Dusk and the Journey Home

When Qingsui escorted Yan to the entrance of the Fire Tribe's temporary camp, the moon had already risen high in the west, its silvery light casting a clear outline of the tents. A night breeze carried the dampness of the river and the scent of grass and earth from the distant fields, its cool touch instantly refreshing the senses. The camp had quieted down; most of the warriors were lying down, with only a few sentries moving about near the gate, their footsteps light and rhythmic.

Yan stopped at the camp gate, turned around and looked at Qingsui. The moonlight fell on her face, illuminating her soft features clearly. Her eyes shone brightly in the night, and the corners of her lips still held the smile she hadn't had time to shake off from the walk.

"Wait a moment," Yan said, turning and quickly walking into the camp.

He walked quickly. Qingsui stood still, her hands clasped in front of her, watching Yan's figure disappear between the tents. The night wind blew her skirt and hair. She shrugged slightly, but she didn't move. She just stood there waiting.

A few whispers and the sounds of rummaging through belongings came from the camp. After a while, Yan emerged from the tent, carrying a bulging burlap bag, larger than the last one, tied in several knots as if to prevent its contents from leaking out. He quickly walked back to Qingsui, handed her the bag, and said, "These are spices I brought from the Fire Tribe. There's more than last time, enough for you to use for a while. Two of them are new, and the recipe is a little different from before. You can try them and see if they suit you."

Qingsui took the cloth bag and hugged it to her chest. The package was heavy, and even through the linen, she could smell the complex aroma of various spices mixed together. She looked up at Yan, a smile appearing on her lips, and said, "So much? This is enough for me to use for a long time. I haven't even finished using the last batch, and you've given me so much this time. It'll probably last until next spring."

Seeing her happy expression, Yan's lips curled up as well. He said, "I'll bring you more when you're done using them. It's not much trouble to bring some over each time. We have a lot of different kinds of spices from our area; some are from the mountains, and some are from trade with other tribes. If you like, I'll bring you some different ones to try next time."

After saying this, the smile on his face faded slightly, and his gaze fell on Qingsui's face with a hint of apology. He said, "This time, the amount of grain being transported is quite large, 16 million catties. Time is tight, and we plan to finish loading within three days and then set off. Once the loading work gets busy, we'll be at the dock from morning till night, unable to leave. By the time I finish, it will be dark, and you'll probably be resting."

Although Qingsui had expected this, and although she was a little down, she quickly raised her eyes and smiled again, saying, "It's okay, Yan. Next time you come, spend more time with me. It's not like you're only coming this once; you'll be making many more trips down this road in the future."

Her gaze fell on Yan's face, noticing the barely concealed apology and embarrassment between his brows. Her fingers tightened slightly as she held the cloth bag, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment longer. Then, she tiptoed forward, leaned forward, and gently touched Yan's cheek with her lips.

The touch was very light, lasting only a brief moment. Her face quickly flushed red in the moonlight, like the sunset painting her cheeks, spreading from her cheekbones to her ears, standing out vividly in the silvery moonlight.

She landed back on the ground, took a half step back, and hugged the cloth bag to her chest. She lowered her head for a moment, then looked up at him, her voice softer than before, trembling slightly with shyness, and said, "Thank you for the gift. I'll head back now. I'll come to the dock to see you off when you return."

After she finished speaking, without waiting for Yan's reply, she turned and walked away quickly. Her steps were light and hurried, and she soon disappeared around the corner of the path outside the camp. Yan stood at the camp gate, watching her figure grow smaller and smaller until it disappeared into the shadows of the trees in the moonlight. He raised his hand and touched the spot on his cheek where he had been touched; a trace of warmth still lingered there. He lowered his hand, glanced in that direction a few more times, then turned and walked into the camp.

The next morning, before dawn, the Fire Tribe's temporary camp was already bustling with activity. When Yan came out of his tent, he saw people already walking around on the dock. The entire camp was filled with a sense of rhythm as if they had already entered a working state.

Not long after, Quyong from the Valley Tribe arrived with his men. Today, he was wearing a dark gray linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist, his trousers rolled up to above his knees, and his forehead still had morning dew on them. His hair was a little messy.

"Young Master Yan!" Quyong greeted from afar, his voice ringing out in the morning mist, carrying the clear, hardworking quality characteristic of someone who has been working. "The grain is all ready, the warehouse doors are open, and it's ready to be shipped to the docks at any time!"

Yan also went over and returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, saying, "You've worked hard. Let's begin. This time there's a lot of grain, 16 million catties, which is no small amount. We should try to load it all within three days. Today is the first day, so the pace doesn't need to be too fast, but we can't slack off either. Just keep a steady pace."

Quyong nodded, turned around and shouted to the Valley Tribe warriors behind him, "Begin! Move the grain out of the warehouse and onto the dock! First the oxcarts, then the manpower! Don't panic, follow orders, and do it in order!"

The warriors of the Valley Tribe responded in unison, their voices clear and powerful. Soon, one oxcart after another came from the direction of the warehouse, piled high with sacks, one on top of another, tied tightly with thick hemp ropes so they wouldn't slip off during the bumpy ride. Several oxcarts lined up to unload their cargo at the dock, and the warriors of the Valley Tribe carried the sacks off the carts and stacked them on the dockside.

The warriors of the Fire Tribe were ready. Quyong paced back and forth on the dock, and the warriors of the Fire Tribe sped up the stacking, pushing the sacks tightly together, filling the gaps, and making the entire grain stack look like a whole. There was almost no empty space in the hold, and the sacks were lined up one after another, stretching from the bottom of the hold all the way to the edge of the hatch.

The two groups worked together seamlessly. The Valley Tribe was responsible for transporting the grain from the warehouse to the dock. Oxcarts came one after another, and left one after another when they were empty, without interruption or waiting. The Fire Tribe was responsible for loading the grain from the dock into the ship's hold, receiving it row by row and carrying it bag by bag. The pace was steady and continuous. No one was lazy, no one complained, and everyone was working diligently.

The sun rose from the east to its zenith and then slid back to the west. Bag after bag of grain was loaded onto the ship, and the grain stacks in the hold kept rising, growing from the bottom of the hold all the way to the hatch.

Three days passed neither quickly nor slowly. The days flew by in the hauling and running, and the evenings ended in exhaustion and the closing of the workday. At night, the soldiers collapsed into their tents and slept soundly, with no time to think. The next day, as soon as the horn sounded, they got up and continued working. On the third night, the last bag of grain was delivered into the ship's hold. A young soldier dusted off his hands, straightened his back, stood on the dock for a while, and then said, "The last bag. It's full."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly audible on the quiet dock, where a low, relieved sigh echoed. After everything was finished, most people, except for the patrol personnel, went straight to sleep.

On the morning of the fourth day, just as dawn broke, the Fire Tribe's fleet was already preparing to depart. At the dock, Daiyue, accompanied by the seven elders of the Valley Tribe, came to see them off. Today, he wore a blue linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist and animal skin boots on his feet. He stood up straight with a smile on his face.

The seven elders stood behind him in a row, also dressed in their most respectable clothes. Daiyue walked to the dock, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Yan, who was standing at the bow of the Chuantou, and said, "Young Chief Yan, have a safe journey! You can transport the remaining grain next time you come. Please give my regards to Chief Jianshi when you return."

Yan, standing at the Chuantou, returned the greeting with clasped hands, saying, "Daiyue, Chief Daiyue! Before leaving, I had Jia Li check the accounts with Chief Quyong, and the amounts match without any discrepancies."

His gaze passed over Daiyue's shoulder and landed at the back of the crowd. Qingsui stood at the edge of the crowd, wearing a light blue linen dress. Her hair was tied into a braid that hung down to her shoulder, the ends of the braid swaying gently in the morning breeze. When she saw Yan's gaze coming over, she didn't wave, but just nodded slightly, a faint smile on her lips.

Yan nodded to her, then turned around and shouted into the cabin, "Let's go!"

As the horns sounded, the fleet slowly left the dock, one boat after another entering the main channel. The sails were raised, billowing in the morning breeze, their white surfaces gleaming softly in the dawn light. The oars plunged into the water, stirring up white Langhua that left long, thin ripples on the sterns, which gradually spread out and disappeared into the river.

Qingsui stood at the edge of the crowd, watching the boats leave the dock one by one. Her gaze followed the figure on the largest boat until the fleet rounded the bend in the river, and the silhouette of the sails became a tiny dot on the horizon. Only then did she slowly turn away, and then she followed the crowd and slowly dispersed.

The fleet sailed upstream along the Fish River for several days until they reached the Big Horse River Mouth Temporary Outpost. Yan had the fleet stop there briefly. Feiyu was already waiting on the dock. Today he was wearing a gray linen robe with a hemp rope tied around his waist, straw sandals on his feet, and his trousers rolled up to his knees. His ankles were still covered in dry mud, as if he had just come from the fields.

Yan stepped off the ship, Feiyu strode up to him, clasping his hands in a salute and saying, "Young Chief! You've arrived! I've already spoken with the people from those smaller tribes, and we've agreed on a time for them to gather. Some have already started arriving these past few days, and they should all be here in a few more days."

Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the dock and camp, and asked, "How are your arrangements going? Are they carrying a lot of stuff? Is anyone bringing large pieces of furniture or anything like that?"

Flying Feiyu gestured with his hand and said, "I've made it clear to them that all the large items and unnecessary things should be left at the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost for disposal. I'll have someone collect these things and exchange them for salt, special dried rations, bronzeware, and other items. This way, they can travel light to the Fire Tribe's main valley, and it will be easier for us to transport them. We won't have to pile up a bunch of stuff on the ship, which takes up space, adds weight, and makes the hold a mess."

Yan thought for a moment, his gaze lingering on Feiyu's face before he praised, "That's indeed a good idea. However, when they come to dispose of their belongings, we should give them something easy to carry and of high value. We can't let them suffer a loss before even joining the Fire Tribe. The Fire Tribe's reputation is built up little by little; we can't let them feel uncomfortable over such a small matter. First impressions are very important for new members."

Feiyu nodded, his expression turning serious. "Young Chief, rest assured, I guarantee I'll handle this matter well. We'll provide everything they're entitled to, and the exchanged items will be priced higher than before. We won't mistreat them. I've already told them that they'll have everything when they get to the Fire Tribe, so they don't need to bring too much; just some personal belongings will suffice."

Yan gave a few more instructions. "If you work hard here, when the official stronghold is rebuilt, I will ask the chief to allocate more manpower for you so that the houses can be built faster and more fields can be cultivated. After I transport the grain back to the tribe this time, I will bring a fleet of ships to pick up people. Get ready here, and we can just load the goods onto the ships and leave without any delays."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Feiyu's face for a moment before saying, "Once your official base is built by the end of the year, equipped with a large ship with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin, you'll be able to handle things independently here. Do a good job, and the chief will naturally see your contributions. The Fire Tribe never mistreats those who work hard; you've been here for so long, you should understand that."

Upon hearing this, Feiyu's eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously, saying, "Young Chief, rest assured, I will keep a close eye on things here and won't let you worry about me."

Yan nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and then turned and walked back to the ship.

The fleet set sail again, continuing upstream along the Fish River. After about twenty days, the fleet finally returned to the Little Fish River Mouth dock. When Yan disembarked, Jianshi was already standing on the dock, accompanied by several leaders, Dabang, and Canglan. Yan followed Jianshi quickly towards the council hall. As they walked, Jianshi Shi asked with concern and inquiry, "Was the journey smooth? How was the cooperation from the Valley Tribe?" "Father, this time we transported a total of 16 million catties of grain. Of the 40 million catties of grain ordered from the Valley Tribe this year, only the last 11 million catties remain. Next time we go, we can transport it all without having to wait until autumn."

He paused, lowering his voice slightly. "Also, there's been no movement from the Tiger Tribe in the north for the time being. Chief Daiyue's spies say that the Tiger Tribe is still embroiled in internal strife, with none of the three major forces able to gain the upper hand, and they can't spare any resources to deal with us yet. However, the leaders of the Wolf Tribe and Bear Tribe haven't shown up in their territories for quite some time. Chief Daiyue suspects they may have gone to the Tiger Tribe, and who knows what they're discussing there. They might make a move soon."

Jianshi frowned slightly upon hearing this, then relaxed. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table twice. "You've brought back so much grain this time, greatly increasing our Fire Tribe's grain reserves. This is extremely beneficial to our Fire Tribe's development. Even if something unexpected happens in the north this year, we can hold on."

He sat up straighter, his tone becoming more confident. "As for the Tiger Tribe, with our current strength, we have no problem protecting ourselves. Even if they send out all their forces, we're not afraid. We have more ships and more people than them; they won't gain any advantage if they come. It's the Valley Tribe that's more concerning; they're too close to the Wolf Tribe and Bear Tribe, so we need to be more vigilant."

Yan nodded. "I also told Chief Daiyue about this, and he said he would send people to keep an eye on it. It's not like he's unprepared; the walls and watchtowers of Little Valley Camp have been reinforced, and the patrols have been increased."

He changed the subject again. "By the way, Father, there are quite a few small tribes near the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost that are preparing to join our Fire Tribe, numbering around five thousand. Feiyu has already made arrangements for those small tribes to gradually gather at the Big Horse River Mouth and come lightly equipped. I plan to lead a fleet to bring them to the Fire Tribe's main valley in a couple of days to settle them."

Jianshi smiled upon hearing this, "That's good news. You should prepare in the next couple of days and then head over. Since those people are willing to join us, we can't keep them waiting too long. The sooner we bring them back and settle them in, the more at ease they'll feel, and the less trouble we'll have."

After he finished speaking, he added, "There's one more thing. Dazhuang went to talk to Junfeng, the leader of the Horse Tribe. Junfeng said he wants to come to Little Fish River Mouth in person to see and understand the situation of our Fire Tribe before making a decision. Since he's willing to come in person, it means he's really considering this matter. When you come back, I will personally receive him. You should also be there so he can see what our Fire Tribe looks like."

Yan nodded. "If the Horse Tribe could join our Fire Tribe, that would be the best outcome. Then our territory would be connected all the way to the Big Horse River Mouth, officially bordering the Valley Tribe. Support would be much faster, and the transportation of food and supplies would be much smoother."

Jianshi nodded. "Okay. After you've settled the five thousand people at the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost and settled them in at the Valley Tribe headquarters, come back and prepare to transport back the remaining grain that you ordered from the Valley Tribe."

Yan stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Yes, Father. I will go and prepare immediately. First, unload the grain, then lead men to pick up the five thousand men."

Jianshi waved at him. "Go."

Yan turned and walked out of the council hall.