The Evacuation Completed

After several days of sailing, Yan and his fleet finally arrived at the stronghold dock at the mouth of the Daqing River that morning. From afar, Yan could see a large number of people standing on the dock. Shi Bang stood at the very front, wearing a dark gray linen robe, a leather belt with bronze buckles around his waist, and animal skin boots. His face was darker than when they last met, and the skin on his cheekbones was rough and firm, like the surface of stone repeatedly polished by the river winds. However, he was full of energy, his eyes bright and sparkling. Standing on the dock, his back was ramrod straight, like a tree that had been blown by the wind for many years but had never bent. (Liu Ren) Standing beside him was a man dressed in a dark brown linen robe, the collar and cuffs edged with dark stitches, the stitches fine and neat. His hair was held up with a wooden hairpin, a few strands of white hair hanging down from behind his ears, shimmering in the afternoon light. He was more upright than when we last met, and behind him stood rows of Willow Vine tribe members, forming several long lines along the dock, the tail of the lines stretching all the way to the vicinity of the camp entrance, like a dark ribbon spread across the ground, its varying shades of light and shadow cast by the afternoon sun.

The ship docked, the gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off. Shibang and Liuren stepped forward and clasped their hands in greeting. Liuren's movements were a beat slower, but very steady. Yan returned the greeting, then looked at Liuren and spoke, his voice low but clear. "Chief Liuren, Liutiao has already settled 20,000 men at the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. Uncle Jianya has enough houses and food. The men have settled in without any trouble. Liutiao himself is there continuing to learn to read and write with Uncle Wen. This time, I'm here to take the remaining 10,000 men over. You can board the fleet as soon as they disembark."

Upon hearing this, Liuren's expression relaxed slightly. His lips curved into a slight smile, and the lines around his eyes smoothed out. His voice held a reassurance born of confirmation, and his speech was a beat faster than usual. "Alright, I've assembled the remaining ten thousand-plus people. The elderly and children are in front, the able-bodied behind, grouped by family, just like the previous batch. Their belongings are all packed, each family's bundle is tied with a numbered cloth strip to prevent mix-ups. A few elderly people have difficulty walking, so I've had small stools prepared for them to sit by the plank and wait until the people in front have finished." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his side, as if preparing a conclusion for his next words. "Liutiao Tiao, thank you for your trouble, Young Chief Yan. He's impatient and can't stay in the rear. If he starts clamoring to go to the front lines again when we get to the Fire Creek River Mouth, please talk to him for me. Tell him to learn the skills first."

Yan nodded, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Don't worry about Liutiao. I've spoken to him. He said he's willing to go to the Fire Creek River Mouth to study for a while, and then come back after he's learned enough. He's already learned quite a few characters with Shibang in the Greater Qing Tribe, and he'll continue learning at the Fire Creek River Mouth. Uncle Jianya has bamboo slips, counting rods, and an old scribe to guide him, so he'll learn faster there than in the Greater Qing Tribe."

He paused, then turned to look at Shibang and said, "This time I brought 20,000 people to settle in the Greater Qing Tribe. The Willow Vine Tribe has left, so this place can't be empty. With these 20,000 people, you don't need to worry about manpower. Have you prepared the houses in advance?"

After listening, Shibang nodded. His voice was low but sincere, and his speech was slower than usual. "I've prepared the houses in advance. The empty rooms have been re-laid with straw mats and animal hides. The granaries have been replenished, and firewood has been stacked behind the houses. The 20,000 people can settle in as soon as they arrive; there's no need to build sheds on the spot. I've also had several new vegetable plots opened on the west side of the camp. The land has been plowed, and the ridges have been made. They can start planting as soon as they're settled. The well has been cleaned; the water is clean and sufficient." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his belt, the knuckles making a short, muffled sound. "Thank you, Boss. This is the front line of the Fire Tribe's conflict. We can't do without people. When the Willow Vine Tribe people were here, the camp was lively. After they left, half the camp felt empty, and the night patrols felt deserted. Now, with these 20,000 people, it's finally lively again. The patrol teams can be more closely spaced, and we can put more people at the ferry crossing to the north and on the east side."

Yan nodded, then turned and nodded to Daya and Gubang behind him. Daya and Gubang then led their men towards the dock, guiding those who had come by boat to disembark along with Shibang's warriors. The crowd moved slowly along the boardwalk; some carried bundles, some held children, and some helped the elderly. Daya stood beside the gangplank, counting heads, his fingers flying across the wooden tablets, glancing up to confirm the next family after each one passed. Gubang maintained order on the other side, calling out, "Slow down, slow down, don't push, those in front, hurry up!" The dock quickly became busy, the sounds of footsteps and heavy objects hitting the ground mingling together, but there was no crowding. A child ran out of the line, took a few steps towards the edge of the dock, but was pulled back by his mother and brought back into the line. The child struggled a couple of times before falling silent.

Yan stood at the edge of the dock, watching the people disembarking for a while, then turned back to Shibang and spoke, his voice lower than before. "The Wolf Tribe and the Tiger Tribe haven't made any major moves lately, have they?"

Shibang straightened up, his body no longer leaning slightly forward. His gaze shifted from Yan's face to the downstream direction of the dock, as if scanning the course of the river with his eyes. He tapped his fingers lightly at his side, then spoke, his voice low but clear, as if laying out pieces of information gathered from various places one by one: "The Tiger Tribe is still the same, only wary of and monitoring our Fire Tribe. They've left some warriors in the Willow Vine Tribe Tribe's territory, and they're patrolling the river three times a day near the Great Luwei Tribe, but they haven't dared to go upstream. We've set up sentries at the ferry crossing north of the Greater Qing Tribe; if they dare to approach, we'll detect it immediately. Their boat came last month..." "They stopped in the middle of the river for a while, saw our sentry posts on the bank, and then turned back without daring to go ashore." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his side, as if looking for a place to conclude his next words. "The Wolf Tribe has been firmly suppressed by Yingmu and me. Now, after our continuous attacks, their warriors are reduced to only about six thousand, significantly less than at their peak. Their grain production has also decreased considerably. Some of their affiliated tribes are also considering surrendering to us, and we are actively making contact. My scouts have already made contact with the chiefs of some of the larger tribes, and they say that as soon as the time is right, they will lead their people to our side."

Yan nodded after listening, tapping his fingers lightly on his side. "Alright, proceed at your own pace. Don't rush. The Wolf Tribe is like a half-burnt piece of firewood; it looks like there's still a flame, but it won't burn for long. Their warriors are dwindling, their food supplies are running low, and their affiliated tribes are fleeing. All three combined, they can't hold out much longer." He paused, his gaze lingering on Shibang's face. "I'll bring the Willow Vine Tribe to the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost and settle them there. Then I'll report back to the Valley River Mouth Outpost and come over. I'll bring Julang and Shinian with me then, and we'll wipe out the Wolf Tribe in one go." He paused again, tapping his fingers lightly on his side. "But until I return, you continue to keep them under pressure. Don't let them catch their breath. Every few days, send a few people to patrol the riverbank, preventing them from peacefully farming. If they can't farm, they can't harvest grain; if they can't harvest grain, they can't support their army; if they can't support their army, they can only wait to be defeated."

Shibang nodded, slapping his belt with a short, muffled thud. "Alright, boss. With me and Yingmu here, the Wolf Tribe has no chance of turning things around. They don't even dare to put out sentries near the river anymore, hiding deep in the Great Rock River. Our scouts have gone in and checked; their people are preparing to retreat deeper, as if heading towards their lair. The forest upstream of the Great Rock River is very dense; it'll be hard to find them once they're in, but they can't farm in the forest anyway, so they'll have to come out to find food sooner or later." He paused, as if remembering something, his voice lower and his speech slower than before, "Your wife is about to give birth. You can come over after she's done. Things here aren't urgent. The Wolf Tribe isn't going anywhere. You should take care of things at home first. Giving birth is a big deal for a woman; she won't feel at ease without you by her side."

Yan's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this, the curve of his lips extending from the corner of his mouth to the corner of his eye. He switched the empty wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand and spoke, his voice softening with a hint of gentleness after being mentioned. "I know. After I deliver the last batch of people to the Fire Creek River Mouth, I'll go back to see Qingsui. If she hasn't given birth yet, I'll wait a few days; if she has, I'll stay with her for a few days before coming back." He paused, his fingers tapping lightly on his side. "However, things here can't be delayed too long. Father has decided to eliminate the Wolf Tribe this year. After dealing with the Wolf Tribe, we'll have to deal with the Tiger Tribe. Time waits for no one. The Tiger Tribe is also preparing. Although they've been slower in recruiting people on the Long River, they've been recruiting non-stop for a single day."

The two chatted for a while longer about the defense arrangements for the Greater Qing Tribe and the subsequent allocation of supplies. Yan instructed Shibang to keep an eye on the Tiger Tribe's movements, continue to work with the Yingmu Bear Tribe to compress the Wolf Tribe's living space, and maintain harassment and attacks on the Wolf Tribe. He also told Shibang to settle the 20,000 newly arrived people first, without rushing to assign them heavy tasks, and to wait until they adapted. Shibang agreed to each suggestion, nodding at each one, as if using nods to write down the words, absorbing them into his memory. When they got to the topic of provisions, Yan gestured the quantity on the table with his finger, and Shibang followed suit. The two confirmed the quantity by comparing their gestures before moving on to the next item.

After everything that needed to be said was said, everyone on the ship disembarked and was taken away by Shibang's men for resettlement. The more than 10,000 people of the Willow Vine Tribe also successfully boarded the ship one after another with Liuren. The warriors on the ship were tidying up the ropes and gangplanks on the deck, preparing for the next leg of the voyage. Yan saw that it was about time, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shibang, and said, "Then I'll be leaving now. I'm leaving the Greater Qing Tribe to you. If anything happens, send a message to the Valley River Mouth."

Shibang returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute. "Take care on the road."

Yan nodded to him, 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 the ox horn rang out, deep and long, and the fleet slowly left the Great Green River Mouth dock, sailing upstream along the Fish River towards the Fire Creek River Mouth Outpost. Shibang stood on the dock, watching the fleet gradually disappear into the distance.