Unexpectedly Smooth Progress
Yan and Dali led the Fire Tribe's fleet slowly away from the Fire Tribe Fire Creek and soon entered the Fish River. The fleet then regrouped at the Fire Creek Mouth and began to travel upstream along the Fish River. Two days later, a tributary with a considerable flow of water appeared ahead. The river was relatively clear and calm, with flat mudflats and dense Luwei beds on both banks.
"We've arrived, it's Water River Mouth," Yan said.
The Water River is an important tributary of the Fish River, adjacent to the Fire Creek of the Fire Tribe. Many small tribes are scattered along the Water River Water River basin. There are four relatively large tribes (about two hundred people) along the Water River, which act as intermediaries for the small tribes in the Water River basin.
Yan ordered the fleet to anchor at the main channel of the Fish River Water River Mouth. He personally selected ten large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties each, loaded them with some pottery, salt, and a small amount of linen as gifts, as well as some members of the Fire Tribe tribe who had joined the Water River basin in the previous two trips, and they sailed swiftly into the tributary of the Water River.
The Water River was not wide, but it was deep enough. After traveling for a short while, a relatively open body of water and a simple camp built on the high ground on the bank appeared ahead. The people in the camp had obviously already spotted them, and some of them gathered on the bank to watch.
Yan's ship docked, and he walked ashore with gifts and several followers. A man emerged from the camp, none other than Zebo, the leader of the Little Marsh Tribe.
"Young Chief Yan! Oh, what a distinguished guest! I didn't expect to see you again so soon!" Zebo greeted him with a warm smile. He had traded with the Fire Tribe several times last year and was deeply impressed by this young Fire Tribe.
"Chief Zebo, I apologize for the intrusion." Yan smiled and cupped his hands, gesturing for his attendants to present the gifts—a few practical earthenware jars, a small bag of salt, and several pieces of linen clothing.
Zebo's eyes lit up when he saw these gifts, which were considered "hard currency" in the Water River basin today. He kept saying, "You're too kind, you're too kind," but he accepted them very readily. His gaze swept over Yan's entourage and suddenly stopped on the face of a burly man with a ruddy complexion. He stared at him for a while, and then an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.
"You... you are... the chief of the Little Dashui Little Water Tribe?" Zebo asked tentatively.
The man grinned, revealing his Baiya: "Brother Zebo, you have a good eye! It's me, Dashui!"
"Is it really you?!" Zebo circled Dashui for a short while, looking him up and down, clicking his tongue in amazement. "When I saw you last year, you were as thin as a stick, with hardly any flesh on your face! How... how come you've gotten so much stronger in just a few months? You look so much more energetic, and look at what you're wearing..." He touched Dashui's simple but thick and clean linen coat, his eyes filled with envy and confusion. "Didn't your Little Water Tribe leave with the Fire Tribe before last winter? What brings you here this time..."
Dashui puffed out his chest, his voice booming with genuine pride. "Brother Zebo, that's right! Our tribe joined the Fire Tribe last autumn! We used to be skinny because we really had nothing to eat! Hunting is difficult in our Water River basin, and gathering is only plentiful in the autumn. Our bellies were empty all year round. Now? Hey! As long as you're willing to work hard and follow the Fire Tribe's rules, you get to eat every day! Occasionally, you even get some meat. You'll never go hungry! Look at all this fat I have now, it's all from eating so much in the Fire Tribe these past few months! We live in sturdy wooden houses and wear the clothes we were issued! We never even dared to dream of this life before!"
As Zebo listened, his expression slowly shifted from surprise to emotion, and finally to deep feeling and a touch of regret. He looked at the energetic and robust Dashui, then at the pale-faced and ragged tribesmen behind him, and remembered the elderly and children who had frozen and starved to death in the tribe last winter. His heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"Sigh..." Zebo sighed deeply, "Brother Dashui, you've fallen into a lucky hole! We've seen how powerful the Fire Tribe is. In our Water River, prey is scarce, and relying solely on gathering is too difficult. Last winter... we... If only we had known, if only we had come with you!"
Yan seized the opportunity and said sincerely, "Chief Zebo, it's not too late. Our Fire Tribe has a plentiful harvest this year and stable trade routes where we can buy grain from larger tribes by boat. If the Little Marsh Tribe is willing to join our Fire Tribe Fire Tribe, we would be very happy to welcome them! As long as you are willing to work hard and follow the rules, you'll have food every day!"
Zebo suddenly looked up, his cloudy eyes flashing with intense light, his voice trembling slightly. "Really... really? Your Fire Tribe has already taken in so many people, and you still have food?"
Yan nodded firmly, pointing towards the massive fleet anchored at the Water River Mouth: "Chief Zebo, look! This fleet we've brought is larger than ever before. Not only can we produce our own food, but we can also exchange pottery for vast quantities of grain from the powerful Valley Tribe downstream. To be honest, our Fire Tribe now has over 20,000 people, but our grain reserves are enough to support even more. Look at our warriors," he pointed to the Fire Tribe warriors accompanying him, each one strong, well-equipped, and full of spirit, "None of them look hungry. Join the Fire Tribe, and as long as you're hardworking and abide by the tribe's rules, I guarantee that everyone in the Little Marsh Tribe can live a good life like Dashui and the others!"
Zebo's gaze shifted between Yan's confident face, the robust warriors of the Fire Tribe, and the massive, faintly visible ship in the distance. The Fire Tribe's strength and promises were the most powerful reassurance. These small tribes struggled to survive, seeking only basic sustenance and peace; what grand ambitions did they have? The changes in Dashui and the others were the best proof of that.
Without much hesitation, Zebo slapped his thigh and said decisively, "Alright! Young Chief Yan, our Little Marsh Tribe is willing to join the Fire Tribe! From now on, we are people of the Fire Tribe!"
"Great!" Yan was thrilled, not expecting it to go so smoothly. "The Fire Tribe welcomes every member of the Little Marsh Tribe!"
After his initial excitement, Zebo immediately thought of several other familiar tribes and hurriedly asked, "Chief Yan, the Water River basin isn't just home to our Little Marsh Tribe. There are also the Water Grass, Water Fish, and Water Stone tribes, which are about the same size as us and face just as difficult circumstances. If the Fire Tribe is willing to take them in, they'll definitely want to join! I can go and make contact! Also... along the Water River, there are many smaller tribes scattered around, ranging from dozens to hundreds of people. If the Fire Tribe doesn't have any restrictions on recruitment this time, they'll probably all want to follow us!"
Before setting off, Yan had a thorough conversation with his father and was confident in the tribe's capacity to accept new members and its food reserves. He immediately stated, "Chief Zebo, one of our purposes in coming here is to recruit new members for the Fire Tribe who are willing to develop together. As long as they are willing, hardworking, and law-abiding, we have no limit on the number! Please help us contact the three chiefs, Water Grass, Water Fish, and Water Stone, as well as other smaller tribes that are willing to join. Have them pack up as soon as possible and gather at the mouth of the Water River Mouth. We will have special boats to bring them back to the Fire Tribe in batches!"
"Okay! Okay! Okay!" Zebo agreed repeatedly, overjoyed. "I'll go right now! I'll go right now!"
Immediately, Yan and Zebo boarded a large Muzhou and quickly headed towards the three tribes of Water Grass, Water Fish, and Water Stone. Once the news spread, the leaders of these three tribes, after hearing Zebo's explanation and seeing Yan and the accompanying Fire Tribe warriors, expressed their willingness to join without hesitation! They too had suffered a miserable winter last year, and they had long heard of the Fire Tribe's wealth. Now that the opportunity was before them, how could they miss it?
In an instant, the entire Water River basin was abuzz with excitement. The four middleman tribes sprang into action, sending their fastest members along the tributaries and mountain trails to spread the news that "the Fire Tribe is recruiting a large number of people, with food and lodging provided." Upon hearing the news, the small tribes struggling to survive felt as if they had received rain after a long drought, and they all brought their families and their meager belongings, converging on the mouth of the Water River Mouth.
Yan roughly tallied the feedback and estimated that about three thousand people could gather at Water River Mouth. He immediately ordered "Jushi," a steady and reliable leader of the tribe, to lead ten large boats with a capacity of five thousand catties each and thirty large Muzhou with a capacity of two thousand catties each to stay at Water River Mouth. Their task was to maintain order, receive and register the tribespeople who arrived one after another, and transport them safely Fire Tribe's headquarters in batches.
Having arranged matters at Water River Mouth, Yan and Dali dared not delay and led the remaining main fleet of ships to continue upstream along the main channel of the Fish River.
Two days later, the fleet arrived at the mouth of another important tributary— the Forest River. The situation in the Forest River basin was similar to that of the Water River. Originally, there were four middleman tribes with about two hundred people each: the Forest Wood, the Forest Beast, the Forest Medicine Tribe, and the Forest Fruit Tribe. However, the Fire Tribe had previously absorbed a significant number of people from these smaller tribes twice, which greatly affected the business of these four tribes as "middlemen." Coupled with the limitations imposed by the natural environment, their lives were even more difficult than those of the tribes in the Water River basin.
When Yan arrived with his fleet and explained his purpose, the leaders of the four tribes reacted almost identically—eager to join! They had long regretted not going with him the previous two times. With fewer and fewer tribes remaining in the Forest River basin, their trading partners dwindling, and the pressure to survive mounting, the Fire Tribe was now extending an olive branch again, and recruiting in large numbers. Fearing the opportunity would be fleeting, they immediately agreed to join! They even offered to help contact other small tribes in the Forest River basin with whom they had connections.
As a result, the number of people willing to join the Fire Tribe at Forest River Mouth actually reached around three thousand! This far exceeded Yan's expectations. It seems that the survival difficulties of these small tribes upstream are even more severe than he imagined.
Yan also made prudent arrangements, ordering another capable leader, "Feishi," to lead ten large ships with a carrying capacity of five thousand catties and thirty large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties to stay at the Forest River Mouth, responsible for receiving and transferring these new tribesmen.
The fleet set sail again, going upstream. After two more days of sailing, they arrived at the Stone River Mouth. Conditions in the Stone River basin were relatively worse, with only three middle merchant tribes of about two hundred people each: the Shijian, Stone Whetstone, and Stone Ore Tribe. Their lives were equally difficult. When they heard that the Fire Tribe was recruiting, they almost begged to join with tears in their eyes. Including some smaller settlements they could contact, the total number was estimated to be around two thousand five hundred.
Yan left behind the leader "Liehuo" and led ten large ships with a carrying capacity of five thousand catties and ten large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties to be responsible for the receiving and transfer work at Stone River Mouth.
By this point, the main fleet led by Yan and Dali had been greatly reduced in size, consisting of only ten large ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 catties each, ten large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 catties each, and several Xiaozhou with a carrying capacity of 500 catties each used for communication and shallow water navigation. However, they were in high spirits.
The recruitment of people upstream went unexpectedly smoothly. In just a few days, the three main tributaries—water, forest, and stone—are expected to add about 8,500 people to the Fire Tribe! If they can be successfully absorbed, the Fire Tribe's strength will experience another leap forward.
"It seems that life upstream is going to be even harder than we expected," Dali said, standing at the Chuantou and gazing at the vast, desolate mountains and river ahead.
Yan nodded and said, "Yes, absorbing them into the Fire Tribe would be a great act of kindness."