Jing Li took about five seconds to make a decision.
The little koi faced Qin Zhao's puzzled gaze, tensed its body, folded its fins, leaned sideways, and slid from the quilt onto the bed.
He turned over as he slid down, carefully avoiding any injuries.
Then it stopped moving.
Qin Zhao: “?”
Gradually regaining consciousness from his confusion, Qin Zhao looked at the little koi lying on the bed and suddenly understood the meaning of his behavior.
He's... playing dead.
Seeing that Qin Zhao didn't respond for a long time, the little koi quietly looked up at him, then tensed his body and lay down again.
Even pretending to be dead was so insincere.
Qin Zhao was almost laughing because of him.
Does this silly fish really think he can't see it
Qin Zhao soon smelled a faint smell of burnt food in the air. He sighed silently, picked up the little koi and went out.
His gaze only paused for a moment on the accumulated water beside the wooden barrel and the water marks that meandered all the way to the bedroom. Then he put the little koi back into the barrel with a normal expression and turned to look after his medicine.
Jing Li hid in the wooden barrel and watched him secretly.
Qin Zhao must still be feeling very uncomfortable. He bent over and opened the lid of the medicine jar. His movements were much slower than before, and his brows were unconsciously wrinkled on his pale face.
But other than that, there was nothing unusual.
His temperament remained calm, like an ancient well, without causing even a ripple.
It seemed that the Qin Zhao that Jing Li had just seen, who was cold, alert, and exuding a suffocating sense of oppression, was just his illusion.
What kind of person is Qin Zhao
Qin Zhao woke up in time, and the pot of medicine was finally saved. He drank the medicine quietly at the table, and then turned his attention back to the little koi.
Jing Li was observing him secretly. When he met the other's gaze, he was so scared that he spit out a huge bubble.
Qin Zhao extended his hand toward him.
Jing Li stared at his actions blankly and even forgot to run away.
It’s over, it’s over. Is Qin Zhao angry and planning to kill him to make fish soup, or has he realized that he is not an ordinary fish and wants to kill him as a monster...
In a flash, Jing Li thought of countless possible ways of his death.
But Qin Zhao just flicked him lightly on the head.
The force was very light and it didn't hurt at all.
"It's back to you." Qin Zhao stood up and put the medicine bowl back on the stove. "Also, next time you tell me to do it differently, don't touch my face."
Since that day, Jing Li has lived in Qin Zhao's house.
Qin Zhao treated him very well, changing his water, feeding him, checking his injuries, and taking very good care of him every day. In just a few days, the originally skinny little koi had become much fatter.
only…
"Where did the food you ate go?" Qin Zhao poked the bulging belly of the little koi, and found it unbelievable.
It is just a small fish the size of a palm, but it can actually eat food that is almost as big as itself.
How was this done
Every time this happened, Jing Li would turn over her belly, cling to Qin Zhao's fingers and ask for a few more touches.
Massage after meals helps digestion.
Qin Zhao's movements were gentle and his strength was moderate. He soon made Jing Li drowsy.
However, this period of leisure time never lasts long. In the afternoon, it is time for Qin Zhao to work.
Qin Zhao moved the small wooden barrel to the desk in the bedroom.
"Old rules, don't splash the water, otherwise you won't have any food to eat at night." Qin Zhao spread out the paper and ink skillfully and reminded.
The little koi wagged its tail at him obediently.
During these few days together, Jing Li got to know Qin Zhao quite well.
For example, he knew that Qin Zhao's health was worse than he thought, so it was not easy to go up the mountain to collect herbs. He had to choose a day with good weather, neither too cold nor too hot, and he could not be out for more than two hours, otherwise he would have a fever when he came back.
The body is very precious.
For example, his main source of income was actually helping others revise and copy books.
Most of the scrolls came from academies or temples in nearby towns. Those places were filled with large numbers of scrolls that needed to be revised and copied. Since their own staff were insufficient, they had to find people from the public to do the work.
These places were very generous. Excluding the cost of writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone and the cost of having someone deliver it to the town, one could get about 180 to 200 coins for each volume compiled.
It makes much more money than going up the mountain to pick herbs.
As for moving the little koi to his side to "supervise", it was purely because Jing Li was bored. When he was left alone, he frantically splashed water in protest until Qin Zhao picked him up.
Jing Li lay beside the wooden barrel, supervising Qin Zhao writing attentively.
This era was not in history, and the characters used were not any of the ancient characters Jing Li knew. Jing Li had been reading for so many days, but apart from being able to see that Qin Zhao's handwriting was elegant and graceful, he knew nothing about the content.
A well-educated student traveled back to ancient times and became illiterate.
Jing Li feels sad every time he thinks of it.
Qin Zhao had been sorting out the book in his hand for four or five days, and today was the day he was nearing the end. When he finished writing the last word, he looked up and saw that the little koi had floated on the water and fallen asleep.
She clamored to stay by his side the whole day, but fell asleep faster than anyone else.
Qin Zhao couldn't help but gently poked the other party's turned-over fish belly.
The little koi fish looks quite scary when it is sleeping. Its light pink belly is turned upwards, and its body is bobbing up and down in the water. It is sleeping so soundly that no matter how you call it, it cannot be woken up.
When Qin Zhao saw it for the first time, he almost thought that the little koi had died.
It is the same now. The little koi is lying on its back in the water, sleeping very soundly. Its tail, flat on the water, is spread out like silk, and every texture is clearly visible.
Every time Qin Zhao poked him, the fish tail would move softly, and it looked and felt great.
Qin Zhao became interested and couldn't help but touch it a few more times, which caused Yuwei to slap it hard.
Jing Li woke up from the other party's persistent "harassment". He turned over in the water angrily and opened his mouth to bite people.
Fortunately, Qin Zhao was prepared and dodged it quickly.
The little koi fish is in a bad mood when waking up, and it’s quite severe.
"Okay, don't be angry." Qin Zhao said, "I'm done with this. I'll take you to the creek to play?"
Going out to play
Jing Li graciously calmed down and patted the water's surface with his tail to show his agreement.
There's no way, it's too boring to stay in the house.
Jing Li was originally a person who couldn't sit still, but now he has become a fish and is being kept in a small wooden barrel. It's hard to describe how depressed he feels.
But even so, he had no intention of leaving here for the time being.
Because... what Qin Zhao cooks is so delicious.
Obviously, they are just ordinary coarse grains and wild vegetables, but Qin Zhao can make delicious food out of them in various ways. Isn't this an indisputable reason for him to stay
Jing Li would rather be a domestic koi than having to eat only small fish, shrimps and aquatic plants after leaving.
Anyway, Qin Zhao would take him out for some fresh air every day.
Qin Zhao's home was not far from the stream. It would take less than half a cup of tea to walk west from the door to the stream.
Linxi Village was built along the river, and there were several roads in the village that led to the river. Qin Zhaochang took Jing Li to the upper reaches, and except for the occasional villagers who came here to fetch water to go home and cook, there were basically no people passing by.
The weather is nice today. The warm sunshine shines on the clear stream, making the water sparkle.
Qin Zhao cleaned the small wooden barrel and filled it with clean water. He looked up and saw the little koi jumping out of the water.
The bright red koi leaped into the air, swung its tail fin, and its body drew a smooth arc in the air, then fell lightly into the water.
Water splashed everywhere.
The water here is not flowing fast and the water is clear. Jing Li swims around happily, his bright red tail looming on the water surface.
Qin Zhao quietly watched the koi playing in the water on the shore, with a slight curve at the corner of his mouth that he didn't even notice.
It is indeed a bit unfair to keep it in a small wooden barrel.
Qin Zhao thought to himself that if there was a chance, he would have to build a bigger pool for it.
"Hey, isn't this Qin Zhao?"
A voice came from behind. Qin Zhao turned around and saw a fat boy walking towards the stream. He looked him up and down and said, "What day is it today? You, a sickly person, are out. Can you hold on? Don't faint again. If you fall into the water, no one can save you."
The tone was not very polite. Jing Li stopped what he was doing and looked towards the shore.
The fat boy on the shore looked several years younger than Qin Zhao, only about sixteen or seventeen years old. His clothes and temperament were much more sophisticated than those of ordinary villagers. At first glance, it was obvious that he was a man who had never touched water.
Who is this
Jing Li wagged his tail, feeling inexplicably annoyed with this guy.
Qin Zhao didn't seem to care and said calmly, "Thank you for your concern."
The little fat boy was most annoyed by his lukewarm tone, which was like a punch on cotton, making him feel uncomfortable all over. He said coldly: "What kind of attitude is this? Don't forget who contributed to your staying in Linxi Village."
Qin Zhao said: "It was the Chen family who took me in. I will never forget it."
"Just remember." The little fat man smiled coldly, "By the way, I heard that you still owe my family half a year's rent. I advise you to hurry up and get it together in the next few days, otherwise... you will be homeless by then, don't blame me for not reminding you."
This little fat boy is the eldest grandson of the Chen family, named Chen Yanan. The house where Qin Zhao lives now is rented from the Chen family.
Qin Zhao asked: "Does this mean that you are going to separate in the next few days?"
Uncle Lin had reminded me before that the Chen family was splitting up recently.
The Chen family has three generations living together. Only Old Mrs. Chen is left from the ancestor's family, but she has four sons, and even the youngest son has already started a family.
Before the accident with Old Lady Chen, these four families had been living in one house, and conflicts were inevitable.
Now the opportunity has come, and separation is what everyone wants.
The place where Qin Zhao lived was owned by the Chen family, and it would inevitably change hands after the family split. Whether he could continue to live there and how to calculate the rent would all depend on the new owner's opinion.
Now it seems that the new owner is probably Chen Yanan's family.
Hearing him ask this, Chen Yanan's face flashed with displeasure, and he said angrily: "Why are you asking so many questions? Just go and raise the money quickly."
Qin Zhao asked again: "You came here just to remind me of this?"
"Who came here specially? I just happened to be passing by!"
Qin Zhao looked at him silently.
The Chen family now lives at the easternmost end of the village, and the stream where they are now is at the westernmost end. It's a bit too far to pass by...
Chen Yanan was a little embarrassed and changed the subject: "You should take care of yourself! If I'm not mistaken, you have already owed for nine months. My grandmother allows you to pay the rent annually, but my mother won't. Sixty-five cents a month, which adds up to nearly six hundred cents. Can you pay it?"
Naturally, Qin Zhao couldn't hand it over now.
He was very ill during the winter and had almost no savings left.
The scrolls sorted out today can be exchanged for 200 coins, plus the money from selling herbs a few days ago, the total that can be taken out is only 365 coins, which is almost half of what is left.
If he publishes one volume of book every five days, and the Chen family is willing to give him a few more days, he should be able to collect enough money.
But that is under the circumstances where you don’t eat, drink or buy medicine.
But the actual situation was that Qin Zhao had to buy medicine once every ten days, and it cost him at least three hundred coins.
This is also the reason why his life has always been very difficult.
Qin Zhao didn't answer for a moment, and Chen Yan'an was even more proud: "I knew you couldn't take it out. How about you try to beg me to ask my mother to give you some more time?"
"No need." Qin Zhao said calmly, "I will do my best."
"Try your best? If you really tried your best, you wouldn't rely on my grandma's kindness to you to stay here." Chen Yan'an snorted coldly and mocked, "You have been in our village for three years, but you still can't even pay the rent. Did you use your money to buy medicine to treat your illness, or did you squander it on those shady places—"
Qin Zhao's eyes moved slightly, revealing a hint of coldness.
When Chen Yanan met his gaze, his voice suddenly stopped.
Qin Zhao retracted his gaze and said in a gentle voice: "Yan'an, since you are studying in a private school in town, your teacher should have taught you what it means to be cautious in what you say and do."
"Also, filial piety comes first among all virtues. The grandmother of the Chen family is still alive, but you are spreading the news that the family is about to split up. This is not appropriate."
Chen Yanan was inexplicably frightened by his gaze, and blurted out: "What does my family's affairs have to do with you? Who are you to be good-"
Before he could finish his words, a splash of water suddenly appeared beside him.
The next moment, something hit his knee hard, and Chen Yanan lost his balance and fell into the water. A bright red shadow flashed in his peripheral vision.
"What's this!"
Jing Li rose from the water, swung his beautiful fish tail, and slapped Chen Yanan cleanly.