The Autumn Harvest
Two days later, at dawn, on the dock in the valley of the Fire Tribe's headquarters, the mist had not yet dissipated. Jianya stood at the Chuantou of the largest ship, with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, looking at the even larger fleet before him. A surge of pride welled up in Jianya's heart! Thirty ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, one hundred and sixty ships with a carrying capacity of 10,000 jin, two hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 5,000 jin, and two hundred large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin—a total of five hundred and ninety ships, densely packed on the Fire Tribe's Fire Creek River. The ships were loaded with pottery, coarse salt, and hemp cloth, all to be exchanged for grain. The Fire Tribe had recently built ten more ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin and twenty more with a carrying capacity of 10,000 jin, and now they were all here.
Jianya patted the gunwale. The wooden planks were thick and the sound was dull when he tapped them. What a fine ship! A few years ago, no one would have even dared to dream of such a thing! Back then, the Fire Tribe didn't even have a decent-sized ship, and they needed the Fish Tribe's assistance to transport grain to the Valley Tribe.
"Jianya Chief, everyone's ready." Binmao walked over and stood beside him, a smile on his face. "We're bringing so many boats this time; the Valley Tribe will be amazed again."
Jianya laughed and said, "Let them be surprised. Our Fire Tribe's ships will only increase in number and size."
He turned to look at the shore, at the Fire Tribe headquarters dock, where Jianshi stood with Qingye, Yan, Dabang, Canglan Lan, Jia Li, Jijiao, Wu Xiong and others, a dark mass of people. The sun began to peek out from behind the mountains to the east, shining on them and gilding each person's face with a layer of gold. Jianshi stood at the front, his back straight and his gaze Chenwen.
Jianya jumped off the boat and strode over, saying, "Big Brother."
Jianshi patted his shoulder and said, "Dali and Dazhuang are both out building outposts and can't leave for the time being. I have other arrangements for Yan. This time, you'll have to do the same thing again and transport some grain back from the Valley Tribe." He paused, his gaze becoming distant, "After you bring the grain back this time, everyone will have basically finished the autumn harvest, and the outposts will have also harvested grain. Then you can transport the grain back to headquarters for storage."
Jianya nodded and said, "Don't worry, brother. The outposts outside can't store too much food for now. Our headquarters has plenty of granaries and more experience. Food will be stored better and longer at the Fire Tribe headquarters."
Jianshi nodded in satisfaction, then, remembering something, said, "The information you brought back from the Valley Tribe this time is very useful for our Fire Tribe's decision-making. Go over there this time and see if you can learn more about the lower reaches of the Fish River."
Jianya replied, "Alright, I'll keep that in mind. This time we're taking even more ships to the Valley Tribe. Our Fire Tribe's own ships alone can carry 3.6 million catties of grain. If the conflict between the Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe is under control, I'll ask the Valley Tribe to assist us in transporting 400,000 catties of grain over, so we can bring back 4 million catties of grain at once." He paused, his tone becoming serious, "Our Fire Tribe now has over 100,000 people. The sooner I bring the grain back, the more at ease everyone will feel."
Jianshi looked at him, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, and said, "Alright, you all go too, take the fleet and return as soon as possible."
Jianya turned and boarded the boat, with Binmao following behind. The two quickly boarded the largest boat of the Fire Tribe. Soon, the sound of Niujiao horns rang out, deep and long, echoing on the river in the early morning. Five hundred and ninety boats slowly started and sailed downstream along the Fire Creek River. The oars cut through the water, and the sails billowed in the morning wind. The entire fleet was like a giant dragon awakening.
On the shore, Jianshi and the others watched the fleet sail away. Yan stood beside his father, watching the sails gradually shrink until the last ship of the Fire Tribe disappeared. Only then did Jianshi turn around and say, "Let's go, let's go back to the council hall for our meeting."
The group walked towards the council hall, where everyone took their seats. Jianshi's gaze swept over each person present, and he said in Chenwen and powerful voice, "Our Fire Tribe is about to have its autumn harvest. Everyone needs to mobilize and harvest the grain while the weather is good, and dry the millet in the sun so that it can be preserved and won't mold, turn black, or spoil."
He paused, then emphasized, "This grain is the lifeblood of our Fire Tribe; we must win this crucial battle to ensure a successful harvest."
Dabang was the first to stand up and say, "Don't worry, Chief, I've made the arrangements. The workshop will be shut down for three days, and all the craftsmen will go to the fields to help."
Canglan also stood up and said, "The outposts outside are ready too. Men, women, and children will all pitch in to ensure a smooth grain harvest."
Jia Li, Jijiao, Wu Xiong, and others also expressed their opinions.
Jianshi nodded in satisfaction and said happily, "Okay, everyone go and get ready."
The group gradually left.
The weather was fine that day. As soon as it was light, the fields came alive with activity. The men wielded their sickles, cutting down bundles of golden rice. The swishing sounds rose and fell like a Fengshou symphony. The women followed behind, bundling the rice into bundles and piling them up. The threshing machines creaked and groaned as the threshed grains were loaded into baskets and carried back to the camp.
Yan also got down to the ground. He took off his hemp clothes, revealing his strong muscles with his bare arms. With a sickle in hand, he bent down, swung the sickle, and cut the rice. His movements were skillful and smooth. The rice ears fell behind him and spread out in a row.
"Young chief, take a rest!" an old man called out, handing over a bowl of water.
Yan took the bowl and drank it all in one gulp. The water was a little cold, but it made him feel comfortable all over.
"I'm not tired yet, I'll cut some more before I rest." He handed the bowl back and bent down to continue.
The old man watched his retreating figure, shook his head, and smiled. Several young men beside him looked at Yan with admiration in their eyes. They harvested even faster, none of them wanting to fall behind. The children of the Fire Tribe were also busy. Some ran back and forth on the ridges, delivering water and food; some helped carry bundles of rice; some turned the rice grains in the threshing ground. A seven- or eight-year-old boy carried a small bucket of water, swaying as he walked along the ridge. Water spilled all the way, but he gritted his teeth, his little face turning red, and managed to carry the water to the edge of the field.
"Good lad!" An old man took the bucket of water and patted his head.
The little boy grinned, revealing a missing front tooth. On the threshing ground, large bamboo mats were spread out, and golden grains of millet shimmered in the sunlight, like a carpet of gold. The women, holding wooden rakes, turned the grains over and over again, ensuring every grain was exposed to the sun. Sweat streamed down their faces, but they didn't bother to wipe it away.
The children ran barefoot among the mats, chasing away the sparrows that were stealing food. A little girl, holding a bamboo pole, chased the sparrows all over the place, shouting, "Go away! Go away! Don't eat our food!" The sparrows fluttered away, and she stood triumphantly with her hands on her hips, like a victorious general.
For several days in a row, everyone in the Fire Tribe was busy with the autumn harvest. They went to the fields before dawn and didn't finish until dark. No one complained of being tired or slacking off. Loads of golden rice were carried back from the fields, and bamboo mats covered with rice shone in the sunlight.
Yan gets up before dawn every day and leads the Youth Team and his subordinates to the fields. He cuts rice very quickly, doing the work of two or three people. Daya follows behind him to bundle the rice, so tired that he can't straighten his back, but he grits his teeth and refuses to rest. Zhuangchai is responsible for carrying the rice, going back and forth between the fields and the threshing ground time and time again. His shoulders are chafed, but he doesn't utter a sound.
"Boss, let's take a break," Daya said, straightening up and wiping his sweat.
Yan looked back and saw that the fallen rice stalks had already covered a large area behind him. He said, "Okay, let's rest for a while."
The two sat on the edge of the field. Daya handed them a water bag, which Yan took, drank a sip from, and handed back.
"Boss," Daya took a sip of water, "Our Fire Tribe has a really good harvest this year. Look at these rice ears, they're so heavy."
Yan nodded, looking at the golden rice paddies before him, and said, "Yes, this year the weather has been favorable, and the fields have opened up much more than last year."
Daya Tooth grinned and said, "Our Fire Tribe will have an even better harvest next year!"
Yan patted him on the shoulder, stood up, and said, "Of course, let's go, let's keep going."
Good news kept arriving at the Fire Tribe's headquarters: Little Gathering River Mouth Outpost, Fengshou! Stone Creek River Mouth Outpost, Fengshou Fengshou! Red Flower River Mouth Outpost Pottery Salt River Mouth Outpost, Fengshou! Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, Fengshou! Xiaoyu River Estuary Stronghold, Bountiful Harvest! High Pointed Mountain Foothill Outpost, Fengshou!
With each piece of news, Jianshi's smile deepened. He stood at the entrance of the council hall, listening to the victory report from the last stronghold, and let out a long sigh of relief. Dabang strode over, holding a wooden board covered with numbers.
His face was beaming with excitement, and his voice trembled as he said, "Chief, the statistics are all out! We harvested 90,000 mu of paddy fields this autumn, with a yield of about 200 jin per mu, for a total harvest of about 18 million jin of grain!"
Jianshi took the wooden board and carefully looked at the numbers on it: 18 million jin. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and thought, "That's enough! Adding what we had stored before, that's enough! The Fire Tribe can basically be self-sufficient in food now, and we'll never have to worry about going hungry again."
"Great!" He opened his eyes, which gleamed. "Let's all have a good celebration tonight!"
That night, in the valley of the Fire Tribe's headquarters, bonfires burned brightly, and people gathered around them, eating meat heartily, drinking wine from large bowls, and singing loudly! The men raised their wine bowls, clinked glasses with each other, and shouted, "The Fengshou!" The women held hands and danced around the fire, their laughter clear and crisp. Children darted in and out of the crowd like Niqiu, while the elderly sat to the side, watching all this with smiles on their faces.
Yan sat by the fire, holding a bowl of wine in his hand, slowly drinking it. The firelight reflected on his face, revealing a young yet Chenwen expression. Everyone had been exhausted these past few days, but looking at the full granary, they felt it was all worth it.
Jianshi walked over and sat down beside him. He also held a bowl of wine, took a sip, and gazed at the dancing flames.
"Yan, I have something to tell you."
Yan turned to look at his father.
Jianshi slowly spoke, "Now that our Fire Tribe has finished its autumn harvest, the other tribes should have finished as well. In a couple of days, take your fleet to those tribes between our Fire Tribe and the Valley Tribe to do some trade. They should need to exchange some goods as well."
Yan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll make some preparations in the next couple of days and then take my men over there."
Jianshi patted his shoulder, stood up, and walked into the crowd. Yan sat by the fire, watching the jubilant crowd, silently making plans in his mind. Green Leaf River, Clothing River, Big Horse River... those tribes, it's been a long time since I've been there. This time, I can go and see how their autumn harvest is going. Those small tribes don't have an easy life. I wonder how their harvest will be this year. If the harvest is bad, I'll have to help them out.
He picked up the wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp; there was still much to do tomorrow.