal our business?"
Hans took out a dozen bottles of cold beer from the car and threw one to Blacktooth. "We're here to support your business. We want to bid for a textile machine."
Blacktooth spat out the thing in his mouth. Li Du then realized that he was chewing betel nuts. No wonder his teeth were so ugly and his cheeks were so big.
As they drank the cold beer, the sun slowly set.
As usual, when the sun set and the lights came on, the auctioneer went on stage and shouted, "Hi, my dear brothers and sisters, welcome to the weekly Hoffman's Old Goods Auction. I'm your old friend, Sayder —"
Li Du had heard this line before. As usual, the audience gave him the middle finger, and there were jeers and curses.
The first item to be auctioned was a slot machine. A middle-aged black man bought it for 2,000 dollars.
Blacktooth shouted, "Tiste, are you going to be a casino tycoon?"
The black man laughed and said, "Yeah, I'm going to win all your money. Come to my house tomorrow to play slot machines. I've prepared a bunch of sausages and sandwiches."
"As you wish, buddy!"
One by one, the auction items were bought. Finally, a huge textile machine that looked like a grand piano appeared.
The auctioneer gestured for the light to shine on the textile machine and shouted, "This old textile machine is much older than you and me. Maybe it was born in the same year as our grandparents, but it's been preserved very well, so it's very valuable —"
"The starting price is 1,200 dollars, my buddies. Whoever wants it, hurry up and bid!"
Li Du personally bid. "Me!"
"One thousand three hundred dollars."
"One thousand four hundred dollars!"
"One thousand six hundred dollars!"
"Two thousand dollars!" Li Du directly raised the price.
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