Ch 60: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Xue Ren quickly replied, welcoming Qin Zhao and Jing Li to come anytime. He also mentioned that there were still vacant rooms in the house left by Ah Yi’s parents, which the two could temporarily stay in.

Additionally, he noted that the stoves in the townhouses were always lit, ensuring that it wouldn’t be cold inside.

— After reading the letter, Jing Li was eager to head to the county immediately.

However, no matter how anxious he was, there wasn’t much he could do. Qin Zhao still had more than ten students in the village, and he couldn’t just leave them behind.

Jing Li had no choice but to be patient and wait until Qin Zhao finished teaching Sound Rhymes Primer and completed the handover with the village head before they could leave.

As for the vegetable plot at home, Qin Zhao had long planned to spend the winter in the county. The vegetables they had planted were almost all eaten by now, and the excess had been given to the neighbors as compensation for helping take care of the wheat field.

Wheat, after entering winter, doesn’t require much attention, but this arrangement was made just in case anything unexpected happened.

By the time everything was arranged, and Qin Zhao and Jing Li were ready to depart for the county, it was already after the Laba Festival.

Before they left, the village head made a special visit to Qin Zhao’s home to deliver something.

It was a document proving Qin Zhao’s place of origin and a guarantor’s letter.

These two documents were necessary to submit when registering for the county examination.

The county exam would be held in early February, and registration would start in January. Qin Zhao was leaving the village with the intention of returning only after the exam, so he had to bring all the required documents with him.

The village head explained, “There was originally a law during the late emperor’s reign stating that those who relocated to the area had to pay taxes for twenty years before they could qualify for the imperial examinations. Fortunately, this rule was abolished years ago due to the chaos at the borders, with so many people migrating. Now, you only need a certificate of origin signed by the local township head.”

“I’ve already spoken to the township head on your behalf. He has long heard of your accomplishments and is willing to sign the certificate.”

Qin Zhao clasped his hands in thanks. “Thank you, Village Head.”

“No need to thank me,” the village head said with a smile, stroking his beard. “The guarantor’s letter is already signed, with me as your sponsor. When I went to see the township head two days ago, I mentioned that it has been many years since our town produced a juren. Don’t disappoint us.”

Producing even a xiucai was rare, let alone a juren.

For the township head to say such things showed that he had high expectations for Qin Zhao.

The village head continued, “However, you still need to find five fellow examinees for mutual guarantees. Candidates from our town usually vouch for each other. I’ve heard that you never attend scholars’ gatherings. Have you thought about who to ask for mutual sponsorship?”

Qin Zhao hadn’t considered this yet.

He wasn’t too concerned with socializing, and aside from Chen Yanan, he didn’t know any other candidates who would be taking the county exam.

Oh, wait. There was one more person.

Yan Xiu.

Ever since he was rejected by Qin Zhao, that guy had come up with excuses to visit a few more times in the past few months, but each time he was turned away at the door. Angered, he started spreading rumors around town, trying to ruin Qin Zhao’s reputation.

However, with Fang Tianying around, those rumors didn’t gain much traction.

There was no way this person would agree to mutually guarantee Qin Zhao.

“You don’t need to worry about that,” the village head said. “There are plenty of scholars in the county. With more than a month left, you can go meet some of them. I’ll also ask Chen Yanan to help you look. When it’s close to the registration deadline, you can arrange to meet in the county.”

Given Qin Zhao’s reputation in town, there were definitely plenty of people willing to vouch for him.

However, mutual guarantees weren’t as simple as signing a document. If one of the candidates in the group cheated, the other four would be penalized as well and disqualified from the exam.

So, it was crucial to find candidates with good character and trustworthiness.

“I understand. Don’t worry, village head,” Qin Zhao replied.

“If it were that rascal Chen Yanan, I wouldn’t pressure him, but you’re different,” the village head said seriously, his smile fading. “Bring back the top score, and I’ll throw a big feast for you in the village to celebrate!”

Qin Zhao smiled as well. “I’ll remember your words and do my best.”

The day after the village head brought the documents, Qin Zhao and Jing Li set off from Linxi Village.

Worried that Jing Li might get cold on the journey, Qin Zhao rented an ox cart with a canopy and placed a charcoal brazier and blankets inside. The cart swayed gently as they made their way to the county.

The mountain road was steep, and the cart’s canopy didn’t block the wind very well.

Jing Li, who couldn’t tolerate even a bit of wind, huddled closer to Qin Zhao, shivering from the cold. Qin Zhao held him tightly and touched his forehead, finding nothing unusual. “Why are you so cold? Once we get to the county, I’ll have Mr. Xue check your pulse.”

Jing Li weakly murmured a response, burying his face in Qin Zhao’s chest, refusing to move.

They had left early, and Qin Zhao, worried that Jing Li might catch a cold in the cart, urged the driver to hurry. Surprisingly, they arrived in the county before the hour of Shen (around 3–5 p.m.).

They had already arranged to meet Elder Xue at Ah Yi’s pharmacy.

The ox cart stopped in the alley in front of the pharmacy.

The driver helped unload their luggage, while Qin Zhao wrapped Jing Li in a robe, half carrying him down from the cart.

There were customers buying medicine in the shop, and Ah Yi was busy at the counter, while Xue Ren, bored, sat smoking a pipe in front of the pharmacy.

When he saw the two of them in their current state, he couldn’t help but laugh. “A few months ago, he was supporting you, and now it’s you supporting him. What’s going on with you two? Always someone getting sick?”

Qin Zhao shook his head. “You’re joking, sir.”

Seeing that Jing Li didn’t look well, Xue Ren stopped delaying and quickly led them inside.

“What happened to Jing Li? Is he sick?” Ah Yi asked worriedly as he approached after sending off the customers.

Jing Li had been freezing in the cart for most of the day. His hands and feet were numb, and he didn’t feel like talking at all.

“The road was too cold, and he got chilled,” Qin Zhao explained. “Do you have any ginger soup?”

Ah Yi nodded. “Yes, I’ll prepare some right away.”

Xue Ren added, “Grandson, put in a few extra herbs for keeping warm, the ones I taught you about. Both of them need to drink it.”

Ah Yi responded, “Got it, Grandpa Xue.”

The temperature in the county was warmer than in the small mountain village, and although the pharmacy was small, the room was warm enough. Jing Li and Qin Zhao squeezed into one chair, sitting for a while until Jing Li’s frozen limbs slowly began to thaw.

Leaning against Qin Zhao, Jing Li sighed, “This is the hardest winter I’ve ever endured.”

Before his transmigration, winter never made him feel this drowsy. Though his body had always been cooler than most, he had never been this afraid of the cold.

It must be because of this koi spirit form, he thought.

Qin Zhao gently ruffled his hair to comfort him, while Xue Ren, smiling, continued puffing on his pipe. The smoke drifted toward the two of them, and suddenly, the smell made Jing Li feel nauseous. He turned his head and coughed twice.

“Oh, my apologies,” Xue Ren quickly put out his pipe and came over. “What’s going on? You can’t even stand the smell of smoke?”

“It’s been like this since the start of the twelfth lunar month,” Jing Li replied, feeling wronged. “Sometimes, even the smell of burning charcoal makes me uncomfortable.”

Xue Ren raised an eyebrow.

Qin Zhao added, “He hasn’t had much of an appetite for several days, but we couldn’t figure out the cause, so I thought I’d ask Dr. Xue to check his pulse.”

Xue Ren grinned. “Dr. Qin, you’re too modest. Your medical skills are no worse than mine, and the herbs you recommended have been extremely helpful. If you couldn’t diagnose the issue, what makes you think I can?”

Qin Zhao shook his head. “I’m merely a novice, nowhere near your level, Dr. Xue.”

Xue Ren, pleased by his words, said, “Alright, alright. I can see that our little fishy isn’t feeling well. Come, let Grandpa Xue take a look at your pulse.”

Reluctantly, Jing Li extended his hand from Qin Zhao’s embrace. Xue Ren placed a wrist rest on the small table beside him, indicating for Jing Li to rest his hand on it.

Xue Ren felt Jing Li’s pulse for a while, then examined his tongue, eyes, and asked, “Have you been losing your appetite and feeling cold lately?”

Jing Li nodded. “Yes.”

“Do you also feel unusually sleepy and can’t stand strong smells?”

Jing Li nodded again. “Yes.”

Xue Ren released his hand and fell silent.

Hearing what Xue Ren said, Qin Zhao felt a strange suspicion rising within him. He gently tucked Jing Li’s hand back into his embrace, thoughtfully stroking the back of his hand.

These symptoms… they sound like…

“It looks like he might be expecting,” Xue Ren said slowly.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Jing Li: “???”

“What? How could I—” Jing Li started coughing violently, sitting up straight in shock. Flustered, he stammered, “But I… I’m a man! How could I possibly—”

Qin Zhao also added, “I’ve checked his pulse several times in the past few days, and it didn’t indicate anything like that…”

“I only said it looks like it, not that it is for certain. Jing Li’s pulse is clearly that of a man, not a shuang’er. Do you think I can’t tell?” Xue Ren glanced towards the inner room, where Ah Yi was still in the back brewing ginger tea, and then lowered his voice. “You might be able to fool Ah Yi, but you can’t fool me.”

From outward appearances, shuang’er and men look no different, but their physiological structures are entirely distinct, and thus there are subtle differences in their pulse signs as well.

These differences are difficult to detect, and an inexperienced doctor might not be able to distinguish them.

As a result, Ah Yi still believed that Jing Li was a shuang’er.

Xue Ren stroked his beard and said slowly, “Based on the pulse, Jing Li doesn’t have any health issues. I can’t find any reason for his discomfort. But judging by the symptoms…”

“Cold intolerance, nausea, drowsiness, loss of appetite—aren’t these the signs of pregnancy?”

Xue Ren spread his hands, looking innocently at the two of them.

Qin Zhao glanced down at Jing Li, and the two exchanged bewildered looks.

Qin Zhao shook his head. “Please don’t joke, sir. Since he’s a man, how could he possibly be pregnant?”

“You never know,” Xue Ren said with mock seriousness. “The world is full of strange things. What if Xiao Yu has a unique constitution, and it just doesn’t show up in his pulse?”

Jing Li was left speechless.

He had never considered such a possibility before, even though he knew men who could bear children existed in this world. He had never once thought to apply that idea to himself.

The thought… it was too bizarre.

Before Jing Li could make sense of it, Ah Yi returned with two bowls of ginger soup.

The ginger soup, fortified with medicinal herbs, was excellent at dispelling cold. After drinking it, Jing Li finally felt a bit more energized.

Since Ah Yi still had to tend to the shop, he asked Xue Ren to take them to the house to rest.

The house left by Ah Yi’s parents was connected to the pharmacy through a corridor that led to the back courtyard. Xue Ren led them to a clean, secluded courtyard.

Elder Xue had been living there for years, having already made himself half the owner, and said without reservation, “This is the place. Ah Yi has already tidied it up in advance. If you need anything in the house, just let us know, no need to be polite.”

Qin Zhao thanked him, but Jing Li seemed distracted, clearly not paying attention to anything Xue Ren had said.

Seeing him like this, Xue Ren remarked, “Why worry so much? Isn’t having a child a good thing?”

“But…” Jing Li still seemed dazed, “…I’m a man…”

“If you really don’t know what to do, I have a suggestion,” Xue Ren said with a dismissive wave. “Just wait ten months. If a baby comes, then you’ll know the answer, won’t you?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Jing Li: “…”

…

Thandar: Qin Zhao must be the most powerful ML in history to be able to make a man pregnant lol