Ch 67: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Qin Zhao didn’t lower his voice when he spoke, so both A Yi and Elder Xue heard him as well.

Elder Xue scoffed, “That corrupt official sure got it cheap.”

“Cheap?” Jing Li blinked, asking curiously.

He didn’t understand much about selling prescriptions, but he knew that with a hundred taels, one could buy a house twice the size of A Yi’s in the county.

In his view, three hundred taels was already a substantial amount.

“Of course it’s cheap,” Elder Xue said seriously. “Back in the day, a prescription like this would easily sell for at least a thousand taels.”

The price of a prescription depended on its effectiveness, rarity, and the physician’s reputation.

If this had been a decade ago, when Elder Xue was still in the capital, a prescription developed with the help of imperial physicians from the Imperial Medical Institute could easily fetch a thousand taels on the market.

“But you know that was in the past,” Qin Zhao said calmly.

They couldn’t use Elder Xue’s reputation, and Qin Zhao himself wasn’t famous enough to make a name for the prescription. Although the Cold Dispelling Pill was their original creation, it was, after all, just a remedy for treating wind-cold.

There were plenty of similar remedies on the market with the same effect.

As for turning it into pills, that wasn’t an exclusive technique of the Cold Dispelling Pill either.

Three hundred taels was already the highest price they could expect for a prescription of this type.

Elder Xue grunted in acknowledgment, not offering any further objections.

A Yi also chimed in, “That’s right. In the county, ordinary remedies for wind-cold usually sell for fifty or sixty taels at most. This price isn’t low at all.”

Qin Zhao didn’t say anything more and continued eating his dumplings. He hadn’t touched any of the well-made ones but had nearly finished the plate of oddly shaped little fish dumplings in front of him.

Jing Li, noticing his obvious preference, felt a bit embarrassed and tried to change the subject. “So, can we still sell the pills from now on?”

“We can,” Qin Zhao replied after swallowing a bite, his tone calm. “The county magistrate agreed that we could continue making the Cold Dispelling Pill, but within the county, we’re not allowed to sell the prescription to other clinics.”

In other words, they could still sell the prescription outside the county.

Jing Li brightened up. “Then it’s not a loss at all.”

But he quickly thought of something and, worried, asked, “Once the magistrate has the prescription, he’ll surely hire a lot of people to produce the pills. Won’t we lose our competitive edge if we’re no longer the only supplier?”

“Not everything can go perfectly.”

Qin Zhao didn’t think there was much to regret. “The demand for the Cold Dispelling Pill currently exceeds supply. Even if we hadn’t sold the prescription, many clinics in the county would have figured out how to make similar wind-cold remedies.”

With more manpower and abundant medicinal resources, the clinics would be able to produce more pills. People who couldn’t get the Cold Dispelling Pill would soon settle for other options.

By that time, their advantage would turn into a disadvantage, and they would eventually be replaced by other pills with similar effects.

However, by handing this business over to the county magistrate, his official authority would ensure that the Cold Dispelling Pill remained dominant in the county for some time.

A Yi, being a businessman, quickly grasped the key points and said, “Young Master Qin has certainly thought this through carefully.”

Jing Li asked, “But what if that corrupt official raises the price after getting the formula?”

“He has no need to,” Qin Zhao replied. “After our adjustments, the Cold Dispelling Pill already has a decent profit margin. Its popularity among the people comes from its affordability. The common folk aren’t fools. If he raises the price carelessly, the pill will just become another ordinary wind-cold remedy, losing its competitive edge.”

“…He spent hundreds of taels on the formula; he certainly wouldn’t want to see that happen.”

Now that selling the prescription was a done deal, the only question left was how they should divide the money.

Elder Xue, though complaining that Qin Zhao sold the prescription too cheaply, refused to take a single coin, saying he merely made a few suggestions about the formula and didn’t deserve to be paid for it.

A Yi also refused to take any of the money.

Since no one could convince the others, Qin Zhao didn’t insist.

After all, the prescription was still with the pharmacy. Even after they left, A Yi could continue profiting from selling the Cold Dispelling Pill.

After the meal, Qin Zhao leaned against the bed, reading a book, while Jing Li brought him a cup of tea.

Qin Zhao smiled, taking the cup and sipping it. The tea was at just the right temperature, with a rich fragrance.

The tea was from their village, and since spring tea hadn’t been harvested yet, this was last year’s aged tea. However, due to proper brewing techniques, the flavor hadn’t noticeably diminished.

Qin Zhao asked, “Did you learn this from A Yi?”

“Mm.” Jing Li nodded. “We’re almost out of the tea we brought, but when we return to the village, it’ll be the season for spring tea. I’ll buy more then.”

Qin Zhao enjoyed tea, but he was also quite particular about how it was brewed—too strong, and he couldn’t sleep; too weak, and it lacked flavor. Jing Li had taken note of all his preferences.

Qin Zhao placed the tea cup on the small table beside him and pulled Jing Li into his arms. “You’re becoming more and more skilled as a husband.”

In this era, shuang’er were like women. Once they were of age, they began learning proper manners and how to take care of their husband’s household, so that when they married, they wouldn’t be rejected by their husband’s family.

Jing Li hadn’t learned these things before, but lately, after spending a lot of time with A Yi, he had picked up many useful skills.

Of course, Jing Li wasn’t doing this just to avoid being disliked by his husband.

“Taking care of you is the right thing to do,” Jing Li said. “I just want to help you more. If I can’t assist you with medicine or the imperial exam, then I’ll help with other things.”

He didn’t see these tasks as serving someone or lowering his status.

Qin Zhao was his lover, and he enjoyed doing these things for him.

“Who said you’re not helping?” Qin Zhao stroked his hair gently and said in a warm voice, “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have thought of making the Cold Dispelling Pill. You’re a little hero.”

As he spoke, he pulled out several banknotes from his pocket and handed them to his little hero.

In this era, the largest denomination of banknotes was fifty taels, and there were six of them here, totaling three hundred taels.

It was the first time Jing Li had seen so much money. He carefully smoothed out the banknotes before taking out a small box hidden deep in the wardrobe and placing the notes meticulously under the stack of copper coins at the bottom.

Qin Zhao said, “You can keep one of them. When the money exchange opens in a few days, you can exchange it for small silver and copper coins.”

“Okay,” Jing Li nodded, then asked, “Are we going to buy a house in the county?”

“We can, but…”

“But what?”

“I just don’t think there’s any need to rush,” Qin Zhao said. “After the local exam results are announced, the successful candidates will have to go to the prefectural city to report at the government office and register for the prefectural exam. We could take a look around the prefectural city first.”

The prefectural city referred to Jiangling Prefecture.

The country had twelve prefectures in total, and Jiangling, with its prime location, convenient transportation, and bustling commerce, was the wealthiest prefecture in the southern part of the central plains.

Jing Li blinked. “You mean buying a house in the prefectural city? That must be really expensive…”

Qin Zhao smiled, “We’ll just take a look first. You might end up liking it.”

“That sounds good!” Jing Li said. “After all, both the prefectural exam and academy exam are in Jiangling, and next year’s provincial exam will also be held at the Jiangling Prefecture examination hall, right? Living in the prefectural city would be much more convenient.”

Qin Zhao chuckled, “You’re already thinking about the provincial exam, and you haven’t even taken the county exam yet?”

“Not just that,” Jing Li raised his eyebrows, “I’ve already planned how we’ll celebrate when you become the top scholar.”

“Top scholar…” Qin Zhao’s eyes darkened briefly, though it passed in an instant. He asked, “Do you really want to see me become the top scholar?”

“Of course I do,” Jing Li replied, snuggling back into Qin Zhao’s embrace. “You’re so amazing, I’m sure you’ll succeed.”

Qin Zhao gently stroked his hair and suddenly whispered, “No, that wouldn’t be enough.”

Jing Li didn’t quite hear him. “What did you say?”

“I said, just being the top scholar isn’t enough,” Qin Zhao explained. “Xiao Yu, do you know what xiao sanyuan and da sanyuan are?”

Jing Li had heard about these terms back in the modern world, so he answered, “A candidate who places first in the county exam, prefectural exam, and academy exam is called xiao sanyuan. And someone who places first in the provincial, metropolitan, and imperial exams is called da sanyuan. If you’re first in every exam, that means…”

“That means you achieve liuzhong liuyuan—six consecutive firsts,” Qin Zhao finished. “As far as I know, no one in our dynasty has ever done it. But…”

“But what?” Jing Li asked.

Qin Zhao calmly said, “There will be someone soon.”

Jing Li looked up at him in silence.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but over the past six months, Qin Zhao seemed to have changed. His speech was more confident, his actions more resolute. Jing Li could sense that the soul once burdened by illness had started to shine again after breaking free from the chains of fate.

Shining so brightly… that it felt a bit intimidating to get too close.

Jing Li quickly buried his head in Qin Zhao’s chest, stopping himself from overthinking.

There was really nothing to overthink. No matter what great accomplishments this person achieved in the future, no matter how he changed, Qin Zhao had promised him that he would always stay by his side.

And that was all that mattered.

…

The registration for the county exam was set to take place after the Lantern Festival, and a few days before the festival, Chen Yanan arrived in the county.

“Every year around this time, my mother goes crazy. I can’t stand to sit or stand at home, so it’s better to come out and hide for a bit,” Chen Yanan grumbled while shoveling food into his mouth.

“Your mother is just worried about you, young master,” A Yi comforted him. “Would you like another bowl?”

Chen Yanan finished his food in a few quick bites, his eyes lighting up. “Yes, please! Thank you, A Yi. Your cooking is amazing!”

Qin Zhao and Jing Li exchanged glances, seeing the same helplessness in each other’s eyes.

Whether Chen Yanan had really come to escape his mother or just to see someone special here was something only he knew.

After finishing his meal, Chen Yanan slumped in his chair, looking around the house. “I didn’t expect A Yi’s house to be this nice. It’s really…”

“What? Are you chickening out already?” Jing Li teased.

A Yi had kindly offered to take care of the dishes in the kitchen, leaving the three of them in the main room to catch up.

Chen Yanan’s face flushed, and he stammered, “W-what are you talking about? Who said I’m chickening out?”

Jing Li just smiled without saying anything.

Qin Zhao asked, “Where are you staying now?”

“Wenchang Academy. My teacher knows Old Mr. Wu from the academy, so every year when we come to take the county exam, we stay there.” Speaking of this, Chen Yanan grinned. “Old Mr. Wu told me about you, Brother Qin. Not bad, you’ve only been in the county for a month, and you’re already a well-known physician.”

Qin Zhao ignored his teasing and said calmly, “Shouldn’t you be heading back soon? It’s almost curfew.”

There weren’t any extra rooms in the house for him to stay.

“Yeah, yeah, fine…” Chen Yanan muttered under his breath. Then he added, “By the way, as usual, the day before the Lantern Festival, the exam candidates are hosting a gathering. I’ll call for you when the time comes.”

Qin Zhao replied, “Alright.”

Before the registration for the exam after the Lantern Festival, Qin Zhao needed to confirm five companions for mutual protection. Chen Yanan had already found a few people for him, but Qin Zhao had yet to meet them. The gathering would be the perfect opportunity for introductions.

Chen Yanan didn’t linger for long. After bidding farewell to A Yi, he left just in time before curfew.

Three days later, as promised, Chen Yanan came to fetch Qin Zhao for the gathering.

It was only when Qin Zhao arrived that he realized the attendees were mostly students of Old Mr. Wu and students of the local scholar, Master Song.

The venue was none other than the courtyard of Old Mr. Wu’s residence.

Old Mr. Wu, a former juren (successful candidate in the provincial exam), had no interest in pursuing a government career. He was fully dedicated to teaching and had founded an academy in the county. It was said that he had taught over sixty students who had passed the xiucai (county-level exams).

Now that Qin Zhao had gained considerable fame among the scholars in the county, it wasn’t long before several people gathered around him to greet him.

“So you’re Doctor Qin! A few days ago, I suddenly had a fever, and it was your medicine that cured me!”

“Me too! I had diarrhea for several days, and it was Doctor Qin who treated me.”

“So, Doctor Qin is also taking the imperial exam this year? That makes him a strong competitor!”

“Competitor? Come on, it’s not like they only admit one person. Are you planning to come in last place again this year?”

“You… How could you say that? I definitely won’t—”

The lively chatter was almost overwhelming, and even Qin Zhao found it hard to keep up. Fortunately, Old Mr. Wu soon arrived, rescuing him from the crowd.

Old Mr. Wu said a few words to the group and quickly spotted Qin Zhao among the attendees.

Chen Yanan had already informed him that he would be bringing Qin Zhao along, so Old Mr. Wu wasn’t surprised. In fact, he approached Qin Zhao directly, saying, “Doctor Qin, it’s been a while.”

Qin Zhao bowed in greeting. “Mr. Wu, apologies for the disturbance.”

Old Mr. Wu smiled. “No need for such words, Doctor Qin. Thanks to your medicine, none of my students have fallen ill this year, and it seems they will remain healthy through the county exam.”

“By the way, have you decided on your mutual protection group yet? I have a few students here who I could introduce to you.”

With that, he indeed called over a few of his students.

Among them was He Zhixing, who had previously sought medical treatment from Qin Zhao.

After introducing each of the students to Qin Zhao, Old Mr. Wu said, “Alright, you young people should chat. I won’t intrude any longer.”

After the group bowed and saw Mr. Wu off, He Zhixing spoke up. “So it really is Doctor Qin. When Chen mentioned you were his elder brother, I had my doubts. I didn’t realize it was such a coincidence.”

“Brother He, what do you mean by that?” Chen Yanan came over, half-jokingly adding, “Am I the type to exaggerate?”

He Zhixing gave an awkward laugh. “No, of course not.”

Qin Zhao asked, “So, you two already know each other?”

Chen Yanan cleared his throat. “We were in the same mutual protection group last time.”

He Zhixing rubbed his nose. “The other three passed, but Chen and I both failed.”

Since it wasn’t a particularly glorious memory, neither of them continued discussing it.

Chen Yanan then asked, “By the way, have you found your mutual protection group yet? We still need one more person, including Qin Zhao. Do you want to join?”

“I’ve already found a group.”

He Zhixing gestured to the remaining few people whom Old Mr. Wu had introduced earlier, looking a bit apologetic. “I’m with them.”

Among the crowd, one scholar who had previously sought treatment from Qin Zhao spoke up. “Our group still needs one more person. Doctor Qin, why not join us?”

“That’s not going to happen!” Chen Yanan glared fiercely at the man, leaving no room for doubt. “Qin Zhao is already with me. You’ll have to find someone else—don’t even think about taking my Brother Qin.”

Qin Zhao: “…”

After Chen Yanan chased the others away like a protective big brother, Qin Zhao slowly said, “If your sister-in-law hears you talking like this, you can forget about setting foot in A Yi’s house again.”

Chen Yanan instantly deflated. “I was wrong, Brother! Please don’t tell him…”

When they first arrived at the residence, Chen Yanan had already introduced the other two members of their mutual protection group to Qin Zhao. They were both people he had met in town, and their character was beyond reproach.

However, they were still missing one last person…

Just as Qin Zhao was about to ask if Chen Yanan had anyone in mind for the final spot, a figure suddenly blocked their path.

Chen Yanan’s expression instantly turned cold when he saw who it was. “Oh, it’s Brother Yan. Excuse us.”

Yan Xiu’s face was grim, and he completely ignored Chen Yanan, fixing his gaze squarely on Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao asked, “Do you need something from me?”

“Yes,” Yan Xiu looked away, his tone stiff. “I just wanted to ask if you still need one more person for your mutual protection group.”

Qin Zhao was slightly surprised, but before he could respond, Chen Yanan quickly said, “We don’t. Sorry.”

“But I just heard—”

Chen Yanan raised an eyebrow, dragging out his words. “Oh, so Brother Yan was eavesdropping on us? What’s the matter? Spreading rumors about my Brother Qin wasn’t enough for you, and now you want to drag him down during the exam as well?”

“I didn’t—” Yan Xiu’s voice abruptly cut off, and a trace of embarrassment appeared on his face.

He fell silent for a moment, seeming to come to some sort of decision, and then said to Qin Zhao, “That time, I was drunk and spoke recklessly in front of a few fellow students. I don’t know how the rumor spread…”

“…I apologize to you.”

Qin Zhao responded calmly, “There’s no need.”

He didn’t care about the rumors, especially since they hadn’t caused any real impact.

What piqued Qin Zhao’s curiosity was something else. “Why me?”

Yan Xiu was confused. “Huh?”

Qin Zhao elaborated, “As far as I know, students from the town usually find mutual protection partners before they come to the county. Only a few who are short of one or two members look for replacements in the county. You have quite a reputation, so there should be plenty of people willing to partner with you. Why did you wait until you arrived here to seek me out?”

“I…” Yan Xiu was caught off guard by the question, his ears turning red. “It’s because…”

Qin Zhao asked, “Is it because I wrote that poem?”

“I know why,” Chen Yanan interjected when Yan Xiu was unable to respond. “It’s because Brother Yan has only ever admired one person for his talent—Prince Rong.”

Qin Zhao’s eyes flickered.

Chen Yanan continued in a leisurely tone, “It’s just a shame that Prince Rong passed away young, but since Brother Qin here was able to match his famous poem, Brother Yan naturally developed admiration. Am I right?”

Yan Xiu’s face turned crimson as he snapped, “So what if that’s true? What does it have to do with you?”

Turning back to Qin Zhao, Yan Xiu said, “I understand it’s hard to make you trust me in such a short time. I understand your hesitation… I just wanted to clear this matter up. As for the mutual protection group… I’ll find someone else.”

“Wait,” Qin Zhao called out, stopping him. “We are indeed short of one person. If you’re willing, you can join.”

Yan Xiu was stunned. “You’re willing to trust me?”

Qin Zhao shook his head. “Mutual protection is simply a promise not to cheat or break the rules during the exams. You were the top scorer in the last county exam. I believe you wouldn’t engage in such things.”

He then looked at Chen Yanan. “What do you think?”

Chen Yanan sighed, “It’s up to you.”

And so, the five members of their mutual protection group were settled.

Before they knew it, the Lantern Festival had passed, and the five of them went together to the county office to register for the exam. After registering, the other three returned to the town to continue preparing, while Qin Zhao and Chen Yanan stayed in the county.

The county exam was scheduled for the sixth day of February. As the exam drew closer, Chen Yanan’s anxiety grew worse by the day, with dark circles forming under his eyes. In contrast, Qin Zhao carried on as usual, attending to the pharmacy and seeing patients, showing no signs of stress about the upcoming imperial exam.

Jing Li, however, seemed to be affected by Chen Yanan’s state and began feeling nervous as well.

“Have you memorized everything you need? Maybe you should review it a few more times.”

“What else do you need to bring to the exam? Let me check again.”

“Should we go to the temple to get a charm? I saw a lot of people from the county doing that…”

Qin Zhao: “…”

For the first time, Jing Li understood how modern parents felt when sending their children off to take the college entrance exams. With just one day left until the county exam, his restlessness only grew. He even seriously considered going to the temple to pray for Qin Zhao’s success, but was swiftly picked up and carried back by Qin Zhao.

“You are my good luck charm. Who else would you go pray to?” Qin Zhao pressed him down against the bed, a mix of helplessness and amusement in his eyes. “Silly little thing.”

Still, Jing Li was worried. “But what if my luck suddenly stops working? I wasn’t always lucky before…”

“Then trust in your husband.”

After a pause, Qin Zhao added, “I heard that some students’ teachers promise them generous rewards before the exams to motivate them.”

“…Do you want to come up with a reward to motivate me?”

Jing Li blinked. “Sure! What reward do you want?”

Qin Zhao smiled with a playful glint in his eyes and leaned in close to whisper two words into Jing Li’s ear.

By this time, dusk had fallen. Qin Zhao got up to head to the kitchen to prepare dinner, while Jing Li buried his face in the blanket, his exposed neck turning completely red.

What Qin Zhao had whispered was… the tail.