Nighttime Handover and a Promise

Qingsui had walked this path from the Valley Tribe's council hall to the Fire Tribe's temporary camp many times, but each time it felt different. This time it was night, the sky was full of stars, and the moonlight was like water. The silvery moonlight poured down from the sky, sprinkling on the road, on the leaves, and on the two of them, giving them a silvery glow. The night breeze carried the moist scent of the river and the fragrance of the soil from the distant fields, mixed with the scent of grass and the sweetness of flowers, refreshing and invigorating. The trees on both sides of the road had already sprouted new leaves, tender and green.

Yingmu, Shibang, Feiyu, Bailin, Jia Li walked ahead, their steps quick. They spoke in hushed tones, occasionally letting out a soft laugh, but none of them turned around. They knew that Yan and Qingsui had something to say and something to discuss, so they tactfully returned to the camp first, each walking very fast.

Yan and Qingsui walked slowly behind, neither wanting to hurry or arrive first. They naturally held hands, their fingers interlocked, palms pressed together, warm and reassuring, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Qingsui's hands were soft and cool, like a piece of warm jade or silk, while Yan's hands were rough but warm. Their shadows overlapped and separated in the moonlight, then overlapped again.

Qingsui spoke first, her voice clear and melodious like a silver bell. "Yan, how long will you be staying here this time?"

Yan thought for a moment and said, "This time we plan to transport five million catties of grain back. We have many large ships now, ten with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties each, fifty with a carrying capacity of 20,000 catties each, and so many small ships. If we speed up, we should be able to complete the handover with you in two days."

He paused, as if calculating the time, his brow furrowing slightly, and said, "Tomorrow we'll exchange the coarse salt during the day, and then the bronze artifacts in the evening. These items are valuable, but not numerous, so the exchange will be quick. The day after tomorrow, we just need to load the remaining grain onto the ship."

Qingsui nodded and said, "Okay, did you bring me anything this time? I've used up all the spices you brought last time. My father says it tastes better when I add a little to the dishes."

Yan smiled and said, "Yes, yes, I bring you some every time I come. How could I forget? You'd be upset if I forgot. I'll go to the camp to get it for you later. It's a big bag, enough for you to use for a while, until autumn."

Qingsui smiled happily, her eyes curving into crescents as she said, "That's great!"

Qingsui then asked, "The bronze artifacts you just brought out in the council hall were of very high quality, even better and sharper than those from the Tiger Tribe. How is your production? Is it enough for your own use?"

Yan thought for a moment and answered truthfully, "Our bronze production is quite good. Besides what we use ourselves, the surplus is enough to buy ten or twenty million catties of grain every year. We can supply you however much you need, and the quality will only get better and better."

Qingsui exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder you can offer us prices so much lower than the Tiger Tribe's, almost half the price! It turns out your production volume is already so high. Your bronze ware is not only good and plentiful, but also cheap, and you even deliver it to our door!"

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, now we not only use bronze as weapons, but also many tools and farm implements, such as Chutou, sickles, plows, saws, planes, and chisels, are basically made of bronze. Shitou, bone, and wood tools have been largely phased out."

Qingsui exclaimed, "No wonder your tribe can build ships so quickly and cultivate so much land so fast. It turns out you've started using bronze tools. Even our Valley Tribe doesn't dare to use them like that. I heard even the Tiger Tribe doesn't use large amounts of bronze tools on farmland."

She sighed, shook her head, and said with deep emotion, "Your Fire Tribe is so rich and powerful now, with so many technologies. No wonder you've developed so quickly, surpassing others' decades of accumulation in just a few years."

Yan said, "Our Fire Tribe is currently struggling to even protect itself, and is far weaker than the Tiger Tribe. We need to continue developing, building ships, manufacturing weapons, and training warriors. By the end of the year, when we have ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, our Fire Tribe will have some ability to protect itself. At that time, the Tiger Tribe will have to think twice before trying to deal with our Fire Tribe."

The two walked and talked, and before they knew it, they arrived at the Fire Tribe's temporary camp. At the entrance of the camp, the campfire was burning brightly. Yan let go of Qingsui's hand and went into the camp. After a while, he took out a bulging animal skin bag from the tent and handed it to Qingsui. The bag was heavy, weighing at least several dozen kilograms, making Qingsui's hand sink. Qingsui took it, opened it, and saw that it contained several small cloth bags filled with spices.

Qingsui smiled happily, hugging the bag even tighter as if it were a precious treasure. She said, "I was just running low on spices. I was worried about what to cook yesterday. With these, I can use them for a while longer, and my father can enjoy good food again."

Seeing her happy expression, Yan felt happy too, as sweet as if he had eaten honey, and said, "Next time I come, I'll bring you even more, double the amount."

Qingsui nodded, her eyes shining, and said, "Okay, okay, you have to cook something delicious for me this time too. Your cooking is so much better than mine. I've been craving it for so long, I dream about it."

She paused, thought for a moment, then tilted her head and said, "I'll come over tomorrow during dinner. We can exchange the bronze weapons after dinner. It's crowded and noisy during the day, but quiet and safe at night."

Yan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll cook you something delicious then, like braised pork, steamed fish, chicken soup, and stir-fried vegetables."

Qingsui nodded happily, hugged the spice bag, turned and left. After a few steps, she turned back and waved to Yan, saying, "Yan, see you tomorrow!" Her voice was clear and crisp, drifting in the night breeze like a silver bell.

Yan stood at the camp entrance and waved to her, saying, "See you tomorrow!"

Qingsui waved as well, her figure growing smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the night. Yan stood at the camp entrance, gazing in that direction, motionless for a long time.

The next morning, before dawn, the Fire Tribe's temporary camp was already bustling with activity. The Valley Tribe's Second Elder, Hefeng, and Chief Fengren arrived early. Hefeng wore a faded but clean linen robe, without a single wrinkle. He wore a smile, his eyes narrowed to slits, and the corners of his mouth turned up. Fengren followed behind, a bronze sword at his waist, its scabbard engraved with patterns. His steps were steady, his boots making a dull thud on the ground, and his sharp gaze, like an eagle's, scanned the surroundings.

The two tribes had cooperated many times before, their actions were extremely coordinated, like the left and right hands, like gears. They didn't need to say much; a single glance was enough for them to know what to do. By morning, all the coarse salt had been delivered. Bags of coarse salt were unloaded from the Fire Tribe's ship and neatly stacked in the Valley Tribe's warehouse. The Valley Tribe's more than two million catties of grain were also loaded onto the Fire Tribe's ship. Bags of grain were carried out of the Valley Tribe's warehouse, carried onto the ship, walked across the gangplank, and stacked in the hold, layer upon layer, until they were very high. The two sides cooperated well, and the progress was very fast.

As evening approached, before the sun had set and a rosy glow still hung on the horizon like a red ribbon, Yan had just finished cooking when Qingsui arrived. She walked briskly, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead and rosy cheeks, as if she had just finished running.

"I'm busier than before now. My father has more and more things to manage. I'm busy from morning till night every day. Am I late?" Qingsui's voice carried a hint of apology, exhaustion, and a touch of coquetry.

Yan shook his head and said with a smile, "It's not late, it's not late. You've come at the perfect time. The dishes are fresh out of the pot and still hot. Eat them while they're hot, they won't taste good when they're cold."

Qingsui nodded, sat down, and started eating. She ate heartily without any restraint, her cheeks bulging, until she couldn't eat anymore. Only then did she put down her chopsticks, lean back in her chair, rub her stomach, and sigh contentedly, like a cat that had eaten its fill.

"It's delicious! Your cooking is a hundred times better than the chefs in the Valley Tribe."

The two chatted for a while, and as they talked, it got dark, the stars came out, and the moon rose, round and big, like a silver plate or a jade plate, casting a cool glow.

Qingsui stood up, wiped her mouth, patted the dust off her skirt, and said, "I'll have my attendants bring people over to inventory the bronze weapons brought by the Fire Tribe. It's getting dark, perfect for the task."

She walked to the camp gate and ordered her attendants to call for reinforcements. Soon, over a hundred people arrived. These were all Daiyue's trusted confidants, each strong and capable. They worked very efficiently, without speaking, just doing their jobs. Some were counting, some were moving, and some were keeping count. Bronze knives, bronze swords, bronze spears, and bronze axes were unloaded from the ship one by one, stacked in specially made wooden boxes, and sealed.

Soon, Yan and Qingsui finished handing over the bronze weapons. Qingsui signed the wooden board, and then Yan signed it as well, making two copies, one for each of them, and they kept them safe.

Qingsui put away the wooden plank and said to Yan, "I'll go back and report to my father first. I'll come to play with you again tomorrow afternoon. You should be free by then, right?"

Yan nodded and said, "We should be almost done by tomorrow afternoon. All the grain has been packed, and there are just some finishing touches left. I'll cook you something delicious then; you can have whatever you want to eat."

Qingsui nodded happily, her eyes curving into crescents, and said, "Okay, I'll be going now."

She turned and walked away quickly with her entourage, her skirt swaying gently in the night breeze.