Ch 138: Transmigrated to become a Koi Husband

Before Qin Zhao participated in the huishi (metropolitan examination), he spent a year recuperating in the mountains.

That year, contrary to expectations, wasn’t as carefree as it seemed. He had pushed his body too hard in the past, and after numerous consultations with renowned physicians, they prescribed a long list of lifestyle adjustments and dietary restrictions that filled three whole pages.

Just reading through it was dizzying.

But for Qin Zhao’s health, Jing Li carefully transcribed the list and posted it on the front door to ensure strict adherence.

“…No alcohol or spicy food, no contact with cold water, no reading for more than two hours a day, no stepping outside without an overcoat… Are you in prison?” Xiao Yue stood in the main hall, loudly reading the rules posted on the door with amazement. “Even the military doesn’t have such harsh regulations.”

“Shut up,” Qin Zhao said, sitting on the daybed. He glanced at Jing Li, who was busy in the courtyard, and, seeing that he wasn’t paying attention, lowered his voice. “Blame Qi Xuan. Who knows what orders he gave, but every physician he sent here is more cautious than the last, all fighting to add more restrictions to my regimen.”

“They might as well have me lying down all day, never getting up,” Qin Zhao grumbled, sipping a glass of warm water.

—Thanks to those physicians, he couldn’t even enjoy tea anymore.

“Well, that’s not going to happen,” Xiao Yue said with a smirk, pointing to one of the rules on the door. “It says here you have to go outside every day to exercise and build your strength.”

Qin Zhao slammed his cup down on the table with a thud.

Xiao Yue immediately shut his mouth.

After the turmoil in the capital, Xiao Yue and Qin Zhao had fully set aside their old grudges. However, years of mutual disdain weren’t easily forgotten. While this wasn’t enough to create instant camaraderie, it certainly didn’t exempt Xiao Yue from being thrown out if he angered Qin Zhao.

When they first reunited, Xiao Yue thought the trials Qin Zhao had endured might have softened his temper.

Recently, however, he realized the change only extended to Qin Zhao’s beloved furen and son.

“You should count yourself lucky,” Xiao Yue muttered under his breath. “If the young emperor weren’t constantly worried about you, I wouldn’t bother traveling all the way out here.”

The young emperor, concerned about his former teacher’s health, couldn’t visit frequently himself. Instead, he tasked Xiao Yue with checking in on Qin Zhao from time to time to see if he needed anything.

Xiao Yue returned to the daybed, rummaging through his travel bag until he pulled out a small, delicate bottle of wine. He shook it in front of Qin Zhao with a grin. “Judging by the rules, you’re not allowed to drink this anymore.”

Qin Zhao: “…”

He should’ve known Xiao Yue wouldn’t bring anything useful on his visit.

Typical.

“You—” Qin Zhao was about to retort when the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted him. His expression changed instantly, and Xiao Yue, ever the seasoned general, reacted even faster. He swiftly stashed the wine bottle under the small table beside the daybed.

The moment he hid it, Jing Li burst through the door. “The seeds are all sorted! We can start planting now.”

“…”

The two men exchanged a look, both visibly relieved.

Jing Li didn’t notice anything unusual. “Let’s hurry, or we won’t finish planting before dark.”

A few days ago, they had cultivated several plots of land behind the house. With the favorable weather, Jing Li had bought various vegetable and fruit seeds from farmers at the foot of the mountain, planning to plant them over the next few days.

Since early morning, Jing Li had been sorting the seeds and was now ready to plant them in the fields.

Qin Zhao glanced at Xiao Yue and said calmly, “No need to rush. General Xiao will help us.”

Xiao Yue: “?”

Jing Li looked surprised. “You’ve farmed before?”

Qin Zhao smiled gently. “You might not know this, but grains and vegetables are scarce in the borderlands. Military camps often cultivate their own fields. General Xiao has been stationed at the border for many years, so he must have plenty of experience farming.”

Jing Li looked surprised. “Really?”

“…Yes,” Xiao Yue admitted begrudgingly. “Leave it to me.”

Qin Zhao wasn’t making this up. Supplies were often limited in the borderlands, and the military couldn’t always rely on support from the rear. During peacetime, soldiers had to farm, hunt, and trade with locals to meet their needs.

Even as a general, Xiao Yue had participated in these tasks often enough.

“General Xiao is truly impressive,” Jing Li praised, “worthy of leading the army.”

With Xiao Yue’s strength, it didn’t take long for him to plow an entire field. Qin Zhao, meanwhile, followed behind, scattering seeds and tossing in some emotionless compliments.

Jing Li, now adept at farm work, couldn’t match Xiao Yue’s strength. After just a short time with the hoe, he was already panting.

The spring afternoon sun wasn’t too harsh, but staying under it for long while doing strenuous work made one dizzy. Jing Li put down his hoe and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Living off farming… wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

“Tired?” Qin Zhao’s voice came from behind him. He handed Jing Li a water flask.

Jing Li took a sip and shook his head. “Not really.”

Tilling the soil was the most labor-intensive part of farming, something Qin Zhao couldn’t do. So the job fell to Ah Qi and Jing Li. Although Ah Qi wasn’t familiar with farm work, his martial arts training made him a quick learner, and his efficiency wasn’t far behind Xiao Yue’s.

Compared to them, Jing Li’s progress lagged far behind.

Since farming had been his idea in the first place, Jing Li felt he couldn’t just sit back and relax. He was about to pick up the hoe again when Qin Zhao grabbed his hand.

“But I’m a little tired,” Qin Zhao said, his gaze soft and almost plaintive. “And a bit dizzy.”

Jing Li panicked. “Let me help you sit down and rest.”

“Mm,” Qin Zhao responded.

By the edge of the field, there was a bamboo grove. Jing Li carefully helped Qin Zhao over to the shade beneath the bamboo. “Have you been in the sun too long? Should we go back home?”

Jing Li’s face was slightly flushed from the sun, and a thin layer of sweat glistened on his forehead. Yet he didn’t seem to notice, his full attention on Qin Zhao.

Seeing this, Qin Zhao felt his heart soften. He pulled out a handkerchief from his sleeve and gently wiped Jing Li’s face.

Jing Li turned his head to avoid him. “Don’t worry about me. How are you feeling? Are you still dizzy?”

“Yes,” Qin Zhao replied without a hint of shame. “Stay with me for a while.”

“…You’re lying, aren’t you?” Jing Li finally realized.

Despite Qin Zhao’s words, his complexion was rosy, and he hadn’t broken a sweat despite being in the sun for so long. He didn’t look tired at all.

He wasn’t even trying to hide the lie.

Qin Zhao didn’t care that he’d been exposed. He pulled Jing Li down to sit beside him. “I just didn’t want you to overwork yourself.”

“I’m not tired…” Jing Li muttered softly but still sat with him. He glanced at the field, where Ah Qi and Xiao Yue were still hard at work. Even Xiao Yu was crouched on the field’s edge, tossing seeds into the soil.

And here he and Qin Zhao were, slacking off.

“You promised that I’d live a life of comfort and leisure, relying on you,” Qin Zhao teased. “Why aren’t you keeping your word?”

Jing Li replied, “That’s only if you recover quickly. If General Xiao hadn’t come to help today, we’d have been working on this for three days.”

Qin Zhao nodded. “In that case, I suppose it’s my fault.”

Jing Li huffed softly.

The spring breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves, their rustling filling the air. A few leaves drifted down, landing in Jing Li’s hair. Qin Zhao reached out and gently brushed them away.

“I think you were wrong about something,” Qin Zhao said, his gaze tender as he looked at Jing Li. “Living like this makes me very happy.”

At sunrise, they worked; at sunset, they rested. Every day felt fulfilling and happy.

Jing Li asked earnestly, “Isn’t that because I’m here?”

Qin Zhao was momentarily speechless.

Jing Li placed a hand on Qin Zhao’s shoulder. Bamboo leaves fell around them like scattered snow. He blinked mischievously, leaned closer to Qin Zhao’s ear, and whispered, “I thought you’d say, ‘No matter what I’m doing, as long as I’m with you, I’m happy.’”

Jing Li was far more open and affectionate now than he used to be, and the words sent a tingling sensation to Qin Zhao’s ears.

“Ah, your ears are red,” Jing Li teased with a laugh, then tried to slip away.

But he didn’t get far before Qin Zhao pinned him against a slender green bamboo.

Jing Li struggled to no avail and quickly gave up. “I was just joking! There are still people around…”

“I know,” Qin Zhao said calmly. “I won’t do anything.” He toyed with Jing Li’s earlobe, their faces mere inches apart. “Just a little punishment.”

Meanwhile, Xiao Yue, drenched in sweat, swung his hoe with determination. When he turned around, the Qin Zhao who had been following him was nowhere to be found. A quick glance revealed the man lounging with his furen under the bamboo grove, enjoying the shade.

“Damn it, you—”

Xiao Yue threw down his hoe, about to yell, but froze when he saw Qin Zhao leaning down to plant a kiss on Jing Li’s lips.

Xiao Yue: “…”

He abruptly averted his gaze.

The thought struck him hard: When I get back to the capital, I’m finding a wife. No more delays.

As Xiao Yue stewed in frustration, someone tugged at his sleeve. He turned to see the little fry, muddy all over and clutching a small cloth bag, standing in the field.

Xiao Yue could never fathom how someone like Qin Zhao, so scheming and ruthless, could have such an adorable child.

Looking into Xiao Yu’s bright eyes, Xiao Yue felt his exhaustion melt away. Even his tone softened. “What’s wrong, little guy?”

“Daddy and Little dad disappeared again,” little fry said, his innocent gaze wide and sincere.

Xiao Yue asked, “Do they often leave you behind like this?”

“Yes,” Xiao Yu nodded seriously. “Daddy said when he and little dad are alone, I’m not allowed to go over or peek. Otherwise, little dad won’t sleep with me anymore.”

Xiao Yue felt Qin Zhao had truly crossed a line, even lying to his own child.

He crouched down and coaxed, “Why don’t you come home with Uncle? Uncle will take good care of you.”

“Um…” Xiao Yu tilted his head, then held up the cloth bag. “But daddy said we have to finish planting these seeds.”

The bag was full of vegetable seeds.

“That’s easy. Leave it to me!” Xiao Yue patted his chest, grabbed the hoe he’d discarded earlier, and declared enthusiastically, “Alright, Uncle will finish this field in no time.”

“Okay!” Little fry cheered.

By the time the couple returned from their “break” and made their way back to the field, they were greeted by the sight of Xiao Yue vigorously plowing, working at twice the speed he had before.

As for the little fry, he was perched on the edge of the field, his short legs swinging back and forth as he happily supervised the mighty general.

…

Thandar: Extra chapters will be password locked. Please find the password in TOC.