Ch 73: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

The next day, Qin Zhao and the four mutual guarantee candidates went to the county office to register.

The prefectural exam was set for April 13th, less than two months away. After registering, the four companions hurried back to prepare, while Qin Zhao stayed, using the excuse of wanting to accompany Jing Li to enjoy the city for a few more days.

“Heaven really is unfair. I wish I could skip studying and still top the exam,” Chen Yanan grumbled before leaving, tinged with jealousy.

Qin Zhao ignored him.

In truth, Qin Zhao didn’t stay in the city just for leisure.

His little fish was now pregnant, and Qin Zhao was uneasy about leaving him away from home for too long; naturally, he preferred to return as soon as possible. But Jing Li easily got seasick, and the journey from the city to Linxi Village would take at least seven or eight days by carriage—a trip Jing Li, in his current state, couldn’t endure.

Since they couldn’t travel by carriage, Qin Zhao came up with a compromise.

—Jing Li would transform back into his original form, and Qin Zhao would take him home by boat.

On the water, there would be less shaking, so Jing Li wouldn’t feel seasick.

However, this option made it inconvenient to travel with Chen Yanan and the others.

Thus, Qin Zhao’s pretense of staying in the city with Jing Li for a few extra days.

“Aren’t you going to visit the Prefect?” Jing Li asked.

After the county exam results were announced, the county magistrate had written a recommendation letter for Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao had mentioned to Jing Li that during the former dynasty’s imperial exams, there was a period when a recommendation system was in place. Though that system was no longer practiced, some local customs still followed parts of it.

This meant that if several candidates performed similarly and all ranked near the top, the one with a recommendation letter would be named the top scorer.

But after arriving in the city, Qin Zhao hadn’t once mentioned seeing the Prefect.

Qin Zhao shook his head. “No need for that.”

“Why not?” Jing Li blinked.

“The magistrate reports to the prefect monthly. If he truly appreciates me, he could mention it during his report. Why should he make me bring a letter?” Qin Zhao scoffed, “He just wants me to owe him a favor.”

“…If I submit this letter, then once I’ve succeeded and returned in honor, he would have the credit of recommending me, and I’d owe him a debt of gratitude.”

Only then did Jing Li realize the implications and exclaimed, “What a corrupt official.”

“I don’t want to owe anyone. I can do without this recommendation. Besides…”

Qin Zhao didn’t finish his thought, but Jing Li interjected, “Besides, even without a recommendation letter, you’re still the top scorer.”

With Qin Zhao’s skills, he didn’t need any favors.

Qin Zhao chuckled, took Jing Li’s hand, and continued walking.

“Aren’t we going back to the inn?” Jing Li asked.

They had just seen Chen Yanan and the others off at the city gate, but now they were heading in the opposite direction from the inn.

Qin Zhao replied, “We’re going to see something first.”

“What?”

“The notice board.”

The bulletin boards in the prefectural city were divided into two types: one exclusively for government announcements, located only at the entrance of the government office, and the other for public postings of recruitment, buying, and selling information. The latter had about a dozen large and small boards scattered across major streets and bustling areas.

“So, you’re here to check out real estate listings,” Jing Li remarked, noticing only a few people by the bulletin board. He moved closer to examine the notices.

Qin Zhao nodded, “Not in a rush to buy, just seeing if there’s anything suitable.”

In the prefectural city, free trading of property wasn’t allowed. To sell a house in the city, owners had to register with the designated official handling property transactions. Only after approval would a notice be posted with details about the property’s size, location, price, and other specifics. Interested buyers could then visit the property directly.

Jing Li studied several notices closely, his brows furrowing.

The housing prices in the prefectural city…were sky-high.

The city was divided into an inner and outer section.

The inner city had a curfew, better security, and convenient living due to its commercial areas. The outer city, however, had weaker security, and residents had to undergo searches and questioning to enter the inner city, adding considerable inconvenience.

As a result, housing in the inner city was much more expensive than in the outer city.

There was no concept of loans or credit in this era—everything was paid upfront, which posed a heavy financial burden.

Jing Li carefully went through all the property sale listings. Houses in the outer city ranged from 150 to 300 taels, with various options. In the inner city, for 300 taels, choices were limited—small, poorly-located houses.

“Do you like any of them?” Qin Zhao asked.

Jing Li murmured, looking at a few notices beside him.

The one he liked most was a residence with three courtyards by the lakeside, offering a serene environment where one could see lanterns and pleasure boats on the opposite shore at night.

However, due to its prime location, the owner priced it at 500 taels.

Jing Li pursed his lips and looked away.

He might very well be the poorest time traveler ever.

After a moment’s hesitation, Jing Li suggested, “Why don’t we consider something in the outer city?”

Qin Zhao remained silent.

He hoped to settle in the prefectural city, partly for convenience during the exams and also because information was easier to gather here, which would help him investigate past matters.

However, he didn’t want his little fish to suffer.

With the outer city’s poor transport and security, Qin Zhao would never consider it. Yet, to afford an inner city property, he would need to find another way…

Qin Zhao’s gaze swept over the bulletin board, pausing suddenly.

“These outer city options aren’t bad and are affordable. Why don’t we—” Jing Li was about to suggest they go have a look, but he noticed Qin Zhao intently studying another notice. He leaned over. “What are you looking at?”

Qin Zhao pointed, “This.”

“Hmm…The Gu family is hiring a tutor?” Jing Li recalled the young master he saw yesterday, raising an eyebrow. “For their young master?”

Qin Zhao replied, “Indeed, the young master of the Gu family is at the age to prepare for the exams.”

In this era, there were no age restrictions for the exams, though most candidates took their first county exam around fourteen or fifteen, except for the exceptionally gifted.

After finishing elementary studies, children typically began preparing for the exams at twelve or thirteen.

“With his attitude…will he really study hard?” Jing Li mumbled. “That young master could probably drive any tutor mad.”

Nearby, someone overheard Jing Li and sighed, “You’re absolutely right. This is already the fifth time the Gu family has posted a notice this year.”

Jing Li was curious, “But it’s not even March yet?”

“Exactly,” the person replied. “No tutor can last long at the Gu family. The latest one was quite impressive, lasted a full ten days, but still got driven off.”

Jing Li: “…”

This young master from the Gu family… really is something.

Qin Zhao didn’t respond, just gazed thoughtfully at the notice board.

Jing Li noticed his expression and was horrified. “You… you’re not thinking of trying, are you?”

Qin Zhao: “It says here the monthly pay is twenty taels.”

Jing Li: “…”

Qin Zhao: “And it only requires fifteen days of work per month.”

Jing Li: “…………”

Qin Zhao: “Plus room and board included.”

Jing Li: “…………………”

With a monthly salary of twenty taels, room and board covered, they could easily save seventeen or eighteen taels monthly, even accounting for other expenses. Calculating it out, this income alone would allow them to save enough to buy that lakeside property in a year.

“N-no way!” Jing Li managed to maintain his composure. “That young master is too much to handle. If it were an easy job, they wouldn’t be offering so much!”

Qin Zhao smiled, looking away. “I was just joking.”

Jing Li: “?”

Qin Zhao pointed to a small line of text on the notice: “They’re only hiring scholars with the juren rank. I’m not qualified yet.”

Jing Li saw the line and couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

That was for the best—better to eliminate this option entirely than to wrestle with indecision. By the time Qin Zhao earned his juren rank, the Gu family would likely have found a tutor.

Though it meant missing out on a lucrative opportunity, Qin Zhao avoiding the hassle at the Gu family wasn’t exactly a bad outcome.

In the following days, they toured several houses in both the inner and outer city but didn’t find anything suitable.

However, there was no rush.

Qin Zhao hadn’t planned to leave the village so soon.

Life in the city was vastly different from the mountain village, and moving there now would undoubtedly require a long period of adjustment.

Jing Li, especially, was not yet suited to adapt to a new environment.

It was best to wait until after the child was born.

On the morning of the fifth day, Qin Zhao had Jing Li revert to his original form, placed him in a newly purchased wooden tub, and boarded the return ship with his little koi.

Unlike the convenient fish baskets, this new wooden tub had a wide base, allowing the little koi to swim around comfortably.

Three days later, they reached the town’s dock.

Qin Zhao found a secluded spot for Jing Li to change back into human form, dressed him properly, and then they boarded an ox cart for the final stretch home to the village.

The ox-cart driver, upon hearing that Qin Zhao was heading to Linxi Village and noticing his scholarly attire that stood out from the typical villager, eagerly asked, “You wouldn’t happen to be the county exam’s top scorer, Qin Zhao, would you?”

Qin Zhao replied, “That’s me.”

“My goodness, I’m meeting the real deal…” The driver exclaimed, “I heard everyone saying the top scorer had gone to the prefectural city and would be returning soon. I never imagined I’d be the one to run into him! Guess I’m sharing in the luck of the top scorer!”

Villagers deeply respected scholars, and it had been three years since the town had produced a top scorer. This time, both the first and second place came from their town, so naturally, the community was overjoyed.

As he drove, the cart driver was practically glowing with pride, cheerfully shouting to anyone they passed about having the county exam’s top scorer on board, his voice full of pride.

The ox cart soon left the woods and entered a vast plain. In the fields along the road, farmers were working, and upon hearing the driver’s shouts, they looked up towards them.

Jing Li observed all this quietly, deeply moved.

Noticing Jing Li’s silence, Qin Zhao asked, “Why so quiet? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”

As he spoke, he placed a hand on Jing Li’s abdomen.

Counting the days, it had been three months since Jing Li became pregnant, yet his waist and stomach remained flat and taut, showing no outward signs.

In contrast, his fish form clearly displayed the pregnancy.

Qin Zhao speculated that it was likely due to the baby’s small size, making it difficult to show in Jing Li’s human form.

If the little fish could stay this small, it would certainly make things easier.

Jing Li’s lips curved into a faint smile, and he shook his head, “No, I’m fine.”

He nestled his head into Qin Zhao’s embrace. “I just suddenly remembered the first time I met you—it was around this time of year.”

At the end of February last year, he had woken up to find himself in this unfamiliar world.

He couldn’t leave the water, couldn’t speak, and hadn’t even gained the ability to transform into a human. He could only drift helplessly until he was caught by a fish vendor and then bought by this man.

Back then, he had followed Qin Zhao to Linxi Village for the first time, seeing the very same scenes along the way.

“It’s already been a year…” Jing Li murmured softly.

“Yes, it’s been a year.” Qin Zhao looked out at the endless fields, watching the villagers as they repeated the same work, day after day, year after year. “We’ve changed so much, yet here, it feels like nothing has changed.”

Jing Li hummed in agreement, but when he looked up, he was surprised.

Ahead lay the plains, and in the distance, he could see the stone stele marking the entrance to Linxi Village. It seemed that the driver’s high-profile approach had spread the word along the road, prompting someone to rush back to the village to spread the news.

At the village entrance, dozens of villagers had spontaneously lined up on both sides of the road, as if welcoming them home.

Jing Li could see clearly that the village chief of Linxi Village stood at the forefront, along with the students from the local elementary school.

Their faces were young yet familiar, their gazes warm and expectant as they looked towards them. When they saw Qin Zhao’s ox cart appear, they excitedly shouted, “Teacher is back!”

“Who said nothing here has changed? Isn’t this quite the change?”

Jing Li smiled, his hand hidden in his sleeve subtly hooking Qin Zhao’s finger. “Welcome home, Mr. Qin.”