Handover at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost

The fleet traveled upstream along the Fish River for several days. The new inhabitants of the Clothing Tribe had gradually adapted to life on the boat, no longer huddled awkwardly in the middle of the cabin as they had been when they first boarded. Some sat down by the gunwale, stretching their legs out; some untied their bundles, rearranged them, and then tied them back up; some chatted quietly in the shade at the stern, their voices mingling with a faint hum carried by the river breeze. Several children chased each other on the deck, their feet thumping on the wooden planks with a light, rhythmic sound, almost like dancing. The mothers initially scolded them, but seeing how happy they were, they let them be, as long as they didn't get too close to the edge of the gunwale. Fortunately, the weather remained good, without any strong winds or heavy rain, and the fleet traveled smoothly, gradually relaxing the atmosphere in the cabins.

That morning, the sun had already risen above the eastern ridgeline, casting golden sunlight across the river, illuminating the entire water. Every ripple reflected a shimmering light, as if the river itself were breathing slowly. The outline of the dock at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost gradually came into focus. A large number of people were already standing on the dock, a dark mass resembling a new grove of trees growing along the bank. The figure at the very front was Jianya. Today, he wore a new, light gray linen robe, the fabric neatly sewn at the collar and cuffs, without a single frayed edge. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, from which hung a short knife, its scabbard polished clean. He wore straw sandals, the soles still bearing the dark marks of the morning dew. His hands were behind his back, his back ramrod straight, his gaze fixed on the approaching sails on the river, his expression serious and calm, like a Shitou had stood for a long time.

Behind him stood dozens of soldiers, all elites from the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. They were sturdy, with sharp eyes, and their short swords at their waists and bows on their backs were meticulously maintained. Each bowstring had been taut and then released to check its condition before being put back into its quiver. A group of boatmen responsible for transporting goods also stood by the dock. The small boats were lined up and moored at the dockside, their oars neatly placed on the gunwale, the edges of the oar blades trimmed cleanly, as if they were ready to set off at any moment. Along the edge of the dock's walkway stood several rows of young soldiers, all craning their necks to look at the river. Some squinted slightly, some were counting the sails in the fleet, and some were whispering to each other, their voices intermittent in the river breeze.

The boat docked, its hull scraping against the wooden posts along the pier with a low, grinding sound, like a long journey finally ending on solid ground. The gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off the boat. His boots, damp with morning dew, slipped slightly on the wooden planks, but he walked steadily, each step landing on the widest part of the plank, his stride smooth and continuous. Jianya saw him, his gaze lingering on him for a moment to confirm his safety, then he took two steps forward. He reached out and grasped Yan's arm, his grip strong and firm, characteristic of someone who had worked hard for years, giving it a shake, as if to confirm that Yan hadn't been weakened by the time he spent on the boat. His gaze moved from Yan's face to his shoulder, then back to his eyes, his voice carrying the relief of someone finally arriving after a long wait. "Yan'er, you did a great job this time. I heard you not only brought back grain from the Valley Tribe, but you also brought the people from the Clothing Tribe over. Nothing went wrong along the way, did it?"

Yan, his arm gripped and shaken by Jianya, smiled and said, "Yes, with such a large population in our Fire Tribe, the more grain the better. This time, we transported 20 million catties back from the Valley Tribe. The journey was smooth and without any mishaps. Now, the Clothing Tribe has completely broken away from the Valley Tribe and joined our Fire Tribe. Our Fire Tribe's population has increased by more than 10,000, and our territory has also expanded considerably. The entire area west of the Fish River is now ours, stretching from the Clothing River South Bank all the way to the Valley Tribe, without any gaps."

Jianya released his arm, took a half step back, and looked him up and down, as if to check if he had lost weight from the trip. His gaze lingered on his shoulders and waist. "That's good. I've already cleared out some space in the main valley. The houses have been prepared in advance, firewood and food are ready, and beds are made. These people can settle in immediately upon arrival without waiting. Have these new tribesmen transfer to small boats and go to the main valley in batches. The large boats have a deep draft and can't travel upstream on the Fire Creek. Small boats will take them one trip at a time; there's no rush."

Yan turned around and glanced at the fleet of ships on the dock. The large ships were drafted very deep; the water level at the Fire Creek River Mouth was indeed not high enough for them to go any further upstream. He turned back and said, "Okay, this time we've brought over 10,000 people. Adding the natural population growth of our Fire Tribe, we probably have around 280,000 now. After the Clothing Tribe people disembark, we'll have to count the number of people on the dock and verify it before they leave in batches."

Jianya nodded and said, "If things continue like this, our Fire Tribe's population will soon exceed 300,000. There's no other tribe with 300,000 people on the Fish River."

He paused, then changed the subject, saying, "How was your trip to the Valley Tribe to transport grain? Did the Valley Tribe cooperate smoothly? Was there anything that seemed a bit off?"

Yan also stopped smiling, his gaze becoming serious, as if he were arranging the scattered news in order before presenting it, "The Valley Tribe is very cooperative. The grain in the granary is all fresh and not damp. We checked several bags, and every grain was plump and not a single bag was moldy. Quyong has been at the dock the whole time, never leaving, and every bag of grain passed through his hands before being loaded onto the ship. However, the situation in the north has changed drastically. The Tiger Tribe has now completely absorbed the population and territory of the Great Luwei Tribe, and the power of Elder Tongding's faction has greatly increased. They now have the Wolf Tribe and Bear Tribe at their disposal, and Tongding's faction has gained much more influence within the Tiger Tribe. I heard that they have already openly discussed the plan to move south in the council hall, and even Hu Bashan has not voiced any opposition."

Jianya's brow twitched slightly upon hearing this, but he didn't interrupt him; he simply listened quietly.

Yan continued, "Chief Daiyue of the Valley Tribe told me that the Tiger Tribe is already preparing to cause trouble, and the Valley Tribe is also preparing to strengthen its defenses. They didn't stop the Clothing Tribe from becoming independent this time; instead, they asked me to strengthen the military preparedness of the northern stronghold as soon as possible, hoping that we can come to their aid in time when they need it. He knows that the Valley Tribe cannot withstand a full-scale attack from the Tiger Tribe, so he is leaving himself a way out. He judges that the Tiger Tribe will definitely come to cause trouble this year, and they will probably make their move around the time of the first harvest."

Jianya didn't reply immediately after listening. He remained silent for a moment, then raised his right hand and stroked his chin, his fingertips slowly gliding across the rough skin. His gaze fell on the water by the dock, as if he were letting the words run through his mind, weighing the weight of each point. Then he spoke, "It seems we need to make some preparations. The Tiger Tribe isn't one of those small tribes; once they make a move, it won't be small."

Yan nodded and said, "Father has already mobilized the tribe. We need to accumulate supplies as quickly as possible, improve the soldiers' rations, keep training going, prepare equipment, and keep the watchtowers and patrol boats on high alert, ready to respond to any emergencies. I thought about it on the way here, and we also need to strengthen communication between the northern strongholds and speed up the transmission of information. We can't wait until the fighting starts to find out what's happening on the other side."

Jianya listened, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment before saying, "That's good. We've been accumulating supplies here recently, and the warehouses are piled high with things, all of which have been delivered gradually since the beginning of spring. I figured it wouldn't be easy to manage these things if they were kept in various branch warehouses, so I had them all gathered at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. After all these new tribesmen have disembarked, you can take your men to load all the supplies onto the ships and take them back to the Fire Tribe's management center. Also, we've recently built several new ships with a carrying capacity of 100,000 jin each, which are also docked at the pier. You can take them there as well."

Upon hearing this, Yan's eyes brightened slightly, and his voice carried a sense of relief that things had gone more smoothly than expected. "That's wonderful. I was worried that we might not have enough ships when we got back."

Without wasting any time, he turned around and began organizing the transfer of the new tribesmen. At the same time, he arranged for people to move the supplies piled up at the dock. The dock quickly became busy. The new tribesmen of the Clothing Tribe moved between the large ships and the dock. Some carried bundles and walked steadily, while others carried loads. The gangplank swayed slightly, but their steps did not stop. The warriors stood on both sides of the gangplank, one on each side, guiding the people to transfer to small boats in batches.

Yan walked back and forth between the dock and the warehouse several times. By the time all the new tribesmen had been transferred and the supplies loaded onto the ships, it was already past noon. The sun had moved slightly westward from its zenith, its rays no longer shining directly but casting long shadows on the dock, making the shadows of people and objects longer than in the morning. At the dock at the Fire Creek River Mouth, the small boats that had been moored on the shore were now empty. The boatmen were resting at the stern, some taking out dry biscuits from their pockets and taking a bite, others taking a swig of water from their jugs. After the soldiers loaded the last few bags of supplies onto the large ships, they squatted by the gunwale to tighten the ropes and checked the knots again to make sure they wouldn't come loose halfway before straightening up. Some jumped off the boat and stood by the dock for a while, looking around to make sure all the supplies were in place before turning back to the boat.

Yan and his men ate lunch at the dock. Yan ate a few bites standing by the pier and then put it away, without sitting down for a proper meal. Jianya stood next to him, also holding a bowl of hot water, leaning against a wooden post by the dock, drinking it with his elbow resting on the top of the post. His posture was relaxed, but his eyes were fixed on the soldiers who were finishing up on the dock. The two chatted for a while, Jianya asked about the preparations at the northern stronghold. Yan gave a general overview of the arrangements made by Feiyu —watchtower shifts, river patrols, supply reserves, personnel rotations— Jianya nodded after listening, his gaze lingering on the river, as if mentally comparing those arrangements with the progress here.

After everything was settled, Yan wiped the dust off his hands, patted his clothes twice, turned around and clasped his hands in Jianya salute to Fang: "Uncle Jianya, I'll be going now. These ships and supplies need to be sent back to the management center; we can't delay any longer. There could be trouble in the north at any time, and leaving these things at the front isn't a good idea."

Jianya put down his bowl, straightened up, and removed his hands from the wooden stake, placing them at his sides. "Let's go. The situation is different now. It's safer to leave the big ship at the management center. I have enough small boats here; there's no need to take up space on the dock with such a large ship. You can focus on your journey. Come over for a visit when you're done with this busy period. The new grain should be ready by then, and I'll have the cooks prepare a nice meal for you."

Yan nodded, turned, and strode quickly back to his boat. He walked swiftly onto the gangplank, but each step was firm, as if he had traversed this boat many times before. The fleet slowly departed from the dock, drifting downstream along the Fish River towards the Fire Tribe Management Center. Several newly built boats lined up in the fleet, their hulls gleaming with the light sheen of fresh wood. Their sails, not yet worn by the wind, shone brightly white in the afternoon sun. The entire fleet was arranged on the river, the sails forming a continuous line, like a slowly moving white dike, casting neat shadows in the afternoon sun. Each sail swayed on the water, sometimes gathering, sometimes dispersing.

After three days of travel, the fleet finally returned to the Little Fish River Mouth Wharf. The wooden planks on the wharf were warm from the afternoon sun, and the warmth emanating from the wood could be felt even through the soles of one's boots. When Yan jumped off the boat, his foot landed on the wharf with a thud. After regaining his footing, he didn't linger but strode quickly towards the council hall. The sound of his boots clicking on the dirt road and the wooden planks of the wharf alternated, the rhythm faster than usual, as if he were rushing to deliver the results to their proper place. The guard at the entrance of the council hall saw him, stepped aside, and opened the door, the hinges making a familiar low creak. Yan strode across the threshold and went inside.

Jianshi was sitting in the main seat, holding a wooden tablet in his hand, looking down at the engravings on it. A bone needle lay beside him, as if he had just been adding something to it. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Yan. He put the tablet down, spread his palm on the table, and waited for him to speak. Yan walked to the table and stood down. Without sitting down, he immediately reported the results, his voice crisp and efficient from his journey back. "Father, all the people of the Clothing Tribe have been brought to the Fire Creek River Mouth. Uncle Jianya arranged for small boats to transport them into the main valley. Everyone is settled, and the houses and food have been distributed without any chaos. In addition, Uncle Jianya gathered a batch of supplies at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. There is food, cloth, tools, and copper. I have already loaded them onto the boats and brought them back. Uncle Jianya also built several new boats, which were also brought back. The new boats have been inspected. The draft is normal, the rudder is smooth, and the sails are fine."

After listening, Jianshi nodded and tapped his finger lightly on the table. "It's a relief that the Clothing Tribe was able to take over so quickly. Now that their people are settled, things will be much more stable. You made two trips in a row, transporting grain from the Valley Tribe and picking up the Clothing Tribe's people, without stopping in between. Let them rest for a couple of days. There's no movement from the north yet, and the first harvest of the year will be ready soon. Let everyone prepare, and we can focus on dealing with the situation in the north after the harvest."

Yan nodded. "Okay. I'll go back first, and tomorrow I'll inventory and store the supplies and ships. I've also noted down the number of new ships; I'll make a list for you later."

He clasped his hands in a fist salute to his father, then turned and walked out of the council chamber. Sunlight streamed in from outside, warming him. He stood at the doorway and took a deep breath. The spring air carried the dampness of the river and the fresh scent of crops sprouting in the distant fields, invigorating his face and dispelling some of the weariness accumulated from days on the boat. The wind blew steadily and calmly from the river, like an invisible river flowing slowly across the sky, carrying the unique rhythm of spring, a rhythm of growth for all things.

He stood there for a moment, then walked toward his residence.