Chapter 63: The Angler, Golden Scaled Perch
After the meal, Chen Shun’an took a handkerchief and couldn’t help but carefully wipe the new shoes on his feet.
Wan Niang watched and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Feeling this extremely well-fitting pair of Python Fang Boots, Chen Shun’an turned them over and over, examining them, very satisfied.
Chen Shun’an had picked up the Python Fang Boots from the Black Market blacksmith shop a couple of days ago.
These past few days, he had already gotten familiar with how to use the Python Fang Boots.
It had to be said that although that master craftsman was not on the level, his craftsmanship was indeed impeccable.
You get what you pay for; these Python Fang Boots almost perfectly satisfied Chen Shun’an’s requirements.
Especially since he had added some clever touches: at the ends of the four thin blades in the shoes, there were hidden cavities where poison sacs could be placed in advance. Chen Shun’an only needed to step with specific strength to activate the cavity, piercing the poison sac and coating it onto the thin blades.
No one could have guessed that this pair of seemingly ordinary thousand-layer-soled shoes actually concealed killing intent.
It wasn’t that Chen Shun’an didn’t want to have a pair for each season—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—to switch between.
It was just that he was short of money; a clever housewife cannot cook without rice.
Having just sacrificed his looks, Chen Shun’an was about to head out for duty.
“Bang bang bang…”
A knock sounded at the door.
A respectful voice came from outside the room,
“Master Chen, a tail golden scaled perch has appeared at Jindu Banye. It’s said to be kept in the central courtyard, with effects to bring good luck and ward off evil, extend life and increase longevity, ensure the peace and well-being of the whole family… I wonder if it suits your taste?”
Hearing this, Chen Shun’an’s face showed a look of pleasant surprise.
Professional matters should be left to professionals.
Chen Shun’an had racked his brains but couldn’t think of what birthday gift to give the Old Lady, so he simply found a broker from the county to keep an eye on market movements for him.
Bring good luck and ward off evil, ensure the peace and well-being of the whole family?
This was practically right up the Old Lady’s alley.
“Quick, take me there!”
Chen Shun’an asked Wan Niang to send a message to the Water Station that he would be a bit late, then hurriedly followed the broker away.
…
Jindu Banye, Fish Market.
Water stalls everywhere, the muddy fishy smell mixed in the River Wind. Chen Shun’an looked up at the crowded Wan Ji River Goods Shop not far away, his expression complex.
“You mean, this Wan Ji River Goods Shop has that golden scaled perch?”
The broker had a fawning smile on his face, rubbed his hands, and said,
“Exactly! The rumor just spread this morning, and I hurried to notify you, Master Chen. I didn’t expect these people to have such sharp noses too.”
Chen Shun’an’s face darkened, but he still took out one tael of broken silver and tossed it to the broker.
This information seemed like a bad buy.
Having received the reward money, the broker was overjoyed, bowing and kowtowing, then scampered off happily.
Wan Ji River Goods Shop was the place where Chen Shun’an had encountered that exotic silver fish last time.
At this moment, the not-so-large river goods shop was surrounded by three layers of people inside and out.
“Excuse me, excuse me…”
“Not excusing! Line up yourself… Hmm? What just went by?”
A passerby blinked, feeling his body move, inexplicably stepping back.
Rubbing his eyes again, how did an old man suddenly appear in front?
Chen Shun’an remained composed, squeezing into the crowd, weaving his steps until he reached the innermost part.
He saw outside the pond of the river goods shop, over a dozen fishermen sitting, each holding a fishing rod, with a wooden bucket by their feet, actually fishing inside a fish-selling shop!
Chen Shun’an leaned in and glanced at the wooden buckets of these fishermen.
The buckets had only water, no fish.
Chen Shun’an immediately felt relieved.
“Boss, another box of live bait! Your bait is way too expensive, half a string of cash per box—why not just rob us?!”
“Customer, you’re joking. It’s always been this price—how is it expensive? If you think it’s pricey, you can go fish outside, one bait per person.”
“You… two more boxes!”
The shopkeeper of Wan Ji River Goods Shop had a distinct “fish if you want, don’t if you don’t” apologetic attitude.
But this crowd of fishermen relished it, cursing under their breath while their hands didn’t hesitate to pull out money.
Chen Shun’an observed for a while and figured it out.
The heavy rain a few days ago had raised the Grand Canal by several feet, probably washing out some corridors in underground dark rivers, creating gaps out of nowhere that connected to these ponds in the fish market shops.
It had also flushed in some big fish and Precious Fish.
Plus, the ponds in the fish shops were already intricately constructed, winding and deep, with the deepest parts over ten zhang deep.
This trapped these “fish from the sky” big fish in the ponds, unable to return to the Grand Canal.
But they were untamed and quite spiritual, mostly hiding in the rocks and crevices at the pond bottom, not easily caught by fishing nets.
Thus creating this bizarre scene of fishing inside fish market shops!
And among them, Wan Ji River Goods Shop had the best business.
All because a once-in-decades golden scaled perch had appeared!
Not for eating, but for celebrations!
Those great families loved seeking this kind of good fortune!
No worry about selling it!
Even rarer than that exotic silver fish!
After fishing for a while, these fishermen had only caught worthless trash fish. Someone squinted suspiciously and said,
“Shopkeeper, does your pond really have a golden scaled perch? Brothers haven’t even smelled a whiff of fishy smell!”
The shopkeeper sat in a rattan chair. Beside him was a young boy student, around ten years old, in wide robes and large sleeves, who looked like his grandson.
This child was buried in his head, reading and writing, mumbling something, but one eye seemed glued to the fishing line, his black eyeball following its movements.
Clearly very interested in fishing too.
Hearing this, the shopkeeper smiled lightly and said,
“Brothers, the golden scaled perch is a Dragon Seed, also called ‘Heavenward Dragon’—how could it be so easily hooked? Be patient…
As for whether there’s fish, you’re joking—ask the first batch of brothers who came; they all saw it clear as day!”
“Where’s the golden scaled perch? Shopkeeper’s talking nonsense!”
“Yeah, we’re just fishing for fun, for the enjoyment.”
Some fishermen said this, but their butts didn’t move an inch.
Seeing this, the man said no more and sullenly cast his hook again.
Chen Shun’an crossed his arms, strolled a circle behind the fishermen, and gradually got the gist.
Alright, these fishermen were fishing.
That shopkeeper was fishing too!
Chen Shun’an had closeness to Water Spirits, especially as his Grass Talisman progress rose, he could already hear the wills of Water Spirits within a ten-zhang radius.
He only heard bubbling sounds from the depths of the pond.
“Silver Big Brother.”
“Call me Silver Scholar.”
“Oh, Silver Scholar.”
A somewhat clear and naive voice rang out.
“Silver Scholar, my dad is waiting to take a concubine, mom needs scale armor repaired, little brother is busy sucking sea grass, and there’s a sister waiting to hatch… I only came to do this because I had no choice; no one in the family knows—don’t sell me out!”
“Got it, got it. We agreed: you show up to lure those fishermen, I handle communication with the shopkeeper, and we split the live bait proceeds fifty-fifty!”
“Thanks, Silver Scholar. You’re such a good fish.”
“Alright, time’s about up. Go up and pretend to bite the hook again!”
The voices in Chen Shun’an’s mind had just finished.
Outside the pond, a fisherman’s float suddenly jerked!
“Hmm?!”
The man tensed up, eyes wide, fully focused.
Biting so deep with such a big tug—could it be that golden scaled perch?
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