A New Look for the Fire Tribe
As the days went by, the Fire Tribe changed more and more. The most obvious change was in the appearance of the tribespeople—newcomers who had arrived were all thin and pale, but now they all had rosy complexions and their muscles had become more toned. Ample food and appropriate work made everyone's bodies stronger and more robust.
The Hunting Team currently has 350 members, making it the most elite force in the tribe. With more and more members of the Youth Team who have turned 15 joining, the Hunting Team is slowly moving towards 400 members.
The most eye-catching was Yingmu. This young man, who once trained alongside Wang Yan, was now over 1.8 meters tall and still growing. In the tribe, he was only slightly shorter than top warriors like Dali and Dazhuang. With his extraordinary bravery and the appreciation of the leaders, Yingmu became the squad leader of a ten-man team as soon as he joined the Hunting Team, and he had already gained some fame within the team.
Shibang is fourteen years old this year. He is Dabang's eldest son and is currently the vice-captain of Youth Team youth team. Apart from Wang Yan, he is the most valiant. Five or six adult hunters are no match for him, and the youths all admire him. Previously, only Yingmu could compete with him, but now that Yingmu has joined the Hunting Team, Shibang has become the most powerful one in the Youth Team.
Wang Yan is twelve years old this year and has grown to about 1.7 meters tall. Although he is not the tallest in the tribe, his fighting strength is probably only comparable to a few top warriors such as Jianshi and Dali. Even if more than a dozen adult hunters attacked him together, they would not be his match.
Recently, after finishing his own workouts, Wang Yan would take advantage of his free time to train his teammates. Each training session for the Youth Team lasted about an hour and included running to build endurance and strength, as well as simple formation drills.
"Forward, backward, left, right! Forward, backward, backward!" Wang Yan's commands were clear and forceful.
The team members were divided into groups of five to practice coordinating and taking turns providing cover. These methods seemed novel, but they were indeed effective.
The adults in the Hunting Team sometimes watched and began to use it themselves. They found that when they went out hunting, they cooperated better, were more efficient, and fewer people were injured.
"Yesterday we surrounded a wild boar; five of us worked together and it was easy to take it down." An old hunter said, "This method of the Yan Sect is really good."
The Fire Tribe was still working hard to make rattan armor, helmets, and shields. Jianshi and his men thought these things were incredibly useful; the materials were simple, they weren't difficult to make, and they were lightweight and affordable. Most importantly, they offered excellent protection, far better than wearing nothing at all.
"If all our warriors wore this," Jianshi said, touching the newly made rattan armor, "We wouldn't be afraid even if three or five times our number of enemies came!"
In addition to continuing to equip Hunting Team, the tribe plans to stockpile an additional 500 sets.
Wang Yan also made a new suggestion: equip each hunter with three to five small, pointed Xiaoshi hammers, tie them to their bodies with ropes, and throw them out to attack when encountering prey or enemies.
The Jianshi was tested, and the effect was surprisingly good.
"This is great!" He played with the Xiaoshi hammer with obvious delight. "Finally, a decent ranged weapon!"
Previously, the tribe's main weapons were bamboo spears, Shifu, and stone knives, which people were reluctant to throw. Now, with the Xiaoshi hammers that are specially designed for throwing, the problem of long-range attacks has been solved.
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was time to harvest the first crop of rice.
A thousand acres of rice paddies, a golden expanse, a sight to behold. Jianshi estimates that this season's harvest will yield 200,000 jin of rice. To store this grain, he has already ordered the expansion of the warehouses.
After harvesting this thousand acres, we'll plow the land, prepare it, and immediately start planting the second crop. The other thousand acres of newly reclaimed land are also ready, just waiting to be planted.
"By autumn," Wang Yan calculated, "These two thousand mu of land can yield another 400,000 jin of rice."
Thinking of this number, everyone was full of energy. Although harvesting was tiring, everyone felt particularly at ease—with food, there was no need to panic.
Looking back, the tribe's food mainly came from hunting and gathering, completely dependent on the weather. The jungles outside were dense, with many venomous snakes and wild beasts, making hunting very unsafe.
Things are different now. As long as we take good care of the fields, vegetable gardens, and livestock near the tribe, and go fishing nearby, we can meet the needs of the entire tribe, and there will even be a surplus of food.
"I never dared to dream of such a life before," an old man said with emotion. "We worried about food every day, and winter was especially hard to endure. Now, things are much better; we no longer have to worry about going hungry."
As evening fell, the villagers, having finished their harvest, carried their farm tools back home. Though tired, everyone wore a smile. Wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, the aroma of food wafted through the air, and children played in the open space—everything seemed so peaceful and serene.
Standing on the edge of the field, Wang Yan looked at the Fengshou harvest and felt a great sense of accomplishment. From a small tribe that once struggled to find food to a large, self-sufficient tribe today, all these changes filled him with immense satisfaction.
Tomorrow, a new day of work will begin. But for everyone in the Fire Tribe, this busyness is a source of happiness. Because they know that every bit of their effort is making the tribe better and their own lives more stable.