The Fish Tribe Formally Joined
The day after Dali led the four tribes back to the Fire Tribe headquarters, the Fire Tribe valley dock was already bustling with activity around noon. Today was the day that Canglan, the leader of the Fish Tribe, would arrive with his fleet. The Fire Tribe's leaders had received the news early and came to the dock, standing on the shore eagerly awaiting their arrival.
Jianshi stood at the front, wearing a brand-new linen robe with a faint smile on his face. Behind him stood Qingye, Yan, Dali, Dabang, Jijiao, and other high-ranking members of the Fire Tribe. Further back were dozens of Xiaotou and Xiaotou of the Fire Tribe, standing in a dense, dark mass.
Soon, the Fish Tribe's fleet finally appeared on the river. Thirty large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties and ten large boats with a carrying capacity of five thousand catties were lined up and slowly sailed toward the Fire Tribe's main valley dock. The flags on the boats fluttered in the wind, which were the Fish Tribe's symbols.
"The Fish Tribe's fleet is here!" Dali shouted excitedly.
Jianshi nodded, his gaze fixed on the fleet. The Fish Tribe's fleet slowly drew closer and became clearer. On the lead ship, a large vessel with a carrying capacity of five thousand catties, stood a familiar figure— Canglan, the leader of the Fish Tribe.
He was wearing a brand-new leather armor, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a smile on his face. Behind him stood a dozen or so leaders of the Fish Tribe and some Xiaotou. The boat slowly approached the Fire Tribe dock, Canglan was the first to jump off and stride towards Jianshi.
"Chief of Jianshi!" he clasped his hands in a salute, his voice booming.
Jianshi quickly went to meet him and took his arm.
"Brother Canglan! You must be tired from your journey!" He smiled broadly, his eyes full of sincerity.
Canglan quickly waved his hand, "Chief of Jianshi, it's not appropriate to call me that in public. Just call me Canglan."
Under Canglan's persistent gaze, Jianshi paused for a moment, then smiled.
"Alright, Canglan, I'll do as you say."
He paused, then added, "However, in private, we still address each other as brothers. It's not inappropriate for me to call you Brother Canglan!"
A hint of emotion flashed in Canglan's eyes, and she nodded.
"Okay, then call him privately."
Jianshi took his hand and turned to look at the crowd.
"Everyone must be tired from the journey! I've prepared hot food in the Fire Tribe's council hall. Let's eat something first!"
Canglan nodded and followed the council hall of the Jianshi Fire Tribe. Behind him, the leaders and Xiaotou of the Fish Tribe followed one after another. Along the way, Canglan looked at the changes in the Fire Tribe headquarters. The last time he came was more than a year ago, after he accompanied Jianshi and Yan to the Valley Tribe for the first time to trade and returned to the Fire Tribe headquarters.
Back then, although the Fire Tribe headquarters had already taken shape, it was far from being as large as it is now. Now? Looking around, there are more than 20,000 mu of high-quality paddy fields, neat and orderly, stretching as far as the eye can see. Next to the paddy fields are hundreds of thousands of mu of cultivated vegetable fields, where all kinds of vegetables grow lush and green, including cabbage, radishes, wild vegetables... everything you could want.
In the distance, herds of cattle and sheep grazed on the hillside, their mooing and bleating echoing across the landscape. Inside the Fire Tribe's valley, rows upon rows of wooden houses stood densely packed, enough to house at least 20,000 people. The more Canglan, the more astonished and awestruck he became. He remembered that just over a year ago, the Fire Tribe headquarters didn't have so many paddy fields or vegetable gardens. How could it have developed like this in such a short time?
"Chief of Jianshi," he couldn't help but ask, "Did you cultivate all these paddy fields over the past year or so?"
Jianshi nodded with a smile, "That's right, it used to be only a few thousand acres, but now the Fire Tribe headquarters has 20,000 acres!"
Canglan. Twenty thousand mu! The Fish Tribe had only managed to cultivate a few thousand mu of paddy fields over the years. The gap between the Fish Tribe and the Fire Tribe was enormous.
He continued, "And what about these vegetable plots? They must number over 100,000 mu (approximately 6,667 hectares) too, right?"
Jianshi Shi nodded. "More or less. I haven't counted the exact number, but the Fire Tribe's population has increased significantly, requiring the reclamation of a large amount of land to ensure the Fire Tribe's food supply. We will further increase the area of land to be reclaimed in the Fire Tribe!"
Canglan fell silent, secretly rejoicing that the Fish Tribe had made the right choice in joining the Fire Tribe. If things continued to develop at this pace, the Fire Tribe would soon become the most powerful tribe in the area, and might even surpass the Tiger Tribe at the very bottom of the Fish River. Now, the Fire Tribe could also manufacture bronze ware. With bronze technology at their disposal, a sufficient food supply, and a constantly growing population, the Fire Tribe's strength would expand rapidly.
It's not impossible to surpass the Tiger Tribe in the future. With this thought, Canglan's resolve strengthened. Soon, they arrived at the council hall, a huge wooden house, much larger than the one in the Fish Tribe. In the center of the house was a large fire pit, currently burning with a roaring bonfire. Dozens of low tables were placed around the perimeter, each filled with food.
Golden-roasted lamb, tender stewed pork, fresh fish soup, steaming rice, and all sorts of other dishes I couldn't name.
"Come, come, please have a seat!" Jianshi greeted.
Canglan and several leaders of the Fish Tribe took their seats. Jianshi sat in the main seat, with Qingye on his left and Yan on his right. Dali, Dabang, Jijiao, and others sat below them in order.
It was already noon, and everyone was a bit hungry. Faced with delicious food, they immediately began to eat and drink heartily. After a few rounds of drinks and several dishes, the atmosphere in the council hall gradually became lively.
Canglan raised his wine bowl to Jianshi and said, "Chief Jianshi, I toast you! Congratulations to the Fire Tribe for easily annihilating the Wolf Tribe and venting everyone's anger!"
Jianshi quickly raised his wine bowl, shaking his head with a smile.
"Canglan, this isn't just the Fire Tribe's achievement. The Fish Tribe, the Pottery Salt Tribe, the Hundred Crafts Tribe, the Beast Taming Tribe, and the Marsh Tribe all contributed. Without you all, our annihilation of the Wolf Tribe wouldn't have been so easy."
Canglan waved his hands repeatedly. "Hey, your Fire Tribe is the main force! We're just running errands."
The two clinked bowls together, drank the wine in one gulp, put down their bowls, Jianshi looked at Canglan to begin discussing serious matters.
"Canglan, you've come at the right time. Yan and Dali are taking a fleet to the west bank of the upper reaches of the Fish River in a couple of days to recruit some people who want to join the Fire Tribe. Yan recommended the two leaders, Feiyu and Bailin, to go with them. They're quite well-known there, and Feiyu and Bailin might be able to help out!"
Feiyu and Bailin, sitting at the lower end of the table, immediately brightened up upon hearing this. They hadn't expected to be assigned a mission so soon after joining the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe and arriving at its headquarters.
The two men immediately stood up and said in unison, "Don't worry, Chief Jianshi! We guarantee to do our utmost to assist Chief Yan and Dali in completing their mission!"
Jianshi smiled and nodded, "Good, I'm relieved to hear that."
Canglan was delighted to see this. The fact that the Fish Tribe members were given a task as soon as they arrived showed that the Fire Tribe trusted them and was willing to give them important responsibilities. He put down his wine bowl and looked at Jianshi.
"Chief Jianshi, when Chief Yan visited the Fish Tribe last time, he said he wanted to send a thousand able-bodied Fish Tribe with some food, supplies, and various tools. I know the Fire Tribe is currently short of ships, so we brought all of our Fish Tribe's large ships. This will be much more convenient."
Jianshi's eyes lit up, and he quickly thanked him.
"Canglan, you've thought of everything! Thank you so much!"
Canglan waved her hand. "Of course, of course. We're family now, no need to be so polite."
Jianshi Shi nodded and began to explain the resettlement arrangements for the Fish Tribe.
"Canglan, here's the arrangement for your Fish Tribe."
He looked at each of the Fish Tribe leaders present.
"Canglan, from today onwards, you are the council leader of the Fire Tribe. You can attend any important tribal discussions and offer valuable suggestions. Your treatment will be no less than that of any other leader of the same rank in the Fire Tribe."
Canglan quickly stood up and clasped his hands in a salute.
"Thank you, Chief of Jianshi!"
Jianshi gestured for him to sit down and continued.
"The other leaders and key members of the Fish Tribe will receive training from the Fire Tribe. Those who perform well or have unique skills will be given priority for promotion."
He looked at Feiyu, Bailin, and the others.
"You are all elites of the Fish Tribe. Once you arrive in the Fire Tribe, there will be plenty of opportunities. As long as you work hard and follow the rules, your future is limitless."
Feiyu, Bailin, and the others stood up and clasped their hands in a salute.
"Thank you, Chief of Jianshi!"
Jianshi smiled and nodded, gesturing for them to sit down.
He continued, "As for the ordinary members of the Fish Tribe, we will bring them to the Fire Tribe headquarters next spring for unified training and to help them adapt to the Fire Tribe's rules and customs."
He looked at Canglan and said earnestly, "Brother Canglan, there are still many ordinary people in your Fish Tribe. You need to go back and coordinate their migration. You can migrate here with them next spring."
Canglan nodded. "Understood, I'll go back today."
Jianshi said, "No rush. Get some rest today. Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone prepare food and supplies. You can take some of the Fire Tribe's able-bodied warriors back with you."
Canglan nodded repeatedly. "Good, good!"
After the matter was settled, everyone chatted for a while before dispersing. Canglan was arranged to rest in a brand-new wooden house. The house was very clean, with animal skin rugs and a low table with hot tea and dried fruit on it.
He lay on the mattress, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time. A year ago, he was the leader of the Fish Tribe, with his own territory, his own people, and his own fleet. Now, he had become the council leader of the Fire Tribe, and had to listen to other people's arrangements.
But he felt no resentment, because joining the Fire Tribe was worthwhile. The Fire Tribe had an inexhaustible supply of food, wooden houses, and tools. It also had a powerful army, advanced technology, and a promising future.
Joining the Fire Tribe is the best option for the Fish Tribe right now. He turned over, closed his eyes, and thought, "Tomorrow I'll be going back. I'll come back next spring. By then, all the members of the Fish Tribe will be integrated into the Fire Tribe and become members of the Fire Tribe." As he thought about this, a smile appeared on his lips, and he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, the docks were bustling again. Canglan led a group of the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe's young and strong warriors, along with a large amount of food and supplies, onto the fleet. At the docks, Jianshi led the Fire Tribe's high-ranking officials to see them off.
"Leader Canglan, take care on your journey!" Jianshi said earnestly, holding his hand.
Canglan nodded. "Chief of Jianshi, take care, and see you again next spring!"
Jianshi smiled and said, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you here next spring."
Canglan turned around, boarded the large ship, and the fleet slowly started, sailing downstream along the Fire Creek River. On the dock, Jianshi, Yan, and the others stood there, watching the fleet go until it completely disappeared from sight before they turned and left.