A Glimpse of the Gap
During his two-day stay in the Fish Tribe, Wang Yan was almost constantly busy. Under the guise of "curiosity" and "learning," he observed as many details of this vast tribe as possible within the permitted scope. The more he learned, the clearer his assessment of the gap between the Fire Tribe and the Fish Tribe became.
The core area of the Fish Tribe was far larger and more complex than he had seen from the outside. The wooden houses, warehouses, and sheds were lined up one after another, and a rough estimate suggested that the permanent population was indeed over 1,500, and possibly even close to 2,000. This was more than twice the current population of the Fire Tribe.
What impressed him most were the several large ships moored at the deep-water dock.
Those were true "ships," not their mere "large boats." The Fish Tribe had eight large boats, their hulls carved from thick logs and cleverly pieced together. They were more than three times the length of the Fire Tribe's newly built large boats, taller and wider, and looked incredibly heavy and sturdy. More importantly, each of these large boats had a thick mast standing in the center, from which hung sails woven from some kind of dense animal hide and Jianren plant fibers!
When Wang Yan saw a large boat slowly moving on the river with the help of the wind, with only a few people steering and most of the rowers sitting leisurely in the cabin, he was deeply moved.
"They've actually mastered basic sailing techniques!" Wang Yan thought to himself, "This efficiency is far superior to relying solely on human rowing!"
He quietly inquired with an old boatman from the Fish Tribe who seemed rather amiable, and learned that such a large boat could carry more than 5,000 catties of cargo when fully loaded, and could handle more complex waters, even daring to sail on calm lakes and wide rivers. In comparison, the Fire Tribe's large boat, which was considered too heavy to carry 500 catties, seemed so small and primitive.
The details of the deal were finalized. The Fish Tribe agreed to use seven large ships to transport 40,000 catties of old rice and other exchanged goods directly to the confluence of the stream where the Fire Tribe was located and the external river.
When Elder Yulin of the Fish Tribe proposed this plan, Jianshi was taken aback for a moment, then his face lit up with barely suppressed joy. He was worried about how to transport the mountain of 40,000 catties of grain back using ten large boats. Even if each boat was overloaded, it would still require many round trips, which would be time-consuming, labor-intensive, and extremely dangerous. Now that the Fish Tribe was willing to use their large boats to transport it all at once, it was a lifesaver!
"Great! That's wonderful! Thank you, Fish Tribe, thank you, Chief Canglan!" Jianshi Shi thanked them repeatedly, his smile much more genuine this time. Although he had suffered a loss in the transaction, the other party's provision of such great convenience in transportation had indeed saved him a tremendous amount of trouble.
Watching from the side, Wang Yan knew in his heart that this was probably not entirely due to the Fish Tribe's "generosity." On the one hand, transporting goods by large ships was indeed easier for them, and they could also show off their strength; on the other hand, they were also taking this opportunity to find out the waterway to the Fire Tribe. There might be a deeper motive behind this "favor."
After two days, Jianshi decided to split into two groups.
"Yan, you take all ten of our large boats and fifteen warriors back first," Jianshi instructed. "Once you're back, immediately organize your forces, clear a space at the mouth of our stream, and prepare the manpower and tools for transporting supplies. Five days later, Dali and the other four will return with the Fish Tribe's grain transport ships."
"Yes, Father!" Wang Yan understood his father's meaning. They had to go back first to make preparations and ensure that the grain could be efficiently and safely transferred back to the tribe after the grain ships arrived. At the same time, his father and several core warriors stayed behind, both to show their trust in the Fish Tribe and as representatives to escort and hand over the grain.
Without lingering, Wang Yan immediately led the fleet back. This time they were going upstream, and the speed was much slower than on the way there, but the soldiers were eager to return home and rowed with extra effort.
Sailing upstream, it took Wang Yan's fleet six days to reach the entrance of the tribe's stream. The tribespeople who stayed behind cheered when they saw the fleet return.
Without taking a break, Wang Yan immediately found Jianya and his mother, Qingye, and briefly explained the transaction and subsequent arrangements.
"Forty thousand catties of grain?! And the Fish Tribe sent it over in a large ship?" Jianya's fingers trembled with excitement upon hearing this news. This was incredibly good news for the entire tribe! Although they knew it was old grain, it was still real food that could fill their stomachs!
"Quickly! Organize manpower immediately!" Qingye reacted quickly, knowing that transferring so much grain was a huge undertaking.
The entire Fire Tribe mobilized instantly. Aside from those necessary for guarding and caring for livestock, almost all available manpower was summoned. Under Wang Yan's command:
Site Clearing: One team, equipped with Shifu and hoes, cleared bushes and leveled the land near the stream's mouth, creating a clearing large enough area for unloading and temporary grain storage. Tool Preparation: Another team hastily made more wicker baskets and carrying containers, and inspected and reinforced all transport poles and ropes. Route Planning: Wang Yan personally led a team to survey the optimal transport route from the stream mouth to the valley, choosing flat and easy paths and marking difficult sections for preliminary repairs. Security: The Hunting Team dispatched two squads to guard the transport route and the perimeter of the river mouth camp to prevent detection by wild animals or malicious individuals.
The entire tribe was like a tightly wound machine, full of energy and anticipation in preparation for the upcoming "supplies." Everyone understood what this batch of food meant—it meant they would no longer have to worry about tomorrow's food, it meant the tribe could feed more people, it meant the children could grow stronger, and it meant they had more confidence to face future challenges.
Standing by the stream, Wang Yan gazed at the bustling scene and the ceaselessly flowing river, his heart filled with emotion. Although he had been outmaneuvered by the Fish Tribe in this transaction and was seething with anger, he had also truly witnessed the gap between them, especially the large sailing ship, which had left a deep impression on him.
"Sails... big ships... we'll have them sooner or later." He clenched his fist, his gaze fixed on the lower reaches of the river. "Once this batch of grain is stored and things stabilize, the next step is to solve the problems of power and transportation! And what about those old grains? How to make the most of them? We need to find a solution as soon as possible..."
On the afternoon of the third day, just as everyone was eagerly awaiting their arrival, seven enormous figures finally appeared downstream. The two large boats of the Fish Tribe, with their animal-skin sails and resembling giant water beasts, were slowly sailing towards the mouth of the stream. On the Chuantou stood familiar figures such as Jianshi, Dali, and others.
Wang Yan's spirits lifted, he took a deep breath, and waved vigorously to the clansmen behind him who were already ready:
"Everyone get ready—transport the grain home!"