Ch 81: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

“It was most likely hatched just now while we were talking here.” Qin Zhao observed the area by the door where the basket had been placed, noticing a faint water trail beside it. “This little one is quite bold, running around as soon as it hatched, just like his…”

Just like his father.

Qin Zhao swallowed those words and didn’t say them aloud.

In the fish tank, the larger koi gently tapped the little fry beside it with a fin, “Stop causing trouble.”

Jing Li, finding it inconvenient to scold the little one in human form, had transformed back into his original form and entered the water. The sight of the two koi, one large and one small, squeezed onto the enlarged bamboo-leaf bed was both odd and adorable.

Qin Zhao turned his head, unable to resist reaching into the water and patting both koi on their heads.

“I’m in the middle of teaching him a lesson,” Jing Li said, displeased.

“Alright.” Qin Zhao’s fingers stroked Jing Li’s dorsal fin as he spoke softly, “He already knows he was wrong, doesn’t he?”

The little fish obediently rubbed its head against Qin Zhao’s hand and then carefully nudged Jing Li’s belly.

Jing Li’s attitude softened noticeably, and he snorted, “Fine, you spoil him too much.”

What he couldn’t understand was that Qin Zhao, who was so strict with his students, could be so indulgent with his child.

Qin Zhao just smiled and didn’t reply.

The little fry, sharp-witted, sensed that its father was no longer angry and happily darted under his belly, wagging its tail near the fins of the larger koi.

Jing Li, tickled by the movements, tried to evade but couldn’t, so he lightly tapped the little one with his fin, pinning it down on the small bed.

“Stop bothering me, you—” The smaller koi noticed something and leaned in for a closer look. “Qin Zhao, come and see.”

Qin Zhao leaned down, “See what?”

The fin tapped the spot, “Here, look.”

Qin Zhao: “…” He still didn’t know what the little one wanted him to see.

“It’s so obvious. You’re so slow,” Jing Li said. “I wanted you to see that the fry seems to be a boy.”

Qin Zhao leaned in again for a closer look and could only make out some scales that hadn’t fully formed on the little one. He couldn’t tell anything else.

He had only ever raised Jing Li and didn’t know how to distinguish the sex of fry.

If Jing Li said so, then it must be true.

Qin Zhao said, “Then we can start thinking of a name for him.”

As he had said before, he didn’t care about the child’s gender. Whether it was a boy, a girl, or a shuang’er, he would love them just the same.

The little fry, unwilling to be pinned down, wagged its tail and struggled in defiance.

The two koi, one large and one small, started playing in the water. Qin Zhao chuckled and turned to go into the inner room.

The inner room had only one bed left behind by the previous owner. The wood was still new in color and showed no obvious signs of damage.

Qin Zhao planned to use it for now.

They didn’t have much money on hand, and they still owed someone money, so they couldn’t afford to be choosy. Even though Fang Tianying didn’t rush them to repay the debt, Qin Zhao had never been one to owe anyone anything and naturally hoped to clear the debt as soon as possible.

Before they left home, they had brought two new quilts made this year, which happened to fit the size of the bed perfectly.

After making the bed, Qin Zhao turned to Jing Li and said, “The bed is ready. You rest here for a while, and I’ll go get us something to eat.”

In the fish tank, the koi was tossing the little fry up and down with its tail and didn’t seem to hear what Qin Zhao said.

Qin Zhao: “…”

It looked like they weren’t ready to sleep.

Fine.

With nothing to eat at home, Qin Zhao had to go out to buy some food.

There was a small food stall at the street corner. Qin Zhao bought two bowls of noodle soup and a steamed egg. The stall owner, an elderly man over fifty, saw his refined appearance and smiled, “You look new around here, did you just move in?”

Qin Zhao: “Yes, that’s right.”

“Here to take the imperial exams?” The old man was friendly and showed no hostility toward outsiders. “My son is preparing for next year’s provincial exam. Maybe you’ll run into each other.”

Qin Zhao chatted with him for a bit, also inquiring about the market’s location, its hours, and where to buy items at the best price.

By the time they finished talking, the noodles were ready.

Qin Zhao carried the two bowls of noodle soup and the egg home. Jing Li was still playing with their son and only noticed Qin Zhao after being called several times.

“Come out to eat, or it’ll get cold.”

A flash of red light darted into the inner room, and Qin Zhao withdrew his gaze and began peeling the egg. He separated the egg white from the yolk and crushed a small piece of yolk, about the size of a fingernail, in his palm.

The little fry realized it was food for him and swam excitedly to the edge of the tank, wagging his tail.

Qin Zhao fed the crushed yolk to him bit by bit. The fry quickly finished it, but still wasn’t satisfied and circled anxiously at the water’s surface.

Qin Zhao: “…”

“No more. That’s all you can eat.” Resolutely, Qin Zhao put the rest of the egg into the opposite bowl of noodle soup in front of the fry. “You can only eat this much at once.”

He hadn’t forgotten how, when his little fish first came to his house, he overfed him.

He later found out that overfeeding fish could kill them.

The little fry looked as if the sky had fallen, staring blankly at the egg sinking into the soup, before slowly sinking to the bottom of the tank, looking dejected.

Jing Li came out, having changed clothes, and saw this scene.

“What’s wrong?” Jing Li asked worriedly, noticing their son’s sudden lack of energy.

“Nothing,” Qin Zhao replied calmly. “He probably just missed you.”

Jing Li’s heart ached even more. “Don’t be afraid, Daddy isn’t going anywhere. I’ll be right back to play with you.”

They ended up playing until midnight. Still not satisfied, Jing Li insisted on sleeping in the tank with their son that night.

Late at night, Qin Zhao lay on his side in bed, looking at the two koi snuggling together asleep not far away, his heart full of helplessness.

After all, he was the only human in the house.

Sigh.

The next day, Qin Zhao took Jing Li out.

The little fry was full of energy and curious about everything, unable to stay in the tank alone. The two of them, not comfortable leaving him at home by himself, placed him in a small fish basket and took him along to the street.

They went straight to find Boss Shang, the wood merchant.

After Qin Zhao introduced himself, Boss Shang welcomed them with a smile, “Nephew Fang has already informed me. Mr. Qin, pick whatever wood you need, and I’ll give you a discount.”

The capital city had shops selling ready-made furniture, but those were more expensive.

The wood business recommended by Fang Tianying also employed furniture craftsmen, offering significantly cheaper prices.

Qin Zhao, not very knowledgeable about wood, asked detailed questions about the types available in the shop. After comparing their quality, prices, and durability, he finally selected a sturdy and reasonably priced option.

The house had three courtyards in total. Qin Zhao planned for the smallest courtyard to be for the little fry when he grew up, so there was no rush to furnish it.

The priority was the main courtyard’s hall, study, and bedroom.

Qin Zhao had planned this in advance. The day before, he had listed the needed items such as tables, chairs, a vanity, cabinets, and a desk, along with their sizes and styles.

After looking at his drawings, Boss Shang said, “I understand, Mr. Qin. Rest assured, we can make all of these.”

Qin Zhao asked, “May I ask how many days it will take?”

“Five days should be enough. Once they’re done, I’ll have them delivered to your residence.”

Qin Zhao nodded, “Thank you.”

As agreed, Boss Shang applied the discount and rounded down the price, charging only four taels and five hundred coins including labor.

Qin Zhao paid and was about to leave with Jing Li when they heard a commotion on the street.

“Make way, don’t block the road!”

A carriage came speeding down the long street, and pedestrians hurriedly moved aside.

The driver shouted, “Move! Clear the way for my young master!”

Qin Zhao instinctively shielded Jing Li and reached out to steady a man who nearly fell in front of him.

“Thank you, thank you,” the man said, flustered.

Jing Li asked, “Who is that, acting so arrogant…”

“Young master, you shouldn’t say such things,” the man they had just helped turned and said. “That’s the eldest young master of the Gu family, not someone common folk like us can afford to provoke.”

Qin Zhao chuckled lightly, “He has no official rank or title; he’s just a commoner. What’s there to fear?”

“How could it be the same?” the man replied.

“Mr. Qin, you might not know,” Boss Shang chimed in from behind the counter, “that young master of the Gu family is spoiled and has the backing of his father and the magistrate. Offend him, and you’ve offended the magistrate, so…”

Jing Li blinked, “How can this be? I thought the officials here were all upright and fair…”

“That’s not entirely wrong. Magistrate Ge is indeed a good official, but…” Boss Shang paused and then continued, “The Gu family runs the Jiangling weaving industry. Without their support, it’s said that Jiangling wouldn’t be what it is today.”

“…In any case, it’s best to avoid trouble whenever possible.”

The two of them left Boss Shang’s shop and went to the market to buy some daily necessities.

At noon, the market was filled with eateries, and many vendors were calling out their wares from the street. Jing Li, holding Qin Zhao’s hand with one and the fish basket with the other, smelled an enticing aroma from somewhere and his stomach rumbled.

Qin Zhao paused, “Hungry?”

“Mm…” Jing Li replied softly.

Qin Zhao said, “It’s too late to cook at home now. Let’s eat up ahead.”

“Wait.” Jing Li pulled him back, “Let’s just eat at home. Eating out is too expensive.”

They had already spent over eight hundred coins on their shopping today, and at this rate, their savings would be depleted quickly.

Jing Li once again gained a new understanding of the city’s high prices.

Qin Zhao squeezed Jing Li’s hand and smiled, “Starting tomorrow, we’ll eat at home. Today will be the last time.”

“But…” Jing Li hesitated, then suddenly spotted something and pointed ahead, “Let’s check over there first.”

Following Jing Li’s direction, they saw a tall bulletin board standing by the roadside.

The city’s bulletin board typically posted job recruitment notices. For anyone looking to find a way to earn money in the city, it was the easiest and most convenient place to start.

Jing Li carefully read each notice, but most of them were for physical labor or odd jobs. Jing Li’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked, “Did you find anything suitable?”

“I did,” Qin Zhao said.

Jing Li: “?”

He looked up and saw Qin Zhao gazing at the notice at the top of the board.

Jing Li followed his gaze and fell silent.

It was still the notice from the Gu family looking for a teacher. A few months had passed, and the requirements had changed from needing a juren to accepting xiucai or students with excellent academic records from the local academy, provided they passed the Gu family’s examination.

Additionally, the monthly salary had been increased to five taels.

Jing Li: “…”

That young master… really was something.

Jing Li muttered inwardly, then belatedly realized what Qin Zhao meant. He looked at him in surprise, “You really want to try?”