The Fire Tribe's Fleet Sets Out Again

The Fire Tribe Valley did not quiet down after the meeting ended, even as night fell. Jianya did not go straight back to his lodgings to rest. Although he had several capable assistants in charge of the specific preparations, as the person in charge of this grain transport mission, he felt that he had to go to the dock in person to put his mind at ease.

Dabang didn't rest either, and went straight to the shipbuilding workshop. The shipbuilding workshop was also brightly lit. In order to complete the new shipbuilding plan for this year, Dabang had given the order: the workshop would operate in three shifts. People could rest, but shipbuilding could not stop.

From afar, Dabang could hear all sorts of sounds coming from the workshop—the hissing of sawing wood, the thud of axes chopping, the shouts of the craftsmen exchanging words, and the work chants of the apprentices carrying timber. These sounds mingled together, echoing through the valley at night, exuding a lively and energetic atmosphere.

As Dabang approached, he saw several large thatched sheds newly erected outside the workshop, with long wooden tables inside. It was mealtime, and a group of craftsmen who had just finished work were sitting around the tables, eating their hot food heartily. The tables were laden with grilled fish, stewed meat, rice, and fresh vegetable soup, and each person's bowl was piled high.

"Eat more! You'll have the energy to work when you're full!" the woman in charge of distributing the food called out loudly.

A young craftsman, while eating, said to his companion, "The pay is much better than before. Even my mother says that working at the shipyard now is more reliable than going hunting."

"Of course," another, slightly older craftsman chimed in, "Dabang said that shipbuilding is now the tribe's top priority. They need the best of everything—food, clothing, and supplies—and meat every now and then!"

Listening to these conversations, Dabang felt much more at ease. He knew that under the pressure of various crises, the Fire Tribe had reached a consensus: they must improve their waterborne capabilities as soon as possible, and the tribe was willing to pay any price for it.

Jianya went straight to the dock, where boats were moored, ready to set sail. Moonlight shone on the river, making the water sparkle, and the outlines of the boats were particularly clear in the night. Jianya carefully counted them: one hundred Muzhou with a capacity of five hundred catties, two hundred Muzhou with a capacity of two thousand catties, one hundred large ships with a capacity of five thousand catties, and the giant ship with a capacity of ten thousand catties that had just successfully completed its trial voyage that day—they were lined up neatly, like an army about to go to war.

"Jianya Leader!" a night watchman ran over. "What brings you here?"

"I just came to take a look around." Jianya waved his hand. "How's the loading going?"

"The pottery is mostly loaded, and it should all be loaded by tomorrow morning. Ropes and spare paddles are also ready."

"Okay." Jianya nodded. "Let everyone take turns resting, don't all stay up all night. We're leaving early the day after tomorrow, so we need to be energetic."

"Yes!"

Jianya circled the dock again to make sure everything was going according to plan before finally going back to rest.

The next day, Yan got up very early.

After another night of rest, he felt fully recovered. After a quick breakfast, he headed straight to the Youth Team's training ground.

Training has already begun here. Gubang, Daya, and Zhuangchai Chai are leading the new and old team members in a morning run—ten laps around the perimeter of the camp, a daily routine.

"One! Two! One! Two!"

Gubang ran at the front of the group, shouting slogans in a loud voice. Behind him were more than 500 teenagers lined up in five rows. Although their steps were not yet perfectly synchronized, everyone was trying their best to keep up with the pace. Yan noticed that the newly joined teenagers, after this period of recuperation and training, had noticeably rosier complexions and were no longer panting as much as they had at the beginning.

"Boss!" Seeing Yan arrive, Gubang let Daya take over the lead and ran over himself.

"How is it?" Yan asked.

"Much better!" Gubang wiped his sweat. "The new brothers have basically adapted. Now we train together, helping each other out, and we've developed a strong bond. Yesterday we even had a team competition, with the veterans mentoring the newcomers, and everyone had a great time."

Yan nodded in satisfaction. "Integration is the first step. Next, we need to strengthen training. You must remember that these people will be the backbone of the tribe in the future. They not only need to be physically strong, but also quick-witted, know the rules, and have a sense of teamwork."

"Understood!" Gubang said earnestly. "I've discussed it with Daya and Zhuangchai, and we plan to start next week by dedicating one hour every afternoon to teaching everyone to further improve their literacy and arithmetic skills."

"That's a good idea," Yan praised. "Learning more characters isn't just about memorizing things, but also about unifying everyone's ideas. Go ahead and do it; if you need any support, just come to me."

"Yes!"

Yan spent the morning at the Youth Team training camp. He observed the drills and strength training, and even personally taught a few boys how to use the slingshot better. After lunch, he went to find Dabang to learn about the latest progress of the shipbuilding workshop and made several suggestions on optimizing the ship's structure.

In the afternoon, he visited the bronze smelting workshop and the pottery workshop, inspecting the production of bronze tools and the reserves of pottery. Although Jianya had taken away a large amount of pottery this time, the workshops were still working day and night to replenish the stock in the warehouse.

As the busy day came to an end, Yan stood on the hillside, looking at the valley in the twilight. Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the tribespeople went home one after another. The whole tribe was enveloped in a peaceful and hopeful atmosphere.

Two days later, at dawn, Fire Creek Wharf was bustling again. Jianya stood at the bow of the heavy-duty ship, looking at the huge fleet in front of him. This was the largest fleet he had ever led—nearly four hundred ships, almost filling the entire river surface nearby.

"Let's go!" Jianya gave the order.

The sound of Niujiao rang out, flags fluttered between the boats, and the fleet slowly started, sailing out of Fire Creek and into the main channel of the Fish River. Then it sailed downstream, and three days later, the fleet arrived near the Fish Tribe.

When the massive fleet appeared not far from the Fish Tribe's dock, even the Julang were stunned. Although Yan Lai had mentioned to the Fish Tribe that the Fire Tribe was building a massive ship capable of carrying tens of thousands of kilograms, hearing about it and seeing it with one's own eyes were two completely different things. The giant ship was like a moving Little Mountain, slowly moving forward on the Fish River, and wherever it went, other ships gave way.

Standing on the dock, Julang watched the approaching fleet, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Every time he saw the Fire Tribe's fleet, he would sigh inwardly: the Fire Tribe's strength has increased once again.

He still remembers that a few years ago, when the Fire Tribe first came to the Fish Tribe, they could only rely on their two legs. Later, they only had a few simple Muzhou. Then they had boats weighing two thousand catties, then boats weighing five thousand catties, and now they have even built boats with a carrying capacity of ten thousand catties.

The Fire Tribe's land strength—judging from their enthusiasm for absorbing people, cultivating land, and training warriors—has probably already surpassed that of the Valley Tribe. Although there is still a gap in their water strength, at this rate, it is only a matter of time before they surpass the Valley Tribe.

Just like back then, the Fire Tribe quietly surpassed the Fish Tribe.

Julang shook his head, casting aside these distracting thoughts. Right now, the Fire Tribe is the Fish Tribe Fish Tribe's largest trading partner and their benefactor. Thinking too much is useless; maintaining good relations is the most important thing.

He composed himself, put on a warm smile, and quickly went to greet her.

"Jianya Leader! You must be tired from your journey!" Julang Wave shouted, directing the Fish Tribe to guide the fleet to an orderly dock.

Jianya disembarked from the massive ship and laughed, "Brother Julang, we meet again. I'll have to trouble you again this time."

"Not at all, not at all!" Julang Wave waved his hands repeatedly. "We've already prepared a place for everyone to rest. Please settle in first."

Jianya nodded and instructed a few of his Xiaotou: "Set up a temporary camp in the open area near the dock, and leave enough men to guard the ship. Remember, keep a close watch on the ship, especially the pottery."

"Yes!"

After making the arrangements, Jianya, accompanied by several followers and carrying the prepared gifts, headed towards the Fish Tribe's council hall, guided by the Julang.

Fish Tribe Chief Canglan and his entourage were already waiting outside the council hall. Upon seeing Jianya, he immediately greeted him warmly, "Brother Jianya! You must be tired from your journey! Please come in, I've prepared a delicious feast to welcome you!"

As he spoke, he affectionately took Jianya's hand and together they walked into the largest wooden house.

A long wooden table had been set up inside, with grilled fish, stewed meat, wild vegetables, rice, and fresh goat milk on it. Although it wasn't as elaborate as the feasts of the Valley Tribe, the portions were plentiful.

Jianya had his attendants bring in the gifts. "Chief Canglan, this is a small token of my brother Jianshi's appreciation, specially prepared for the brothers of the Fish Tribe. I hope you like it."

The burlap covering the baskets was lifted, revealing exquisite pottery inside—practical pots and pans, as well as decorative bottles and jars. The sheer quantity dazzled the Fish Tribe members.

"This... this is too kind!" Canglan was both surprised and delighted. "Brother Jianshi is really... so generous! Please thank him for me!"

"It's nothing," Jianya laughed. "The Fish Tribe has helped us so much; this is nothing."

As everyone took their seats, the banquet began, and the atmosphere quickly became lively. Everyone ate and drank heartily while chatting happily.

Canglan first thanked the Fire Tribe for their trust— the Fire Tribe had delivered twenty large Muzhou weighing two thousand catties each as advance payment, which greatly enhanced the Fish Tribe's water strength.

"We've received the news and are ready," Canglan said confidently. "Thirty large Muzhou with a capacity of two thousand catties each, and ten boats with a capacity of five thousand catties each, are waiting at the dock. They can set off with you first thing tomorrow morning. That will add over ten thousand catties to your fleet's transport capacity!"

"Thank you so much!" Jianya held up the earthenware bowl. "With the help of the brothers from the Fish Tribe, our grain transport is much safer this time!"

After a few bowls of goat milk, the conversation gradually opened up, Canglan couldn't help but praise the Fire Tribe's shipbuilding capabilities.

"Brother Jianya," Canglan's eyes gleamed, "That massive ship you brought this time, with a carrying capacity of ten thousand kilograms, has truly astounded us! How long has it been? To be able to build such a huge ship! Incredible, truly incredible!"

Jianya said modestly, "It's all thanks to the craftsmen who worked day and night to finish the projects. We were forced into it; the demand for food is huge, and we had to build more ships."

"That's true, but being able to build it is a skill in itself!" Canglan exclaimed. "At this rate, it won't be long before your Fire Tribe's waterborne strength catches up with that of the Valley Tribe."

He paused, then tentatively asked, "By the way, do you have any ships that are going to be decommissioned over there? If so, please give priority to our Fish Tribe! We're very interested!"

Jianya Fang understood that the Fish Tribe wanted to continue "picking up bargains" and upgrade their fleet at a lower cost. However, this also benefited the Fire Tribe —disposing of old ships would recoup resources and strengthen the relationship between the two tribes.

"There should be a batch of small Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 500 jin and large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin available later," Jianya said carefully. "I will definitely inform the Fish Tribe first when that happens."

"Great!" Canglan exclaimed with delight, "Then it's settled!"

Canglan then brought up next year's plans. "Next year you need to transport 20 million catties of grain from the Valley Tribe, and our Fish Tribe is willing to continue to help! The old rules apply: we'll provide the fleet and manpower, and as for the payment... could you continue to use your spare ships as payment?"

This was about making the cooperation long-term and permanent. Jianya thought about it and thought it was feasible. The Fire Tribe's shipbuilding capabilities were improving, and the rate at which old ships were being replaced would also be accelerating. Exchanging these ships for the Fish Tribe's transportation services was a very worthwhile deal.

"Alright." Jianya nodded. "We can discuss the specific details before the transaction begins next year."

"Great!" Canglan laughed heartily and raised the earthenware bowl again.

The banquet lasted until very late. Finally, Canglan assigned Feiyu and Bailin to lead a team to assist the Fire Tribe in transporting grain to the Valley Tribe next day, and everyone dispersed in high spirits.

When Jianya returned to the temporary camp, the moon was already high in the sky. Jianya said to the night Xiaotou, "Tell everyone to get some rest and be well-rested so we can set off early tomorrow morning."

"Yes!"