Prospects for the River Mouth Outposts

Jianshi led his fleet downstream along the Fire Creek River, heading north. The massive Chuantou, weighing 100,000 jin (approximately 50,000 kg), was at the very front. Along the way, Jianshi stood at the bow of this enormous vessel, hands on his hips, observing the scenery on both banks of the Fish River. The Fire Tribe's strongholds Fire Creek River Middle Outpost Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and at its mouth passed before Jianshi eyes. Now, the Fire Tribe's strongholds were larger, with more wooden houses; the fields were more expansive, stretching as far as the eye could see; and the strongholds were more populated, bustling with activity. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and his eyes shone brightly.

"Our Fire Tribe's strongholds outside are developing quite well, especially these strongholds at the mouths of the Yuhe River tributaries, Xiaoji River Mouth, Shixi River Mouth, Taoyan River Mouth, and Honghua River Mouth. They are all built one by one, and they all look decent. The development potential of these river mouth strongholds of our Fire Tribe is very huge. In the future, I After we build these strongholds at the mouth of the river and connect them through ships, like threading beads, these strongholds will become more prosperous, more lively, more prosperous, and more prosperous." Jianshi sighed at the flames and sticks next to him, with a bit of pride and expectation in his voice, as well as a bit of emotion and relief.

Yan also spoke up, "Yes, Father. These river mouth outposts have convenient water transportation, with boats coming and going easily, and quick and easy travel; these places also have abundant water resources, so there's no worry about water shortages, droughts, or irrigation; the land is flat and fertile, and whatever you plant will grow, you can harvest as soon as you sow seeds, and the seedlings will survive as soon as you plant them. These are all good places, naturally suited for building outposts, blessed by God and protected by our ancestors. As long as we make good use of them, develop them well, manage them well, and maintain them well, as time goes by, these outposts will only become more and more lively, more and more prosperous, more and more beautiful, and more and more livable, just like Little Fish River Mouth."

Dabang chimed in, "Yes, these river mouth outposts are in good locations, with convenient transportation and spacious areas that stretch as far as the eye can see, as flat as a grassland. They can easily accommodate tens of thousands of people. Take Little Fish River Mouth, for example; it can already house 30,000 people. If we squeeze in a bit more, we can accommodate 40,000, and then 50,000. If we develop along the banks of these tributaries of the Fish River, moving upstream and inward, layer by layer, we could even accommodate over 100,000 people. 200,000 is not impossible, and 300,000 is not out of the question."

Yan nodded, his gaze firm, and said, "As long as there is enough food, everyone's lives will get better and better, and the population of our Fire Tribe will also increase. This year, it will be 150,000; next year, 200,000; the year after, 250,000; the year after that, 300,000; and ten years from now, it's possible that it will reach one million."

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, their laughter echoing across the river and startling a flock of water birds, which fluttered into the sky, circling and calling out. Several young soldiers joined in the laughter, nudging each other and giggling like a group of children. One soldier laughed so hard he almost fell off the boat, but was pulled back by someone nearby.

The fleet continued its journey, and three days later, the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost came into view. From afar, Jianshi spotted a man standing on the dock—a burly, broad-shouldered figure, none other than Dazhuang. He wore a suit of leather armor made of wild boar hide, thick and hard, impervious to blades and arrows; a bronze sword hung at his waist, its scabbard engraved with simple patterns, the hilt wrapped with hemp rope, making it easy to grip; his skin was tanned dark, as if coated with ink, paint, or ash, his hands rough and strong, with large knuckles, yellowed nails, and calluses on his palms, like two pieces of sandpaper or tree bark. He had received word of Jianshi's arrival early and had been waiting on the dock, refusing to move an inch. He craned his neck to look upstream along the Fish River and finally spotted Jianshi's fleet.

Jianshi led the fleet slowly to the shore. Dazhuang hurried to meet him. He grabbed Jianshi's hand and shook it hard. His face was full of smiles, but deep fatigue was hidden in his eyes. His eye sockets were sunken like two pits, and his eye rims were dark, like two panda eyes. It was obvious that he was under a lot of pressure and hadn't slept well for a long time.

"Big brother, you've finally arrived! I've been waiting for this day and night! Now that you're here, we can finally breathe a sigh of relief and get some rest. Although you've assigned me many capable people here, the pressure on me hasn't lessened at all. I've been worrying every day and couldn't sleep at night. Several strands of my hair have turned gray, and I've gotten more wrinkles around my eyes. Now that you're finally here, I can finally get some sleep, catch my breath, and have a proper meal!"

Jianshi patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't rush, what's the rush? The sky won't fall, the earth won't collapse. I'm here now, aren't I? Come on, let's go to the council hall of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost first. Let's sit down and talk slowly, no rush, we have plenty of time."

The group passed through the camp and walked along the stone path towards the council hall. The council hall at Little Fish River Mouth Outpost was newly expanded and was now larger and more impressive than the one at Red Flower River Mouth. It could seat over a hundred people. The walls were made of logs, with rows of round logs bound together with vines and plastered with mud, making them sturdy and warm, impervious to wind, rain, and even knife cuts. The thatched roof was thick and firmly packed, preventing rainwater from seeping in, sunlight from penetrating, snow from drifting in, and hail from breaking through. Inside, a hearth burned with pine firewood, which crackled and sparks flew, tracing brief arcs in the dim light like shooting stars. The room was warm and cozy, making people drowsy and relaxed.

Several animal hide maps hung on the wall, depicting the distribution of the Fire Tribe's various strongholds and fields in charcoal. The maps were densely packed, like the root system of a large tree or a blood vessel map. Tea and dried fruit were already laid out on the low table. The tea was steaming, with wisps of white vapor rising like mist or clouds. The dried fruit was locally produced, sweet, fragrant, and crunchy.

The two sides exchanged information. Dazhuang recounted the construction of the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost in detail, like reading from an account book or reciting a memorized text, everything was clear and unambiguous. He explained how much the dock had been expanded, from a small dock to a large dock capable of accommodating dozens of large ships; how many wooden houses had been built; how many warehouses had been constructed, large and sturdy, capable of holding large quantities of grain; how many acres of fields had been cultivated, stretching as far as the eye could see, capable of yielding abundant harvests; how many irrigation canals had been dug, crisscrossing like a spider web, capable of irrigating vast areas; how much the population had increased, from several thousand to tens of thousands, making the place bustling; and how many cattle and horses had been added, plump and strong, with glossy coats, capable of doing a great deal of work.

Jianshi was very satisfied and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good, good, good, well done, thank you for your hard work." Now the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost can accommodate 30,000 people. There are enough wooden houses, enough food, enough water, wide enough roads, and a large enough dock. Our goal in the next few years is to build the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost into a stronghold for 50,000 people.

Then Jianshi Shi asked Dabang to explain the Fire Tribe Tribe's ship construction plan for next year. Dabang stood up, walked to the center of the council hall, and stood up straight. He cleared his throat and spoke in a loud voice, like thunder, which echoed in the council hall and made the dust on the roof beams fall down, floating in the beams of light like countless tiny flying insects.

"Next year, we plan to increase the number of large ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin to 20; the number of ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin to 100; and the number of ships with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin to 200."

Hearing Dabang's words, everyone took a deep breath, as if someone had grabbed their throats. Then, they roared with approval. Some slammed their fists on the table, making a loud bang that splashed tea and made the bowls jump; others slapped their thighs, making loud slaps that made them wince and hiss in pain; still others shouted "Bravo!" at the top of their lungs, their voices deafening, making their ears ring and the roof tremble.

Twenty boats weighing 100,000 jin each, one hundred boats weighing 50,000 jin each, two hundred boats weighing 20,000 jin each—what a massive fleet that would be! Sailing onto the river, it would be a dark, imposing mass, like a moving city. Who would dare underestimate the Fire Tribe then? Even the Tiger Tribe would have to think twice.

Then Jianshi started talking about the newly built Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost and Little Horse River Mouth Outpost. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and the tea was a little hot. He blew on it and drank slowly, gulping it down. He put the teacup down, and the bottom of the bowl hit the table with a soft "tap".

"This matter should be handled sooner rather than later; we can't delay any longer. Every day we delay is a day later, and every year later is a year later. In the beginning, we can estimate to start small and take it slowly. We don't need to try to do everything at once. Let's have about a thousand people on each side, a thousand on each side, for a total of about two thousand people. Let's set up the framework first, build the houses, construct the dock, repair the roads, and dig the irrigation canals. We can expand later as needed. As for who will be in charge, I think we should let Dazhuang take charge for now. He has experience, ability, and resources. He's been working in Little Fish River Mouth for so long; he knows everything, knows everything, and can handle everything. I believe he can do a good job, and do it well."

Then Jianshi said to Dazhuang, "Dazhuang, work a little harder and make one more trip to establish these two strongholds. Once things are stable over there, I'll send someone to replace you. I won't let you stay there forever, and I won't let you work yourself to death. Next year, I'll also provide you with two large ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin each, one more than Dali's Red Flower River Mouth Outpost, so you can show off your power, have some fun, and ride on a big ship."

Upon hearing this, Dazhuang nodded happily in agreement. The weariness on his face vanished, like the sun breaking through the clouds. His eyes brightened again, like two lamps. He straightened his chest, like a mountain, and patted his chest loudly, like a drumbeat, saying, "Don't worry, brother, I will definitely build these two strongholds well, build them solidly, and build them comfortably! Having boats makes things much easier. With boats, we can transport goods, we can be fast, we can save effort, and we can do more work!"

They chatted for a while longer, discussing the location of the new base; how much supplies, food, tools, livestock, and seeds they would need; who would be sent, who would lead, who would do the work, who would cook, and who would manage the accounts; and when construction would begin, whether next month or the month after. After they had a general understanding, they gradually left.