I thrived in the primitive tribe

After sharing the food made from earthenware pots yesterday, everyone's enthusiasm for making pottery soared. Originally, Lu Yao had planned to teach everyone to read after the meal, but seeing everyone enthusiastically discussing the uses of pottery, the chief discussed it with the shaman Lu Yao and felt that the matter of learning to read should be postponed, since whether or not one could read was not of much use to the tribe at present.

After careful consideration, the three concluded that they would wait until winter came, when they were no longer busy struggling for survival and had more free time, before learning literacy from Lu Yao.

Later, Lu Yao shared her ideas with the two of them regarding pottery making.

"I fired pottery on the open ground before because it was my first time making it and I wanted to see if I could succeed. I didn't expect to achieve such good results on my first attempt."

However, if we're going to make these often in the future, we can't do it like we did today. Each time we make them, we need to designate a safe area, and after they're finished, we need to keep an eye on them, otherwise, something might go wrong.

"What kind of mishap could happen?"

"Like burning firewood being blown away by the wind and causing a fire, or children in the tribe accidentally getting burned, these are all potential hazards. So, the way I'm doing it today requires someone to keep an eye on things. Also, after it's made, the ashes must be disposed of promptly. We can't just leave them there, or the whole tribe will be filled with dust."

"You mean this method of making pottery isn't suitable for use in the tribe? What should we do then? Should we just stop making it? As things stand, pottery is still very useful to us."

"Don't say anything. Since Lu Yao has said that, she must have thought of a solution." The high shaman glanced at the chief. The two looked at Lu Yao, waiting for her to continue.

“My idea is that we build a pottery kiln specifically for firing pottery, so that we can specialize in one thing and not have to go through all this trouble every time.”

"What's the difference between this and now?"

"Speak less and listen more."

The chieftain was rebuked by the great shaman again.

“A complete pottery kiln typically consists of three parts: the combustion section, the firing section, and the smoke exhaust section. The combustion section mainly includes the fire door and the firebox; the firing section includes the kiln door, the kiln chamber, and the kiln bed; and the smoke exhaust section includes the smoke inlet, the flue or smoke chamber, and the chimney.”

"How is the pottery kiln made?" the high shaman asked in confusion. The chief looked at the high shaman who had asked the question.

"Aren't you asking a question too?"

The high shaman ignored the chieftain's soft melody.

"First, we need to choose an open, flat, and sheltered place to build the pottery kiln. It also needs to have good drainage to ensure that there is enough space around the kiln for the kiln workers to operate and for storing fuel."

Next comes the material preparation for building the pottery kiln. Sufficient stones need to be collected as the primary building material. The stones should possess sufficient hardness and fire resistance to ensure the kiln's sturdiness and durability. Additionally, auxiliary materials such as sand and cement are needed to fill gaps and reinforce the structure.

After the preparations are completed, the layout and size of the pottery kiln are designed according to actual needs and the size of the stones.

Then comes construction. Stones are used to build the kiln bottom, ensuring it is flat and sturdy. A layer of sand or gravel can be laid on the kiln bottom to increase its fire resistance and stability.

After the kiln base is completed, the kiln walls are built using stones, taking care to ensure that the stones are flat and vertical.

It is important to construct flues below the kiln wall to discharge the flue gas produced during combustion. The number and location of the flues should be determined based on the size and shape of the kiln to ensure smooth exhaust of the flue gas. Use stone blocks to construct the flues to ensure their sturdiness and durability.

During the masonry process, sand or clay can be used as a binder to ensure a firm connection between the stones.

Ventilation openings should also be made above the kiln roof or walls to regulate ventilation within the kiln. The size and location of the ventilation openings should be determined based on actual needs to ensure oxygen supply and temperature control within the kiln. A framework around the ventilation openings should be constructed using stones and then filled and reinforced with sand.

The next step is to build the combustion chamber and set up the fuel storage area...

As the two listened to Lu Yao's description and watched her intently pondering the matter, they exchanged bewildered glances and laughed at each other. Hearing their laughter, Lu Yao looked up, unsure of what to do.

"What's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

Lu Yao asked the two of them, but in her heart she was thinking something else entirely.

"That shouldn't be the case. I feel like what I said was correct. Could they have a better solution?"

Faced with Lu Yao's questioning gaze, the two said embarrassedly.

“We don’t understand what you’re saying. Why don’t I just send someone to you and you can do it your way? We can’t remember what you’re saying to us.

"It seems I was overthinking it. With the current level of development, no one should be building pottery kilns yet. So it's not a bad idea to build them while handling related matters according to the actual situation," Lu Yao thought to herself.

"That's okay too."

"When do you plan to start?" the high shaman asked.

"Chief, let's have someone collect the necessary building materials tomorrow. Once we've collected enough, I'll start instructing everyone on how to build the pottery kiln."

"Okay, so what are you planning to do tomorrow?"

“The rattan we dried should be almost done. I’m going to work with Feng Nan to develop rattan clothing.”

Later, the group discussed the location for building the pottery kiln. Lu Yao wanted it to be built around the tribe, but the other two wanted it to be built inside the tribe for easier protection and to avoid attacks from wild animals.

In the end, Lu Yao was persuaded, and the location was set at the spot where Lu Yao fires pottery today.