Resettlement and Reporting Back

After Yan led his fleet away from the Clothing River Mouth Outpost, they traveled upstream along the Fish River. The fleet had been at sea for more than twenty days, and the wind on the river still carried a cool, damp feel, which was refreshing when it blew on their faces. Yan spent most of his time standing at the Chuantou, sometimes looking at the gradually narrowing river ahead, and sometimes turning his head to look at the strongholds on both banks. Gubang and several brothers took turns helping to count the number of people and distribute supplies in the cabin, reporting the numbers twice a day, morning and evening, and recording the situation of each boat on a shared wooden tablet. Daya was meticulous in managing the supplies, remembering every single discrepancy clearly. Sometimes, before Yan even asked, Da Ya would report the day's numbers.

That morning, the fleet finally arrived at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost dock. From afar, Yan could see a large number of people standing on the dock. Jianya stood at the very front, wearing a long, bluish-gray linen robe with dark stitching on the collar and cuffs. A hemp rope was tied around his waist, and he wore straw sandals. A few strands of white hair hung down from behind his ears, shimmering in the afternoon light. His hands were behind his back, his back ramrod straight, and his gaze swept over the sails of the ships that were approaching the shore, nodding slightly after each one. Behind him stood some warriors and a group of tribesmen responsible for providing support.

The boat docked, the gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off the boat. Fang Jianya stepped forward to greet him, stopped in front of Yan, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Yan'er, did everything go smoothly with your people this time?"

Yan returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute and said, "This trip went smoothly. All 20,000 people I brought have been settled in the Valley Tribe. Jia Li has prepared houses and food, so everyone can settle in as soon as they arrive. I also picked up 10,000 people from the Valley Tribe Greater Qing Tribe were temporarily settled there from the Gu tribe, and later picked up 10,000 people from the Bear Tribe from the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost Clothing River Estuary strongholds, making a total of more than 20,000 people. They are all on the ships, and I'm bringing them all here with me." He paused, turned to the side, and pointed to the fleet behind him, his finger drawing an arc in the air from one end of the fleet to the other. "The 10,000 people from the Greater Qing Tribe and the 10,000 people from the Bear Tribe are all on the ships. They are divided into three groups according to their origin, and each group has someone in charge, so there won't be any chaos. They were grouped by family when boarding, and they will also disembark by family, so they won't be separated."

Jianya nodded after listening and said, "Okay, the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and Fire Creek River Middle Outpost empty, so accommodating these people is no problem at all. Before winter, the Fire Creek River main valley will also be completely vacant to accommodate about 20,000 people. You can send more people over then, and I can handle them all. You can send people over here without worrying about finding a place to stay."

Upon hearing this, Yan smiled, the smile slowly spreading from the corners of his mouth to the corners of his eyes. He switched the empty wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand, then spoke, his voice slightly higher than before, carrying a sense of relief after being assured of his success, "That's wonderful. This way, we can integrate the recently recruited people into the Fire Tribe more quickly. Once they arrive, they'll have a place to live, food to eat, and work to do, and their hearts will be at ease. Once they're at ease, they're part of the Fire Tribe. It won't be long before they're just like the older members."

Then Jianya turned his head and glanced at Daya, who was standing next to Gubang behind Yan. Daya was leaning against the ship's railing. Hearing someone mention his name, he looked up and saw his father looking at him. He straightened up. Jianya looked at his son and spoke to Yan, his voice a little lower than before. "Yan'er, has my son Daya caused you any trouble lately? He's young and impatient. He's used to staying in the rear. I'm afraid he won't be able to keep his composure on the front lines. When he gets to your side, please be more tolerant of him."

Yan followed his gaze and glanced at Daya. Daya stood next to Gubang, his physique more robust than when they last met, his shoulders more defined, and his skin, tanned by the river wind, a shade darker than when they were behind him. Yet his eyes remained bright, and his posture steady. Yan withdrew his gaze, looked at Jianya, and said, "Brother Daya is very capable in every aspect. Having him by my side not only doesn't cause me trouble, but actually makes things much easier. He manages supplies meticulously, remembering every single transaction clearly. Last time, when we were counting heads at the mouth of the Big Horse River Mouth, he single-handedly checked the list of over three thousand people without a single mistake. He's become steady and composed now. Our Fire Tribe's management center has now moved to the Valley Tribe's area, and our conflicts with the Wolf Tribe and Tiger Tribe will only intensify, offering many more opportunities to distinguish ourselves on the front lines. That's why I asked Daya and the others to come and help me. Gubang and Zhuangchai were also brought along, so they can hone their skills on the battlefield, which is far better than counting sacks in the warehouse."

Jianya nodded, his gaze lingering on Yan's face for a moment before shifting to Daya and then back to him. A slight upturn of his lips revealed a sense of relief that came with confirmation. His voice held a relaxed ease as he spoke, "I trust Daya to work for you. You're good at leading people. Shibang and Yingmu were both trained by you, and now they're both leaders. I hope Daya can achieve something with you. Don't expect him to make a name for himself immediately; let him observe and learn first, hone his skills. If he dares to slack off, just whip him; don't give me any special treatment."

Yan nodded, his voice steadying, the smile on his lips deepening slightly, "Brother Daya, with a little training, will definitely become a leader. Don't worry, Uncle Jianya! He's quick-witted and agile; he just needs time to hone his skills. When I followed my father, I started from the very basics. When I first arrived, I didn't know much about Shibang and Yingmu either, but now I'm leading troops on my own."

Jianya nodded, turning his gaze from Daya back to Yan's face. His voice was softer than before. "Alright, I heard your wife Qingsui is pregnant. Congratulations! Your mother, Qingye, sent word a while ago that your wife is pregnant. Everyone is happy for you. I had some good wine prepared, intending to send it over, but since you're here, I had it moved directly to your boat. I'll definitely go see the baby when it's born, bringing a few more jars of the best to congratulate you and your wife."

Upon hearing Qingsui's name, Yan's expression shifted slightly. He switched the wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand and spoke, his voice softening with a hint of gentleness after being mentioned. "Thank you, Jianya Qingsui is currently staying with my mother, who takes excellent care of her, making her soup and cooking her favorite dishes every day. I feel at ease. When the baby is born, I will definitely invite you over for a drink. I'll also have Daya come back with us; he'll be an uncle too."

Jianya's smile deepened upon hearing this, extending from the corners of his mouth to his cheekbones, emphasizing the lines of his face. He glanced in the direction of Daya, Daya was looking down as he put the millstone into his pocket, seemingly oblivious to the conversation. However, a faint blush rose to the base of his ears, extending from his cheekbones to behind his ears.

The two then chatted for a while about the Tiger Tribe and Wolf Tribe. Yan briefly summarized the information he had gathered from Jia Li, Feiyu, and Dazhuang along the way: After occupying the Willow Vine Tribe's territory, the Tiger Tribe resumed farming and production, and the furnaces in several workshops were lit again. However, their rate of population absorption on the Long River had slowed down, and the tribes to the north were already on guard against them. The Wolf Tribe was suppressed by the combined forces of Shibang and Yingmu, their activity space had shrunk, and their patrol routes had been shortened, but they still hid some boats in the tributaries, occasionally venturing out. After listening, Jianya didn't say much, only nodding and saying, "You focus on finishing up the affairs of the management center. As for the Wolf Tribe, we can deal with it after we move there."

The two then discussed the development of the Fire Tribe. Jianya said that the shipbuilding workshop at the Fire Creek River Mouth had recently produced another batch of ships, and the warehouses had also stored a considerable amount of grain. Once the management center was completely moved to the Valley Tribe, this place, as a secondary management center and rear supply point, would have increasingly abundant supplies. "Your father and the others have a good idea. By moving the management center north, we won't need to mobilize troops from such a distant place when we are confronting the Tiger Tribe. The Valley Tribe has a good location, situated in the middle section of the Fish River, slightly north. To the north, we can keep an eye on the Tiger Tribe, and to the south, we can receive supplies and resources from the rear. As the rear base, I only need to focus on building and storing things. Whatever you need at the front, I'll load onto the transport ships."

After the two chatted for a while, all 20,000-plus people who had migrated this time had disembarked and were divided into three groups according to their origin at the dock of the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. They were being guided towards the camp. The support personnel at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and the Fire Creek River Middle Outpost were ready, and both sides started moving at the same time, with the groups splitting along two different routes.

Yan stood on the edge of the dock for a while, making sure the last group of people had left the gangplank, then clasped his hands in Jianya salute to Fang: "Uncle Jianya, I'll be going now. There's something waiting for me at the Little Fish River Mouth. My father asked me to go back and report on the situation along the way."

Jianya knew Yan was busy, so he didn't insist on keeping him. He simply clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Have a safe journey. When you reach Little Fish River Mouth, please give my regards to my elder brother and tell him not to overwork himself and to rest when he needs to."

Yan nodded to him, turned and walked onto the gangplank. He stood at the bow, waved to the Chuantou, and then shouted into the cabin, "Let's go!" The sound of the horn rang out, deep and long, carrying far across the river. The fleet slowly left the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost dock, sailing downstream along the Fish River towards the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost outpost.

The sails billowed again in the afternoon sun, their white surfaces making a series of short, sharp slapping sounds as they unfurled in the wind, gradually being drowned out by the sound of the water. Yan stood at the Chuantou, his gaze fixed on the river ahead. Gubang stood beside him, watching the camps and fields receding along the banks. The wind blew across the river, carrying the coolness of early spring and the damp scent of budding Water Grass, ruffling the hem of Yan's clothes and the stray hairs on his forehead, and also stirring the sails of the boats drifting downstream.