Boatbuilding Accelerates
The spring breeze, like a gentle messenger, swept across the valleys of the Fire Tribe, awakening the slumbering land and igniting the flames of rapid development in the hearts of the tribe. The hundreds of new mouths, like a sword hanging overhead, forced the tribe to act with unprecedented speed and efficiency. Among all the urgent plans, a project concerning the future food supply was placed at the forefront—the large-scale construction of boats.
As early as the end of last autumn, when the first leaves fell, Wang Yan suggested to his father, Jianshi, that they stockpile timber for shipbuilding. He knew clearly that with the expansion of the tribe's population, relying solely on two Xiaozhou to fish in the shallow waters of the river bend was woefully inadequate. They needed more boats to venture into deeper and farther waters and obtain richer catches.
Jianshi wholeheartedly agreed and mobilized manpower without hesitation. In that crisp autumn season, a team led by experienced hunters ventured deep into the primeval forests surrounding the tribe. They did not indiscriminately cut down trees, but carefully selected large trees of suitable age, with Jianren wood and straight, thick trunks, according to the requirements put forward by Zhouya and Shuihen. The sounds of axes and chisels echoed through the forest for several days, and dozens of high-quality giant trees were felled one after another. Branches were trimmed, and some bark was peeled off. Like sleeping giants, they were dragged to a high, well-ventilated clearing at the edge of the valley for the crucial natural air drying. Throughout the winter, these logs quietly changed under the sculpting of the cold wind and time, gradually releasing internal stress and slowly evaporating moisture, making final preparations to become boats that could cut through the waves.
After spring arrived, gazing at the bustling population in the valley, now exceeding eight hundred, and looking at the rapidly dwindling food reserves in the warehouse, Jianshi's last shred of hesitation vanished. He summoned Zhouya and Shuihen, his gaze sharp, his tone resolute:
"Eight! You must build me eight boats as sturdy and large as the two we have now, before the river is full and the fish are at their peak migration!" He waved his hand, giving unprecedented support. "You can choose how many people you need! Whatever materials you need, supply them first! Whether the tribe has enough to eat right now depends on how quickly you can turn these logs into boats!"
With this heavy task weighing on their shoulders, Zhouya and Shuihen felt a surge of excitement rush to their heads. This was not only a responsibility, but also the leader's unwavering trust.
What truly convinced Zhouya and Shuihen (along with Suyuan and Qingmu) to serve the Fire Tribe wholeheartedly was the extraordinary care Jianshi showed them during the harsh winter. Considering that these four skilled individuals were invaluable assets to the tribe's development and that they were all single, Jianshi, after discussing with Qingye and his siblings, personally acted as matchmaker, selecting four virtuous and hardworking women from the tribe to form families for them.
The ceremony was simple yet full of warmth. Amidst the blessings of the clan, the four newlyweds received their own humble yet heartwarming hut. As night fell, after a day's work, they returned "home" to find their wives had prepared hot soup and laid out animal skin beds. The indescribable warmth and sense of security they felt was incomparable to any material reward.
"This is where we're rooted," Zhouya, a man of few words, whispered to his wife one night, his rough hands gripping hers tightly. Shuihen, even more energetic, wished he could spend every single moment of the day at the construction site. He told his wife, "The chief and Yan treat us so well; my life, Shuihen's life, belongs to the Fire Tribe!"
This strong sense of belonging transformed into boundless motivation. They were no longer merely "craftsmen from the Fish Tribe," but truly became "ship captains of the Fire Tribe."
On a flat open space near the mouth of the stream, a fairly large temporary shipbuilding workshop was quickly set up. Jianshi carefully selected twenty quick-witted, agile, and curious young men from Dazhuang's engineering team and Wang Yan's Youth Team to form a special shipbuilding team, which was then fully entrusted to Zhouya and Shuihen for command.
The workshop immediately transformed into a bustling scene. The shouts, the clanging of Shifu, and the rustling of wood rubbing together created a powerful symphony of labor.
However, the real challenge has only just begun. Compared to the Fish Tribe, the Fire Tribe's tools appear particularly primitive and scarce.
• The challenge of cutting the logs: Splitting the massive logs into the required planks and framing was the first hurdle. Simply hacking away with heavy Shifu was not only inefficient but also extremely wasteful of wood, and could even cause the wood to crack along the grain and become unusable. Zhouya and Shuihen had to spend a lot of time using stone chisels to carefully carve shallow grooves along drawn lines, and then several people would work together to insert stone wedges to painstakingly expand them. The slow progress made the two of them extremely anxious.
• Excavating the ship's hull: This was the most technically and patiently demanding process. Without suitable tools, they could only use small stone chisels and sharpened Yingmu, along with charcoal fire, to slowly dig out the debris. Thick smoke was choking, sparks flew everywhere, and progress was as slow as ants gnawing at the ground. Several young apprentices developed blisters on their hands, but they still gritted their teeth and persevered.
• Assembly and waterproofing: How to firmly join different planks together and ensure that the cabin does not leak is another technical challenge. At present, they can only rely on fish glue (in limited quantities) and ropes made of bark fibers for binding and reinforcement, the reliability and durability of which remain to be tested.
Wang Yan comes to the workshop almost every day, not only to supervise but also to solve problems. He saw Shuihen struggling with a stubborn piece of giant wood, so he squatted down to examine the wood grain carefully.
"Uncle Shuihen, look at the grain here," Wang Yan pointed to one end of the wood, "If we didn't split it directly in the middle, but instead peeled off a layer along the grain first, wouldn't it be easier, and the resulting board would be larger and less prone to cracking?"
Shuihen tried as advised, and although it was still strenuous, it was indeed much more effective than brute force! Wang Yan also suggested making some large wooden levers and supports to flip and secure the heavy timber, reducing manpower consumption and risks.
Despite numerous difficulties, with the dedicated guidance of Zhouya and Shuihen, and the occasional "ingenious ideas" from Wang Yan, the keel and main ribs of the first new boat finally began to take shape amidst sweat and anticipation. The outline of hope was gradually becoming clearer as the craftsmen hammered away day after day.