The young patriarch of the iron-buff tribe, xiong, asks the old patriarch about his health. The old patriarch tells him that his father has sent him to check on the health of the steward, who has come to discuss business with him. The steward tells the patriarch that the mine has a good harvest and that there is enough money to pay the tax. The patriarch tells the steward that he hopes the steward will say some good words about the tribe. . the master of the tribe has always held them in high regard and someone has asked to see him, the steward says. He says he hopes he is not there to trade cash, and the patriarch says he is here to pay his taxes. He asks the steward if he thinks it is time to pay interest on the loan he made to the tribe last year, and he says he does not think it is unreasonable to ask for such a sum. He adds that the tribe took livestock as repayment, and that they need to feed the livestock. The interest is reasonable, he says, since the tribe is the last to pay their taxes, and since they have the surplus crystals, they do not need to worry.