Another Visit to the Fish Tribe
The hustle and bustle of the small market had just subsided when the Fire Tribe's fleet split in two. Jianya, leading ten large boats loaded with the elderly, women, and children who had recently joined the tribe, as well as some supplies, returned to the Fire Tribe first, escorted by twenty warriors. Meanwhile, he left behind ten warriors familiar with the terrain to guide the several hundred new tribespeople back to the Fire Tribe by land.
Meanwhile, Jianshi and Wang Yan led the remaining twenty large boats, carrying sixty elite warriors and a large quantity of pottery to be traded with the Fish Tribe, downstream to the Fish Tribe. This time, their goal was clearer—to exchange the mountain of pottery for 100,000 catties of grain, some fish oil and fish glue, and other necessities.
Drifting downstream, the boat moved swiftly. In just over two days, the familiar settlement of the Fish Tribe came into view once again. The densely packed wooden houses built on the riverside highlands, the masts standing tall along the banks, and the fishy smell and water vapor in the air all demonstrated the prosperity of this large riverside tribe.
When the fleet of twenty large ships from the Fire Tribe came into view of the Fish Tribe, it immediately attracted their attention. Two nimble fish-skin Xiaozhou quickly approached, their warriors armed with harpoons and looking alert.
"Stop! Which tribe are you from?" the leader of the Fish Tribe shouted, his gaze sweeping over the Fire Tribe's orderly fleet and billowing sails with surprise.
Standing at the Jianshi of the Chuantou, Jian Shi responded loudly, "We are from the Fire Tribe! I am Jianshi, the chief, here to pay my respects to Chief Canglan and participate in the grand market!"
"The Fire Tribe?" The squad leader paused for a moment, then remembered, his wariness easing slightly, replaced by curiosity and seriousness. He clearly remembered this tribe that had traded pottery for a large amount of old grain. "So it's you! Wait here, I'll go report to Chief Canglan right away!" He ordered another Xiaozhou to remain on guard, while he himself steered the boat back to the tribe as fast as he could to deliver the message.
Guided by the warriors of the Fish Tribe, the Fire Tribe's fleet slowly approached the designated anchorage. The twenty large ships, though not as large as the Fish Tribe's eight true giant sailing ships, were enough to occupy a prominent position in the anchorage, attracting the attention of the nearby Fish Tribe members.
Exhausted from the journey, Jianshi ordered his warriors to rest on the spot and guard the goods. He then took Wang Yan and several personal guards and prepared to head to the core area of the Fish Tribe to pay a visit to Canglan, the "brother-in-law" of the Fish Tribe's leader.
"This time, it feels different from last time," Wang Yan whispered to his father as they walked through the bustling settlement of the Fish Tribe. He noticed that the gazes cast upon him by the Fish Tribe members along the way held less of the condescending curiosity of the last time, and more scrutiny, surprise, and even a barely perceptible sense of awe. The Fire Tribe's sizable fleet, along with the warriors' superior equipment and high morale, undoubtedly had a deterrent effect.
Jianshi nodded slightly, his gaze Chenwen: "Strength is the best language."
Upon arriving at Canglan's iconic, larger longhouse, they were quickly invited inside after being informed of their arrival.
Canglan remained seated in the leader's chair covered with a bearskin. When he saw Jianshi and Wang Yan enter, he greeted them with an even warmer smile than before, and even stood up to greet them.
"Jianshi! My good brother-in-law! It hasn't been long since we last met, and your Fire Tribe's influence is growing ever stronger!" Canglan's booming voice echoed in the longhouse. He patted Jianshi's shoulder forcefully, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards the anchorage outside, clearly already aware of the Fire Tribe's fleet size. "Just now, someone from below reported that you've arrived with twenty large ships? Good heavens, that's almost as many as one of our small fleets!"
"Brother-in-law, you flatter me." Jianshi maintained a polite smile. "These were all built by our own people through trial and error; they can't compare to the large ships of the Fish Tribe, which can withstand storms. Our main purpose in coming here is to make a deal with the Fish Tribe."
"Oh? Pottery again?" Canglan's eyes lit up. He led the two to sit down and instructed the tribespeople to serve fish tea.
"Mainly pottery," Wang Yan continued, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. "The quantity we brought this time is three times that of last time. We hope to exchange it for 100,000 jin of grain, as much fish oil and fish glue as possible, and other necessities."
"Three times the pottery? 100,000 catties of grain?" Upon hearing this, Canglan's eyes gleamed, and his smile widened. However, Wang Yan keenly caught the fleeting calculation deep in his eyes. This leader of the Fish Tribe was definitely not as generous and simple as he appeared.
"Of course, of course!" Canglan waved his hand, seemingly very agreeable. "Your Fire Tribe's pottery is indeed excellent! Everyone in our tribe loves it. As for grain, fish oil, and fish glue... leave it to me! I'll definitely give you the fairest price!"
He then warmly urged them to stay, saying, "The market officially starts the day after tomorrow. Please settle in comfortably for the next couple of days so I can properly show you my hospitality."
The Fish Tribe has clearly come to regard the Fire Tribe as a potential partner or... competitor that needs to be taken seriously.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, brother-in-law," Jianshi replied with a smile.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Jianshi and Wang Yan took their leave and returned to the docking area. Walking along the road, Wang Yan murmured, "Father, Chief Canglan agreed too readily. I have a feeling this transaction won't go as smoothly as he said."
Jianshi's gaze narrowed slightly. "Hmm, he definitely has other conditions, or he's up to something again. No problem, we'll deal with it as it comes. The 'bargaining chips' we brought this time are enough to tempt him."