A Wonderful Time

In the council hall, Daiyue sat alone in the main seat, his gaze fixed on the doorway, where Yan was no longer present. Daiyue remained seated, motionless. His mind was still replaying his conversation with Yan: 54,000 people, 60,000, 80,000—these numbers echoed repeatedly in his mind, each time sending a shiver down his spine. The Fire Tribe's development speed was too fast, too unbelievable, too awe-inspiring, and also a source of subtle unease. Daiyue stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open the wooden pane.

A breeze blew in, carrying the damp scent of the river. In the distance, the vegetable fields were lush and green, cultivated by the hard work of the Valley Tribe tribe people—their livelihood. Looking at the fields, he recalled their earlier conversation. He had suspected the Fire Tribe could make salt, but hearing Yan confirm it with his own ears still deeply shocked him. Salt production, pottery making, and even building ships with a carrying capacity of tens of thousands of kilograms...

Any one of these technologies would be enough to make a tribe prosper, and the Fire Tribe actually possesses several of them. No wonder they have developed so quickly. Could the Fire Tribe also be able to refine bronze? This thought flashed through Daiyue's mind, but he quickly shook his head. He dared not ask this question, nor could he ask it.

The Fire Tribe certainly doesn't want the news that they can refine bronze to get out. If he asks, it would be tantamount to telling the Fire Tribe: I know your secret.

What will the Fire Tribe think then? Will they trust the Valley Tribe to keep the secret? Or will they worry that the Valley Tribe will leak the news to the Tiger Tribe?

Daiyue preferred to pretend he didn't know for the time being; at least for now, it was better for everyone. Daiyue walked back to his seat, sat down slowly, picked up the ceramic bowl next to him, and took a sip of water. The water was a little cold, but he didn't care. In his mind, he continued to make calculations.

The Fire Tribe has now established its power. Even if the Tiger Tribe knew they possessed those technologies, they probably couldn't do anything to them unless the Tiger Tribe mobilized all its forces to suppress them. However, the Tiger Tribe is constantly embroiled in internal strife and has conflicts with other major tribes. Where would they find the spare resources?

Moreover, judging from the speed at which the Fire Tribe builds ships and cultivates land, their bronze production must be quite high. If a real battle breaks out, and the Tiger Tribe doesn't go all out, it's hard to say who will win or lose.

Thinking of this, Daiyue felt a complex mix of emotions, a sense of relief and worry. He was relieved that the Valley Tribe had not become enemies with the Fire Tribe; on the contrary, they had been cooperating well for over a year and their relationship had grown closer. He was worried because the Valley Tribe was caught between the Tiger Tribe and the Fire Tribe, and it couldn't afford to offend either side. If it wasn't careful, it would be utterly destroyed.

Especially regarding the Tiger Tribe, Daiyue felt a surge of anger when he thought about what the Tiger Tribe had done over the years. They secretly lent bronze weapons to the Bear Tribe on credit, allowing the Bear Tribe to grow stronger and put pressure on the Valley Tribe. Then they forced the Valley Tribe to buy bronze weapons at high prices and profited from it.

This move was too ruthless. The Valley Tribe was caught in a dilemma: buy or not buy. If they bought, they would be ripped off by the Tiger Tribe; if they didn't buy, the Bear Tribe would gain so many bronze weapons, greatly increasing their strength, Little Valley Camp would be in danger. Daiyue gritted his teeth. The Tiger Tribe was sending a warning to the Valley Tribe because the Valley Tribe had been exchanging a large amount of pottery from the Fire Tribe for over a year, which they then sold downstream, stealing business from the Tiger Tribe. Since they couldn't deal with the Valley Tribe directly, they resorted to this underhanded method.

"Hmph." Daiyue snorted coldly.

Did the Tiger Tribe think they could force the Valley Tribe to submit? Dream on! Now that the Fire Tribe has risen, the Valley Tribe has more options. Daiyue stood up and walked to the animal skin map hanging on the wall. It was a sheepskin map, depicting the general terrain of the Fish River Basin. The lowest point was where the Tiger Tribe was located, and upstream were the Bear Tribe and other tribes, then the Bean Tribe, the Valley Tribe, the Clothing Tribe, and further upstream was the middle and upper reaches of the Fish River, where the Fish Tribe, the Horse Tribe, and... the Fire Tribe.

Daiyue's finger moved slowly across the map, finally stopping at the location of the Fire Tribe. The Fire Tribe was located upstream of the Fish River, the furthest from the Tiger Tribe and not close to the Valley Tribe either. However, in the past year or so, the two tribes had become increasingly close, and exchanging grain for pottery had become the Valley Tribe's most important source of income.

"If..." Daiyue murmured to himself, "If we can complete the trade of 20 million catties of grain with the Fire Tribe next year, and further deepen our relationship..."

His finger moved to the location of the Valley Tribe.

"By the end of next year, we can use the accumulated profits to purchase bronze weapons from the Fire Tribe at low prices."

A glint flashed in his eyes. Since the Fire Tribe could build so many ships, they must need a lot of bronze tools. If they really knew how to smelt bronze, their output would be considerable. Besides supplying themselves, they should also be able to spare some for the Valley Tribe. Moreover, given the Fire Tribe's consistent style of doing things, they should be able to give the Valley Tribe a fair price.

Unlike the Tiger Tribe, which made exorbitant demands, Daiyue had a plan in mind. He decided to stabilize the situation and maintain the status quo. He would allocate some of the bronze weapons from his headquarters to the Little Valley Camp Outpost on the east bank of the Fish River to strengthen its defenses. As for the Tiger Tribe, he would buy fewer bronze weapons and more bronze farm tools—farm tools hadn't increased in price, and they would be needed for cultivating the land later, so this was a good opportunity to stock up.

As for the military alliance with the Fire Tribe...

Daiyue pondered for a moment. He decided that development was possible, but it had to be done secretly, not openly. If it became public, the Valley Tribe, being closer to the Tiger Tribe, would be the first to suffer. While the Fire Tribe was strong now, it was still developing, and would be at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation with the Tiger Tribe. He decided to wait until next year, until the 20 million jin grain trade was successfully completed, and until the relationship between the two tribes deepened further...

It wouldn't be too late to confirm these things then. Daiyue walked back to his seat and slowly sat down. The rise of the Fire Tribe had given him hope, but also pressure. In any case, the Valley Tribe could not wait passively; it had to take the initiative to plan and prepare for the future, even if it was just a quiet preparation. Yan and Qingsui stood side by side on the bank where the Fish River and a small river met, holding two simple fishing rods in their hands—bamboo rods with hemp lines tied to them, and fishhooks made of animal bones attached to the ends of the lines. Yan had just made them on the spot with the small knife he carried with him.

"Can you really catch fish like this?" Qingsui stared at the water's surface with curiosity.

"Yes, you can," Yan said confidently.

Qingsui cast the fishing hook into the water, and the two waited quietly. After a while, Yan's fishing rod suddenly sank.

"It's here!" Yan's eyes lit up, and he quickly reeled in the line, pulling a palm-sized fish out of the water, shimmering silver in the setting sun.

"Wow!" Qingsui exclaimed in surprise, "I really caught one!"

Yan took the fish off the plate and showed it to her. It was a flat-bodied fish with small scales. The most peculiar thing about it was that there was a black spot on its fin, like a drop of ink.

"This is a Dodo fish," Qingsui recognized it. "It's a local specialty, found only in this little river. The flesh is incredibly tender, and it has no small bones; the entire fish bone is a single, solid piece."

Yan laughed, "Then we're in for a treat."

The two continued fishing. Perhaps it was good luck, or perhaps there were just many fish in the area, but in less than half an hour, they had caught five fish. Each one weighed two or three pounds and was lively and jumping around.

"That's enough!" Qingsui looked at the fish on the ground, her eyes sparkling. "We can't finish eating any more."

Yan put away his fishing rod and strung the fish together with a straw rope.

"Come on, back to camp, I'll cook you something delicious."

The two carried the fish, chatting and laughing as they walked back.

The setting sun cast long shadows on them. When they returned to the camp, the campfire was already lit, Daya was grilling fish. Seeing them return, he quickly went to greet them.

"Brother Yan! Miss Qingsui! You're back? Oh my, you caught so many fish!"

Yan handed him the fish. "Go and clean it up, it'll be an extra treat tonight."

"Okay!" Daya took the fish and ran off to prepare it.

Yan sat down by the campfire and began preparing the seasonings. He took out several small cloth bags from his bundle, opened them, and found various spices inside—dried wild onions, wild garlic powder, wild Sichuan peppercorns, and a small packet of fine salt. Qingsui watched him curiously as he fiddled with the small cloth bags.

What are these?

"Seasonings," Yan said, "For cooking fish."

Qingsui was even more puzzled. "Isn't cooking fish just about grilling it?"

Yan laughed, "You can grill it directly, but it tastes even better with these seasonings."

He picked up a cleaned fish, skewered it with a branch, placed it on the campfire, sprinkled it with some coarse salt, then sprinkled it with some dried wild onions and wild garlic powder. Soon, the aroma of the fish wafted out, a fragrance that Qingsui had never smelled before, much more fragrant than simply grilled fish, making one's mouth water just by smelling it.

"It smells so good..." Qingsui swallowed hard.

Yan smiled and flipped the fish over so that the other side would also be grilled. After a while, the fish was done. He took the fish off the fire and handed it to Qingsui.

"Try it."

Qingsui took the fish and carefully took a bite. The fish meat was tender and smooth, with a light salty taste and the unique fragrance of spices. The wonderful taste made her close her eyes and savor it.

"Is it delicious?" Yan asked.

Qingsui opened her eyes and nodded vigorously.

"Delicious! So delicious! I've never had such good grilled fish before!"

Yan laughed, picked up another fish and started grilling it. The two of them ate grilled fish and chatted by the campfire. Qingsui's mouth was covered in oil, but she didn't care at all. As she ate, she asked Yan where the seasonings came from, what the people of the Fire Tribe usually ate, and whether the fish there was this delicious...

Yan answered each question, sometimes telling a few short stories that made Qingsui laugh heartily. As dusk fell, the campfire burned brighter and brighter. The five fish were quickly devoured by the two of them. Qingsui patted her slightly bulging belly and sighed contentedly.

"I'm so full... Yan, do you eat this well every day in the Fire Tribe?"

Yan thought for a moment and said, "Not every day, but we can have a good meal every few days."

Qingsui's eyes were filled with envy.

"Very nice."

The two then went for a walk along the river.

Night had fallen, and the river reflected a sky full of stars. A gentle breeze blew, and the starlight rippled on the water, sparkling like countless jewels. Qingsui walked beside Yan, occasionally looking up at the stars and then at Yan's profile.

"Yan," she suddenly asked, "Do you have such a beautiful starry sky where you are?"

Yan nodded. "Yes, the night sky by the Fire Creek River is even more beautiful than here."

"Real?"

"Really, next time you come, I'll take you to the river to see the stars at night."

Qingsui smiled, her eyes curving into crescent moons.

"Okay, it's a deal then."

The two walked along the river for a long time, talking about their childhood, their dreams, interesting things in the tribe, and their hopes for the future. Before they knew it, it was time to rest. Back at the Fire Tribe's temporary camp, Yan took a bundle out of the tent.

"Qingsui, this is for you."

Qingsui took the bundle, opened it, and saw that it contained several small cloth bags, just like the ones she had seen earlier.

"This is..."

"Seasonings," Yan said. "I probably won't be able to come back until next spring, so I prepared some extra for you."

Qingsui looked at the bundle in her hands, a warm feeling welling up inside her. She looked up at Yan.

"Thank you, Yan."

Yan laughed, "No need to thank me, just take it home and use it to cook. Just remember how kind I was to you."

Qingsui smiled too.

"Then I'm leaving."

"I send you."

Yan escorted her to the camp entrance, where Qingsui's attendants were already waiting, carrying lanterns Qingsui took the lanterns, turned around, and looked at Yan.

"Yan, be careful on the road."

"Yes, you too."

The two looked at each other for a while, then Qingsui turned around and left with her attendants. After taking a few steps, she turned back.

"Yan, I'll definitely come next spring!"

Yan smiled and waved, "I'll be waiting for you!"

Qingsui's figure gradually disappeared into the night. Yan stood at the camp gate, looking in that direction for a long, long time, until it was completely out of sight. Only then did he turn around and walk back to the camp. By the campfire, Daya was dozing off. Hearing footsteps, he groggily opened his eyes.

"Brother Yan, you're back?"

"Yes, I'm back."

"Has Qingsui left?"

"They're gone."

Daya yawned. "Then you should go to sleep early, you have to get up early to go back tomorrow."

Yan nodded, went into the tent, and lay down on the animal skin rug to rest.