Chapter 23: She must change everything!

Ye Tianhui officially reported for duty. She received her work badge, meal card, entry pass, and a work manual, among other items. Lastly, the racetrack also issued her a set of work uniforms.  

Carrying these items, she went to the stables to report in. Jessie, seeing her, was evidently quite pleased and enthusiastically explained the specifics of the work there. Since she was officially staying to work, there was much she needed to learn.  

Jessie mentioned that stable assistants were usually male, but this time they hired her because the racetrack had taken on several family horse-racing projects for wealthy clients.  

Jessie said, “You should understand that there will be some ladies and young misses coming here. As a stable assistant, you’ll need to accompany them, give them tours, and provide explanations. That’s why during the interview, they must have assessed your language skills.”  

Ye Tianhui nodded. “I understand.”  

Jessie then took her to check out the accommodations. Since the stables required 24-hour staffing, there were dormitories on-site. Jessie showed her around, and it turned out to be just a simple bed placed in the tack room.  

However, Ye Tianhui found it quite satisfactory. “I can use the hot water here to shower, and there’s air conditioning too.”  

Her rented apartment didn’t have air conditioning or 24-hour hot water.  

Hearing this, Jessie said, “Normally, since you’re a girl, you wouldn’t need to take night shifts. But if you want to save on rent and live here, you can take night shifts, and there will be additional allowances for that.”  

Ye Tianhui: “How much is the allowance?”  

Jessie explained the allowance to her and added, “Do your work well. If you perform well, there’s a chance to get free professional training, which could lead to promotions.”  

Curious, Ye Tianhui asked, “Promote to what?”  

Jessie: “For example, right now, you’re just a trainee assistant earning 1,800 Hong Kong dollars a month. If you undergo professional training, you can choose your specialization. For instance, you could become an equestrian affairs assistant, a coach assistant, or a farrier. These are all technical positions, and the pay is correspondingly higher. A coach assistant can earn 3,000 Hong Kong dollars a month. Alternatively, if you have talent, you could even become an assistant trainer.”  

Listening to this, Ye Tianhui gained some understanding.  

Jobs here were divided into two categories: horseback riding skills and other technical skills. These were two distinct paths. Clearly, most people wanted to follow the horseback riding skills path, which was indeed a promising route.  

However, she wasn’t here with pure intentions. She just wanted to absorb more knowledge about horse racing and had no interest in becoming a jockey, so she simply listened.  

Jessie continued introducing her to the workplace rules, working hours, and other details, even taking her to collect her work manual, badge, and cafeteria meal card.  

Ye Tianhui: “Meals are provided? Free, right?”  

Jessie shrugged. “We have an employee cafeteria run by an outsourced catering service, so it’s pretty basic.”  

Ye Tianhui didn’t mind whether it was basic or not. She understood that no matter how simple, it would still be better than eating at roadside stalls. This cafeteria was bound to be clean and hygienic—definitely better than outside. Most importantly, it was free!  

After a busy morning and lunch, there was a short break. Ye Tianhui went to the library. Jessie had mentioned that employees could borrow books from the library, which piqued her interest. This professional stable library naturally contained many related books.  

Using her employee card, she entered the library and spent a good while browsing. There were indeed plenty of books about horse racing. She could borrow up to five books with her card.  

However, she worried about losing them after borrowing, so she decided to take just one for now, read it, and return it before borrowing another.  

The collection was extensive. After much deliberation, she finally chose a book titled The 《History of Sino-British Horse Racing》 to start with, thinking it would be best to first understand the history and roots before diving into other topics.  

After all, she had over 6,000 Hong Kong dollars saved up and now had a job. She didn’t need to rush to earn more money and could take her time.  

Carrying the book, she returned to the stables. Upon arriving, she happened to see the bald trainer, and following behind him was the black-haired boy.  

The boy had changed into a black-and-red jockey outfit, looking like a child who had stolen an adult’s clothes.  

The black-haired boy seemed to ignore her presence, silently lowering his gaze. 

Jessie clearly knew the bald horse trainer and greeted him: “Congratulations, Uncle Sun. This little Chong Zai you’ve taken in will surely have a bright future.”

Uncle Sun seemed to be in a good mood as well. He chuckled and said, “Too young, can’t even lift a saddle yet. I want to take it slow, let him get familiar with the horses in the stables first. These couple of days, I’ll let him lend a hand here with you all; he can learn as he goes.”

Jessie naturally welcomed this: “Alright, no problem. Leave him to me.”

After giving a few instructions, Uncle Sun left. Jessie asked the black-haired boy for his name. He was Lin Jianquan, originally from Fujian. His family had come to Hong Kong many years ago, and he was born there.

Jessie gave a brief rundown of the work and then let Ye Tianhui and Lin Jianquan clean the stables together, while he took a few horses out for a swim.

Once the stables quieted down, Ye Tianhui held a broom while Lin Jianquan carried a manure shovel. The two quickly cleaned up.

Ye Tianhui noticed that although Lin Jianquan was small in stature, he worked swiftly and seemed accustomed to such tasks.

The stable was soon mostly clean. Ye Tianhui went to fetch water so they could wash the stable, but Lin Jianquan said, “I’ll do it.”

It was the first time Ye Tianhui heard his voice. It was rough and raspy, likely because he was going through puberty.

She smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’ll do it.”

However, Lin Jianquan had already taken the bucket without waiting for her response. He said in a low voice, “I’ll have to do this sooner or later. I can lift it.”

With that, he carried the bucket out.

Ye Tianhui saw his thin, frail figure struggling with the bucket, which seemed too heavy for him.

When he finally brought the water back, Ye Tianhui asked, “What did you eat for lunch? Have you eaten yet?”

Lin Jianquan looked up at her.

That’s when Ye Tianhui noticed his eyelashes were long and thick. His expression was calm but obedient.

His dark eyes met hers as he replied, “Two slices of bread, one egg.”

Ye Tianhui: “That’s not enough, is it?”

Clearly, for a growing boy like him, his appetite should be large, and that amount of food was far from sufficient.

Lin Jianquan’s voice was hoarse: “It’s alright.”

He added softly, “I’m used to it.”

Hearing this, Ye Tianhui sighed, looking at Lin Jianquan.

After a long pause, she finally spoke: “You should know, I’ve experienced the feeling of going hungry. It’s not pleasant.”

Lin Jianquan nodded: “I know.”

Ye Tianhui: “I used to dream of escaping that. I wanted to make a lot of money, eat well, and drink well so I’d never have to be poor again, so I’d always have plenty of delicious food.”

Lin Jianquan pursed his lips slightly and silently looked at her.

Ye Tianhui: “The path you’re on is difficult. You’ll have to keep moving forward, overcome many hardships and struggles, defeat many enemies, before you can walk a road paved with flowers and hear the applause of others.”

She looked helpless. “So, what’s the point? Even if you earn money, then what? Aren’t you still going hungry?”

A flicker of emotion appeared in Lin Jianquan’s dark, ink-like eyes.

He looked at Ye Tianhui, his lips tugging slightly as he softly said, “Thank you. But I’m not doing this for myself; I’m doing it for my mother.”

Ye Tianhui was surprised.

Lin Jianquan continued, “I lost my father when I was young. My family was impoverished, with no food to last the night. My mother endured countless humiliations to raise me. Ever since I became aware of things, I’ve heard endless ridicule and seen countless scornful glances. If there’s a path in this world that allows me to climb the ladder to success, I’d willingly pay any price.”

Ye Tianhui understood.

A woman struggling in this glittering, extravagant world, raising an orphan in poverty, must have paid an enormous price.

She sighed lightly and finally said, “This is your choice. Since you’ve chosen it, then walk it to the end.”

—

At four o’clock, Jessie took Ye Tianhui and Lin Jianquan to get the horses shod. While the farrier was busy, Jessie directed the two to assist on the side.

The farrier worked quickly, replacing the horseshoes in no time. Jessie wasn’t entirely satisfied. “Why so fast? You’re being sloppy.”

The farrier explained helplessly, “I’ve been working since morning, already six hours on the job, and I’ve lost count of how many hooves I’ve tended to.”

Jessie: “That many?”

Farrier: “Yes, our stables recently brought in a lot of new horses. The Ye family alone has four, and each needs special attention. I heard they’ll be visiting in a few days to inspect them.”

Jessie frowned slightly, looking displeased. “They bought four horses all at once?”

The farrier sighed. “Exactly. And these four are all purebreds from a UK auction. The Ye family is sparing no expense for the upcoming season. If they don’t make a splash, they’ll probably die of frustration.”

Jessie grew curious. “I saw their horses during the morning training. They’re impressive. How much did they cost?”

Farrier: “Who knows? At least the price of a few luxury mansions per horse.”

As they chatted, they prepared to lead the horses back to the stables. Just then, a group of people approached. Leading the group were two women elegantly dressed in branded outfits—Ye Wenyin and Chen Jiarui.

Behind them was a well-dressed manager from the stables. Ye Tianhui recognized him; he was Manager Hu.

Manager Hu was nodding and bowing, introducing the facilities to Ye Wenyin. As she frowned and looked ahead, he followed her gaze and saw Ye Tianhui and Lin Jianquan leading the horses.

Thinking she was looking at the racehorses, Manager Hu smiled and explained, “These two are retired racehorses.”

Ye Wenyin’s gaze, however, swept past the horses and lingered on Ye Tianhui and Lin Jianquan.

She asked curiously, “Are these two staff members at your stables?”

Manager Hu replied with a smile, “One is a newcomer we’re grooming as a jockey. As for the young woman, she’s a stable assistant who currently handles odd jobs.”

Ye Wenyin remarked, “Oh, they seem diligent.”

Chen Jiarui, however, was visibly displeased upon spotting Ye Tianhui. She still held a grudge over the riding boots incident, where Ye Wenyin had suffered a slight loss of face. To her, it was infuriating that this mainland girl had dared to flaunt her victory.

Seeing her now, just a lowly stable assistant, Chen Jiarui’s disdain was apparent. With a mocking tone, she said, “Manager Hu, I always thought your stables were the most professional and modern in Hong Kong. I never expected you to hire a mainlander. Was it for cheap labor?”

Manager Hu hadn’t anticipated such a comment and quickly explained, “This young woman is only a basic stable hand responsible for cleaning and maintenance. She doesn’t handle other tasks and rarely interacts with clients. Moreover, she passed our evaluations—her English and professional skills are above average, even compared to other mainlanders.”

After all, the stables weren’t an ordinary place; every horse here was valuable. Employing anyone subpar would lower their standards, so Manager Hu tried his best to clarify to avoid tarnishing the stable’s reputation in front of the Ye family.

Listening to this, Ye Tianhui stepped forward with a calm smile. “Ladies, it’s true that I’m from the mainland. But no matter where someone is from, we’re all human. Since the Hong Kong government has allowed us to stay, it means we’re welcome here. We live lawfully, work properly, and Manager Hu’s decision to hire me proves I’m fit for the job. If either of you has concerns, feel free to bring them up.”

Her words were composed and unyielding. Manager Hu, standing nearby, was satisfied. She was poised and dignified, not someone who would embarrass the stables.  

Chen Jiarui hadn’t expected Ye Tianhui to act so composed.  

A few days ago in that store, she had been arrogant and overbearing, utterly insufferable. Now, here at the stables, she seemed to understand her place and chose her words carefully.  

Chen Jiarui sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. “Oh? So now you’ve learned to bow your head? What about the other day? Do you speak English? Cantonese? How did you even manage to get a job here? Do you know anything about equestrianism?”  

Her words were sharp and a little unbecoming of a dignified lady. Manager Hu found himself at a loss for words.  

But Ye Wenyin interjected with a smile, addressing Chen Jiarui, “Jiarui, there’s no need to continue. Since Manager Hu employs her, she must have passed the necessary assessments. Surely, they wouldn’t hire just anyone.”  

Turning to Manager Hu, she continued, “Speaking of which, our stable horses are still in need of jockeys, aren’t they? This young rider seems talented. How about transferring him to our stable for training?”  

Manager Hu was delighted to hear this.  

Lin Jianquan was a newly hired trainee jockey, still in the honing stage with no major achievements expected of him. However, being noticed by Miss Ye was a stroke of fortune.  

After all, retaining a wealthy client required retaining their horses. To secure the horses, an excellent trainer and compatible jockey were essential. If Lin Jianquan could be assigned to Ye Wenyin’s stable and excel with their horses, wouldn’t her prized steed be effectively tied to this stable?  

Manager Hu immediately agreed, assuring her that if she favored Lin Jianquan, he would be transferred right away. He also instructed Lin Jianquan to thank Ye Wenyin.  

All this time, Lin Jianquan had been standing quietly with his head slightly lowered, listening to the conversation without ever looking up. Only now did he raise his head and glance at Ye Wenyin.  

Ye Wenyin was struck by the iciness in his gaze—a cold detachment devoid of emotion.  

It was then she realized that, throughout their earlier conversation with Manager Hu and Ye Tianhui, this short and frail young man had kept his head bowed.  

She had thought he was merely docile and well-behaved, but now she felt it was more of an indifference to the outside world.  

Even now, as he looked at her, there was no gratitude in his eyes. He resembled a small, untamed beast incapable of understanding human commands.  

This realization made her feel a twinge of displeasure. Still, she smiled and said, “We’ll be horseback riding later, but my assistant isn’t here. I’ll need a temporary one.”  

Her gaze shifted to Ye Tianhui. “Let her come along.”