Ch 10: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

The next morning, Qin Zhao set out for the Chen family as promised.

Jing Li, for the first time ever, didn’t go with him.

Actually, Qin Zhao was willing to take him along. The little fish wasn’t heavy, and since this time he only needed to go from the west side of the village to the east, carrying Jing Li in the basket wouldn’t be much trouble.

But Jing Li was adamant about staying behind.

He still didn’t understand why he had suddenly turned into a human the previous day. If it happened again in front of others, he was sure they’d think he was a monster and kill him.

Moreover, everything had happened so quickly yesterday that he didn’t even have a chance to see what he looked like. A person with scales couldn’t be that attractive.

He didn’t want Qin Zhao to see him in that form.

“Last chance,” Qin Zhao said softly from the door, “Are you sure you don’t want to go?”

The little koi fish lay at the edge of the wooden bucket, his clear red eyes filled with hesitation. They stared at each other for a long time before Jing Li firmly shook his tail.

No.

He was a fish with principles. If he said no, then no it was.

Qin Zhao had no choice and gently said, “Alright, then stay here and be good. I’ll be back soon.”

With that, he locked the door and left.

Jing Li stared at the closed door, suddenly feeling a bit down.

If only he could turn into a normal human.

He really wanted to go with Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao was gone for almost the entire morning. Jing Li waited and waited, even dozing off a few times, but Qin Zhao still hadn’t returned.

He had been quite confident in Qin Zhao’s medical skills.

This man brewed all his medicinal soups himself, carefully selecting and preparing the herbs. He clearly had a deep understanding of medicine.

But the elderly woman Qin Zhao had gone to treat wasn’t suffering from an ordinary illness.

The Chen family had consulted numerous doctors, all of whom were helpless. Could Qin Zhao really succeed?

If he couldn’t, he’d be driven out of the village.

The more Jing Li thought about it, the more anxious he became. He gave a small flick of his tail on the water’s surface and leapt out of the bucket.

The little koi landed on the ground, shook off the water from his tail, and prepared to sneak through the village’s drainage channel to the east side, just as he had done before.

He just wanted to quietly take a look, to make sure Qin Zhao was okay, and then he’d come back.

Surely, he wouldn’t be noticed.

The door had been locked from the outside by Qin Zhao, but Jing Li’s body was small enough to slip through the tiny gap at the bottom. He slowly inched forward and had just reached the door.

“Meow—”

!!!

Wh-what was that sound?

The little koi was so frightened that his dorsal fins stood up straight. He lay flat on the ground, staring unblinkingly at the gap under the door.

Suddenly, a fluffy white cat’s paw stretched through the gap.

“Meow!”

Ahhhh—!

Jing Li jumped up from where he was and quickly retreated until he dove into the wooden bucket on the table.

He cautiously poked his head out to look outside. The cat’s paw was still scratching at the door. The cat’s fur wasn’t very long, with white at the front of the paw and orange at the back, like it was wearing a white glove.

It was the same cat that tried to eat him last time!

The cat’s paw scratched at the old wooden door, making a sharp sound that sent shivers down Jing Li’s spine.

No need to worry.

Qin Zhao had locked the door today; it couldn’t get in.

There’s no way he could be this unlucky—

Just as Jing Li was thinking this, he heard a loud crack. The old, decaying wooden door had been clawed open by the cat, leaving a small hole. The cat’s round eyes scanned the room for a moment, and its sharp gaze locked onto Jing Li.

Then, the orange cat nudged aside the splintered wood with its head and squeezed through the hole, which was much smaller than its body.

Ahhh—!

As the orange cat leaped onto the table, Jing Li sprang into action. He used his tail to deliver a powerful slap, flipping the entire wooden bucket onto the cat’s head.

The orange cat was instantly soaked, and its movements slowed down.

Jing Li dropped to the floor and desperately flopped toward the door.

He quickly squeezed through the small hole the cat had clawed out, and with a splash, he jumped into the drainage ditch not far from the door.

Meanwhile, at the Chen residence in the east of the village:

The Chen family estate was one of the wealthiest in the nearby villages. The front yard was filled with piles of rice and vegetables, and there were some flowers and plants growing as well. From the front hall, three small courtyards branched off, with a total of six or seven rooms.

Inside the main house, Qin Zhao carefully removed the silver needles from the old woman’s acupuncture points.

The elderly woman, leaning against the headboard, frowned deeply and suddenly coughed up a mouthful of black blood before slumping over in a faint.

The entire Chen family, who had been waiting in the outer room, rushed in upon hearing the commotion.

“Mother!”

“She—she’s not moving!”

“What did you do? What’s going on here?”

The room was in chaos, but Qin Zhao calmly wiped the silver needles with a soft cloth and placed them back in his bag.

Qin Zhao spoke evenly, “Don’t worry. The reason Old Madam Chen has been bedridden is due to qi stagnation and blood stasis. Daily acupuncture to expel the stasis, combined with blood-activating and stasis-dissolving decoctions, will soon have her on the mend.”

“Blood-activating and stasis-dissolving?” A voice from the back of the crowd spoke up, “We’ve been giving her blood-activating and stasis-dissolving medicines for months now, and they haven’t helped at all.”

The speaker was the Chen family’s third son, a tall, slender man with dark skin.

“That’s because the medicine lacked a crucial ingredient.” Qin Zhao took out a packet of herbs from his backpack and handed it to Chen Yanan. “This is Wushan ginseng. Add this to the decoction and administer it twice daily. I’ve written the recipe inside.”

“Give her the decoction morning and night. You should see results in three days.”

Chen Yanan replied, “Alright, I understand.”

“Do you really believe him?” Chen Laosan said, “Wushan ginseng is an extremely rare herb. How could he possibly have it?”

Chen Yanan hesitated.

Chen Laosan continued, “Wushan ginseng isn’t just any herb. One plant is worth several years of rent. If he really had it, wouldn’t he just sell it for money? Why bring it to our family?”

Qin Zhao’s eyes gleamed slightly, and he even smiled a little. “So, you’re saying you’re aware that Wushan ginseng is particularly effective for Old Madam Chen’s condition?”

Chen Laosan’s expression changed.

“I found it strange before,” Qin Zhao said calmly. “Although a stroke is difficult to treat, it’s impossible that after months of seeking medical advice, no one could find a solution. That’s why I specifically went to see Doctor Ge yesterday to confirm that Old Madam Chen’s illness was due to qi stagnation and blood stasis, and that Wushan ginseng could be used in the treatment.”

He looked up at Chen Laosan and added, “And he told me that he had already informed the Chen family about this prescription.”

Chen Dasao picked up on something in his words and turned to Chen Laosan. “Laosan, you were the one who found the doctors before. Did they mention this prescription?”

“They… they did,” Chen Laosan’s face turned pale.

Chen Dasao pressed, “Then why didn’t you—”

“How could I mention it!” Chen Laosan snapped, “Dasao, do you want me to waste Wushan ginseng on this old hag? Do you know how much that medicine costs? Why don’t you spend that money instead?”

The room fell into dead silence. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one spoke.

Qin Zhao, uninterested in meddling in other people’s family affairs, quietly finished packing his things and stood up. “I’ll take my leave now. I’ll return tomorrow morning to continue the acupuncture treatment for the old lady.”

With that, he turned and walked toward the courtyard gate.

Just as he reached the gate, Chen Dasao called out, “Wait a moment!”

Qin Zhao stopped in his tracks.

Chen Dasao asked, “After everything I did to you, why would you still give us such a precious herb?”

“Don’t misunderstand,” Qin Zhao replied calmly. “It’s just to repay a life-saving debt.”

Moreover, he had just recently harvested the Wushan ginseng, and today it happened to be exactly what could save Old Madam Chen.

This wasn’t just a coincidence; it was fate.

Qin Zhao continued, “Once the old lady recovers, I’ll come by to settle the debt, and I’ll return the house as agreed.”

“You…”

Chen Dasao looked at the young man before her. His face was pale, and his expression calm, as if he was always in control, effortlessly commanding respect and trust with every gesture.

He reminded her of the high officials and wealthy merchants she had seen from afar in the town, but even they didn’t compare to the man standing before her.

At that moment, an unexpected sound came from beside them.

A bright red koi fish leapt out of the drainage ditch and, without caring that it was dripping wet, jumped straight into Qin Zhao’s arms.

“You…”

Qin Zhao was momentarily stunned, but the little fish, unsatisfied with just being in his hands, wriggled its way into his collar, leaving only a soft fish tail visible, trembling slightly.

Chen Dasao was perplexed. “Where did this fish come from?”

The composed young man seemed to vanish instantly. He carefully cradled the koi fish, speaking to it in a gentle, soothing tone. “What’s wrong?”

Chen Dasao was completely bewildered. “???”

Is he talking to the fish?

Jing Li, who had wriggled into Qin Zhao’s clothes, didn’t hear a word of what Qin Zhao was saying. He burrowed deeper into Qin Zhao’s clothing, creating a small bulge in his robes, with his exposed tail still trembling uncontrollably.

Qin Zhao looked up and saw a cat jumping at his feet, letting out a soft “meow.”

The fish in his arms trembled even more violently.

Qin Zhao sighed and said to the orange cat, “Go away, you’re scaring it.”

The orange cat looked up, its round eyes quietly gazing at Qin Zhao.

Jing Li, not hearing any sounds from outside for a while, assumed that Qin Zhao had already shooed the cat away and began to relax. He shifted inside Qin Zhao’s clothes, poking his head out from the edge of the collar to peek outside.

To his surprise, the orange cat was sitting right at Qin Zhao’s feet, its furry head nuzzling against his leg affectionately.

Jing Li: “…”

Jing Li: “???”

This cat, how shameless! That spot belongs to him!

Jing Li’s tail flicked as he prepared to leap out and confront the cat, but Qin Zhao caught him just in time.

“Don’t move.” Qin Zhao cradled him in his palm and turned to ask Mrs. Chen, “Could I trouble you to lend me a wooden bucket?”

Mrs. Chen had been watching the scene in a daze and took a moment to gather her thoughts. “Of course, of course.”

She was about to go fetch one when she paused, considering something. “Actually, I have a fish basket that can hold water. It’s lighter to carry than a bucket. Would you prefer that?”

A moment later, Qin Zhao was walking along the village path with a fish basket.

The basket was smaller than the wooden bucket he had previously used to carry Jing Li, but it was more than spacious enough for the little koi. The basket was double-layered with bamboo weaving, and the inside was coated with a layer of waterproof wax. It had originally been used by Old Master Chen for fishing.

The little koi lay at the bottom of the basket, motionless.

“What are you sulking about now?” Qin Zhao, having spent so much time with him, could easily read the fish’s moods and asked with some helplessness.

Strangely enough, though it was just a fish, it seemed to have rich emotions, understanding human speech and even throwing little tantrums.

It was almost as if… it were human.

Qin Zhao suddenly recalled the figure he had glimpsed yesterday, and his steps faltered briefly.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

Even though he had read many Buddhist scriptures, he didn’t actually believe in those supernatural tales. Even if this fish did have some spirit, it was still just a fish.

No need to overthink it.

Jing Li himself didn’t quite know why he was upset.

He knew that some humans naturally attracted animals, and when he was human, cats often approached him, licking him whenever he walked by.

But he had always been inexplicably afraid of cats, avoiding them whenever he saw one.

Clearly, Qin Zhao also had that kind of affinity for pets.

But still… it made him angry.

And what made him even angrier was that Qin Zhao, knowing he was upset, wasn’t trying to comfort him.

That made him even more furious.

If Qin Zhao didn’t properly console him before they got home, he’d run away tonight!

But as it turned out, Qin Zhao didn’t say another word to him the entire way. Jing Li peeked out, noticing that they were almost at the doorstep.

A strange anxiety crept over him. Just as they reached the final turn, Qin Zhao took a different path, heading in another direction.

Isn’t that… the way to Li Dali’s house?

Qin Zhao walked up to the gate of Li Dali’s yard and knocked. Li Dali, who was in the yard chopping wood, looked up.

Seeing Qin Zhao, he greeted him, “Qin Zhao, what brings you here?”

Qin Zhao replied, “I wanted to ask if those two acres of idle land you have are still available for rent?”