The Fleets Join Up

Over the next few days, Yan and Qingye took turns looking after Qingsui and Yi. The two of them took turns looking after each other, like a shift change. Yi'er slept most of the time, and when he woke up, he would cry with his brows furrowed. Yan would pick him up and walk around the room, humming an off-key tune. Sometimes he would quiet down after a few steps, and sometimes he would walk for a long time before stopping. When he fell asleep again, Yan would gently put him back next to Qingsui, as slowly as if he were putting something that might break at any moment.

Qingye was known for her meticulous care. Every day, she would bathe Qingsui, using lukewarm water that was neither too hot nor too cold. She would change the water halfway through the bath, and wring out the cloth until it was half-dry. She would wipe Qinghui's body from her forehead to her neck, from her arms to the back of her hands, each stroke done with a slow and steady rhythm. She also made a small swaddle blanket for Yi'er, sewn from fine linen, with a small flame pattern embroidered on the corner. Every time Qingsui saw the swaddle blanket, she would smile and say that her mother was skillful. She herself had sewed a few small clothes when she was pregnant, but her stitches were much coarser than Qingye's, and one of them even had a crooked neckline.

That evening, Jianshi returned from the council hall earlier than usual. It wasn't completely dark yet; a narrow strip of orange-red remained on the western ridgeline, like an unevenly applied paint. As he entered the courtyard, Qingye was carrying a bowl of soup out of the house. There was still a little bit of soup left in the bowl. She nodded when she saw Jianshi and said that Qingsui had just been fed and was now asleep, Yi'er had also just fallen asleep, so she had come out to rest. Jianshi responded and continued walking. When he reached the doorway, Yan Zheng came out, holding a damp cloth. The cloth was stained with water; it was the one he had used to wipe Qingsui's sweat.

When Jianshi saw Yan come out, he stopped at the doorway, put his hands behind his back, and his gaze lingered on Yan's face for a moment. He noticed that the dark circles under Yan's eyes were lighter than a few days ago, and the skin on his cheekbones was no longer so taut. Only then did he speak, his voice not loud but very clear, and his pace slower than usual. "Yan'er, how is Qingsui recovering?"

Yan draped the damp cloth over the wooden pegs by the door frame, turned around, and nodded. "Qingsui is recovering very well. She drinks the soup her mother makes for her every day, and she's drunk more than half a bowl. She's much better than she was in the first two days after giving birth. Yi'er is also eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating. He cries when he's hungry and is quiet when he's full. We just need to clean him up promptly. My mother has washed all the used diapers and hung them out to dry in the yard. They'll be dry by tomorrow morning. He just sometimes fusses at night."

After listening, Jianshi nodded. He sat down on a low stool in the courtyard, placed his hands on his knees, and tapped his fingers lightly on them twice. Then he spoke, his voice lower than before. "That's good. I received news that Daya and his fleet will arrive at the Valley River Mouth Outpost dock tomorrow morning. You can take some men to the dock tomorrow morning to pick them up, inventory and store the supplies, and arrange the personnel. Although Qingsui hasn't fully recovered yet, the trouble with the Wolf Tribe needs to be dealt with as soon as possible. I'm planning to have you take some men there to handle the Wolf Tribe problem. What are your thoughts?"

Yan sat down on another low stool, facing his father. His gaze first fell on the small trees in the yard, then returned to Jianshi's face. He spoke in a low but clear voice, his pace unhurried. "Qingsui is recovering very well now. I'm relieved to have Mother here taking care of her. Mother is very attentive, watching over her food and drink, much better than me. I can't be of much help staying here, except perhaps to hold the child. I'll prepare in the next couple of days and then head over. Once the fleet arrives, the supplies are inventoried, and the handover is complete, we can set off. The sooner we eliminate the Wolf Tribe, the more advantageous it will be for our Fire Tribe. Moreover, Shibang and Yingmu have been suppressing the Wolf Tribe for so long, reducing them to just over six thousand. If we drag this out any longer, and the Wolf Tribe gathers the remnants back to their lair, it will be more troublesome for us to fight. Right now, they're scattered across their strongholds at the Great Rock River Mouth Outpost, perfect for wiping them out in one fell swoop."

Jianshi nodded, placing his hands flat on his knees. His gaze fell on Yan's face, paused for a moment, and then he spoke, his voice slightly louder and faster than before. "Yes, although our Fire Tribe is the strongest tribe in this area, there are super tribes with over a million people in the distance. If our Fire Tribe stops developing, we will soon be left behind. At that time, let alone expansion, even self-defense will be a problem. Currently, the Great Greater Qing Tribe has over four thousand warriors, and the Bear Tribe also has over four thousand warriors. I plan to have you take another seven thousand people there. This will make it easier for you to deal with the Wolf Tribe. Seven thousand people plus the eight thousand from the Greater Qing Tribe and the Bear Tribe, a total of fifteen thousand people, is enough to the Wolf Tribe's six thousand-plus."

Yan silently calculated in his mind: 15,000 men against 6,000 was indeed enough, given their superior numbers and equipment. Moreover, the warriors of the Greater Qing Tribe and Bear Tribe had been confronting the Wolf Tribe there for years and were very familiar with the terrain and enemy situation. Adding the 7,000 elite troops he brought, a total of 15,000 men advancing from several directions simultaneously would be difficult for the Wolf Tribe to withstand. He nodded, his voice steady and clear. "Good, 7,000 men are enough. These soldiers are all trained and ready to fight. The men brought by Julang and Shinian are all enemies of the Wolf Tribe; they'll fight like madmen, so they'll be used effectively. I'll take Chief Jia Li with me; he's familiar with the terrain and situation there."

Jianshi nodded, stood up from the stool, stretched his shoulders (his bones cracked slightly), and then said, "Alright, it's settled then. Tomorrow, you'll get the fleet ready and the supplies stored. The day after tomorrow, hand over the work to Da Ya and the Daya. We'll set off early on the third day, taking Jia Li and the others with you. We'll advance simultaneously from both sides of the Great Green River Mouth and the Bear River estuary. First, we'll take out the two outposts on the south bank of the Wolf Tribe, then we'll circle around to the north bank from the upstream ferry and block their retreat from the east. We'll encircle them from all sides and cripple the Wolf Tribe in one fell swoop. Once you get there, Shibang and Yingmu will assist you. They've been there for so long, they know the terrain better than we do. Listen to their advice, but ultimately, the decision is yours. Don't hesitate when you need to be decisive."

Yan stood up, nodded to his father, and said, "Father, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. The Wolf Tribe won't escape this time."

Jianshi nodded to him, said nothing more, and then turned and walked towards his house. Yan stood in the yard for a while before going to look after Qingsui.

The next morning, Yan went to the dock early. It was just dawn, and a thin layer of morning mist still clung to the river. Distant boats appeared and disappeared in the mist. Yan stood on the edge of the dock, his fingers resting on the wooden stakes of the pier, his gaze fixed on the river, waiting for the fleet to appear. After about an hour, the morning mist gradually dissipated, revealing a long fleet of boats on the river. Their sails gleamed pale white in the morning light. One after another, the Chuantou emerged from the mist, their bows cutting through the water, creating two white Langhua merged at the stern. The river continued to churn with broken waves. Daya stood at the Chuantou of the first boat, wearing a dark gray linen robe, a leather belt with a bronze buckle around his waist, and straw sandals. His face was slightly red from the river wind, but he was full of energy, his eyes bright, and he waved towards the dock from afar. Gubang stood at the Chuantou of the second boat, directing the fleet to shore. His voice carried across the river, clear and resonant despite being somewhat muffled by the wind. "Left! Left! Second row, swerve a little to the right! Yes, hold steady!"

The ship docked, the gangplank was set up, and Daya was the first to step off. He strode up to Yan, first giving him a once-over, his gaze lingering on his face for a moment. Noticing that the vertical line between his brows was less pronounced than when he left, he spoke, his voice carrying a relieved satisfaction, a smile spreading across his face, "Boss, our journey has been relatively smooth. The fleet hasn't encountered any problems, the supplies have all been inventoried, and the numbers match. We only replenished our water and food supplies at a few outposts along the way, everything else is normal." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his side, then, as if remembering something, his speech quickened, his expression becoming more urgent and curious, "By the way, how was your wife's delivery? Was it a boy or a girl? I kept talking about it while I was on the ship, and Gubang even said I was more anxious than you."

Gubang walked up behind Daya, still clutching a rope he hadn't had time to put away. He put the rope on the springboard, leaned over, and stared at Yan's face, speaking a little louder than Daya: "Yeah, boss, we were counting the days on the way here, saying it'd be around these next few days. Has your wife given birth yet? Boy or girl? Someone as tough as me or someone as steady as you?"

After listening, Yan's lips slowly curved into a smile that extended from his mouth to the corners of his eyes. He switched the empty wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand and spoke, his voice not loud but clear. "Luckily, I took a fast boat back, otherwise I wouldn't have made it in time for your sister-in-law to give birth. She gave birth the very night I got back; any later and I would have only been able to hear the news on the road. It's a boy, named Yi, with four 'fire' characters, even brighter than fire itself. When he was born, he cried loudly and clearly. The midwife said he had a good voice and would have a strong voice later in life."

Daya and Gubang both breathed a sigh of relief. Daya clapped his hands together beside him, making a short, muffled thud, and then spoke, his voice filled with the satisfaction of being put down. "That's good. It's good that mother and child are safe. Yi is a good name, four fires. He'll definitely be more powerful than his father in the future." Gubang nodded beside him, taking the short knife from his belt and hanging it up again, muttering, "Yi, four fires, a good name. I have to go see this kid later and bring him a little gift. I got some good animal hides from the Green Leaf River Mouth; I'll have my mother sew him a little jacket when I get back."

Yan Chao and the others raised their hands, clapping them in mid-air for a moment. "Thank you all. You should go and rest first. Arrange for the people on the ship to disembark. I'll take care of the inventory and storage of the supplies. We're leaving for the front lines tomorrow, so I'll handle things here. Father has already decided that we'll leave first thing tomorrow morning. I'll take you all with me to the Great Green River Mouth Outpost."

Daya and Gubang nodded simultaneously. Daya put the wooden tablet into his pocket, and Gubang rubbed his palms on his trouser leg. Neither of them asked any further questions. After exchanging information, they took their men to rest. Yan stood on the dock, watching the fleet of people disembark in batches, and then watching the people from the warehouse come to receive the goods. Wooden carts moved back and forth between the dock and the warehouse, their wheels creaking on the gravel road. Some people were counting the goods, some were moving boxes, and some were directing the direction. The dock was bustling with activity.

He was about to turn around and glance at the warehouse when he suddenly heard someone calling his name from behind. The voice was soft but steady. Yan turned around and saw Julang approaching from behind the fleet. He wore a gray-brown linen robe with several old, indelible stains on the front. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his Dazhuang forearms. He was about the same height as Dazhuang, with broad shoulders and a thick back. When he stood on the gangplank, he stood ramrod straight, making the gangplank sink slightly before springing back. His hair was tied back with a leather strap, with a few stray strands hanging down behind his ears. Lai, his face tanned dark by the river wind, the skin on his cheekbones rough and firm, but his eyes were bright. Seeing Yan turn around, he quickly stepped forward, stopped in front of Yan, and clasped his hands in a salute. "Young Chief, I arrived first. Shinian is on the boat behind, he'll be down soon. We heard we were going to fight the Wolf Tribe, so we couldn't sit still on the boat. These past few days on the boat, I've been telling Shinian not to rush, to wait until we're ashore, but he's a straightforward person. He's been sharpening his knife on the boat, sharpening it several times until it's gleaming. I'm afraid he'll wear it down too thin."

Yan returned the greeting with a fist salute, his gaze lingering on Julang's face for a moment. He noticed that the vertical line between Julang's brows was deeper than when they last met, but he was full of energy and his eyes were bright. Yan then said, "Julang, the reason I transferred you here this time is to prepare to wipe out the Wolf Tribe in one fell swoop. You've been waiting for this day for a long time. I plan to have you lead the charge this time. As long as you cripple the Wolf Tribe, you will have performed a great service."

After listening, Julang's expression shifted slightly, the curve of his lips extending from the corner of his mouth to the corner of his eye. He opened and closed his palms in front of him, as if gathering all the words he had held back for so long into his hands. Then he spoke, his voice lower than before, but every word carried a calmness that came from his very bones. "Young leader, rest assured, my martial arts skills haven't slacked off over the years. At the Hundred Crafts Outpost, I've been leading my men in training every day without fail. The hundreds of men under my command have been doing the same, training every day for years, just waiting for this day." He paused, tapping his fingers lightly on his side. "You know Shinian; he's prone to getting carried away on the battlefield. I'll keep an eye on him; he'll charge ahead, and I'll cover him from behind. The two of us, one in front and one behind, won't cause any major problems."

Yan nodded, then chatted with Julang for a few more minutes about the situation with the Greater Qing Tribe and the upcoming arrangements. Julang said that the Shinian was on the boat at the back and would be coming down soon, so he came over to say hello to Yan first. Yan said that they should go and rest first, and set off early tomorrow morning. The fleet would go directly to the Great Green River Mouth Outpost. After hearing this, Julang nodded and went to rest.