Reunion at the Docks
Led by the Valley Tribe's guide boat, the joint fleet of the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe successfully crossed the Fish River and slowly approached the busy and well-organized dock of the Valley Tribe's headquarters.
Quyong, the dock manager, had already received the news and was waiting on the pier with a team of disciplined soldiers armed with bronze spears. When he saw the huge fleet of nearly a hundred large ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin, two hundred large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin, and some small Muzhou slowly mooring into the designated area, even he, a man of great experience, was filled with shock and awe.
Having been in charge of the dock for many years, he was extremely familiar with the ships. He could clearly tell that at least half of the Fire Tribe's fleet consisted of large ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin and a considerable number of Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin, all of which were brand new! The color of the wood, the lines of the hull, and even the tightness of the sails all exuded an air of "newness." The addition of the ten large ships from the Fish Tribe further demonstrated the Fire Tribe's current influence.
"How... how did the Fire Tribe manage to do that?" Quyong wondered inwardly. As the dock manager, he knew better than many of the tribe's elders who were preoccupied with internal affairs the enormous costs of shipbuilding. The Valley Tribe had only recently been able to build ten new 5,000-jin (2,500 kg) boats, bringing their total to sixty, thanks to the huge profits they made from reselling Fire Tribe pottery. The Fire Tribe, a small tribe that supposedly had only two hundred people a few years ago, struggling to survive on the upper reaches of the Fish River, had somehow, in less than a year, magically increased its number of 5,000-jin boats to... he roughly estimated, at least eighty! Perhaps even more!
This number sent a chill down Quyong's Valley Tribe. The Fire Tribe didn't possess the formidable 50,000-jin behemoths of the Valley Tribe, but they had quietly surpassed them in the number of ships in the 5,000-jin range! What did this mean? They might not yet have the strength to challenge the Valley Tribe's dominance in the middle reaches of the Fish River, but this momentum was something to be wary of.
Quyong's gaze swept over the Fire Tribe sailors and warriors who were methodically lowering sails, dropping anchor, and setting up gangplanks. Each of them was strong, Chenwen, and efficient, demonstrating excellent discipline and training. Looking at the cargo on their ships, though covered in burlap, the mountainous piles clearly indicated a large quantity of pottery...
"Sigh..." Quyong sighed inwardly, forcibly suppressing his untimely vigilance and worries. The attitude of the tribe's higher-ups was clear: the Fire Tribe was currently their most important trading partner, their "god of wealth." Elder Yao Feng and Elder Lin Feng might have disagreements about the distribution of trade profits, but they had no objection to trading with the Fire Tribe itself, and the others were even more pleased. He was just a small dock leader, his voice carrying little weight; thinking too much was pointless. Perhaps, as most in the tribe believed, the Fire Tribe was far away, and both sides currently shared common interests, making them friendly partners. He hoped so.
He shook his head, put on a businesslike smile, and greeted Yan and Dali, who had just stepped onto the dock.
"Young Master Yan, Dali, you must be tired from your journey! The open space near the dock has been marked out; your personnel can set up a temporary camp here to rest." Quyong's voice was steady and polite.
"Thank you for your arrangements, Chief Quyong." Yan returned the greeting with a humble attitude. He keenly caught the complex emotions that flashed across Quyong's eyes, but did not point them out. The Valley Tribe was not a monolithic entity, and it was normal for them to be wary, as long as it did not affect the overall situation.
As Yan and Dali were directing the fleet to set up a temporary camp, a small commotion broke out outside the dock. A lithe figure parted the crowd and rushed over. It was Qingsui, the only daughter of Daiyue, the chief of the Valley Tribe.
She wore a neat linen dress, her hair tied up with a white bone hairpin. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from running, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her bright eyes quickly searched through the crowd and soon locked onto Yan's figure.
Qingsui had already instructed her spies at the dock that they must notify her immediately when the Fire Tribe's fleet arrived. These past two months had been exceptionally long for her. Ever since Yan left last time, she would "stop by" the dock every day to stroll along the way, gazing upstream and hoping to see those familiar sails appear.
The magical seasonings Yan gave her had long been carefully used in various experiments, eventually running out completely. Every time she made a delicious meal, she would think of Yan, his profile as he focused on cooking, and the look in his eyes as he told stories of the Fire Tribe. The anxiety of waiting and the growth of longing made her secretly determined that when Yan came again, she would definitely "extort" him a lot to relieve her "pain of longing"... no, to avenge the "death" of the "seasoning shortage"!
At this moment, she finally saw the figure she had been longing for. Qingsui was overjoyed, but she tried her best to put on a "I'm very angry" look.
Dali, with his Dali eyes, had already spotted Qingsui running over. He smiled mischievously and tactfully waved his hand, calling aside the Fire Tribe warriors who were reporting to Yan, giving the two young people enough space.
Hearing the noise, Yan turned around and saw Qingsui walking quickly towards him, her arms crossed in front of her chest, her lips slightly pouting, her chin held high, but her eyes secretly glancing at him.
"Qingsui, you're here." Yan's face naturally showed a smile, and his voice was gentle.
Hearing Yan's voice, Qingsui's heart skipped a beat, but she retorted sharply, "Hmph! So you finally decided to come! Why did you take so long this time? If you can't give me a satisfactory reason, I... I won't let you off easily!" She tried to make her tone sound fierce, but the slight tremor in her voice and the undisguised joy in her eyes betrayed her.
Yan knew she wasn't truly angry and understood her anxiety. He explained apologetically and sincerely, "There was indeed a delay this time. There were many things to do in the tribe. I took the fleet to several tributaries at the upper reaches of the Fish River, trading and... handling some matters related to tribal integration. The journey was long, taking more than two months round trip. As soon as things were finished there, we immediately loaded the ships and set off for the Valley Tribe. I apologize for keeping you waiting."
He paused, then, as if by magic, pulled a large, bulging package carefully wrapped in soft animal hide from a seemingly ordinary hemp sack at his feet. He handed it to Qingsui: "Here, this is for you. I know you've run out of spices, so I specially prepared a lot more this time—more than twice as much as last time! These are all good spices that our Fire Tribe has found this year, or that we traded with distant tribes. Some of them I haven't even tried yet. It wasn't easy to gather all this, so you'd better use it sparingly."
Qingsui's eyes lit up instantly! She deliberately glanced at the large package with a reserved air, then at Yan's smiling eyes, and finally "humphed," hugging the package tightly to her chest, as if afraid that Yan would change his mind and take it back. The unique aroma of spices, mixed with the fragrance of herbs and spices, wafted through the animal hide, making her heart flutter with joy.
Only after making this gesture did she belatedly realize that her impatient demeanor was completely inconsistent with her earlier "angry" posture. Two red clouds immediately rose to her cheeks. She quickly lowered her head, pretending to tidy the package in her arms, and muttered softly, "This... this is more like it. Considering this big bag... well, for the sake of sincerity, I'll reluctantly forgive you this time."
To cover up her embarrassment, she quickly changed the subject. "By the way, how are Chasing Wind and Treading Clouds...? Have you been mistreating them?" Her tone became much more natural when she mentioned her two beloved horses.
Yan smiled and shook his head, "Don't worry, they're doing very well. In the Fire Tribe, they're 'VIPs,' with dedicated grooms who take meticulous care of them. They eat the best hay and live in clean and spacious stables. Whenever I have free time, I give them extra food and take them for a few laps around the grassland outside the valley. They're now plump and strong, and they run faster than the wind."
Hearing that Aima was being taken good care of, Qingsui smiled genuinely and nodded in satisfaction, "That's more like it. You do have a conscience."
The atmosphere between the two naturally became harmonious, and they began to share their experiences from the past two months apart. Yan talked about the local customs and traditions of the upper reaches of the Fish River and the hardships faced by those small tribes; Qingsui talked about the trivial matters of the Valley Tribe, how she used those seasonings to make a new dish that even her father praised, and some recent rumors about the Bear Tribe. The sunlight shone on the dock, a gentle breeze blew, and time seemed to slow down and become beautiful at this moment.
Just as the two were chatting enthusiastically, a Chenwen voice interrupted.
"Young Master Yan, Miss Qingsui, you seem to be having a pleasant chat." Feng Ren, the chieftain of the Valley Tribe and Fengren Daiyue's most trusted confidant, had arrived at some point. With a warm smile on his face, he first nodded slightly to Qingsui, and then looked at Yan.
"Chief Fengren." Yan immediately dropped the casualness he had displayed while joking with Qingsui, reverting to the Chenwen demeanor of a young tribal chief.
Fengren's gaze swept over the long line of the Fire Tribe's new ships docked at the pier, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. He smiled and said, "Our chief was very pleased to learn of your fleet's arrival. He was slightly worried that your long absence might affect this year's plan to transport eight million catties of grain. Now, seeing that your fleet is even larger than before, that worry has been largely alleviated. Our chief has prepared a banquet in the council hall and specially instructed me to come and respectfully invite Chief Yan, Dali, and Chiefs Feiyu and Bailin of the Fish Tribe to join us for a welcoming feast."
Yan quickly cupped his hands and said, "Chief Daiyue, you are too kind. We are very grateful for your hospitality. Please wait a moment, Fengren, while we prepare and will come with you immediately."
"No rush, you guys go ahead with your work." Fengren smiled and waved his hand, then casually chatted with Qingsui next to him.
Yan turned and strode towards Dali, who was arranging camp affairs, and Feiyu and Bailin, who were communicating with the Fish Tribe sailors. A moment later, Yan, Dali, Feiyu, Bailin, accompanied by several capable followers and gifts that were even more lavish and exquisite than the one given to Daiyan (including top-quality black pottery, fine cured meat, rare medicinal Fengren, and several bolts of Qingsui linen), left the bustling dock and headed towards the majestic council hall in the core area of the Valley Tribe, the setting sun casting long shadows on them.