Chapter 12 Market Preparation
After the construction of the walls and houses got underway, Lin Chen's thoughts began to turn to the world outside the tribe. He had heard from Canglan and Hongyan that in the middle of each warm season, the tribes would hold a large market in neutral territory to exchange goods, information, and arrange marriages.
"The market will start in half a month." One evening, Canglan told Lin Chen, "The Silver Moon Tribe usually brings animal skins, dried meat, and herbs in exchange for flint, ornaments, and the occasional metal tool."
Lin Chen's eyes lit up: "Our salt and pottery should be able to be exchanged for more good things!"
Hong Yan was a little worried: "Salt and pottery are now important advantages of our tribe. If other tribes learn how to make them..."
"I've thought about this." Lin Chen was already prepared. "We can bring ordinary pottery, not the most exquisite ones. The salt can also be mixed with a little impurity to make it difficult to distinguish the specific source. The important thing is to exchange for the items we urgently need."
Elder Shi Yan agreed with this idea: "The Silver Moon Tribe needs to strengthen its connection with the outside world and cannot remain isolated forever. The market is a good opportunity."
Thus, preparations for the market officially began, with Lin Chen in charge of guiding everyone in making pottery and salt for trading.
He designed several types of pottery specifically for the market: slightly smaller than everyday pottery but intricately decorated, with the wolf totem of the Silver Moon Tribe carved on the surface. These pottery are practical and beautiful, but the key production techniques—such as the clay formula and firing temperature control—are retained.
"Why are the glazes on these pottery jars so smooth?" Yunshan asked curiously, running his fingers over the surface of a finished pitcher.
Lin Chen smiled: "This is a little secret. It's good enough that other tribes will envy it but find it hard to imitate."
Canglan personally oversees the salt production team. They select high-quality rock salt, dissolve it, filter it, and recrystallize it into white, delicate salt blocks. However, they deliberately omit the final purification step, leaving the salt blocks slightly contaminated, making it difficult to trace their specific mineral source.
"These salts look better than what we exchanged with the big tribes," Hong Yan commented, carefully placing the salt blocks into a special rattan basket lined with moisture-proof animal skins.
Berry prepared a batch of herbs and ointments: "There are always injured or sick people in the market, and good medicine is always welcome."
Seven days before departure, Lin Chen began preparing the necessary items for the trip. He designed a backpack that was more energy-efficient than carrying a hand-carried animal hide bag; he crafted a portable tent from lightweight wood and animal hides; and he also prepared sufficient dry food and drinking water treatment equipment.
Canglan watched Lin Chen busy at work, his eyes full of admiration: "You always find ways to make life more convenient."
"Long journeys require thorough preparation." Lin Chen said as he checked the strength of the backpack straps. "How many days will it take to get to the market from here?"
"About five days at normal speed," Canglan replied, "but with cargo, it might take six or seven days. There will be several fixed camps along the way, rest stops formed by generations of tribes traveling back and forth."
Lin Chen wrote down this information and prepared some extra camp supplies: foldable cooking utensils, waterproof fire boxes, and even a simple water filter.
Three days before departure, Lin Chen presided over a pre-trip meeting to finalize the team composition: Canglan would lead, Hong Yan would serve as deputy, Lin Chen would handle trade negotiations, and eight strong orcs would be assigned to escort and carry the cargo. Meiguo had originally wanted to accompany the group to provide medical support, but ultimately decided to stay behind to care for the elderly and children in the tribe.
"It's a pity I can't go with you." Yunshan pouted, "I really want to see what the market looks like."
Lin Chen touched her head and said, "I'll definitely take you there next time. This time, let's explore the way first."
What surprised Lin Chen the most was that the tribal members spontaneously prepared farewell gifts for them: the old orc Qingye sewed extra animal skin socks to prevent their feet from getting hurt during long-distance walking; the Chenlu sisters wove more comfortable straw sandals; Liefeng contributed his best hunting dagger; and even the members of the Liuhe tribe took out their treasured navigation tool - a weather vane made of animal bones and feathers.
"This is very useful for finding your way in unfamiliar territory." Hong Yan demonstrated how to use it. "The Liuhe tribe relies on it to avoid getting lost when migrating along the river."
The night before departure, Canglan came to Lin Chen's cave and asked, "Are you nervous?"
"A little bit." Lin Chen admitted, "Although I'm well prepared, I'm going to a completely unfamiliar place after all."
Canglan sat down and said in a gentle voice, "I will always be by your side. Although the market is bustling, you still need to be careful. Some people from large tribes look down on small tribes and may cause trouble."
Lin Chen nodded: "I understand. We should keep a low profile and focus on the exchange so as not to cause any trouble."
Moonlight streamed in from the cave entrance, casting a silver glow over the two of them. Canglan was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "The market is also a place to find a partner. Many single men and women meet there..."
Lin Chen turned to look at him and found that Canglan's silver-gray eyes were particularly bright in the moonlight.
"Are you worried that I'll be kidnapped at the market?" Lin Chen asked half-jokingly.
Canglan's ears turned slightly red, but he did not deny it: "You are so special, you will definitely attract a lot of attention."
Lin Chen felt a little warm in his heart, and said softly: "I am just going to trade, I have no other thoughts."
The next morning, it was time to set off. The ten-man team, carrying their bags and exchanged goods, set off on their journey amidst the farewells of the entire tribe.
Elder Shiyan held a brief blessing ceremony, praying for a safe journey. Meiguo finally checked everyone's medical kits, making sure they had enough hemostatic herbs and fever-reducing ointments.
"Remember," Elder Shi Yan warned, "the honor of the Silver Moon Tribe is in your hands. Trade fairly and interact peacefully."
The team slowly walked out of the newly built wall gate and headed southeast along the familiar path of Canglan. Lin Chen looked back and saw the sisters Yunshan and Chenlu still waving, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.
The path was relatively flat at the beginning, with Canglan and Hongyan taking turns leading the group. Lin Chen noticed that they had a unique rhythm when walking, neither too fast to consume energy nor too slow to delay the journey.
At noon, the team rested by a stream. They shared their rations and used the water filter designed by Lin Chen to boil water, adding a little salt and dried meat to make a simple broth.
"Before, during breaks during the march, we could only eat hard, dried meat and drink raw water," an orc warrior said with emotion. "Now we have hot soup to drink. It's such a blessing."
Lin Chen smiled as he distributed the soup: "Small improvements can greatly improve the quality of life."
After lunch, they continued on their journey. Canglan deliberately slowed down his pace and walked alongside Lin Chen, pointing out the plants and terrain features along the way.
"Look at the mark carved on the tree over there," Canglan pointed to an inconspicuous mark, "It's a common signpost used among tribes, indicating that there is a water source nearby."
Lin Chen carefully wrote down these survival knowledge and felt this strange yet familiar world.
In the evening, the team arrived at the first designated campsite - a natural cave with simple facilities left by predecessors: stone stoves, hay beds and even some leftover firewood.
The orcs divided the work among themselves: gathering fresh firewood, checking the camp's safety, and preparing dinner. Lin Chen guided everyone in setting up their portable tents in preparation for the night's rest.
While sharing dinner around the campfire, Hong Yan recounted his experiences at the market in previous years: "The largest tribe is the Sun Tribe. They master metal smelting technology, but they are arrogant. The friendliest are the Mountain Tribe, who excel at weaving and carpentry..."
Lin Chen listened intently, committing this information to memory. As night fell, the sound of wolves howling could be heard in the distance. Canglan naturally transformed back into wolf form, patrolled the camp, and then returned.
"There are no threats nearby," he reported, transforming back into human form. "Everyone can rest assured."
Lin Chen lay on the portable bed he designed, covered with a warm animal hide blanket, gazing at the starry sky outside the cave. This was his first time leaving the territory of the Silver Moon Tribe and embarking on a true journey into another world.
Canglan came to his side quietly: "Can't sleep?"
"I'm a little excited, but also a little nervous," Lin Chen admitted. "This world is even more vast than I imagined."
Canglan was silent for a moment, then said softly, "No matter how vast the world is, the Silver Moon Tribe will always be your home."
These words were particularly warm in the night. Lin Chen smiled and closed his eyes, feeling inexplicably at ease in this unfamiliar environment.
Tomorrow, the journey will continue, and the market and new adventures are waiting ahead. Carrying the hopes and expectations of the Silvermoon Tribe, this team is moving step by step towards a wider world.
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