Author Archives: Thandar

A cold wind howled through the mountain forest, but there was no response. The tree demon elder dared not speak further and continued to bow slightly, waiting.

Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.

There was a rustling sound from the forest, as if something was stepping on the fallen leaves and approaching. Then, a thin voice said, “The master asks you to follow me.”

Another clear voice followed, “Follow us, follow us.”

One of the maidservants behind the tree demon elder couldn’t hold back her curiosity and looked up, letting out a small “ah” of surprise:

The ones speaking were two small children carrying lanterns. They were dressed in identical green robes, with their hair styled in two little buns, just like the young students in the human world. Their round, chubby cheeks were extremely cute.

She hadn’t expected the infamous Black Mountain Demon to use such adorable children as servants.

The tree demon elder shot her a warning glare and said, “These are puppets.”

The maidservant looked closely and noticed the slight unnaturalness in the children’s movements.

The two children didn’t seem to care about what the people behind them were thinking. They simply held up their lanterns and led the way.

The tree demon elder and her group followed quietly, not daring to speak.

On the way, various thoughts raced through the tree demon elder’s mind: unless absolutely necessary, she wouldn’t have wanted to deal with a demon as powerful as the Black Mountain Demon. But recently, she had encountered an old enemy, and after a fierce battle, the enemy had used some unknown magical artifact to severely injure her.

Her old enemy wouldn’t let her off, so she had to find a more powerful demon to rely on before her enemy could track her down. The mysterious and unpredictable master of Black Mountain became her top choice.

To gain protection, she naturally needed to offer something in return.

She didn’t know what the Black Mountain Demon liked, as he had lived in seclusion for so long that no one could find out even the slightest detail about his preferences. But he was a male demon, and men in the human world were usually interested in power, strength, or beauty; demons probably weren’t much different.

She had plenty of beautiful demonesses and ghost girls under her command. This time, she had carefully selected eight beautiful maidservants to accompany her. If even one or two of them caught the Black Mountain Demon’s eye, the rest would be easy to handle.

The maidservants who came with her were aware of their mission. They were both anxious and excited—anxious because they feared the Black Mountain Demon might be ruthless, leaving them with a bad fate, and excited by the hope that if a powerful demon took a liking to them, they wouldn’t have to serve under the tree demon elder anymore.

The tree demon elder of Lanruo Temple was no easy master to serve.

The little guides suddenly stopped, and one of them said in a crisp voice, “We’ve arrived.”

The other guide walked three steps forward and threw the lantern in his hand to the ground. The lantern shattered with a loud crash, transforming into several streams of light that fell onto the ground ahead, forming a formation.

The guide turned back and said, “Follow me and don’t wander off.”

He stepped forward into the starlit ground.

The tree demon elder and her group didn’t dare be careless and cautiously followed the puppet child. After about a dozen steps, the scenery before them suddenly opened up.

The moon, previously hidden behind clouds, broke free and generously bathed the world in its light. The entire exquisite courtyard was enveloped in silver radiance. The gate was wide open, the fence on either side green as jade, and from the courtyard came the clear, joyful laughter of a young girl.

The serene and beautiful scenery left the tree demon elder somewhat bewildered. The meeting she had envisioned with the master of Black Mountain didn’t seem like it should take place in such a tranquil setting. However, she dared not relax her guard and quietly led her entourage into the courtyard.

The courtyard wasn’t large, paved with clean, smooth stones. In one corner on the left, there was a peach tree (planted because Qingluo liked it). Beneath the tree was a stone table with two figures seated before it: a young man in a black robe and a delicate, beautiful young woman in a green dress.

Upon seeing them, the man smiled and said, “The guests have arrived. Go prepare some tea.”

The young woman in the green dress didn’t move, but the small boy who had guided them earlier responded crisply, “Yes, sir.”

Jiang Lin was inwardly surprised. In all the adaptations of A Chinese Ghost Story he had seen, the tree demon elder was always portrayed as a villain, with the title of “Grandmother,” and the actresses who played her invariably had old and wicked appearances. But the woman in the dark robe before him could be described as having a face as delicate as a lotus, with skin as white as frost and snow, even more charming than the eight white-clad maidservants behind her.

Upon further reflection, it made sense. When demons take on a human form, they usually appear ageless, especially for long-lived species like tree demons. It would be rather strange for them to take the form of an old crone.

Little did he know that while he found this curious, the tree demon elder and her entourage were even more shocked upon seeing the infamous Black Mountain Demon. Although this master of Black Mountain rarely appeared in public, all the rumors about him were invariably tied to words like “powerful,” “ruthless,” and “sinister.”

Who would have imagined that upon visiting today, she would meet a master of Black Mountain who resided in such an elegant and serene courtyard, with a face that could be described as handsome, and an aura that was calm and gentle? If it weren’t for the fact that he was sitting in the territory of Black Mountain, and for the subtle aura he unconsciously emanated, she might have thought she was in the courtyard of a wealthy young nobleman in the human world.

If the tree demon elder was shocked, her maidservants were even more so. They had expected the master of Black Mountain to be a sinister and ruthless demon, but now they saw that he was actually refined and gentle. If they could catch his favor…

For a moment, the maidservants from Lanruo Temple were filled with different thoughts, their eyes flickering with various emotions.

The tree demon elder quickly composed herself, stepped forward, and bowed. “Huaiyin, the tree demon of Lanruo Temple, greets the master of Black Mountain.”

Jiang Lin casually nodded, “I’ve given myself the name Jiang Lin. You may call me ‘Sir’ or ‘Mr. Jiang.'”

The tree demon elder corrected herself, “Huaiyin greets Mr. Jiang.”

Jiang Lin lightly tapped the table with his finger and said, “Please, have a seat.”

The tree demon elder sat down at the stone table. The eight maidservants, naturally without seats, didn’t dare to overstep their bounds.

A puppet child stepped forward to pour tea for Huaiyin.

Qingluo, who had been blinking her big eyes while observing her, suddenly spoke, “Sister Huaiyin, you’re so beautiful.”

After a moment, she added, “All the white-clad sisters are also very pretty.”

She was clearly very young, and Huaiyin had already noticed that her true form was also that of a tree demon, but her aura was exceptionally pure and transparent, indicating that she followed a righteous path.

Uncertain of her identity, Huaiyin glanced at Jiang Lin and asked, “This is…?”

Jiang Lin replied, “This is my daughter, Qingluo.”

His daughter?

She had never heard that the master of Black Mountain had a daughter.

But that wasn’t important. All Huaiyin needed to understand was Qingluo’s status and the appropriate way to treat her.

A warm but not overly familiar smile quickly appeared on her face. “Miss Qingluo is as cute as jade and snow. Sir, you are truly blessed.”

Jiang Lin, surprisingly, nodded in agreement. “Indeed, Qingluo is the most adorable daughter in the world.”

Jing Li looked up at Qin Zhao, his innocent eyes blinking, before lowering his head without giving an immediate response.

Qin Zhao’s fingers, hanging at his side, curled slightly.

The words he’d just spoken were indeed somewhat forward, and as soon as they left his mouth, Qin Zhao felt a twinge of regret.

Earlier, when he’d claimed the little guy as his husband in front of the villagers, it was only because the boy was lying on his bed in that state. If he hadn’t said that, it would have inevitably aroused suspicion.

But now?

How much of what he said was a joke, and how much was sincere? Qin Zhao himself couldn’t say for sure.

Qin Zhao had never considered himself a frivolous person.

Since losing his memory and ending up in this place, he’d always told himself to be cautious and careful. But ever since he met this little fish, those principles had been repeatedly broken.

Whenever he was around this little guy, Qin Zhao couldn’t resist the urge to tease him, to see him show even more adorable expressions.

But as he watched the little fish seriously consider his words, Qin Zhao couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious.

How would he respond?

The room was silent for a long time as the little guy kept his head down, thinking deeply. His bare toes gently tapped the floor, just like the way his fish tail used to lightly splash the water when he was zoning out.

Having been a fish for so long, it was hard to break the habit even after turning into a human.

After a while, Qin Zhao finally couldn’t bear the silence any longer and softly said, “If you don’t want to—”

“I don’t mind at all!” Jing Li immediately interrupted him, sounding a bit nervous. “It’s okay, no matter what you want, I’m fine with it. I don’t mind.”

Qin Zhao was taken aback.

In that moment, it was as if something inside him had broken free, and the uncertainty he had felt seemed to melt away.

“You…” Qin Zhao’s voice was slightly hoarse, “Are you serious?”

“Of course I’m serious!” Jing Li’s tone was firm. “I’ll keep my word and fulfill your wish, as long as you don’t make me leave…”

Qin Zhao asked, “Are you really that afraid of me making you leave?”

“Yes…” Jing Li replied, “I have no family or friends here. If you don’t take me in, I don’t know where I’d go.”

Fearing that Qin Zhao might still not agree, he quickly added, “Don’t worry, I’ll learn to earn money, help with housework and farm work. I won’t just freeload off you.”

Seeing the little fish so serious for once, Qin Zhao gently patted his head.

“It’s alright,” Qin Zhao said, “You don’t need to force yourself to do those things.”

He walked to the wardrobe, took out a pair of shoes, and returned to the bed, kneeling down. “These clothes don’t fit you well. Tonight, I’ll take your measurements, and tomorrow I’ll go to town to get you some new ones made.”

“Okay!”

He helped Jing Li put on the shoes, then pulled him up. “Come on, I’ll make you something to eat.”

Jing Li was particularly enthusiastic now. He obediently grabbed a stool and sat down by the stove, his eyes fixed intently on Qin Zhao.

Watching Qin Zhao cook had always been one of Jing Li’s few pastimes, and even now, having turned into a human, he couldn’t break the habit.

He didn’t think anything was odd about it, but Qin Zhao certainly did.

After all… having a fish watching you from nearby was completely different from having a person watching you.

Especially with those eyes…

Qin Zhao resisted the urge, taking a deep breath. “Little fish.”

Jing Li: “Hmm?”

“Stop looking at me.”

“?” Jing Li blinked, not asking further, but obediently turned around. “Is this better?”

—A clear sign of someone who knows they’re dependent on others and needs to behave.

Qin Zhao: “…”

Jing Li kept his head down, stretching out his legs as his toes playfully wiggled up and down out of boredom.

He was only wearing Qin Zhao’s long robe, tied loosely at the waist, but the hem couldn’t quite cover everything. His slender, straight legs peeked out with every movement, faintly visible beneath the fabric.

He found his long hair bothersome, so he gathered it all and draped it over one shoulder, exposing a small, smooth patch of his pale neck.

The oversized collar of the robe was slightly loose, and if Qin Zhao got any closer, he might catch a glimpse of what lay beneath.

For the first time, Qin Zhao didn’t dare turn his head, making cooking a much more difficult task than usual.

With most of the remaining vegetables used up to feed the workers helping build the house, there wasn’t much left in the kitchen. Today, Qin Zhao had little interest in making anything fancy. He simply stir-fried two dishes and steamed a plate of buns before setting them on the table.

Jing Li, already starving, didn’t bother complaining about the lack of meat. He focused solely on eating, head down and fully engaged.

His appetite had grown considerably along with his body. Though not as large as the farmhands working outside, it was still quite hearty.

Qin Zhao observed him carefully, roughly estimating the future daily food consumption in their household.

After their meal, as Qin Zhao washed the dishes by the stove, Jing Li sat at the table, resting his chin in his hands, feeling unusually troubled.

He watched Qin Zhao’s movements, pondering for a while, before nervously calling out, “Qin Zhao…”

“Hmm?” Qin Zhao didn’t turn around.

“Well… I want to ask you something, but don’t get mad,” Jing Li hesitated. “I’m not trying to back out of our deal now that I’m full. I’m just not entirely sure… um, could you tell me, what does ‘fulang’ mean?”

Qin Zhao’s hand slipped, nearly dropping the dishes.

“You mean… you don’t know what ‘fulang’ means?” Qin Zhao asked, his voice tight. “Then earlier you…”

“I’ve never heard that word before…” Jing Li mumbled quietly, then added, “But whatever it is, I’ll find a way to fulfill your wish. You can trust me!”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Qin Zhao almost laughed out of exasperation.

So, when this little guy was thinking it over earlier, it wasn’t because he felt Qin Zhao was being forward, or because he was debating whether to agree.

He simply didn’t understand what Qin Zhao meant.

In this era, a “fulang” wasn’t an uncommon term. In fact, in more affluent places, male companionship was popular, with some nobility even gifting male concubines to each other.

Qin Zhao had considered everything except for the possibility that the little fish wouldn’t know what the term meant.

Despite being able to navigate life in this unfamiliar mountain village, this was the first time Qin Zhao didn’t know what to do with the person in front of him.

This guy is really…

Jing Li felt too guilty to look at Qin Zhao’s face.

He hadn’t lied earlier. No matter what Qin Zhao asked, he would try his best to fulfill it. But given the situation, how could he have had the chance to ask more questions?

What if Qin Zhao thought he was making excuses and decided to kick him out right then and there?

First, calm him down, have a good meal together, then sit down and discuss it calmly.

Wasn’t that the best way to solve things?

That’s what Jing Li was thinking.

After a long silence, Qin Zhao finally spoke again, “Alright, if you don’t know, then let it go. No need to worry about it.”

“How can that be?” Jing Li protested, “I promised to help you achieve it. My word is my bond. I won’t go back on it.”

Qin Zhao, who was already familiar with his stubborn nature, calmly said, “It’s fine. I won’t kick you out.”

“…Really?”

Qin Zhao: “Yes, really.”

“Thank you!”

Jing Li immediately brightened up.

If he were still in his fish form, his tail would probably be wagging furiously behind him.

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but smile wryly.

What else could he do? He was the one who decided to save this little guy in the first place.

He would just have to deal with it.

As for other matters… there was plenty of time in the future.

Late at night, Qin Zhao, as usual, was reading under the dim light of a lamp.

Jing Li was curled up at the foot of the bed, hugging a blanket, and yawned sleepily.

“If you’re tired, just go to sleep. You don’t need to wait for me,” Qin Zhao said without looking up.

“I’m not tired.” Jing Li rubbed his eyes, then crawled over to the edge of the desk and peeked at what Qin Zhao was reading. “What are you reading?”

“Zhou Li,” Qin Zhao replied.

“The Book of Rites?”

Qin Zhao turned to look at him. “Have you studied before?”

“Uh… not exactly,” Jing Li answered hesitantly.

If it was about books from this era, he hadn’t studied them, but he had learned some things in modern society.

The “Book of Rites” consists of three parts: “Yi Li,” “Zhou Li,” and “Li Ji.” It’s one of the “Five Classics” and has always been part of the ancient imperial examination curriculum.

But that’s about all Jing Li knew.

He thought for a moment and then asked, “Are you planning to take the imperial exams?”

“Would you like me to?”

“Of course,” Jing Li replied. “You’re so talented, you’ll definitely pass on the first try. Once you pass, you can become an official, and then you won’t have to worry about food and drink anymore!”

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh, “Still thinking about food.”

“It’s not just about food,” Jing Li said. “In ancient times, the path of an official was highly valued. Being an official would surely be better than staying here!”

Qin Zhao: “Ancient times?”

“Uh… I mean, the previous dynasty. Yes, the previous dynasty,” Jing Li hastily covered up.

Qin Zhao replied, “The previous dynasty didn’t focus on the path of an official. You’re probably referring to when the former emperor was on the throne.”

Jing Li froze.

Qin Zhao continued softly, “During the former emperor’s reign, the government heavily promoted the path of an official, expanded the enrollment of students, and encouraged scholars to pursue official careers to serve the country. This did bring in many talented individuals, but it also had clear drawbacks.”

“It led to the neglect of military affairs, resulting in a significant reduction in military strength. Moreover, the officials selected through this system often formed factions, protected one another, and oppressed the common people…”

Noticing that Jing Li had suddenly gone quiet, Qin Zhao stopped speaking and looked at him, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I was just thinking…” Jing Li asked, “Why do you know all this so well? Did you used to be an official?”

“An official?” Qin Zhao shook his head, “I don’t remember.”

He lifted his eyes and gazed out the window.

The moonlight outside was just right, casting a hazy glow over the distant mountains and forests, making them appear ethereal and indistinct. Qin Zhao quietly watched, as if through that scene, he was seeing some far-off, deeper memories.

Suddenly, a sharp pain surged through Qin Zhao’s mind.

“Qin Zhao!” Jing Li quickly steadied him.

Qin Zhao leaned forward on the desk, his fingers gripping the edge tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain.

Qin Zhao’s desk was right by the bed, so Jing Li, kneeling at the foot of the bed, only had to bend over to hold him. He leaned over and embraced Qin Zhao firmly, feeling the body in his arms tremble violently, as if enduring some unbearable pain.

After a moment, Qin Zhao finally calmed down.

“I’m fine…” Qin Zhao’s voice was hoarse, with a hint of self-mockery. “I’m used to it.”

Jing Li patted his back gently, trying to comfort him, “If you can’t remember, don’t force it. It’s okay.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Qin Zhao wiped the light sweat from his forehead and soon recovered. “But you’re right; I do feel that I might indeed have some connection to those things.”

Jing Li asked, “So, are you taking the imperial exams to try to find your memories by going back?”

Qin Zhao was silent for a moment, then looked at him.

Jing Li: “?”

“No, that’s not it,” Qin Zhao said seriously, reopening the book. “It’s because I realized today that with my current income, I probably can’t afford to support a certain little fish.”

“…So, to make sure a certain fish doesn’t worry about food, I need to work harder.”

Jing Li: “…”

He doesn’t eat that much, does he???

The night deepened, and the oil lamp grew dimmer. Qin Zhao finally closed the book.

Behind him, the person had fallen silent at some point. When he turned around, he saw that the young boy had already fallen asleep, clutching the blanket.

Jing Li had a baby face, his features delicate and cute, making him look much younger than his actual age.

He held the blanket in his arms, his slender arms emerging from sleeves that had been rolled up several times, with skin as fair as porcelain adorned with a few fish scales.

Perhaps he had stayed in his human form for too long today, as a few fish scales had appeared on Jing Li’s forehead, glistening under the dim light.

Qin Zhao lowered his head, gazing at him intently.

The little guy looked just like he did in Qin Zhao’s dreams, no, even better.

Who would have thought that the fifteen coins he spent would bring him such a beautiful little guy?

Qin Zhao watched him for a while, and unable to resist, reached out to lightly touch the fish scales on Jing Li’s forehead.

The cool sensation spread through his fingertips, making Jing Li shrink back and bury his head in the blanket to hide: “It tickles…”

Qin Zhao didn’t let him off and pinched that soft, round face.

The texture was indeed as soft as he’d imagined.

“Ugh… what are you doing…” Jing Li mumbled in a sleepy voice, barely opening his eyes as he tried to figure out what was happening.

Qin Zhao sat by the bed and raised his chin, “This bed is only so big. You’ve taken up so much space. Where am I supposed to sleep?”

Jing Li rubbed his eyes and looked over.

The bed in Qin Zhao’s home was indeed not very large. It had some extra space for one person but would be a tight fit for two grown men.

Jing Li was occupying the center of the bed, leaving hardly any room for Qin Zhao even to sit.

Still not fully awake, Jing Li blinked in confusion and asked, “So, what should we do?”

Seeing Jing Li’s groggy state, Qin Zhao couldn’t resist the urge to tease him a bit. “Scoot over a bit; we’ll make do tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll go to the village and get a bigger bed made.”

After all, to the villagers, Jing Li was now considered his husband, so it wouldn’t be strange for him to get a bigger bed.

Jing Li hesitated for a while, rubbing his eyes as he slowly woke up from his drowsiness.

The bed was indeed small, and squeezing two people in would definitely be uncomfortable.

He didn’t sleep well, and what if he accidentally pushed the sickly Qin Zhao off the bed at night, causing him to fall ill again? Qin Zhao already had enough on his plate, trying to keep the household running; he didn’t want to add to his troubles.

Jing Li then said, “No need, just wait for me!”

With that, Jing Li jumped out of bed without even putting on his shoes, lifted the blanket, and ran out of the room.

Qin Zhao, sensing what Jing Li was about to do, was about to stop him, but before he could say anything, he saw Jing Li already rushing back in with the small wooden tub. He placed it on the desk.

In the next moment, a flash of red light filled the room, and with a splash, a bright red koi fish jumped into the tub filled with water.

Clothes were strewn all over the floor.

The little koi swam in the water, wagging its tail at Qin Zhao. “There, this is better!”

Then, as if surprised by something, the little koi froze. “Huh? Why can I still talk?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Qin Zhao was at a loss for words.

He sighed silently, bent down to pick up the clothes scattered on the floor, and gently patted the little koi’s head.

“Go to sleep then. Goodnight.”

The room remained silent for quite a while.

No one doubted the explanation given.

The fact that this young boy was in Qin Zhao’s house, lying on his bed with most of his body covered only by a blanket, left little to the imagination about what might be under that blanket.

If someone were to say that these two had nothing going on, it would be hard to believe.

But… no one expected Qin Zhao’s husband to be so beautiful, which stirred envy among many of the robust farmers present.

Among the crowd, it was the village chief who reacted first, shouting, “All of you, get out! It’s improper to be crowding in here like this!”

A husband, or “fulang,” referred to a male partner who, though male in gender, had a fundamentally different role from that of an ordinary man.

Being surrounded by a group of men like this, it was no wonder the boy was on the verge of tears.

The villagers were chased out of the house by the village chief’s stern command. Before leaving, the chief even gave Jing Li a polite bow, saying, “My apologies for the offense.”

With that, he too exited the room.

Now, only Qin Zhao and Jing Li were left inside.

Qin Zhao was still holding Jing Li’s hand, not with much force, but enough that it couldn’t be easily shaken off. Jing Li kept his head down, too afraid to meet Qin Zhao’s gaze, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest.

He had been found out.

When Jing Li had heard the people outside talking about finding a “fish,” the idea had suddenly come to him. As long as he wasn’t a fish anymore, they wouldn’t be able to catch him, and Qin Zhao wouldn’t be accused of lying.

The only problem was that Qin Zhao would immediately realize that there was suddenly a person in the house.

Qin Zhao was so smart; he would definitely figure out the truth right away.

But Jing Li had no other choice.

Would Qin Zhao see him as a monster?

Would Qin Zhao think he had been deceiving him all this time and get angry enough to throw him out?

Was it too late to explain now? Would Qin Zhao still believe him?

All these anxious thoughts wrapped around Jing Li like a cocoon, making his fingertips numb and causing him to start trembling. He was so overwhelmed with tension that he even forgot to ask the most crucial question.

—What does “fulang” mean?

Qin Zhao could clearly feel the boy beside him was very nervous. The hand in his palm was cold and soft, reminding him of the soft fins of the little creature when it was still a fish.

He knew he should say something, but he didn’t know how to start.

Though he had long known the little fish could turn into a human and had even seen this face in his dreams, that was just a dream.

Now, seeing the boy from his dreams in reality made Qin Zhao feel a bit flustered.

So flustered that he didn’t dare to look at him.

“Why… why aren’t you wearing clothes?” Qin Zhao managed to ask awkwardly, his first words turning out to be this.

Jing Li blinked, startled.

After that initial question, it became easier for Qin Zhao to speak. “They were outside for such a long time. Why didn’t you think to get up and grab some clothes from the wardrobe?”

“I…” Jing Li blinked again, replying softly, “I forgot.”

He had been so scared at the time that he didn’t dare move. He hadn’t even thought about it.

Hearing this, Qin Zhao couldn’t help but laugh.

Good, his little fish was still as silly as ever, unchanged.

He turned, opened the wardrobe, and took out a piece of clothing, handing it to the boy on the bed. “Get up and put this on.”

Jing Li didn’t move; instead, he clutched the blanket even tighter. “I… I’ll put it on in a bit…”

Qin Zhao seemed to realize something, his gaze falling on the blanket. “You…”

Jing Li didn’t dare to lie. Under Qin Zhao’s watchful eyes, he obediently pulled back the corner of the blanket.

Below his chest was a slender waist, with patches of scales still attached to his skin. Below his waist, instead of legs, there was a bright red fish tail.

The tip of the tail nervously thumped against the bed, and Jing Li’s voice was filled with guilt. “I can’t change back…”

Worried that Qin Zhao might misunderstand, he quickly added, “I’m not always like this; it’s just that today I got too scared, and I’m really hungry. I could fully turn into a human before!”

But Qin Zhao could hardly focus on what Jing Li was saying.

The little demon’s skin was very pale, and the remaining scales on his body made the exposed skin appear almost translucently white.

Qin Zhao found that slender waist too dazzling to look at and awkwardly averted his gaze.

For the first time, he thought that the tales of demons enchanting humans weren’t entirely baseless.

Luckily, at that moment, noise erupted from outside the house.

“I really saw it yesterday! How could I use such an easily exposed trick to frame him? He’s definitely hiding that fish!”

Qin Zhao’s rationality slowly returned. He bent down to cover Jing Li with the blanket and draped clothes over him. “Wait here for me; I’ll be back soon.”

Jing Li nodded obediently.

The crowd had retreated outside, but Qin Zhao stepped out to see Chen Lao Si still loudly arguing with the men from the town. “You have to believe me; he’s lying! The fish you’re looking for is in his house. If you leave today, you’ll never find it again!”

The men from the town remained silent. Qin Zhao sneered inwardly and was about to step forward when a voice called out from the back of the crowd, “What’s all the commotion about?”

The crowd parted, and a young man dressed in fine clothes stepped forward.

The youth appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a light purple brocade robe with a jade pendant hanging from his waist, exuding an air of wealth.

The men immediately bowed, “Young Master.”

The young man approached them, raising a folding fan in his hand and giving each of them a sharp tap on the head. “What did I tell you? You’re here to find a fish, not to disturb people. And now you’ve gone and bothered my benefactor?!”

The men exchanged looks, then received another sharp tap from the young man. “What are you standing around for? Go apologize to Mr. Qin!”

The men, though annoyed, did not dare show it. They walked over to Qin Zhao, “We apologize for the offense today, and we hope Mr. Qin can forgive us.”

The young man also stepped forward. “Did my benefactor get hurt?”

Qin Zhao asked, “Do I know you?”

The young man was irritated. “I’m Fang Tianying!”

Qin Zhao: “…”

He scrutinized the fair face before him but found it hard to connect it with the disheveled, tear-streaked boy from a few days ago.

Fang Tianying cleared his throat and explained, “To be honest, that fool… I mean, Mr. Lu, the one offering the reward for the carp, is an old friend of my father’s. My family arranged for those notices to be posted around He Yang Town. These fools are only after the reward and rush to wherever they hear about a fish. I’ve scolded them so many times.”

“I see,” Qin Zhao nodded.

Fang Tianying continued, “I left in a hurry today. I’ll take these people back, but I’ll come back personally another day to make amends to my benefactor.”

Qin Zhao nodded in agreement.

Fang Tianying gave him a respectful bow before leaving with his men.

The young master of the Fang family came and went in such a rush that the villagers were left somewhat bewildered.

In the entire Linxi Village, as well as in the neighboring villages, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know of the Fang family. The Fang family was the wealthiest household in Heyang Town, people from a completely different world compared to them.

How could Qin Zhao possibly know such important figures?

However, Fang Tianying’s timely arrival indeed left Chen Laosi isolated once those men departed.

Now that he was completely abandoned, Chen Laosi desperately grabbed Qin Zhao by the collar, yelling, “Tell me, where did you hide the fish? Huh? I clearly saw you feeding it last night. You know who’s lying!”

He used so much force that Qin Zhao stumbled and crashed against the doorframe.

Qin Zhao remained as calm as ever, quietly whispering so that only Chen Laosi could hear, “And what if I am?”

Chen Laosi was stunned.

“…Do you have any evidence to make them believe you?”

Chen Laosi looked up, only to see the usually kind, even somewhat meek, sickly man looking down at him with a mocking smile in his eyes.

A cold sweat instantly broke out on Chen Laosi’s back.

In his daze, a few villagers had already stepped forward and pulled him away.

Li Dali asked with concern, “Qin Zhao, are you alright?”

Qin Zhao lowered his gaze and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

He then approached the village chief with proper manners and said, “I hope the village chief will see justice served in this matter.”

The village chief of Linxi Village, known for his fairness, sighed heavily and said, “Chen Laosi, as per your own words, go home and pack your things.”

“Wha…” Chen Laosi’s face turned deathly pale. “No, please don’t drive me out. I’ve lived here since I was born—where would I go? Village chief, for the sake of my mother, please spare me this time. Don’t make me leave!”

“You should have thought of this before,” the village chief shook his head. “Everyone, disperse now. Qin Zhao, I apologize on behalf of the villagers for any offense caused to your husband today.”

Qin Zhao replied, “Thank you, village chief.”

Qin Zhao glanced at Chen Laosi one last time, then stepped past him and returned to the house.

Ever since he lost his memory, Qin Zhao had lived under others’ roofs and rarely made enemies. But today, this person not only caused trouble for him but also targeted his little fish.

Qin Zhao had clearly seen the frightened and aggrieved look on his little fish’s face when those men barged in.

Because of that alone, he wouldn’t just let this go.

The villagers in front of the house gradually dispersed, and the sounds of Chen Laosi’s shouting and crying grew more distant.

Qin Zhao walked into the bedroom. The little demon, now wearing Qin Zhao’s clothes, was sitting on the bed.

The clothes were too large for him, almost covering him from head to toe. His fish tail had turned back into legs, and a pair of white feet peeked out from the hem of the clothes, gently swinging at the edge of the bed.

There were still a few fish scales on the pale tops of his feet.

Qin Zhao found it a bit hard to breathe again.

After Qin Zhao had stepped out for that brief moment, Jing Li finally began to calm down.

No matter how smart or adaptable Qin Zhao was, he couldn’t possibly have remained that calm after discovering that the fish he’d been raising had turned into a human.

Gently tapping his toes on the ground, Jing Li asked softly, “Did you… did you already know…?”

“What do you mean by ‘know’?” Qin Zhao found him especially adorable in this moment, smiling as he replied, “Know that a little demon turned into a fish and has been freeloading at my place?”

“I’m not a demon!”

Seeing that Qin Zhao wasn’t angry with him, Jing Li grew bolder. “I only suddenly gained the ability to turn into a human after staying here for a while. I’m really not a demon.”

This genuinely surprised Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao asked, “When was the first time you fully turned into a human?”

“The first time I completely turned into a human… was when you fainted in the mountains. I was the one who saved you!” he said, sounding quite proud.

Qin Zhao looked at him silently for a moment.

So, the first time he turned into a human, Qin Zhao caught him and discovered his true identity.

This little silly fish truly lived up to its name.

Qin Zhao then asked, “So why did you stay here and not want to go back home?”

“Home? Isn’t my home here?” Jing Li blinked, then realized what Qin Zhao meant. “Are you talking about that Lu Yuanwai? I don’t even know who he is, so of course I don’t want to go there.”

He said, his home was here.

Qin Zhao felt as if this sentence struck him deeply, causing a soft, trembling sensation in his heart.

Jing Li didn’t seem to notice this. With everything resolved, he felt a weight lift off his shoulders and reached out to tug at Qin Zhao’s sleeve. “Qin Zhao, I’m so hungry.”

…He didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong with freeloading in human form.

Qin Zhao felt a mix of exasperation and amusement. He said, “You think this matter is just over like that?”

Jing Li blinked in confusion. “Huh?”

Qin Zhao’s tone remained calm, “We can set aside the fact that you deceived me, but you’ve caused me so much trouble today. Whether I’ll let you stay or not, I still need to think about it.”

Jing Li’s expression froze.

Why does he still need to think about it!

The little koi instantly became cautious and asked carefully, “Then… then what would make you willing?”

Qin Zhao replied calmly, “As I said before, prove to me your value in staying.”

“My value…” Jing Li hesitated.

Seeing his uncertain expression, Qin Zhao deliberately teased, “Is it that difficult? Could it be that this was also a lie, and you’re not really a koi fish?”

“I am! Of course I am!” Jing Li exclaimed urgently. “Please don’t make me leave. I can grant your wishes!”

Qin Zhao: “Anything?”

Jing Li bit his lip. “Yes!”

Qin Zhao looked down at that clear, pretty face and smiled faintly, “Then… if I want a husband, can you do that too?”

xxx

Thandar: ahhhh wolf in clothing …….. but I like hehehe

Village West

Qin Zhao leaned back against the shade of a tree, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

“I told you that your body isn’t strong enough, yet you still insist on helping us move things,” Lin Lao’er said as he carried a basket of clay bricks. He wore only a vest on his upper body, exposing his muscular chest.

Lately, with nothing else to do, he had responded to the notice and was helping Qin Zhao build his house.

In the distance, a group of burly men was huffing and puffing as they carried bricks, the air thick with the indescribable smell of sweat.

Qin Zhao, feeling a bit dizzy from the sun, shook his head. “It’s nothing, I’ll be fine after a short rest.”

It was almost summer, and the weather was getting hotter by the day. Qin Zhao was finding it increasingly difficult to stay outside in the midday heat.

Lin Changzhong also called out loudly, “I’ve been telling him to go home and rest; we’ve got this covered. But the kid wouldn’t listen no matter what. I don’t know why he’s in such a hurry—are you rushing to get married or something?”

“Listen to you, Lin Shu. Qin Zhao is already in his twenties; shouldn’t he be anxious? By the time you were his age, your wife was already pregnant with your second child,” someone in the distance chimed in, and everyone burst into laughter.

“Shut up and get back to work,” Lin Changzhong barked.

One of the perks of working with the villagers was that they were all familiar neighbors. They could chat and joke around when they were tired, which made the work go faster.

Qin Zhao rested for a while, and once he felt a bit more recovered, he used a nearby tree trunk to help himself stand up.

The small courtyard was beginning to take shape. The main house was mostly built, with just the roof left to complete. Another smaller structure, intended to be the kitchen, already had its foundation laid. A deep pit had been dug in front of the main house, where a pool would eventually be built.

After catching his breath, Qin Zhao lifted the basket of bricks beside him.

Just then, a shout came from a distance.

“Qin Zhao! Qin Zhao, something’s happened at your house!”

It was Li Dali, running toward them. He grabbed Qin Zhao and tried to pull him along.

Qin Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened?”

Li Dali’s shout had also caught the attention of the others, who all put down their work and gathered around. “What’s going on?”

Panting heavily, Li Dali explained, “I just saw a few outsiders heading toward your house. They’re blocking your door right now. Some of the villagers are keeping them out, and someone’s already gone to get the village chief!”

The crowd grew angry.

“Who are these people?”

“Coming to Linxi Village and acting out of line? They must have a death wish!”

“I don’t know!” Li Dali urged, “Anyway, you’d better come with me quickly, or it’ll be too late!”

“Move aside!”

“What are you people doing here? It’s illegal to trespass in Linxi Village! Aren’t you afraid we’ll report you to the authorities?”

“This is none of your business! Get out of the way!”

Outside the door, the clamor grew louder. Inside, the little koi had sunk to the bottom of the wooden bucket, even curling the tip of its tail in fear, trembling all over.

These people… they had come to capture him.

There was a loud bang as someone outside tried to force the door open, causing the little koi to shudder.

The noise outside grew even more intense. Fortunately, Qin Zhao had recently installed a new lock, and the intruders couldn’t break it easily. However, the door itself was old and decayed, barely able to withstand much more forceful impact.

There was another loud bang, and the door clearly started to give way, with dust falling from the impact.

The wooden cabinet where the bucket sat was directly in front of the door; if the intruders broke in, they would spot it immediately. Jing Li could no longer stay put out of fear and jumped out of the water.

He didn’t dare to stay in the outer room, so he flopped his way into the bedroom. After a quick search, he used his tail to propel himself onto the bed. With great difficulty, his small fish body wriggled into the bedding, wrapping himself tightly.

Where is Qin Zhao…?

As time passed slowly, the tension and fear made him feel dehydrated faster than ever before. His tail gently flapped behind him, and his breathing became increasingly difficult.

But still, he didn’t dare move, silently waiting.

Just then, a voice was heard outside the door.

“What are you doing?”

Jing Li’s eyes brightened. Qin Zhao was back.

Outside, the four or five strange men standing by the door turned around to see who had spoken.

Qin Zhao stood there, his gaze calm and detached, but when his eyes swept over them, the group of strong men felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

However, they quickly regained their composure.

These men were clearly different from ordinary farmers, dressed in fine clothes that indicated they came from wealthy families.

They exchanged glances, and one of them stepped forward. “Are you Qin Zhao?”

Qin Zhao replied, “I am.”

“Someone reported that you are hiding the prized koi. We need to search your house.”

Qin Zhao didn’t respond immediately.

Seeing his silence, the man who spoke found a bit of courage and continued, “Not saying anything means you’re admitting it, right? Don’t pretend you haven’t seen the reward notice for the koi. You found it but didn’t return it—is that because you want to keep it for yourself?”

Qin Zhao calmly replied, “If you’re talking about the small red fish, I did take care of it for a while. Once it recovered, I released it. You won’t find it here.”

“He’s lying!” A voice called out from the crowd.

Qin Zhao turned his head to see who it was—it was the fourth son of the Chen family.

Chen Laosi was still young, small and thin, with dark skin. There was a crowd gathered in front of Qin Zhao’s house, and Chen Laosi had blended in, so Qin Zhao hadn’t noticed him before.

Chen Laosi declared confidently, “That fish is still in the house. I saw it with my own eyes last night!”

Qin Zhao’s eyes flickered slightly.

So, it was him last night.

Chen Laosi met Qin Zhao’s gaze, a sense of satisfaction rising within him.

When his wife had switched out the old lady’s medicine, almost causing her death, Chen Laosi had known about it. He was a cowardly man, only interested in drinking and playing, with no real skills to earn a living. If it weren’t for his wife managing the household, he wouldn’t have gotten this far.

So, he had turned a blind eye to the medicine switch, thinking that the old lady’s death would benefit him when it came time to divide the family’s property.

But things hadn’t gone as planned, thanks to this man.

Now, his wife was locked up in the county office, and because of this, when the family split, he only got a small plot of land and a dilapidated house.

He had no idea how to farm and was now facing a bleak future, uncertain of how he would survive.

His life had turned miserable, yet this sickly man was bustling around the village, building a house, and seemingly doing better each day.

Chen Laosi was consumed with jealousy, his mind constantly scheming revenge.

If he couldn’t have a good life, then neither should this man.

For the past few days, Chen Laosi had been loitering around Qin Zhao’s house.

In the small mountain village, the people were simple and honest, and most households rarely locked their doors, whether they were home or not. But only Qin Zhao’s house was always locked up tight, with doors and windows sealed as if there was something inside that shouldn’t be seen.

Chen Laosi had his suspicions. Qin Zhao’s house was always locked during the day, so he chose to check at night.

To his surprise, his investigation the previous night had indeed uncovered a shocking secret.

Qin Zhao had not released that fish as he claimed.

Almost everyone in the village knew about the reward for the koi and that Qin Zhao might have kept the fish for a while. Qin Zhao’s explanation was that he had released the fish shortly before the reward notice went up, but Chen Laosi always found that too coincidental.

Seeing the fish still in Qin Zhao’s house last night, everything suddenly made sense to him.

Qin Zhao was trying to keep the valuable koi for himself.

The town’s notice was very clear: anyone who found the koi would be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver, and even providing credible information would earn one hundred taels.

A hundred taels would last him half a lifetime.

So, early this morning, he went to the town to report what he knew.

It was an opportunity to make money and make Qin Zhao suffer—an unbeatable deal.

Qin Zhao understood the whole situation, but he just shook his head and said, “Even if you have grievances against me, you shouldn’t abuse your power to settle personal scores by falsely accusing me.”

“Falsely accuse you? How am I falsely accusing you? I clearly saw you feeding that fish yesterday!”

Qin Zhao withdrew his gaze calmly, refusing to engage further.

This only made Chen Laosi appear more agitated.

“Chen Laosi, don’t go too far!” Li Dali, who had been by Qin Zhao’s side the whole time, finally couldn’t hold back any longer. “I’ve seen you lurking around here for days. Are you just waiting for a chance to cause trouble for Qin Zhao?”

The villagers had recently grown fond of Qin Zhao, and given what had happened with Chen Laosi’s wife, they held some prejudice against him. Hearing what Li Dali said, they started to discuss among themselves.

“Yeah, wasn’t it Qin Zhao who messed up that situation with his wife? He’s probably holding a grudge.”

“But lying and deceiving people like this, and bringing a whole group to break into someone’s house—that’s just bullying.”

“Exactly, exactly…”

Chen Laosi turned red with embarrassment, stammering for a long time without being able to say a word in response.

The man who had spoken first grew impatient and interrupted, “Your grudges are none of our concern. We’re here to find that koi. If you say you didn’t keep it, then open the door and let us see. If there’s no fish inside, we’ll leave.”

Qin Zhao remained silent, lowering his eyes. Just then, a voice called out from behind the crowd, “Qin Zhao, open the door.”

Everyone turned to see the village chief approaching, surrounded by a few villagers.

The village chief said, “Neither side can convince the other, and this standoff is disturbing the peace of the entire village. It’s better for everyone to take a step back.”

“Open the door and let all the villagers here witness it.”

“Of course, if what Qin Zhao says is true and he hasn’t hidden the fish, I will enforce the village rules and punish Chen Laosi.”

Hearing the village chief’s words, Chen Laosi finally found some backbone and said, “No need for the chief to punish me. If there’s no fish inside, I’ll leave the village tomorrow!”

His declaration caused an uproar among the onlookers.

Only Qin Zhao frowned slightly, deep in thought.

After a moment, he smiled faintly and said, “Very well.”

Qin Zhao stepped forward, and the crowd parted to let him through. He slowly and deliberately took out the key to the door, raising his voice so everyone could hear: “If there is no fish inside, I expect the village chief to clear my name.”

With that, Qin Zhao unlocked the door and pushed it open.

Chen Laosi was the first to rush inside.

The room was silent, and the wooden bucket on the low cabinet was filled with clear water, but there was nothing in it.

“How can it be empty? He was definitely keeping the fish in here last night!” Chen Laosi lifted the bucket, looking around as if suspecting that Qin Zhao had hidden the fish at the bottom.

Qin Zhao remained calm. “I did keep the fish here before, but as I said, I have already released it.”

“Impossible, that’s impossible! I saw him feeding the fish with my own eyes last night. He must have hidden it somewhere!” Chen Laosi shouted angrily. “What are you all standing around for? Search the place! The fish must be in this house!”

The small room quickly filled with people, with most of the villagers unable to squeeze in and waiting outside.

Qin Zhao’s house wasn’t very large, and the outer room was quickly turned upside down by the searchers.

Someone pulled back the curtain leading to the bedroom.

But they stopped in their tracks, stunned.

“Why are you blocking the way? Get in and search!” Someone behind them pushed the person forward, and the crowd streamed into the room.

In the narrow bedroom, a pale-skinned young boy was huddled at the foot of the bed, looking at them with fear in his eyes. “W-who are you…?”

The boy seemed terrified, clutching the blanket to cover himself tightly, only his delicate, pretty face and a bit of his bare, white shoulder visible.

His eyes were rimmed with red, his watery gaze resembling that of a small, frightened animal, full of helplessness and grievance.

Everyone present felt a heavy thud in their hearts, suddenly finding their mouths dry.

In the deafening silence, Qin Zhao pushed aside the curtain and entered the room.

Clearly not expecting such a scene, Qin Zhao also paused briefly. However, he quickly composed himself, calmly looking away as he walked over.

Seeing his arrival, the boy’s eyes grew even redder.

Qin Zhao approached the bed, but instead of looking at the boy, he turned around, subtly blocking everyone’s view. “Gentlemen, have you found the fish?”

“Fish… Yes, the fish, keep searching!” Chen Laosi was the first to snap out of it.

But there was no place left in the room to hide a fish.

The search yielded nothing.

However, only Chen Laosi and the few men from town seemed intent on finding the fish. The villagers, on the other hand, had long lost interest in the fish, their attention entirely captured by the boy on the bed.

Countless eyes openly scrutinized the boy, who huddled in the corner, helplessly looking to the man beside him for support.

But Qin Zhao never once glanced back at him.

Jing Li was now terrified.

He was afraid these people would discover his true identity and take him away, and he also feared that Qin Zhao, upon seeing him like this, would realize he had been deceived all along.

Was Qin Zhao… angry?

Jing Li bit his lip and, hesitantly, reached out to lightly tug at Qin Zhao’s fingers. “Qin Zhao…”

His voice was faint, laced with a sob, as if he was on the verge of tears.

Qin Zhao closed his eyes briefly, exhaling silently, but just as the boy was about to withdraw his hand, he grasped it in return.

The warmth of Qin Zhao’s hand seeped through their fingers, and Jing Li looked up as Qin Zhao finally spoke.

“Please don’t be alarmed,” Qin Zhao said gently. “This is my newly wedded husband, and he’s a bit shy around strangers.”

The little demon did not disappoint Qin Zhao. For the remaining hours of their journey home, the little koi lay at the bottom of the wooden bucket, deep in thought, without moving an inch.

He had completely missed Qin Zhao’s hint.

Qin Zhao glanced at him from time to time, sighing silently.

Fool.

The ox cart moved slowly through the countryside. Just as they were about to exit the forest, Qin Zhao caught sight of a figure out of the corner of his eye.

A young man was lying unconscious under a tree by the roadside.

He stopped the ox cart.

Jing Li also poked his head out to look.

The young man appeared to be around Chen Yanan’s age, disheveled and in a sorry state.

He was wearing a light purple robe, and although Jing Li couldn’t tell what material it was made of, it was clearly expensive. However, the once-fine garment was now torn in several places, stained with dirt, and the embroidered patterns were barely visible.

Qin Zhao approached him and bent down to check his breathing.

His breathing was still steady.

Qin Zhao gently shook the young man’s shoulder. “Young master, wake up.”

The young man’s brows furrowed, and he muttered in his sleep, “Uncle Wang, don’t bother me. Let me sleep a little longer…”

Jing Li tilted his head.

Why does this voice sound so familiar?

Before Jing Li could figure it out, the young man finally opened his eyes, still groggy, and upon seeing Qin Zhao, he grabbed his hand. “Please help me, please! I can give you money…”

Qin Zhao calmly removed his hand and asked, “Who are you, and why did you faint here?”

“I… I’ve been lost in these mountains for several days. I haven’t eaten in so long. Can you take me home?” The young man was practically sobbing.

Qin Zhao thought for a moment, then reached out to help him up.

But as soon as the young man stood up, he yelped and fell back down.

Qin Zhao squatted in front of him, reaching for his ankle. The young man flinched and gasped in pain.

“It’s dislocated,” Qin Zhao said.

Tears welled up in the young man’s eyes as he asked, “What should I—”

Before he could finish, Qin Zhao swiftly applied force, and there was a loud “crack” as the bone snapped back into place.

“Ahhhhhh—”

Qin Zhao straightened up and said calmly, “It’s fixed. Try standing.”

“Couldn’t you have warned me first?” the young man shouted at Qin Zhao, tears in his eyes.

“Would it have hurt less if I had warned you?” Qin Zhao asked.

“Well… no, not really.”

The young man stood up, somewhat sheepishly, and moved his ankle, finding that the pain was gone.

Qin Zhao helped him onto the ox cart, covered the bucket holding Jing Li, and then handed him an oil paper packet of steamed buns from the basket. “Eat something to tide you over. We’ll reach the village soon.”

“Th-thank you,” the young man stammered.

They were not far from Linxi Village when they found the young man. Less than an hour later, Qin Zhao’s ox cart arrived at the village entrance.

Qin Zhao said to the young man, “This cart isn’t mine, so I can’t take you all the way home. If you follow this road, there’s a post station where you can rent an ox cart back to town.”

The young man blinked in confusion. “How did you know I live in town?”

Qin Zhao asked, “Is your surname Fang?”

“It is,” the young man replied. “My name is Fang Tianying. Have we met before?”

Qin Zhao was silent for a moment before saying, “In a way.”

Fang Tianying didn’t press further. After hesitating, he asked, “Could you… lend me a bit more money?”

Qin Zhao looked up at him.

Fang Tianying said, “I lost my money a few days ago, and when I tried to walk back home, I got lost, which is how I ended up like this. I’ll return the money to you as soon as I get home. What’s your name?”

Qin Zhao gave him ten wen for the fare and exchanged names with him before parting ways.

The little koi popped its head out of the wooden bucket and watched the young man’s retreating figure.

Not only did Qin Zhao know his name, but Jing Li also remembered him.

Isn’t this the young master of the Fang family in town?

Last time, when the Fang family had come to Qin Zhao for the Wushan ginseng, they had visited the Fang residence.

This young master had done something to get himself into trouble and had been beaten by his father until he screamed—the same scream he let out when Qin Zhao reset his ankle earlier…

The Fang family was well-known among the neighboring towns, so it wasn’t surprising that Qin Zhao recognized their young master. This was also why Fang Tianying hadn’t been too suspicious when he heard that Qin Zhao knew him.

However, it’s likely that Young Master Fang wouldn’t want to know the real reason Qin Zhao recognized him.

Jing Li sighed inwardly and didn’t dwell on the matter.

Someone like Fang Tianying, a young master, and someone like Qin Zhao, a farmer, belonged to completely different worlds, with no chance of crossing paths.

He was more concerned about his own situation.

They returned to the village early, before mealtime. But two meals a day weren’t nearly enough for Jing Li, and he felt his stomach rumbling as he looked around the wooden bucket.

The oil paper packet that had once held steamed buns was now crumpled at the bottom of the cart, discarded by the young man.

Jing Li: “…”

He distinctly remembered there being three or four left!

Jing Li wanted to pick a fight with Fang Tianying.

Qin Zhao followed the little koi’s gaze and saw the crumpled oil paper packet. He reached out and patted the little koi’s head gently, saying in a warm voice, “Don’t worry, I’ll make something good for you when we get home.”

The little koi flicked its tail in displeasure but didn’t make a fuss.

If there’s meat, he might just reluctantly agree.

The cart carrying the bamboo had already arrived in Linxi Village earlier and was now stacked on the empty plot of land on the west side of the village. Qin Zhao first returned the ox cart to Lin Lao’er, then went to Lin Changzhong’s house.

They had agreed before the trip that Qin Zhao would contact Lin Changzhong once the bamboo arrived.

Lin Changzhong had already inspected the delivery and said to Qin Zhao, “Leave the rest to me. I’ll go to the village chief early tomorrow to post a notice. It shouldn’t be difficult to hire help since the spring plowing season is over.”

Qin Zhao thanked him and then returned home with the little koi.

The issue of building materials was now completely resolved.

And so was the matter of people constantly asking about the koi.

Qin Zhao’s trip proved effective, as for the next few days, no one mentioned the koi to him.

There was one downside, though: the little koi could no longer accompany Qin Zhao on outings.

Jing Li naturally understood this.

As long as that notice remained up in town, his safety was at risk. Plus, he had already caused Qin Zhao enough trouble and didn’t want to make things harder for him.

The little koi became very well-behaved and sensible in important matters. Since returning from Shanglin Village, he no longer pestered Qin Zhao to go out and play.

Every day, when Qin Zhao left the house, the little koi stayed home alone, sleeping peacefully without causing any commotion. Unlike before, he didn’t try to transform into a human and sneak out to play, and he would sleep soundly until Qin Zhao returned.

One day, when Qin Zhao came home, the little koi was, as usual, sleeping at the bottom of the water.

With construction underway, Qin Zhao had become especially busy in recent days.

Building a house in reality was quite different from working with blueprints. Even though the village wasn’t as particular as the wealthy families in the city, there were still many details that needed to be discussed.

Qin Zhao, worried someone might come by and discover the little koi, didn’t dare invite anyone to his house, so he had to go to the construction site himself.

As soon as he closed the door, he heard the sound of water splashing behind him.

The little koi was leaning against the edge of the wooden bucket, wagging its tail at him.

Its eyes were moist and clear, sparkling with a lively and energetic look.

Seeing the little fish in such a state, Qin Zhao felt as though all the fatigue of the day had been washed away in that moment. He walked over, patted the little koi on the head, and said, “You’re hungry, aren’t you? I had someone buy some white sugar in town. I’ll steam some sugar cakes for you in a bit.”

Sugar cakes?

Qin Zhao can make those?

Jing Li was a little surprised.

In truth, Qin Zhao had never made them before.

He didn’t have a sweet tooth and had never thought of learning how to make such pastries. But after seeing how much the little koi liked this treat last time, and since he couldn’t always go to town to buy them, he thought he might as well learn how to make them himself.

He asked around the village and quickly found out that Li Dali’s wife knew how to make them, so he went to her to learn the recipe.

But whether he could actually make them, he wasn’t so sure.

The rice had already been soaked the day before, and after draining it, he ground it into powder and sifted it. The sifted rice flour needed to be mixed with water to form a batter, stirring continuously as water was added.

This step was particularly tricky; if done incorrectly, the cakes wouldn’t set properly.

Making pastries required careful attention to detail. By the time the rice cakes were placed in the steamer, the sky had already turned dark.

“They need to steam for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Why don’t you have some bread first to tide you over?” Qin Zhao offered a piece of bread to the little koi, who shook its head and shrank back.

It didn’t want any.

It wanted to save room for the sugar cakes.

Seeing this, Qin Zhao didn’t insist and said, “The house will take another three or four days to be built. Once it’s finished, I’ll take you to see it. In a few days, I’ll visit some nearby villages to find a few carpenters. Everything in this house belongs to the Chen family, so we can’t take it with us—we’ll need to make new things.”

He meticulously shared with the little koi everything about his day and his plans for the future. The little koi listened intently, occasionally wagging its tail in response.

By the time he finished talking, the rice cakes were ready.

Qin Zhao turned to the stove to serve the cakes, and the little koi eagerly craned its head to watch his movements. Suddenly, there was a noise at the door.

It was faint, like someone lightly pushing the door.

Qin Zhao, too, heard it.

He put down what he was holding and walked over to open the door. Outside, it was quiet and empty. It was late now, with no stars or moon, and the darkness was so deep it was impossible to see your hand in front of your face.

Qin Zhao frowned slightly, looked around but saw no one, and then closed the door again.

The little koi hid in the bucket, only its eyes cautiously peeking out.

More than anyone, it was afraid of being seen.

Qin Zhao brought the steamed sugar cakes to the table and comforted the little koi in a gentle voice, “There’s no one outside, don’t worry.”

The little koi nodded and rubbed against Qin Zhao’s fingers, seeking comfort.

Qin Zhao gently stroked its head, feeling a sense of helplessness.

He had already thought of a solution to the situation.

The notice was looking for a koi. As long as the little creature was willing to transform into its human form, the problem would be solved.

But…

It was all because he couldn’t hold back at the time and told the little creature that he hated being deceived the most.

Ever since that day, the little creature had been even more secretive about its true identity. It hadn’t tried to transform into its human form again, and it didn’t even complain when Qin Zhao left it alone at home all day.

It seemed like he had made up his mind to act like an obedient and well-behaved pet fish.

He was so well-behaved that Qin Zhao started to feel a bit sorry for him.

Seeing how hard the little koi was trying to hide his identity made Qin Zhao realize just how cruel he had been in testing and teasing him before. It made him even more reluctant to expose the truth.

“Just hold on a few more days,” Qin Zhao said. “Once our new house is built and we move in, everything will be better.”

He had specially added a hidden channel to the pool that would lead directly outside. He told Lin Changzhong and the others that it was to ensure fresh water flow in the pool, but in reality, it was so the little fish could freely move outside without being noticed.

With some aquatic plants and rocks for cover, even if someone did enter the yard, they wouldn’t easily find the little koi.

Once they moved, everything would be fine.

Qin Zhao added, “I asked someone to make a new lock for the door a couple of days ago. It’s just finished today, so after we eat, I’ll install it. Now, let’s eat.”

For his first attempt at making pastries, Qin Zhao had done quite well. The white, glutinous cakes were cut into small squares and sprinkled with bits of red dates on top. They looked just as good as the ones sold in town.

The little koi immediately perked up, raising its head high, eagerly watching the cakes in Qin Zhao’s hand.

Qin Zhao blew on the cake to cool it slightly, then broke off a piece and tossed it to the little koi.

Before it even hit the water, the little koi jumped up and caught it mid-air.

But the next moment, as the little koi landed back in the water, it stiffened completely.

Under Qin Zhao’s hopeful and anxious gaze, the little koi’s gills moved as it struggled to swallow the cake, but it couldn’t help flipping over belly-up.

It was just… way too sweet.

The next morning, as usual, Qin Zhao got up early.

After dinner the night before, Qin Zhao did indeed replace the lock on the door with a new one, even securing the windows.

The old lock had been on the door since the house was rented from the Chen family, and it was so old and decayed that a strong adult could probably break it with one hard twist.

Although there had never been any cases of break-ins in Linxi Village, Qin Zhao was always cautious, preferring to be prepared.

After making breakfast and feeding the fish, Qin Zhao took care of his own tasks, then made a pot of congee and prepared a few side dishes, packing them up.

When hiring people in the village, in addition to paying wages, it was customary to provide a meal.

These days, Qin Zhao would make the meal at home and bring it to the worksite, staying there until the afternoon before returning home.

After packing the food and making sure the windows were securely locked, he bid farewell to the little koi and left.

The little koi watched the door close in front of him, heard the click of the new lock being secured, and the tail that had been wagging slowly fell, lightly tapping the water’s surface.

He hadn’t shown it in front of Qin Zhao, but the truth was, he really didn’t like being left alone.

The house was so boring—he couldn’t see Qin Zhao, and he was constantly worried that a cat might come by.

Jing Li longed to go out with Qin Zhao like before, to play by the river, follow him around the village, watch him interact with the villagers, and see how he gradually improved their life.

But ever since the news about the koi spread, he hadn’t had the chance.

Suddenly, Jing Li felt a bit aggrieved.

Being a koi wasn’t good at all.

He didn’t want to be a koi anymore.

The little koi blew a bubble in the water, then turned and dove to the bottom.

No more thinking. He might as well sleep.

After all, as long as he slept, he’d be able to see Qin Zhao again when he woke up.

Jing Li thought to himself as he curled up in the corner of the wooden bucket, soon becoming still.

But he didn’t sleep for long.

After some time, Jing Li suddenly heard a noise coming from outside.

The house was very quiet, making the footsteps outside particularly noticeable, and it was clear that there was more than one or two people. Jing Li instinctively sensed that something was wrong and silently floated to the surface, his eyes fixed on the closed door.

A moment later, unfamiliar voices sounded outside the door: “Are you sure that koi is in here?”

“Master, the tree demon from Lanruo Temple has sent an invitation, wishing to visit tomorrow.”

As soon as Jiang Lin opened his eyes, he heard someone speaking beside him. He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before looking at the speaker.

Tall and thin, with a pale face, lifeless black eyes, and blood-red lips—this figure resembled something straight out of a horror movie, clearly not human.

Indeed, “it” wasn’t human.

And Jiang Lin himself was no longer the White Tiger King but had become the Black Mountain Demon.

Black Mountain Demon? A Chinese Ghost Story? The world of Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio?

The speaker, receiving no immediate response from Jiang Lin, remained still, bowing respectfully as if waiting for Jiang Lin to fully recover.

This brief moment was enough for Jiang Lin to process all the information. The Black Mountain Demon was notoriously suspicious, and as the ruler of Black Mountain, he never allowed demons or ghosts to serve him.

The vast Black Mountain was filled with puppets, animated by the demon’s magic, and this particular figure was no exception.

As Jiang Lin took in the puppet’s appearance, he couldn’t help but feel disdain for the Black Mountain Demon’s taste. The puppet’s face was painted to be even more terrifying than a real ghost.

He looked around the Black Mountain Hall, which was shrouded in darkness and surrounded by chilling winds. It was no wonder that even though the Black Mountain Demon rarely left his mountain to cause trouble, the mere mention of his name had other demons and ghosts labeling him as a great demon lord.

“Tree demon?” Could it be the famous Tree Demon Granny? Is the story unfolding this quickly?

After a brief consideration, Jiang Lin nodded. “Very well.”

The puppet respectfully nodded back, emitting a sudden red light that flew towards a specific location in the southwest of Black Mountain.

This was how they communicated with the tree demon.

Once the puppet had sent the message, it stood frozen in place, silent and unmoving.

…Which made it even more frightening.

These puppets, devoid of self-awareness, remained on standby without their master’s orders. The original Black Mountain Demon was used to this, but after spending centuries in White Tiger Ridge—a place of birdsong, flowers, warmth, and light—Jiang Lin found it rather intolerable.

He waved the puppet away and brought Qingluo out from her jade space.

As soon as Qingluo emerged and saw the gloomy, dark hall, she wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Daddy, it’s so dark here. It’s not comfortable at all.”

Jiang Lin gently patted her head. “Hmm, Daddy will find time to renovate this place.”

He led Qingluo out of the hall. From the outside, the hall looked even more eerie and terrifying, like a giant beast waiting to devour anyone who dared to enter.

Jiang Lin frowned, baffled by why these demons always made their living spaces so unnerving.

Living in such an environment for hundreds or thousands of years could turn even a normal demon into a psychopath.

If demons truly preferred this style, then why were the demons of White Tiger Ridge much happier living in beautiful houses?

The moonlight was bright that night, but Black Mountain was eerily quiet.

No other demons lived on Black Mountain, and even the birds and beasts instinctively sensed the danger of the area, staying far away.

Jiang Lin walked to a more open area and used his magic to create a small treehouse.

“We’ll make do here for the night,” Jiang Lin said.

Qingluo had no objections. Her body flashed with a green light, transforming into several lush vines that wound around the treehouse. The green leaves, tinged with jade, shimmered softly under the moonlight.

Actually, Jiang Lin could have done more, but even though he now had the body of a demon, he still maintained the habit of working during the day and resting at night. He really didn’t feel like building anything in the pitch-dark night. So, he took out a meditation cushion from his space, sat cross-legged in the treehouse, and closed his eyes to rest.

The night passed uneventfully.

The tree demon had mentioned visiting today, and naturally, that meant she would come in the evening.

Jiang Lin kept his promise to Qingluo and built a small courtyard. The courtyard resembled the one he had in White Tiger Ridge in the previous world, with clean blue stone floors and a beautiful picket fence.

In the afternoon, Jiang Lin used the puppet control magic he remembered from the Black Mountain Demon’s memories and changed the appearance of all his puppets. Before the apocalypse, his family was relatively well-off, and he had learned various hobbies, including painting. His painting skills weren’t at a master level, but he could manage to create something decent.

The once eerie puppets quickly transformed: there were identical twin children with little buns on their heads, a squirrel girl with ears and a big tail, and Jiang Lin even indulged in a bit of humor by painting a blonde girl with a red hood.

Ah, Little Red Riding Hood—probably no one would get the reference anymore.

After sending the puppets to prepare for the guest, Jiang Lin began to sort through the story of this world.

In the world of A Chinese Ghost Story, the main characters were, of course, the ghostly maiden Nie Xiaoqian and the human scholar Ning Caichen. The villain, naturally, was the tree demon.

Originally, the Black Mountain Demon had nothing to do with this plot. The problem arose when the tree demon decided to cling to the Black Mountain Demon and employed an age-old tactic—the beauty trap. And as fate would have it, the Black Mountain Demon, who had never been interested in women, actually fell in love with Nie Xiaoqian at first sight.

As it turns out, demons who oppose the protagonist, no matter how powerful, end up meeting a tragic fate. The Black Mountain Demon was eventually obliterated by a Daoist master summoned by Ning Caichen, with no chance for reincarnation.

Tonight, the tree demon might be visiting to offer a beauty, Jiang Lin thought lazily, resting his chin on his hand.

Whatever. He had no interest in getting involved in the drama between the two protagonists. He’d rather spend the time improving his strength by cultivating the Nine Spirits Technique.

But this demon body of his, being the essence of the vast Black Mountain itself, allowed his consciousness to easily perceive any part of the mountain. He had already noticed that Black Mountain was rich in spiritual energy and full of rare treasures—truly a remarkable place.

The builder’s instinct in his blood began to surge: leaving such a great place unused would be a terrible waste. Though he was short on manpower for now, weren’t some people coming to him tonight?

As night fell, clouds obscured the moon, casting the world into darkness. The wind picked up, signaling the movement of demons.

A dark red sedan chair, escorted by eight beautiful maidservants dressed in white, sped through the forest.

When they reached the Black Mountain’s boundary, the sedan chair came to a halt. The elegant maidservant on the left side softly said, “Grandmother, we’ve arrived at Black Mountain.”

“Hmm.” A seductive voice responded from inside the sedan chair, and a slender hand, with nails painted in crimson, extended from behind the curtain.

The eight maidservants in white followed the woman in the dark robe, bowing respectfully to the Black Mountain before them:

“Tree demon of Lanruo Temple, here to pay respects to the King of Black Mountain.”

xxx

Thandar: I have seen both the animation and live action versions of a A Chinese Ghost Story. I love both so much.

Tang Sanzang and his disciples had left.

As they walked towards the blazing sunrise on the horizon, Sun Wukong glanced back. White Tiger Ridge was hidden deep within the dense forest, and unless one ventured inside, who would have thought that such an unremarkable woodland could conceal a place as heavenly as that?

Sun Wukong thought that if he ever had the chance in the future, he would certainly return to visit this place.

A comfortable sigh interrupted his thoughts—it was Zhu Pajie. “The king of White Tiger Ridge is truly a good demon,” he said, still munching on a small bag of dried fruit.

When they were about to leave, seven or eight little demons had blocked their way and stuffed many things into their hands.

“These are just some insignificant items, gifts from the demons to their honored guests,” Jiang Lin had said.

Zhu Pajie, being eager, opened the packages to find dried fruits and other snacks that were easy to preserve, all tasting remarkably good.

Sun Wukong glanced at his junior brother and scolded, “You fool! All you think about is food!”

Zhu Pajie, long unafraid of such rebukes, replied calmly, “Well, I’m just a pig now. What else can I do but eat?”

There was a trace of self-mockery in his casual tone.

Sun Wukong took one look at his nonchalant smile, reached out, and snatched a bag of dried fruit, tossing it into his mouth.

“It’s pretty sweet.”

Jiang Lin stood on the highest peak of White Tiger Ridge, watching the figures grow smaller and eventually disappear into the vast wilderness.

Zong Yu stood beside him, puzzled. “You were overly enthusiastic towards them,” he said. “But from what I saw, they seemed like ordinary mortals and demons.”

Jiang Lin thought to himself, You don’t understand. In the heart of every Chinese person who grew up watching “Journey to the West,” the Great Sage holds a special place. I only wish I could do more in my current position.

This was something he couldn’t explain to Zong Yu, but there was another point he could share.

“There’s no harm in forming a good relationship,” Jiang Lin sighed. “One day, I will leave White Tiger Ridge, and your temperament doesn’t seem suited for staying here long-term either. The demons here aren’t yet strong enough to support such a large place on their own, so I need to make preparations in advance.”

The disciples, having received his generous hospitality, would likely not stand idly by if White Tiger Ridge ever faced trouble in the future.

These words sounded somewhat ominous to Zong Yu, triggering a sense of alarm. “Leave White Tiger Ridge? Where will you go? Won’t you return?”

Jiang Lin had already anticipated this and had a reason prepared. “I’ve reached a bottleneck in my cultivation. Soon, I will either go into deep seclusion or travel the world. I might not return for hundreds of years.”

Hearing this, Zong Yu finally felt relieved. He muttered, “I thought you were saying you wouldn’t return at all. You really scared me.”

Thinking about Jiang Lin’s words, he eagerly asked, “Can I travel with you?”

Jiang Lin dodged the question with a laugh. “We’ll see when the time comes.”

Because of this conversation, Zong Yu kept a close watch on Jiang Lin for a long time, afraid that he might suddenly disappear.

But everything remained normal, and White Tiger Ridge continued its peaceful existence for another twenty years.

The monk who went to retrieve the scriptures returned to Tang Dynasty, receiving the highest honors.

Jiang Lin saw the Great Sage again.

He was dressed in golden armor, draped in a blood-red cape, and no longer wore the golden headband. His golden eyes sparkled brightly, and he was full of vigor—this was the Monkey King that Jiang Lin had always envisioned.

His appearance was entirely different from what Jiang Lin had expected. Curious, Jiang Lin asked, “What is this, Great Sage?”

Sun Wukong laughed freely, “My task of fetching the scriptures from the West is complete. Now, I am free again, and that cursed tightening spell is gone. I wondered if I could ask the king for a drink?”

Jiang Lin was genuinely surprised. “I thought that after reaching the Western Heaven, you would take refuge in Buddhism.”

“Take refuge in Buddhism?” The Great Sage looked at Jiang Lin curiously. “You’re not wrong. That old guy, Tang Sanzang, did want to make me some kind of ‘Fighting Buddha,’ but I refused.”

“Why did you refuse, Great Sage?”

The Great Sage looked at him and smiled. “Back then, I thought what you said made a lot of sense.”

“Because I still have attachments.”

“I can’t let go of Flower Fruit Mountain, nor can I let go of my little ones, and I don’t like all that ‘Amitabha’ talk from the Buddhist sect.”

“I’ve learned unparalleled divine skills, became the Great Sage, Equal to Heaven, and gained fame throughout the world, but in the end, what I miss most are the early days at Flower Fruit Mountain.”

The Great Sage gazed into the distance, towards his homeland in the east, leaning casually against a tree trunk. “So, I came back.”

He and Jiang Lin drank together for three days and nights before staggering off in high spirits.

Later, when a new emperor ascended the throne, one who was devout in Taoism, not only did Buddhism and Daoism flourish, but many great demons also lingered in the human world.

White Tiger Ridge underwent changes, welcoming new faces among the demons, and its management became more organized.

Jiang Lin felt that the time was right.

He gathered Pheasant, Li Mao, Han Dong, and Qinghuan, telling them that he was going on a journey and might not return for hundreds of years. He instructed them to take good care of White Tiger Ridge in his absence.

Then, he personally prepared a grand feast, filling the table with elaborate dishes for Zong Yu.

But Zong Yu’s face was clouded with displeasure.

“Are you planning to leave without taking me with you?” he demanded of Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin smiled gently. “Zong Yu, I’m sorry, but this time, it’s not convenient to bring you along.”

Usually, Zong Yu loved Jiang Lin’s cooking, but this time he didn’t even look at the food, his expression darkening as he stormed off.

Jiang Lin was taken aback, not expecting such a strong reaction from Zong Yu.

He felt a bit troubled. After spending hundreds of years together, Jiang Lin knew that while Zong Yu had a temper, he wasn’t bad at heart and was quite dependent on him.

Jiang Lin already had his precious daughter, Qingluo, and had no intention of raising another “son,” especially since Zong Yu’s age wouldn’t make that appropriate. However, to say he had no feelings for Zong Yu would be a lie; to Jiang Lin, Zong Yu was like a close younger brother.

He didn’t chase after him but quietly sat in his small courtyard, waiting.

Jiang Lin knew Zong Yu well, just as Zong Yu knew him.

When the moon was high in the sky, Zong Yu returned.

He glared at Jiang Lin, his eyes slightly red. “If I hadn’t come back, how long were you planning to sit here?”

Jiang Lin smiled faintly. “I would have sat here until you returned, so I could say goodbye.”

Zong Yu’s eyes reddened even more.

He said, “Even though you say you’re going on a journey, I have a feeling you won’t come back.”

Jiang Lin hadn’t expected Zong Yu to be so perceptive. He smiled bitterly and said, “Well… how should I put it? If fate allows, perhaps we’ll meet again.”

Zong Yu frowned, his face stern, and sat down quietly. He ate all the food on the table, which had grown cold, without saying a word, and then left in silence.

Jiang Lin knew he was still angry and sighed.

The next day, as the dawn broke, Jiang Lin got up.

Standing at the exit of the valley, he turned back, gazing longingly at the land he was about to leave.

After a long while, he softly said, “Goodbye.”

As he turned to leave, he saw a small, familiar figure standing under a peach tree ahead.

The peach blossoms were in full bloom, romantic and beautiful, while Zong Yu stood beneath the tree with a cold, murderous expression.

Zong Yu stared at him icily. “So, you really have no attachment.”

Jiang Lin sighed. “Zong Yu, there is no feast that doesn’t end. You’re still young; you’ll understand this in the future.”

Zong Yu walked up to him and stuffed a small bead into his hand.

He said, “I don’t believe we’ll meet again by chance. Right now, I’m really mad at you. Just looking at you makes me angry. If you’re going to leave, then hurry up, before I decide to fight you.”

Jiang Lin looked down at the bead in his hand. “What is this?”

Zong Yu snorted. “It’s nothing special. If you don’t like it, just throw it away.”

Jiang Lin sighed. He carefully put it away in front of Zong Yu, saying earnestly, “Thank you for the gift. I will treasure it.”

Zong Yu turned his head away, refusing to look at him.

Jiang Lin didn’t mind and reached out to pat him on the head.

“Goodbye, little Lord Zong.”

There was no reply.

Jiang Lin hadn’t expected one. He chuckled lightly and turned to leave, walking toward the morning light until his figure disappeared into the glowing horizon.

After a long while, the wind carried a reluctant, unwilling response:

“Goodbye, Jiang Lin.”

xxx

Thandar: NOOOOO don’t leave like that … I cantttttt.

Jing Li was now extremely worried.

Qin Zhao’s analysis was spot-on; if that rich guy was willing to spend a thousand taels to get him back, it must mean he could indeed bring good fortune.

But…

He had no idea how to do that.

In his understanding, he was just an unlucky fish. Even after spending more than a month with Qin Zhao, he hadn’t brought any noticeable good fortune to him.

Now Qin Zhao wanted him to prove it—how was he supposed to do that?

The little koi blew a string of bubbles in the water.

“Eat your food. What are you spacing out for?” Qin Zhao nudged the floating mantou towards the little koi. The fish remained dazed for a while before slowly swimming up to eat it.

There probably wasn’t anyone worse than Qin Zhao in the world.

He demanded that Jing Li find a way to prove he was a lucky koi before agreeing not to send him away for money, but he wouldn’t even tell him how to do it.

He claimed that a koi’s blessing to the world was a small matter that didn’t need a mere mortal’s interference.

…Yet, this guy never believed in ghosts or gods in the first place.

The little koi was so worried that he couldn’t even eat, and it took Qin Zhao a long time of soft coaxing before he finally managed to get him to finish his meal.

After eating, Jing Li refused to let Qin Zhao rub his belly and instead hid at the bottom of the wooden bucket to “reflect.”

It was hard to tell who owed whom.

Qin Zhao got up to clean the dishes, silently sighing.

The way he spoke to the little fish last night was just because he found the creature’s reaction so endearing and wanted to tease him a bit more. If he could use this as an opportunity to get the fish to reveal the truth and show his human form, all the better.

But who would’ve thought the little demon didn’t seem to get his hint at all?

Such a silly fish.

Jing Li hadn’t been sulking for long before someone came to the house.

Just as he was about to see who it was, Qin Zhao casually grabbed a wooden lid, covering the bucket tightly, and then moved the bucket along with the lid onto a nearby low cabinet.

Jing Li: “???”

“Don’t move.” Hearing the little koi’s displeased tail swishing inside, Qin Zhao whispered, “You can’t be seen right now. Someone might try to catch you.”

Fearing exactly that, Jing Li immediately stopped moving.

Only then did Qin Zhao go to answer the door.

The visitor appeared to be in his early thirties, also a villager from Linxi Village. He seemed to have the surname Li, but he usually didn’t have much interaction with Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao wasn’t even sure what his name was.

The man didn’t enter the house and instead opened with, “Qin Zhao, I just came back from town. Do you know that everyone there is catching fish?”

Qin Zhao: “…”

The news spread that quickly?

Qin Zhao replied calmly, “Is that so? I didn’t know.”

“I knew you hadn’t heard the news yet!” The neighbor continued to ramble on, “I heard from people in town that there’s a bounty out for a red koi fish, offering a thousand taels! I couldn’t understand the notice, but the picture on it looks exactly like the koi fish you had with you before.”

“Where’s your fish? Let me take a look.”

As he spoke, he tried to peer inside the house.

Qin Zhao casually blocked his view and responded calmly, “Are you talking about that fish? I already released it back into the wild.”

“Released it? What a waste! What if it’s the one they’re looking for?”

“That fish was something I bought at the market not too long ago for just a few coins. How could it be worth a thousand taels?” Qin Zhao’s tone remained steady, “Thanks for letting me know, though. Would you like to come in for a drink of water?”

The neighbor lost interest upon hearing this, muttering about having things to do at home, and left, disappointed.

Qin Zhao closed the door and sighed quietly.

What he had feared was starting to happen.

Qin Zhao hadn’t anticipated that the little fish would have such a background, so he hadn’t been concerned about it being seen by others. As a result, many people in Linxi Village had noticed the little fish by his side.

The villagers of Linxi Village often went to the town market for trade, and now that the news had reached the village, there would be no shortage of nosy people.

It was one thing if people came with good intentions to inform him, but he was more concerned about those with less honest intentions who might be after the fish.

Figuring out what to do next was indeed a troublesome matter.

Qin Zhao, usually decisive, found himself at a rare loss.

He lifted the lid of the wooden bucket, and the little fish inside looked at him cautiously.

It seemed he had caused quite a bit of trouble for Qin Zhao…

Seeing the fish’s wary expression, Qin Zhao couldn’t help but soften. He gently tapped the fish’s head with his finger and reassured it, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you be sent away.”

The little koi swam up and gave his fingertip a tiny kiss.

If only he really could bring good fortune, he would try to help Qin Zhao resolve this situation.

He didn’t want to be sent away, nor did he want Qin Zhao to be bothered constantly.

Jing Li thought to himself silently.

But despite Jing Li’s prayers, they had no effect. In the span of just one hour, the small house had been visited by at least four or five groups of people.

All with the same purpose.

Jing Li: “…”

So, he really isn’t a lucky koi after all!

Qin Zhao wearily sent off the last group of visitors and closed the door, feeling quite exasperated.

This couldn’t go on. He needed to come up with a plan.

Linxi Village wasn’t known for fishing, so even if the news spread, only a handful of people would likely be interested. After a few days, the fuss would die down, and no one would ask about it anymore.

If there were a way for him to leave Linxi Village for a while, to lay low…

Just as Qin Zhao was thinking this, someone knocked on the door again.

Qin Zhao opened the door.

It was Lin Changzhong.

Qin Zhao instinctively thought he was also here to ask about the koi, and he nearly blurted out, “That fish has already been released,” but Lin Changzhong said, “I came to talk to you about the building materials for your house.”

He had taken on the job of building Qin Zhao’s house, and it had been quite a few days since then, so it was time for an update.

Qin Zhao felt relieved and welcomed him in, pouring him a bowl of water.

“I’ve asked around in several nearby villages over the past few days, but it’s impossible to get any bamboo at this time of year,” Lin Changzhong said after gulping down some water. “You’re asking a bit late; if it were last month, it might have been possible.”

He paused, then asked, “I wanted to discuss with you—perhaps we could use a different material?”

Qin Zhao didn’t answer immediately.

Bamboo was his first choice. It was cheap, insect-resistant, and water-resistant, making it the most economical option when bricks and tiles were unaffordable.

He had originally thought that, with the bamboo forests in the nearby mountains, there wouldn’t be an issue with supply.

Lin Changzhong, aware of Qin Zhao’s situation, offered a second option: “If you really want bamboo, you’ll have to go further, over another mountain, to ask in more distant villages. But in that case, you probably won’t be able to return the same day.”

With a family to support and other jobs to handle, Lin Changzhong couldn’t afford to take a long trip to gather supplies.

Qin Zhao paused briefly, then glanced thoughtfully at the small wooden bucket on the side cabinet.

He had just been thinking about finding a chance to leave the village for a few days, and now Lin Changzhong was offering the perfect opportunity.

Was this the koi’s influence at work again?

Returning his gaze, Qin Zhao said, “Uncle Lin, you can tell me the route, and I’ll make the trip.”

“You’ll go?” Lin Changzhong seemed concerned. “Can your body handle it?”

Qin Zhao replied, “As long as I don’t push myself too hard, I should be fine.”

His resolve was firm, and there really wasn’t a better option. Lin Changzhong, seeing no other way, didn’t object further. He said, “Then I’ll talk to Lao Er and have him lend you the ox cart for a few days.”

The village Lin Changzhong mentioned was called Shanglin Village. To get there from Linxi Village, one had to cross a mountain, and even with an ox cart, the journey would take most of the day.

“…My family is from there; everyone in the village has the surname Lin. I’ll write you a letter. When you reach the village, look for someone named Lin Daniu. He’ll understand once he sees the letter.”

Lin Changzhong detailed the route to Shanglin Village. A direct road between the two villages had been built a few years ago, reducing the risk of getting lost.

Qin Zhao thanked him.

The journey to Shanglin Village would take several hours, so he needed to set off as soon as possible to avoid arriving after dark. Without further delay, Lin Changzhong left to arrange the loan of the ox cart from Lin Lao Er.

Just before leaving, he seemed to remember something and turned back, saying, “By the way, about your fish…”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Qin Zhao repeated the same explanation once more to dismiss Lin Changzhong. After closing the door, he finally went to lift the lid of the wooden bucket.

“You heard everything?” Qin Zhao asked. “We’ll leave the village for a few days and return once things calm down.”

The little koi nodded but felt a bit guilty inside.

He couldn’t help at all and had to rely on Qin Zhao to come up with a solution. With Qin Zhao’s poor health, who knows if all the traveling will worsen his condition?

Jing Li suddenly felt very dejected.

Lin Lao’er, who was one of the first in the village to have a favorable impression of Qin Zhao, quickly brought the ox cart over after hearing about the situation. He was even enthusiastic enough to offer to accompany Qin Zhao, just to keep an eye out for him.

But Qin Zhao didn’t agree.

Lin Lao’er needed to go up the mountain every day to cut firewood, and this trip would mean losing several days of income. The Lin family had already helped him a lot, and Qin Zhao didn’t want to trouble them further.

However, before leaving, Qin Zhao did one more thing.

He deliberately mentioned the reward for the fish in town to Lin Lao’er, saying that the fish looked very much like the one he had bought earlier, but unfortunately, he had already released it. His tone was full of regret.

Lin Lao’er didn’t doubt him at all, first lamenting the unpredictability of life and then comforting him for a while.

News always spread quickly in the village, and if someone with ulterior motives came to ask Qin Zhao, the likelihood of them hearing the truth was low. Even if Qin Zhao left for a few days, there would still be people asking questions if things weren’t resolved when he returned.

But if Qin Zhao was the one to release the news, the entire Linxi Village would know within half a day.

There were always new topics of conversation in the village, so by the time he returned in two or three days, the matter would have already calmed down.

And conveniently, Lin Lao’er was someone who couldn’t keep things to himself.

After seeing Qin Zhao off, he returned home and the first thing he said to his wife was, “Did you know? There’s a reward in town for a koi worth a thousand taels, and Qin Zhao…”

From Linxi Village to Shanglin Village, there were villages along the way, and the scenery was beautiful. With time to spare, Qin Zhao traveled slowly and steadily.

Jing Li, placed in a small wooden bucket, would occasionally poke his head out to take a look.

He was surprised to find that Qin Zhao actually knew how to drive an ox cart, and he did it more smoothly than any other cart Jing Li had ridden before.

Another strange skill this person has, Jing Li thought.

They set out in the morning and arrived at Shanglin Village just at sunset.

There happened to be an old man cooling off at the entrance of the village, and seeing that Qin Zhao was a stranger, he couldn’t help but take a closer look.

Qin Zhao didn’t mind and went up to explain his purpose.

“Oh, you’re looking for Lin Daniu?” The old man raised his hand and pointed. “Just keep going down this road, and when you reach the intersection, take a right. It’s the third house on the right.”

Qin Zhao thanked him and quickly followed the old man’s directions to find Lin Daniu’s house.

Lin Daniu was a distant relative of Lin Changzhong and often did business with him, so the two families were quite familiar with each other.

After reading the letter from Lin Changzhong, Lin Daniu said, “Changzhong mentioned everything in this letter. I still have bamboo here, but it’s unprocessed, just raw materials. It’s too late today, so I’ll have it processed tomorrow. The day after, I’ll hire someone to deliver it to Linxi Village for you.”

Qin Zhao responded, “Thank you.”

Lin Daniu added, “You can stay at my house for the next two days. There’s an empty room in the back courtyard.”

By now, it was already dark, and finding a place to stay elsewhere would be difficult. Moreover…

The little koi was covered in the wooden bucket, gently tapping the sides with its tail.

He was so hungry…

Although Qin Zhao had brought some dry food, they had delayed so much earlier that by the afternoon, they had barely had time to rest, let alone eat, in their rush to reach Shanglin Village before nightfall.

Qin Zhao pressed down on the bucket lid and said to Lin Daniu, “Thank you very much.”

Lin Daniu’s home was an ordinary farmhouse with a separate small house on the side, used as a temporary rest spot for the carpenters who came to work on the wood.

He led Qin Zhao over and said, “It’s a bit simple here, don’t mind it.”

Qin Zhao shook his head and replied, “Not at all.” In fact, this place was much better than the small room he usually stayed in.

After sending Lin Daniu off and closing the door, Qin Zhao heard a loud thud behind him.

The little koi had flipped the bucket lid off with a swipe of its tail.

He was suffocating in there.

“You…” Qin Zhao bent down to pick up the bucket lid from the floor and said helplessly, “Be careful not to be seen.”

Got it.

The little koi lazily swished its tail like a grandmaster and opened its mouth towards Qin Zhao.

Hurry up and feed me, I’m starving.

…

Qin Zhao stayed in Shanglin Village for two days. Lin Daniu was kind, not only letting him use the kitchen to brew his medicine but also ensuring that Qin Zhao had a share of whatever food the family cooked.

Though, half of it ended up in the little fish’s belly.

On the morning of the third day, Lin Daniu loaded the processed bamboo onto the cart.

The bamboo poles were long, and only a large cart could carry them. Forty poles would fill the cart.

In truth, they didn’t need so many for the fence, but transporting such a large cart required three oxen, and the cost to Linxi Village was fifty wen, regardless of how much was loaded.

Qin Zhao decided to have Lin Daniu fill the cart completely; the extra bamboo could be used to make a bamboo chair.

As for the price of the bamboo, Lin Daniu gave Qin Zhao the lowest rate due to the frequent business exchanges between him and Lin Changzhong.

The cost of the bamboo was three wen per pole, so a full cart came to one hundred and twenty wen. Including the processing fee, the total was one hundred and seventy wen.

So, each pole cost less than five wen.

Qin Zhao paid Lin Daniu a total of two hundred and forty wen, with the extra covering the costs of lodging and meals for the past few days.

The large cart carrying the bamboo moved much faster than the ox cart Qin Zhao drove himself and quickly disappeared from view.

Fortunately, the people Lin Daniu had hired were trustworthy, so there was no concern about the bamboo getting lost. Since they had set out an hour and a half earlier than when they came, Qin Zhao allowed the ox cart to move leisurely along the mountain road.

The little koi swam around in the bucket, occasionally splashing some water.

It was strange; after just two days away, he found himself feeling a hint of anticipation about returning home.

At some point, he had already started thinking of Qin Zhao’s house as his own.

Qin Zhao looked at him with a smile and softly asked, “Why are you so happy? Have you figured out how you’re going to prove it to me?”

Bringing up the old issue again.

The little koi’s swishing tail immediately came to a halt, and his mood visibly dropped.

Jing Li, of course, hadn’t forgotten about this, but he truly couldn’t think of a way to prove himself to Qin Zhao.

If it was about fulfilling Qin Zhao’s wishes and needs, the thing Qin Zhao needed most right now was money, but he couldn’t magically make money appear.

As for curing Qin Zhao’s illness…

He’s a koi fish, not a doctor.

But aside from that, he couldn’t think of anything else that Qin Zhao might need.

This was giving him a headache.

“Why do you look like that again?” Qin Zhao stopped the ox cart, turned around, reached into the water, and gently rubbed the little koi’s head. “Is it that you can’t think of anything, or that you’re unwilling?”

The little koi anxiously shook his head.

How could he be unwilling? He really just couldn’t think of anything!

“Can’t think of anything?” Qin Zhao asked. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

The little koi shook his head even more vigorously.

But Qin Zhao continued to look at him with a smile and slowly said, “What about other things? Have you lied to me about anything else?”

The little koi froze instantly.

…He actually did have something…

Qin Zhao pretended not to notice the little koi’s sudden tension and continued in a serious tone, “That’s good. I really hate being lied to.”

He really hates being lied to.

Jing Li was so anxious he was about to cry.

Although he didn’t have bad intentions, the fact that he could turn into a human was something he had indeed kept hidden from Qin Zhao.

What… what should he do now…

Qin Zhao felt that his hint had been clear enough, so he didn’t say anything more and turned back to continue driving the ox cart.

If the little demon still didn’t get it after this, then he really was a fool.

Qin Zhao couldn’t help but chuckle to himself.

After the waiter finished speaking, he turned and went to serve tea at other tables.

For a while, the table was silent, with two pairs of eyes fixed on Jing Li.

The little fish swallowed the last piece of pastry in his mouth and shrank back nervously.

What are they staring at? Do they really want to send him to that town?

How could he be a lucky koi? He’s obviously so unlucky!

In the long silence, Qin Zhao was the first to snap out of it. He sighed and said, “Let’s eat first.”

“You still have the appetite to eat?”

Chen Yanan, now looking at the little koi fish as if he were staring at a thousand taels of silver, had eyes practically glowing. But after all, this was Qin Zhao’s fish, and no matter how valuable, it wasn’t his to decide.

Chen Yanan cleared his throat, “Brother Qin, should we go to the street corner to check out that notice? You did just recently find this fish, right? What if… what if it really is the one? Then you’d be set for life.”

Qin Zhao sipped his tea and calmly replied, “Let’s finish our meal first.”

Qin Zhao seemed completely unbothered by what the waiter had said earlier, eating at his usual unhurried pace, his demeanor as elegant as ever.

As for the little fish, he was convinced that he was just an unlucky little thing, so he continued eating without a care.

The only one who seemed anxious and uneasy during this meal was their host, who found no pleasure in the food.

Finally, after they finished eating, Chen Yanan hurried to settle the bill and dragged Qin Zhao to the street corner.

The bulletin board at the street corner was crowded with people, and a brand-new notice was posted right in the center. The crowd around it was holding koi fish, comparing them to the picture on the notice.

“Does mine look like it?”

“Yours doesn’t, mine does. Hah, mine is the real one, I’m heading to Qing Mountain Town tomorrow!”

“What a joke, your fish’s tail is white at the tip. You’d be sent back as soon as you arrive.”

“Yours isn’t the real one either! You dyed that fish black and red in a dye vat; it’ll lose color as soon as it touches water!”

The crowd was noisy, each person holding up their koi fish, trying to outdo the others.

Chen Yanan, relying on his larger build, managed to push his way to the front with Qin Zhao in tow.

Jing Li cautiously poked his head out of the fish basket to take a look at the notice.

He couldn’t read the words on the notice, but luckily, there was an illustration below the text.

The picture depicted a bright red koi swimming in the water, with its tail and head slightly raised, and its clear red eyes conveying a touch of innocence.

Jing Li tilted his head.

This fish does look quite cute.

When Qin Zhao looked down, he happened to see the little fish looking up in confusion. He couldn’t help but silently marvel at how skilled the artist was.

The artist had even captured the subtle expression perfectly.

Jing Li was still puzzled until he realized that both Qin Zhao and Chen Yanan were looking down at him, making him feel uneasy.

Hmm???

Does this picture really look like him?

Actually, Jing Li wasn’t sure what he looked like.

The last time he caught a glimpse of his reflection, it was… on the chopping block of a fish vendor.

Reflected in the blade of a knife.

At that time, things were urgent, so he didn’t get a clear look—he only knew he was a red koi, and that was it.

So he had no idea that the drawing was essentially an exact replica of him.

Seeing the reactions of the two people beside him made Jing Li a bit anxious. He tried to lift himself up to get a better look, but Qin Zhao gently pressed him back into the fish basket.

“Behave yourself,” Qin Zhao whispered. “It would be troublesome if you were discovered here. Do you want to be taken away?”

A fish worth a thousand taels would certainly attract a lot of unwanted attention if it were spotted on the street.

Jing Li immediately stopped moving.

Qin Zhao exchanged a glance with Chen Yanan, and the two of them quietly walked away from the notice board.

“Qin Zhao, what do you plan to do?” Chen Yanan asked.

By the time they finished eating, it was already dusk. Now, with the sky dimming, they were riding a bullock cart back to the village.

Qin Zhao held the fish basket in his arms, looking down at the little fish inside, without responding.

Chen Yanan continued, “I know you like this little fish, but think it over—it’s a thousand taels we’re talking about.”

Jing Li was still in a bit of a daze.

At that moment, his first thought was realizing just how valuable he was.

A thousand taels—he couldn’t help but feel tempted if he were in Qin Zhao’s shoes.

As he thought about this, Jing Li suddenly recalled what had happened when he first transmigrated into this world.

He hadn’t arrived directly at this town when he first came. He wasn’t sure where he was, only that he was packed in a clay jar, being transported to an unfamiliar place by several people.

Hmm… they seemed to have mentioned…

That he was a koi capable of bringing good fortune, and that a prominent figure in the city wanted to buy him for a thousand taels.

Jing Li still remembered that not long after those people had finished talking, the cart they were in overturned on the road. He escaped from the clay jar and fell into a small stream.

He drifted along for two or three days, and when he finally woke up, he found himself caught in a fish market.

Because of all the bad luck he encountered afterward, Jing Li had completely dismissed those initial conversations from his mind. And after arriving at Qin Zhao’s side, he never thought about it again.

Who would have thought that after all this time, it would come full circle?

Jing Li looked up, a bit worried, and gazed at Qin Zhao.

Would Qin Zhao send him away?

Chen Yanan kept pestering Qin Zhao, asking for his thoughts. Finally, Qin Zhao, feeling cornered, replied slowly, “The notice mentioned that the person who lost the koi was a certain Mr. Lu from Qing Mountain Town. After losing his beloved koi, Mr. Lu has been unable to sleep and has posted a large reward, hoping to retrieve it.”

“…Did you not notice anything strange about this?”

Chen Yanan looked up, bewildered. “What’s strange about it?”

“If it’s just an ordinary koi fish, why would Mr. Lu offer such a large reward?” Qin Zhao asked calmly.

Chen Yanan hesitated. “Well… the notice said it could bring good fortune, didn’t it?”

“Yes, good fortune,” Qin Zhao continued in his unhurried manner. “Since Mr. Lu is willing to spend a thousand taels as a reward, it means he believes this fish is worth more than a thousand taels. If this little fish is worth more than a thousand taels, why should I return it?”

“…Your logic is astounding,” Chen Yanan said, amazed. “How did you get so smart? Can you share some of that with me?”

Qin Zhao shot him a cool glance, and Chen Yanan promptly shut his mouth.

When they returned to the village, their homes were in opposite directions, so they parted ways at the village entrance.

“Are you really sure about this? The talk about good fortune could just be a lie made up by someone. Cash in hand is the most reliable,” Chen Yanan urged, still a bit unwilling to let go. “You don’t know, the wealthier people are, the easier they fall for these kinds of things. I have a classmate who’s from a wealthy family in town. Last time, he spent ten taels of silver on a broken stone because someone tricked him into thinking it was a protective charm!”

Qin Zhao was silent for a moment, then said, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Chen Yanan sighed. “Alright, I’ll go along with whatever you decide. After all, the fish is yours, not mine.”

“But…” he suddenly remembered something, grinning mischievously, “you’ll need to convince me to keep today’s events a secret. What are you going to give me in return?”

Qin Zhao thought for a moment, then took out three bundles of coins from his robe and handed them to Chen Yanan.

Each bundle contained a hundred copper coins, so this was three hundred coins in total.

Chen Yanan was taken aback by Qin Zhao’s generosity and quickly pushed the money back. “Qin Zhao, have you struck it rich lately? Being so generous?! I don’t want your money; I want something else.”

Qin Zhao asked, “What do you want?”

Chen Yanan blinked and said, “Of course, it’s what we talked about at the restaurant today.”

Qin Zhao sighed and rubbed his temples. “I won’t give you the same detailed notes as last time, but if you truly want to learn, you can come to my place on your day off.”

Chen Yanan beamed. “Thanks, big brother Qin!”

He paused, then added seriously, “By the way, you should be more careful when taking the little fish out with you. If the news has already spread to the town, it won’t be long before the villagers hear about it.”

“You can trust me, but… who knows what others might think. Just be cautious.”

Qin Zhao replied, “I understand.”

With that, they went their separate ways.

Qin Zhao carried the fish basket home, placed the little koi back into the wooden bucket, and sat down by the table.

He raised his hand, letting it dangle over the edge of the bucket. The little koi obediently swam up and planted a gentle kiss on his fingertip.

Qin Zhao said, “Now you know how to please me?”

The little koi wagged its tail and swam up to give him another kiss.

Qin Zhao stroked its head and softly asked, “So, you originally belonged to someone else, but now you’re staying at my place, eating and drinking. What are your intentions?”

Jing Li felt incredibly wronged.

He only had memories from before he transmigrated, and as for the little fish’s past, he knew nothing. Until today, he didn’t even know who that Lu Yuanwai was.

The little koi anxiously swam back and forth in the water, nuzzling and kissing Qin Zhao’s fingers, desperately trying to be cute, worried that Qin Zhao might think he still missed his former owner.

Qin Zhao finally couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you trying to appease me?”

In truth, Qin Zhao wasn’t all that surprised by today’s news.

Qin Zhao was extremely clever, and after spending so much time with the little koi, he had already noticed a few things.

Ever since the little fish came into his life, everything had been turning for the better.

In fact, a few days ago, Qin Zhao had almost given up hope that the old lady from the Chen family would wake up. The fact that she did so quickly was nothing short of a miracle.

And when that miracle happened, the little fish was right by her bedside.

Coupling this with the time they found the Wushan Ginseng, along with various other details over the past few days, Qin Zhao had basically formed a solid theory.

This little creature really could bring good fortune.

As for what he had just said to Chen Yanan, that was just an excuse.

Chen Yanan might not know, but Qin Zhao did. This little fish had a mind of its own, could take human form, and if it wanted to leave, Qin Zhao wouldn’t be able to stop it.

So, whether or not they went to Qingshan Town wasn’t really up to him.

It wasn’t his decision to make.

Luckily, the little one didn’t seem eager to leave.

Of course, Jing Li had no idea what Qin Zhao was thinking. Seeing that Qin Zhao hadn’t responded for a while, he grew even more anxious, flapping his tail so hard that water splashed out of the bucket.

Qin Zhao gently pinched the little fish’s body, soothingly saying, “Alright, I won’t be sending you away for now. Just behave yourself.”

Really?

The little koi calmed down, raising its head high.

Its adorable expression made Qin Zhao unable to resist petting it a few more times before he continued, “However, if you want me to keep you, you’ll have to agree to one condition.”

The little koi stared at him without blinking.

“The notice said you’re a rare koi, capable of bringing good fortune and fulfilling people’s wishes.”

Enjoying the smooth, cool texture under his hand, Qin Zhao looked down at the little creature and softly said, “You’ll have to find a way to prove it to me.”

Qin Zhao sometimes felt that this little demon wasn’t here to repay a favor but rather to seek revenge.

Otherwise, how could it be that he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep day after day?

Qin Zhao wearily rubbed his forehead and sat up in bed.

The sun was already high in the sky.

Perhaps it was because he had been busy all day yesterday, combined with hearing the little demon speak human words right in front of him before bed, that Qin Zhao had an unusually restless night and slept in much later than usual.

Remembering that he still hadn’t fed the fish, Qin Zhao dragged his tired body out of bed.

After a quick wash and getting dressed, he went to the main room. The little koi fish was perched on the edge of the wooden bucket, wagging its tail energetically at him.

…It had recovered pretty quickly.

Qin Zhao casually rubbed its head and said, “Sorry to keep you waiting, I’ll feed you now.”

He walked over to the stove, lifted the cover off the dishes set aside from yesterday, only to find that more than half of the red-braised pork he had saved was gone, and even one of the steamed buns was missing.

Qin Zhao: “…”

The little koi fish, under his gaze, sank into the water and let out a small burp.

Jing Li didn’t really want to resort to stealing food, but he had only eaten one piece of sugar cake and two small egg pancakes the entire day yesterday, with nothing from noon until night. When he woke up this morning, he was so hungry that his stomach was practically sticking to his back.

Yet Qin Zhao hadn’t woken up yet.

Thinking about how busy Qin Zhao had been all day yesterday, Jing Li hadn’t had the heart to wake him up and could only… fend for himself.

Fending for himself wasn’t that easy either; Jing Li was so hungry that he could barely manage to transform into a human, but he couldn’t retract his tail no matter how hard he tried. Fortunately, Qin Zhao hadn’t put out the fire in the stove the night before, so all he had to do was steam the meat and buns to heat them up.

He even made sure to leave some for Qin Zhao!

Jing Li hid at the bottom of the water, feeling a bit guilty.

Lately, his actions had become more and more bold. Would Qin Zhao start to suspect something?

But Qin Zhao didn’t show any sign of suspicion.

He reheated the remaining meat and buns, but only ate the buns along with a few pieces of potato, leaving the remaining meat for the little demon’s dinner.

After finishing the meal, Qin Zhao took the little koi out of the house.

In the mountain village, the farmers usually ate two meals a day, starting work in the fields first thing in the morning before coming back for breakfast. By this time, the meal was over, and many villagers were out for a walk or lying in their courtyards to digest.

As Qin Zhao walked through the village, some villagers even greeted him voluntarily.

The situation was completely different from before.

The mountain village was isolated, and although Linxi Village had a mix of different surnames, the nearby Huaixia Village was mostly populated by members of the Ge family.

But even in a village with mixed surnames, people who lived together for a long time often became related by marriage, and everyone in the village was considered kin.

Qin Zhao had helped the Liu family before, recently rented land from the Li family, and had seemingly reconciled with the Chen family, so word spread quickly. Naturally, the villagers no longer treated him as they had in the past.

Jing Li found this particularly moving.

When he first arrived in the village, people used to avoid Qin Zhao.

Qin Zhao first took the little koi to the village chief’s house.

He hadn’t forgotten about yesterday’s plan to post a notice for hiring help.

But as soon as he reached the village chief’s doorstep, he unexpectedly saw members of the Chen family there.

The door to the main house was wide open, and several of the Chen family elders were gathered inside, discussing something. Chen Yanan was waiting in the courtyard, signaling to Qin Zhao with raised eyebrows.

Qin Zhao walked over and asked, “What are you all doing here?”

“It’s all because of my fourth aunt,” Chen Yanan said in a low voice. “They discussed it all night yesterday. My mother said that this almost led to a life-threatening situation and wants to report it to the authorities.”

Qin Zhao asked, “Will your fourth uncle agree to that?”

“He doesn’t have much of a choice. This is such a big issue that even the village chief can’t make a decision on it,” Chen Yanan replied. “Also, we’ve decided to split the family. Once my grandmother’s condition improves in a couple of days, we’ll start discussing it.”

Qin Zhao nodded. He didn’t want to meddle too much in other people’s family matters, so he refrained from making any further comments.

Jing Li, however, thought it was a good decision.

In the village, it’s customary not to split the family as long as the elder is still alive, and no junior would dare to bring it up. But with the grandmother having been sick for half a year, things escalated to the current situation.

Given the circumstances, it would be better for everyone to separate sooner rather than later.

Chen Yanan then asked, “Enough about that. What about you? What brings you here?”

Qin Zhao explained his intentions.

“You need to borrow an ox? We have one at home!” Chen Yanan patted his chest and said, “I know about the land you just rented. Once this situation here is resolved, I’ll have my mother help you plow it right away.”

But Qin Zhao shook his head. “That’s not appropriate.”

“What’s not appropriate?” Chen Yanan waved his hand dismissively. “My mother was just talking about how she didn’t know how to thank you. Helping you is the least we can do.”

The chubby boy was very sincere, but Qin Zhao didn’t agree so easily.

In the end, neither of them could convince the other, so they waited together outside until the Chen family finished their discussion. Chen Dasao was the last to come out, and before Qin Zhao could speak, Chen Yanan had already mentioned his idea.

Chen Dasao agreed without hesitation.

“It’s no big deal, Qin Zhao, you don’t need to be so polite with me.” After everything that had happened, even her way of addressing Qin Zhao had changed. “There were a lot of offenses before, and now you’ve saved my mother. It’s only right that we repay you.”

“You don’t have much land there. How about I take care of it for you this year? I’ll handle the plowing, planting, and harvesting for you.”

“That won’t do,” Qin Zhao firmly refused. “The Chen family has already done me a great favor. If we were to weigh the favors, the Chen family’s kindness to me is far greater.”

Jing Li knew that Qin Zhao’s refusal wasn’t solely due to the matter of favors.

Chen Dasao was a straightforward person living in this small mountain village, and raising her son alone was already challenging enough. Now that the Chen family was about to split up, her life would only get harder.

She also had to help Chen Yanan earn money for his studies, so Qin Zhao couldn’t take advantage of her kindness.

Chen Dasao was direct and said, “Then what do you suggest? I have to do something to repay you.”

Qin Zhao thought for a moment and said, “How about this? You help me with plowing and planting, and after the work is done, I’ll pay you fifty percent of the usual wages. How does that sound?”

Chen Dajie was still a bit hesitant, but seeing Qin Zhao’s determination, she finally nodded. “Alright.”

The Chen family still had some matters to deal with over the next couple of days, so Chen Dasao and Qin Zhao agreed that she would help him plow the land in three days.

They couldn’t delay this matter for too long, as once the family split, it was uncertain who would end up with the ox.

And so, the plan was set.

With the issue of the plowing settled, Qin Zhao took Jing Li and headed toward the western part of the village.

At the western end of the village, there were a few empty plots of land, one of which had already been fenced off. This was the area Qin Zhao had purchased and planned to build his house on.

Continuing further out of the village, they reached the two fields he had rented.

In the past few days, Qin Zhao hadn’t had time to tend to the corn seedlings, but they had grown significantly, and the germination rate was impressively high.

Li Dali had mentioned that these two plots had poor yields, but how could this be considered bad?

Qin Zhao didn’t know much about farming and planned to ask Li Dali about it another day.

He went to the stream to fetch water to irrigate the corn.

Jing Li was surprised to find that Qin Zhao wasn’t good at everything—at least when it came to irrigation, he seemed rather inexperienced.

First, he would fetch a bucket of water from the stream, place it at his feet, and then bend down to scoop water and sprinkle it onto the soil. He could only water a small patch at a time before needing to move the bucket forward.

Qin Zhao, lacking physical strength, was already sweating profusely and his lips were turning pale after just a few rounds of bending and lifting.

Jing Li: “…”

And he wasn’t even a fifth of the way done.

Jing Li, unable to watch any longer, leaped out of the fish basket and into the water bucket.

With a powerful flick of his tail, he splashed water precisely onto the waiting soil.

Qin Zhao: “…”

They exchanged glances, and the little koi fish tilted his tail upwards, clearly pleased with himself.

That afternoon, every villager who passed by the field witnessed an unusual sight.

Qin Zhao walked slowly through the field, carrying a bucket, with the little fish inside flicking its tail to evenly sprinkle water over each section of the soil.

The efficiency improved significantly.

The following days passed in peace once again.

Life in the mountain village was like that, with few major upheavals, revolving around the basics of daily life, all centered on making a living.

As promised, Chen Dasao helped Qin Zhao plow the fields and planted a few types of vegetables that were easy to manage.

Qin Zhao paid her twenty wen as agreed and then cooked a bowl of meat to bring to the Chen family as a token of thanks.

The Chen family’s elderly grandmother recovered very quickly this time, regaining consciousness the next day, and within a couple of days, she could even take a few steps.

Qin Zhao visited to check on her and took the opportunity to pay off the remaining rent.

However, since the new house wasn’t built yet, he would still need to stay in the small house for a while longer.

The Chen family, of course, no longer had any objections.

That afternoon, just as Qin Zhao was preparing to cook, there was another loud knock on the door.

He paused, turning to exchange a glance with the little fish in the bucket.

Both of them could see a deep sense of unease in each other’s eyes.

There was only one person who would knock like that.

Qin Zhao opened the door, and there stood Chen Yanan.

In that moment, Jing Li felt that it might be necessary for Qin Zhao to put up a sign at the door reading “Chen Yanan, Do Not Enter” to prevent any more bad news from being brought in.

But Qin Zhao, being exceptionally well-mannered, calmly asked, “What’s the matter this time?”

“Why are you looking at me like that? Am I really that annoying?” Chen Yanan walked in boldly, visibly displeased.

Qin Zhao hesitated but didn’t respond.

Chen Yanan didn’t seem to mind; in fact, he was in a good mood as he reached out to play with the little fish in the bucket.

He was met with a swift smack on the back of his hand by Jing Li’s tail.

“Hiss… This little fish, you’re so nice to Qin Zhao, but you’re so mean to me?” Chen Yanan still had no idea that the one who had splashed him at the creek before was the little koi.

He only knew that this fish was Qin Zhao’s pet, one that he always kept by his side and cherished dearly.

Chen Yanan said, “I even bought you something to eat last time, you ungrateful little thing.”

If Jing Li had been in human form, he might have rolled his eyes at him.

The chubby guy had bought him… a packet of fish bait.

It even included live worms!

The mere mention of this infuriated Jing Li.

Sensing the tension in the room, Qin Zhao stepped forward to intervene, “So, what brings you here?”

“I’m here to invite you to dinner in town!” Chen Yanan beamed with excitement. “I finally passed the teacher’s assessment, and today he even praised me in front of everyone for making such quick progress. It’s all thanks to you!”

The detailed annotations that Qin Zhao had made for Chen Yanan had indeed been a huge help to him.

Chen Yanan continued, “Come on, let’s go, I’ve already reserved a spot in town just for this.”

Chen Yanan had booked a table at the best restaurant in town. It was dinner time, and the restaurant’s main hall was almost full.

He gave his name at the counter and was led inside by the waiter.

“You haven’t been to this place before, right?” Chen Yanan grinned as he hooked his arm around Qin Zhao’s shoulder. “Actually, I’ve never been here either. This place isn’t cheap. I used my own allowance to reserve it, and after this meal, I’ll be eating plain buns for a month!”

Qin Zhao nodded, not saying much.

Since Chen Yanan had promised to treat him to this meal, Qin Zhao naturally didn’t feel the need to hold back.

They ordered three dishes, a soup, and a plate of pastries, spending over a hundred coins in no time.

Chen Yanan kept a straight face, trying not to show any hesitation, but inside, he was feeling the pain of every coin spent.

In contrast, Qin Zhao remained calm, not only eating for himself but also occasionally breaking off pieces of the pastry to toss to the little fish beside him.

Chen Yanan, already aware of Qin Zhao’s generosity when it came to feeding his fish, pretended not to notice and said, “Brother Qin, actually, the reason I invited you to dinner today is that I have a favor to ask.”

Qin Zhao didn’t even look up. “If it’s about annotating the second half of that book, the answer is no.”

“How did you know!” Chen Yanan cleared his throat and patiently explained, “I’ve been falling behind, and the teacher is already almost halfway through the book, while I’ve just managed to memorize the first part. At this rate, I still won’t be able to keep up with the lessons, Brother Qin, please help me.”

Qin Zhao took a sip of soup and calmly replied, “You grasp things quickly, you’re not lacking in talent, but in the past, you didn’t put your mind to your studies. If you follow the method I taught you and put in the effort, you’ll catch up.”

“The teacher at the private school lectures too quickly; I try, but I just can’t keep up.” Chen Yanan looked dejected. “I’m starting to think that learning from you would be faster than going to the private school. Hey, wait…”

Chen Yanan’s eyes lit up. “How about I just study under you? The annotations you made, the teacher even praised them as more insightful than his own. Why don’t you teach me?”

“…What nonsense are you talking about?” Qin Zhao gave him a helpless look. “I’ve never taken the imperial exams, nor do I hold any official titles, so how could I possibly teach you?”

In this era, to teach, one at least needed to be a xiucai—someone who had passed the first level of the imperial exams, but had not yet passed the provincial exams.

The teachers at the town’s private schools and academies, as well as the head of Linxi Village, all had the status of xiucai.

“How do you know you haven’t taken the exams?” Chen Yanan replied. “If you really haven’t taken them, then why are you so familiar with these books? I bet you must have taken the exams before—maybe you’re even a juren—but you just don’t remember.”

Chen Yanan continued to persuade, “Teaching is a great profession. Just at my private school, each student pays 200 coins in tuition every month, and they collect it twice a year. Even if you only teach five students, just think about how much you could earn! And that’s not even counting the rice and meat that the students’ families have to send to the teacher each month!”

Two hundred coins per student, five students would make it a thousand coins, and in half a year, that’s six thousand coins.

Jing Li nearly choked on the pastry in his mouth.

Is teaching really this profitable these days?

Qin Zhao still had some money on hand, but that was because he hadn’t started building the house yet. Once construction began, with material costs, labor, and all the furniture for the house, not a single expense would be small.

His savings might not last as long as he hoped.

And whether it was gathering herbs or copying books, neither was a stable source of income.

If he could really become a teacher…

Qin Zhao was deep in thought.

“Oh my, what a beautiful fish.” The waiter came over to refill their tea and happened to notice the little fish basket beside Qin Zhao. He asked, “Sir, are you planning to take this fish to Qing Mountain Town as well?”

Qing Mountain Town was a large town, quite a distance from here.

Qin Zhao replied, “No, why do you ask?”

The waiter continued, “You haven’t heard? There’s been talk everywhere lately. They say an official in Qing Mountain Town lost a koi that could bring good fortune, and now there’s a reward of a thousand coins for finding it. Fishermen in our town have been going to the river every day to catch fish, hoping to get lucky by finding a red koi to send to Qing Mountain Town.”

Qin Zhao: “…”

Jing Li: “???”

Jing Li looked up in confusion, meeting Qin Zhao’s gaze.

The waiter added, “The notice is posted at the entrance of the street. You might want to take a look—this fish of yours looks a lot like the one in the drawing!”