Ch 19: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

There was no movement outside for a long time, so Jing Li lifted his head.

His arms were wrapped around his knees, his eyes slightly red. The long hem of his robe draped down, covering his bare legs, with only a bit of his fair toes peeking out.

Jing Li tilted his head, listening intently for a moment. After confirming that there was indeed no sound outside, he stood up and cautiously peeked through the crack in the door.

The outside was silent, with not even a trace of the cat in sight.

Only then did Jing Li relax.

Why does he always have to run into such things whenever he goes out? How long is his bad luck going to last?

Jing Li thought, feeling dejected.

He lost the desire to wander around and didn’t dare go outside again. He quickly put the clothes back where they belonged and returned to the table.

Inside the house, there was a flash of red light, and a small koi fish leapt into the water with a splash.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhao splashed water on his face, letting out a long breath.

After leaving the front of the house, Qin Zhao actually felt a bit of regret.

The little demon had appeared in his dreams several times, so naturally, he wanted to see him with his own eyes. He wanted to see if the little guy really looked like he did in the dreams and also wanted to know what his reaction would be if he found out Qin Zhao had discovered his true identity.

Saying he didn’t want to go in and see him was a lie.

But he also had reservations.

He still wasn’t sure why the little creature was staying by his side. The fact that the little fish was so worried about him discovering the truth—could there be some hidden reason behind it?

If the little fish realized that Qin Zhao knew who he really was, would he still stay by his side like this?

Qin Zhao wasn’t sure and didn’t dare take the risk.

He was getting along well with the little fish right now, so it was better to keep things as they were and observe quietly for the time being.

“Meow…”

A soft meow sounded beside him. Qin Zhao turned to see the orange cat sitting next to him, licking its paws.

Qin Zhao was about to reach out and pet it when he remembered the promise he had made to the little demon. He lowered his hand.

He said seriously, “Don’t scare him anymore.”

The orange cat looked up at him with its round eyes. After a moment, it walked forward and rubbed against his leg.

…Almost forgot, not all animals can understand human speech.

Qin Zhao sighed, thinking that when he repaired the courtyard, he would need to build the walls higher to prevent the little cat from getting in again.

When Qin Zhao returned home, the little koi didn’t come out to greet him as usual.

The fish was hiding at the bottom of the bucket, its small body curled up even smaller than usual, with its fins drooping down lifelessly.

It really was scared.

Qin Zhao sighed inwardly.

He walked over, reaching into the water to gently touch the little koi’s head. “What’s the matter?”

The little koi shuddered at first, then lifted its head to look at him before diving straight into his palm.

If fish had vocal cords and could make sounds, Qin Zhao almost felt like the little koi would be whimpering at him.

The little koi hooked its tail around Qin Zhao’s finger and buried its head into his palm, finally calming its nervous and frightened heart.

It gently patted Qin Zhao’s palm with its fins, feeling a bit aggrieved.

It didn’t want to be left alone at home anymore.

Every time it was left alone, something bad happened.

Although Qin Zhao had prepared himself for this, seeing the little fish in such a state still made him feel guilty.

Last night’s dream had left him feeling uneasy, and today he had indeed been avoiding the little fish, never expecting it to turn out like this.

However, he didn’t say much, simply stroking the little fish in his hand with his finger. Sensing the little creature gradually calming down, Qin Zhao finally said, “We still have some meat left from yesterday. How about I go cook it now?”

The little koi nodded.

When buying meat the previous day, Qin Zhao had also picked up some potatoes.

He first washed and diced the pork belly and potatoes. To make it easier for the little fish to eat, he made sure to cut the meat into smaller pieces.

The recipe for braised pork was simple: first, he caramelized sugar in the pan before adding the diced meat. Once the surface of the pork belly changed color, he added seasoning, water, and the diced potatoes, then covered the pot to let it simmer.

The aroma of the cooking meat quickly filled the entire house.

While waiting for the meat to cook, Qin Zhao also made some dough and steamed a batch of buns.

Jing Li loved watching Qin Zhao cook, and his eyes were practically glued to the scene.

Both the meat and buns would take a while to cook, so Qin Zhao used the time to share his plans with the little koi.

“…In a couple of days, once the materials are ready, the house can start being built,” Qin Zhao said, gently playing with the little koi’s dorsal fin. “As for those two plots of land, I’m planning to hire someone from the village to do the farming work. I asked around today, and it would take two days for experienced farmers to clear and plow the fields. The wages would be eighty wen.”

The little koi wagged its tail.

That’s a bit expensive.

Eighty wen could buy sixteen pieces of white sugar cake.

Qin Zhao thought for a moment and added, “If I can borrow a plow ox, it would only take half a day to finish the plowing. However, there aren’t many households in the village with water buffaloes…”

The wages for two days would be eighty wen, but with a plow ox, including labor and the rental cost, the total wouldn’t exceed thirty wen.

That would save more than half the cost.

But as Qin Zhao mentioned, there were very few households in the village with plow oxen, and whether they were willing to lend one to Qin Zhao was another matter.

What to do?

Jing Li felt a bit troubled.

Qin Zhao, however, didn’t seem too worried. “I’ll go to the village head’s house this afternoon and ask around. I’ll post a notice and see if I can rent one.”

It will work out!

The little koi nuzzled against Qin Zhao’s fingers.

Qin Zhao watched as the little koi gradually regained its vitality, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes.

Jing Li didn’t suspect anything as to why Qin Zhao would share all this with a fish, but Qin Zhao indeed had a reason for doing so.

By letting the little fish know everything about the household, it made Qin Zhao feel like it was also a part of the family.

This strange sense of connection was particularly satisfying.

Jing Li played with Qin Zhao for a while longer before the meat had finally finished stewing.

As the lid was lifted, the aroma of the meat filled the air.

Qin Zhao brought the meat and steamed buns to the table, and Jing Li eagerly wagged his tail, waiting for him to be fed. But before Qin Zhao could serve him, there was a sudden, urgent knock at the door.

Qin Zhao opened the door.

It was Chen Yanan.

“You’re here just in time,” Qin Zhao said, not surprised to see him, as they had agreed yesterday that Chen Yanan would come by in the morning to pick up a book. “I just finished cooking the meat. Come in and have some.”

“N-no, I can’t eat. You need to come with me right now.” Chen Yanan was out of breath. “My grandma’s not doing well!”

Jing Li thought that every time Chen Yanan came to their house, it was never for anything good.

Last time, Qin Zhao was almost driven out of the village, and now Chen Yanan was bringing bad news again.

…And he hadn’t even had a chance to taste the braised pork he’d been looking forward to.

Though this time, it wasn’t entirely Chen Yanan’s fault.

Jing Li sulked at the bottom of the fish basket, feeling disgruntled.

Seeing the little fish looking so listless, Qin Zhao shook his head and said, “I told you to stay at home.”

Staying at home would have allowed him to transform into human form and sneak a taste. After all, it wouldn’t have been the first time for the little demon.

But Jing Li was, of course, unwilling.

Nothing good ever happened when he was left alone at home. What if that cat came back to bother him?

“Are you talking to me?” Chen Yanan asked, turning back.

“…” Qin Zhao was silent for a moment before saying, “It’s nothing. I just wanted to ask what’s going on? A few days ago, when I treated her with acupuncture, she clearly seemed to be recovering.”

After diagnosing the old lady, Qin Zhao had visited the Chen family to perform acupuncture for three consecutive days.

On the third day, the old lady had regained consciousness, and half of her body was already capable of slight movement.

How could she suddenly be in such a critical state again?

“I don’t know what happened either. Last night, my grandma even got out of bed and took a few steps. She looked like she was almost recovered,” Chen Yanan explained, walking quickly as he spoke. “But this morning, she couldn’t get out of bed. We thought she just hadn’t woken up yet, so we didn’t disturb her.”

“It wasn’t until this late in the day that we realized something was wrong. My mother went to check on her and found that she couldn’t move at all!”

Qin Zhao frowned slightly, deep in thought.

They soon arrived at the Chen family’s home. Just as Chen Yanan was about to lead Qin Zhao inside, a figure blocked the doorway.

It was Chen’s third son.

He was about the same height as Qin Zhao, but his body was strong from years of labor. Standing in the doorway, he completely blocked the entrance.

Chen Yanan said, “Third Uncle, what are you doing?”

“Shut up,” Chen Laosan barked, then turned to Qin Zhao and said, “Why are you here today?”

Qin Zhao calmly replied, “I’m here to save a life, of course.”

“Save a life? I think you’re here to harm someone,” Chen Laosan sneered. “Last time, after you treated my mother, her condition only got worse. And don’t forget, you made a bet with my sister-in-law last time. You said if you didn’t save her within three days, you’d leave Linxi Village. So why haven’t you left yet?”

Chen Yanan tried to intervene, “Third Uncle…”

“Saving a life is the priority; everything else can wait,” Qin Zhao said. “Now, Old Madam Chen is unconscious, and the situation is critical. Please step aside.”

“You—”

“Laosan!” a voice interrupted as Chen Dasao hurried out of the courtyard. “I was the one who sent Xiaoan to fetch Qin Zhao. Step aside.”

“But, Sister-in-law, he clearly—”

Chen Dasao cut him off, “Are you going to move or not?”

Seeing her firm stance, Chen Laosan didn’t dare argue further and stepped aside, allowing Qin Zhao to enter the courtyard.

Inside the main house, a large family gathered in the outer room, arguing loudly about something.

“How can you say that? Don’t you have a conscience?”

“How am I being heartless? Mother’s been bedridden for so long. Even if she recovers, do you think she’ll be able to walk again? Keeping her alive with medicine is just prolonging her suffering!”

“I actually agree. Rather than this, it might be better to let her go peacefully.”

“Hmph, you just want her to die quickly so you can split the inheritance, don’t you?”

“What nonsense are you all talking about?!” Chen Dasao snapped. “Mother is still lying in there, and you’re here discussing this?”

The room fell silent after her outburst.

Jing Li peeked out from the top of the fish basket, glanced around, then shrank back down.

In their situation, everyone had their own thoughts and difficulties, so it couldn’t be said that anyone was entirely wrong. But such thoughts… were just too cold-hearted.

If the old lady could hear this, how heartbroken would she be?

Qin Zhao, however, remained calm. He bowed slightly to those in the room and said, “Please, everyone, wait outside.”

There were still some who seemed reluctant, but under Chen Dasao’s stern glare, they kept quiet and shuffled out.

Chen Dasao led Qin Zhao into the inner room, where a younger couple was keeping watch by the bed.

“Fourth Brother, take your wife and step outside,” Chen Dasao instructed.

The man bore a resemblance to Chen Laosan but wasn’t as tall. The woman beside him looked frail. She hesitated, “Sister-in-law, who is this?”

“This is Doctor Qin. You were at your parents’ house a few days ago, so you didn’t see him. He’s the one who treated Mother earlier,” Chen Dasao explained. “Now, go outside and let him take a look at her.”

The woman still seemed unsure. “Maybe I should stay. In case he needs any help…”

“There’s no need,” Qin Zhao said coolly. “Please wait outside.”

“But…”

The woman started to protest, but her husband gently pulled her aside and led her out of the room.

Chen Dasao said, “I’ll wait outside too. If you need anything, just call.”

Qin Zhao thought for a moment and then said, “There is something I need your help with.”

“Are the remnants of the medicine from the past few days still here?”

The door was closed, and the old lady lying on the bed had a pale, ashen face, looking even worse than when he had seen her a few days ago.

Qin Zhao placed the fish basket on the small table by the bed and sat down at the bedside to check her pulse.

The little koi fish poked its head out of the basket, its tail gently swaying behind it without conscious effort.

As soon as Qin Zhao mentioned the medicine residue, Jing Li had a hunch about the reason.

Someone must have tampered with the medicine.

He would bet a meal of red-braised pork on it.

Qin Zhao stayed in the room from noon until the afternoon.

It wasn’t until the sun was about to set that the door to the main room finally opened.

Qin Zhao didn’t look well; his face was pale, and his lips had a faintly white tinge. As he stepped out, Chen Dasao immediately rushed over. “How… how is she?”

Instead of answering, Qin Zhao asked, “Where’s the medicine residue?”

“Here it is!” Chen Yanan came forward, holding a bamboo basket filled with medicine residue. “We threw away the previous days’ residue, but this is what’s left from yesterday and today.”

Qin Zhao rummaged through the medicine residue for a moment and then asked, “Who went to get the medicine?”

“I did.” Chen Laosan stepped forward, noticing that something was wrong with Qin Zhao’s expression, and added defensively, “Don’t you dare accuse me of anything. I followed your prescription exactly!”

Qin Zhao replied, “But the prescription I gave didn’t include Chuanxiong.”

“Chuan… Chuan what?” Chen Laosan didn’t catch the name but quickly realized something and argued loudly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I just followed your prescription to get the medicine!”

Qin Zhao explained, “Chuanxiong is known for promoting the circulation of qi, relieving stagnation, and alleviating pain. It could indeed be considered appropriate for treating Old Madam Chen’s condition. However, this herb is extremely potent and is not suitable for long-term illness patients with spleen and kidney yin deficiency.”

“Moreover, there was far too much Chuanxiong in the residue.”

Chen Dasao asked in alarm, “So, does that mean my mother really…?”

Qin Zhao nodded.

Chen Dasao turned to Chen Laosan in a rage, “Chen Laosan, what’s going on?!”

“I don’t know! I really don’t know!” Chen Laosan insisted, “My sister-in-law has been preparing the medicine these past few days. Why don’t you ask her? Her brother even works as an apprentice in a medical clinic in town!”

Everyone began shouting and ran to confront the fourth daughter-in-law. The frail woman, surrounded by accusations, didn’t say a word before bursting into tears.

Qin Zhao watched the chaos unfold with indifference and shook his head.

The answer was obvious.

As the sky gradually darkened, Chen Yanan wiped the elderly woman’s face and asked, “Can my grandmother wake up?”

Qin Zhao, leaning tiredly against the chair next to him, rubbed his temples. “She fell unconscious because the herb was too potent, which worsened the blood stasis. I’ve already used acupuncture to clear her meridians. If she wakes up, she’ll be fine. But whether she wakes up or not depends on luck.”

Chen Yanan tossed the cloth back into the water basin and rubbed his face. “My fourth aunt wants to split the family inheritance.”

Qin Zhao replied, “I know.”

“It’s not just her. Everyone wants to split the inheritance,” Chen Yanan continued. “My mother, Third Uncle, Fourth Aunt—they’ve all long been tired of living together and don’t want to continue devoting energy to taking care of my grandmother.”

While the elder members of the Chen family argued over the tampering with the medicine, it fell to Chen Yanan, the younger generation, to care for the elderly woman.

Qin Zhao asked, “But you don’t want to?”

“I… I don’t really want that either,” Chen Yanan’s voice was hoarse. “I just don’t want my grandma’s health to be the price we pay for all this.”

Qin Zhao patted Chen Yanan’s shoulder, and the latter buried his head in his hands. Before long, Qin Zhao could hear Chen Yanan’s muffled sobs.

“My… my grandma has been really good to me.”

The chubby boy was crying so hard that his shoulders shook, looking a bit comical.

Jing Li’s fish basket was still placed on the small table by the bed. By lifting his body slightly, he could see the elderly woman lying on the bed.

The old woman had white hair and was breathing steadily, as if she were just sleeping.

This woman had a kind heart. If it hadn’t been for her saving a severely ill Qin Zhao and renting out the vacant house in her home to him, who knows what would have happened to Qin Zhao.

Good people should be rewarded.

Jing Li thought to himself.

Not far away, the chubby boy was still sobbing, saying, “If grandma can wake up, I swear I’ll study hard, pass the imperial exams, and never cause her or my mom any more trouble.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the old woman on the bed gave a light cough.

Jing Li: “…”

Was it really that effective?

He swished his tail and looked back at Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao naturally noticed this too. He turned his attention back to Chen Yanan and said, “You really mean what you just said?”

Chen Yanan replied, “Why would I lie about something like this? But… but…”

“Your grandma has woken up.”

“Don’t lie to me, how could she—”

Chen Yanan’s words stopped abruptly.

He looked up, and the old woman on the bed coughed lightly again, her hand by her side twitching slightly.

Chen Yanan: “…………”

With Old Madam Chen awake, the Chen family quickly fell into chaos again, with only Qin Zhao pausing to thoughtfully glance at the little koi fish in the basket.

By the time Qin Zhao returned home with the little koi fish, it was already dark.

He placed the little koi back into the wooden bucket, then went to reheat the red-braised pork and steamed buns from the morning, and brought them to the table.

“Time to eat.” Qin Zhao tapped the edge of the bucket.

The little koi’s movements seemed much slower than usual. After a long moment, it sluggishly swam up, almost bumping into the side of the bucket.

Qin Zhao quickly placed his hand in front of the fish, preventing it from hitting its head.

“What’s wrong with you?” Qin Zhao poked the little koi. “Tired?”

N… not tired…

If Jing Li were in human form right now, Qin Zhao would see how his eyelids were drooping, unable to stay open.

For some reason, ever since leaving the Chen household, Jing Li had been overwhelmingly sleepy, just wanting to get a good rest.

At first, he had felt quite energetic.

The little koi tried to stay awake, its fins weakly fluttering by its sides.

No, he couldn’t sleep yet… He hadn’t even had a single bite of the red-braised pork he’d been thinking about all day…

Qin Zhao noticed that the fish wasn’t in good spirits and said, “Just get some sleep. You can eat tomorrow.”

“No…” Jing Li stubbornly replied, “I want to eat the pork…”

Jing Li was so drowsy that he didn’t even notice he had spoken in human language.

That clear, soft voice, which was unmistakably a young boy’s, made Qin Zhao pause slightly. When he spoke, his voice was somewhat hoarse. “…Little fish?”

But the little koi didn’t respond.

Qin Zhao reached out and touched the fish’s head. The little koi gently floated to the bottom of the bucket, no longer moving, except for the slight movement of its gills as it breathed.

…Did he fall asleep?