Learning the Situation at Little Fish River Mouth

Yan led the Fire Tribe's fleet away from the Red Flower River Mouth estuary dock in the afternoon, sailing downstream along the Fish River. The fleet glided across the wide river as the sun set, and by evening, the outline of the Little Fish River Mouth dock finally came into Yan's view. In the distance, Yan saw a man standing on the dock, a burly figure with a ramrod-straight back—none other than Dazhuang. He wore leather armor made of thick, hard wild boar hide, and a bronze sword hung at his waist. The scabbard was engraved with simple patterns, and the hilt was wrapped with hemp rope, making it easy to grip. His skin was tanned dark, like ink, and his hands were rough and strong, with large knuckles, yellowed nails, and calluses all over his palms. He had received word of Yan's arrival early and had been waiting on the dock, refusing to move an inch.

Dazhuang stood on the dock, craning his neck to look upstream. He smiled and when he saw Yan and his fleet appear on the river, he waved excitedly, his arm swinging like a windmill, fast and powerful, shouting, "Yan! Over here! Over here! I'm here!" His voice echoed across the river like thunder.

The fleet slowly approached the shore. Three giant ships, each with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin (25,000 kg), sailed into their berths one after another. The ships came to a steady stop, and the mooring lines were thrown up, caught by the dock workers, and tied to the bollards. The smaller boats behind them also followed, lining up neatly.

Yan jumped off the ship with swift, Dazhuang movements. Dazhuang quickly went to meet him, grabbed Yan's hand, and shook it vigorously. His face was full of smiles as he said, "Yan, I knew you would come at this time. I've been waiting for you here for a while now. I've already had wine and food prepared, hot soup and rice. Everyone has worked hard, sitting on the ship for several days. You should rest and get hungry. Let's go to the council hall to eat and chat." Dazhuang's voice was full of enthusiasm.

Yan nodded and said, "Okay, Uncle Dazhuang, you've worked hard too."

The group followed Dazhuang towards the council hall. The council hall at Little Fish River Mouth Outpost was newly built, larger and more imposing than the one at Red Flower River Mouth. The walls were made of logs, each log tied together with vines and plastered with mud, making them sturdy and warm, impenetrable to wind and rain. The thick, tightly packed thatched roof kept rainwater out, sunlight out, and snow out. Two sturdy pillars stood at the entrance. Inside, a hearth burned with pine firewood, crackling as it burned. The room was warm and inviting, making one feel drowsy and relaxed. Food was already laid out on the low table, steaming hot and fragrant, including fruit wine. The mud seal on the wine jar had just been broken, and the aroma of the wine mingled with the smell of the food, filling the air.

Everyone sat down to eat, chatting and laughing as they ate. Dazhuang ate quickly, stuffing food into his mouth, his chopsticks and mouth never stopping. Yan ate more politely, chewing slowly as if savoring something. Shibang and Yingmu fought over a piece of meat, each trying to grab it from the other. Feiyu and Bailin ate and chatted, talking about their experiences at the Red Flower River Mouth, about Dali's appearance, and about the Long Leaf Tribe Short Leaf Tribe.

When everyone had almost finished eating and drinking, the dishes on the table were almost empty, and several jars of wine had been consumed. Everyone's faces were flushed and their bellies were round. Yan put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, took a sip of tea to rinse his mouth, and then spoke.

"Uncle Dazhuang, how's the ride on that 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) boat lately? Is it comfortable? Is it stable? Are there any problems?"

Dazhuang said happily, "It's comfortable, very comfortable. I don't want to get off once I sit here. As long as I'm at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, I'll take this 50,000-jin carrying capacity boat to patrol the Fish River every day. Driving the boat on the river is much faster than walking, much more stable than riding a horse, and much more comfortable than sitting in a small boat."

Yan nodded and said, "Uncle Dazhuang, our tribe's 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship is about to be completed. The shipbuilding workshop is working day and night, with no rest for the workers. Soon, our Fire Tribe's management center will be moved to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. Once the management center is here, there will be even more people and more ships, making it even more lively. You'll be able to ride in the 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship every day to patrol the Fish River. The 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship is more comfortable to ride in and more impressive to drive, even better than a 50,000-jin carrying capacity ship."

Dazhuang exclaimed excitedly, his eyes wide like saucers, "Really? I never expected our 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship could be built so quickly. I thought it would take until at least autumn, or even the end of the year. This is incredibly fast!"

Yan nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, we have recently overcome many difficulties. The craftsmen have come up with new methods and improved the process, so the progress has been much faster. By the time Uncle Jianya returns from transporting grain from the Valley Tribe, our ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin should be completed."

Dazhuang said, "That's really a good deal for Dali. He must have been the one testing the boat. He's been eyeing it for ages, dreaming about it and talking about it every day. But it's okay. When Little Fish River Mouth becomes the Fire Tribe's management center, the Fire Tribe's first 100,000-jin carrying capacity boat will definitely be assigned to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost first. After all, the management center is here, so the big boat will naturally be docked here. I'll have a chance to ride it too, so I don't need to be envious of him."

Yan nodded and said with a smile, "Yes, Uncle Dazhuang is right. You'll be able to ride it then, for as long as you want, and drive as far as you want. No one will take it from you."

Then Yan put down his wine bowl, wiped his mouth, and said, "Uncle Dazhuang, I also came here to find out more about the small tribes that want to join our Fire Tribe. How many people are there? Where did they come from? How are their preparations going? My father asked me to come and ask so that I can arrange for boats to pick them up."

Dazhuang put down his chopsticks, wiped his mouth, wiped it with his sleeve, cleared his throat, and said, "These people who want to join our Fire Tribe are basically from some small tribes scattered along the Little Horse River. These small tribes are independent, not vassal tribes of the Horse Tribe, and are not under the Horse Tribe's jurisdiction. However, they don't live very well; they often don't have enough food, and people even froze to death last winter. They saw that the small tribes that previously joined our Fire Tribe were doing well, eating their fill, wearing warm clothes, and living comfortably, so they were tempted to join our Fire Tribe as well. They also want to live a good life and have a full meal. Their population is about five thousand people, from dozens of tribes of varying sizes."

Yan nodded and said, "Okay, then once Uncle Jianya returns with the grain transport fleet, I will bring my fleet to pick them up. There are about three thousand people on the west bank of the Fish River, and about eight thousand people on this side of the Little Horse River. Our fleet can transport them back in one trip, saving time and effort."

Dazhuang nodded and said, "Having more and bigger boats is great. We can pick them up all at once, without having to make several trips back and forth. It saves so much trouble and time. When we had smaller boats, it took several trips to pick up this many people. It was time-consuming, laborious, and exhausting. Now that we have more big boats, we can get them all in one trip. It's convenient, effortless, and everyone can relax."

Yan looked around and said, "I see that the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost has been built quite well this time. It's much larger in scale and in all aspects. There are many more wooden houses than when I came last time, the dock has been expanded and can accommodate more large ships, and there are more fields, one after another, stretching as far as the eye can see."

Dazhuang nodded, a proud smile on his face, and said, "We've been expanding recently, busy every day from morning till night. Thirty percent of the management center has already moved here, and there are more and more people. Now there are enough houses here, the dock has been expanded, and it can accommodate more large ships. Dozens of ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin can now be moored side-by-side without being crowded. The fields are also being reclaimed on a large scale. What was wasteland last year has become fertile land this year. The Fire Tribe headquarters has sent many people to help me, sharing a lot of the work. I don't have to carry it all by myself anymore. I'm much more relaxed than before; I don't have to work until midnight every day anymore, I can get a good night's sleep, and I can eat on time."

Yan smiled and said, "That's good. Uncle Dazhuang, you've worked hard. Once the entire management center moves here, you'll have an easier time and won't have to manage so many outposts anymore."

Then Yan and Dazhuang chatted for a while longer, talking about the construction of the stronghold, the resettlement of the new tribesmen, the progress of this year's land reclamation, and the movements of the Horse Tribe. Then, Yan stood up, stretched, yawned, and stretched his neck.

"Uncle Dazhuang, it's getting late, we should go and rest. We have to get up early tomorrow to continue our journey to the Horse Tribe, which will take several more days."

Dazhuang stood up and said, "Okay, you all get some rest. I'll have someone prepare breakfast for you tomorrow morning. Eat before you leave, make sure you're full before you hit the road."

Everyone dispersed to rest, and Yan lay down on the animal skin rug and quickly fell asleep.

The next morning, before dawn, Yan got up. He stood on the dock, looking at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost in the morning light. People were already up and moving around in the camp, with wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys. In the distance, the crowing of roosters could be heard, one crow after another, as if urging people to get up. Several early birds chirped in the trees by the river, their clear voices drifting in the morning breeze.

After a quick breakfast, Yan led his fleet downstream along the Fish River. Dazhuang stood on the dock, watching the fleet gradually disappear into the distance, waving until it vanished into the morning mist before turning and leaving.