Business Opportunities on the Upper Reaches of the Fish River
Since the Fire Tribe acquired 100,000 catties of grain at a high price from the Fish Tribe, their fifty dugout Muzhou, each with a carrying capacity of 2,000 catties, have become available. Then, the successful trial run of the first 5,000-catty canoe further boosted the tribe's morale.
Right now, it's the perfect time to expand influence and broaden horizons. Jianshi and Wang Yan astutely seized upon a "window of opportunity" for the Fish Tribe —according to the agreement, the Fish Tribe was required to transport the remaining 100,000 jin of grain from the Valley Tribe downstream to the Fire Tribe in two trips, taking approximately two months. During this period, the Fish Tribe's large fleet and main focus would inevitably be on long-distance transport, and their attention and patrols of the upstream waters would likely be somewhat relaxed.
Jianshi Shi decisively ordered: of the fifty 2,000-jin (1,000 kg) large Muzhou, twenty would remain to continue operating in the waters near the confluence of the Fire Tribe's stream and the Fish River, responsible for daily fishing, guard duty, and as a reserve force for the subsequent handover of food to the Fish Tribe. The remaining thirty canoes would be reorganized into ten elite exploration and trade teams, each with three large canoes, equipped with sufficient warriors and goods, with the objective of continuing to explore the upper reaches of the Fish River!
The fleet set sail again, heading upstream along the familiar waterway. This time, their exploration was more systematic and in-depth than before. After about two days of sailing (about one and a half to two days), they discovered their first tributary, navigable by boats weighing two thousand catties or even larger, flowing into the Fish River from the side where the Fire Tribe was located. This greatly interested the exploration team.
They continued upstream, and within approximately eight days of exploration, they discovered three more tributaries of similar size on the Fire Tribe's side. On the opposite bank of the Fish River, it appeared that four or five other rivers of similar size were flowing into it, but out of safety and respect for the Fish Tribe's potential territory (for the time being), the exploration team did not rashly cross the river to investigate.
For ease of naming and recording, the exploration team named the four tributaries on their side, from downstream to upstream: First Water River, Second Forest River, Third Stone River, and Fourth Valley River.
The exploration team's small boats began to venture into these tributaries. Although the waterways were narrower than the main channel, they were deep enough that the large boats, weighing two thousand kilograms each, navigated carefully without any problems. As they ventured deeper inland along the tributaries, they discovered more traces of human activity and settlements.
Unlike the tribes near the main river channel that were directly influenced by the Fish Tribe or the Pottery Salt Tribe, these tribes that went deep into the banks of the tributaries were generally smaller in scale and their lives were more isolated and impoverished. Most of them lived along the river, mainly for the purpose of obtaining the most important external resource - salt.
"Salt is hard currency here, more precious than anything else," a squad leader of an exploration team reported back. "These tribes don't produce salt themselves and rely entirely on trade with outsiders. Previously, it was mainly the Pottery Salt Tribe, and occasionally merchant ships from the Fish Tribe would come. But for them, being able to trade for salt once or twice a year is considered incredibly lucky."
The extreme scarcity and preciousness of salt gave rise to a special kind of "middleman" tribe. In each tributary, there were always a few relatively large tribes with a population of around two hundred. Their path to "prosperity" was simple: by utilizing potentially more advantageous geographical locations (such as being closer to the main river channel) or through certain special means, they could purchase relatively large quantities of salt at once from the Pottery Salt Tribe or the Fish Tribe. Then, they would resell this salt at a higher price to other smaller tribes deeper in the tributary, who had less direct access to large caravans.
"These tribes of about two hundred people rely on acting as 'middlemen,' trading salt and other rare items, to support themselves and live a relatively better life," the exploration team member explained. "But they themselves lack many things, especially weapons, tools, and food that can be stored for a long time."
The arrival of the Fire Tribe's exploration team was a godsend for these tribes deep in the tributaries. When they saw the dried fish and meat carefully cured with salt on the Fire Tribe's boat, emitting an enticing salty aroma, the tribes' eyes lit up! Not to mention the stone and bone tools that the Fire Tribe brought, which, although they had discarded them, were still considered sturdy and durable, as well as the somewhat crude but lethal weapons seized from the Wolf Tribe.
The trade was incredibly brisk! The Fire Tribe's preserved goods, tools, and weapons were absolutely in high demand. In return, the Fire Tribe acquired a large quantity of urgently needed supplies at relatively low prices: Jianren cow and deer tendons (excellent materials for making bowstrings and ropes), various good-quality animal hides (suitable for making leather armor and clothing), and some local herbs and unusual plant seeds (their uses were currently unknown, but Wang Yan emphasized the need to collect as many as possible). Most importantly, through trade and conversation, the exploration team gained a preliminary understanding of the approximate distribution, size, and relationships of the tribes along the four tributaries.
"There are four tributaries, each with about three or four 'middleman' tribes of around two hundred people. Other smaller tribes are scattered around, ranging from dozens to a hundred people," the exploration team leader marked on the map. "Our initial estimate is that the total population of the tribes along these four tributaries, within a five-sunset journey, should exceed ten thousand! Although they are scattered, the potential is considerable."
This figure excited both Jianshi and Wang Yan. It meant that there was a large but loosely organized "market" and "population pool" upstream, lacking effective organization and a strong core. The Fire Tribe's salt, tools, and relatively advanced goods were extremely attractive here.
The exploration team completed an initial round of contact and transactions, and with a wealth of information and intelligence, they began their return journey. They chose to depart from the mouth of the "Fourth Valley River," the uppermost point of the river, and sail downstream.
Along the way, they truly experienced the speed advantage of sailing with the current. On the way there, they traveled upstream, taking about eight days to reach the furthest exploration point. But on the return journey, thanks to the current and favorable winds, they returned to the Fire Tribe's main stronghold on the Fish River —the confluence of the Fire Tribe Stream and the Fish River —in less than four days. They saved nearly half the time!
The huge difference in efficiency made everyone realize the potential of downstream trade. If a stable base could be established upstream, or a long-term cooperative relationship could be formed with some larger tribes, then special products could be purchased upstream, transported downstream back to the Fire Tribe for processing or resale, and then the Fire Tribe's products could be transported upstream for trade. This would form a highly valuable trade cycle.
"This exploration has been incredibly fruitful," Wang Yan summarized. "We not only gained a clearer understanding of the situation in parts of the upstream region and opened up new trade channels, obtaining much-needed supplies, but more importantly, we saw the vast potential upstream and the urgent needs of those tribes for salt, tools, and weapons. This is an excellent opportunity for our Fire Tribe to extend its influence upstream."
Jianshi nodded. "That's right. The Fish Tribe is busy transporting grain right now and can't pay attention to the upstream for the time being. We should seize this opportunity to consolidate and expand our connections upstream. Once we have built a certain number of our 5,000-jin ships and have sufficient water support, we can even consider establishing a small trading post or outpost at a suitable tributary to make our business more stable and larger!" The Fire Tribe's leaders also nodded in agreement.