Ch 59: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

After a chaotic scene, Qin Zhao led Jing Li back home.

“You’re already a person; how can you still be so afraid of cats?” Qin Zhao sighed.

Jing Li quietly replied, “I was afraid when I was a person too…”

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Jing Li cleared his throat and spoke with righteousness, “Cats are so scary! Their bites hurt so much!”

He decisively changed the subject, not wanting to continue discussing it with Qin Zhao: “How did things go with Qing’er’s father?”

Qin Zhao responded, “He has already agreed. Lin Qing’er will participate in the apprenticeship ceremony in two days.”

Jing Li blinked curiously, “How did you persuade him?”

Qin Zhao said, “I promised him one request.”

“What request?” Jing Li asked.

“It’s a secret,” Qin Zhao replied.

“…”

What’s there to keep secret about?

Qin Zhao was determined not to tell Jing Li, no matter how many times he asked, he couldn’t find out the truth.

The two of them first went to water the vegetable garden and then returned home to prepare for the upcoming school term. After the apprenticeship ceremony, classes would officially start, so Qin Zhao needed to prepare the required books and course content in advance.

Jing Li helped him with the preparations, but his attention was quickly diverted, and before long, he had forgotten about it.

In the afternoon, after Qin Zhao organized the list of books he would need, he looked up from the scrolls to find Jing Li already asleep on the table.

Qin Zhao reached out and poked his soft cheek.

The young man was sleeping soundly; he didn’t wake up even when teased, only furrowing his brows and mumbling something before turning to sleep in another direction. The side of his face was pressed against a book, leaving a red mark, making him look particularly adorable.

Qin Zhao got up and walked over to Jing Li, draping one arm over his shoulder and the other under his knees, lifting him up.

Jing Li was small and thin, weighing very little, but Qin Zhao still found it a bit strenuous to carry him. He walked slowly towards the bed and gently placed Jing Li on the mattress.

After doing this, Qin Zhao silently sighed, his breathing a bit unsteady.

The effects of the medication he had taken were mostly alleviated, but over the years, his body had been severely damaged by the herbal remedies, and it would likely take more than a day or two to recover.

“I need to recover quickly…”

Qin Zhao sighed ambiguously, holding Jing Li as he lay down, his mind drifting back to the discussion with Father Lin.

“Fulfill one of my wishes? Then tell me, what wish is worth me reconsidering?” The Lin family’s house was dimly lit, and the furniture was old and worn, yet everything was kept clean, with a strong smell of alcohol lingering in the air.

Lin Qing’er’s father sat in a chair in the living room, shaking the empty wine bottle on the table.

Qin Zhao said, “Yu Niang.”

Father Lin paused.

He scoffed, “That dead girl told you everything, did she?”

“You’ve been hiding in the village all these years, afraid to interact with others and even more afraid to let Qing’er go to the town. You’re still worried about the trouble Yu Niang’s family might bring to her, aren’t you?” Qin Zhao asked, “What crime did Yu Niang’s father commit?”

Father Lin remained silent for a moment before laughing again: “You don’t mean to say that you can help clear her family’s name, do you? I heard you’re taking the imperial examination next year and might even become an official. But you can’t help them, so don’t think about it.”

Qin Zhao ignored his remarks and continued, “Yu Niang has been dead for many years, yet you still hide everywhere. Clearly, the crime her father committed is serious. Was it the extermination of nine clans?”

“Shut up.”

Qin Zhao replied calmly, “I shouldn’t interfere in this matter, but my husband is worried, and I don’t want to see him unhappy. I can promise you that if there’s a chance in the future, I will investigate the truth and seek justice for Yu Niang’s family.”

“As for Qing’er, I will advise her not to leave the village until this matter is resolved. Will that ease your mind?”

Father Lin fell silent for a long time.

“I really don’t understand you.” After a while, he said in a hoarse voice, “Since you’ve guessed it’s a grave crime involving the extermination of nine clans, why wade into this murky water? It’s meddling, and do you think you can handle them?”

Qin Zhao replied, “Qing’er has not yet reached marriageable age; this incident must have happened over ten years ago. The nearest capital city to here is Jiangling, so the incident took place in Jiangling Prefecture.”

“So what if it is?”

Qin Zhao sighed silently, her features indistinct in the darkness: “Then it’s no longer a trivial matter.”

The elementary school held the apprenticeship ceremony as scheduled, with Qin Zhao and the village chief seated in the main positions, receiving the bows of over ten students.

The school in the village had the same teaching schedule as the one in town, with two days off every ten days. Qin Zhao and the village chief took turns teaching, and occasionally, Chen Yan’an would come to help out.

As time went on, the children noticed that the village chief’s teaching style was quite rigid, making reading dull and boring. In contrast, Chen Yan’an often took the students out to play halfway through his lessons, which Qin Zhao reprimanded him for several times.

Only when it was Qin Zhao’s turn to teach did the atmosphere change. Although he was serious, his explanations were detailed yet not stiff, making it easy to understand, and he was the students’ favorite. As a result, on the days Qin Zhao was scheduled to teach, the children eagerly awaited his arrival, often coming to the classroom early.

However, there was one minor flaw.

Mr. Qin’s teaching was excellent, but he often wasn’t punctual, always arriving just on time. He even occasionally asked for leave, letting the village chief or Chen Yan’an substitute for him.

The situation became more frequent as winter approached.

On another day when it was Qin Zhao’s turn to teach, the classroom was already filled with children eagerly waiting.

— Originally, only eleven children had registered before the school year began, but now the number had increased to fifteen, making the small classroom feel even more cramped.

Lin Qing’er finished reciting the article from yesterday and turned her head to look out the window, sighing.

Mr. Qin was going to be late again.

In the bamboo courtyard adjacent to the school, Qin Zhao rubbed the soft little head in his arms and whispered, “It’s time to get up. Wake up.”

“I’m sleepy…” Jing Li burrowed deeper into Qin Zhao’s embrace, mumbling, “Just let me sleep a little longer; it’s too cold.”

“…” Qin Zhao replied, “That’s what you just said.”

Since winter arrived, it had become increasingly difficult for Jing Li to get out of bed.

This couldn’t really be blamed on him. Jing Li’s body was always cold, and without the protective scales, winter was indeed tough. In Linxi Village, they didn’t heat the beds in winter, and Qin Zhao had anticipated that his little fish would likely be afraid of the cold. Before winter set in, he prepared several charcoal basins at home and bought a lot of cotton quilts and padded clothing.

But the effect was still minimal.

Every morning before getting up, Jing Li would linger in Qin Zhao’s arms for at least half an hour, causing Qin Zhao to be late for class.

Qin Zhao kissed Jing Li’s cold cheek and said softly, “I promised to teach them rhyme today; if I don’t go now, it’ll be too late.”

“…” Jing Li stopped moving, seemingly pondering for a moment, then closed his eyes and slowly shifted his body out of Qin Zhao’s embrace.

Then he turned over, wrapping himself in the quilt, exposing only his fluffy little head.

Qin Zhao: “…”

This clearly meant he planned to skip class again.

Jing Li hadn’t formally registered for the apprenticeship; he simply moved a small stool into the classroom whenever it was Qin Zhao’s turn to teach. The village chief initially thought this was inappropriate, but since Mr. Qin doted on him and he didn’t disrupt the teaching progress, he could only turn a blind eye.

But that had been a few months ago.

Perhaps because the weather had turned colder, Jing Li had been feeling more drowsy lately and couldn’t get out of bed until well after sunrise. Even if he occasionally woke up on time and followed Qin Zhao to the school, he couldn’t last long before dozing off at his desk.

He had heard that some fish reduce their activity in winter to conserve energy. Could it be that this little fish was the same?

With this thought in mind, Qin Zhao got up to wash and dress.

Without anyone beside him, the warmed blanket quickly cooled down again. Jing Li curled up tightly within it, and his toes touched something warm.

It was the hot water bottle that Qin Zhao had given him before leaving.

But that thing could only warm up a small area; it was far inferior to the warmth of a living person like Qin Zhao. Jing Li stepped on it, yawned, and still felt drowsy but couldn’t sleep because he was too cold.

This wretched weather was unbearable.

It was only the beginning of the twelfth month, and it was already this cold; how would he cope later?

Rubbing his eyes, Jing Li waited until his feet warmed up before dragging his groggy body out of bed to get dressed.

In the kitchen, there was porridge and flatbread that Qin Zhao had prepared before leaving, simmering gently on the stove, still warm.

Feeling too cold to have much of an appetite, Jing Li drank only a couple of sips of porridge before putting it down and curling up beside the stove to warm himself by the fire.

He could faintly hear the sound of reading drifting over the walls.

The heating in the school was worse than at home, and sitting there for a long time made his feet ache with cold, which was one of the reasons he had increasingly liked to slack off and skip school. But Qin Zhao wasn’t so lucky; after spending a few hours in there, his hands would come back ice-cold.

Yet that guy still refused to wear something thicker.

Just as Jing Li thought of this, he turned around and indeed saw a plush robe hanging next to the cupboard.

Jing Li: “…”

This robe was made from animal hide. When winter first set in, Li Hongyu had gone hunting in the mountains with his father and brought back two wolves. The intact pelts were to be sold in the town, but Jing Li had asked him to sell him some scraps, which he had then sewn into this robe.

The animal hide had good insulation properties, making it perfect for Qin Zhao to wear to class.

Most likely, that guy found the kitchen too warm, so he casually took it off while making breakfast and forgot to take it with him when he left.

This had happened more than once.

Jing Li hesitated for a moment.

The school had already been in session for a while; he wasn’t keen on interrupting the class by going in halfway. But if he didn’t go…

It was so cold in the classroom that Qin Zhao could get sick.

With no other choice, Jing Li took the robe and stepped out the door.

As soon as Jing Li stepped into the academy, he could hear Qin Zhao’s voice reciting from the classroom. Jing Li quietly tiptoed to the door and peeked inside through the crack.

No one dared to get distracted or speak during Qin Zhao’s class. The room was silent, with more than a dozen students sitting in neat rows.

Qin Zhao sat at the main seat, holding a book with a focused expression: “…the frost is about to descend, and the geese have already flown over the pass; clouds gather for rain, and ants form columns before the courtyard…”

Suddenly, he paused and set the book down. “Come in.”

The door creaked open, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, Jing Li walked in, feeling a bit embarrassed. “Qin Zhao, you forgot your coat again.”

Qin Zhao tilted his head and looked at him, speaking calmly, “What did you just call me?”

Here we go again.

Jing Li could feel the eyes of the students on him, his ears burning slightly. In a low voice, he corrected himself, “Teacher.”

Qin Zhao nodded. “Copy today’s lesson once and give it to me tomorrow. Take a seat.”

Jing Li placed the coat by his side and quickly ran to sit in the last row.

Inside the academy, Qin Zhao treated all the students equally, and Jing Li was no exception. It wouldn’t have been a problem—if only this big bully didn’t insist on making him call him “teacher” even while they were in bed…

Rubbing his flushed ears, Jing Li buried his head in the book.

Today, Qin Zhao was teaching Sheng Lü Qi Meng (Introduction to Rhymed Sounds), a text Jing Li had long since memorized, so missing an hour didn’t really matter.

Before long, the clock outside chimed for midday. Qin Zhao set down his book and said, “Class dismissed.”

The classroom erupted in excitement, and the students quickly gathered their things and left in groups. Lin Qing’er, who had been sitting in the back row with Jing Li, finally dared to speak to him. “Why are you late again? Are you feeling unwell?”

Jing Li shook his head. “It’s just too cold. I couldn’t get up.”

“You can’t keep doing that; it’s not good to keep being punished to copy text,” Lin Qing’er said. “Doesn’t the teacher wake you up in the morning?”

Jing Li mumbled something vague, thinking to himself that Qin Zhao’s idea of waking him up involved nothing more than a few kisses and hugs. Getting out of bed after that was impossible.

As for copying the lesson, there was no need to worry. Qin Zhao always said he would make him copy it but had never actually made him finish.

Though, there was always some… cost for not finishing.

“Aren’t you going home yet?” Qin Zhao asked as he walked over, now draped in the coat, his tone calm.

Startled, Lin Qing’er jumped and hurriedly replied, “I’m going now!”

In a flurry, she grabbed her book, hastily said, “Goodbye, teacher,” and rushed out of the classroom.

Now, only Qin Zhao and Jing Li were left inside.

Jing Li watched Lin Qing’er’s retreating figure, puzzled. “Such a good girl, why is she so afraid of you now? What did you do to her?”

Compared to the strict and often punishing village head, Qin Zhao’s approach with his students was gentle and kind, yet everyone seemed to fear him even more than the village head.

Qin Zhao lowered his gaze, leaning on the desk in front of Jing Li. “But you’re not afraid of me.”

“I am afraid of you,” Jing Li hooked his arms around Qin Zhao’s neck, looking up into his handsome eyes. “But I’m only afraid of my teacher, not my husband.”

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh.

This little fish had gotten better at sweet-talking, leaving him helpless.

He wrapped Jing Li in his coat, kissed him lightly at the corner of his eye, and said softly, “The teacher’s class is over; your husband will take you home.”

Back at the house, Jing Li complained that it was too cold and followed Qin Zhao into the kitchen.

“What do you want for lunch?” Qin Zhao opened the pot, but upon seeing its contents, he frowned. “You didn’t have breakfast again?”

“I did,” Jing Li said as he pulled a stool over to sit by the stove, “I drank some porridge.”

Qin Zhao: “Only half a bowl.”

Jing Li curled up by the fire, mumbling, “But I still drank it.”

Qin Zhao, looking at him with concern, said, “Give me your hand, let me check your pulse.”

“No need,” Jing Li didn’t want to move in the cold, and he didn’t even lift his head. “You checked a few days ago; everything’s fine.”

Qin Zhao: “But your appetite hasn’t been good for several days. Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?”

The firelight from the stove reflected on Jing Li’s face as he murmured, “I’m just really cold.”

Qin Zhao said, “Hold on for a few more days. I’ve already written to Mr. Xue, asking if it’s possible for us to stay in the county for a while. It’s much warmer there than in the village. We can stay until after the county exams and even celebrate the New Year there.”

Jing Li’s eyes lit up, but he quickly remembered something and asked worriedly, “What about the academy? The exams are still more than two months away.”

“With the New Year approaching, the village will be busy, and the academy won’t hold classes. As for other times, we’ll have to rely on the village head to take over.”

Qin Zhao sighed, gently pinching Jing Li’s ear. “What else can we do? I can’t let my husband freeze and starve here. What would people think of me?”