Xiao Huan had always been obedient to Li Yi's words. Although she was still puzzled as to why the son-in-law wanted to starve the horse for three days, she knew that the son-in-law was right, so she put the horse straw back.
Liu Ruyi walked in from outside and watched as the servant girl walked back with the straw in her arms. She asked, "Xiao Huan, has the horse been fed?"
"The son-in-law said to starve it for three days." The servant girl shook her head and said.
"Give me the straw. You can go back to your work." Liu Ruyi took the straw from her hands and walked towards the stable.
"Oh."
The servant girl responded. She looked at Liu Ruyi's back as she left. The son-in-law didn't allow her to feed the horse, but Second Miss insisted on feeding it. What if the son-in-law was unhappy?
Forget it. She didn't want to think about it anymore. She would let the son-in-law and Second Miss solve this matter themselves. Thinking that she hadn't fed her little rabbit, the servant girl shook her head. She took some fresh vegetables from the kitchen and walked into the inner courtyard.
When Liu Ruyi walked into the stable with the straw, Li Yi was squatting on the soft ground in front of the stable. He was holding a brush and a piece of white paper. He seemed to be making a rubbing of something.
The sound of footsteps came from behind him. Li Yi stood up and when he turned around, he saw Liu Ruyi walking over with the straw.
Li Yi saw that there was nothing wrong with her expression. The straw didn't look like she was hiding a weapon, so he felt slightly relieved.
After all, what happened on the horse was purely an accident. It had nothing to do with him. Although Miss.Liu didn't have a good temper, she wasn't an unreasonable person. She didn't draw her sword and cut him, so she probably wouldn't take revenge later.
However, just in case, it was better to confirm it first. He looked at her warily and asked, "About what happened just now, I didn't …"
"Shut up!"
Liu Ruyi pretended as if nothing had happened. She did not want Li Yi to mention this matter. A trace of blush appeared on her pretty face again. She threw the straw into the food trough and glared fiercely at Li Yi before turning around and leaving.
This time, Li Yi was finally relieved. It seemed that Miss.Liu really didn't intend to care about this matter. However, it was the first time that he saw her blushing pretty face. The heroine of a generation turned into a shy little girl. Li Yi really couldn't adapt to it in a short time.
In the stable, the crazy horse that bullied the weak and feared the strong was eating the straw and snorting. Li Yi raised his head and glanced at it. This time, for the sake of Ruyi, he would let it go. If it didn't know what was good for it next time, he would starve it for three days first. Otherwise, it wouldn't know how many eyes the Horse King had.
With white paper and a brush, he drew the horse's hoof prints according to the real size on the soft mud around the stable and ordered some horseshoes from the blacksmith. Although this horse didn't give him much face, it was undeniably a good horse. It would be a pity if the horseshoes were worn out.
The blacksmith's craftsmanship was good. Li Yi told him the requirements and got four horseshoes the next day.
Out of professional habit, the blacksmith didn't ask Li Yi about the use of these things. He had been a blacksmith for many years, so he certainly knew the rules of the trade.
Fang held four strange things in his hand and asked in confusion, "Young master, what are these for?"
"Horseshoes."
"What's this thing?" The doubts on Fang's face were deeper. "What is horseshoes?"
Listening to the name, this thing seems to have something to do with horses. However, Fang has the experience of raising horses and is no stranger to things related to horses, but he has never heard of horseshoes.
"It's the shoes for horses to wear." There are no horseshoes in this world, so it's no wonder that Fang has no knowledge. Li Yi explained to him.
"What?"
Fang stopped suddenly and couldn't believe his ears. He looked at Li Yi and asked, "Horses need to wear shoes?"
After living for decades, I only know that people need to wear shoes, but I have never heard of horses wearing shoes. Isn't this a joke?
"We both run on the ground. You need to wear shoes. Why don't horses need them?" Li Yi looked at him and asked.
Fang wanted to scold, "Nonsense," but he held it back before he could say it.
"Walking barefoot without shoes will grind your feet. Stepping on stones will hurt you. Horses don't know pain, so why wear shoes?" Fang said confidently.
He suspected that the young master was bewitched today. He suddenly wanted to put shoes on horses, and would he have the idea of beating cows and sheep in a few days.
"You also know how to grind your feet. Horses run much more than you do. After a long time, the horse's hooves will be worn out, and the horse will be useless."
Fang was stunned for a moment and said, "Young master, that's unnecessary. That horse only runs back and forth between the prefectural city and the stockade every day. It's only a few miles, and the worn out hooves will grow back … But, according to what you said, the warhorses in the army are often used, and the speed at which their hooves grow can't keep up with the speed at which they're worn out, so it's necessary to wear shoes."
This time, Fang understood what Li Yi meant. He used to raise horses and knew that horses had to be used in moderation. If a horse was tied in the stable all day and not taken out to run, the horse's hooves would grow deformed. If it ran for a long time every day, the horse's hooves would be worn out. The former could still be saved, but the latter could only become useless.
The young master's method was very good. After his reminder, Fang already understood that this strange thing probably needed to be nailed to the horse's hooves. Although the horse at home couldn't use this method, if the warhorses in the army had this treasure, they would no longer have to worry about the horse's hooves being worn out.
After listening to Fang's words, Li Yi was stunned for a moment. He only remembered that in the novels he read in the past, the protagonist invented horseshoes and immediately shocked the emperors and ministers. They would exclaim that such a simple method had never been thought of before, and they would be rewarded with money and an official position. He subconsciously thought that all horses should be nailed to the horse's hooves. After listening to Fang's words, it seemed that he really made an unnecessary move this time.
However, since the horse's hooves had been nailed, it would be a waste of the money paid to the blacksmith if he didn't put it on the horse.
Two days ago, this guy had lost face in front of Ruyi. Later, he would ask the yamen runners to help tie this guy up and nail the horse's hooves. Presumably, this guy who bullied the weak and feared the strong had never seen such a situation. It was scared half to death. If it still behaved atrociously in front of him next time, he would eat horse meat hot pot in front of it …
When Li Yi and Fang went down the mountain this time, they deliberately brought the horse down to nail the horse's hooves.
In the open space not far from the county yamen, with the help of Fang, the yamen runners easily put down the horse and tied it up with its hooves facing the sky.
The huge horse's eyes were full of fear and it let out a long neigh. However, its four feet were tied up and there were so many people around it that it couldn't struggle even if it wanted to.
When Fang was about to nail the horse's hooves according to the method Li Yi said, a voice suddenly came from behind.
"What are you doing here?"
A woman wearing a yamen runner's uniform walked over.
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