Heading North to Bring Back the Bride

Yan led his fleet away from the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. After three days of sailing, they arrived at the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost that evening. The setting sun slanted down from the western ridgeline, bathing the wooden planks and stakes on the dock in a warm orange light. The clouds on the horizon were reflected on the river, as if someone had laid out a sky on the water. The cloud shadows were pushed and stretched by the waves, sometimes long, sometimes short, and then slowly closed up again. Several water birds took flight from the Luwei by the riverbank, their wings flashing in the sunset before folding back down and landing in the shallow water further away.

Dali stood at the very front of the dock, wearing a dark blue linen robe, a leather belt with a bronze buckle around his waist, and animal skin boots with some dry mud on the tops. His hands were behind his back, and his back was straight. When he saw the fleet docking, he strode forward to greet them.

Yan stepped off the ship, Dali stopped in front of him. Dali first looked him up and down, his gaze sweeping from Yan's cheekbones to his collar, and then to his hands hanging at his sides, as if he were reconfirming Yan's condition in his own way. Then he spoke, his voice loud and clear. "Yan'er, was the journey smooth? I noticed that the fleet's draft was much lower than when we passed by. They must have finished dropping off everyone and encountered no trouble along the way, right?"

Yan returned the greeting with a clasped fist salute, a hint of relief on his face from being questioned all the way. His lips curved slightly as he spoke, "This time it went relatively smoothly. Father has already handed over the reins to Chief Jia Li at the Valley River Mouth Outpost. Things at the management center are basically sorted out. I've taken all the people from the Greater Qing Tribe to Uncle Jianya's place, a total of over 20,000 people, and there haven't been any problems." He paused, switching the empty wooden tablet in one hand to the other. "There aren't many people left on the ship now, just a few accompanying warriors and sailors, and some personal supplies."

Dali listening, Dali nodded, then spoke, his voice lower than before, but with a hint of concern for the situation in the north. His eyes narrowed slightly. "That's good. What's the situation in the north lately? You must have heard a lot of news on your journey here. News travels slowly here, and some things take several days to find out."

Yan briefly explained the situation of the Wolf Tribe and Tiger Tribe to the north, which was similar to what he had told Jianya before— the Wolf Tribe had lost several hundred more people under continuous attacks, and now only had a little over seven thousand warriors left, and their food production had also decreased somewhat; the Tiger Tribe hadn't actively sought trouble, but was merely monitoring them, and the tens of thousands of people absorbed on the Long River were being kept under strict surveillance, and it would take quite some time to fully absorb them. As he spoke, he lightly tapped his fingers on his side, as if finding a conclusion to each sentence. Dali listened and nodded.

Then Yan asked Dali how he felt about being here for over a month. Dali took his hands off his belt and let them hang at his sides. His voice carried the honesty of someone who had done a lot of work, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly: "It's been great. I've gotten the hang of it now. Your father handed over the Little Fish River Mouth Outpost to me, and at first I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to handle it. After all, I worked at Red Flower River Mouth for a while, and I know it very well. I could walk there with my eyes closed. Although I've been here a few times, managing it myself is still a different story. But after working here for a month, I've found that it's much better than working at Red Flower River Mouth." "Things are going smoothly over there. The management and development here are already quite mature. The regulations are readily available, and the personnel are all in place. As long as I follow the rules and nothing goes wrong, it'll be fine." He held up his fingers and counted in front of him. "I've checked the inventory in each warehouse, rearranged the shifts at the ferry crossing, and inspected the sentry posts twice. What needed to be replenished has been replenished, and what needed to be replaced has been replaced. As long as we manage things step by step, there won't be any problems. This place will become the Fire Tribe's logistics base. Whatever you need up front, I'll build and transport it for you. Wherever you fight, I'll supply it."

After listening, Yan nodded, his gaze lingering on Dali's face for a moment, as if confirming that the words had been placed in their proper place. "That's good. With you keeping an eye on things at Little Fish River Mouth, my father and I can rest assured at Valley River Mouth. This is the Fire Tribe's largest logistics base; most of their food, weapons, boats, and manpower come from here. If things are stable here, the front lines can move forward."

Dali nodded, then spoke, his voice softer than before, as if shifting from official business to a more personal matter, his eyes relaxing slightly. "Qingye and Qingsui didn't come to the dock; they're resting at your mother Qingye's house. Your mother said it's too windy at the dock and wouldn't let her out. She said she's pregnant and can't be exposed to the wind or rough seas; it's safest for her to stay indoors. Go over and rest and have something to eat. Tomorrow morning, you'll lead the fleet back to the Valley River Mouth. I'll handle the dock affairs for you; tomorrow you just need to lead the fleet. I'll have everything packed tonight."

Yan clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, Uncle Dali. I'll head over now. I'll give the brothers a few instructions and tell them to get their work arranged before they go to rest." Dali raised his hand, paused for a moment in the air, then lowered it.

Yan turned around and called out towards the fleet behind him, summoning Daya and Gubang. The two jumped off the boat and quickly walked to him. Daya was still holding the wooden tablet, and Gubang's trousers were covered in dry hay from the cabin. Yan spoke, his voice low but clear. "Arrange the watch tonight. Leave a few people on each boat to watch over them. The rest of you should find a place to rest. We'll depart tomorrow morning, don't be late. Daya, double-check the list of supplies we need to take. Gubang, take some men and check the gangplanks and ropes." Daya nodded, put the wooden tablet in his pocket, and turned to walk towards the dock. Gubang followed behind, taking large strides, but every few steps he would turn back to look at Yan. Yan waved to them, signaling them to get on with their work, and then walked towards his mother Qingye's residence.

As he approached his mother's door, he could smell the aroma of food wafting from afar, a blend of the savory chicken soup and the crispy bread. The scent drifted through the cracks in the door and windows. A light was on inside, its rays casting warm yellow streaks across the muddy ground in front of the door, where tiny dust motes floated slowly. He gently knocked twice on the doorframe. The voices inside stopped, and then Qingye's voice came through. "Come in, the door's open."

Yan pushed open the door 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 on the fabric, already creating a small patch of fine stitches. Today, she was wearing a light purple linen dress, her hair loosely tied back. Her face was rounder than when they last met, the skin on her cheekbones had a faint rosy glow, and her lips were also rosy. She heard the door open and looked up. Seeing that it was Yan, she paused in her sewing, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved into a smile that stretched from the corners of her mouth to the corners of her eyes, as if a lamp had been lit on her face. She stuck the needle into the edge of the cloth, stood up, and gently ran her fingers along the hem of her dress, as if to make sure that she hadn't wrinkled the fabric by standing up.

Qingye stood by the stove, ladling soup into an earthenware bowl. A few chopped wild vegetable leaves floated on the surface, and wisps of steam rose gently under the lamplight, softening her profile. When she saw Yan enter, she first sized him up, her gaze sweeping from his cheekbones to his collar, then to his hands hanging at his sides. Then she spoke, her voice carrying a motherly crispness, her pace a little faster than usual. "You're back? Sit down first. Dinner will be ready soon. There's a chicken stewing in the pot; it was just killed this afternoon, and the meat is very tender. Eat more. You've been running around outside for over a month; you probably haven't been eating properly again. You haven't gained any weight in your face, and your cheekbones are still so high."

Yan sat down at the table, Qingsui poured him a bowl of water, placing it in front of him. He picked up the bowl, took a couple of sips, put it down, and looked at his mother and Qingsui. The tension that had been building up inside him seemed to have been gently eased by something, finally settling down. Qingye brought over the soup, along with a plate of stewed chicken, a plate of stir-fried wild vegetables, and a stack of flatbreads, placing them neatly on the table, the edges still bearing the golden-brown hue of the pan. Then she sat down at the table herself, picked up her chopsticks, and placed a piece of chicken in Yan's bowl and another in Qingsui's, muttering, "Eat more, you've gotten so thin." Qingsui ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully, occasionally pausing to drink a sip of soup. Her gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment before returning to her eating. Yan ate two pieces of chicken, drank half a bowl of soup, and then tore off half a flatbread, dipped it in the broth, and ate a couple of bites, feeling as if a layer of warmth had been rekindled within him.

After dinner, Qingye cleared the table and said she was going to the council hall. Actually, Jianshi wasn't at the Little Fish River Mouth; she just habitually wanted to go for a walk to give the two children some time to talk alone. She quickly left, leaving only Yan and Qingsui in the room. The two sat by the window; night had fallen outside, and moonlight shimmered on the river. Yan briefly recounted the journey, from the Valley River Mouth to the Big Horse River Mouth, from the Clothing River Mouth to the Fire Creek River Mouth, and also briefly mentioned the situation to the north. Qingsui said her morning sickness had improved a lot, and her appetite had returned, although her back sometimes ached. Her mother had massaged it for her a couple of times and taught her some ways to adjust her posture. The two chatted for a while, and then Yan got up and went back to his lodgings to get a good night's rest.

The next morning, Yan woke up feeling refreshed and full of energy, as if he had been reborn. He got up, dressed, washed his face, and went to his mother Qingye's place first, asking her and Qingsui to pack their things and prepare to board the ship. Qingye had already packed their belongings; two bundles were stacked on the table, one containing her own change of clothes and personal items, and the other containing warm clothes and several packets of dry food for Qingsui. Qingsui had also changed into her travel clothes: a dark blue linen dress with a light-colored short jacket over it, her hair held up with a wooden hairpin. Yan helped them carry their bundles, then went to the dock to find Daya and Gubang to arrange the fleet's departure preparations.

The dock was already bustling with activity. Daya was standing by the gangplank, checking supplies, marking each box with a wooden slip. Gubang and his men were inspecting the mooring lines along the ship's side, pulling on each one to make sure none were loose. The brothers who had stayed on the ship last night were already up, gathering up the debris on the deck. Yan went over, checked the supply list with Daya, and confirmed the gangplank's stability with Gubang. Then he stood at the Chuantou, waiting for his mother and Qingsui to arrive.

When everything was almost settled, Qingye and Qingsui arrived. Qingye walked ahead, her steps steady, carrying the small bundle of dried rations; Qingsui followed behind, her steps slower, one hand on her waist, the other holding onto the edge of the boat's gunwale. Yan quickly went to greet them, took the bundle from his mother, and then helped Qingsui up. Qingsui nodded slightly to him, a faint smile on her lips, and then slowly stepped onto the boat using the gangplank. Qingye followed behind, and after boarding, she first walked around the cabin, rearranging the straw mats and animal hides, pressing them down to make sure they were thick and soft enough before letting Qingsui sit down.

Yan had already loaded the necessary supplies onto the ship. He checked the sturdiness of the gangplank and the securing of the mooring lines one last time, then walked to Chuantou bow, waved towards the dock, and shouted into the cabin, "Let's go!"

The sound of horns rang out, carrying far across the river in the early morning. The fleet slowly departed from the Little Fish River Mouth dock, sailing downstream along the Fish River towards the Valley River Mouth. The sails rose one by one in the morning light, their white surfaces gleaming softly in the rising sun. Yan stood at the Chuantou, his gaze fixed on the river ahead, his fingers resting on the edge of the gunwale, gently adjusting his grip with each rocking motion. Qingsui sat in the cabin, leaning against her mother Qingye, watching the receding dock and camp through the hatch.