Victory Feast

Yan stayed at the Great Rock River Mouth Outpost for two days, leaving some boats there before leading his fleet upstream along the Fish River towards the Valley River Mouth Outpost. Before leaving, he called Daya and Shibang to the dock and gave them a few more instructions. Daya stood on the edge of the dock's pier, clutching a wooden tablet with a list of supplies and personnel from the north and south camps. Yan told him to put those things away safely and to repair the fence of the south camp and replenish the granaries of the north camp. Daya agreed to everything. Shibang stood beside him, and Yan told him to rearrange the duty roster of the three thousand cavalrymen after returning to Great Green River Mouth. Shibang nodded in agreement. Seeing that everything was settled, Yan clasped his hands in a fist salute to the two men, boarded the boats, and the fleet slowly left the dock, heading upstream along the Fish River.

After several days at sea, the fleet finally returned to the Fire Tribe's current administrative center Valley River Mouth Outpost, around noon. From afar, Yan, standing at the Chuantou, saw a large group of people standing on the dock. Jian Jianshi stood at the very front, wearing a white linen robe with dark stitching on the collar and cuffs, an old leather belt around his waist, and straw sandals. His hair was held back with a wooden hairpin. His hands were behind his back, his back ramrod straight, his gaze sweeping over the sails of the boats approaching the shore, nodding slightly after each one, as if counting the fleet in his own way. Behind him stood several leaders and a group of tribesmen responsible for receiving them. Some held wooden tablets, some were tidying the ropes along the pier, their fingers deftly tracing the knots, and some were peering towards the river.

The boat docked, the gangplank was set up, and Yan stepped off. His feet touched the wooden planks of the dock, and before he could even steady himself, Jianshi stepped forward and stood before him. He first looked Yan up and down, his gaze sweeping from his cheekbones to his collar, then to his hands hanging at his sides. He noticed that although Yan had lost some weight, and the skin on his cheekbones was tanned dark by the mountain wind, he was full of energy, his eyes bright and sparkling. Jian Shi then pulled his hand back from behind and patted Yan's shoulder before saying, "Yan'er, you did a great job this time! You finally uprooted the Wolf Tribe's power. Xueshou was ambushed in the valley, Duzhu was speared by Daya, and you destroyed their stronghold in Stone Ridge Mountain. All the territory the Wolf Tribe had cultivated here has fallen into our hands. You've done a great job this time. When I heard the news from the rear, I was so happy I couldn't sleep all night."

Yan returned the salute with clasped hands, then spoke, his voice low but clear. "It's all thanks to the brothers' joint efforts that we were able to fight so smoothly this time. Shinian was fighting Xueya head-on on the south bank, Daya was intercepting Duzhu on the east, Shibang was surrounding Yexiao on the north bank, and Julang was lying in ambush with Xueshou in the valley. We took them down one after another without any major mistakes. I couldn't have fought so many battles by myself. The credit belongs to everyone."

After listening, Jianshi nodded, a smile spreading from his lips to the corners of his eyes, widening the lines around them. His voice rose slightly, and he spoke a beat faster, "I'm glad you think that way. Winning a battle without taking credit, sharing the glory with the brothers—that's what a leader should do." He paused, removing his hand from Yan's shoulder and letting it hang at his side, then continued, "I've prepared a victory feast in the council hall. Everyone, go and have something to eat. Your mother started preparing yesterday; today she stewed chicken, boiled fish, and baked a lot of rice cakes. Your brothers have been eating dry rations on the ship for days; they deserve something warm."

Yan nodded in agreement, switched the empty wooden tablet in his hand to his other hand, and then followed Jianshi toward the council hall. The soldiers and leaders who had disembarked from the ship followed behind. When they reached the entrance of the council hall, several long tables had already been set up inside. The tables were covered with clean linen cloths, on which were stacks of earthenware bowls and plates. Next to them were bundles of wooden spoons and bone chopsticks. In the corner, there were several large earthenware jars, their mouths covered with wooden lids. Steam escaped from the gaps in the lids, making the mouths of the jars damp with the heat.

Mother Qingye, accompanied by several women, brought hot food from the kitchen into the council hall. She wore a dark brown linen robe, tied at the waist with a hemp rope, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her strong forearms. A few fine beads of sweat clung to her forehead, and her hands were damp. Seeing Yan enter, she placed the ceramic plate she was carrying on the table, then quickly walked over, looked him up and down, her gaze lingering on his face. Seeing that he had lost some weight but was full of energy, she said, "You weren't hungry on the way, were you? Sit down first. The rest of the dishes will be ready soon. There's also chicken stewing in the pot. Eat more later; you haven't gained any weight in your face, and your cheekbones are still so high."

Qingsui emerged from the side room of the council hall, carrying Yi'er. She wore a light purple linen dress with a light gray short jacket over it. Her hair was held back with a wooden hairpin, a few strands falling behind her ears. Her complexion was much better than before, with a faint rosy glow on her cheekbones. Yi'er, in her arms, wore a small linen jacket with a small flame embroidered on the edge— Qingye's handiwork. Yi'er's eyes were wide open, bright black, and he squirmed in Qingsui's arms, his little fists flailing wildly as he struggled free from his swaddling clothes. Seeing Yan enter, Qingsui paused briefly, then slowly walked over and stood before him, placing Yi'er in his arms, saying, "Your son has grown quite a bit these past few days. Look, he's much heavier than when he left."

Yan reached out and took Yi'er into his arms. Yi'er squirmed in his arms, then quieted down, looking at him with wide eyes, his little fists clutching Yan's collar, making babbling sounds. Yan bounced him around a couple of times. Qingsui stood beside them, watching the father and son, a slight smile on her lips, but something still lingered in her eyes. She spoke, her voice low but clear. "I was a little worried about you going to fight the Wolf Tribe this time. You've been gone for so many days, and it will take several more days for news to come back. I've been counting down the days at home, wondering where you are, when you'll arrive, when you can fight, and when you'll be back. Sometimes I can't sleep at night, so I just hold Yi'er and walk around the room."

After listening, Yan pulled Yi'er closer to his chest, then turned to look at Qingsui and said, "Our Fire Tribe is powerful. How could the Wolf Tribe be a match for us? We sent so many people, while they only have so few. We have more ships, better weapons, and stronger horses. They wouldn't stand a chance in a fight. Even the Tiger Tribe doesn't dare to confront us head-on now. Last time when we Wolf Tribe, the Tiger Tribe sent ships to scout, but they were forced to retreat by our fleet. What is there to worry about?"

After listening, Qingsui shook her head slightly, a small but firm gesture. A few stray hairs at her temples swayed gently with the movement. Then she spoke, her voice lower than before. "That's true, but the battlefield is ruthless, and arrows have no eyes. You lead the charge while I can't see or hear you from the rear, forced to wait helplessly. That's not a pleasant experience. It's best to be careful. Next time you fight, bring more men, wear more armor, and don't charge too far forward."

After listening, Yan lifted Yi'er up a little higher and said, "The Wolf Tribe's location is a bottleneck. If we want to deal with the Wolf Tribe Tiger Tribe with all our might, we must eliminate this obstacle. Otherwise, if we attack the Tiger Tribe to the north, the Wolf Tribe will attack our rear, leaving us vulnerable from both sides. We won't be able to fight effectively. Now look at me, I've returned unharmed, isn't everything alright? Don't worry." He paused, gently pressing his finger on Yi'er's swaddling clothes. "Moreover, in this Wolf Tribe, Julang, Shinian, and Daya were truly at the forefront."

Upon hearing this, Qingsui's expression relaxed slightly. She gently touched Yi'er's swaddling clothes and said, "Alright."

Not long after everyone sat down in the council hall, Qingye and her men brought out the remaining hot food. Stewed chicken was served in several large earthenware pots, with chicken pieces soaking in the glistening broth and a few chopped wild vegetable leaves floating on top. Boiled fish was served in another earthenware pot, the fish soup milky white, with the fish pieces barely visible in the broth. Flatbreads were stacked neatly on several large earthenware plates, the edges still bearing the golden-brown color from the bottom of the pan. There were also several pots of stir-fried wild vegetables, a pot of boiled beans, and a pot of steamed pumpkin. Earthenware bowls were filled with hot water, steaming, and several dishes of pickled vegetables and sauces were also placed on the table.

Seeing that everyone was hungry, Jianshi Shi took his hand off the table, gestured to them, and said, "Don't be shy, let's eat. We've been eating dry rations for days on the road, so let's have something hot today. We can eat our fill first, then we can talk."

Everyone picked up their chopsticks and started eating. Qingye put a piece of chicken in Yan's bowl and another in Qingsui's, saying, "Eat more, you've all gotten thinner." Yi'er was moved from Yan's arms to Qingsui's. Qingsui held him in one arm and ate slowly with chopsticks in the other. The council hall quickly became lively. Everyone ate and drank heartily, occasionally clinking their bowls, chatting about their journey, and laughing. Sunlight streamed in through the door and window cracks, spreading warm yellow patches of light on the table.