Trading at the Small Gathering

The autumn air was crisp and clear, and the stream murmured gently. In the open waters outside the traditional Small Gathering Valley, a massive fleet of boats lay quietly at anchor. Thirty large boats, each with a small sail, were neatly arranged, almost occupying half the river surface. Their masts stood like a forest, their sails billowing gently, creating a magnificent sight. The flag of the Fire Tribe fluttered in the wind at the bow of Chuantou.

This is the team led by Jianshi and Wang Yan. They arrived a day early and chose to camp here, both to demonstrate their strength and to facilitate the management and dispatch of such a large fleet.

"Father, it seems we've arrived at the perfect time." Wang Yan stood at the Chuantou, gazing at the tranquil entrance to the valley. Tomorrow, this place would be a completely different, bustling scene.

Jianshi calmly surveyed his fleet, nodding in satisfaction. "Make sure everyone is ready. Tomorrow, all the tribes will remember the name of the Fire Tribe."

The following day, the four tribes of Bison, White Pig, deer, and Green Sheep arrived at the valley one after another. When they approached the entrance of the valley and saw the densely packed fleet of boats on the river, they all gasped in astonishment.

"Thirty, thirty large boats!" The Jijiao chieftain of the Bison Tribe's voice trembled slightly. "Where did they get so many boats?"

The White Pig Tribe's Zongmao was utterly dumbfounded. "Every ship is packed to the brim... how much cargo is that?"

Lu Ming of the Deer Tribe and Wenshi of the Green Sheep Tribe exchanged a glance, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes. They had thought they had already anticipated the speed of the Fire Tribe's development, but the scene before them still exceeded their expectations.

The leaders of the four tribes quickened their pace, eager to reach the trading location as soon as possible to see what was going on.

When they arrived at the traditional trading area in the center of the valley, Jianshi was already waiting there with half of his men. Goods ready for trading were neatly laid out on the ground: piles of pottery, linen, dried salted fish, and fish.

"My lords, it's been a long time," Jianshi greeted them with a smile. "We've made ample preparations this year. Please feel free to ask if you need anything."

The four tribal leaders stared at the mountain of goods piled on the ground, speechless for a moment. Even if all four tribes combined their resources, they couldn't possibly buy it all!

The trade went remarkably smoothly. Jianshi seemed exceptionally generous, always giving extra pottery or dried fish when exchanging furs and herbs. All four tribes felt they had gotten a good deal and were all beaming with joy.

The Bison Tribe traded their accumulated hides for enough salted fish to feed the entire tribe for a month; the White Pig Tribe traded their herbs for much-needed pottery and linen; and the Deer Tribe and Green Sheep Tribe also obtained the supplies they desired.

"Chief Jianshi is becoming more and more magnanimous." The White Pig Tribe's Zongmao stroked the pottery he had acquired with satisfaction, temporarily putting his previous doubts aside.

The other three leaders echoed their sentiments, expressing their gratitude to Jianshi. Little did they know that these goods, which they considered precious, were merely a small portion of what the Fire Tribe was currently preparing to trade with the Fish Tribe.

Just as the four tribes were contentedly counting the goods they had acquired in exchange, a commotion suddenly arose outside the valley. Everyone looked up and saw groups of people pouring in from all directions.

These groups were different from usual; they not only carried goods for trade, but also their families and all their belongings. The elderly leaned on canes, women carried children on their backs, and young people carried luggage.

"This is..." Lu Ming from the Deer Tribe squinted, "Are they migrating?"

Soon, the answer was revealed. These teams from seven or eight different tribes headed straight for the Fire Tribe's trading area. The leading tribal chiefs approached the Jianshi and bowed respectfully.

"Chief of Jianshi, we are willing to lead all forty-eight people of our tribe to join the Fire Tribe!"

"We are the same, our tribe has sixty-two people, we beg the Fire Tribe to take us in!"

"Our tribe of fifty-seven people is willing to join the Fire Tribe!"

The calls for surrender were numerous, and within a short period, the leaders of eight tribes expressed their willingness to submit. Jianshi and Wang Yan roughly estimated that the total number was as many as six hundred!

A sincere smile appeared on Jianshi's face. He strode forward and said in a loud voice, "Since you brother tribes trust my Fire Tribe, I, Jianshi, hereby guarantee that we will treat everyone equally and ensure that everyone has enough to eat and wear, and lives a peaceful life!"

These words elicited cheers from the tribal people who had come to seek refuge, and many were moved to tears.

The four tribal chiefs standing to the side were completely stunned.

"Six, six hundred people..." Jijiao of the Bison Tribe muttered to himself, "They're going to take in so many people? How much food does the Fire Tribe actually have?"

The White Pig Tribe Zongmao's expression shifted constantly. He recalled how his tribe struggled to feed even a few dozen more people, while the Fire Tribe could so easily take in six hundred! This disparity made him feel powerless.

Lu Ming of the Deer Tribe and Wenshi of the Green Sheep Tribe exchanged a glance, both seeing the determination in each other's eyes.

"It seems our initial assessment was correct," Lu Ming said softly. "The Fire Tribe's strength is far greater than we imagined."

Wenshi nodded, touching the pottery he had just acquired in exchange. "I guess they must be able to use this pottery to trade for large quantities of grain from distant tribes. Otherwise, how could they possibly feed so many people?"

This conjecture was agreed upon by the deer chieftain. They all believed they had discovered the Fire Tribe's powerful "secret"—trading with distant large tribes through exquisite pottery.

They guessed part of it correctly, but they didn't know the Fire Tribe's true strength.

As the sun set, the small gathering gradually dispersed. The four tribes left with mixed feelings, while the more than six hundred newly joined people began to board the Fire Tribe's large ship in an orderly manner.

Standing at the Chuantou, Wang Yan gazed at the vast and imposing procession, his heart filled with boundless pride. With the addition of these six hundred people, the Fire Tribe's population would surpass fourteen hundred, truly becoming the second most powerful force in this land, second only to the Fish Tribe.

"Father, we can speed up our plans," Wang Yan said to Jianshi beside him. "With these people, the speed of reclaiming new fields and constructing water conservancy projects can be greatly increased."

Jianshi nodded heavily. "Pass down the order, we'll set off for the Fish Tribe first thing tomorrow morning. Jianya, you take a group of people and settle these new tribespeople in as soon as possible."