Ch 7: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Qin Zhao played with Jing Li by the creek for a while, and as the sun began to rise higher, they started heading back.

Jing Li didn’t need to be carried; he swam back through the stream on his own.

After all, the path from Huai Xia Village to Linxi Village ran alongside the creek the entire way.

“Are you tired?” Qin Zhao called out to him from the bank.

The entire route was upstream, and the section just outside Linxi Village had a narrow river channel with a strong current. It was easy to imagine how difficult it would be to swim back.

But these challenges were nothing for Jing Li.

Unbeknownst to Qin Zhao, Jing Li had swum up and down this creek countless times.

If he hadn’t been waiting for Qin Zhao, this little invalid, he would have already made it home.

As if to prove this point, the bright red koi gave a powerful flick of his tail, leaping gracefully out of the water and drawing a smooth arc in mid-air before landing back in the stream.

His entire body, with its glistening scales, sparkled in the sunlight, so dazzling that it was hard to look away.

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but smile. “Alright, you’re not performing for an audience. Be careful not to hurt yourself.”

The riverbed was full of sharp stones, and Qin Zhao was worried that Jing Li, without paying attention, might injure himself again.

Jing Li flicked his tail but stopped showing off.

Seeing that his little fish had calmed down, Qin Zhao felt relieved and began to plan his next steps.

The 800-wen deposit from Dr. Ge today wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Wushan Ginseng is priced based on its quality, and the ones found in these mountains weren’t exactly top-tier. Moreover, this herb is very delicate and requires expensive processing to be stored for a long time, making it unsuitable for long-distance transport.

To get the best price, Dr. Ge would likely sell it in the nearby towns.

By that estimate, selling one plant for 1,500 to 1,700 wen would be a good outcome.

The deposit from Dr. Ge was even a bit higher than Qin Zhao had anticipated.

But with those 800 wen, he could finally settle the rent he owed to the Chen family.

As for what came next… he would have to find a new place to live since the old house was no longer an option.

Just as Qin Zhao was thinking this, a splash of water landed by his feet. He turned to see Jing Li flopping energetically in the shallow water near the shore.

Qin Zhao asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jing Li anxiously wagged his tail, waving his fins, but since those fins were too small, it was clear that Qin Zhao couldn’t understand what he was trying to convey.

The little koi gave up trying to communicate and quickly swam ahead.

Following Jing Li’s direction, Qin Zhao looked to the now turbulent center of the river and saw the figure of a person floating face-up.

Jing Li swiftly swam toward the person.

The man seemed to have been swept down from upstream, with one side of his clothing caught on a rock at the riverbed, which had kept him from being washed away completely. He had likely been in the water for some time, and his breathing had already become very shallow. If he wasn’t rescued soon, he might not survive.

But Jing Li was just a fish, with strength too small to move the man.

Just then, a vine tied to a stone was thrown near him.

Jing Li looked up and saw it was Qin Zhao.

He grabbed the vine in his mouth and quickly swam around the man’s waist several times, securing it tightly. Then, with a swift bite, he tore through the piece of fabric that had been caught on the rock. Qin Zhao on the shore began to pull the vine back.

When a person falls into the water, they become much heavier than usual, especially when unconscious. This man was large and muscular, and it was impossible for the frail Qin Zhao to pull him out alone.

Jing Li swam anxiously around the man, then suddenly had an idea. He leaped out of the water and landed heavily on the man’s chest, hitting him several times. Finally, the man coughed up a large mouthful of water and regained consciousness.

“Grab the rope and swim back,” Qin Zhao called from the shore.

The man, without thinking much, quickly grabbed the rope tied around his waist and struggled to swim toward the shore.

Moments later, they finally managed to pull him onto the bank.

The man panted heavily, and Qin Zhao handed him a cloth to wipe himself. The man instinctively took it and, upon looking up, said, “Thank you, thank you… Wait, aren’t you Qin Zhao?”

“It’s me,” Qin Zhao replied. “And you are…?”

“My surname is Li, Li Dali,” the man introduced himself. “I’m from Linxi Village too. I live on the west side of the village, not far from where you are.”

Jing Li: “…”

These village names really are… something else.

Should he be glad that Qin Zhao, despite losing his memory and not remembering his own name, still had enough cultural background to give himself a decent-sounding name? If the villagers had named him, he might have ended up with something like Qin Ergou or Qin Tiezhu…

Jing Li glanced at Qin Zhao’s exceptionally handsome face and shuddered.

How terrifying.

The people of Linxi Village didn’t particularly like Qin Zhao, and Qin Zhao didn’t bother to socialize with them, so naturally, he didn’t know many people.

Qin Zhao asked Li Dali, “How did you end up in the water?”

“I… I don’t really know what happened,” Li Dali scratched his wet hair and said, “I just remember drinking too much in town last night. I don’t even remember when I started heading back. The next thing I knew, I was in the water.”

Qin Zhao was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you feel any discomfort now?”

Li Dali moved his limbs and frowned, “Doesn’t seem like there’s anything major, just… my chest hurts a bit.”

Qin Zhao looked toward the koi in the water.

Jing Li: “…”

Fish isn’t responsible, fish didn’t do it, it wasn’t the fish’s fault.

Li Dali was a typical farmer, young and strong, and after resting for a while, he was fine. He also needed to return to the village, so the two of them walked together.

Seeing Qin Zhao place the little koi back into the wooden bucket, Li Dali curiously asked, “Is that a fish you’re raising? You can even let it swim around freely in the water, aren’t you afraid it’ll run away?”

Qin Zhao replied, “If it wants to leave, I won’t stop it.”

Jing Li swam in a circle inside the bucket, then propped himself up to nuzzle Qin Zhao’s fingertip.

He won’t run away—who would cook delicious food for him if he did?

Li Dali was astonished and intrigued by this, exclaiming, “A fish that’s this smart? It’s like my dog at home, recognizing its owner!”

Jing Li: “?”

In all his life, Jing Li had never been compared to a dog, and he was instantly flustered. Qin Zhao, knowing his little fish’s temper, quickly placed the wooden bucket back into the basket and secured the lid before Jing Li could react.

Better to prevent the little koi from getting too upset and doing something rash.

“Honestly, after the way we’ve treated you, I didn’t expect you to save me today,” Li Dali said, his straightforward nature showing through as he spoke. Having been saved by Qin Zhao, his opinion of him changed instantly.

Qin Zhao calmly replied, “After all, a life is a life.”

Li Dali: “…”

After a pause, Qin Zhao added, “Besides, I was also saved by someone once.”

“True enough,” Li Dali admitted. “Actually, it’s not like the villagers avoid you on purpose. It’s just that when you first came here, you looked like you did, and you couldn’t remember anything… Everyone was just worried something might go wrong, you know?”

Qin Zhao remained silent for a moment, then nodded, “I understand.”

Qin Zhao’s appearance when he first arrived?

What did he look like then?

The more Jing Li listened, the more confused he became.

From the beginning, he had felt that something was strange.

It’s true that Qin Zhao’s origins were unknown, and it was understandable for the villagers to be cautious. But he had been living in the village for three years.

Jing Li had only been with Qin Zhao for less than half a month, and even he could tell that Qin Zhao was an exceptionally good person, with impeccable manners and conduct. Surely three years would be enough time for the villagers to see that too?

Why, then, had they still not accepted him?

Could it be that there was something about Qin Zhao that Jing Li didn’t know?

Jing Li couldn’t figure it out. In his current form, he couldn’t even ask about it, so he had to temporarily put his doubts aside.

Qin Zhao and Li Dali soon reached the outskirts of the village.

From the village outskirts to the creek, there were stretches of terraced fields, almost all of which were privately owned by the villagers.

Someone was working in the fields and, upon seeing Li Dali, called out loudly, “Li Dali, you’re back! You should take a look at the weeds in your field—they’re practically as tall as you are!”

The man pointed to a plot of land in the distance, where weeds were growing rampantly, a stark contrast to the lush, well-tended fields nearby.

“Yeah, yeah, I know! Stop nagging!” Li Dali retorted, then turned to Qin Zhao, noticing his gaze. He explained, “That’s my idle land. I had rented it out to a family in a neighboring village for some time, but with the poor harvests in recent years and high taxes, they stopped renting it.”

Li Dali rubbed his nose and said, “Spring has just arrived, and I haven’t had the time to take care of it yet.”

He hasn’t had time to tend to the land but had time to go drinking in town, Jing Li thought to himself.

Farmers hate being seen as lazy, so Li Dali felt compelled to explain. However, Qin Zhao didn’t seem to mind and simply nodded without comment.

In this era, land was mostly privately owned, but each household could only manage a limited amount of land. As a result, land sales and leases were quite common. With Li Dali being the only able-bodied person in his family, it was natural that he couldn’t manage all the land on his own.

Qin Zhao glanced thoughtfully at the plot of land.

Once they entered the village, both headed west. As they passed by a small courtyard, Li Dali stopped and said, “This is my place. Why don’t you come in for a meal? Consider it a thank you for saving my life.”

Qin Zhao replied, “It was just a small favor, no need for that.”

Li Dali thought for a moment, then said to Qin Zhao, “Wait here for a moment.”

He walked into the courtyard.

The village only had two meals a day, and this time was the morning mealtime, so the air was filled with the smell of cooking and the aroma of food.

Li Dali soon returned, carrying half a slaughtered chicken and a basket of eggs.

“There’s not much at home to thank you with, but please take these,” Li Dali said. “The eggs are fresh from our hens, and I just slaughtered this chicken yesterday—this half is left over. I hope you don’t mind.”

Qin Zhao shook his head, “There’s really no need, I…”

His words suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

In the basket on his back, the previously quiet little koi suddenly started thrashing its tail vigorously in the water, nearly splashing it out of the wooden bucket.

Meat was a rare commodity in this small mountain village, and ever since Jing Li transmigrated, he had barely had any meat to eat. The last time he had some was when Qin Zhao bought him a meat bun while fetching medicine, but the filling was so meager that he couldn’t even taste the flavor of the meat.

He hadn’t had chicken in ages…

Li Dali said, “Why are you being so polite? You saved my life; if I gave you nothing in return, I wouldn’t feel right. Besides, we’re neighbors, and we’ll need to help each other in the future!”

Qin Zhao, not used to accepting things from others, said, “Helping each other is the right thing to do, but this is…”

The little koi behind him wagged its tail even more vigorously.

“…” Qin Zhao’s words trailed off, and with a helpless tone, he said, “Then, thank you.”

A short while later, Qin Zhao returned home carrying half a chicken and a basket of eggs, with the little koi on his back.

He placed the items on the stove and then took out the wooden bucket with the little koi inside. “Are you happy now?”

Jing Li was indeed happy.

The little koi looked up at Qin Zhao, wagging its tail energetically, and even its eyes seemed brighter than usual.

There was going to be meat!

Seeing the little koi’s spirited expression, Qin Zhao couldn’t help but feel resigned. He gently tapped its head and said, “You little glutton.”

After settling the little koi, Qin Zhao was about to prepare the ingredients when he suddenly heard someone knocking at the door.

It was Chen Yanan. He seemed to have run all the way there, panting heavily and covered in sweat.

Before Qin Zhao could say anything, Chen Yanan barged in and immediately started pushing Qin Zhao out the door. “You need to leave quickly!”

Qin Zhao didn’t move and frowned, asking, “What are you doing?”

“They’re on their way here!” Chen Yanan interrupted, “They even brought some thugs with them. My mother said if you don’t pay the full rent today, they’re going to throw you out of the village!”