The Fleet Returns, Putting the Tribespeople at Ease

After completing the final transaction at the Fish Tribe dock, loading 150,000 catties of rice and some of the goods obtained in the trade onto the ship, Jianya and Wang Yan did not linger. The huge fleet, consisting of large ships and Muzhou of various sizes, fully loaded with grain, slowly sailed away from the Fish Tribe dock, going upstream to embark on their return journey.

The journey home was smooth. Six days later, the familiar outline of the Fire Creek River Wharf came into view. From afar, one could see a large crowd gathered at the wharf. Jianshi, along with the logistics team and the leaders of each group, had been waiting there for some time, ready to provide assistance.

The fleet docked one by one, the mooring lines were secured, and the gangplanks were set up. Jianya and Wang Yan were the first to disembark and quickly walked to Jianshi.

"Big brother! We're back!" Jianya's voice boomed, carrying the relief of having successfully completed a mission.

"Father," Wang Yan said with a smile, bowing in return.

"Good! It's good to be back!" Jianshi Shi patted the two men on the shoulders, his gaze sweeping over the mountain of grain sacks piled up on the ship behind them, a relieved smile spreading across his face. "Come on, let's go inside and talk!"

The group arrived at a makeshift meeting tent erected near the dock. After taking their seats, Jianya and Wang Yan began to give a detailed account of their experiences on the downstream trip.

When they recounted how Jia Li was awestruck by the Fire Tribe's fleet in the Pottery Salt Tribe, and how his attitude shifted from friendly cooperation to near-respect, even tinged with apprehension, before he warmly welcomed them and readily agreed to expand trade, Jianshi and several core elders smiled with satisfaction. The Pottery Salt Tribe was a crucial downstream stronghold of the Fire Tribe, and stabilizing, or even winning over, Jia Li was vital for ensuring the security of the northern route and the smooth flow of trade.

Then, the topic turned to the Fish Tribe. Jianya vividly described how the Fish Tribe warriors looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy, their eyes filled with vigilance. He recounted how, upon entering the Canglan Mansion, the usually arrogant Fish Tribe chief could no longer conceal his shock, wariness, and complex emotions.

"... You didn't see it," Jianya imitated Canglan's forced composure but barely concealed embarrassment, "The expression on his face, tsk tsk, it was like he'd spilled a dye shop! Every time we went before, he acted like he was 'giving alms,' but this time, he was in such a hurry to return the favor before he even had a chance to sit down!"

Wang Yan added with a smile, "Especially when I said that we still need to build thirty large ships this year, and that we have a surplus but won't sell them for the time being, those Fish Tribe elders' eyes almost popped out of their sockets, Canglan chief almost dropped the cup in his hand."

"Hahahaha!" Jianshi burst into laughter, his loud voice echoing through the shed. "Good! Good! These ducks always thought they had us by the throat! This time they've finally tasted what it's like to be 'stuck'! That's satisfying! Truly satisfying!"

The others present, including Dazhuang, the elder in charge of logistics, and Gubang, the newly appointed vice-captain of the Youth Team, also burst into laughter, creating a lively atmosphere. For many years, the Fire Tribe had to endure the Fish Tribe's high prices and subtle suppression in order to secure food and develop. Although it had always been a trade, that sense of humiliation had always remained. Now, thanks to their leap in strength, they had finally made the other side take them seriously and even fear them. This feeling of triumph was truly exhilarating.

Jianya then had his attendants bring in the gifts that Canglan had given in return. Although not as generous as those from the Fire Tribe, they were still some local specialties and fairly exquisite items from the Fish Tribe.

Jianshi picked up a fishbone-carved ornament, weighed it in his hand, and his smile widened, "Oh, our ' Canglan brother-in-law' has finally learned to reciprocate? Getting something back from him isn't easy!"

Another burst of laughter erupted. In everyone's eyes, the symbolic meaning of this return gift far outweighed its actual value. It signified that the Fish Tribe had formally recognized the Fire Tribe's equal status, and was even a slightly obsequious gesture.

Joking aside, business couldn't be delayed. After Jianshi, Jian Shi immediately instructed Dazhuang: "Dazhuang, organize the men immediately to unload the ships! Transport all the grain into the granary, carefully count and store it! Also, sort and store the other goods properly!"

"Yes, Chief!" Dazhuang waved his hand and led the waiting transport team towards the dock.

The docks immediately came alive with activity. Bags of heavy rice were carried off the boats, loaded onto wheelbarrows, and lined up in a long queue, flowing along the smooth road to the ever-growing granaries deep in the valley.

This spectacular scene was naturally witnessed by many newcomers to the Fire Tribe. Especially those from the Valley River, who used to have to carefully calculate every drop of salt and every handful of grain, were deeply shocked by the seemingly endless grain transport procession.

"My God... another shipload of grain..."

"How long will it take to finish eating?"

"How much food does the Fire Tribe actually have?"

"Following a tribe like this, I'll never have to worry about going hungry again..."

Soft gasps of amazement and reassuring whispers rippled through the crowd. Their understanding of the Fire Tribe's strength had shifted from initial shock at their population and architecture to a direct appreciation of their seemingly bottomless reserves, especially their abundant food supplies—the very foundation of survival. This realization brought the newcomers complete peace of mind. The sense of security and security of having a strong backer, free from worries about food and clothing, was more persuasive than any words.

Standing on high ground, Jianshi looked at the bustling dock and the relieved expressions on the faces of his people. He whispered to Jianya and Wang Yan beside him, "With the grain stored up, people's hearts are more at ease. This time, we not only brought back grain, but also restored our Fire Tribe's 'position' on this great river. Well done!"

Wang Yan watched the departing grain carts, silently calculating in his mind. With this grain harvest, the tribe's grain reserves had reached a new peak. After a while, the 3,000 mu planted that night would be harvested, the autumn grain was also growing vigorously, and with the harvests from other vegetable gardens, fishing, livestock, fruits, and other miscellaneous supplies gathered in the wild, there would still be a surplus of grain this year.