A Population Explosion
The group finally crossed the familiar ridge, and the full view of the Fire Tribe's valley unfolded before them. Yet the sight made the travel-worn Jianshi, Wang Yan, and the others pause in surprise.
The valley was even livelier than when they had left. It could even be called... crowded!
The newly planned hut district was already full, and rows of temporary, rather crude thatched shelters had gone up on the open ground farther out. The settlement they had thought would be spacious enough after its expansion was now bustling with people. Children ran and played, women gathered to prepare food or weave, and men busied themselves felling trees, reinforcing houses, and digging foundations... The entire tribe was like an enormous, busy beehive, filled with noisy, thriving vitality. There seemed to be far more than the five hundred people they had expected!
"How... how are there so many people?" Dali's eyes widened in disbelief.
Just then, Jianya and Dabang, who had received the news, hurried over to greet them. Seeing their elder brother and nephew return safely, both wore smiles of relief.
"Big Brother! Yan! You're finally back!" Jianya's voice trembled with excitement.
"Chief! Did everything go smoothly on the journey?" Dabang also asked with concern.
Jianshi's gaze continued sweeping over the visibly swollen tribe as he asked directly, "Jianya, what happened? Why are there so many more people in the tribe?"
A trace of a wry smile appeared on Jianya's face, but his eyes held more excitement than anything else. He hurried to explain, "Big Brother, after you left, things went even better than we expected. No, even more... wildly than we expected!"
He counted on his fingers. "First, the fifty women those ten tribes promised at the small gathering all arrived, one group after another, while you were away at the Fish Tribe! Most of them have more or less settled in."
"That's not all," Dabang cut in, his tone equally incredulous. "Somehow, word spread that our Fire Tribe had plenty of food and was willing to take people in. Another five or six tiny tribes nearby came with their whole families-ones that had been waiting to see how things went, or simply couldn't hold on any longer! Altogether, that was almost another two hundred people! Brother Jianya and I discussed it and felt this was a once-in-a-thousand-years chance to strengthen the tribe, so... so we took them all in!"
Jianya added, "Right now, not counting the people you brought back, the tribe's total population is already close to seven hundred! And I've seen several dozen women carrying babies. Next spring, once those babies are born, our tribe is sure to break through the seven-hundred mark!"
Seven hundred people! Everyone who had just returned drew in a sharp breath at the number! When they left, the tribe had only a little over two hundred people. With the nearly two hundred taken in at the small gathering, they had expected to reach five hundred. They had never imagined that in just one month, the population would surge by another two hundred! This rate of expansion exceeded everyone's expectations.
Shibang, Yingmu, and the other young men gaped at the bustling scene before them, feeling hot blood rush straight to their heads-the Fire Tribe had truly become a large tribe with a sizable population!
After his initial shock, Wang Yan quickly calmed down. Population was the foundation of development, but it also brought enormous pressure. He immediately thought of the most crucial issue. "Food! With so many people added all at once, do we have enough food stored for winter?"
Unexpectedly, Jianshi did not blame Jianya and Dabang for their "unauthorized" decision. Instead, a gratified, approving smile appeared on his face, and he firmly patted their shoulders. "Good work taking them in! You did the right thing!"
His eyes shone as he looked at everyone, his voice loud and powerful. "This trip to the Fish Tribe made me understand even more clearly that in this world, people are the foundation! Without enough people, we can't accomplish anything! Why can the Fish Tribe act so forcefully? Because they have over a thousand people! Now that we have seven hundred, we have the confidence to talk to any tribe!"
Then he changed tack, brimming with confidence. "No one needs to worry about food! We brought treasures back this time!"
He stepped aside and pointed at the two small boats behind him, which Zhouya and Shuihen were guarding. "Look! These are the boats we traded pottery for at the Fish Tribe! With them, we can fish in deeper waters, farther away! Before the river freezes over, we can still organize people to catch fish on a large scale! We won't go hungry this winter!"
He then pointed to the two baskets of rice seed, Suyuan, and Qingmu. "We also traded for rice seeds and teachers who know how to grow them! When spring comes next year, we can open up our own paddies and grow our own grain! Then we won't have to depend entirely on hunting and fishing anymore!"
His gaze finally settled on Wang Yan, filled with absolute trust. "And Yan has plenty of good ideas for increasing our food supply! Everyone must believe that our Fire Tribe can not only feed all these people, but also give everyone a better life than before!"
The chief's resolve and clear plans were like a pill to steady their hearts, dispelling the trace of panic the population explosion had caused. That was right-they had boats, seeds, skills, and Yan's wisdom! What was there to fear?
Jianshi continued issuing instructions. "Jianya, Dabang, you did very well! Next, settle all the new tribespeople as soon as possible and make sure they have shelter from the wind and rain. Organize the hunting and fishing teams, and put everything into stockpiling food for winter before the weather turns completely cold! Leave the boats to Zhouya and Master Shuihen. Have them lead people in getting familiar with them as soon as possible, and strive to build us a dozen or more boats like these within two years! With more boats, we can go farther out to fish in the great rivers!"
"Yes, Chief!" everyone answered in unison, their morale soaring.
Watching his father calmly direct everyone and steady their hearts, Wang Yan was filled with pride. The population explosion was a challenge, but even more than that, it was an enormous opportunity. The construction machine that was the Fire Tribe now had enough "fuel." What came next was figuring out how to set it running efficiently and turn all these people into a powerful force for production and development.