Ch 14: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the window covered with a thin layer of oiled paper, spilling onto the bed.

Qin Zhao frowned, groggily opening his eyes, and for a moment, he thought he saw a shadow flash by the bed.

His eyes instantly cleared. “Who’s there?”

There was no response.

The room was silent, not even the slightest noise. Qin Zhao sat up, threw off the curtain, and quickly walked out of the bedroom. The outer room was empty, with the small wooden bucket holding the koi still on the table, the water surface gently rippling.

The little koi floated on the surface, its eyes looking up at him obediently.

Qin Zhao’s tense nerves relaxed. He leaned against the wall, pressing his aching forehead.

How… did he get home?

Qin Zhao’s memory was a bit hazy.

He could only recall going up the mountain to gather herbs yesterday. After he finished, the rain began to fall just as he was about to head back. Then, he found a small hut to take shelter.

But the rain didn’t stop, and he caught a chill, didn’t take his medicine in time, and eventually passed out from the discomfort.

Everything after that was a blur.

It wasn’t the first time he had been to that small hut.

In the past, he had experienced similar situations, usually spending the entire night there, only managing to return the next day when the weather cleared.

Such an ordeal would typically leave him bedridden for at least half a month.

But today was different.

He didn’t feel particularly unwell; there was no pain, no lingering fever, and he actually felt quite refreshed.

Did he drink the medicine last night?

Qin Zhao walked to the stove and lifted the lid. The bowl of medicine remained untouched, just as it had been when he left the day before.

A hint of confusion appeared in his eyes as he returned to the table and sat down.

Jing Li secretly sighed in relief.

Luckily, he wasn’t discovered.

He had been exhausted last night, and after Qin Zhao fell asleep, he had turned back into his original form and slept in the water. It wasn’t until dawn that he remembered he hadn’t cleaned up the mess.

Early that morning, still feeling drained, Jing Li had transformed back into human form to put away the rain gear, the medicine, and everything else they had used the night before.

He had made a bit too much noise in the process and nearly got caught by Qin Zhao.

Jing Li wearily blew a bubble in the water.

This fish is exhausted.

“What’s wrong with you?” Qin Zhao noticed his unusual state and reached out to touch the little koi’s back.

The warm touch inevitably reminded Jing Li of the previous night, when Qin Zhao had held him close, with his scorching hands slowly moving over his scales.

Jing Li shuddered instinctively and turned his head away to avoid Qin Zhao’s touch.

“You don’t want me to touch you?” Qin Zhao asked, “Are you upset?”

Not upset…

Jing Li didn’t know what he was avoiding, nor how to explain it.

Qin Zhao was sick last night; he didn’t mean to take advantage of him. Besides, in the end, it was Jing Li who voluntarily snuggled into Qin Zhao’s arms to help cool him down.

It was just for treatment, after all. Qin Zhao had treated his injured scales before.

So why couldn’t he let him touch him now?

Jing Li looked at Qin Zhao for a moment before obediently swimming back under Qin Zhao’s hand.

The other’s fingertip touched his dorsal fin.

The touch was as smooth and cool as before, and although the little koi seemed a bit nervous, trembling slightly, he still stayed obediently in place, allowing Qin Zhao to pet him.

Qin Zhao’s eyes flickered, and he felt a strange sensation deep in his heart.

This feeling…

Some unfamiliar images flashed through his mind.

In the darkness, those clear and bright eyes looked at him, filled with a bit of fear and a touch of grievance.

The voice said, “…I was just passing by…”

The sensation under his palm was cool and smooth, the body slightly trembling, and a soft voice whispered in his ear.

The voice said, “I’m here…”

Qin Zhao was momentarily lost in thought, his fingers paused on Jing Li’s dorsal fin. Just as Jing Li was about to relax, he heard Qin Zhao speak again.

“Yesterday…” Qin Zhao frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, “Did I return home alone?”

Jing Li: “…”

Without thinking, he quickly nodded.

Qin Zhao was skeptical.

He tried to recall more, but his mind was blank. His memories during his episodes were always hazy, and now he couldn’t even remember the face of the boy.

Besides, if someone had indeed saved him last night, why weren’t they around this morning?

…Maybe it was just a hallucination during his episode.

Qin Zhao sighed and decided not to dwell on it further.

Despite the difficulties last night, he had managed to collect all the herbs. Qin Zhao took the herbs out of the backpack, processed them briefly, and tied them up with vines, wrapping them in cloth.

There were sixteen intact herbs, and a few others with slight imperfections, which Qin Zhao wrapped separately.

The flawed ones could still be used for medicine, though their appearance, weight, and potency might be somewhat compromised. However, private buyers weren’t as strict as clinics and might agree to a discounted purchase.

If they didn’t want them, he could keep them for emergencies.

After sorting out the herbs, Qin Zhao went to the bedroom to change clothes, preparing to deliver them to Doctor Ge.

He opened the wardrobe, but then he paused.

Jing Li held his breath, anxiously watching the situation in the bedroom, so nervous that he forgot to breathe.

He hadn’t put Qin Zhao’s clothes back.

The clothes he wore to the mountain yesterday got splattered with mud. If Qin Zhao found out, he would definitely suspect something. Jing Li didn’t dare put the clothes back and had to hide them in a corner instead.

Losing the clothes would be better than having Qin Zhao find out they were dirty.

Jing Li had already made up his mind; if Qin Zhao asked about them, he would just pretend not to know.

After all, he’s just a fish right now; Qin Zhao surely can’t do anything to him.

But to Jing Li’s surprise, Qin Zhao didn’t ask about the missing clothing. Instead, he simply changed into another clean robe and came out.

Jing Li: “?”

Did this person not even notice he was missing a piece of clothing???

Qin Zhao’s expression didn’t reveal anything unusual. He placed the bundled herbs into his backpack and asked Jing Li, “Do you want to stay home today or come with me?”

Naturally, Jing Li chose the latter.

The sickly Qin Zhao had gone up the mountain alone yesterday and returned in such a bad state. How could Jing Li feel at ease letting him go out alone again?

Moments later, Qin Zhao left the house with the fish basket in hand.

Today, Qin Zhao needed to go to town to buy medicine, so he planned to drop off the herbs at Doctor Ge’s place first and then hire a cart to take him to town. When Doctor Ge heard this, he offered to go with him, suggesting they deliver the herbs directly to the buyer.

Doctor Ge also wanted to settle this matter quickly to avoid any unexpected complications.

In the end, Qin Zhao ended up hitching a ride on Doctor Ge’s ox cart.

They set out early, and by the time they reached the town, the morning market was still bustling with people, making the streets lively and crowded.

Since returning to the village with Qin Zhao, Jing Li had been cooped up there every day and had never been this far. He excitedly peeked his head out of the fish basket.

But the ox cart was bumpy, and the fish basket was light, so it almost tipped over as Jing Li moved around inside.

Qin Zhao quickly pressed the fish back into the basket, saying in a low voice, “Behave.”

Doctor Ge, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them and asked, “Were you talking to me?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Jing Li: “…”

Soon, the ox cart stopped outside an imposing mansion with a plaque above the entrance bearing two large characters: “Fang Residence.”

Doctor Ge got off the cart to knock on the door.

The Fang family was one of the wealthiest in town, and although Qin Zhao had lived here for a few years, he had heard a little about them.

Despite their wealth and status, these large, influential families weren’t as arrogant as some might imagine. After Doctor Ge explained their purpose, a maid quickly came to escort them inside.

They were greeted by the housekeeper of the Fang residence.

The housekeeper had a kind appearance and was very polite. He smiled and said, “We were planning to send someone to pick up the herbs tomorrow, but you’ve kindly brought them here yourselves.”

Doctor Ge waved it off, saying, “It’s no trouble at all.”

While they were busy checking the herbs, the little koi, having nothing else to do, quietly peeked out of the fish basket.

These ancient mansions were always exquisitely designed. They entered a reception hall, and in the courtyard in front of it were rockeries and flower beds, with covered walkways and side chambers on either side, all arranged in a grand layout.

Jing Li, who had never seen a genuine ancient mansion before, couldn’t help but take a few more glances.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream came from behind the house.

The little koi was so startled that he quickly shrank back into the fish basket.

The screams grew louder and more intense, filled with agony, but the housekeeper remained calm and said, “Don’t be alarmed, that’s just our young master being punished again.”

Jing Li: “…”

That kind of beating could kill someone, right?

Unfortunately, as outsiders, there was nothing they could do, so they pretended not to hear.

After the herbs were counted, the housekeeper said, “Including the one from before, there are a total of seventeen whole herbs, which comes to thirty-four strings of cash. We’ll also take the imperfect ones; all together, let’s say thirty-five strings and five hundred coins, how about that?”

Doctor Ge exchanged a glance with Qin Zhao, who nodded. “Agreed.”

The housekeeper was straightforward and quickly sent someone to settle the account and pay the money.

When Qin Zhao had entrusted Doctor Ge with selling the herbs, he agreed to a 30-70 split. After deducting the 800 coins that had been given as a deposit earlier, Qin Zhao ended up with 24 strings and 50 coins.

Doctor Ge made a handsome profit on this deal and joked, “Mr. Qin, don’t forget about this old man if you come across any good opportunities in the future.”

Qin Zhao bowed slightly to him. “Of course.”

Doctor Ge needed to hurry back to the village to tend to his patients, while Qin Zhao still had to visit the medical hall to get his medicine. So, the two parted ways. Qin Zhao didn’t rush to the medical hall but instead went to the market with the little koi.

He had promised to buy him some meat yesterday.

Qin Zhao arrived just in time to catch the end of the morning market and bought some pork, rice, and seasonings.

In this era, the main staples were rice and millet, but since millet was much cheaper than rice, most families in the village relied on millet as their primary food.

Qin Zhao had been the same before.

But now that he had a bit of money, he didn’t need to be so frugal anymore.

All the little things added up to nearly 200 coins. Qin Zhao packed everything into his backpack and was about to head to the medical hall on East Street to get his herbs.

Suddenly, something tugged on his sleeve.

Qin Zhao looked down to see the little koi biting his sleeve, hanging in mid-air and swaying with his movements.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh. “What is it this time?”

The little koi let go of his sleeve and nodded toward something nearby.

Qin Zhao followed his gaze and saw a shop selling pastries. At the entrance, freshly baked white pastries were displayed, cut into neat little squares, steaming hot, and filling the air with a sweet, enticing aroma.

“Want some?” Qin Zhao asked.

The little koi quickly nodded.

This fish loved not only meat but also sweets.

Qin Zhao hid a smile in his eyes as he lifted the fish basket to meet the little koi’s gaze.

Qin Zhao slowly said, “You can have some if you tell me where that freshly washed, unworn shirt of mine from the other day went.”

Jing Li: “…………….”