The Return Voyage and Its Aftermath

The next morning, before dawn, the Fire Tribe's temporary camp was already bustling with activity. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, leaving everything a white expanse. Dewdrops clung to the Caoye, glistening in the air. The air was damp and cold; a breath of it was chilly.

When Yan came out of the tent, he took a deep breath of cool air, feeling much more refreshed. He had slept well last night. Although the tent couldn't compare to his bed at home, he had been on the boat for the past few days, and this time he fell asleep as soon as he lay down on the shore. He had a dreamless night and woke up feeling refreshed.

On the dock, the soldiers had already gotten up. Yan walked to the dock and saw that Quyong had already arrived with his men. Quyong was wearing a gray linen short robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. His hair was a little messy and his eyes were bloodshot, obviously he hadn't slept enough, but he was full of energy and had a loud voice. He was directing the soldiers of the Valley Tribe to carry bags of grain out of the warehouse and stack them on the dock.

Seeing Yan approach, Quyong raised his hand in greeting, a smile spreading across his face.

"Young Chief Yan! Good morning! The warriors of your Fire Tribe are up so early today!"

Yan nodded, walked over to Quyong, looked at the grain on the dock, and said, "Chief Quyong, good morning. There's a lot to deliver today, so we'd like to get started and finished as soon as possible."

Quyong laughed and said, "Great! I've got all the manpower on my side, you just need to be ready on your side!"

Yan turned around and shouted into the camp, "Chief Jia Li! Bring out all the bronze farm tools and weapons we prepared yesterday!"

Jia Li responded and led his soldiers out of the camp. They carried many large wooden boxes filled with bronze Chutou, bronze sickles, bronze daggers, and bronze spears, each piece of exquisite craftsmanship with sharp blades that gleamed in the morning light.

Quyong's eyes lit up when he saw the bronze farm tools and weapons. He walked over, opened a wooden box, picked up a bronze weapon, examined it from all angles, and gently ran his finger along the blade to feel its sharpness.

"Wow! This bronze weapon is really well made! It's much better than the ones we used before!"

He then held up the bronze farm tools and exclaimed with admiration, "With these bronze farm tools, we can cultivate the fields much faster next year!"

Yan smiled and said, "I'm glad Chief Quyong is satisfied. These are the latest batch of goods from our Fire Tribe, and the quality is even better than before."

Quyong nodded repeatedly, ordering his men to move the wooden crates into the Valley Tribe's warehouse. He then turned and called to the Valley Tribe's warriors to continue moving the grain. The grain handover proceeded smoothly. The Valley Tribe carried bags of grain out of the warehouse, Fire Tribe's warriors took them, carried them onto the gangplank, and loaded them into the cabin. They worked together seamlessly, passing the grain back and forth.

In two and a half days, ten million catties of grain were loaded onto the ship. The sacks piled up like mountains on the dock were gone, replaced by neat stacks of grain in the ship's hold. The Fire Tribe's ship was now drafting deeper, but no one was worried. The Fire Tribe's ship was sturdy and wouldn't break under this weight.

All that was left were some odd jobs. Shibang and the Yingmu were vying to do them again. One said, "I'll do it, you go and rest," while the other said, "No need, no need, I'll do it." The two argued back and forth, neither willing to give in. Yan looked at them like that, smiled, stopped arguing, and turned to wash up.

He returned to the temporary camp, scooped a ladle of water from the bucket, and splashed it on his face. The water was so cold that it made him shiver and wake him up completely. He scooped another ladle and washed his neck and arms, removing the dust and sweat. Then he dried himself with a burlap towel, changed into clean clothes, and just as he finished, Qingsui came over.

Qingsui wore a light pink linen dress today, with a few red flowers embroidered on the hem. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail with a red ribbon, swaying gently in the wind. She had a faint smile on her face and was carrying a bulging linen bag in her hand.

"Finished with work?" She walked up to Yan, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him. "I heard you'd finished packing the grain, so I came to check."

Yan nodded and said, "The grain is all packed. There are some odd jobs left. Shibang and the Yingmu are all taken care of, so I've come over to rest for a bit."

Qingsui smiled, raised the burlap sack in her hand and shook it, saying, "That's perfect! I brought some fresh ingredients, I'll cook you a new dish today!"

Yan looked at the bag, a warmth spreading through her heart, and said, "Okay."

The two found a spot in a corner of the makeshift camp and started a fire. Qingsui took out ingredients from the bag, including fresh wild vegetables, beef, dried chili peppers, and seasonings. She placed the beef on a clean wooden board and used a bronze knife to slice it into thin slices. The meat was sliced very evenly and evenly, showing that her knife skills were quite good now.

Yan helped out from the side, watching Qingsui cut the meat as he worked, and couldn't help but praise her, "Your knife skills are getting better and better, you've improved a lot since last time."

Upon hearing this, Qingsui paused for a moment, a slight smile playing on her lips, her eyes gleaming with smugness. "Of course! I've been secretly practicing for ages! Last time you said my slices weren't thin enough, so I came back and practiced for days on end, my hands aching from cutting so much meat before I finally got it right."

Yan laughed and said, "I just said it offhand, and you actually remembered it?"

Qingsui looked up at him, her eyes serious, and said, "I will remember everything you say."

Their eyes met for a moment in the air, then Qingsui lowered her head and continued cutting the meat, her ears turning slightly red. The fire was lit, the meat was put into the pot, and Qingsui first put the dried chili peppers into the pot to sauté until fragrant, then poured in the chopped beef and stir-fried it. The beef sizzled in the pot, and the aroma filled the air, making the soldiers next to her swallow their saliva.

"It smells so good!" one soldier couldn't help but exclaim.

Another soldier peeked over, craning his neck to look into the pot, and said, "Young Chief, what delicious food are you making? It smells so good it's making my mouth water!"

Yan waved his hand with a smile and said, "Go away, there's none for you. We'll have the tribe's cook make it for you when we get back."

The soldiers dispersed with laughter, but their eyes still drifted over from time to time. The beef was stir-fried, and Qingsui stir-fried a plate of wild vegetables and cooked a pot of soup. There weren't many dishes, but each one was exquisite, with perfect color, aroma, and taste. The two sat by the fire, holding earthenware bowls, eating slowly and chatting as they ate.

Yan picked up a piece of beef, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and his eyes lit up as he said, "This is delicious! It's spicy enough, and the beef is tender, not tough or dry."

Seeing that he liked it, Qingsui felt secretly pleased. Yan picked up another piece and said, "You said last time you were researching a new dish, is this it?"

Qingsui nodded, a hint of pride on her face, and said, "Yeah, it took me several tries to succeed. The first few times it was either too spicy or not flavorful enough, and the meat was always overcooked. I gradually figured it out and found the trick."

Yan ate several pieces of beef, drank two bowls of soup, and ate a large plate of wild vegetables. His belly was round and full. He leaned against the wooden post next to him and let out a long sigh, saying, "That feels good."

Seeing his satisfied expression, Qingsui smiled and said, "I'm glad you like it."

After they finished eating, they cleaned up the dishes together, put out the fire, and then took a walk along the banks of the Fish River. The river flowed gurglingly, and the wind blew across the river, carrying the coolness of the water and the fragrance of grass and trees. They walked very slowly, as if afraid that if they walked too fast they would miss something.

"Yan, you're leaving this time. When will you come again?" Qingsui turned her head to look at him, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Yan thought for a moment and said, "The outpost at the Big Horse River Mouth is still under construction, and there are other things to take care of. I might not be able to get away for a while, but I should be able to come back to transport grain after next spring. I'll come see you then."

Qingsui nodded after hearing this and didn't say anything more. The two walked for a while longer without speaking, just walking quietly, listening to the sound of the river, the wind, and the birdsong from afar. Before they knew it, it had gotten dark.

Yan stopped and looked at Qingsui, saying, "It's getting late, I should go back. I need to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Qingsui stopped and looked at him, her eyes filled with lingering affection, saying, "Okay, be careful on your way Fire Tribe."

Yan nodded and said, "Okay."

The two stood facing each other in silence for a while, then Qingsui stepped forward, gently hugged him, and quickly let go. Her face was flushed, like the morning glow.

"Let's go." She took a step back and waved to him. "I'll take you there tomorrow morning."

Yan nodded, turned and walked towards the Fire Tribe's temporary camp. After a few steps, he looked back and saw Qingsui still standing there, waving at him.

Early the next morning, the Fire Tribe's fleet prepared to depart. At the dock, Daiyue, accompanied by the seven elders of the Valley Tribe, came to see them off. Daiyue wore a blue linen robe, a leather belt with a bronze buckle around his waist, and animal skin boots. His hair was neatly combed and held in place with a bone hairpin. He smiled and said, "Young Chief Yan, have a safe journey."

He clasped his hands in a respectful greeting and continued, "When you return, please give my regards to Chief Jianshi."

Yan returned the greeting with clasped hands and said, "I will certainly convey Chief Daiyue's words. Chief Daiyue, esteemed elders, until we meet again!"

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the crowd before finally landing on Qingsui. Qingsui stood at the back of the crowd, wearing that light pink linen dress, and nodded slightly to him. Yan also nodded to her, then turned around and boarded his boat.

"Set off!"

As the horn sounded, the Fire Tribe's grain transport fleet slowly left the dock, one after another sailing into the main river channel, heading upstream along the Fish River. The return journey was slower, but very steady. Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the Valley Tribe's dock grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared around the bend in the river. He turned around, his gaze fixed ahead; the road home was still long.

The atmosphere in the council hall of the Valley Tribe headquarters was somewhat solemn. Daiyue sat in the main seat, with the Valley Tribe's totem flag hanging on the wall behind him. The seven elders sat on either side, while Qingsui sat near the door, holding a wooden tablet in her hand, as if she were taking notes. The meeting had been going on for a while.

Daiyue's gaze swept across the faces of the seven elders, and he said in Chenwen voice, "As you all have seen, the Fire Tribe's naval strength is now extremely powerful. No one expected that in just a few years, the Fire Tribe's strength would develop so rapidly. Now, the Fire Tribe's population is almost catching up with the Tiger Tribe, the overlord of the Fish River. They have twenty giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin and one hundred ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin. Such strength is among the best in the entire Fish River Basin."

As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur arose in the council hall. The elders whispered among themselves, some nodding, some frowning, and some deep in thought.

Second Elder Hefeng put down the ceramic bowl in his hand, cleared his throat, and said, "However, the Fire Tribe is now an ally of our Valley Tribe. Our Valley Tribe has completely fallen out with the Tiger Tribe, and the Tiger Tribe may come to cause trouble for us at any time. Under such circumstances, the stronger the Fire Tribe is, the more confident we will be."

He paused, then continued, "Moreover, the Fire Tribe has always treated our Valley Tribe well. The ships and bronze weapons they've given us on credit are all high-quality items, and the prices are much fairer than elsewhere. The Fire Tribe is a trustworthy ally, and I'm very reassured about that."

Elder Yaoshan stroked his beard, shook his head slightly, and said with a hint of solemnity, "That may be true, but our Valley Tribe still needs to become strong on its own. No matter how strong the Fire Tribe is, it is still someone else's strength. If we are not strong enough, even if the Fire Tribe comes to our aid when war breaks out, we will only be a hindrance to them."

He sat up straight, his voice becoming more forceful. "Therefore, I think we must find a way to strengthen our tribe. We can't rely on others, we can't just expect the Fire Tribe to save us."

Daiyue nodded and said, "Elder Yaoshan is right. The Fire Tribe is an ally, but we can't rely on them for everything."

He sighed, his voice tinged with helplessness, "However, our Valley Tribe has expanded considerably recently, with our population increasing to around 40,000. We also obtained a batch of bronze weapons on credit from the Fire Tribe, and all our warriors have been equipped with new weapons. But our Valley Tribe's industry is too singular; we mainly rely on grain to accumulate resources. Trade has also been severely restricted by the Tiger Tribe. Although we can still do some business on the west bank of the Fish River, we earn less than half of what we used to."

He leaned back in his chair and continued, "Maintaining 40,000 people is already the limit for our Valley Tribe. If we go any further, we won't have enough food and supplies, and we'll be lacking everything."

Second Elder Hefeng took over, his voice tinged with caution, saying, "Yes, at most we can unite the Clothing Tribe and Bean Tribe, two semi-subordinate tribes, along with their core subordinate tribes, giving us approximately 60,000 people and about 12,000 warriors. However, the situation is uncertain in a real battle. Those semi-subordinate tribes are too independent; they can't charge forward at a single command like our Valley Tribe's main force. When it comes to a desperate fight, we'll still have to rely on the warriors of our Valley Tribe's main force."

Daiyue nodded, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the seven elders, his voice becoming more serious as he said, "Although the Tiger Tribe won't attack for the time being, given their temperament, they certainly won't let it go after suffering a loss or losing face. They will definitely come looking for trouble. During this period, we still need to continuously strengthen our capabilities and accumulate more resources."

His gaze fell on the trade chief and he said, "We also need to gather more information from the north. Send more people there to infiltrate those small tribes, listen to the news, and observe the situation. That way, if anything unusual happens in the north, our Valley Tribe can respond promptly."

The trade leader nodded, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "Rest assured, Chief, I will arrange for people to take care of it."

Daiyue nodded, gave a few more instructions, and arranged a few things before letting everyone disperse. The elders and leaders stood up and left the council hall in twos and threes.

Qingsui finished packing up the wooden tablets and was about to leave when Daiyue called her back.

"Qingsui, wait a moment."

Qingsui stopped and turned to look at her father, asking, "Father, is there anything else?"

Daiyue looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "What kind of person do you think the young leader of the Fire Tribe is?"

Qingsui was taken aback, not expecting her father to ask this question. She thought for a moment and then said, "He... is a very serious person. He's serious in his work, serious in his words, and serious in his relationships. He doesn't make empty promises; he always keeps his word. He's also very caring and always attentive to other people's feelings."

Upon hearing this, Daiyue's expression became somewhat complicated. He remained silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Alright, you can go now."

Qingsui nodded, turned and walked out of the council hall. Daiyue sat alone in the council hall, looking in the direction of the door, and remained motionless for a long time.