A Marriage Proposal and the Journey North

After discussing the treatment and resettlement of the high-ranking members of the Valley Tribe and Bean Tribe, Jianshi continued, "Besides these matters, I also wanted to help my Yan'er propose marriage. Yan'er is very fond of Qingsui, so I wanted to ask Brother Daiyue and Qingsui's opinion."

After Jianshi finished speaking, the atmosphere in the council hall seemed to be gently stabilized by something. Those who had been talking in hushed tones gradually fell silent, raising their gazes from the rims of their bowls and the table to the direction of the head of the table. Some people who had been leaning back in their chairs sat up straighter, while others lowered their hands, which had been crossed in front of their abdomens, and placed them flat on their knees. A young leader sitting against the wall also put down his bowl, the rim of which made a soft sound as it hit the table. Daiyue, sitting in the head of the table, paused for a moment on Jianshi's face, as if using that moment of silence to reiterate what he had just said. His fingers, which had been resting on his knees, twitched slightly when he heard the words "proposal of marriage," his knuckles clenching for a moment before relaxing, as if something had gently touched the back of his flat hand from the outside.

He didn't answer immediately, but first turned to look at Qingsui standing in the corner— Qingsui was standing next to the row of wooden shelves, the afternoon light slanting down from the window sill, casting a warm glow on the edge of her light purple skirt. She had put down the ceramic plate she had been holding, her fingertips resting on its rim. The plate was no longer steaming, as if it had just been brought out and hadn't been touched. A faint blush rose from her ears, spreading upwards from her earlobes along the edges of her ears, appearing particularly distinct in the light. Her gaze was fixed on the ground near her toes, her fingers lingering on the rim of the plate for a moment before releasing it, a very soft scraping sound as her fingertips left the ceramic surface.

Daiyue withdrew his gaze, a smile spreading across his face. The smile started at the corner of his eye and slowly extended to the corner of his mouth, appearing particularly relaxed in the afternoon light. His voice was softer than before, as if he were speaking of something he had long noticed, "Chief Yan is brave and resourceful, and he cares deeply for our Qingsui. I've witnessed it all over the years. Having dealt with the Valley Tribe and Fire Tribe for so long, I've seen how he acts and treats people." He turned slightly to look in Qingsui's direction, raising his voice a little, as if gently presenting the question to her, "Qingsui, are you willing?"

Qingsui stood in the corner. Hearing her father's question, she shifted slightly. Her gaze lifted from the ground in front of her toes, first landing on a slanted ray of light cut by the window sill, then slowly moving upwards along the light, sweeping over the shadows of the people seated and the edges of the table, finally settling on Daiyue's face. Her lips pursed slightly, as if she held the words to her lips for a moment, letting them pass through her own voice before speaking. Her voice was not loud, but her enunciation was clear, each word as if gently placed down from her lips. "It's all up to Father's decision." As her gaze shifted, it swept past Yan's direction, neither stopping nor avoiding him. Her fingers lightly twirled the edge of her sleeve, her fingertips tracing the fabric back and forth, as if wanting that small piece of cloth to linger between her fingers a little longer.

Daiyue Yue laughed heartily, understanding his daughter's intentions perfectly well. He turned to Jianshi and said, "Since that's the case, I'll agree to this marriage on Qingsui's behalf. Both children are satisfied, and we, as elders, have no reason not to nod in agreement. I'm also at ease entrusting Qingsui to Young Master Yan."

Jianshi's smile deepened. He sat up straighter, leaning back in his chair, and placed his hands flat on the table, fingers slightly spread, as if pressing down the words he hadn't yet spoken. "In that case, let's choose a good day. This year is a bit rushed—the autumn harvest, the migration, the resettlement of the new tribespeople—all these things are crammed together, and I'm afraid we won't have time to hold a proper celebration. Next year, after the entire Valley Tribe has migrated to our Fire Tribe, we'll hold a grand celebration and let everyone in the tribe have a good time."

Daiyue nodded, his gaze lingering on Jianshi's face for a moment. "Alright, this arrangement is more appropriate. After the spring of next year, once the people of the Valley Tribe have settled down, we'll choose a good day. It doesn't need to be too extravagant, but the necessary ceremonies must be observed."

Jianshi's gaze shifted from Daiyue's face, sweeping around the council hall before returning to Daiyue's. His voice softened, as if he were speaking of something he had been holding in his heart for some time, each word carefully crafted before being uttered. "Alright, in a few years, our generation will grow old, and the tribe will definitely be handed over to the younger generation. I have high hopes for Yan'er; I've witnessed his work over the years. The burdens of the tribe will still fall on Yan'er's shoulders. Qingsui is also very outstanding; with her by Yan'er's side, I feel very reassured. Brother Daiyue, from now on, our two tribes are one family; we should visit each other more often."

Daiyue leaned back in his chair, his gaze lingering on Jianshi's face for a moment before he nodded slightly. His voice carried a relaxed rhythm born of their new relationship. "From now on, it truly belongs to the young generation. We'll gradually begin to rest in a few years. I have great respect for Brother Jianshi. Over the years, he's managed to bring the Fire Tribe from a small tribe to what it is today; not everyone can do that. I'll definitely visit more often in the future."

The two continued their conversation, gradually shifting from the autumn harvest arrangements to the migration process. Daiyue explained the existing warehouse capacity and dock carrying capacity of the Valley Tribe. Yan sat beside them listening, occasionally interjecting with details. His voice wasn't loud, but it always connected at the right moments in their conversation, like a wooden wedge that perfectly filled a gap. Qingsui also picked up the kettle again, refilling everyone's bowl of hot water before returning to her original position.

After some time, a messenger entered from the doorway, bowed and clasped his hands in salute towards Yan, saying that all ten thousand tribesmen brought on board had boarded and were ready to depart at any time. Upon hearing this, Jianshi exchanged a glance with Daiyue, then stood up and said, "Brother Daiyue, I'll be leaving now. The fleet is ready. I'll take these ten thousand tribesmen to settle in the Bear Tribe and Bean Tribe. We'll pass through again on our return journey in a few days, and then we can have a proper get-together."

Daiyue also stood up, clasped his hands in return, and said, "Alright, have a safe journey. The leader of the Greater Qing Tribe has already sent word that he will arrive at the Valley Tribe in the next few days. They are very enthusiastic about joining the Fire Tribe. I will keep him here for a few more days so you can talk in person."

After Jianshi nodded, he and Yan led their entourage out of the council hall and walked along the dirt road between the dock and the camp toward the dock. The afternoon sun shone down from the west, shortening their shadows to their feet. With each step, their shadows moved a little further. Most of the warriors on both sides of the road had already dispersed, with only a few remaining to tidy up the places left when they had lined up earlier. On the dock, all ten thousand tribesmen had boarded the ships.

Jianshi walked to the side of the boat, and Yan followed him, quickly boarding. Soon, the fleet slowly left the Valley Tribe's main dock, sailing downstream along the Fish River. The sails shimmered with a soft, warm hue in the slanting afternoon light, the edges of the canvas making a soft, rustling sound in the wind. A few days later, the fleet arrived at the Bear Tribe's camp dock. Figures were already moving about on the dock. Yingmu stood at the very front, wearing a dark gray linen robe. The robe was somewhat old, with frayed edges at the collar and cuffs, but it was very clean. Stained. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, from which hung a short knife. The scabbard was worn smooth and had several light-colored scratches on the edges from sun exposure. He wore straw sandals, the edges of the soles stained with dry mud, as if he had just come from the camp. Seeing the fleet dock, he first scanned the sails and the draft of the Chuantou to confirm their size, then strode forward. He stopped in front of Jianshi and Yan, bowed slightly, and clasped his hands in a salute, saying, "Chief, Boss, you've arrived?"

Jianshi nodded, his gaze shifting from Yingmu's face to the warriors unloading and carrying cargo on the dock, then past them to the outline of the newly built wall of the camp in the distance. He said, "Yes, the tribe plans to use the Bear Tribe and Bean Tribe as forward outposts for our Fire Tribe. The tribe's management center is also planning to gradually relocate to the Valley Tribe. So I came here personally to take a look and get a feel for things. If there are any changes on your end, you should let me know directly."

Yan, standing beside the Jianshi, continued, "This time we brought ten thousand tribesmen, intending to settle them in these two strongholds initially, and will gradually increase manpower later." He looked at Yingmu, his gaze lingering on his face. "Yingmu, you performed well this time. The tribe plans to have you and Shibang each guard these two strongholds. You two must do a good job. You'll be in charge of the Bear Tribe, and Shibang will keep an eye on the Bean Tribe."

Upon hearing this, Yingmu straightened his back, his chest puffing out even more. His shoulders, which had been slightly hunched, lifted slightly, and his posture straightened. He patted his chest and said, "With me and Shibang at these two outposts, there shouldn't be any problems. I've already familiarized myself with the terrain here, and the patrol routes are set. I just sent someone to Shibang's place yesterday; he's also fortifying his camp. There's nothing to worry about."

Accompanied by Yan and Yingmu, Jianshi walked around the Bear Tribe camp. There were several newly installed wooden stakes on the camp's perimeter wall, their color lighter than the surrounding area, as if they had just been put up. The bottom of the stakes still bore the faint marks of fresh whittling. He turned to Yan and said, "The Bear Tribe camp can easily accommodate 30,000 people right now. We'll have enough manpower within the next two years. If we develop this place properly, we can accommodate even more people."

Yan nodded and said, "The conditions in the Bean Tribe are also quite good; settling 20,000 people there shouldn't be a problem."

While Jianshi and Yan were inspecting the Bear Tribe camp, the 10,000 tribesmen brought by the fleet had gradually disembarked. Meanwhile, the remaining 10,000 or so members of the Bear Tribe were being led to the dock from another direction of the camp. They formed several long lines along the dirt road, moving slowly as they walked step by step onto the gangplank with their heads down. The cabin still smelled of hay left by the previous passengers. Soon, the leader in charge of counting the number of people walked quickly to the dock, stood in front of Yan, and took a breath before speaking. He said that the number had been counted and no one had been missed. His voice was uneven from running, but his words were clear, as if it were a report that had been prepared in advance and he read it out as quickly as possible to make sure that no number was missed.

Jianshi listened, nodded slightly, then turned back to Yingmu and spoke in a low voice, but each point was clearly explained. He first spoke of winter supplies—firewood must be stockpiled in advance, enough to last the entire winter, and not left until it got cold to start cutting it; then he mentioned that the torches on the watchtowers at night must be rotated, and no one should be lazy and skip this step; finally, he mentioned reinforcing the corners of the wall—adding several diagonal braces to prevent them from loosening in strong winds, and the bottom ends of those braces must be buried in the ground for at least... "A foot deep; it can't just lean against the wall." Yingmu agreed to each instruction without interrupting him, nodding slightly after each point to indicate he remembered, his lips moving slightly as if silently repeating the instructions to ensure he didn't miss anything. He only spoke after Jianshi finished, his voice carrying the steadiness of someone who had received the assignment. "I've noted it all down. Everything will be ready before winter. I've already had some timber prepared in the back of the warehouse; we'll begin once these tribespeople are settled."

Jianshi glanced at the sky—the sun had already moved quite far west from its zenith, and the afternoon light was shifting from bright to gentle. The reflection on the river changed from scattered gold to pale orange, slowly extending along the outlines of rows of boats. He turned and walked towards the dock, his steps slow but firm. Yan followed behind him, their boots making short, powerful sounds as they pounded the compacted mud. The fleet set sail again, heading upstream along the Fish River. The sails billowed in the autumn sun, the edges of the canvas gilded with a pale gold by the light.

The fleet made a brief stop at the Bean Tribe camp. Several people were standing on the dock, with Jiaonian and Shibang, the current leaders of the Bean Tribe camp, at the forefront. Jianshi and Yan chatted with them for a while, then nodded and returned to the boats. The fleet continued upstream along the Fish River, heading towards the Valley Tribe's main dock. The early autumn sky gradually darkened behind the fleet, and the clouds on the horizon were burned orange-red by the setting sun, slowly transitioning to pale purple, as if someone had laid out a painting on the horizon, gently turned by the wind.