Efficient Handover and an Unexpected Invitation
After their late-night conversation, Yan and Dali only rested for a few hours before the sky began to lighten and the entire temporary camp came to life again.
The air was still filled with the morning mist and the scent of the river, but it was quickly replaced by a more tense and busy atmosphere. Yan and Dali got up from their makeshift beds almost at the same time, splashed their faces with cool water, and immediately threw themselves into the final preparations. The transport last night was very effective, and about half of the pottery was neatly stacked in the open space in the center of the temporary camp, like small Little Mountain waiting to be inspected.
Not long after, the people from the Valley Tribe arrived. The Second Elder, Hefeng, the lean but sharp-eyed old man in charge of farming and storage, led a team of people who were seriously taking inventory. He walked steadily into the Fire Tribe's temporary camp. Accompanying him was Feng Fengren, the chief of the Daiyue tribe, who led a team of strong laborers and waited at the dock.
"Elder Hefeng, Fengren, good morning!" Dali's voice boomed as he took the lead in greeting them, clasping his hands in a salute. He knew that today's task was arduous and time was precious.
"Dali morning, Chief Dali!" Hefeng nodded slightly, his gaze already falling on the pile of pottery. He habitually began to assess the quantity and quality. Fengren also returned the greeting with a cupped hand. His eyes swept over the inside and outside of the camp. Seeing that the Fire Tribe warriors were all in their positions and in good order, he nodded inwardly.
"Time waits for no one, let's get started!" Dali was an impatient man and didn't stand on ceremony. "Elder Hefeng, we'll trouble you and your people to work with my team to count and verify the pottery here at this temporary camp! We'll have our teams cross-check to make sure the number, shape, and condition are all correct!"
As he spoke, he gestured with his thick fingers, his words fast but clear. "Fengren, we'll leave the grain to you! We've already emptied and marked the ships for loading the grain. You know the location of the granaries, so just take your men and load the grain onto the ships! As for our side," he pointed to several Fire Tribe chiefs who were already waiting nearby, "We'll send people to board the ships to do the initial loading and measurement, and then both sides will tally the totals at the end!"
This method of simultaneous operation and clear division of labor is precisely the efficient model accumulated from previous collaborations. Elder Hefeng stroked his beard and nodded in agreement. "Excellent, this will save a lot of time. Then I, this old man, will accept the offer." With a wave of his hand, the inventory personnel behind him immediately stepped forward and joined the warriors from the Fire Tribe responsible for the handover of pottery. They began to meticulously inventory, record, and conduct spot checks by region and category.
Fengren replied decisively, "No problem, Dali, the grain is ready. I'll lead the men to start loading right away." He turned around and gave an order to the labor force he had brought. The group immediately rushed to the dock in an orderly fashion. Led by the guides from the Fire Tribe, they began to move the grain from the Valley Tribe's granary to the designated ships. The heavy grain was carried basket by basket onto their shoulders and steadily delivered into the ship's hold. After a certain amount was loaded, the Xiaotou of both sides would carve a mark on bamboo or wooden strips.
Yan wasn't idle either. He quickly divided his men into two groups. One group, led by two experienced chieftains, followed the grain transport team of the Valley Tribe onto the ship, responsible for preliminary counting and supervision during the loading process to prevent errors. The other group, personally directed by him, carefully unloaded the remaining pottery and other supplies (linen, straw sandals, etc.) from the Fire Tribe's ship—the portion intended for advance payment and deduction of transportation costs for the next transaction—and neatly stacked them on a pre-cleared area on the other side of the dock, awaiting the Valley Tribe's subsequent inventory and receipt.
The entire dock area and temporary camp instantly transformed into a massive, highly efficient workshop. Shouts, counting, footsteps, and the sound of goods landing mingled together, noisy yet orderly. Elder Hefeng, with his men, squatted beside the pottery piles, carefully examining the quality of each batch, while the recorder beside him quickly scribbled symbols on rough parchment or wooden boards with a charcoal pencil. Fengren shuttled between the dock and the granary, coordinating the pace of the transport to ensure no congestion or chaos. Dali as a general coordinator, sometimes running to the camp to check the progress of pottery counting, sometimes rushing to the dock to check the grain loading, loudly resolving any minor problems that arose.
Yan was like a precise gear, calmly operating in his own segment. He personally participated in moving several of the heaviest large pottery urns, and beads of sweat quickly appeared on his forehead. While giving instructions, he kept an eye on the overall progress and silently calculated the time in his mind.
As the sun rose higher, it dispelled the morning mist, and the sunlight became somewhat scorching. When the sun was high in the sky, news came from the camp: Elder Hefeng and his men had completed the preliminary inventory and verification of the batch of pottery (worth 1.5 million catties of grain) in the camp. The quantity, type, and quality were basically correct, and only the final total count and signature (marking confirmation symbols) remained.
Almost simultaneously, at the dock, the waterlines of the ships used by the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe for transporting grain had noticeably dropped—they were rapidly filling with golden grain. The ships from the Valley Tribe assisting in the transport had also gathered near the dock, ready to join the convoy and set off at any time.
Yan placed the last batch of pre-paid pottery on the open ground of the dock, carefully covering it with linen to prevent dust. Only then did he straighten his slightly sore back, let out a long sigh, wipe the sweat from his forehead, and see Dali running back from the grain ship in a flurry, his face flushed with excitement.
"Yan! The pottery at the camp is basically done! The food is mostly loaded too. The brothers who were counting on the boats reported back that the numbers are almost correct, and the speed is faster than expected!" Dali voice drowned out the surrounding noise. "You keep an eye on the final count and finishing up here. I'll take the brothers to grab something to eat to tide us over! We'll come back right away to relieve you!"
Yan nodded. "Okay, Uncle Dali, you guys go ahead, I'll watch over things here."
Dali wasting words, Dali called to a group of soldiers who had been busy all morning and quickly walked towards the cooking area of the temporary camp, where the cooks had already prepared a simple meal.
Yan stayed at the dock, continuing to coordinate the final stage of grain loading and counting verification. He was meticulous and personally boarded several ships that were about to be loaded to check the quality of the grain. He also confirmed the numbers with the Xiaotou of the Valley Tribe who was on board. When all the grain transport ships sent the signal that they were "full", the total numbers counted by both sides were roughly consistent (allowing for a small reasonable error).
The grain transport fleet of the Valley Tribe began its final fixing and reorganization. At this time, Dali returned with the warriors who had eaten and drunk their fill and whose spirits had been restored.
"How is it? Is everything settled?" Dali asked.
"Yes, all the grain has been loaded onto the ships, and the quantities are basically correct. The pre-paid pottery and other supplies have also been unloaded over there. Elder Hefeng and the others can come here to verify everything after they've checked the camp's supplies," Yan reported briefly.
"Good! Well done!" Dali patted Yan on the back. "Now you can rest assured! The rest are just some miscellaneous tasks: wait for the Valley Tribe to check all the pottery, and for both parties to sign and seal the agreement; arrange the order of the ships' departure and the communication signals along the way; check the ropes and sails on the ships. Leave these chores to me, I guarantee I'll get them all sorted out! You've been busy all morning, hurry back and eat something, take a break! Don't you have an appointment with them?" Dali winked at him.
Yan was indeed feeling hungry, and his promise to Qingsui was also on his mind. He didn't refuse any longer and nodded gratefully to Dali, saying, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Uncle Dali."
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Dali waved his hand, already shouting loudly to arrange manpower to assist the Valley Tribe in the final verification and to check the condition of the boats.
Yan walked quickly back to the temporary camp. The camp was much quieter now, with most of the soldiers taking the time to rest. He found his food, ate it hastily, and then took a moment to look at himself in a small bronze mirror (a luxury item he carried, meticulously crafted by the Fire Tribe artisans) that he carried with him. He tidied his hair and clothes, which had been disheveled during his busy work, and then carefully washed his face with water to remove sweat and dust. Looking at his reflection in the bronze mirror, which showed him to be slightly tired but still had clear eyes, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and then turned and walked out of the camp.
He had just stepped out of the camp's gate and hadn't gone far when he nearly bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction. Upon closer inspection, it was none other than Qingsui!
Qingsui had changed into a light blue linen dress today, which made her skin look even whiter. She had obviously rushed over, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him, and a smile played on her lips.
"Yan! I was just about to come find you!" Qingsui's voice was filled with joy.
When Yan saw her, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face, "I just finished my work and was just about to come find you. How did you know I was almost done here?" He was a little curious.
Qingsui winked playfully. "You forgot? This is our Valley Tribe's territory! By the time you finished your work here, the people at the dock responsible for lookout and communication had already passed the message to my attendant! I came here precisely on time!"
"So that's how it is," Yan suddenly realized, marveling at the efficiency of the Valley Tribe's information transmission and appreciating Qingsui's dedication.
Qingsui's joking expression vanished. She stepped closer, lowered her voice, and said with a hint of excitement and mystery, "Yan, let me tell you, this morning I told my father everything you told me yesterday—about strengthening the relationship between our two tribes and the possibility of establishing a military alliance in the future!"
Yan's heart skipped a beat, both surprised by how quickly she acted and nervously awaiting what would happen next.
Qingsui looked at him, her eyes shining. "My father was very interested after hearing that! He said this is exactly the direction he's been thinking about! He told me to take you there as soon as you're done with your work; he wants to talk to you in detail alone!"
"A private meeting?" Yan could hardly believe his ears. He had originally thought this was just a transmission of intent, which might require a long discussion and fermentation within the Valley Tribe. He hadn't expected Chief Daiyue to react so quickly and directly request a private meeting! This was undoubtedly an extremely positive signal!
A surge of joy washed over him like a warm current, dispelling his earlier fatigue. Yan struggled to suppress his excitement, his voice slightly hurried with anticipation as he exclaimed, "Really? Chief Daiyue really said that? Qingsui, thank you so much!"
"No need to thank me! This is a great thing that benefits both our families!" Qingsui smiled happily and naturally took Yan's arm. "Let's go, don't keep my father waiting! It's just the two of you this time, even Uncle Fengren won't be there!"
Yan was pulled along by her, and his pace quickened involuntarily. The two of them said no more, crossed the edge of the dock area, avoided the crowds who were still busy wrapping up, and walked quickly toward the majestic council hall in the center of the Valley Tribe. The sunlight shone on them and cast their shadows ahead.
Yan's heart was filled with unprecedented anticipation and a touch of solemnity. This private meeting with Chief Daiyue would likely determine the future relationship between the Fire Tribe and the Valley Tribe, and even affect the future landscape of the entire upper and middle reaches of the Fish River. He had to give his all and be sincere in dealing with this crucial conversation.