Trading by Boat, Pottery for Grain
Twenty sets of rattan helmets, bamboo breastplates, and rattan shields were quickly distributed to the Hunting Team responsible for luring and frontal attacks. The first time they entered the forest in this strange attire, not only were the prey startled by this never-before-seen "monster," but even the Hunting Team themselves felt a little awkward. However, the practicality of this equipment was soon fully demonstrated.
During one hunt for a ferocious wild boar, Dashan, responsible for holding the line, withstood two fierce Chongzhuang thanks to his rattan shield and bamboo armor. The spear tip only left a few shallow marks on the bamboo, and he himself was merely knocked back a few steps, completely unharmed. Ultimately, with the cooperation of the other team members, this beast, which usually required a considerable price to capture, was successfully killed. On another occasion, a team member accidentally tumbled while climbing a steep slope, hitting his head on Shitou. Thanks to his sturdy rattan helmet, he was only momentarily stunned and did not suffer a head injury.
Real combat is the sole criterion for testing truth. After several successful hunts, the hunters who had initially had some reservations about this "stump armor" completely shut up and began to cherish it. Every time they returned from a hunt, they would carefully clean the mud and bloodstains from the armor and check for any damage.
Seeing the reported results and extremely low injury rate, Jianshi felt reassured and immediately ordered Wang Yan: "Yan, these armors and shields are excellent! While the tribe isn't too busy right now, take your men and make the remaining hundred-odd sets for the Hunting Team as quickly as possible! We need to ensure that every one of our warriors has an extra layer of protection when they go out!"
"Yes, Father!" Wang Yan accepted the order. This was exactly what he had planned. He immediately expanded the production team, drawing several skilled and talented boys from the Youth Team, led by Shibang and others, into several groups specifically responsible for cutting vines, splitting bamboo, twisting hemp rope, and the final weaving and assembly. The entire tribe's logistical resources were effectively mobilized to forge "Thorn Armor" for the frontline warriors.
This work lasted for nearly a month. When the last set of rattan armor and shields was delivered, looking at the neatly arranged, even more formidable Hunting Team fully armed, Jianshi and Wang Yan felt a surge of pride. This armed force was more than capable of Shouhu their existing territory and population.
Having finished dealing with the armor, Wang Yan finally had some free time to check on the tribe's other "stock." He strolled over to several large sheds specifically for storing pottery. Inside, they were piled high with pottery of all sizes and shapes. Besides everyday pottery jars and bowls, there were many new shapes being made, such as pottery cauldrons with handles, narrow-mouthed pottery bottles, and even a few large pottery jars imitating the style of the Fish Tribe.
When Taobo, who was in charge of firing the pottery, saw Wang Yan, he quickly came over, his face showing a satisfied yet somewhat worried expression. "Yan, look, these are all recently fired. Everyone is using them very carefully, so few are damaged, and they're piling up... Some pottery pieces are just sitting there, and over time, they'll just take up space."
Looking at the mountain of pottery, Wang Yan had an idea. Indeed, although pottery was durable, the tribe's population was limited, and their daily consumption was also limited. Pottery making was now a mature technology for the tribe, and as long as there was clay and firewood, production could continue indefinitely. Rather than letting these surplus pottery pieces gather dust in a corner, it would be better to give them greater value.
He immediately found his father, Jianshi, and told him his idea, "Father, we have more and more pottery piling up in our warehouse. Besides the batch we promised to give to the Fish Tribe last time, we now have more than double that. If we keep these things, they're just clay, but if we transport them to the Fish Tribe, we can exchange them for the grain, fish oil, and even some wild vegetable seeds and seedlings that we don't have here. I think we can organize another trade, this time specifically to use these surplus pottery to exchange for other things."
Jianshi's eyes gradually lit up as he listened to his son's words. He had recently been thinking about how to stockpile more winter supplies for the tribe, especially easier-to-store food. Yan's suggestion was exactly what he wanted. "Great idea!" Jianshi slapped his thigh. "We'll use what we don't need to exchange for what we lack! It's a good deal! It's settled then. Get ready, let's set off as soon as possible!"
Having learned from their previous experience of a long journey by land, Jianshi did not hesitate to choose the waterway this time.
"Let's go by water! By boat!" he decisively ordered. "Walking is too slow, tiring, and we can't carry much. By boat, it's less strenuous, faster, and we can carry more!"
For the past six months, the tribe has not stopped improving and building boats. With the guidance of the Shuihen obtained from the Fish Tribe, and through their own exploration, they have successively built ten new boats. These ten new boats are more than twice the size of the original five, with wider and sturdier hulls. In addition to accommodating two adults to row and punt, each boat has a cabin in the middle that can carry more than 500 kilograms of cargo! Moreover, by utilizing the power of the water flow, going downstream requires almost no effort, and going upstream by rowing is much easier and safer than trekking through the jungle with heavy loads.
Calculations show that traveling to and from the Fish Tribe by water, including the time for trading, would only take about ten days! This is almost twice as fast as walking! Moreover, ten large boats can carry more than five thousand catties of pottery and other goods, and the exchanged goods can also be easily transported back, making it far more efficient than carrying them by manpower.
Jianshi Shi personally selected twenty warriors skilled in water to accompany him, including the experienced Dali and the crucial "Shuihen". Wang Yan, as the main proposer and "negotiation advisor" of this trade, must also go along.
Half a month later, everything was ready. Ten newly built large boats lined up in a row on the riverbank, looking quite impressive. The tribespeople carefully wrapped each piece of pottery in dry grass and placed it steadily into the cabin. In addition to the specific batch of pottery promised to the Fish Tribe, there was also a lot of their accumulated stock. Soon, the ten large boats were ready.
On the morning of their departure, the weather was clear and a gentle river breeze was blowing. Jianshi stood at the Chuantou, full of vigor. Wang Yan stood beside him, looking at the caravan of Muzhou laden with hope behind them, his heart filled with anticipation. This trade was not only about exchanging grain, but also a demonstration of the Fire Tribe's production capabilities, and a crucial step in laying the foundation for larger-scale and more regular trade in the future.
"Set sail!" Jianshi Shi commanded. Ten large boats, steered by twenty strong warriors, slowly left the riverbank and entered the middle of the river. Oars stirred up splashes of Shuihua as the fleet sailed downstream towards the Fish Tribe. On the riverbank, the tribespeople waved goodbye until the fleet became a string of small black dots and disappeared at the end of the winding river.