48 Hours a Day

While the fierce horse-versus-human battle was ongoing, it was a completely different picture on the other side of the field. Radish munched away on its hay, utterly oblivious to its surroundings. It did not even so much as look over as if apathetic about getting replaced by another horse, further convincing Zhang Heng that it must be suffering from Alzheimer’s.

As he graduated from the beginner stage, the novice mount became gradually less able to meet Zhang Heng’s needs. Radish’s strong suits—its Buddha-like character and a laid-back attitude—had now become shortcomings, reinforcing Zhang Heng’s desire to find a replacement.

Zhang Heng couldn’t wait anymore, and he was determined to conquer Bad Boy today.

In the beginning, Matthew would give Zhang Heng pointers, but there was no need for that anymore. Zhang Heng had basically mastered all the maneuvers, and now it was just a matter of gaining experience and finesse.

Today, Matthew stood outside the fence with his daughter, quietly observing Zhang Heng and Bad Boy grappling with each other. Even though Zhang Heng was desperate to change his mount, he was very patient in the round pen-he did not rush the process, letting Bad Boy run loose instead, exerting its energy.

After a while, realizing that it had failed to provoke Zhang Heng, Bad Boy became frustrated.

The anger in its eyes, the aggressive snorts, and the way it gritted its teeth-one would have mistaken it for a carnivore at the top of the food chain.

Bad Boy charged again, finally using its trump card—the Brutal Ram. It raised its hoof to kick Zhang Heng in the chest, finally sending this annoying human flying in the air.

However, this was exactly what Zhang Heng had been waiting for. He threw out the noose, which caught Bad Boy’s front left hoof, and he rolled over, escaping its Brutal Ram. Then, he got to his feet and tugged at the rope.

When Bad Boy performed the Brutal Ram, it stood on its hind legs, giving Zhang Heng time to get off the ground. By the time the horse realized what was happening, it struggled to break free, but Zhang Heng already had a firm grip on the rope. Unlike when the rope was around its neck, Bad Boy’s movements were now restricted. Barrelling about became almost impossible. Nonetheless, it did not stop the wild stallion, kicking up dust and dirt into the air in a raging tantrum.

The tug of war between man and horse continued. Wendy, who was watching from outside the fence, watched on with bated breath.

Zhang Heng struggled to stand his ground against the violent tugging at the other end of the rope. Eventually, he had no choice but to run alongside Bad Boy. Fortunately for him, Bad Boy could not run any faster due to the external force, and its movements were unsteady. Bad Boy whizzed around the round pen, hoping to topple Zhang Heng but little did it know that doing so would cause its other leg to be caught around the rope. Instead of a strong, wild horse, it was now more like Tigger.

Bad Boy hopped for a bit until Zhang Heng found the opportunity to approach its side finally. Zhang Heng held onto the rope with one hand and grabbed Bad Bay’s mane with the other.

Now, Bad Boy could neither escape nor kick. Its resistance became more futile by the minute, and finally, Zhang Heng could almost taste victory. He wasn’t about to let Bad Boy regain control-he tugged at the rope so that Bad Boy had to curl up his front hooves, then pushed Bad Boy down until it was in a kneeling position.

In the end, Bad Boy was lying on its side again, both man and horse out of breath.

Zhang Heng composed himself first before reaching out to stroke the horse. When Bad Boy eventually calmed down, Zhang Heng loosened the rope around its hooves.

However, once it was free, Bad Boy abandoned the pretense. It got off the ground and broke free of Zhang Heng’s control. It gave Zhang Heng a look as if saying, “Surprised? I was only pretending!”

Zhang Heng did not get angry at the creature. He got up, dusted his trousers, and spun up the lasso again.

The wrestle between horse and man resumed, and it wasn’t until five minutes later that Zhang Heng managed to restrain Bad Boy to the ground again.

This time, Zhang Heng was ready to teach it a lesson.

He waited a whole ten minutes before undoing the ropes. Most horses would have surrendered by then, but the intransigent, impossible Bad Boy of a steed refused to be subdued.

Thus, commenced the third rodeo.

This time, Bad Boy learned from its previous mistakes and refrained from doing the Brutal Ram.

But it was naive to think that it would be able to escape its eventual fate-getting bound. Zhang Heng had already felt it in his heart. He had the right feeling to do it, and although a little knackered, he was in the zone.

He felt his vision getting sharper and the lasso easier to handle. Zhang Heng waited for Bad Boy to start running before he once again tossed the lasso out. In the past two times, the rope caught Bad Boy’s pastern. This time, however, Zhang Heng was aiming for its forearm.

Once again, Zhang Heng had the black horse falling to the ground.

Finally realizing that there was no escape, Bad Boy did not dodge or start a wrestling match with Zhang Heng. Instead, it stayed where it was.

But Zhang Heng knew all too well that it was still too early to celebrate. This battle had only just begun. As anticipated, once he got on Bad Boy’s back, the black horse went berserk again, jumping and kicking around, sparing no effort to fling the offending human off its back.

Zhang Heng was thrashed about like a little canoe trapped in the giant waves of an ocean.

But Zhang Heng happened to an experienced sailor who was an expert at navigating a boat in a storm. He gripped the horse’s mane firmly and braced his legs. No matter how much Bad Boy tossed about, it failed to get rid of its rider. All Bad Boy could do was zip around the pen. Wendy was sweating bullets when her father said, “Open the gates.”

Although unable to fathom the reason behind her father’s instruction, Wendy did as told and unlatched the wooden gate. The next thing she knew, Bad Boy bolted out of the round pen like lighting, sprinting across the field with Zhang Heng on its back.

It wasn’t like Zhang Heng had never driven a fast car before, but this was like driving without a windshield. The wind was blaring at him from all directions, and his butt hurt severely from the bumpy ride. The force was different from a car engine, far more uncomfortable than driving a car. But it was exciting and invigorating.

The red sun setting over the horizon, the endless pastures, and the joy and satisfaction of having just tamed a fierce horse intertwined to form the perfect picture of the wild, wild west.

There was freedom in the wind, and Zhang Heng could smell it.