Returning Laden with Rewards
The central trade with Canglan, chief of the Fish Tribe, was finally settled. As they watched the Fish Tribe's people carefully carry away eighty percent of their exquisite pottery, the mood in the Fire Tribe's camp inevitably grew somewhat subdued. That pottery embodied the tribe's painstaking efforts, and such a great outlay made many young warriors, Yingmu included, wince.
"Chief, this price... it's far too steep," Yingmu could not help muttering under his breath.
Although Shibang also thought it a pity, he was more pragmatic by nature. "Yingmu, don't just look at what we gave away. Look—rice seeds, two Xiaozhou, and four teachers. Aren't those all things we urgently need? With these, our tribe can grow stronger!"
Wang Yan stepped forward at just the right moment, his voice clear and firm as it carried throughout the camp. "I understand how everyone feels! We made this pottery with our own hands. It's like our children. But!"
He swept his blazing gaze over the crowd. "We of the Fire Tribe must never let our sights rest on a few objects! What we truly lack is a foundation that will keep our people fed and warm for generations! The ability to travel freely across the waters! The knowledge to build our home and pass down skills! Today, we used pottery we can make again to trade for an entirely new future for our tribe!"
He walked over to the two baskets of precious rice seeds, his voice full of hope. "These seeds are the continuation of life! They will take root and sprout in our soil, yielding harvests that will fill our granaries!" He pointed to the four new members. "And these four teachers-the skills they bring will give our Fire Tribe its own fleet and teach us how to draw gifts from the land! This trade isn't a loss. It's the most crucial investment in our journey toward strength and prosperity!"
Wang Yan's stirring words dispelled the gloom in everyone's hearts. That was right-if the pottery was gone, they could fire more, but opportunities for growth vanished in the blink of an eye! Once they understood this, their eyes filled with respect and anticipation as they looked at the four silent teachers again.
Dali laughed heartily and clapped Yingmu hard on the shoulder. "Boy, look further ahead! Once we're strong ourselves, what kind of pottery won't we be able to fire?"
"Exactly!" Dazhuang chimed in, his voice deep and rumbling. "When that time comes, we'll bring pottery to trade in big ships!"
With the central trade completed, the Fire Tribe did not leave immediately. The Fish Tribe's grand autumn fair had only just begun. Groups from dozens of tribes had gathered here from every direction, their voices rising in a boiling clamor, with all manner of strange goods and distinctive faces everywhere.
Jianshi and Wang Yan decided to use the remaining twenty percent of their pottery, some of their salted dried fish, and their hemp clothing to gather a greater variety of "nutrients" for the tribe at this rare gathering.
Their strategy was clear: rather than pursue the very best, they would seek distinctive resources that could make up for the Fire Tribe's shortcomings. Wang Yan paid particular attention to different kinds of plant seeds and seedlings. With a few pottery bowls, he obtained roots, rhizomes, and seeds of several medicinal herbs not found around the Fire Tribe from a Medicine Tribe. He noticed that a member of a Weaving Tribe could weave very fine mats with simple geometric patterns, so he traded a hemp garment for their weaving techniques and invited a deft-handed young girl to join the Fire Tribe. At a small stall, he discovered several strangely colored, heavy "stones." The stallholder came from a branch of the Stone Tribe and did not recognize their worth. Wang Yan easily traded a small bag of dried fish for them, intending to take them back to the tribe to study. Besides the calves and piglets they had previously obtained from the Bison and White Pig Tribes, they also traded pottery jars to a Plain Tribe for several domesticated lambs with fairly good wool yields.
The trading went very smoothly. Although the Fire Tribe had little pottery left, its fine craftsmanship made it highly sought after; their salted dried fish and comfortable, breathable hemp clothing were even more reliable currency. They obtained a large quantity of seemingly miscellaneous supplies with tremendous potential, along with skilled people.
The autumn fair gradually drew to a close. Beside the Fire Tribe's camp lay the piled-up gains of this long journey: two baskets of golden rice seeds, two sturdy Xiaozhou, four technical teachers, an assortment of seeds and saplings, several lively young livestock, and a few new tribespeople with special skills who had volunteered to join.
The two teachers skilled in boatbuilding had finished inspecting the Xiaozhou and reinforced them with spare timber and fish glue obtained at the fair, ensuring they could withstand the test of the long journey. The two teachers skilled in farming carefully sorted and wrapped all the seeds to protect them from damp.
Wang Yan and Jianshi made a final count of their people and supplies. The journey could be called a complete success. Not only had they concluded a strategic trade with the Fish Tribe, but they had also gained unexpected rewards at the autumn fair, laying an exceptionally solid foundation for the Fire Tribe's future development.
"Chief, everything's ready!" Dazhuang came to report, his voice carrying the excitement of their imminent return home.
Jianshi's gaze swept over the fully laden cargo and the spirited tribespeople before finally turning toward the Fire Tribe's home. A surge of bold spirit rose within him. "Good! Let's go home!"
He paused, then added in a resounding voice, "Let's take our hopes home!"
The group set out once more, leaving the bustling Fish Tribe behind. Compared with their arrival, the burdens on their shoulders were heavier, but their steps were lighter and stronger.