The Fire Tribe's Grain Transport Fleet Returns

The afternoon after the successful trial launch of the Fire Tribe's 100,000-jin (50,000 kg) heavy-duty ship, people at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost were still discussing the grand occasion of the ship's launch the day before. They talked about Dali's excited appearance and the ship's imposing presence. Several elderly people sat on the dock, chatting animatedly, while several children ran around, imitating Dali's shouts, spreading their arms and yelling "Ah--", making the adults laugh heartily.

Jianya led the Fire Tribe's grain transport fleet, sailing majestically from downstream. The fleet traversed the wide river, with more than thirty giant ships, each with a carrying capacity of 50,000 catties, leading the way, followed by smaller boats. The sails billowed in the wind, whistling, and the oars sliced through the water, making a splashing sound like fish swimming.

From afar, Jianya spotted the massive ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. It was moored near the center of the river, circling on the Fish River, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right. The ship was enormous, like a Little Mountain, and the tung oil gleamed darkly in the sunlight. The sails were billowing in the wind, flashing white in the sunlight. Jianya stood at the Chuantou, squinting as he watched for a while, a slight smile playing on his lips.

As the fleet drew closer, Jianya could see clearly that a man stood at the Chuantou of the giant ship. He was burly, with broad shoulders and Dali— none other than Dali. He stood at the Chuantou, hands on his hips, head held high, like a general inspecting his troops, or a captain commanding his ship. The wind blew his hair and the hem of his clothes, and his face was full of a smug smile. Under his command, the ship turned nimbly, stirring up white Langhua.

Jianya ordered the fleet to slow down, then walked to the ship's side, cupped his hands to his mouth, and shouted at the giant ship, "Dali! It really is you! I didn't even get to ride in this ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, and you're already having a great time! Were you doing this on purpose? Did you deliberately test the waters while I was away?"

Dali the shout and seeing Jianya, Dali's eyes lit up, and he grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. He ordered the sailors to bring the ship closer, and the two ships stopped side by side, their gunwales almost touching. He stood at the Chuantou, looking down at Fang with Jianya look on his face, his eyebrows raised.

"Second Brother, you're late! If you had come back a couple of days earlier, you could have tested this big ship with me! A few days ago, Dabang sent someone to deliver the news, and I arrived the night before last. The ship was launched early the next morning, and I was the first one on board! You wouldn't believe the scene, wow!" Dali said, gesturing with his hands.

Jianya looked up at the giant ship, his gaze sweeping across its hull, from Chuantou to stern, from mast to gunwale, from deck to hull. He asked, his voice tinged with curiosity, envy, and a hint of regret, "How was it? Was it a good ride on this 100,000-jin (50,000 kg) carrying ship? Stable? Fast? How much better is it than a 50,000-jin (25,000 kg) carrying ship?"

Dali nodded repeatedly, his smile widening, his eyes narrowing into slits, and his mouth stretching to his ears. "Of course! It's exhilarating! So exhilarating! It's so stable, no bumps or swaying, just like sitting at home, like sitting on a heated brick bed. And it's so fast, going downstream like an arrow. Now I don't want to get off this big ship, I wish I could bring my bed up and live on the ship!"

As he spoke, he patted the gunwale of the boat and said, "Second Brother, Eldest Brother also said that after the entire management center of the Fire Tribe relocates there in a while, this 100,000-jin (50,000 kg) carrying capacity boat will also be brought to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost and docked there. The Little Fish River Mouth Outpost is not far from our Red Flower River Mouth Outpost; it'll be there quickly if we go downstream. If I get itchy, I can go over and have some fun anytime, for as long as I want, and no one will stop me. Moreover, Eldest Brother also said that he will definitely provide one for our Red Flower River Mouth Outpost next year; he won't leave me out. He keeps his word."

Jianya nodded and said, "The Red Flower River Mouth Outpost is indeed very important to our Fire Tribe. It is the bridgehead on the west bank of the river and the first line of defense on the west bank of the Fish River. Next year, you can ride on a boat with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin every day. You won't have to envy others anymore, and you won't have to be jealous anymore. You'll be able to ride on it every day until you get tired of it and don't want to ride it anymore."

He waved his hand Dali, his face serious, his eyes wide open, and said, "I wouldn't get tired of it even if I sat on it for ten years! You know me, I can't resist big ships, like a child seeing candy. I'll never get tired of a ship with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, and I'll never get tired of a ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. The bigger the ship, the more I like it, and the more enjoyable it is to ride on!" As he spoke, he patted his chest, making a loud thumping sound, like beating a drum.

Then Jianya chatted with Dali for a few more minutes, asking about the large ship test, whether Dabang had given any instructions, the situation at the Red Flower River Mouth Outpost, and the situation of the Long Leaf Tribe Short Leaf Tribe. After that, he led the grain transport fleet to the dock at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost.

On the dock, Binmao wore a full set of leather armor, the plates of which were made of wild boar hide, thick and hard. He had a bronze sword at his waist, the scabbard of which was engraved with simple patterns. His skin was tanned dark, as if it had been painted with ink, and his hands were rough and strong, with large knuckles and yellowed nails.

Jianya jumped off the ship with swift, decisive movements. He said to Binmao, "Have people unload the cargo. Move all the grain off the ship and stack it in the warehouse. Be careful not to get it wet or break the bags."

Binmao nodded, clasped his hands in a salute, and said crisply, "Yes! Don't worry, leader, I'll arrange everything perfectly. There won't be any mishaps."

Jianya looked up at the warehouses at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. The warehouses had been significantly expanded, with several new rows built, all constructed of logs with thatched roofs, large and sturdy, resembling small castles. The Fire Tribe's main granary was now overflowing, with sacks stacked neatly from floor to roof. This grain had to be unloaded at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost warehouses. The warehouses at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost had also expanded considerably; what were a few dozen small huts last year had become a large area. Storing the grain here made transportation to other strongholds convenient. When needed, it could be easily transported by boat downstream.

Jianya stood on the dock for a while, watching Binmao the soldiers, carrying sacks of grain, crossed the gangplank and neatly stacked them in the warehouse. Only then did he turn around with peace of mind. He boarded a small boat and headed upstream along the Fire Creek River towards the Fire Tribe headquarters. The boat was small, but fast; the oars cut through the water with a rhythmic splash. The scenery on both banks slowly receded, and the Fire Creek River Middle Outpost flashed by. The fields were lush and green, the rice seedlings swaying in the wind, and rows of wooden houses stood with wisps of smoke rising from their chimneys.

As evening approached, the Fire Tribe headquarters dock finally came into Jianya's view. Jianya jumped off the small boat and strode hurriedly toward the Fire Tribe headquarters council hall.

Upon arriving at the entrance of the council hall, two guards stood ramrod straight, bronze swords at their waists, resembling two pine trees. Upon seeing the Jianya, they clasped their hands in a deep bow.

"Jianya Leader, the chief has instructed that you can go straight in without announcing yourself."

Jianya nodded, pushed open the wooden door, and went inside. In the council hall, Jianshi sat in the main seat, with several animal skin maps spread out in front of him. The maps depicted the distribution of the Fire Tribe's various strongholds and fields, densely packed like a spider web. He held a charcoal pencil in his hand, drawing something on the map, his brows slightly furrowed, very focused.

Hearing the noise, he looked up, saw Jianya, put down his charcoal pencil, stood up, smiled, and said, "Jianya, you're back! I thought you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow morning. You must have had a long journey. Did anything happen on the way?"

Jianya walked up to Jianshi, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Brother, I heard that the Fire Tribe's large ship was about to be completed, so I rushed back. I barely stopped along the way; the fleet travels fast, day and night."

He paused, then his eyes lit up. "I saw that ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. It was incredibly impressive! The ship was huge, like a Dali Little Mountain. Dali was still circling around on the Fish River back then, going round and round, never getting enough of it, like a little kid. He even told me that you were planning to equip him with at least one 100,000-jin carrying capacity ship next year. Is that true?"

Jianshi nodded and said, "Yes, I've already promised him. The location of the Red Flower River Mouth Outpost is very important to our Fire Tribe. It's our Fire Tribe's bridgehead on the west bank of the Fish River. We can't just let the Little Fish River Mouth have big ships. He likes ships so much, so let's give him one and make him happy."

Then Jianshi inquired about Jianya Ya's trip to the Valley Tribe to transport grain, "Was the journey smooth? How is it on the Valley Tribe's side? Did Chief Daiyue say anything? Was all the grain brought back? Has the Bear Tribe made any moves?"

Jianya said, "Everything went smoothly, brother. The Valley Tribe was very cooperative, Chief Daiyue was very hospitable, and the seven elders were also very polite. All the grain has been loaded back, not a single grain is missing. We didn't encounter any trouble on the way, and the journey was smooth sailing. This time, we transported back five million catties of grain. Adding to the previous shipments, we've already transported fifteen million catties. We still need five million catties more. Once the grain we ordered from the Valley Tribe this year is transported, our fleet will be able to complete one more trip."

Jianshi Shi nodded and said, "That's good. The grain has been delivered, so everyone can rest easy and sleep well tonight."

The two chatted for a while longer, discussing the conflict between the Valley Tribe and the Bear Tribe, the movements of the Wolf Tribe, the trade with the Horse Tribe, and the new ship. Then, Jianshi looked at the sky; dusk was falling, the sky outside the window was darkening, and the stars were beginning to twinkle.

"It's getting late, let's go get something to eat first. You must be tired from the long journey on the ship, you should rest. Eat early and get some rest, you have things to do tomorrow."

Jianya nodded and went to eat.