Solving the Tribe's Food Problem
Inside the largest wooden house in the Fire Tribe, Jianshi sat in the main seat, with Flame and Dali on his left and Qingye on his right. Below them sat Dabang, Binmao, Jijiao, Wenshi, Lu Ming, and other core members of the Fire Tribe. All eyes were on Flame, waiting for him to bring back definitive information.
Yan Qing cleared his throat, unfolded a wooden board with numbers simply written on it in charcoal, and began to report clearly, "Father, uncles, Uncle Dali and I led a team to the upper reaches of the Fish River to pick up the remaining new clansmen, and the mission has been completed."
He pointed to the record on the wooden board. "When we set off, the 8,500 people who had gathered earlier along the three tributaries of the Stone River Water River, Forest River (downstream), and Shihe had already been brought back and settled in the valley of our home tribe. This time, we spent about a month traveling to the Wood River, Clear River, White River, and five tributaries on the west bank further upstream to bring back all the remaining tribespeople who were waiting. According to the preliminary count, the total number of new tribespeople this time is about 15,000."
The confirmation of this total number caused several branch leaders (such as Binmao and Jijiao) who had not been involved in the initial decision-making process to gasp in surprise, exchanging glances filled with shock. Fifteen thousand people! This number was almost ten times the original population of their respective tribes!
Yan continued to elaborate, "Of these 15,000 people, roughly estimated, there are about 3,000 young and strong men suitable to become soldiers, and about 1,500 teenagers aged eight to fifteen who could join the Youth Team."
He paused, then began comparing and calculating the Fire Tribe's current population structure. "Before this large-scale absorption, our Fire Tribe headquarters and strongholds had a total population of approximately 22,000. Among them, there were about 4,400 warriors and about 2,200 Youth Team members."
He picked up a charcoal pencil and quickly wrote down several new numbers on the wooden board, "So now, with these 15,000 new tribesmen, the total population of our Fire Tribe will reach approximately 37,000."
"The total number of soldiers will reach approximately 7,400."
"The Youth Team will have approximately 3,700 members."
With each number announced, a suppressed gasp filled the cabin: 37,000 people! 7,400 soldiers! 3,700 teenagers! These numbers were like heavy Jushi crashing into everyone's hearts, bringing with them an unparalleled impact and an immense sense of responsibility.
Even core members like Jianshi and Dabang, who were already mentally prepared, still felt dizzy and overwhelmed upon hearing the massive sum of numbers. Just a few years ago, the Fire Tribe was merely a tiny settlement struggling on the brink of survival, with only a few dozen warriors and a total population of around two hundred. Now... it had swelled to this size! This wasn't just an increase in numbers; it meant that the Fire Tribe had crossed a crucial threshold, becoming a truly significant behemoth in the Fish River Basin!
"Wow... good heavens!" Dabang muttered, rubbing his face vigorously. "Seven thousand four hundred warriors... if we took them out, that would be a huge area!"
Binmao, Jijiao, Wenshi, Lu Ming, and the others were filled with complex emotions. They had once been leaders of their respective tribes, leading hundreds of their people to join the Fire Tribe. Although they knew the Fire Tribe was powerful, they had never anticipated its terrifying speed of expansion or its astonishing ability to absorb people. Now, their own tribesmen had become part of this vast collective, witnessing its snowballing growth firsthand. They felt both proud and deeply aware of the weight of their responsibilities—how to manage and integrate so many newly joined tribesmen from diverse backgrounds would be the most severe test ahead.
"Some of the new tribesmen's personal belongings were temporarily left at the original river mouth or old camp due to the limited carrying capacity of the boats, and will need to be transported back by boat later," Yan added as the last detail.
Jianshi nodded slowly, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. His voice Chenwen and powerful. "Everyone heard that. Fifteen thousand people. This is not a simple number. It represents thirty-seven thousand mouths, seven thousand four hundred soldiers who need to be armed and trained, and three thousand seven hundred children who represent the future!"
He paused, then continued, "As long as we can properly settle these new tribespeople, treat them fairly, and help them integrate into our Fire Tribe as quickly as possible, gaining their acceptance of our rules and goals, then our strength will experience a qualitative leap!"
The tone shifted abruptly, Jianshi's expression turned serious. "However, the population explosion will first and foremost bring a surge in food pressure! Thirty-seven thousand people consume an astronomical amount of food every day. The grain we agreed upon with the Valley Tribe must be transported back as soon as possible!"
His gaze turned to Yan and Dali: "Yan, Dali, you two have just returned, and you must be tired from your journey. But the matter of food is of utmost urgency. I'll give you two days to rest and prepare. Two days later, take all the large ships that our Fire Tribe currently possesses, and set off again for the Valley Tribe to transport a batch of food back!"
Yan and Dali immediately straightened their backs. "Yes, Father (Chief)!"
Jianshi looked at Dabang: "Dabang, what's the status of our current ships?"
Dabang immediately replied, "During the month that Yan and Dali were traveling back and forth to pick up people, our shipbuilding workshop worked day and night and successfully launched ten large ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin and thirty large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin! Now, our Fire Tribe has a total of eighty large ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin and one hundred and ninety large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin! We are only a little bit away from our goal of 'one hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin and two hundred dugout canoes with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin' set at the beginning of the year!"
Upon hearing this news, Yan and Dali's eyes lit up with joy. Ships were transportation capacity, their lifeline! With so many ships, they would have much more confidence in transporting grain to the Valley Tribe this time.
Jianshi nodded in satisfaction. "Good! This time when we go to the Valley Tribe, take all eighty 5,000-jin boats and one hundred and ninety 2,000-jin boats with us! We must demonstrate the Fire Tribe's transportation capabilities and determination! As for transporting the new tribespeople's miscellaneous belongings, there's no rush. We'll send some smaller boats to slowly transport them back."
Dali listened intently, already imagining the magnificent sight of leading such an unprecedentedly large fleet sailing on the Fish River. Especially thinking about the colossal ships currently under construction, each capable of carrying ten thousand jin (5,000 kg), his heart burned with excitement. He couldn't help but interject, "Chief, I think by the time we return from the Valley Tribe, let alone a hundred ships with a capacity of five thousand jin, we'll probably even see the shadows of those ten-thousand-jin ships! Then, hehe..."
He could almost see himself standing at the Chuantou of a massive ship, braving the wind and waves, and a longing smile appeared on his face. Yan also smiled and nodded, full of anticipation for the future.
Then, Jianshi turned to Dabang and inquired about the core aspects of the tribe's production, "Dabang, how are the various workshops doing? Are they able to support our future development and trade needs?"
Dabang, already prepared, reported with the air of an old friend, "At the pottery workshop, several new large kilns have been added, and two more batches of craftsmen have been hired. Production is now more than three times that of last year! The pottery accumulated during this period fills three large warehouses. A rough estimate suggests it's enough to cover the trade of three million catties of grain with the Valley Tribe, and the quality is only higher!"
"The Bronze Workshop," Dabang's voice rang with pride, "Has seen a steady increase in production after improvements to the blowers and molds. Now, the tribe has a sufficient supply of weapons for all its warriors, essential tools for upgrading, and a large quantity of farm implements needed for spring planting. We even have a small surplus each month, which can be used for reserves or to manufacture more sophisticated items."
"The textile workshops have doubled in size, and the production of linen and straw sandals, in addition to meeting the basic needs of our 37,000 people, has begun to generate a stable surplus, which can be used for trade or to reward those who have made contributions."
"The salt-making process is fully mature. Now, the main constraint on production is the supply of soybeans, the raw material. As long as our soybean harvest this year is good, the fine salt produced will not only be enough for our entire tribe to eat and for preserving food, but there will also be a large surplus. This will be another important trade commodity for us in the future!"
With each report from Dabang, the expressions on everyone's faces brightened. Strong production capacity is the solid foundation for absorbing population, maintaining stability, and expanding outwards! The Fire Tribe is not only absorbing population, but also simultaneously strengthening its own "blood-making" ability.
Finally, Jianshi: "I have more good news to share! The rice in our Fire Tribe is growing exceptionally well, and we'll be having our first harvest in about two weeks! According to the farmers' estimates, if the weather remains unchanged, this rice harvest could very well exceed three million jin!"
"Over three million catties?!" The crowd was stunned at first, then burst into enthusiastic whispers! This was real grain produced from their own land! Although three million catties couldn't completely solve the problem for the total population of 37,000, it symbolized that the Fire Tribe was gradually gaining control over its food supply! This was undoubtedly the strongest reassurance.
"Great! That's fantastic!" Binmao couldn't help but slap the table.
"God bless my Fire Tribe!" Jijiao said excitedly.
Qingye, Wenshi, Lu Ming, and the others also showed genuine smiles.
Jianshi raised his hand, suppressing the crowd's excitement, and concluded. "Gentlemen, the situation is clear: we have people, ships, harvested grain, powerful workshops, and also an imminent need for food and the enormous challenge of assimilating the new tribesmen!"
His gaze swept across the entire area once more, his tone resolute. "Yan, Dali, prepare the fleet. We'll depart in two days. Make sure to transport the grain from the Valley Tribe back as quickly as possible! Dabang, production in the workshops cannot be neglected, especially the pottery and the raw material reserves for future salt production! Qingye, you need to take extra care of logistics coordination! I'll be stationed at headquarters, overseeing everything!"
"Everyone should do their part and work together! As long as we are united, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome! The future of the Fire Tribe depends on each and every one of us striving and forging ahead! For the tribe!"
"For the Horde!" everyone responded in unison, their voices filled with high morale and unwavering faith.
The meeting ended, and everyone hurriedly left with heavy responsibilities and clear instructions, leaving only Yan and Jianshi inside the wooden house.
Jianshi walked to his son's side, patted him on the shoulder, his eyes filled with deep expectation and a hint of barely perceptible worry. "Yan'er, this grain transport is of great importance, so please be careful on the road. As for the Valley Tribe... although the cooperation has been pleasant, you must still be vigilant, especially paying close attention to their situation with the Bear Tribe."
"Father, rest assured, I guarantee I'll complete the mission." Yan Zheng nodded solemnly. "With so many new family members being settled, there are countless things to manage. Please take good care of yourself as well."