A New Population Growth Target
After Valley River Mouth Outpost, there was basically nothing else for them to do outside. Jianshi and Qingye's residence was a large courtyard consisting of four rooms, located in the middle of the newly built houses to the east of the management center, not far from the council hall. The courtyard was surrounded by a wooden fence, with some newly planted vines climbing on it. They hadn't grown yet, with only a few thin vines peeking out and tentatively climbing up the wooden stakes. The courtyard was paved with gravel, making a rustling sound underfoot, and it wouldn't become muddy even on rainy days. Qingye lived in one room, which faced south, with a low table placed under the window. On the table were a sewing basket and several pieces of cloth, and in the corner were a few unfinished shoe soles. Qingsui lived in a room next to Qingye. The room was a little smaller, but it was tidy. The bed was against the wall, and by the window was a low stool and a small table with a ceramic bowl and a wooden comb on it. Jianshi lived in the largest room. In addition to a large bed, there was a desk with wooden tablets and bone needles piled on it. On the wall hung a hand-drawn map of the Fish River system, drawn with charcoal on animal hide, marking the location of various strongholds and the distribution of troops.
Yan's house was not far away. It was originally a two-bedroom wooden house. He rested well for the first night and moved to his parents' house to stay in another room the next day. The room was not big, but the window opened well and the sun could shine in the morning. Yan put his belongings in the corner, folded a few changes of clothes on the headboard, and placed a wooden tablet and a short knife on the windowsill. There was also a rough ceramic bowl on the windowsill, which Qingye used to put tea in for him.
Every morning, he would get up and first go to the yard to fetch two buckets of water to wash his face. The well, which had been recently dug, was located on the east side of the yard. A Shitou surrounded the well, and a wooden plank covered the opening with a hemp rope tied to it. He would bend down and lower the buckets, hearing a dull thud as the bottom hit the water. Then, he would pull the rope up one by one, the water in the buckets sloshing around and splashing out a few drops, which quickly seeped into the gravel. He would carry the water back into the house, pour it into a basin, and wash his face. The water was cold, which made him feel a little more awake.
Breakfast was made by Qingye. Sometimes it was porridge with pickled vegetables and a boiled egg, and sometimes it was flatbread with hot soup. The porridge was thick, the pickled vegetables were finely chopped, and the flatbread was golden brown on both sides. The soup had a few dried vegetable leaves in it, steaming hot. Qingsui also got up early, but Qingye didn't let her do any work, only letting her sit at the table and wait. Yan sat opposite Qingsui with his bowl, and the two chatted as they ate. Qingye busied herself around the stove, occasionally interjecting with a question, asking how Qingsui slept last night, or whether the weather was nice today and if they should take the blankets out to air them. Qingsui ate slowly, chewing each bite carefully, occasionally stopping to drink a sip of soup. Her gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment, then returned to her food.
"How did you sleep last night?" Yan picked up a piece of flatbread, put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and turned to look at Qingsui to ask.
Qingsui stirred the porridge in her bowl, the spoon making a soft sound against the rim. "It's alright. I woke up once in the middle of the night, turned over, and fell asleep again. The lumbar pillow my mother gave me is great; it doesn't hurt when I lean against it." A slight smile played on her lips as she spoke, her tone conveying a sense of comfort and being well taken care of.
Qingye chimed in, stirring the pot with a wooden spoon in her hand without turning her head. "That lumbar pillow is something I sewed from old cloth. I stuffed it with dry grass and scraps of cloth, and after sunning it for a couple of days, it's just the right firmness. If you think it's suitable, I'll sew you another one to keep on hand, so you can switch between them." She spoke quickly, but her hands didn't stop; she lifted the pot lid and then put it back on, white steam rising from the side of the pot.
"Thank you, Mother." Qingsui's voice was not loud, but it was steady.
After breakfast, Yan and Qingsui chatted for a while, sometimes about what was happening at the camp, sometimes about news from the north, and sometimes just sitting quietly. Then Yan got up, put on his outer robe, fastened his belt, hung his short sword at his waist, and went with his father to the council hall to work. Qingsui stayed in the courtyard, sometimes sewing with Qingye, sometimes taking a walk outside to bask in the sun and stretch her legs. The few saplings planted this year at the entrance of the courtyard were only as thick as an arm, with a few tender leaves sprouting from their branches, swaying gently in the wind.
Because of the handover, he was usually very busy. In the mornings, he would process official documents in the council hall, sitting for two hours at a time. The wooden slips were piled up one after another, and the tips of the bone needles were worn dull. In the afternoons, he would follow Jianshi to inspect the docks or warehouses, walking from the trestle to the warehouses, and from the warehouses to the workshops. His boots would wear out in just a few days. He would eat lunch and dinner in the council hall. Someone would bring the food in, and the father and son would eat and discuss matters. Sometimes, after finishing a meal, the food on the table would be cold, and they would still be talking. When he returned to the courtyard at night, it was already dark. He would light one oil lamp after another until Qingsui left the lamp for him, and only then would he remember that it was time to rest.
After Jianshi and Yan sorted things out, they quickly took over the situation at the Valley River Mouth Outpost. Jia Li handed over everything he had previously managed, from the warehouse keys to the personnel list, from the ferry duty roster to the contact information for each stronghold, explaining everything clearly.
That noon, the father and son finished their meal in the council hall, the dishes still on the table. Jianshi turned the wooden tablet in his hand to the back, revealing newly carved population statistics, the engravings deeper than on the front. He ran his finger along a short section of the engravings, then spoke, his voice low but clear. "The Fire Tribe now has over 40,000 people at its stronghold at the Valley River Mouth Outpost, and over 20,000 at its stronghold at the Little Valley River Mouth Outpost on the opposite bank. Next year, we will increase the population of these two strongholds to 80,000. There is still a lot of vacant land at the Little Valley River Mouth that can be cultivated, and the irrigation canals have been repaired. As long as there are people, the land can be planted."
Yan placed the empty wooden tablet on the corner of the table, tapping it lightly with his fingers. His knuckles made a soft click on the wood. "The Fire Tribe's administrative center has now moved here. The more population, the better. These two outposts have good development potential. Using our oxen and farming techniques, we can easily accommodate 150,000 people. With continued development, accommodating 300,000 wouldn't be difficult." He gestured with his palm on the table. "I had Jia Li and his men survey the land here at the Valley River Mouth. It's a half-day's walk north from the dock; it's all flat land. The soil is so black it's practically oily. Even a foot deep, it's still black soil. Although there's less land at the mouth of the Little Valley River Mouth, it's closer to the river, making water access easier. It's even more suitable for paddy fields. Once we build the irrigation canals and divert the water, that land will be ready-made paddy fields."
After listening, Jianshi nodded, but his expression didn't completely relax. He remained silent for a moment, tapping his fingers lightly on the table twice, before speaking. His voice was lower than before, and his pace slowed. "The Fire Tribe's population is still insufficient. Relying solely on natural population growth is too slow. A child born in a tribe in a year will take at least a decade to grow up and be able to work. Do you have any thoughts? Relying solely on natural population growth won't allow us to catch up with others."
Yan didn't answer immediately. He switched the wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand, rubbing his fingers back and forth along the edge of the tablet before speaking, his voice low but clear. "I received news from Shibang and Yingmu that the Wolf Tribe has suffered considerable losses under our Fire Tribe's continued attacks. Not only have they lost several hundred warriors, but they've also lost a huge amount of food. Their subordinate tribes are now living in increasing hardship, and I've heard there have been escape attempts, but they were brutally suppressed by the Wolf Tribe. Shibang has planted several spies there, all recruited from the subordinate tribes. The news he brought back says that the Wolf Tribe's subordinate tribes are in a state of panic. It's difficult for them to survive working under the Wolf Tribe, and they dare not run away. If our Fire Tribe accepts them at the appropriate time, they will definitely be willing to leave the Wolf Tribe and join our Fire Tribe. There are more than 20,000 of them in total, most of them honest farmers, not those who wield weapons."
After listening, Jianshi spoke with a cautious tone, as if he had just received confirmation. He said slowly, "Some of these people are family members of the Wolf Tribe warriors. If we just bring them in like this, it won't be easy for us to manage them. If we put these people in our tribe, what if they turn against us one day and work together from within? That would be troublesome."
Yan nodded, as if he had expected his father to ask this. He placed the wooden tablet back on the table, pressed his finger on it briefly before releasing it, and then said, "This problem is easy to solve. I heard from Shibang and Yingmu that the families of those warriors are generally cooperating with the Wolf Tribe to oppress the subordinate tribes. These people not only have great power but also receive a lot of resources. Many of them have long been dissatisfied, and if it weren't for the Wolf Tribe suppressing them, internal strife would have already broken out. When we recruit them, we can distinguish them. Those who have no blood on their hands and have not committed any evil can be selected first. After passing the test, they can be recruited into the Fire Tribe. As for the others who have blood on their hands, or those who are family members of the Wolf Tribe warriors, we can let them do hard labor for a few years first. After they repent, or after we think they have passed the test, we can make arrangements for them. This group is relatively small and easier to deal with. We can keep an eye on them. As long as we eliminate the Wolf Tribe's subordinate tribes, the Wolf Tribe's resources will not last long, and its strength will only get weaker and weaker. After a while, even if we don't attack them, the Wolf Tribe will collapse."
After Jianshi, Jian Shi lightly tapped his fingers on the table, the knuckles making a soft click on the wooden board. A slight smile played on his lips, but he quickly suppressed it. His voice was a little louder than before, carrying a sense of relief at being confirmed. "Your idea is excellent. Pick out those with clean hands and absorb them first; those with unclean hands will do hard labor. This two-step approach solves the population problem without bringing in more trouble. The Wolf Tribe will lose its source of resources and collapse quickly. Once they collapse, we only need to launch a slight attack, and the Wolf Tribe will crumble. Then, all their land, fields, and remaining resources will be ours."
Yan nodded, put away the wooden tablet in front of him, and placed it on the corner of the table. The two chatted for a while longer about the specific arrangements for population absorption and the details of resource allocation for next year. Jianshi said that after the spring, Yan should first bring the people of the Willow Vine Tribe from the Greater Qing Tribe and settle them in the Jianya Tribe. After this matter is settled, they can then deal with the Wolf Tribe's affiliated tribes. He stretched out his fingers and gestured the order on the table: first, bring people in, then settle them, then select people, then attack them. Each step was accompanied by an approximate time and the manpower required. When he talked about bringing people in, he used five fingers to represent five batches. When he talked about selecting people, he drew a horizontal line on the table with his finger, separating "clean" and "unclean" on both sides.
After saying everything that needed to be said, Jianshi took his hands off the table, placed them on his knees, and looked at Yan, saying, "Take a good rest during this time. Since the wedding, you've been running around non-stop. You'll be going to the Greater Qing Tribe tribe to pick up the Willow Vine Tribe again in the spring. There's still some time left, so use this time to recover your energy and take care of any family matters you need to handle. Spend more time with your mother and Qingsui."
After listening, Yan nodded, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist salute to his father, and then turned and walked out of the council hall. The sunlight outside was perfect; the early spring sun fell warmly on his shoulders and arms, illuminating the short distance from the threshold to the steps. He paused on the steps, took a deep breath, and felt the dampness of the river and the smell of wood wafting from the distant workshop. He stood there for a moment, then strode towards the courtyard.