Trading at the Green Leaf River

Three days after Yan led his fleet away from the Red Flower River Mouth, the Green Leaf River was already in sight. Yan stood at the Chuantou and could see the relatively wide river in the distance. The Green Leaf River had a large volume of water, a wide surface, and a relatively gentle current.

"Young Chief, the mouth of the Green Leaf River is just ahead." Feiyu walked over and stood beside him.

Yan nodded, his gaze fixed on the mouth of the Green Leaf River. He had already sent a large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of two thousand catties to inform the Long Leaf Tribe. The Long Leaf Tribe should be ready by now. Last time he came, the Long Leaf Tribe's leader, Gaogan, and the Short Leaf Tribe's leader, Zhuangzhi, were quite polite to him.

The Fire Tribe's fleet slowly sailed into the Green Leaf River. The river water here was relatively clear, and the Shitou and fish at the bottom could be seen quite clearly. In the fields on the banks, the crops had been harvested, leaving only bare rice stubble, swaying slightly in the autumn wind. Several farmers were burning stubble on the ridges of the fields, with wisps of smoke rising and the air filled with the smell of wood ash.

The dock of the Long Leaf Tribe was very small, simply built of wood and Shitou, barely enough to hold a few small boats. Yan's 20,000-jin carrying capacity boat was too big to dock, so it could only stop in the middle of the river and transfer to a small boat to cross. The two giant boats were moored in the middle of the river like two Little Mountain, and the flags on the boats fluttered in the wind.

On the dock stood several people. Leading them was Gaogan, the chief of the Long Leaf Tribe. Behind him stood Zhuangzhi, the chief of the Short Leaf Tribe, followed by several other leaders and followers. Gaogan wore a linen robe, his hair neatly combed, and he looked much more energetic than when they last met. Zhuangzhi still had that sturdy appearance, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the two giant ships of the Fire Tribe in the middle of the river.

Yan's small boat docked, and he jumped onto the pier.

Gaogan hurriedly stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles. "Young Master Yan! Feiyu Leader! Bailin Leader! You've come again, welcome, welcome!" As he spoke, he glanced at the two giant ships behind Yan, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes.

Zhuangzhi also chimed in, his voice rough and boisterous, "Young Chief Yan, your Fire Tribe's ship is huge! Looking at it up close, wow, it's bigger than our tribe's houses!"

Yan smiled and said, "This is a ship with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin that our Fire Tribe built itself."

Gaogan and Zhuangzhi exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes. A 20,000-jin boat, built by themselves—just how powerful was the Fire Tribe?

"We just finished the autumn harvest and were just about to go out and do some trading," Gaogan, rubbing his hands together, his tone much warmer than last time. "You've come at the right time; it saves us the trouble of going to the other side of the Fish River."

Feiyu chuckled and said, "We brought a lot of good stuff this time; I'm sure you'll like it."

Gaogan's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped aside to make way, saying, "That's wonderful! Young Master Yan, please come in! I've already prepared food in the council hall. Everyone must be tired from the journey, please come with me to have something to eat!"

The group followed Gaogan toward the council hall of the Long Leaf Tribe. Zhuangzhi walked beside Yan, occasionally glancing back at the two giant ships in the middle of the river, clicking his tongue in amazement.

The council hall of the Long Leaf Tribe was not small, but it seemed a bit crowded at the moment. More than a dozen people from the Fire Tribe had come, along with the leaders and chiefs of the Long Leaf Tribe and Shortleaf tribes, filling the room to capacity. The fire in the hearth was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy. Several plates of fruit and dried meat, as well as several jars of wine, were placed on the low table.

As soon as Yan sat down, he waved his hand, and his attendants immediately presented gifts: ten exquisite pottery pieces from each tribe.

Gaogan took it, his hands trembling, and after a long while, he finally spoke, "This... this is far too valuable!"

Zhuangzhi's eyes widened as he held a ceramic bowl, examining it from all angles, exclaiming with delight, "What wonderful things! These are truly wonderful things!"

Yan smiled and said, "This is a small token of our Fire Tribe's appreciation. Our tribes are close by, so we should visit each other often in the future."

Gaogan nodded repeatedly, his smile deepening. He carefully handed the pottery to the person beside him, personally poured Yan a bowl of wine, and said, "Alright, Young Chief Yan, here, let me toast you!"

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere in the Long Leaf Tribe's council hall gradually warmed up. Gaogan would occasionally glance at Yan, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping himself.

Finally, he put down his wine bowl and asked, "Young Chief Yan, were those two large ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin each on the dock really built by your Fire Tribe?"

Yan nodded and said calmly, "Yes, we already have more than thirty of these ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin. This year, our Fire Tribe's goal is to build fifty."

The room fell silent instantly. More than thirty ships, each with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, and they were going to build fifty more? What kind of concept was that? Gaogan and Zhuangzhi exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Yan continued, "We are also building a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, the same size as the large ships of the Valley Tribe. We estimate that we will be able to build one by the end of this year."

Gaogan gasped in astonishment. A boat with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin! The Valley Tribe was able to roam freely on the Fish River because of those large boats. The Fire Tribe was going to have one too, and they would build it themselves.

"Your Fire Tribe is truly formidable..." he murmured, his voice trembling slightly.

Zhuangzhi was speechless for a long time, his hand holding the wine bowl was trembling. He originally thought that the Fire Tribe was only strong on land, but he did not expect that their strength on water was also so strong. They had more than 30 ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 catties, and they could also build ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties. If they really built ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties, their water strength would probably be stronger than that of the Valley Tribe.

Gaogan steadied himself and asked about another matter, "Young Chief Yan, last time you said that the tribes in the Orange River Basin and the Red Flower River Basin were going to join the Fire Tribe. Have they all joined the Fire Tribe now? How are they doing?"

Yan smiled but didn't answer directly. He turned to his trusted aides and ordered, "Go and call Dajutou, Xiaojutou, Hongmao, Honglian, and Huaguo over."

The trusted aide responded and quickly went out.

Gaogan asked with some surprise, "They all came this time?"

Yan nodded and said, "I brought them here specifically so they could tell you what life is like after joining the Fire Tribe. You'll get a better idea after hearing what they have to say."

A short while later, several people entered the council hall. Leading them was Huaguo, followed by Hongmao, Honglian, Dajutou, and Xiaojutou. They were dressed in clean linen clothes, their hair was neatly combed, their complexions were rosy, and they had smiles on their faces, clearly indicating that they were doing well.

Gaogan and Zhuangzhi quickly stood up. Red Flower River was next to the Green Leaf River, Huaguo, Hongmao, Honglian were all old acquaintances of theirs, having dealt with them many times before. Seeing them like this, the two of them were stunned.

"Brother Huaguo!" Gaogan greeted them, looking them up and down. "You... you look so good! You look ten years younger than before!"

Huaguo Guo laughed heartily, patted his belly, and said, "That's right! Since joining the Fire Tribe, we've had plenty to eat and wear every day. How could things not be good?"

Zhuangzhi also came over, stared at Hongmao for a moment, and asked, "Hongmao, your clothes, are they linen? Good material!"

Hongmao proudly tugged at his collar and said, "These were issued when we joined the Fire Tribe! Each person gets several sets, so we can rotate them. Even when we were leaders, we never wore anything this nice."

Everyone sat down again, Gaogan couldn't wait to ask, "Brother Huaguo, how have you been doing in the Fire Tribe? Tell us about it."

Huaguo cleared his throat and began to speak, "Back when we were in the Red Flower River, although I was the leader, we lived a very frugal life. We could only eat meat a few times a year, during the New Year. Winter was the hardest to endure. When there wasn't enough food, the old and the young would occasionally freeze or starve to death."

He paused, picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and continued, "It's great to join the Fire Tribe Fire Tribe now. They have an endless supply of food, three meals a day, and you can eat your fill every meal. Plus, they have meat every few days. The houses are all big, sturdy, and warm wooden houses, so you definitely won't get cold in winter. The Fire Tribe also provides clothes, made of linen, which is much more comfortable than animal hides."

Gaogan listened intently and pressed for details, "So what do you usually do? Do you farm?"

Huaguo nodded and said, "We farm, but not like before when we just planted haphazardly. The Fire Tribe has people who specialize in teaching us how to the Fire Tribe, and their yields are much higher than before."

Hongmao chimed in from the side, "There's also the Youth Team; kids can go when they're old enough to learn skills."

The Gaogan and the Zhuangzhi exchanged a glance, both seeing envy in each other's eyes. Although they were doing alright, they were barely making ends meet.

Huaguo added, "The Fire Tribe doesn't have many rules, just a few—follow the rules, be willing to work, don't steal, rob, or fight. As long as you do these things, you're a good tribesman."

After he finished speaking, he looked at Gaogan and said earnestly, "Brother Gaogan, I, Huaguo, am not the kind of person who forgets his roots, but I have to tell you the truth, these days in the Fire Tribe have been more comfortable than the days I've spent as a chief in my entire life."

The room was quiet for a while. Gaogan held a wine bowl, seemingly lost in thought. Zhuangzhi lowered his head, his fingers slowly tracing the rim of the bowl. Yan didn't urge them; these were things they had to figure out for themselves.

After a while, Gaogan raised his head, looked at Yan, and asked, "Young Chief Yan, how many people are there in your Fire Tribe now?"

Yan put down his wine bowl and slowly said, "Our Fire Tribe now has 100,000 people."

One hundred thousand people! This number was like a Shitou thrown into water, creating ripples. Although Gaogan and Zhuangzhi were somewhat prepared, they were still speechless with shock when they heard it with their own ears. What does one hundred thousand mean? The Valley Tribe only has a little over twenty thousand people, and the Tiger Tribe in the lower reaches of the Fish River is said to have only a little over one hundred thousand. The Fire Tribe tribe's population is now almost catching up with that of the Tiger Tribe.

Gaogan took a deep breath. They could make pottery, salt, weave cloth, build ships, farm, and had 100,000 people. With that kind of strength, they were unmatched in the entire middle reaches of the Fish River. He recalled what he had recently heard: several small tribes on the south bank of the Green Leaf River were secretly discussing joining the Fire Tribe. If they all left, the south bank of the Green Leaf River would be mostly empty.

Gaogan picked up the wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, put the bowl down, looked at Yan, and his eyes held a hint of probing.

"Young Chief Yan, I've heard... there are quite a few tribes on the south bank of the Green Leaf River. Are you interested in joining the Fire Tribe?"

Yan didn't hide anything and replied, "Yes, but our Fire Tribe won't force anyone; it's entirely voluntary."

Gaogan nodded and didn't ask any more questions. He already had a plan in mind. After the banquet, Yan had people bring out the pottery and salt they had brought and exchanged them with the Long Leaf Tribe and Duanye tribes at a preferential price. Gaogan and Zhuangzhi's eyes lit up when they saw the items. The pottery was exquisite and the salt was much better than what they used before, and the price was also cheaper. It was much more cost-effective than exchanging it with the Valley Tribe.

"Young Master Yan, you must come more often!" Gaogan held Yan's hand, reluctant to let go.

Zhuangzhi nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, yes, bring more! We have plenty of good stuff here too—animal hides, medicinal herbs, timber—you can have whatever you want!"

Yan smiled and agreed. He led the fleet to rest for the night at the mouth of the Green Leaf River Mouth. The next morning, the fleet set off, and their next destination was the Clothing River.