Going to Green Leaf River Mouth to Pick Up New Tribespeople

Yan only stayed at the Fire Tribe's management center, the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost, for two days before setting off with his fleet. During those two days, he was almost constantly busy. On the first day, he counted the supplies, checked the quantities, and allocated the boats. On the second day, he inspected the fleet and arranged manpower. He was so busy that he barely had time to breathe. But no matter how busy he was, he felt at ease. He arranged things one by one, prepared the boats one by one, and had the people in place one by one. On the third day, early in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, the dock at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost was already brightly lit.

The dock was bustling with people, soldiers coming and going, their steps hurried. Sixteen giant ships, each with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, were neatly moored on the dock, followed by eighty large ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, and many more with carrying capacities of 20,000 and 10,000 jin, densely packed on the waterway, stretching as far as the eye could see. Yan stood at the Chuantou of the largest ship, his hands gripping the gunwale, his gaze sweeping over the entire fleet. An indescribable feeling welled up inside him. Every time he saw so many ships lined up neatly, he would think of the days a few years ago when the Fire Tribe only had a few Muzhou canoes. Back then, a boat that could carry a few hundred jin was a remarkable achievement, and it was difficult to carry even a few people. And now? Sixteen giant ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, eighty large ships with a carrying capacity of 50,000 jin, and hundreds of small boats, all lined up together.

Bailin stood beside him, also looking at the ships, his face showing a mixture of emotion and excitement. He wore a gray linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist and straw sandals on his feet. His hair was slightly disheveled by the morning breeze, but he was full of energy, his eyes sparkling as he said, "Young Chief, this time we're bringing so many large ships. Those tribes that join us will surely truly feel the strength of our Fire Tribe, right?"

Bailin continued, his voice tinged with anticipation and pride, "They may have only heard about it before, heard others say that the Fire Tribe's ships are big, their people are many, and their strength is great. When they see these ships with their own eyes, they will definitely be shocked. Some people have never seen such big ships in their entire lives, let alone so many of them lined up together."

Yan nodded and said, "That's for sure. Right now, in the entire Fish River, apart from the Tiger Tribe, no other tribe has such a huge ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. Although we're only going to pick up 5,000 people this time, the tribes that stayed behind will also bring some people to transport some supplies back. After they see the true strength of our Fire Tribe with their own eyes, they'll definitely want to migrate to our Fire Tribe immediately to live a better life."

He paused, his voice becoming even more Chenwen, and said, "Moreover, we brought a lot of supplies with us this time. These supplies are exactly what they need most. The more than 10,000 people who stayed behind will definitely have a much better winter than before. They won't go hungry or freeze. With hope for the future, their sense of belonging to the Fire Tribe will be stronger."

Jia Li emerged from the cabin, carrying several wooden tablets covered in densely written records. Today, he wore a white linen robe, a leather belt with bronze buckles around his waist, and animal-skin boots. His hair was neatly combed, and he said with a serious expression, "Young Chief, the supplies have all been inventoried. In total, it's enough for those people for a while, at least enough to get them through the winter."

Yan took the wooden tablet, examined it line by line, and after confirming there were no problems, returned it to Jia Li and said, "Alright, let's go."

Jia Li nodded, then turned and shouted into the cabin, "Let's go!"

The sound of horns rang out, and the fleet slowly left the dock, one after another entering the main channel and drifting downstream. The boats moved quickly, their oars cutting through the water, and the trees on the bank rushed past. Yan stood at the Chuantou, watching the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost grow smaller and smaller, farther and farther away, until it finally disappeared around the bend in the river. He turned around and looked ahead, towards the direction of the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, where Dazhuang was waiting for him, and where the tribespeople waiting to join the Fire Tribe had gathered.

After several days of sailing, the fleet finally arrived at the dock of the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost. The dock at the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost was much larger than before, and could accommodate more ships at the same time. The dock was packed with people, a sea of heads, men and women, young and old. Some carried loads on their shoulders, some carried bundles on their backs, and some led children. Most of their clothes were old and worn, some patched, and some were so worn that their original color was no longer visible. Their faces showed anticipation, tension, curiosity, and unease.

Dazhuang stood at the front of the dock, wearing a brand-new blue linen robe, a leather belt with bronze buckles around his waist, and animal skin boots on his feet. His hair was neatly combed, and he had a smile on his face, but there were several deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. When he saw the Fire Tribe's fleet appear in his field of vision, his eyes lit up. The fleet slowly docked, the gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off the ship.

Dazhuang strode forward, grabbed Yan in a hug, and patted him hard on the back. "Yan! You've finally arrived! Look at all these people at the dock, they're from the outer tribes of the Clothing Tribe and Horse Tribe, mostly the five thousand people who are migrating to our Fire Tribe this time, and some are the leaders of various small tribes and their warriors who have come to transport supplies!"

He released Yan, turned to the side, and pointed to the crowd behind him, saying, "I've counted all five thousand people leaving this time. There are men, women, young and old, and they all joined our Fire Tribe voluntarily. No one forced them, no one pressured them."

Yan followed Dazhuang's finger and saw the dense crowd on the dock, the expectant eyes, and the nervous faces. An indescribable feeling welled up in his heart. These people, from today onwards, are the people of the Fire Tribe. They will live a better life, no longer suffering from hunger and cold, no longer worrying about whether they can survive the winter.

He straightened his clothes and strode toward the crowd. When the tribal chiefs saw Yan approaching, they all stepped forward to greet him, bowing deeply with clasped hands. Their faces were filled with awe and anticipation. Some were so nervous that their hands were trembling, while others wanted to say something but couldn't open their mouths.

Yan greeted them one by one, shook hands with each of them, patted them on the shoulder, asked their names, and inquired about their tribes. His attitude was gentle and unpretentious. The tribal chiefs, who had been somewhat nervous, relaxed considerably upon seeing Yan's approachable demeanor.

"Thank you all for your hard work." Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it echoed across the dock, making it clear to everyone around. "We warmly welcome you to join the Fire Tribe. Rest assured, once you're in the Fire Tribe, as long as you follow the rules and are willing to work, you'll all have food, clothes, and a place to stay. You won't suffer from hunger or cold anymore. The Fire Tribe keeps its word and will not mistreat anyone who Fire Tribe us."

A low murmur and cheers arose from the crowd. Yan and Dazhuang then directed the soldiers to unload the supplies from the ship.

Bags of grain were carried out of the hold, bundles of cloth were unloaded from the deck, and jars of salt were lifted out of the cargo hold. There was a wide variety of goods, and the dock was soon piled high with them. The tribal chiefs and warriors stared at the supplies, their eyes wide and mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.

A bearded leader walked to a sack of grain, squatted down, touched the sack with his hand, then stood up, looked at Yan, and said with a hint of excitement in his voice, "Young Chief Yan, these... these are all for us?"

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, these are all supplies prepared for you by the Fire Tribe. They'll be enough for you until next spring. We'll come back next year to pick up the rest of you, and you won't have to worry about going hungry."

Upon hearing this, the bearded chieftain's eyes immediately reddened. He vigorously wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, his voice trembling slightly as he said, "Thank you, Chief Yan! Thank you, Fire Tribe! In the past, countless people from our small tribes starved and froze to death in winter. With these supplies, we can survive this winter!"

The other leaders also gathered around, expressing their gratitude in a flurry of voices. Some had tears in their eyes, some choked up, and some patted their chests, promising to follow the Fire Tribe diligently from now on.

Hearing those words, Yan felt much more at ease. He patted the bearded chieftain on the shoulder and said, "No need to thank me. Once you join the Fire Tribe, you are now part of the Fire Tribe. The Fire Tribe will not let its people go hungry or cold."

After the supplies were unloaded, Yan began to let the migrants board the ships. The five thousand people were divided into several groups, organized by tribe and family, and lined up to board the ships. Yan stood on the dock, watching the people walk onto the ships step by step, watching the expressions on their faces change from tension to curiosity, and then from curiosity to surprise. Those who boarded the ships walked around on the deck, looking around, touching the gunwales, and touching the sails. Everything seemed new and amazing.

An elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, boarded the ship with the help of a soldier. Standing on the deck, he looked at the bronze battering ram that rose high at the Chuantou, his cloudy eyes gleaming. He tremblingly reached out and touched the cold bronze, then withdrew his hand, turned to the soldier beside him, and said, "This ship... it's huge! I've lived my whole life and never seen a ship this big."

Several young men gathered at the stern, watching the oars slice through the water, creating white Langhua, and exclaimed in amazement, "Look, such big oars, such big Shuihua! This boat was really fast coming here!"

Those who planned to migrate next year stood on the dock, craning their necks to watch those boarding the ship, their faces full of envy and anticipation.

"You'll be going next year too! Don't rush!"

"Have a good life over there! We'll bring you local specialties when we come next year!"

"I heard the Fire Tribe has an endless supply of food! Once we get there, we won't have to go hungry anymore!"

The crowd was filled with a variety of voices: blessings, words of advice, farewells, envy, and promises of "coming next year." Dazhuang stood beside Yan, watching the people boarding the ship one after another, and was also filled with emotion. He reached out and smoothed his wind-blown hair, letting out a long breath and sighing, "Yan'er, after all these people join our Fire Tribe, our Fire Tribe will have a population of 200,000, right?" He turned to look at Yan, his eyes filled with disbelief, as if confirming whether the number was true.

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, these five thousand people, plus those who have already joined our Fire Tribe, and the population from the Big Horse River Basin, will bring our Fire Tribe's population to two hundred thousand."

Dazhuang listened and remained silent for a while, as if digesting the number or recalling something from a distant past.

"A few years ago, our Fire Tribe had only about two hundred people. Back then, the entire tribe struggled to even have enough to eat. And now? Two hundred thousand."

He shook his head, his voice tinged with emotion and a sigh, "Who could have imagined this before? Let alone two hundred thousand, even two thousand people would have been an enormous number for us back then."

Yan was silent for a moment, then his gaze fell on the people boarding the ship. He said, "Yes, life was tough back then. We were lucky to have a full meal every day. But those days also taught us to cherish what we had and not to waste anything."

Dazhuang nodded and said, "You're right. Although life was tough before, it taught us a lot. Now our Fire Tribe has so many skills. We've accumulated them one by one, which is how we've achieved our current strength. But with strength comes greater responsibility. Only by continuously increasing our population and strengthening our power can we ensure the safety of the Fire Tribe and allow our people to live a good life."

"Yes, the more technology our Fire Tribe possesses, the more likely it is to be coveted. If we are not strong enough and not united enough, we will be swallowed up sooner or later. Therefore, we must continue to develop and grow stronger, and we cannot stop for a moment."

Dazhuang patted Yan on the shoulder and said, "You're right. It hasn't been easy for our Fire Tribe to get to where we are today. We can't stop now."

The two remained silent for a while, watching the people boarding the ship. The crowd was still moving slowly. Yan seemed to remember something, turned to Dazhuang and said, "Uncle Dazhuang, how do you feel about the ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin that we left here last time? After using it for so long, is it still easy to handle?"

Mentioning the ship, Dazhuang's eyes lit up instantly. A smile spread across his face, his mouth twisting to his ears, even the wrinkles around his eyes softened. His voice rose several octaves as he said, "That's fantastic! That ship is fast, carries a lot, and is incredibly stable. A while ago, I took it for a spin around Dali's stronghold at the Red Flower River Mouth Outpost. You didn't see your Uncle Dali's expression—he was so drooling! He stood on the dock, staring longingly at my ship, his eyes practically glued to the spot, his mouth agape!"

Dazhuang spoke, he burst into laughter, the sound echoing across the dock and drawing the attention of the surrounding soldiers, "He also said that once he has a ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, he'll come to my Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost to show off!"

Yan also laughed, "But now the Red Flower River Mouth Outpost also has ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin. Uncle Dali is extremely happy now, and I heard he wishes he could sleep on the ship."

Dazhuang's smile faded, and he sighed, "Yes, we even have big ships now. Things we never dared to dream of before are now becoming reality one by one. Do you think our Fire Tribe will have even more big ships in the future?"

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, our Fire Tribe will have more large ships and more strongholds in the future. Each important stronghold will be equipped with a large ship. Perhaps, we will even be able to produce ships with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin in the future."

Upon hearing Dazhuang, Dazhuang's eyes widened immediately. "A ship with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin? How big would that be? Twice the size of a current ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin?"

Seeing his shocked expression, Yan smiled and said, "It might be just a matter of the next few years. As long as we keep researching and improving, that day will come. When that day comes, when our Fire Tribe's fleet sails out, even the Tiger Tribe will have to give way."

Dazhuang rubbed his hands together excitedly, his voice filled with anticipation, "If only our Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost had a ship with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin, I could sit on it and travel downstream along the Fish River, going wherever I wanted, and no one could stop me."

Looking at his childlike appearance, Yan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Yes, once we have ships with a carrying capacity of 200,000 jin, I will definitely have my father assign one to your Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost first."

Dazhuang nodded repeatedly, grinning from ear to ear. The two chatted for a while about the situation in the north.

Yan's voice lowered slightly as he said, "Uncle Dazhuang, I spoke with Chief Daiyue during my trip to the Valley Tribe. He said the Tiger Tribe won't be causing trouble this year; they're still fighting internally and can't attend to external matters for the time being. However, the Wolf Tribe Wolf Tribe is in a bit of trouble. They might annex the Great Boulder Tribe's territory this year, which would greatly increase their strength, and that wouldn't be good for either us or the Valley Tribe."

Upon hearing this, Dazhuang frowned and said, "The Wolf Tribe... those people are no pushovers. They have grudges against both the Valley Tribe and our Fire Tribe. If we let them grow too powerful, they'll retaliate sooner or later."

Yan nodded and said, "Yes, that's why we need to take precautions in advance. The outpost at the Big Horse River Mouth is already under construction, and it will be expanded next year depending on the situation. Feiyu is keeping an eye on things there, and will report back immediately if there's any trouble."

Dazhuang nodded, his gaze turning serious. "Alright, I'll keep a close eye on things to the north too. The Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost is close to the north, so I'll send someone to deliver a message immediately if anything happens."

Yan nodded and said, "That's good."

The two chatted for a while longer. Dazhuang told Yan about the recent situation at the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, and Yan asked about the resettlement of the various small tribes. He also gave Yan a few more instructions on things to be careful about. By this time, all five thousand people had boarded the ship.

Seeing that things were about right, Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute to Dazhuang and said, "Uncle Dazhuang, I'll be leaving now. I'll leave this place to you. You can manage the distribution of the supplies, and don't mistreat those who stay behind. If anything happens, send someone to let me know."

Dazhuang returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, saying, "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on things here, nothing will go wrong. Be careful on your journey."

Yan nodded, turned and boarded the ship. The fleet slowly left the dock of the Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, and one ship after another entered the main river channel. The large ships, fully loaded with the new tribesmen, sailed upstream along the Fish River, heading towards the Fire Tribe's main valley.