Picking People Up Along the Way

After Yan led his fleet away from the Valley River Mouth Outpost, they sailed upstream along the Fish River. After several days of sailing, they finally arrived at the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost outpost that morning. From afar, Yan could see a large group of people standing in the open space next to the outpost, forming several long lines along the boardwalk, the tail of which stretched all the way to the vicinity of the camp entrance. Among the crowd were people carrying bundles, holding children, and leading the elderly, all waiting. The sunlight slanted down from the eastern riverbank, casting long shadows of the people on the ground, alternating between high and low. Feiyu stood at the very front of the outpost, wearing a gray-brown linen robe, a hemp rope tied around his waist, and straw sandals on his feet. His face was tanned dark and shiny by the sun, and the skin on his cheekbones was rough and firm, like a piece of pottery that had been repeatedly baked, but he was full of energy, his eyes sparkling. Seeing the fleet dock, he strode forward to greet them.

Yan stepped off the ship, Feiyu stopped in front of him, clasping his hands in a salute. "Young Chief, I have already gathered all the people of the Greater Qing Tribe at the dock. They can board the ship at any time. There are more than three thousand people in total, and they have been grouped by family. The elderly and children are on the boats in front, and the able-bodied are on the boats behind. When boarding, they will proceed in groups, so there will be no chaos."

Yan nodded, then turned and nodded to Daya and Gubang behind him. Daya and Gubang led their men towards the dock, where they, along with the warriors at the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost, guided the people of the Greater Qing Tribe onto the boats. The crowd moved slowly along the boardwalk. Some carried bundles on their backs, the straps leaving shallow marks on their shoulders, their other hand holding a child's hand, the child's fingers gripping the father's index finger, walking step by step; others held children in their arms, the children nestled on their mothers' shoulders, eyes half-closed as if still asleep, fingers clutching their mothers' collars, occasionally... The grip tightened again after a slight movement; someone was supporting an old man, whose hand rested on a young man's arm, not tightly, but never letting go, each step steady. Daya stood beside the gangplank, holding a wooden tablet, marking each house as it passed, counting the number as he ran his fingers along the edge, glancing up to confirm the next house after each mark. Gubang stood on the other side, gesturing and calling out, "Slow down, slow down, don't push, those in front, hurry up!" His voice echoed across the dock, not loud, but very clear.

Yan stood at the edge of the dock, watching people board the ship in batches. Then he turned to Feiyu and spoke in a low but clear voice, "Feiyu, after I settle all the people from the Willow Vine Tribe at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost next year, I plan to deal with the Wolf Tribe. If you have anyone who wants to go to the front lines, you can transfer some to me. Your men are familiar with water battles and will definitely be able to make a difference."

Upon hearing this, Feiyu's expression shifted slightly. He paused for a moment, then his gaze shifted from Yan's face to the downstream direction of the dock, as if scanning the river with his eyes before returning to his own. His voice was lower than before, but every word carried a hatred that seemed to come from the bone. "The Wolf Tribe and our former Fish Tribe have a deep-seated grudge. Many of our warriors died at the hands of those Wolf Tribe people." As he spoke, his fingers slowly clenched and unclenched at his side, his knuckles turning a faint white. "Our former Fish Tribe warriors suffered greatly at the hands of the Wolf Tribe. Next year, we're going to deal with the Wolf Tribe. Many of us were willing to help. If I weren't tied up here, I would have gone too. This is the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost, a crucial rear area. I can't abandon it. But Fish Tribe Julang his men have always wanted to settle scores with the Wolf Tribe. These past few years, he's been at the Hundred Crafts Outpost, not on the front lines, but he's been honing his martial arts, waiting for the day he can return to take revenge. Every time we're about to meet, he tells me to wait a little longer, because he's afraid he won't live to see that day."

After listening, Yan nodded, his gaze lingering on Feiyu's face for a moment, as if confirming that the hatred was indeed real. He spoke in a low voice, "Julang was originally the number one warrior of the Fish Tribe. He's quite skilled. I heard that after training in the Fire Tribe in recent years, his strength should have improved considerably. He's in charge of defense at the Hundred Crafts Outpost, leading several hundred men. His training hasn't lagged behind. I'll transfer him from the Hundred Crafts Outpost next year."

Feiyu nodded, his expression relaxing slightly, as if something that had been weighing on his heart for a long time had finally found a place to settle. His voice was softer than before, but his tone was steady, as if he were slowly releasing something he had been holding back for a long time. "Okay, when will the young leader transfer him? Send someone to let him know in advance, and I'll also let him know."

After listening, Yan didn't speak, only nodded slightly. His gaze shifted from Feiyu's face to the people boarding the ship at the dock, then returned to his own. The two chatted for a while longer about the defense of the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost and future development plans. Feiyu explained the progress of the dock's expansion and the grain reserves in the warehouses, gesturing with his fingers to show the length of the new dock's pier and the warehouse's capacity. Yan briefly outlined the list of personnel to be taken and gave a few more instructions regarding the defense arrangements for the various strongholds. After everyone... After everything was said, all the thousands of people from the Greater Qing Tribe had boarded the ship. Daya stepped down from the gangplank, holding a wooden tablet in his hand. He nodded in Yan's direction, indicating that the number matched perfectly. Seeing that it was almost done, Yan didn't linger. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to Feiyu and said, "You continue to keep an eye on things here. Develop the stronghold well. I'll send someone to tell you about next year's plans." Feiyu Yu returned the salute and watched the fleet depart. The fleet slowly left the Big Horse River Mouth Outpost and sailed upstream along the Fish River towards the Clothing Tribe.

In the afternoon, Yan led his fleet to the Clothing River Mouth Outpost. From afar, Yan could see that the open space next to the dock was also full of people, even longer than the line at the mouth of the Big Horse River Mouth. Dazhuang was standing at the very front of the dock, wearing a dark blue linen robe, a leather belt with bronze buckles around his waist, and animal skin boots with clean, polished shafts that gleamed darkly in the afternoon sun. His hands were behind his back, and his back was ramrod straight, like an old tree that had been blown by the wind for many years but had never bent. Seeing the fleet dock, he strode forward to greet them.

Yan stepped off the boat, Dazhuang stopped in front of him, clasping his hands in a salute. "Yan'er, I have gathered all these thousands of people at the Clothing River Mouth Outpost. The Little Horse River Mouth Outpost, Green Leaf River Mouth Outpost, and the locals at Clothing River Mouth are all here. You don't need to go to Little Horse River Mouth and Green Leaf River Mouth anymore, which will save you a lot of time. You just need to pick them up and put them on the boat."

Upon hearing this, Yan's expression first froze, then slowly relaxed. He spoke with a touch of emotion, "Okay, Uncle Dazhuang is so thoughtful and thorough. This way I can save a lot of time and energy. You can gather them all together, and I can pick them up all at once. With the time saved, I can go back to Little Fish River Mouth to pick up people sooner."

When Dazhuang heard Yan praise him, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, but he quickly suppressed it, as if controlling himself not to show his pride too obviously. When he spoke, his voice was a little more steady than before, but his tone still carried the satisfaction that only comes with being praised, "Of course I have to think about you. Right now, the Fire Tribe is most in need of time. Every extra day you run around, many things in the tribe will be delayed for another day. By gathering everyone together, you can use the time you save on other things."

After listening, Yan instructed Daya and Gubang to lead the people from the Greater Qing Tribe onto the boats. The crowd moved slowly along the boardwalk, grouped by family, just like at the Big Horse River Mouth. The elderly and children walked on the boats in front, while the able-bodied walked on the boats behind. Daya and his men stood by the gangplank counting heads, their fingers flying across the wooden tablets. Gubang and his men maintained order on the other side, occasionally bending down to pick up bundles that had fallen to the ground and hand them to those in front. People came and went on the dock, their footsteps and voices mingling, but there was no crowding.

Yan stood at the edge of the dock, watching the people boarding the ship for a while. Then, pointing to some of the strong young men walking onto the gangplank, he said to Dazhuang standing beside him, his voice tinged with approval. "Uncle Dazhuang, these people are doing well here with you. I remember when I brought them here, many of them were thin and pale, and they even staggered when they walked. Now they've all become much stronger. Look at that man in the middle of the group. When he first arrived, he was so thin that his cheekbones were protruding. Now his shoulders are broader, and he walks steadily. He just carried two bundles onto the gangplank without any effort."

Dazhuang followed Yan's finger and looked in that direction, then turned back, a hint of smug satisfaction on his face. His voice was a beat louder and faster as he spoke, "Of course! I treat them all as my own people. How could I mistreat them? When they arrived, they were skin and bones, barely able to walk. I had them rest and recuperate for a while, feeding and drinking well. It took more than half a month before I slowly started giving them work. The work wasn't heavy; I had them move things in the warehouse or pull weeds in the fields. Once they were stronger, I arranged for them to do more heavy work. Look at them now! They're all much stronger than when they first arrived. Some of them couldn't even lift Chutou when they first came, but now they can carry two buckets of water half a mile without panting."

Yan nodded, his gaze sweeping over the people boarding the ship before settling on Dazhuang's face. "I think they're quite reluctant to leave. Some of them looked back as they left, and even slowed their pace. That young man at the back of the line stood in front of the gangplank for quite a while before stepping onto it."

After listening, Dazhuang's expression shifted slightly. He spoke in a lower voice than before, but his tone was steady. "Their lives were very ordinary before. It was only after coming to the Fire Tribe that their lives improved. In their original small tribes, they often couldn't get a full meal all year round, and it was common for them to starve or freeze to death in winter. Here, they have houses to live in, food to eat, work to do, and someone to take care of them when they're sick. They're also very proactive in their work and eager to integrate into the Fire Tribe as soon as possible. There was an old man who was very sick when he came. We found him medicine, and he recovered after a month of recuperation. Now he tells everyone he meets how good the Fire Tribe is. They should be able to get into the swing of things quickly when they go to Jianya. They won't need to readjust; they can start working right away."

Yan nodded, saying nothing more, but watched as the last group of people boarded the gangplank. Daya stepped off the gangplank, holding a wooden tablet, and nodded in Yan's direction, indicating that everyone was on board. Seeing that it was almost time, Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute to Dazhuang: "Uncle Dazhuang, I'll be going now; there are still a few places to go."

Dazhuang returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute, not trying to persuade Yan to stay. He knew Yan was pressed for time and had many things to do. He raised his hand towards Yan, paused in the air for a moment, then lowered it, palm down, as if in that gesture he was also pressing down on what he was about to do.

Yan 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 Clothing River Mouth dock, heading upstream along the Fish River towards the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. The sails billowed again in the afternoon sun. Yan stood at the Chuantou, his gaze fixed on the river ahead. Gubang stood beside him, watching the retreating camps and fields on both banks. His fingers rested on the edge of the gunwale, his fingertips gently adjusting his grip with the rocking of the boat. Daya leaned against the stern, tucking the wooden tablet into his robes. He turned and whispered something to one of his brothers beside him. The man nodded, and the two looked back at the river. The wind blew across the river. Dazhuang stood on the dock, watching the fleet gradually disappear into the distance until the last boat was cut off by a bend in the river, before turning and walking towards the camp.