Seeing Ma Jun appear, a hint of displeasure flashed in Guo Yu's eyes.
He would never forget the Ma family's blatant cheating during the Yin Messenger assessment.
However.
He did not fly into a rage.
Because Chen Nan had said.
No matter when, always trust him.
Chen Nan smiled and said casually, "I'm just here to relax and fish. I didn't expect Young Master Ma to have such refined taste to come fishing here too!"
Hearing Chen Nan address him as Young Master Ma, Ma Jun quickly said, "Lord Chen, please don't call me Young Master Ma. Just call me Little Ma."
"As for fishing... I've always enjoyed this activity. I feel that fishing can cultivate one's character."
Although there had been a conflict with Chen Nan.
Chen Nan's status now was vastly different from before.
The rank of a Level 5 Yin Messenger was nothing special in the eyes of the Ma family.
But as the saying goes.
A local official has more influence than a distant one.
Not to mention that Chen Nan was now the supervisor of the Water Transport Office.
He was like a sword hanging over the Ma family's heads.
A sword that could decide the Ma family's life or death.
Therefore.
The Ma family had to do their best to appease him. Read novels.
After all, the water transport dock was being built day and night, and once completed, it would allow ships to pass through.
That would be the time for the Ma family to amass wealth like crazy.
Moreover.
He had heard from someone that Chen Nan was fishing here.
So he specifically brought his fishing rod here, intending to pretend it was a chance encounter and strike up a conversation.
"Lord Chen, you don't mind if I sit here, do you?" Ma Jun asked with a smile. Read novels.
Chen Nan was amused. "This isn't my home. You can sit wherever you want!"
"Yes!" Ma Jun was overjoyed.
He immediately sat down about three meters away from Chen Nan, then awkwardly baited his hook and cast it into the water after several attempts.
Guo Yu looked on with disdain.
Is this what you call fishing often?
If you fish often, you should know how to cast.
The atmosphere became somewhat quiet.
It was as if Chen Nan and Ma Jun were strangers.
And the brief silence.
Was soon broken by a black fish, weighing just over half a pound, that Chen Nan reeled in.
Ma Jun exclaimed, "Wow, what a big black fish!"
"I've been fishing here for several days and haven't seen such a big fish!"
"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the biggest fish in the moat!"
"Our lord has caught several fish bigger than this before!" Guo Yu couldn't stand it anymore.
Could your performance be any more exaggerated?
How dare you say this is the biggest fish in the moat?
Do you know how awkward your flattery is?
Ma Jun said in disbelief, "There are even bigger fish in the river? But why don't those fish bite anyone else's hook?"
"Oh, I understand!"
"It's because Lord Chen is blessed with immense fortune and smooth sailing in his career that these fish are fighting to be caught."
Guo Yu didn't know how to respond.
When faced with someone who flattered for the sake of flattering.
He was no match for him.
He bent down, grabbed the fish, and put it into the bamboo basket.
Chen Nan re-baited his hook, continued to fish, and said, "Ma Jun, you and I have had our conflicts, but we've also come to an understanding."
"Although we've had some clashes, those matters are in the past."
"You don't need to deliberately flatter me. I don't like that sort of thing."
Ma Jun repeatedly agreed.
However.
He was secretly delighted.
That Chen Nan could say this.
Meant that he had completely let go of the unpleasantness between them.
Suddenly!
Chen Nan's float dipped sharply.
Chen Nan successfully hooked the fish.
He casually lifted his fishing rod.
But because the rod was too stiff and had no buffer.
The hook broke directly.
The big fish disappeared into the moat without even surfacing.
Ma Jun wanted to flatter him.
But seeing that the fish had escaped,
He didn't know what to say.
Guo Yu said listlessly, "Brother, I told you, your fishing gear is not good. You've lost five or six fish this morning. Listen to me, just stop fishing and go home to rest!"
Chen Nan gave him a glare. "Why so much nonsense?"
"Go, go, go home and tie me a few sets of hooks and lines. I just want to eat a fish I caught myself. Can't you even fulfill this small request?"
Seeing this, Ma Jun quickly said, "Lord Chen, I have ready-made fishing gear here. Why make Brother Guo Yu run? Come, come, you use mine."
Chen Nan couldn't help but say, "If I use your fishing gear, how will you fish?"
Ma Jun said with a smile, "As you can see, I don't know how to fish at all. I've been here for so long and haven't caught a single fish."
"Instead of wasting time, it's better to give you the fishing gear and stay by your side to learn how to fish."
Chen Nan didn't stand on ceremony and said, "Alright, you can rest over there then!" He took the other man's fishing rod.
Although both were bamboo fishing rods.
Ma Jun's was lighter and more flexible.
It also had great elasticity.
Even the fishing line was different from the one he was using.
It looked semi-transparent.
Very much like the fishing line on Earth.
But Chen Nan knew.
This kind of fishing line was likely made of silkworm threads.
This material was stretchable and very strong, not easily broken.
Seeing Chen Nan's obvious fondness for the fishing gear, Ma Jun quickly said, "If you like this set of fishing gear, I'll have someone make you a set of the size you want."
Chen Nan shook his head. "Forget it. This set of fishing gear is clearly not cheap. I can't afford it." He said, baiting the hook with a worm and casting it into the water.
Ma Jun said, "My lord, this set of fishing gear isn't really expensive. It's only about three to five taels of silver."
Ma Jun was lying.
This set of fishing gear cost thousands of taels of silver.
Because the fishing rod was made from bamboo polished from Cui Zhu Mountain.
This alone was not cheap.
And the fishing line was made of high-quality silkworm silk, priced by the meter.
The hooks were also made of fine steel.
The entire set cost at least over a thousand taels.
But he knew.
In front of Chen Nan, even priceless items had to be presented as cheap.
Only in this way could their relationship be brought closer.
"If it's really not expensive, then help me get a five-meter one. But the fishing line should be long, preferably five hundred meters," Chen Nan said, staring at the float in the water.
He was preparing for the Nai River fish.
Because he knew that nothing in the Nai River could float.
Nor could it fly.
To catch Nai River fish.
The only way was to fish.
It was for this reason that he had used fishing to draw out the Ma family members.
And get them to help him get fishing gear that could catch Nai River fish.
Of course.
There was also a most important point.
That was to get them to agree to help him find the ten-thousand-year-old Panlong Ginseng.
Ma Jun agreed without hesitation.
Whether it was a five-meter fishing rod or five hundred meters of silkworm thread, it was a trivial matter for the Ma family.
He thought that after Chen Nan used his fishing rod, he would definitely catch a lot of fish.
Thus giving him an opportunity to flatter him.
However, he didn't expect that several strong tugs were missed.
This made him somewhat curious, and he couldn't help but ask, "My lord, why are you so distracted? Do you have something on your mind? If so, you can tell me. Perhaps our Ma family can help you solve your troubles."