Preparations for the Migration

As soon as Yan returned to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost with his fleet, he went straight to the council hall to find his father, Jianshi. His boots pounded on the dirt road of the camp, his steps quicker than usual, yet each one steady. On the threshing grounds on either side of the road, people were turning over newly stored grains to dry; the wooden rakes made a continuous, even rustling sound as they swept across the surface. He paused for a moment on the golden grains, then looked away and continued on. The guards at the council hall entrance saw him and stepped aside. Yan crossed the threshold and entered. Jianshi was standing by the table, his hand... He was holding a wooden tablet, examining it against the light from the window. His brow was slightly furrowed, as if checking a line of numbers. Hearing the door open, he looked up and saw Yan. His expression froze for a moment, then slowly relaxed, like a string that had been stretched taut for days finally allowing itself to loosen slightly. He placed the tablet back on the table, pressed his palm against the edge of the tablet before releasing it, and beckoned to Yan: "You're back? Sit down. It took you at least thirty or forty days to travel from the Valley Tribe to the Big Horse River Mouth, and from the Clothing River Mouth to the Fire Creek River Mouth."

Yan sat down opposite him, the chair back making a slight scraping sound as he sat down. His body leaned back slightly upon contact with the back, as if finally finding a place to temporarily rest his weight, but he quickly sat up straight again. He took out a wooden tablet from his robes, placed it on the table, and pressed his finger on it before releasing it. It was a summary of the number of people and supplies recorded along the way, covered with dense markings, each marking the end of a task. Some markings were deeper than others, as if there had been pauses while writing. He spoke in a low voice, but with a steady, methodical quality, as if explaining things clearly, "Father, everything went smoothly this time. The twenty thousand men I led..." "They've all been settled in the Valley Tribe. Everything's prepared on Jia Li's side; houses, food, and tools are all in place, so people can settle in as soon as they arrive. They were sent in two groups, one to the eastern residential area and the other to the western residential area. There haven't been any problems." He paused, lightly tapping his fingers on the edge of the wooden tablet, the knuckles making a soft click on the board. "Then I Valley Tribe up 10,000 people from the Greater Qing Tribe, who were temporarily housed there, and 10,000 people from the Bear Tribe from the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost Clothing River Mouth Outpost, totaling over 20,000 people. They were all taken to the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and handed over to Uncle Jianya. Jianya has enough housing. The Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and Fire Creek River Middle Outpost opened simultaneously, and people were separated upon arrival, so there was no chaos."

After listening, Jianshi nodded, placing his palm flat on the table. A slight smile played on his lips, but he quickly suppressed it, as if controlling himself not to show his satisfaction too obviously. His voice held a relieved ease, as if after being confirmed. "You did a good job this time. Over 20,000 people were brought out from three locations and then dispersed and settled at the Fire Creek River Mouth without any mishaps. This shows that you, Jia Li, Feiyu, and Dazhuang cooperated well." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "The worst thing about handing over personnel is chaos. Chaos easily leads to problems—loss of face, loss of property, conflicts—anything can happen. The fact that you managed it without any issues shows that your arrangements were thorough. The necessary groups were formed, the necessary counts were taken, and the necessary handovers were completed. This kind of work may seem trivial, but neglecting even one step can cause major chaos."

Yan nodded, put away the wooden tablet, and then spoke about the situation in the north, "The Tiger Tribe and Wolf Tribe in the north have also been making some moves recently. After the Tiger Tribe occupied the Willow Vine Tribe's territory, they resumed farming and production. Several workshops have started their furnaces burning again, and smoke is rising from their chimneys. However, their rate of population absorption on the Long River has slowed down. The northern tribes are already on guard against them, and fewer and fewer people they send out bring back, sometimes even empty-handed. Several small tribes have fled further north at the mere mention of the Tiger Tribe's name, abandoning their houses and crops." He paused, tapping his fingers on his knee. "As for the Wolf Tribe, Shibang and Yingmu are working together to suppress them, and their patrol and activity space has shrunk considerably. However, they recently purchased some boats with a carrying capacity of 20,000 jin and 10,000 jin from the Tiger Tribe, hiding them in the tributaries of the Great Rock River. They occasionally come out, always at night or in the early morning, and they move very fast. Shibang has seen them twice, but he hasn't been able to catch them."

After listening, Jianshi nodded but didn't immediately reply. His gaze lingered on the edges of the wooden tablets on the table, as if he were mentally reviewing the information, pausing for each section. After a while, he spoke, his voice low but clear. "Don't worry too much about the Tiger Tribe's movements for now. Let them occupy the Willow Vine Tribe's territory; our people have already withdrawn from that area. They're just keeping an eye on things for us. Once we recover, we can take it back. They can't recruit anyone north of the Long River, and they don't have many people to develop in the Willow Vine Tribe either. In the long run, they'll be the ones worried, not us." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, the knuckles making a soft click on the wood. "Don't worry about the Wolf Tribe either. Once the management center moves to the Valley Tribe, you can personally oversee things there, and the situation will improve significantly. Their boats can still hide in the tributaries for now, but once we patrol the river more frequently, they won't even dare to come out."

Yan sat up straighter, his gaze lingering on his father's face for a moment. Jianshi flipped the wooden tablet on the table to the back, revealing a newly carved migration plan, the engravings deeper than on the front. He spoke more steadily, his pace slower, as if carefully considering each word before handing it over. "There's still a little loose end to the matter of our Fire Tribe's migration from the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost stronghold to the Valley Tribe. I plan to have you lead the fleet to relocate all the high-ranking families and necessary supplies first. The high-ranking families include the families of the various chiefs, the families of the artisan chiefs, and the families of some elders." He held up his fingers, counting them off one by one on the table. "Once these people are gone, the Valley Tribe can function normally. Once the artisans arrive, the workshops can start operations and expand; once the families of the tribespeople arrive, the camp will be more populated; once the elderly arrive, the children will be cared for."

After listening, Yan nodded and said, "Okay, I'll prepare for two days, and we'll set off early on the third day to send the families of the high-ranking officials and supplies over first. Jia Li's side is already prepared for the reception; the houses and food are all in place."

Jianshi nodded, placing his hand flat on the table. "Dali will also be recalled to the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost to take over defense and management. Dali did a good job at the Red Flower River Mouth Outpost; he's reliable and strong. I trust him to oversee the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost. I've also spoken to your Uncle Dazhuang; let him continue managing the Clothing River Mouth, Little Horse River Mouth, and Green Leaf River Mouth. Fire Creek River Mouth at Huoxikou, Jianya is at Little Fish River Mouth Dali. Valley Tribe Jia Li on all three sides, I feel confident." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, as if adding a conclusion to his next words. "Once the management center is established in the Valley Tribe, the next step is to deal with the Wolf Tribe. Don't worry, your brothers will all have a role to play then."

Yan nodded, then chatted with his father for a few more minutes about the specific arrangements for the migration. The two of them went through the list of people going this time, and confirmed the allocation of several large ships and the order of loading supplies. Jianshi traced the route on the table with his finger, labeling each section with specific days and stops, as if he were engraving the entire route into his memory with that gesture. After the general direction was finalized, Jianshi took his hands off the table, placed them on his knees, and looked at Yan, saying, "Go and rest first. Three days is enough time for you to prepare. Qingsui is waiting for you at your mother's place. Go and see her first, and then prepare properly. Don't throw yourself into official business as soon as you come back. Your family is worried about you. Your mother said yesterday that Qingsui has been sitting at the window every day looking out, asking when you will come back."

Yan stood up, the chair making a short, sharp creaking sound behind him. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to his father, then turned and walked out of the council hall. The sunlight outside was perfect, the early spring sun falling warmly on his shoulders and arms. He paused on the steps, taking a deep breath; the air was filled with the dampness of the river and the smell of wood wafting from the distant workshop. He stood there for a moment, then began walking towards his mother's residence, his steps slower than before, not as hurried as when he went to the council hall, as if he were slowly shedding the shell of official business he carried.

As he approached his mother's room, he heard soft voices inside; it was Qingsui and his mother talking. He gently knocked twice on the doorframe, the voices stopped, and then Qingye's voice came through. "Come in, the door's open." Yan pushed the door open and saw Qingsui sitting on a low stool by the window, sewing something with a piece of cloth in her hand. The needle and thread moved back and forth across the fabric, already creating a small patch of fine stitches. Today she was wearing a light green linen dress, her hair loosely tied back. Her face was rounder than when he last saw her, and the skin on her cheekbones had regained its color, as if she had been eating and sleeping well at her mother's place these past few days. Hearing the door open, she looked up, saw Yan, paused her sewing, and a smile slowly spread across her face, extending from her lips to the corners of her eyes, as if a lamp had been lit on her face. She gently pressed her fingers on the fabric, as if to confirm that the stitches were straight, before putting down her work and standing up.

Qingye turned around, still holding a wooden spoon in her hand, a little soup stain on the rim. Seeing her son enter, her expression first brightened with joy, then turned into a reproachful concern. Her eyes swept over his face, from his thinner cheekbones to his rough skin from the river wind, and then to the fine dust clinging to his collar. Her voice was a little louder than usual, carrying a mother's characteristic nagging. "You're back? Look at you, your cheekbones are practically protruding, and your collar is covered in dust. Go wash your face first. There's soup in the pot; I'll get you a bowl. Qingsui has been talking about you these past few days, asking every day when you're coming back. My ears are practically calloused from her questions."

Yan paused at the doorway, watching Qingsui smile at him, and seeing his mother standing by the stove with a wooden spoon. The tension that had been building up inside him seemed to be gently released, finally settling down. He responded to his mother, nodded to Qingsui, and then turned to wash his face at the basin. The water was cold, and he shivered when it splashed on his face, but the coolness washed away the last layer of weariness. He straightened up, wiped his face with the burlap draped over the basin, and then sat down next to Qingsui. Qingsui had already picked up the cloth again, but she hadn't touched the needle and thread, only looking at him. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, as if she were recognizing him again in her own way, and then she spoke, her voice low, but each word carrying a softness that had been suppressed for a long time before being released. "It's good that you're back. Did you encounter any trouble on the way?"

Yan shook his head, reached out and gently touched the back of her hand resting on her knee, his fingertips pausing briefly against her skin. "No, everything went smoothly."