Workshop Relocation and Long-Term Concerns

Two days later, in the council hall of the Fire Tribe headquarters, the firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, the charcoal crackled and sparks flew. Yan and Dabang sat opposite Jianshi, with a rough animal hide map spread out in front of them. The map was covered with dense lines and markings drawn with charcoal pencils—the result of their hard work over the past two days.

"Father," Yan said, pointing to the marks on the map, "This is the location of the Deer Tribe Mining Area, and this is the Jumbled Stone Slope to our north, the source of coarse salt."

Jianshi nodded and looked carefully.

Yan continued, "The advantages of relocating the bronze workshop to the Deer Tribe are obvious. We won't need to transport the ore back and forth; it can be processed directly Deer Tribe. This will save us a lot of manpower and resources. According to Uncle Dabang's estimates, with the same resources and manpower, our efficiency will increase significantly!"

Jianshi looked at another mark on the map.

"What about the coarse salt workshop?"

Yan pointed to a point to the north. "The Jumbled Stone Slope is half a day's journey from the Fire Tribe headquarters, not too far, not too near. We can move the coarse salt refining process there, while leaving the fine salt refining process at the Fire Tribe headquarters. This way, the core secrets will still be in our hands, but efficiency will be greatly improved."

Dabang added, "Crude salt production requires a lot of firewood and water, which can be found on the Jumbled Stone Slope north of the Fire Tribe. Plus, it's close to the raw material source, saving us the trouble of transportation."

After listening, Jianshi remained silent for a while, then raised his head and looked at the people present.

What do you think?

Qingye was the first to speak, "I think it's feasible. Now that the threat from the north is smaller, moving the workshop out will not only improve efficiency but also reduce the pressure on headquarters in terms of resources and manpower."

Binmao nodded in agreement. "Yes, the Deer Tribe has become our rear base, so safety isn't an issue. The Jumbled Stone Slope is close to headquarters, so if anything happens, we can respond promptly."

Jijiao thought for a moment and said, "Relocation is a good thing, but we must be careful. These two workshops are the core secrets of our Fire Tribe."

Yan nodded. "The Jijiao Chief is right. I suggest a gradual relocation. First, build workshops there and settle people. Once everything is ready, we can slowly start production. As the output of the new workshops increases, the output of the main force can be gradually reduced. This way, it won't affect the Fire Tribe's total output."

He paused, then continued, "Even if our Fire Tribe's main workshop shuts down, it must be kept operational. In case of an emergency, it can be reopened immediately, and with both workshops operating simultaneously, production can double."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Binmao said, "This method is good; it's safe and thorough."

Wenshi also said, "Yes, the relocation should be done slowly, there's no rush."

Lu Ming asked, "Then who will be in charge? Who will manage these two workshops?"

Yan looked at the Dabang.

Dabang said, "For the bronze workshop, I recommend Tongchui. He's worked there for several years, he's skilled, and he's reliable. Letting him take charge should be fine."

Jianshi thought for a moment and nodded, "Tongchui is fine. He's an old craftsman, skilled in technology, loyal, and good at management."

Yan continued, "Regarding the coarse salt workshop, I recommend Yanbo. He's worked there for several years; he's hardworking, responsible, and never slacks off. If we let him go, he should be able to manage it well."

Jianshi nodded again. "Yanbo is also fine. He doesn't talk much, but he's meticulous in his work."

Jia Li chimed in, "They're both elderly; they're trustworthy."

Wu Xiong also said, "Yes, it's reassuring for the elderly."

Jianshi looked at everyone. "Does anyone have any other opinions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Alright." Jianshi made the decision. "Then it's settled. Tongchui will be in charge of the bronze workshop, Yanbo will be in charge of the coarse salt workshop. The manpower and materials they need will be allocated first."

He looked at Yan and Dabang: "You two will continue to be in charge of the relocation. Strive to complete it before the heavy snow this year, and by next spring, the output of the two new workshops should reach the level of the Fire Tribe headquarters."

Flame and Dabang responded in unison, "Yes!"

In the following days, Yan and Dabang were busy with the relocation almost every day. For the bronze workshop, they first needed to build a new workshop in the Deer Tribe area. People needed to build houses, build furnaces, repair roads, dig canals, and so on. There were countless things to do. For the coarse salt workshop, they also needed to build a new workshop in the Jumbled Stone Slope. Similarly, they needed to build houses, build reservoirs, build drying yards, and so on.

The two divided the work: Dabang was mainly in charge of the bronze workshop, while Yan was mainly in charge of the coarse salt workshop. They worked from dawn till dusk every day, and were exhausted, but they were happy to see the new workshop taking shape day by day. That evening, Yan had just returned from the Jumbled Stone Slope when he heard that Dali had returned, so he hurried to the dock.

At the dock, Dali was directing the unloading of cargo; the miscellaneous items transported back from the west bank of the upper reaches of the Fish River were piled up into Little Mountain.

"Uncle Dali!" Yan walked over, "Thank you for your hard work!"

Dali turned around and grinned.

"Yan, you're back? How's the coarse salt workshop at Jumbled Stone Slope?"

Yan said, "Things are going well over there. Everything's almost ready. In another two weeks, we can start trial production."

Dali nodded and pointed to the miscellaneous items, saying, "The things belonging to those people on the west bank have all been brought back."

Looking at the mountain of supplies, Yan sighed. Those things were nothing to the Fire Tribe, but for the new tribesmen who came from the west bank of the upper reaches of the Fish River, they were their entire worldly possessions.

"Uncle Dali," Yan said, "How was the situation on the west bank of the upper reaches of the Fish River this time?"

Dali said, "That's good. We sent them food and supplies, and with their own reserves, they'll have no problem getting through the winter. The seven thousand people in the Peach River, Grass River, and Ash River are all hoping that our Fire Tribe will send boats to pick them up in the spring."

Yan nodded and asked, "What are their thoughts on joining the Fire Tribe?"

Dali laughed, "What could they possibly think? They're overjoyed! I told them they're now part of the Fire Tribe, that we're family, and they were incredibly excited, thanking me profusely."

On the third day after Dali returned, Jianya also returned. Jianshi, along with the high-ranking members of the Fire Tribe, personally went to the camp gate to welcome him.

"Jianya!" Jianshi rushed forward, "You've worked hard!"

Jianya strode over.

"Brother!" he said with a broad smile, "It wasn't hard work at all! We've had a great harvest this time!"

He pointed to the supplies and began his report.

"We've acquired quite a few furs, all of them high quality. We bought four hundred ponies and brought them all back. We also bought five hundred oxen, which have been settled in the Fish Tribe, Pottery Salt Tribe, Hundred Crafts Tribe, Beast Taming Tribe, Marsh Tribe, Green Grain Tribe, and the outpost at the High Pointed Mountain Foothill Outpost."

Jianshi nodded repeatedly as he listened.

"Great! Excellent! With these oxen, we're guaranteed to be able to cultivate our fields next year!"

He took Jianya's hand and led him toward the council chamber.

"Let's go back to the council hall first. You can explain the situation on the Horse Tribe's side to everyone in detail."

In the council hall, everyone took their seats. Jianshi asked Dali and Jianya to report on the situation first. Dali first recounted the events on the west bank, Jianshi nodded in satisfaction after listening.

"You've worked hard. Take a good rest now that you're back."

Dali grinned Dali: "Alright!"

Jianya then stood up and gave a detailed account of the situation with the Horse Tribe, from purchasing furs to buying horses and cattle, and then to the conversation with Junfeng, the chief of the Horse Tribe...

Finally, he mentioned Xueya.

"Chief Junfeng said that after Xueya led his remaining troops to the territory of their Horse Tribe, they raided two tribes, plundered their grain and horses, and then fled further north. Junfeng and his men chased after them for a while but couldn't catch up. Now Xueya and his men are hiding in the power vacuum between the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp and the Horse Tribe."

Jianshi frowned.

"A power vacuum?"

Jianya nodded. "Yes, that area is ignored by both the Horse Tribe and the Valley Tribe. Xueya is hiding there, and neither side can do anything about him."

Jianshi remained silent for a moment.

"Has Junfeng never considered joining forces with the Valley Tribe?"

Jianya said, "I've thought about it. He's already sent someone to Little Valley Camp to find Daiyan, hoping to join forces to wipe out Xueya, but Daiyan's side..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear: Daiyan couldn't possibly agree. The Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost was currently facing a threat from the Bear Tribe; how could they possibly spare a large number of men to deal with Xueya ilk?

Jianshi sighed.

"This is troublesome. Xueya is hiding over there. If he causes trouble, the first to suffer will be the Valley Tribe's Little Valley Camp Outpost. If their grain production decreases, our grain trade next year will be affected."

Yan, standing to the side, said, "Father, why don't we send troops to wipe them out?"

Jianshi shook his head.

"No, that area is between the Horse Tribe and Valley Tribe. If we send troops there rashly, it could easily cause misunderstandings."

He thought for a moment and said, "Next spring, when you go to the Valley Tribe to transport grain, mention this matter to Chief Daiyue and make him take it seriously. He should join forces with the Horse Tribe to wipe out the Xueya."

Yan nodded. "Okay."

Jianshi looked at Jianya again.

"Jianya, during this time, use the boats to transport the remaining personnel and supplies to the Fish Tribe, Pottery Salt Tribe, Hundred Crafts Tribe, Beast Taming Tribe, Marsh Tribe, and the stronghold at the High Pointed Mountain Foothill Outpost. We need to prepare in advance for the reclamation of the fields there next year."

Jianya stood up. "Yes!"

Jianshi looked at him seriously and said, "This is very important. All the ships of the Fire Tribe are at your disposal before winter. You'll have to do this!"

Jianya nodded. "Don't worry, brother! I'll definitely handle this well!"

The meeting continued for a while before everyone dispersed. Yan walked out of the council hall, looking at the gradually darkening sky, thinking about Xueya. That guy was like a thorn stuck in his flesh. Although it didn't hurt for the time being, it would fester sooner or later. He had to find a way to pull it out. He took a deep breath and walked towards his wooden hut. Behind him, the fire in the council hall gradually went out.