A Pleasant Trade

Four days after the Fire Tribe's fleet left the Green Leaf River, the mouth of the Clothing River appeared before Yan. The autumn sun shone on the river, making it sparkle like scattered gold. The Clothing River had a larger volume of water than the Green Leaf River, and its surface was wider and the current was gentler. Yan led the fleet upstream along the Clothing River, and soon they arrived not far from the Clothing Tribe's dock. Several small boats were moored next to the Clothing Tribe, and there were figures walking around on the dock.

Yan stood at the Chuantou and saw a group of people standing on the shore in the distance. The one in the lead was wearing an exquisite linen robe and was dressed neatly. She was Zhixia, the leader of the Clothing Tribe. Behind her stood several leaders of the Clothing Tribe, all of whom were wearing new clothes and looked very energetic.

"Young Chief, the Clothing Tribe tribe is waiting for us." Feiyu walked over and stood beside him, a smile on his face.

Yan nodded and told the Fire Tribe's fleet to slow down. He had already sent a large Muzhou with a carrying capacity of 2,000 jin to the Clothing Tribe to deliver the message. Zhixia and the others should have received the news and were waiting with their men.

The Fire Tribe's fleet slowly approached the shore. Yan's 20,000- Clothing Tribe's small wharf, so it could only stop in the middle of the Clothing River. Yan and his group had to transfer to smaller boats to cross. The two 20,000-jin carrying capacity ships were moored in the middle of the Clothing River like two Little Mountain, with their flags fluttering in the wind.

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

Zhixia quickly stepped forward, her face beaming with smiles, and said, "Young Master Yan, it's been a while since we last met, and you've become even more handsome and dashing!" She looked Yan up and down, her eyes full of admiration.

Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Chief Zhixia, you flatter me."

Zhixia, however, wouldn't let him off the hook. Smiling, she leaned closer and said, "Young Chief Yan, do you have a sweetheart right now? If not, many young women in our Clothing Tribe are still single! If you take a fancy to any of them, I can try to set you up."

Yan was stunned. He hadn't expected the leader of the Clothing Tribe to like matchmaking. Yan blushed deeply and his ears burned from her sudden enthusiasm.

He quickly waved his hand, his tone somewhat flustered, and said, "Chief Zhixia, I only came of age last year, and I'm not in a hurry to get married. There are many things to do in the Fire Tribe right now, so let's wait two years before talking about settling down."

Seeing his expression, Zhixia laughed even harder, and then said, "Chief Yan prioritizes the affairs of the Fire Tribe, which is truly admirable."

Yan quickly changed the subject, his voice still a little weak, "Chief Zhixia, our fleet brought a lot of good things this time, your Clothing Tribe will definitely like them."

Zhixia stopped teasing him and her eyes lit up as she said, "The things from your Fire Tribe are really excellent. Last time, our Clothing Tribe didn't even have enough to go around, so we must buy more this time."

She paused, a sly glint in her eyes, and said, "But Young Master Yan, you'll have to give us an even bigger discount this time, won't you?"

Yan regained his composure and said with a smile, "That's easy to say. If your Clothing Tribe Clothing Tribe has a large order, I'll definitely give you the most favorable price."

Zhixia nodded in satisfaction, stepped aside to make way, and said, "Then thank you very much, Chief Yan. You must be tired from your journey. I have prepared wine and food in the council hall of the Clothing Tribe. Please come with me to have something to eat first."

The group followed Zhixia toward the council hall of the Clothing Tribe. The camp of the Clothing Tribe was much tidier than when they last came. The trees on both sides of the road were trimmed neatly, and several rows of newly built wooden houses were arranged along the roadside. Several women sat at the door weaving cloth. When they saw Yan and the others pass by, they all looked up and looked at them curiously.

In the council hall of the Clothing Tribe, the firewood in the hearth was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy. The low table was filled with food—roasted mutton, stewed fish soup, wild vegetables, rice, and several jars of fruit wine. Zhixia invited everyone to sit down and had some fruit brought out.

As soon as Yan sat down, he waved his hand, and his attendants immediately presented gifts. Three loads of exquisite pottery were laid out one by one, filling the low tables in the council hall.

Zhixia's eyes lit up. She picked up a ceramic bowl and examined it carefully, saying, "What a wonderful thing! It's truly a wonderful thing!" She looked at it with great interest, turning it over and over. The other leaders also gathered around, passing it around to examine it, marveling at it.

"Your Fire Tribe is truly generous!" Fangyun exclaimed, touching the pottery jar.

"The pottery you brought this time is even better than the last one." Caiyue held up a pottery bottle, examining it from all angles.

Zhixia carefully put away the pottery, personally poured Yan a bowl of wine, and said, "Young Chief Yan, come, let me toast you first!"

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the atmosphere in the council hall became increasingly lively, Zhixia put down her wine bowl.

Looking at Yan, he asked with a hint of curiosity in his eyes, "Young Chief Yan, are those two large ships outside, each with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, really built by your Fire Tribe? How many ships this big do you have in your Fire Tribe?"

Yan nodded and replied, "Yes, our Fire Tribe already has more than thirty of these ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin, and we plan to build fifty this year."

The room fell silent instantly. Fangyun's hand, which was picking up food, froze in mid-air. Caiyue, who was holding a wine bowl, forgot to drink. The leaders looked at each other, all seeing shock in each other's eyes.

Yan continued, "Our Fire Tribe is also building those ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin like the ones from the Valley Tribe, and we expect to finish one by the end of this year."

Zhixia gasped, and it took her a while to recover before she said, "Your Fire Tribe is truly amazing..." She picked up her wine bowl and drank it all in one gulp, as if trying to calm her nerves.

The other leaders also came to their senses and began to discuss among themselves.

"A ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin! Only the Valley Tribe has such a thing!"

"The Fire Tribe built this themselves? In just a few years?"

"No wonder they've grown to 100,000 people..."

Zhixia put down her wine bowl, looked at Yan, and said sincerely, "Young Chief Yan, the speed at which your Fire Tribe has developed is truly admirable. From a small tribe, it has grown to such a large size in just a few years. It's not easy."

Yan said modestly, "Chief Zhixia, you flatter us. Our Fire Tribe was just lucky to have caught a good time."

Zhixia shook her head and said nothing more. She picked up her wine bowl and offered Yan another bowl.

After the banquet, the trade began. Yan had most of the supplies he had brought carried to the dock: pottery, coarse salt, hemp cloth, straw sandals—basket after basket, load after load, piled up like Little Mountain. Zhixia led the leaders to look at each item one by one, selecting them one by one, their eyes growing brighter and brighter.

"We, the Clothing Tribe, will take all of these pottery pieces that your Fire Tribe unloaded," Zhixia said decisively, pointing to the pile of pottery.

Yan was taken aback for a moment before asking, "You want all of these from your Clothing Tribe? That's quite a lot."

Zhixia smiled and said, "Our Clothing Tribe may not have much else, but we have plenty of cloth and animal hides. Last time, we took the pottery your Fire Tribe brought and sold it to nearby tribes, making quite a bit of money. This time, we're stocking up to make more money for business."

Yan smiled and said, "Alright, these are all yours then, at the best price."

Zhixia nodded in satisfaction, then pointed to the pile of coarse salt and said, "We also want salt, and how much cloth and animal hides do you want?"

Yan thought for a moment and then said, "We need as much raw material as possible for leather armor and boots, and we also need cloth, the more the better."

Zhixia's eyes lit up, and she quickly sent someone to take inventory. A little while later, Fangyun returned and reported the numbers.

"Five hundred fine animal hides, one thousand medium-quality hides, and three hundred bolts of linen."

Yan calculated in his mind that these would be enough to make a thousand sets of leather armor and over a thousand pairs of leather boots. The Fire Tribe currently has 20,000 warriors, and there is still a large shortage, but the supplies he brought this time were limited, so he could only exchange these for now.

"We'll take them all," he said.

Zhixia beamed with joy and quickly had people load the goods onto the ship. Then the goods were handed over. Both sides were busy, with people moving goods and taking inventory. Shouts and calls rose and fell.

After the transaction was completed, it was already dark. Yan and his fleet rested for the night at the Clothing River. Early the next morning, Zhixia came to see them off in person.

"Young Master Yan, please visit the Clothing Tribe often in the future!" She stood on the dock, followed by a group of leaders, waving goodbye.

Yan, standing at the Chuantou, waved and said, "Okay, definitely!"

The fleet slowly sailed out of the Clothing River and merged into the wide Fish River. Feiyu walked over, stood beside Yan, and asked, "Young Chief, where is our Fire Tribe headed now?"

Yan glanced at the sky and said, "Have some of the ships loaded with supplies transported Fire Tribe headquarters first. The rest of the ships, come with me to the Big Horse River."

Feiyu nodded and turned to make arrangements. Dozens of ships loaded with goods changed direction and sailed upstream along the Fish River towards the Fire Tribe's headquarters. The remaining ships, led by Flame, continued downstream along the Fish River. Half a day later, they arrived at the mouth of the Big Horse River.

The Big Horse River is smaller than the Clothing River. Maple Leaf Tribe's 20,000-jin (10,000 kg) boat couldn't pass the Maple Leaf Tribe's dock, so it had to stop in the middle of the Big Horse River. He switched to a small boat and headed towards the Maple Leaf Tribe's dock with Feiyu and Bailin. From afar, Yan could see two people standing at the front of the dock: Feng, the leader of the Maple Leaf Tribe, and Chunmu, the leader of the Toon Tribe. Both of them were wearing new clothes, and several tribal leaders followed behind them.

After Yan's small boat docked, he jumped onto the pier, where two leaders immediately came to greet him with smiles on their faces, saying, "Young Leader Yan! We've been waiting for you!" Feng grabbed Yan's hand and shook it vigorously, his face crinkling into a wide grin.

Chunmu chimed in, his voice booming, "We sold the things your Fire Tribe brought last time to nearby small tribes and made quite a bit of money! This time we've prepared a lot of supplies, just waiting for your Fire Tribe to arrive!"

Yan smiled and said, "We're giving you the best price this time, we guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Feng nodded repeatedly, holding Yan's hand tightly, and said, "Young Chief Yan, why don't you come to our tribe for a while? I've had some wine and food prepared..."

Yan shook his head and politely declined, "Chief Feng, I appreciate your kindness, but we have a long journey ahead, so let's not bother you any longer. Let's finish the transaction first."

Feng was somewhat disappointed, but he didn't insist. He said, "Alright then, next time your Fire Tribe comes, be sure to stay longer!"

The trade began quickly, with the Maple Leaf Tribe and the Toon Tribe bringing out the supplies they had prepared beforehand—animal hides, medicinal herbs, timber, and mountain products—piling up the ground.

Yan looked at them and saw that they were all good stuff: thick animal hides, fresh medicinal herbs, and top-quality Yingmu, perfect for making oars and tools.

"Our Fire Tribe will take them all," Yan said.

The two leaders' eyes lit up, and they quickly ordered their men to load the goods onto the Fire Tribe's ship. The Flame Tribe also unloaded the pottery and salt they had brought and piled them on the Maple Leaf Tribe's dock.

Feng held a ceramic bowl, examining it from all angles, and exclaimed with delight, "These are all wonderful things! Even better than what you brought last time!"

Chunmu was even more direct. He picked up a small mouthful of salt, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and his eyes lit up. He exclaimed, "Good salt! It's not very bitter!"

The transaction was completed, and both parties were very satisfied. Feng held Yan's hand tightly, reluctant to let go, and said, "Young Master Yan, you must stay longer next time you come!"

Chunmu chimed in from the side, "Yes, yes, stay a while! We have lots of good stuff here!"

Yan smiled and agreed, leading the Fire Tribe's fleet back to port. The Fire Tribe's fleet sailed upstream along the Fish River, heading towards the Fire Tribe's headquarters. The setting sun dyed the river surface a golden red. Feiyu stood beside Yan, watching the scenery on both banks gradually darken.

"Young leader, we've had quite a haul this time."

Yan nodded, looking ahead, and said, "Yes, the Clothing Tribe exchanged five hundred top-quality animal hides, a thousand medium-quality hides, and several hundred bolts of cloth. The Big Horse River region also exchanged quite a few good things."

Feiyu remarked, "The leather from the Clothing Tribe is truly of high quality; we could never produce leather of that caliber ourselves."

Yan said, "Everyone has their strengths. We can make pottery and salt, while they can tan leather and weave cloth. If we exchange with each other, everyone will benefit."

Feiyu nodded and said nothing more; the fleet continued on its way.