Migration Management Center

That afternoon, Yan led the Fire Tribe's fleet to a location not far from the Fire Tribe's Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. Standing at the Chuantou, Yan could see from afar that the dock was bustling with people and boats coming and going, much more lively than before.

The Fire Tribe's Little Fish River Mouth Outpost was formerly the Fish Tribe's camp. When the Fish Tribe first joined the Fire Tribe, there were only less than a thousand old wooden houses and a small dock. Now, the dock has been expanded several times over, with thick wooden planks laid on it, making it very sturdy. It can accommodate many more boats, and even the Fire Tribe's large boats, with a carrying capacity of tens of thousands of kilograms, can be moored side by side without feeling crowded. The outpost camp extends in all directions, with rows and rows of wooden houses, so neatly arranged as if measured with a ruler. The fields stretch as far as the eye can see. Although the autumn harvest has passed, leaving only stubble fields, the sheer scale of the fields still gives one a sense of security.

Dazhuang had already received Yan's message and was waiting at the dock with a few men. He was wearing a linen short jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his thick forearms. His face was tanned dark by the sun, and his hands were as rough as old tree bark. When he saw Yan's ship dock, he strode forward to greet it.

"Yan!" He grabbed Yan's hand and shook it vigorously, his face beaming. "You've finally arrived!"

Yan jumped onto the dock and smiled, saying, "Uncle Dazhuang, the dock at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost has been expanded quite a bit."

Dazhuang looked back and said with a hint of pride, "That's right. Now our Fire Tribe's ships are getting bigger and bigger, and there are more and more of them. We have to expand our stronghold and docks here. The other day, Jianya Brother led a fleet to the Valley Tribe to transport grain, and several hundred ships docked here, almost causing the docks to burst. How can we not expand?"

Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the camp and the paddy fields. The camp stretched northward into a large area, with rows of newly built wooden houses, their roofs still covered in golden thatch, clearly indicating that the harvest was fresh this year. Further away, the paddy fields stretched out one after another. Although the rice had already been harvested, the field ridges were neatly constructed, and the irrigation ditches crisscrossed, showing that a lot of effort had been put into them.

"The campsite and rice paddies here have expanded quite a bit," Yan said sincerely.

Dazhuang followed his gaze and said with a touch of emotion, "Yes, the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost has now settled 10,000 people, and the autumn harvest of paddy fields this year has yielded 10,000 mu of grain. Next spring, we will expand the planting area, and the grain here will only increase in the future."

Ten thousand people, ten thousand mu of paddy fields, Yan silently calculated in his mind. Including the strongholds of Pottery and Salt, Stone Creek, and Qinghe, the total population of the Fire Tribe outside had far exceeded that of the main tribe. Most of their food was also supplied from outside. The twenty thousand mu of paddy fields at the Fire Tribe headquarters were now nothing.

"The location of Little Fish River Mouth is extremely important to the development of our Fire Tribe."

Yan looked at the distant river and said seriously, "The development potential of the Fire Tribe's main valley is limited. There's only so much land there, and the fields are limited too. We can't squeeze out much more. But the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost is different. It's spacious, the water is good, and the land is fertile. I'll go back and talk to my father about moving the Fire Tribe's management center here."

Dazhuang's eyes lit up. After thinking for a moment, he nodded and said, "That's a good idea. The Fire Tribe headquarters is indeed a bit crowded. Moving the Fire Tribe's management center here is excellent. It's spacious here, and it's convenient for external development. Look at this river, it's so wide, any size boat can navigate it. It's convenient to go north to the Valley Tribe or south back to the Fire Tribe headquarters."

Yan nodded and said no more. Dazhuang had worked hard here for so long, managing several strongholds, it was time to lighten his load.

"You've all had a long journey." Dazhuang patted him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go to the council hall and get something to eat. I've had it prepared, we're just waiting for you to arrive before we start eating."

The group followed Dazhuang toward the council hall of the stronghold. The council hall at Little Fish River Mouth was newly built, smaller than the main hall, but still quite impressive. It had log walls and a thatched roof, with two thick pillars at the entrance engraved with fish patterns—the former mark of the Fish Tribe, now the symbol of the Fire Tribe Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. Inside, a fire pit burned, making it warm and cozy. Food was already laid out on the low table: roasted fish, stewed meat, wild vegetable soup, rice, and fruit wine. The mud seal on the wine jar had just been broken, and the aroma of wine mixed with the smell of food made one's mouth water.

Everyone sat down to eat and chat. Dazhuang ate so fast that his cheeks were bulging and he could barely speak.

Seeing his expression, Yan couldn't help but laugh and say, "Uncle Dazhuang, eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you."

Dazhuang swallowed a large mouthful of meat, wiped his mouth, and said with a wry smile, "You have no idea, when things get busy here, you can't even get a hot meal. If you hadn't come today, I'd still be in the fields turning the soil with those people."

Yan put down his chopsticks and asked seriously, "Is the base manageable?"

Dazhuang sighed, put down his bowl, and said, "To be honest, I'm overwhelmed. I'm not only in charge of Little Fish River Mouth, but also Pottery Salt River Mouth, Stone Creek River Mouth, Qinghe, Shuize, Hundred Crafts, Beast Taming, and those outposts at the High Pointed Mountain —they're all under my jurisdiction! I have to manage reclamation, construction, livelihood, and military preparedness. There are so many things to do, even if I were divided into eight parts, I still couldn't handle it all!"

Yan nodded. There were indeed quite a few strongholds in this area, with a combined population of Dazhuang of thousands. It was really too much to ask Dazhuang to manage them all by himself.

He thought for a moment and said, "Uncle Dazhuang, hang in there a little longer. I'll go back and talk to my father about relocating the management center. Once the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost becomes the center and there are more people, things will be much easier."

Dazhuang's eyes lit up and he said, "Then you'd better hurry up. If this keeps up, my old bones will really fall apart."

Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll bring it up as soon as I get back."

Dazhuang was relieved and picked up his bowl to eat again. After he had almost finished eating, Dazhuang wiped his mouth and brought up another matter.

"By the way, Yan, there's something I need to tell you."

Yan put down his bowl and listened attentively.

Dazhuang said, "You know the Little Horse River basin north of Little Fish Outpost, right?"

Yan nodded. "Little Horse River is on the east bank of the Fish River. It's a few days' walk north from the mouth of Little Fish River Mouth. The Wolf Tribe used to cause trouble in that area, slaughtering many tribes, and then the area became deserted."

Dazhuang continued, "After we wiped out the Wolf Tribe's stronghold, they became safe. Recently, many small tribes have migrated from the north and settled in the Little Horse River basin. They're living a modest life. Recently, while trading with us, they learned about our Fire Tribe's recruitment of people, and many want to join."

Yan's spirits lifted, and he asked, "How many of them are there?"

Dazhuang thought for a moment and said, "There should be four or five thousand people, scattered in several ravines and gullies. I had someone count them; there are dozens of tribes of varying sizes, and the total number is quite large."

Yan quickly calculated in his mind: more than 4,000 people, plus several thousand more from the Green Leaf River, and the Fire Tribe could absorb nearly 10,000 more this year. Would the food be enough? He went through it in his mind. The main force's food reserves plus the grain from the outposts outside had a good harvest this year, and it would be no problem to support another 10,000 to 20,000 people.

"Our Fire Tribe still has a surplus of food, so absorbing a few thousand more people shouldn't be a problem." Yan looked at Dazhuang. "Uncle Dazhuang, could you contact them here and tell them to prepare? Once I return to the Fire Tribe headquarters, I'll bring a fleet to pick them up."

Dazhuang slapped his thigh, his face beaming with joy, and said, "Great! With your words, I feel much more at ease. Those small tribes are eagerly awaiting our definite news. I'll go and contact them right away, and have them pack their things so they can wait for you to bring your fleet to pick them up."

The two then discussed the details for a while, deciding which tribes were in the most urgent need, which could wait, and which people to pick up first and which to pick up later. Dazhuang was very familiar with the situation there, knowing exactly how many people were in each tribe, how they were doing, and what kind of people their leaders were. Yan Yi remembered all of this.

"Uncle Dazhuang, I'm entrusting these matters to you." Yan stood up and said solemnly.

Dazhuang stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of this. Go back and tell your father about the Qianhuo Fire Tribe Management Center. I'll be waiting for your good news."

The next morning, before dawn, Yan got up and stood on the dock, looking at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost in the morning light. A thin mist shrouded the river, and people in the camp were already up and moving around. Smoke rose from the chimneys, and the sound of roosters crowing came from afar. A new day had begun.

Feiyu and Bailin were already on the ship, checking the mooring lines and sails. When they saw Yan approaching, the two quickly went to greet him.

"Young Chief, we are all ready and can depart at any time."

Yan nodded, then turned to look at the outpost dock, where Dazhuang and a few others were standing and waving at him.

"Yan, have a safe trip! Don't forget to tell your older brother about relocating the management center!" Dazhuang's voice came through the morning breeze.

Yan waved his hand and said loudly, "Don't worry, Uncle Dazhuang! I won't forget!"

He turned and boarded the boat. The sound of the Niujiao rang out, and the fleet slowly started moving, sailing out of the Little Fish River Mouth and upstream towards the Fire Tribe headquarters.