The Foundation in the Rear

Yan led the Fire Tribe's fleet upstream along the Fish River. That morning, they arrived at the Big Horse River Mouth dock. From afar, Yan could see a row of boats moored along the dock's edge. The dock's boardwalk had extended further than when he last visited, and the newly laid planks were a much lighter color than the old ones, gleaming a pale yellow in the afternoon sun. Faint plane marks were visible along the edges, suggesting they had just been installed. Several newly built wooden houses lined the riverbank, their thatched roofs neatly arranged. A few of the door frames... Straw ropes still hung on the roof, as if the work had just been completed. In the open space in front of the house, someone was turning over grain to dry. Wooden rakes pushed back and forth on the surface of the grain, making a continuous and even rustling sound, pushing the golden grains apart and then gathering them together, as if using that action to turn each grain into the sunlight. Several bundles of freshly cut timber were piled up along the edge of the dock. The bark had not yet been peeled off, and it carried a fresh, green scent that wafted in gusts of warm wind, mingling with the dampness of the river and the dry fragrance of the grain.

Feiyu had already received the news and gathered his men near the dock. He stood at the front, wearing a grayish-brown linen robe with frayed edges at the collar and cuffs, but it was very clean and stained. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, from which hung a short knife, the edge of its scabbard worn smooth. He wore straw sandals, the weaving marks on the soles still clearly visible. His face was darker than when they last met; the skin on his cheekbones and nose was tanned a deep brown by the sun, like a piece of pottery that had been repeatedly baked. There was a faint mark on his forehead, as if worn from the edge of a straw hat, which had become a permanent line on his face. Behind him stood several leaders, some warriors, and tribesmen responsible for guiding them. Some held wooden tablets, some were tidying the ropes along the pier, their fingers skillfully navigating the knots, and some were looking towards the river, their eyes scanning the sails of the boats that were approaching the shore one by one.

The ship docked, the gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off the ship. Feiyu stepped forward and clasped his hands in a salute. "Young Chief, I have gathered all the qualified members of the Bear Tribe who were temporarily settled here. More than three thousand people are waiting on the open space on the east side of the dock and will be able to board the ship soon. I have organized them into groups by family, so there will be no chaos on the ship. Each family's bundle has a cloth strip tied to it and a number attached, so no one will take the wrong one."

Yan returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute. "You did a great job. It saves us a lot of time. We still need to pick up people from the Clothing Tribe later, and time is tight. We can't afford to waste too much time on the road." He paused, shifting his gaze from Feiyu's face to the waiting crowd at the dock, then looked back at them. "These people have lived here for more than half a year. You've taken good care of them. I see that their faces have regained their color, unlike when they first arrived when they were sallow. Some of the children have even grown taller and are stronger than when they first arrived."

Feiyu nodded, saying nothing more, but turned to the warriors behind him and raised his hand, clapping it in mid-air. The warriors then led the group towards the east side of the dock, guiding the Bear Tribe members onto the boat. The crowd moved slowly along the boardwalk. Some carried bundles, the straps digging into the fabric of their shoulders, leaving shallow marks; some held children, the babies nestled on their mothers' shoulders, eyes half-closed as if still asleep, fingers clutching their mothers' collars, occasionally twitching before tightening again; some supported the elderly, their hands resting on the arms of the younger people, gripping loosely but never letting go, each step steady. In the middle of the group, an elderly woman was being helped onto the gangplank by two young women. Her steps were slow and careful. When she reached the cabin entrance, she paused, glancing back at the shore. Her gaze lingered on the wooden houses and open space where she had lived for most of the year, her lips moved slightly before closing again, and then she turned back to continue walking.

Yan stood at the edge of the dock, watching people board the ship in batches. He neither urged them on nor left. His gaze moved from the front of the line to the back, as if confirming that everyone's steps were steady. Someone bowed slightly to him as they passed by, and he nodded in response without saying much. After a while, he turned to Feiyu and spoke, his voice low but clear. "Feiyu, the houses at your Big Horse River Mouth Outpost have increased considerably, as has the farmland. The dock has also grown larger, and the northern slope has been turned over. The field ridges are straight, as if they were strung with ropes. It seems you've done a good job here. I'll ask my father to recommend you for commendation when I get back. The population here has also increased significantly. I see more people moving around the camp than last time, including many new faces, old people and children, like families who moved here together."

Upon hearing the words "request for credit," Feiyu's expression remained largely unchanged; he merely nodded slightly and clapped his hands at his side. His voice was low as he spoke, "These are all things we should do. Now that the Fire Tribe is relocating its management center to the Valley Tribe, this area will be the rear of the conflict. Our rear river mouth outposts are a key focus for the tribe's development, and I must follow this trend and develop them Dali. The Fire Tribe fights in the front, while we cultivate in the rear; neither side will be neglected. Those in the front need to eat, so those in the rear need to grow more grain. If I cultivate and nurture this land well, those in the front can go far. If the rear cannot supply us, no matter how well the front fights, it won't last long."

After listening, Yan nodded, his gaze lingering on Feiyu's face for a moment before he spoke, his voice lower than before. "Your idea is excellent, very insightful. It seems that recommending you to be in charge here was the right choice. These rear river outposts are indeed areas where our Fire Tribe is focusing its Dali. The future growth of the Fire Tribe's strength will rely on these outposts. There are also super-large tribes with populations of over a million on the Long River. Our Fire Tribe's goal is to emulate these large tribes. We currently have less than 400,000 people, while they have over a million—we are still far behind. But we are catching up. As long as we harvest more grain each year, increase our population more, and build more ships, the gap will narrow in a few years. Only when we catch up with them will the Fire Tribe truly have a firm foothold on this land."

After listening, Feiyu nodded, his voice steadyer than before. "Young Chief, I understand. I will definitely develop the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost well. This year, I plan to plant early rice on the newly turned land to the north. The seeds are ready. If the harvest is good, we'll plant more next year. I'm also expanding the dock area, extending the pier further outward so that more large ships can dock there in the future. As for manpower, I plan to select some from the newcomers and organize them into fixed farming and Fishing Team. We'll divide the work clearly so it will be faster. The farming teams will be responsible for planting, and the Fishing Team for fishing. They'll each do their own thing and won't mix together."

Yan nodded and chatted with Feiyu about the situation of the Tiger Tribe and Wolf Tribe in the north. Feiyu said that his place was far from the north, so news came slowly, but he had recently heard that the Tiger Tribe was active again on the Long River, sending out many people, but bringing back far fewer than before. There hadn't been any major activity from the Wolf Tribe either; their boats were still hidden in the tributaries, occasionally coming out, and they were very fast, impossible to catch. After listening, Yan felt that what he knew was pretty much what he was getting, so he didn't say much. Yan then gave a few instructions on developing the stronghold and settling the new inhabitants. He told Feiyu to tidy up the empty houses after sending away the Bear Tribe members, in preparation for receiving the next batch of newcomers. Feiyu agreed to each instruction, nodding at each one, as if nodding instead of writing, absorbing each word into his memory.

As the two were talking, the remaining members of the Bear Tribe, who had been temporarily housed at the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost, had all boarded the ship. Feiyu had someone count the number of people. A warrior ran back from the east side of the dock with a wooden tablet and whispered something in Feiyu's ear. Feiyu nodded and then raised his hand in Yan's direction, indicating that the number matched—more than three thousand people, not a single one missing. Seeing that it was almost done, Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute to Feiyu: "Then I'll be going now. Do a good job here. I'll go back and ask my father for credit for you. I'll remember this merit and won't let you work for nothing. After the management center is settled in the Valley Tribe, go there for a meeting and meet my father."

Feiyu returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute. "Young leader, then I won't keep you any longer. Take care on your journey and have a safe trip."

Yan nodded to him, turned and walked onto the gangplank. He stood at Chuantou bow, waved to the dock, and then shouted into the cabin, "Let's go!"

The sound of horns rang out, deep and resonant, carrying far across the river. The fleet slowly departed from the Big Horse River Mouth dock, heading upstream along the Fish River towards the Clothing Tribe. Feiyu stood on the dock, watching the fleet gradually disappear into the distance. His gaze followed the white sails until they were cut off by a bend in the river, at which point he turned and walked towards the camp.