Smooth Return

Six days later, the fleet finally arrived near the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. The voyage had been much smoother than expected. The weather had been fine, sunny and cloudless, with no strong winds or heavy rains, and no dangerous shoals or reefs. The dock at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost was getting closer and clearer.

A group of people stood on the dock, a dark mass. Leading them was Jianshi, dressed in a long, blue linen robe that stood ramrod straight like a pine tree. Qingye stood beside him, wearing a light-colored linen skirt embroidered with small Little Flower. Her hair was neatly combed and held up with a wooden hairpin. A faint smile played on her lips. Behind them stood leaders such as Dabang, Jijiao, Binmao, Canglan, and Wu Xiong, all looking spirited and eagerly awaiting their arrival.

Yan had already sent a boat to send the message Fire Tribe headquarters. Upon receiving the message, Jianshi immediately led his men to the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost dock to meet them. They set off from the headquarters and traveled downstream along the Fire Creek River, arriving in half a day.

At the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost dock, Jianshi stood at the front with his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed on the river leading north in the distance. Qingye stood beside him, occasionally looking up at his face and then down at her own hands.

"They're here! They're here!" someone shouted, their voice high-pitched and shrill.

In the distance, a massive fleet of ships appeared on the Fish River. The fleet emerged from a bend in the river, one after another, with ten enormous ships, each capable of carrying 50,000 jin (25,000 kg) each, leading the way. Jianshi smiled, a smile of satisfaction on his face. He strode forward to meet them, his steps hurried as if he had inexhaustible energy. The people behind him followed, creating a rushing sound.

The fleet slowly approached the shore. The giant ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties were too deep to enter the Fire Creek River and could only stop at the Fire Creek River Mouth. The ships with a carrying capacity of less than 10,000 catties continued to go upstream along the Fire Creek River, one after another, like small fish, sailing towards the Fire Tribe headquarters pier.

Yan jumped off the largest ship and strode towards the Jianshi. His steps were light and quick. After more than twenty days of sailing, he had finally arrived home.

"Father!" He walked up to the Jianshi, clasped his hands in a deep bow, and bowed deeply.

Jianshi grasped his hand and asked, "You're back? Had a safe journey?"

Yan nodded and said, "Everything went smoothly. We brought back five million catties of grain this time." He took out a wooden board from his pocket. The board was made of Yingmu and was polished very smoothly. It was covered with numbers.

Jianshi took the wooden plank, examined it carefully, line by line, number by number. Then he nodded and said, "Alright, let's go back to the council hall first. You've had a long journey, go back and have something to eat and rest. Let the people on the ship come down and rest and have a drink of water too."

Dabang walked over, patted Yan on the shoulder with a strong pat that made Yan stagger, and said, "Good lad, well done. Five million catties of grain, transported back in one go. It used to take several trips to transport this much, now one trip does the work of several, saving so much trouble."

Jijiao also came over, smiling, and said, "Did you encounter anything on the road? Did the Valley Tribe give you any trouble?"

Yan shook his head, took the water pouch handed to him by the person next to him, took a sip, wiped his mouth and said, "No, the journey was smooth sailing, nothing happened. The people of the Valley Tribe were very cooperative, Chief Daiyue was very enthusiastic, and the seven elders were very polite. Although Daiyan from the Little Valley Camp didn't look too good, he didn't say anything."

Canglan stroked his beard, nodded, and said with slightly trembling fingers, "That's good. The grain is back, and everyone's hearts are at ease. These past few days, everyone in the tribe has been asking when the grain will arrive. With this grain, everyone is no longer worried."

Wu Xiong also joined in, his voice rough and booming like thunder, "How's it going with the Valley Tribe? Has their conflict with the Bear Tribe escalated? Have they started fighting?"

Yan thought for a moment, then frowned slightly and said, "There hasn't been a fight yet, but the atmosphere is very tense, like a fully drawn bow. The Bear Tribe has been sending people to patrol near the Little Valley Camp Outpost, watching like wolves. The Valley Tribe is also strengthening its defenses. Both sides are making preparations; it's just a matter of who can't hold back first."

Jianshi listened to the questions but didn't interrupt. He waved his hand, signaling everyone to return to the council hall. "Let's go back and talk. It's windy outside, don't stand there too long. Dabang, arrange for people to unload the grain. Be quick and don't delay. Yan, come with me, explain in detail."

The group walked towards the council hall. The council hall at the Fire Creek River Mouth was newly built, completed last autumn. It was smaller than the main hall, but still spacious enough to seat dozens of people. The walls were made of logs, with rows of round logs tied together with vines and plastered with mud, making them sturdy and warm. The roof was thatched, thick and firmly pressed down, preventing rainwater from seeping in. Two sturdy pillars stood at the entrance, engraved with flame patterns—the mark of the Fire Tribe, symbolizing light and warmth.

A fire was burning in the hearth inside the house, the firewood crackling as it burned. The room was warm and cozy, dispelling the chill of late spring. Food was already laid out on the low table, steaming hot, along with a jar of fruit wine. The mud seal on the jar had just been broken, and the aroma of the wine mixed with the smell of the food filled the air, making one's mouth water.

Jianshi sat in the main seat, with Qingye on his left and Yan on his right. Below them sat the leaders in order: Dabang, Jijiao, Binmao, Canglan, and Wu Xiong. After everyone sat down, Jianshi had hot food brought out. No one stood on ceremony; everyone was hungry.

Jianshi spoke first, "How did it go to the Valley Tribe? Tell me in detail, don't leave anything out."

Yan put down his chopsticks, picked up his teacup, took a sip to moisten his throat, cleared his throat, and said, "Father, the trip to the Valley Tribe went smoothly. Chief Daiyue was very hospitable, and the seven elders were very cooperative. The coarse salt and bronzeware were handed over smoothly, and the grain was loaded onto the ship."

He paused, then continued, "The accounts record everything: how many bags of coarse salt, how many pieces of bronzeware, how many kilograms of grain—everything is meticulously recorded, item by item, clearly and precisely."

Jianshi took the wooden board and examined it carefully, line by line, checking each number one by one. He then ran his finger across the board, calculated it once, and nodded, saying, "Alright, you've had a hard time this time, you must have suffered a lot on the way." He handed the board to Dabang beside him, telling him to keep it safe and put it in the warehouse.

Yan continued, "Chief Daiyue said that their Valley Tribe will have 20 million catties of grain left over next year. They have recently increased their manpower and expanded their paddy field area, so they will have even more grain next year."

Jianshi Shi nodded and said, "That's good. Food is a major issue; we can't afford to run out of food. If food supplies run out, people will panic."

Yan spoke again, "The conflict between the Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe has indeed escalated. Both sides are preparing, like two fighting cocks. The Bear Tribe has been loitering near the Little Valley Camp Outpost, as if testing the waters, as if provoking them. The Valley Tribe is also strengthening its defenses. Chief Daiyue said that they can still hold their ground and hold on. But if the Bear Tribe gains more support from the Tiger Tribe, and receives more bronze weapons and warriors, then it's hard to say, it'll be difficult to say."

Dabang put down his wine bowl, wiped his mouth, and frowned, his brows furrowing into a knot. "The Bear Tribe is backed by the Tiger Tribe, making them difficult to deal with. Although the Valley Tribe has more people, their weapons are inferior to the Bear Tribe's. Providing them with bronze artifacts is also helping them strengthen their power and gain a foothold."

Jijiao nodded and said, "That's right. If the Bear Tribe takes over the Little Valley Camp, our next target will be them. Helping the Valley Tribe is helping ourselves; saving them is saving ourselves."

Jianshi asked, "Yan, how long do you think the Valley Tribe can hold out? A year? Two years?"

Yan thought for a moment and said, "If it's just the Bear Tribe on its own, without outside help, the Valley Tribe can hold out for another year or two, until next autumn. But if the Tiger Tribe intervenes directly, or gives the Bear Tribe more weapons and manpower, it's hard to say what will happen to the Valley Tribe; they might not even last six months." He paused, his gaze becoming distant. "However, the Tiger Tribe is currently tied down by the two large tribes to the east and west, unable to spare any attention. They should be safe and peaceful for the next year or two."

Jianshi nodded, his gaze becoming distant, as if looking into the far reaches of the world. "That's good. In the next year or two, we must accelerate our development; we can't stop. We need to build ships, cultivate fields, recruit people, and build weapons. Once we are strong enough, we won't be afraid of anyone."

Yan nodded, his gaze resolute. "Father is right."

Jianshi asked again, his voice tinged with worry, "Any new information about that Wolf Tribe? Have they moved south?"

Yan said, also pondering in his mind, "The Wolf Tribe is causing a lot of trouble with the Great Boulder Tribe to the north. They've fought several battles, and many people have died. The Great Boulder Tribe has suffered heavy losses, losing many people, a lot of food, and burning many houses. The Wolf Tribe's army has grown to over two thousand men, all cavalry, swift as the wind. The Great Boulder Tribe might not be a match for the Wolf Tribe; they might not be able to defeat them. If the Wolf Tribe were to annex the Great Rock, their strength would be even greater, like a snowball rolling downhill."

Jianshi frowned, his brow furrowing into a knot. "The Wolf Tribe is a menace; we can't let them grow stronger, we can't let them become too powerful. But they're far away, separated from us by several tribes, so they can't attack us for now. Let's keep an eye on them, send people to keep an eye on them, and deal with them when the opportunity arises."

Yan nodded. "Yes, Father."

They chatted for a while longer, talking about spring plowing, the new boat, and the resettlement of the new tribesmen. Then, Jianshi told everyone to go back and rest, as there were things to do the next day.