A Bold Bargain
After a few bowls of goat milk, the atmosphere at the banquet became increasingly harmonious. The delicacies of the Valley Tribe were served one after another, including roasted pork ribs with a crispy crust, delicious fish soup, and various river delicacies and wild game from the mountains and forests, all served with rice cooked with new rice. The guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely. The initial awkwardness gradually melted away, and the conversation slowly shifted from the initial pleasantries to more practical topics.
Daiyue, the chief of the Valley Tribe, put down the pottery bowl in his hand and casually turned to Canglan, asking, "Chief Canglan, we've been dealing with each other for quite some time now. You've come to trade with us several times before, but I've never heard you mention that there's a Fire Tribe upstream?"
This was clearly a concern for everyone in the Valley Tribe. How could a tribe capable of building ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin, with an extraordinary leader and a brave and intelligent son, remain unknown?
Canglan was prepared; he, Jianshi, and Yan had already discussed what information to reveal on the boat. He chuckled, put down his chopsticks, and gestured in the general direction, saying, "Chief Daiyue, you may not know this, but our Fish Tribe can reach the Fire Tribe by walking upstream along the Fish River in about ten sunsets. If we travel by water, it would take about six days to go upstream from our Fish Tribe's dock; but if we go downstream from the Fire Tribe to our place, hey, that's much faster, three days is enough!"
He paused, allowing everyone to process the distance information, and continued, "If you take a boat directly from the Fire Tribe downstream, it should take about thirteen days to reach the Little Valley Camp on the opposite bank of your tribe. Of course, if you want to take a boat upstream from the Little Valley Camp Fire Tribe, that will be much more difficult and will take about twenty-six days."
As Daiyue and the seven elders listened, they nodded, quickly sketching out the approximate location of the Fire Tribe in their minds—located in the middle and upper reaches of the Fish River, not close, but accessible by water, and quite fast to travel downstream. This meant that there was a geographical basis for trade between the two sides, but the two tribes were far apart, so even if a conflict occurred in the future, the threat would be relatively low.
Seeing that everyone was accepting the story well, Canglan continued to introduce the "origins" of the Fire Tribe according to the agreed-upon storyline, "To tell the story, the Fire Tribe used to be just a small tribe of a few hundred people, struggling to survive in the valley. It's only in the last few years that they've developed. Over there, in the mountains to the north, there's a tribe called the ' Wolf Tribe,' which is particularly fierce and raids everywhere, making it impossible for many small tribes to survive. These tribes, having nowhere else to turn, saw that the Fire Tribe was benevolent and could provide them with enough to eat, so they gradually came to join them. Over time, the Fire Tribe's population has grown, and now it's probably over ten thousand, with more than two thousand warriors capable of fighting."
He deliberately emphasized the "Wolf Tribe's raids" and the "Fire Tribe's benevolent shelter," thus giving legitimacy and moral justification to the Fire Tribe's rapid expansion.
"With such a large population, food has become scarce." Canglan sighed, steer the conversation to the core issue, "So, over the years, most of the grain our Fish Tribe bought from your tribe has actually been resold to the Fire Tribe. They are severely lacking in food, which is why they simply brought their own fleet and came with me this time."
He pointed at Yan, a proud expression on his face. "Speaking of this, I must mention Young Chief Yan. The Fire Tribe is now able to produce such fine pottery thanks to Yan's research! This time, they want to use this pottery to exchange for grain with your tribe!"
These words contained a wealth of information, like a Shitou thrown into a calm pond, instantly stirring up ripples in the hearts of Daiyue and the seven elders.
First, there's the speed of the Fire Tribe's development—in just a few years, it grew from a few hundred to tens of thousands, with over two thousand warriors! This rapid expansion far exceeded their expectations. The Valley Tribe's current scale was the result of over fifty years of continuous accumulation, mergers, and intermarriages across three generations. But the Fire Tribe seems to have covered most of the Valley Tribe's journey in less than a generation! This boldness and capability are truly astonishing.
Daiyue looked at Jianshi with even more admiration. To develop a small tribe of a few hundred people into such a large scale in such a short time, the Fire Tribe leader's magnanimity, courage, and control were truly extraordinary. The slight wariness he had initially felt due to the other party's strength was somewhat diminished by the narrative of "benevolently taking in refugees."
Secondly, there's the key technology the Fire Tribe possesses—pottery making! Daiyue's gaze fell upon Yan again. This silent Chenwen young man was not only exceptionally brave but also possessed such wisdom! Pottery was an important commodity for daily life and trade in this era. While the Tiger Tribe's pottery was exquisite, it was expensive and difficult to transport. If the Fire Tribe could truly produce consistently high-quality pottery at a better price, what would that mean?
Daiyue's heart began to pound faster involuntarily. He instantly understood the source of the high-quality, inexpensive pottery Canglan had brought in recent years. A clear and enticing plan quickly unfolded in his mind:
The Valley Tribe (its own) has a surplus of millions of kilograms of grain each year, but selling it to scattered downstream markets results in low profits and long processing times. The Fire Tribe lacks grain, but it can produce high-quality, low-priced pottery.
The two sides traded goods— the Valley Tribe exchanged grain for pottery from the Fire Tribe, and then resold the pottery at a higher price to downstream customers (even including areas under the Tiger Tribe's influence), resulting in huge profits!
These profits can be exchanged for tangible resources, especially bronze artifacts! Purchasing more bronze weapons and tools from the Tiger Tribe can restart shipbuilding research, which has been stalled for years due to funding shortages, and even... equip more warriors to gain an overwhelming advantage in the confrontation with the Bear Tribe, or perhaps, realize even greater ambitions...
This is a natural, mutually beneficial deal! Moreover, the Fire Tribe is located far upstream, and although they are powerful, they are geographically unlikely to pose a direct threat to the Valley Tribe. They are ideal partners rather than competitors!
Having figured this out, Daiyue's spirits lifted considerably, and even the anger he felt from his daughter's troubles dissipated. He stopped beating around the bush and looked directly at Jianshi, his gaze earnest. "Chief Jianshi, may I ask how much grain your tribe intends to purchase this time?"
Jianshi and Yan exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and turned to Daiyue, smiling Chenwen, "Chief Daiyue, for my Fire Tribe, the more grain the better. I wonder how much your tribe can provide?"
"The more the better?" Daiyue raised an eyebrow; the other party's appetite was indeed considerable. He didn't answer immediately, but instead turned to the side and began to discuss quickly and quietly with the seven elders beside him. The elders had naturally heard Canglan's introduction and saw the enormous profits involved. Although each of them had their own calculations regarding how the profits would be distributed after the transaction was successful, the priority at the moment was to facilitate this unprecedentedly large deal. After a few whispers and exchanges of glances, they reached a preliminary consensus.
Having gained a better understanding, Daiyue turned around and said seriously, "To be honest, Chief Jianshi Shi, our Valley Tribe benefits from the Fengshou Wotu the Fish River, and our people are diligent. Every year, after deducting our own consumption and reserves, we have a surplus of about three million catties of rice."
"Three million catties!" This number shocked Jianshi and Yan Xin. They knew that the Valley Tribe was wealthy, but they did not expect it to be this wealthy! The Fire Tribe was currently doing its best to cultivate the land, and the total output of two seasons a year was not even in this range, while the Valley Tribe had this much surplus!
After the initial shock came immense joy. Jianshi suppressed his emotions, trying to keep his voice steady. "Chief Daiyue, to be honest, our Fire Tribe desperately needs these three million catties of grain. I wonder... what the price is?"
Daiyue announced the agreed-upon price. The moment the price was uttered, the calm on Jianshi and Yan's faces shattered almost simultaneously, revealing undisguised astonishment. Not because it was expensive, but because... it was too cheap! It was a full two-thirds cheaper than the price they had previously paid for grain from Canglan!
Their gazes simultaneously turned to Canglan, who was sitting to the side. Canglan was just about to take a sip of goat milk from the earthenware bowl when she noticed their gazes. Her movements froze, and a hint of embarrassment and guilt flashed across her face. She quickly lowered her head as if to drink the milk, touched her nose, and pretended to be nonchalant.
Jianshi and Yan withdrew their gazes, understanding dawning on them. In the ways of merchants, one buys low and sells high. Canglan had previously made a huge profit from the price difference, and being "exposed" on the spot was naturally embarrassing. But now was not the time to dwell on that. The enormous price advantage brought by direct trading with the Valley Tribe was enough to make up for all previous "losses," and even lay a new foundation for future cooperation.
Jianshi and Yan exchanged a few words quickly in hushed tones. Jianshi raised his head and solemnly said to Daiyue, "Chief Daiyue, since you are so frank, our Fire Tribe will not hold back either. We do indeed wish to consume all three million catties of grain. However, based on the value of the pottery we brought this time, according to the price you offered, we can only exchange it for about one million catties. The remaining grain will probably need to be traded in batches—we can probably come back this autumn to trade another one million catties; the remaining one million catties may have to wait until next spring."
He paused, then his tone became even more sincere. "Of course, as long as your tribe's grain prices are fair and the quality is excellent, our Fire Tribe will continue to have a huge demand for grain for the next few years. We very much hope to establish a long-term and stable cooperative relationship with your tribe."
Daiyue had initially quoted a figure of three million jin, somewhat as a demonstration of strength and a test of the other party's capabilities. Unexpectedly, the other party not only accepted the offer but also planned it out so clearly and specifically (in three batches), demonstrating strong execution and sincerity in fulfilling the contract. His assessment of Jianshi rose again, and he was quite impressed by their generosity and pragmatism.
"Good!" Daiyue Yue laughed heartily, slamming his hand on the table. "Brother Jianshi is indeed straightforward! Then it's settled! Three million catties of grain, to be traded in three batches, at the price we just agreed on. The first batch of one million catties will be delivered immediately!"
With the major arrangements settled, the subsequent discussions on the details went much more smoothly. The topic then shifted to transportation.
Jianshi tallied up the inventory. "This time, we are traveling with the Fish Tribe. We have thirty large boats weighing five thousand catties each, fifty large Muzhou weighing two thousand catties each, and some smaller boats. Roughly estimated, we can carry about two hundred and fifty thousand catties of grain at a time."
Daiyue waved his hand, displaying the grandeur of a large tribe. "Transportation is no problem! My Valley Tribe can dispatch eight large ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin each, plus forty ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin each, to assist in the transportation. In this way, we can transport 600,000 jin at a time! With the addition of your tribe's transportation capacity, we can transport 850,000 jin of grain southward on the first trip. The rest can be negotiated later on how to transport it in several batches."
He added, "Of course, your tribe should bear the costs of food and drink for my tribe's boats and manpower, as well as the expenses incurred from the long journey." This was only fair, and Jianshi readily nodded in agreement.
Finally, it was agreed that the pottery brought by the Fire Tribe for the purchase of the first batch of one million catties of grain would be delivered to the Valley Tribe first. Among them, the pottery worth 850,000 catties of grain would be used to pay for the first batch of 850,000 catties of grain, while the pottery worth the remaining 150,000 catties of grain would be temporarily stored in the Valley Tribe as a deposit for subsequent transactions and to offset the additional miscellaneous expenses of the first shipment.
Both sides were satisfied with the plan. Daiyue of the Valley Tribe began to organize people to inventory the granaries and prepare for loading the ships. Jianshi also ordered his entourage to unload the pottery in preparation for the handover. The banquet ended in a pleasant atmosphere. The two sides agreed that three days later, the joint fleet, fully loaded with grain, would set sail south.