Before the new term, Lin Qingyu and Shen Huaishi took the transfer exam. When Lin Qingyu came out of the examination room, he immediately saw Jiang Xing waiting at the door.
Jiang Xing said with a relaxed tone, “How did you do in the exam?”
“Fair.” Lin Qingyu said, “Where’s Huaishi?”
After a while, Shen Huaishi, looking dejected, found the two of them. Because he was so depressed, he forgot to change their forms of address, “Your Majesties placed such high hopes on me. I didn’t know how to do a few of the questions…”
Jiang Xing comforted him, “It’s just a few questions. That’s already pretty good.” Lin Qingyu and Shen Huaishi have only been studying for less than half a year. That Shen Huashi performed like this in the exam was quite normal. It was Lin Qingyu who was abnormal.
Shen Huaishi showed a wry smile. “I don’t think I passed the exam.”
Jiang Xing was already prepared. “Huaishi, you like sports a lot, don’t you?”
Shen Huaishi didn’t know why Jiang Xing was asking him this. He answered, “This is but natural.”
Jiang Xing smiled and said, “Then don’t panic. You guys, come with me.”
The three of them arrived at the sports field, where the PE teacher was leading the sports students through their routine training. The PE Rep in Jiang Xing’s class specialized in the high jump but because he did nothing but eat and gain weight during the Lunar New Year break, he was currently being scolded quite severely by the PE teacher. Lin Qingyu had a mask on. He could hear the teacher’s roar even from a distance. “And you want to be admitted to a sports university?!”
Jiang Xing patted Shen Huaishi on the shoulder. “It’s your turn to show your stuff.”
Jiang Xing had bought some sports drinks in advance. He gave one to the PE Rep and another to the PE teacher. The teacher looked at Jiang Xing, eyes filled with regret and unwillingness. “Jiang Xing, are you really not going to join the school team? The swim team always has a spot open for you.”
Jiang Xing smiled and said, “No, thank you, Teacher. Swimming’s really tiring.”
The teacher rolled his eyes. “Quit that already. What about the basketball team? I saw you playing basketball last time.”
“To be honest, the only sport I’m passionate about right now is fishing.”
Teacher:”……”
Jiang Xing got to the point. “Teacher, I have a friend who I would like to recommend to you…”
Shen Huaishi didn’t even need to show his stuff. The teacher took one look at his perfect athletic figure and smooth muscle lines and it was like he’d discovered a hidden treasure. One touch and he was filled with excitement.
Jiang Xing was not at all surprised by this. – The majestic leader of the Heavenly Prison Sect had been subjected through hellish training since he was a child. He was battle-trained and experienced. The high jump was mere child’s play to him. With this specialty and another semester of study, it wouldn’t be difficult for Shen Huaishi to get into a good university. If one were so bold as to dream a bit bigger, he might even win honors for the country in the future.
For the last two days of the holiday, Shen Huaishi was pestered by the PE teacher into attending training, which left the young couple with time alone together. Jiang Xing decided to take advantage of the holiday to celebrate their fifth anniversary in advance.
Having just finished the exam, Lin Qingyu too wanted to be salted fish for a couple of days and so acquiesced to be taken out. Modern people’s idea of celebrating their anniversary is nothing more than finding a nice restaurant to have a meal or going out to see a movie. But Jiang Xing wanted to go fishing.
“When I was emperor, there was a pond in the palace and I could still fish occasionally. Now that I’m back in modern times, I’ve never fished even once.”
Lin Qingyu looked at the wronged and aggrieved high school student and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “Where do you want to go fishing?”
Jiang Xing had done his homework and chose a homestay located in a small forest, known as the Secret Garden. The cottage was hidden in a forest, giving off strong fairy tale vibes. It was surrounded by nature with streams and ponds but was also equipped with modern amenities like a bath, a bar, a restaurant and even a ranch.
Jiang Xing’s family driver took the two of them to the homestay. The owner welcomed them warmly, making polite conversation as he showed them around the place. “May I ask, are you two friends or…”
Jiang Xing said, “We’re a couple.”
The owner smiled knowingly, “We have complimentary cake and roses for couples who stay with us.”
“In that case, can you write ‘Happy 5th Anniversary’ on the cake?”
“Fifth anniversary?” The owner was stunned, “If I remember correctly, it said on your ID cards that…”
Jiang Xing was very honest. “You remember correctly.”
The owner was taken aback. “This…” Should he call the police?
Lin Qingyu glanced at Jiang Xing and said to the owner, “He’s joking with you.”
He smiled and said, half-truth and half-lie, “Am I?”
The owner was more willing to trust decent handsome guys over handsome jokers. Panicked over a false alarm, he wiped the sweat off his brow and continued to introduce, “We also provide guests with fishing gear and use of a grill and campfire…”
Jiang Xing took the fishing gear and headed straight for the stream not far from the homestay. The stream was crystal clear. The air was refreshingly cool without being too cold. Having lived in the city for a long time, occasionally coming to a small forest to experience the slow life and get away from it all was also a different kind of pleasure.
“An unsurpassably clear stream; in this lonely spot, a cloud as your only friend.” Lin Qingyu said, “How did you find such a place?”
Jiang Xing skillfully placed the bait on the hook. “It was recommended by a classmate. He said this place is superb, only that…”
“Only that what?”
Jiang Xing lowered his voice. “When he was sleeping at night, he saw something strange.”
Lin Qingyu felt that Jiang Xing was probably pulling his leg and so he said lightly, “Oh.”
Jiang Xing said, “Aren’t you curious what it was?”
“A ghost, probably.”
Jiang Xing was speechless.
It was getting dark. Lin Qingyu asked the owner to set up the grill by the stream. Jiang Xing was fishing while he was preparing dinner. When he wasn’t sure whether it was cooked or not, he would feed Jiang Xing a bite.
Jiang Xing has been fishing in the Dayu for a few years and had some skills. After an hour, he’d managed to catch one loach, a small one. Seeing him thoroughly enjoying himself, seeming not at all to tire, Lin Qingyu understood what it meant to ‘suck but still want to play’.
This male high schooler was obviously good at so many sports but he only loves fishing. What can he do but accompany him?
During this period, Ke Tang sent Lin Qingyu a WeChat message, asking him if he’d given more consideration into becoming a model to earn extra money.
Ke Tang: [A lot of Hanfu stores have seen your photos and want to work with you.]
Lin Qingyu: [No need. I probably won’t have much time in the future. ]
Ke Tang used this topic to start chatting with Lin Qingyu. When she found out that Lin Qingyu was out fishing with his boyfriend, she sent a series of question marks.
Ke Tang: [What the hell? Fishing!? Isn’t dating a high schooler all about doing homework together, visiting food stalls and handing him water while he’s playing basketball?]
Lin Qingyu: [Maybe but my male high schooler’s different.]
After three hours of fishing, the two made their way back with their “bountiful harvest”. The moonlight was dim; birds called to each other in the woods. Lin Qingyu saw an unusual beam of light shining through the dense forest. He stopped and asked, “What’s that?”
Jiang Xing too was puzzled. “I don’t know. Do you want to go and have a look?”
“Alright.”
The two walked towards the beam of light. It was too dark under their feet, so Jiang Xing turned on the flashlight of his mobile phone to illuminate their way. “Qingyu, you walk behind me.”
They were getting closer and closer to the light and Lin Qingyu saw the silhouette of a huge monster. Suddenly, a gust of evil wind blew by and sent the fallen leaves flying. A low sobbing sound seemed to mix in with the rustling of the leaves.
Lin Qingyu asked, “Did you hear that?”
“I only heard the wind.”
Lin Qingyu said softly, “Are there any other guests in the homestay?”
Jiang Xing said, “No, the owner said it’s just the two of us today.”
Lin Qingyu’s face was grave. “Could it be a lonely ghost or some lost soul?”
Jiang Xing smiled. “There’s no such thing as lost souls.”
Lin Qingyu looked pointedly at him, saying nothing.
Jiang Xing asked in confusion, “What are you looking at me for?”
Lin Qingyu said, “If there’s no lost souls in the world then how did you die and come back to life three times?”
Jiang Xing was momentarily taken aback. “You’ve got a point there. You go back to the homestay and I’ll go take a look.”
Lin Qingyu couldn’t stand it. “Don’t say such stupid things. If you want to have a look, we’ll go together.”
Jiang Xing hesitated. “But…”
Lin Qingyu took his hand and walked forward. “Let’s go.”
The two continued to move forward and when they were only a few steps away from the behemoth, bright lights suddenly came on.
Lin Qingyu instinctively raised his hand to block the light. He was only able to see straight after his eyes adjusted.
——A spotless silver coupe, the same color as the moonlight, was parked in the wooded clearing.
While Lin Qingyu was still dazed, Jiang Xing walked up to him, raised his fist and unfurled it. A car key dropped, hanging off his finger.
“Qingyu, this is for you.”
Lin Qingyu understood. He found the situation both infuriating and funny. “You played me.”
Jiang Xing smiled innocently and brightly. “I didn’t, you were the one who mentioned ghosts. I said there’s no such thing but you still refuted me.”
“Can’t you just give me gifts properly? Why do you have to make it a surprise every time?”
Jiang Xing thought for a while, “Probably because you look so cute whenever I surprise you.” He put the car keys in Lin Qingyu’s hand, “Allow me to give you in advance my gift for our fifth anniversary. Don’t say I didn’t prepare any presents on the day itself, alright? Do you like it?”
Lin Qingyu’s chest turned warm and his heart was beating fast. They were already an old married couple but Jiang Xing could still get him to react like this. Was this the charm of a surprise?
Lin Qingyu smiled slightly. “I like it.”
Jiang Xing deliberately turned his smile wicked. “Then I’ll have to trouble you to drive me to and from school from now on.”
Lin Qingyu: “…”
As expected of Jiang Xing; a single sentence was all it took to vanish half of this warm, fuzzy feeling.
Even with this gift, Lin Qingyu, of course, still walked to school – their apartment was only a few steps away from the school. He’d be crazy to drive that short distance.
Lin Qingyu’s score was way above what was needed for the transfer. In order to properly nurture his talent, he was assigned to a class with a renowned and reputable teacher. He winded up in the same class as Jiang Xing. Shen Huaishi’s score was not bad and he too passed. He’d also captured the PE teacher’s heart with his athletic prowess and successfully enrolled as a sports-track student.
Jiang Xing was like the father of a child who just entered elementary school. He helped them buy schoolbags, school supplies and even picked out a bunch of tutorial books for them, refusing any thanks. On the day the three of them headed to school together, Jiang Xing was feeling extremely pleased. From now on, he would be able to cling to his wife 24 hours a day.
He was simply hopeless. Save for sleeping, all he wanted was to cling to his wife all the time.
When he arrived at school, the first thing Jiang Xing did was to go to the classroom and ‘do away’ with his deskmate. Lin Qingyu and Shen Huaishi went to report to the Academic Affairs Office. After going through the admission procedures, they were taken away by their respective class advisors.
The class advisor was an excellent teacher with twenty-five years of teaching experience. Looking at the boy beside her, she couldn’t help feeling a little worried. Won’t such a good-looking young man transferring to their class affect the students’ ability to study?… Having Jiang Xing was already enough for to cause her headaches and now there’s another one. Why did her class have to have such handsome guys?
Before entering the classroom, Lin Qingyu took off his mask and put it away. During the morning self-study, the classroom was noisy and became even noisier when the class advisor walked in. Chen Zihao’s voice was particularly loud. When they found that there was another person behind the teacher, they all stopped talking simultaneously.
The girls exchanged secret glances while the boys were even more excited than they were. A boy who usually liked to joke around with the teachers asked, “Teacher, who is this pretty boy?”
“He’s a new transfer student to our class.” The head teacher turned to Lin Qingyu, “Introduce yourself to everyone.”
Lin Qingyu’s self-introduction was only “Hi everyone, my name is Lin Qingyu” but it was enough to cause a commotion among his classmates. The boy seated at the table before Jiang Xing’s, turned his head and gave Jiang Xing a sly smile, “Jiang Xing, looks like you’ve got competition for your spot as campus heartthrob.”
Jiang Xing looked at Lin Qingyu, his eyes sparkling, “Oh?”
The PE Rep muttered, “Why does he look kinda familiar…?”
The class advisor looked around the classroom and saw that the seat next to Jiang Xing was empty. She asked, “Jiang Xing, what happened to your seatmate?”
Jiang Xing said, “He abandoned me and said he didn’t want to sit with me anymore.”
The former deskmate kept silent, pissed but not daring to speak.
The class advisor said, “Then you can go and sit with Jiang Xing.”
Lin Qingyu threw Jiang Xing a pointed look. He walked towards his seat. The class advisor continued on behind him, “Today is the Lantern Festival. You’ve all enjoyed your New Year’s break so you should all be feeling refreshed. There are only four months left before the college entrance examinations. There isn’t much time left. Success comes from persistence and persistence creates miracles. Hard work will always win…”
Lin Qingyu sat down beside Jiang Xing. Jiang Xing acted as though he were meeting him for the first time. He smiled politely. “Hello, new classmate, I’m Jiang Xing.”
He’d been kissing him in bed last night and now he’s putting on a show again.
Lin Qingyu went along with this male high schooler’s performance. “Hello.”
“We’ll be seatmates from now on, please look after me.”
Jiang Xing extended his hand.
Lin Qingyu held Jiang Xing’s hand and said, “Please take care of me as well.”
The two clasped hands for a couple of seconds and Lin Qingyu felt something slightly cool against his palm.
He withdrew his hand suspiciously to see a platinum ring inlaid with diamonds on his palm, shining brightly under the fluorescent lamp of the classroom.
——End of the full text
The author has something to say:
They will stay in our world for seven years and then they will return to the Dayu to continue their careers after getting their degrees~
The full text of “Three Married Salted Fish” ends here. Please give me a five-stars if you liked this book. It will make me more motivated to write the side story “Married Four Times to Salted Fish”! ! !
Well, see you next time
Translator’s Note: Hello~! This is the official end of Married Thrice to Salted Fish. (If you check the novel page of the raw, Chapter 140 is the last. And I do think this is a pretty elegant ending to these extra chapters.) But wait! The author isn’t quite done. She might not have written Married Four Times to Salted Fish but she did write (as of June 2023) seven extra chapters (she made a separate novel page to house these). But they aren’t really full blown extra chapters, they’re more like snippets. I’ve decided to translate those as well and I will be releasing those, one every day, starting Monday next week (they’ll be chapters 141-147). So, we don’t have to say good bye just yet. =) However, please allow me to thank everyone for reading and for leaving all these comments and for all the kofi’s/coffees. I might not reply to most comments but I’ve read (I think) all of them.
