Ch 31: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Ever since he saw that woman coming to look for Qin Zhao, Jing Li had been in low spirits. He didn’t even nap with Qin Zhao; instead, he quietly returned to his little wooden bucket.

The little koi fish sank to the bottom of the bucket, curling up, and every scale on his body seemed to be saying, “I’m not happy.”

Qin Zhao looked at the little koi fish sulking in the water and sighed helplessly.

He reached into the water, gently rubbing the little fish’s head, and said, “I’m heading out for a bit. Be careful at home by yourself and don’t let anyone see you.”

The little koi fish lightly flicked its tail, rubbing its head against Qin Zhao’s fingers.

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but see a hint of grievance in the fish’s behavior.

This little guy was most likely still upset about the woman who came by at noon.

Qin Zhao guessed this was the case, so he decided to pay a visit to Aunt He’s house.

Normally, Qin Zhao didn’t care about the opinions of the villagers, nor did he like to waste time on social relationships. So, even though he understood many things, he rarely got involved.

Like what happened today.

The visit from that woman at noon carried an obvious implication. By nature, he would have just sent her away without much thought, not wanting to engage further.

But now he had changed his mind.

If he simply sent people away without clearing things up, situations like this would keep happening.

He didn’t want to see his little fish unhappy every time something like this occurred.

The courtyard gate was open, and Aunt He was inside hanging laundry. Qin Zhao knocked on the door.

“Who is it?” Aunt He poked her head out, and when she saw it was him, her expression darkened slightly. But she didn’t show it too much, forcing a smile as she walked over. “Oh, it’s Qin Zhao. What’s the matter? Is there something wrong with the clothes?”

Qin Zhao replied warmly, “No, Aunt He, your craftsmanship is excellent. The clothes fit my husband perfectly.”

He kept referring to Jing Li as his husband.

Aunt He was somewhat frustrated with Qin Zhao but didn’t show it. She asked patiently, “Then what brings you here?”

Qin Zhao said, “I wanted to talk about the young lady who delivered the clothes at noon.”

The girl who came to deliver the clothes today was Aunt He’s niece, named Ah Xiu.

The girl had always liked handsome men, and Ah Xiu was no exception. She had been fond of Qin Zhao for a long time, but her family elders had previously considered Qin Zhao too poor and often bedridden. They feared that if their daughter married him, she would spend her life caring for him.

So, they had firmly forbidden Ah Xiu from associating with Qin Zhao.

But things were different now.

Qin Zhao’s life was visibly improving, and he looked much healthier. It was even said that the annotations he made for the Chen family’s eldest grandson were highly praised by the town’s teacher.

In this small village, people had the utmost respect for scholars. If Qin Zhao were to achieve success in the imperial exams, he would have a bright future ahead.

Because of this, many families in the village with unmarried daughters began to set their sights on Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao was good-looking, and there were hardly any women who wouldn’t want to marry him. As for that husband already in his home…

In this era, having multiple wives and concubines was considered normal, and a shuang’er held a status even lower than a concubine in the household. Naturally, no one would consider the feelings of that fu lang.

They all assumed that Qin Zhao wouldn’t care about this either. After all, marrying a young and beautiful wife was surely better than keeping a “shuang’er” who couldn’t do much work and wasn’t good for bearing children, right?

Aunt He knew that many people in the village thought this way, so she and Ah Xiu’s mother decided to act first. Today, taking advantage of the fact that Qin Zhao’s fu lang was not home, they sent Ah Xiu over under the pretense of delivering clothes, so she could meet Qin Zhao.

Ah Xiu’s family had a few houses in the village and four or five acres of land. Though not wealthy, they were relatively well-off.

In Aunt He’s mind, Qin Zhao should have no reason to refuse.

But she hadn’t expected that he would show no consideration at all, directly sending the girl back.

If word got out, what would happen to the girl’s reputation in the village?

So, Aunt He was actually a bit displeased with Qin Zhao.

Now, hearing him bring up Ah Xiu again, Aunt He felt a glimmer of hope.

Could he be regretting his earlier decision?

Or perhaps he hadn’t wanted her to stay longer at the time for fear of being seen?

As she was thinking this, she heard Qin Zhao say, “I hope, Aunt He, that you won’t act this way again. If such things were to spread, it would harm the young lady’s reputation, and besides… if my ‘fu lang’ were to see it, he might misunderstand.”

Aunt He was speechless.

Why does he keep mentioning his “fu lang”!

Aunt He’s expression darkened slightly. She decided to drop the pretense and spoke plainly, “Qin Zhao, I’m doing this for your own good. You’re not young anymore, and there are many in the village your age whose sons are already helping in the fields. You’ve brought a ‘fu lang’ home now, but when will he ever give you a son?”

This village was isolated, and the people’s thoughts were naturally traditional. Qin Zhao didn’t argue with her; he simply shook his head and said, “That’s not what I’m after.”

“Then what is it for?” Aunt He couldn’t understand. “Do you really just like him?”

Qin Zhao’s heart fluttered slightly.

There was no doubt about it.

If he didn’t like him, why would he dream of that face over and over again? If he didn’t like him, why would he knowingly keep a little fish that might be a little demon, pretending not to know, and taking care of him for so long?

If he didn’t like him, why would he go to such lengths to have that little guy pose as his “fu lang”?

Of course he liked him.

Suppressing the slight tremor in his heart, Qin Zhao smiled gently and nodded openly, “Yes, I like him.”

“So I don’t want anyone making him unhappy, and I definitely don’t want anything to hurt him. Aside from him, I won’t accept anyone else.”

“I’ve said all I need to say, and I hope Aunt He will understand.”

With that, he didn’t wait for her reaction and turned to leave.

He had said what needed to be said. Word traveled fast in the village, and soon everyone would know that Qin Zhao had no intention of taking a wife, and they wouldn’t bother him anymore.

Now… the little fish should be less upset.

But Qin Zhao didn’t know that Jing Li’s worries weren’t actually about this at all.

Since Qin Zhao had made it clear at noon that he didn’t like women, Jing Li hadn’t given the matter another thought. What really troubled him was… how on earth was he going to find a man for Qin Zhao?

Even if it wasn’t to stay, he still felt that he should help Qin Zhao fulfill his wish.

As a so-called koi fish, he had been freeloading off Qin Zhao for months without showing any worth.

And that just didn’t sit right with him.

But Jing Li thought about it all afternoon and still couldn’t figure out what to do.

The little koi sighed heavily in the water, releasing a string of bubbles.

He was starting to feel sleepy and wanted to go back to bed for a nap. Just as the little koi jumped out of the wooden tub and transformed back into his human form, slipping on his clothes, he heard someone knocking on the door.

“Qin Zhao, are you home? It’s me!” The voice was full of energy. Jing Li hesitated in his steps toward the door, not particularly eager to answer.

It was Chen Yanan.

That little chubby guy never brought good news whenever he came.

But the chubby guy kept knocking persistently, which was quite annoying. Jing Li had no choice but to walk over and open the door.

“Qin Zhao isn’t here. Do you need something from him?” he asked, not bothering to hide his irritation.

Chen Yanan clearly didn’t expect Jing Li to answer the door. He was stunned for a moment, and then his ears turned bright red.

“I-I-I…” Chen Yanan stammered, his face turning red all the way down to his neck. “I…I need to talk to Qin Zhao. I…”

Jing Li: “…”

What’s wrong with this guy?

He leaned forward, observing Chen Yanan’s face closely. “Your face is really red. Are you sick?”

“N-no, I’m not!”

Chen Yanan could barely get a word out.

He knew that Qin Zhao had a new fu lang at home, but he had been busy with his own family’s affairs these past few days and hadn’t had a chance to visit. Today, he came to see Qin Zhao with a bit of ulterior motive, curious to see what Qin Zhao’s supposedly very beautiful fu lang looked like.

The boy in front of him seemed quite young, with a slight frown on his face. His features were delicate and beautiful. His long hair, not yet tied up, cascaded down his back like a waterfall, and his robe was slightly disheveled. The sight nearly took Chen Yanan’s breath away.

Jing Li, growing impatient, asked, “Do you actually need something, or should I just close the door?”

“Yes, yes!” Chen Yanan snapped back to reality and said, “I have something very important to discuss with Qin Zhao. When will he be back?”

“I don’t know. Maybe you should come back la—” Jing Li was about to send him away when a thought suddenly crossed his mind. He paused, then smiled at Chen Yanan, opening the door wider. “Why don’t you come in and sit for a while?”

Chen Yanan: “!”

“I-I-I… this isn’t appropriate, is it? Qin Zhao isn’t even here, I-I-I…” Chen Yanan stuttered, completely flustered, but Jing Li tugged him inside with a firm pull.

“Sit down.” Jing Li pushed Chen Yanan into a chair by the table and, showing great politeness, poured him a glass of water before sitting down across from him.

The chubby guy was so nervous he didn’t know what to do with his hands. Jing Li propped his chin on his hand and smiled gently. “Drink the water.”

“Oh, drink the water, right…” Chen Yanan gulped down a mouthful of water, but drank too quickly and ended up choking, coughing for quite a while before he calmed down.

“Pfft.” Jing Li couldn’t help but laugh.

Was this chubby guy always this adorable?

Chen Yanan’s face turned bright red as he stammered, “Maybe I should just leave…”

“Don’t be hasty,” Jing Li stopped him, glancing toward the door before lowering his voice, “I actually invited you in because I need your help with something.”

Chen Yanan was taken aback and looked Jing Li up and down.

Jing Li continued, “I just wanted to ask you if you have—”

“No, I don’t!” Chen Yanan suddenly jumped up, declaring righteously, “You married Brother Qin, so you’re his, which means you’re my sister-in-law. I might be a bit clueless and lack ambition, but at least I’m a scholar. I would never take what belongs to someone else, nor would I get involved in anything improper with my sister-in-law. I advise you to drop whatever you’re thinking!”

Jing Li: “…”

Jing Li: “???”

What nonsense is this chubby guy spouting?

Jing Li was both angry and exasperated. “What do you take me for? I just—”

“What do you mean, ‘just’? You’re dressed like this, you pulled me inside, and you closed the door. Do you think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?” Chen Yanan said sternly. “Brother Qin might have had some unclear past, but that’s all behind him now. Since you’re married to him, you should uphold the duties of a spouse and stop thinking about such nonsense.”

“I’m really not—” Jing Li started to protest but then paused, asking, “What do you mean by ‘Brother Qin had some unclear past’? What happened to him?”

Chen Yanan froze and turned away, saying, “If you don’t know, then just leave it. I won’t say anything.”

Jing Li’s brow furrowed.

Is this related to Qin Zhao’s illness?

Or perhaps to his background?

Since Qin Zhao was initially rescued by the Chen family, they must know things that others don’t.

Jing Li asked, “Do you know what illness he has?”

Chen Yanan replied, “Of course I do! I remember it clearly! The year he first came to the village, he was so sick he couldn’t even crawl, and I was the one who fetched his medicine!”

“What exactly is his illness?”

“Why should I tell you?”

Jing Li wanted to press further, but Chen Yanan stubbornly refused to reveal anything more, so he had to let it go for now.

With a sigh, Jing Li sat down at the table. “Alright, let’s forget about that for now. I wanted to ask you something else. Don’t be so nervous.”

Chen Yanan, still standing by the door and eyeing Jing Li warily, asked, “What is it?”

“I want to know, how many unmarried men are there in the village?”

Chen Yanan looked shocked. “You’re not satisfied with going after me, and now you’re looking for someone else?!”

Jing Li: “…”

The two of them exchanged a glance before Chen Yanan averted his eyes and said, “Alright, first tell me why you’re asking these questions, and then I’ll decide whether or not to believe you.”

“I’m asking for someone else,” Jing Li responded, using the excuse he’d already prepared. “To be honest, I have an older brother who’s looking to find a partner here in Linxi Village, so I’m helping him look around.”

Chen Yanan asked, “Is your brother also a shuang’er?”

“No,” Jing Li answered truthfully, “But he likes men.”

“I see…” Chen Yanan didn’t seem suspicious as he moved to sit across from Jing Li. “That’s going to be tough. Most people in the village are waiting to marry a wife and have a few sons. Who would want to marry a man?”

“True…” Jing Li lowered his eyes.

Chen Yanan glanced at him, then hesitantly asked, “Is your brother… as good-looking as you?”

“Me?” Jing Li blinked. “He’s much better looking than me. I’ve never met anyone more handsome than him.”

“Even better looking than you?” Chen Yanan’s eyes lit up as he leaned in and whispered, “Well, in that case, I might know someone.”

Jing Li’s eyes brightened as well. “Who?”

Chen Yanan said, “Me.”

Jing Li: “…”

There was a brief silence in the room before Chen Yanan bristled, “What’s with that look? I’m going to pass the exams and become a scholar, okay? Don’t look down on me!”

Jing Li silently stared at him.

It’s not about looking down or not.

Even if Chen Yanan somehow managed to become a scholar, just looking at his physique and appearance…

Jing Li was certain that if he even mentioned this to Qin Zhao, Qin Zhao would probably skin him alive and turn him into fish soup.

Chen Yanan, realizing his own shortcomings, stopped struggling and sighed in defeat, “Fine, let’s think about it some more. How about the son of Uncle Tiezhu who lives at the village entrance?”

“That one? He’s as dark as coal. No.”

“Then what about Li Er’guo, who lives at the end of the village?”

“Isn’t he a bit too short? No.”

“How about the Wang family on the west side of the village?”

“What? Isn’t he mentally challenged and can’t even speak?”

“Oh, right…”

…

Chen Yanan kept talking until his mouth was dry, but Jing Li didn’t fancy any of them. After gulping down a large glass of water, Chen Yanan asked, “You’ve rejected everyone in the village. What exactly are you looking for?”

“I…” Jing Li slumped on the table, distressed. “I don’t know either.” –

He had never done something like this before, and after searching through all the options, he felt that none of them were good enough for his Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao was so outstanding; there was no way he was going to settle for just anyone.

None of them were even as good as himself.

Jing Li let out a heavy sigh in his heart.

This is stressing him out.