The Hidden Trap in the Trade

The Canglan chief's hearty laughter still echoed in the longhouse, the atmosphere harmonious. But when the Fish Tribe elder in charge of the transaction—an old man named "Yulin," with shrewd eyes and a face full of wrinkles—arrived at their warehouse area with Jianshi, Wang Yan, and the others to begin counting the supplies to be exchanged, the hearts of the Fire Tribe members sank.

The first thing we'll look at is the main attraction – rice.

The warehouse was piled high with rice in huge wicker baskets, a golden expanse that was quite a sight to behold. Fish Tribe Elder Xilin pointed to the rice and said with considerable pride, "Look, this is all top-quality grain! Our Canglan chief is generous and willing to exchange 40,000 jin for it!"

Forty thousand catties! This number shocked both Jianshi and Wang Yan. If they could get so much grain, the Fire Tribe could rest easy for a long time to come! However, Wang Yan quickly stepped forward, grabbed a handful of rice, examined it carefully, and smelled it. His brows immediately furrowed.

The rice grains were dull in color, many were shriveled, and some even had mold spots, emitting a stale smell; they were definitely not newly harvested rice from that year.

"Elder Xilin," Wang Yan suppressed his displeasure and asked as calmly as possible, "This rice... it's probably not from this year's harvest, is it? It looks like it's been stored for at least half a year, or even longer."

A fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed Yulin's face, but he quickly put on a smile again, "Young man, you have a good eye. It is indeed last year's stored grain, but it's definitely edible! Our Fish Tribe eats this ourselves!"

Wang Yan sneered inwardly. Eat it himself? He'd probably mix it with new grain, or use it mainly to feed animals and for emergencies. Using this old rice, whose germination rate was bound to be greatly reduced, as seed would likely be far less effective. He finally understood why Canglan had agreed so readily; 40,000 jin sounded impressive, but its actual value was significantly diminished. It wasn't just old grain; it probably contained a lot of impurities and empty husks.

Jianshi's face also darkened. He looked at Yulin, his voice filled with suppressed anger. "Is this the sincerity of the Fish Tribe? We offer our finest pottery in exchange for your leftover, nearly moldy grain?"

Yulin quickly waved his hand. "Chief Jianshi, you can't say that. Grain is grain; as long as it fills our stomachs, it's good! If your Fire Tribe is short of food, this could be a lifesaver! Besides, forty thousand catties! Apart from our Fish Tribe, which tribe could produce so much grain at once?"

These words struck at the Fire Tribe's weak point. They desperately needed food to ensure their basic survival and to ensure they could develop steadily until the autumn harvest.

Wang Yan and his father exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness and resolve in each other's eyes. Knowing it was a trap, they had to jump in. With this batch of grain, even if the quality was poor, it would indeed solve the tribe's food problem for the next few months, freeing them from worry about food and allowing them to focus on developing other areas. As for seeds... they'd have to find another way.

Jianshi took a deep breath, as if he had swallowed a fly, and said in a deep voice, "... Alright, we'll exchange the 40,000 jin of old rice!"

Yulin ' smile widened, "That's more like it! Leader Jianshi is the most reasonable one!"

Next, they discussed exchanging fish oil and fish glue, both crucial strategic resources for the Fish Tribe, used for lighting, waterproofing, and even some sacrificial activities, and strictly controlled. This time, the Fish Tribe was only willing to provide about "enough for building twenty boats," barely enough for the Fire Tribe to maintain and coat their existing fleet. Large-scale use for other purposes (such as waterproofing, preservation, or improving diet) was out of the question. The price was also inflated considerably.

However, when exchanging various wild vegetable seeds and wild fruit saplings, the Fish Tribe didn't cause too much trouble. These things were everywhere to them, and collecting them didn't take much effort. Exchanging them for practical pottery was a very worthwhile deal. Wang Yan carefully examined the items and exchanged them for things like wild vegetables, beans, and seedlings of several kinds of wild berries and wild dates that tasted good.

What left Wang Yan and Jianshi speechless was that Elder Yulin "kindly" reminded them, "Gentlemen, husking so much rice is a huge hassle. Our Fish Tribe has a special Dashi, which is very efficient. If you need it, you can exchange it for pottery or something else; the price is negotiable."

Jianshi's lips twitched, barely suppressing his anger. "You're trading our desperately needed supplies for your obsolete grain, and now you want to rip us off for more money on the millstones?"

Wang Yan quickly spoke up before his father, forcing a smile, "Thank you for your kindness, Elder, but we don't need the stone mill for now. We have our own way of handling it." He was already planning to develop a more efficient sled machine when he got back, determined not to suffer this humiliation again.

Xilin was somewhat surprised, but didn't say much, simply assuming it was just the young man from the Fire Tribe showing off.

Despite the frustrating process, the deal was finally struck. Most of the pottery they brought was exchanged for 40,000 catties of old rice, a fixed amount of fish oil and fish glue, and a batch of seeds and seedlings. Watching the people of the Fish Tribe busily carrying away the pottery and packing the old rice into bags to be transported to their boats, Wang Yan clenched his fists tightly.

"Father, bear with this moment," Wang Yan said softly to Jian Shi, whose face was still Jianshi. "Getting the grain is crucial. With this, we won't have to worry about food for at least six months. We'll remember this loss, for the future..."

Jianshi exhaled a heavy breath and patted his son's shoulder. "I understand. The tribe's survival is the most important thing. This Canglan... humph, no wonder he grew up in the water, his mind is more slippery than the Shitou at the bottom of the river!"

When the Canglan chief learned that the transaction had been successfully completed, he came to see for himself. Seeing the mountains of pottery, his face lit up with a smile; he was extremely satisfied with having exchanged so much good stuff for old grain. He warmly invited Jianshi and his group to stay. "Jianshi, my good brother-in-law! This transaction was so successful, you must stay! Our Fish Tribe will treat you to a good meal! Stay a couple of days before you leave!"

Normally, Jianshi would have refused outright. But Wang Yan quietly tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Father, agree to it. We can use this opportunity to see and hear more."

Jianshi instantly understood his son's intention. He suppressed his displeasure and gave Canglan a slightly stiff smile, "Alright, then I'll trouble you, brother-in-law."

Canglan was overjoyed to see Jianshi agree and immediately ordered a banquet to be prepared.

That evening, a huge bonfire was lit in the open space in the center of the Fish Tribe, and the aroma of roasted fish filled the air, along with fish soup cooked in earthenware pots and some wild fruits that had been gathered. Canglan and several elders of the tribe accompanied and entertained Jianshi and his party. During the meal, Canglan was in a good mood and became more talkative.

He asked casually, "Jianshi, the boats your Fire Tribe brought this time are quite large, and well-built."

Jianshi cautiously replied, "They were all made by our own people through trial and error; they can't compare to the exquisite boats of the Fish Tribe."

Canglan laughed heartily, with a hint of pride. "You've done quite well to have figured this out on your own! But there's a lot to learn about boat building. Your boats are fine for calm rivers, but if you want to go to large lakes, great rivers, or even the sea, you're far from it! Our Fish Tribe has large boats that can carry twenty people and sail for ten days without stopping!" His words seemed like boasting, but in reality, they were also a subtle warning to the Fire Tribe, demonstrating the Fish Tribe's absolute advantage on the water.

Wang Yan sat quietly beside his father, listening and observing the words and actions of the Fish Tribe members. He tasted the Fish Tribe's food, especially the fish soup cooked with salt and some kind of herb, which was indeed superior to the Fire Tribe's cooking. He noticed that although the Fish Tribe was wealthy, it did not seem to be a monolithic entity. The occasional eye contact between the elders revealed some subtle differences.

"It seems that Canglan isn't the only one in charge within the Fish Tribe..." Wang Yan thought to himself. "Moreover, they don't seem too worried about our rice cultivation, and even seem somewhat dismissive? They think it's a thankless task?"

A subtle, almost imperceptible smile curved Wang Yan's lips. Underestimating them was good; it would give the Fire Tribe more opportunities to develop quietly. His decision to stay was correct, not just for the meal, but also to gain a deeper understanding of this powerful neighbor and gather more valuable information for the Fire Tribe's future rise.