Chapter 014 Groping for how to burn the pottery

It is more difficult for nomads than farming nations to live in groups, to give birth to villages, cities, national systems, and to develop civilized culture. The main reason is that nomads need dozens or even a hundred times more land to feed the same population as farming nations.　　

If the population cannot live in a compact community, and there is no way to talk about any civilization.　　

And are nomads unable to transform into farming nations?

All the efforts Xiao Yun has to do is to bring the snow werewolves to live in groups, to develop urban civilization and even national civilization. Then use the building to improve the snow werewolf's ability to survive the winter and make the snow fall subconsciously in advance. After the werewolves get used to settling down, the next thing to do is to increase the productivity of the snow werewolf as much as possible, or to improve the snow werewolf's ability to transform nature.

Farming has to wait for the next spring, but making kilns is something that can be doing right now. With kilns that can produce qualified pottery, brick-burning is no longer just empty talk, bricks can be burned, and hope can be seen when cement is burnt. Once it's burned out, will ironmaking still be the moon in the mirror?

Well, ideals are full, reality is very poor...well, Xiao Yun squatted on the ground with a branch as a pen to draw, but he stared for a long time and didn't know where to start.　　

"Hey, I haven't seen a kiln in reality, but I have seen it on TV... The brick kiln made by the Australian brother looks similar to a Western primitive baking oven, can that stuff work?"

Xiao Yun's face was white, and he held his head with both hands to think.

"Wait, when it comes to the principle of ovens and kiln, they all use concentrated heat to heat the things inside... Well, there seems to be a flue technology. Is it the same principle as the heatable bed? Anyway, use the heat as much as possible, prevent cold air from entering, and make the temperature inside as high as possible?" 　　

"Then the question is, how does the flue in the cave house work?!" squatted still on the spot for five minutes Rear.

"Never mind, let's build a small kiln using the principle of the heatable bed." 　　

Hot air is lighter than cold air is common sense that elementary school students have learned, then apply this common sense to the kiln theory that has never been touched before, that is, there should be a temperature difference between the burning point and the pottery space that needs heat. Xiao Yun pondered this principle, and first dug a hole about 30 centimeters wide and half a meter long in the open space outside the tribe.

"Leave a downward fuel input port here, and the heat generated by burning in the pit is input into the kiln room from the other end...Well, the kiln room is built smaller first, it will probably build from here to here..."

　　 Xiao Yun took a branch and drew the lines on the ground. After drawing the design of the kiln, he stood aside and observed.

"It doesn't seem right. Combustion requires a lot of oxygen. The fuel inlet is small and the connection to the kiln is sealed. How can it keep burning without oxygen and keep the high temperature all the time?" 　　

"But it doesn't work if the ventilation is open. Too much temperature will drop...emm!"

After scratching his scalp for a long time, Xiao Yun didn't figure out how to solve this problem. He simply wanted to build an experimental kiln first and burn it to see if there were any problems before modifying it.

"...Wait!" 　

Was about to let Oxhorn move the bricks, Xiao Yun suddenly remembered-the scene of the kiln he saw on the TV, the place where the fuel was fed was indoors, not open!

"Yes, the fuel is fed indoors. Of course, opening the input port to feed the fuel will not send a lot of cold air in. Why is the indoor temperature higher than the outdoor?" 　　

The more he thought about it, the more he could sure it is. And then he felt a little bit painful... If he open a hole in the two houses in the tribe to build this experimental kiln that he doesn't know whether it will be successful, maybe the patriarch and Oxhorn will blame him...　　

"Never mind, there are a lot of mud bricks anyway, and then build a small house specially filled with fuel. Uh, the small house is warmer than the mud brick house after the kiln is fired. Maybe the snow werewolves will like to stay there."

Qingcao and Dahe went to make pottery. To build this small house, Xiao Yun had to bring Oxhorn on his own. He only required an area of about eight square meters for stacking firewood fuel, and the foundation was just one meter shallowly dug.

The very pocket-sized small house was completed in two days with the foundation and roof. The fuel replenishment room has a fuel replenishment hole under the wall on the east side and at the root of the wall in advance, and Xiao Yun dug out a pit outside the house correspondingly for this replenishment hole, and using mud bricks to seal the top of the burning pit and flow out the oblique upward hot air flow channel, and then build a grave-packed kiln...no, earth-packed kiln. oK, it will be finished at all!

The one-person-high kiln is made of mud bricks and marsh silt version of soil cement.The thickness is about two mud bricks placed vertically. The smoke outlet is designed by Xiao Yun scratching his scalp: the smoke outlet in the kiln is open In the lower part, along the interlayer that took a lot of effort in the interlayer of the kiln dwelling wall, the smoke is led to the upper part and discharged from the chimney above. Xiao Yun hoped that this design would try to prevent cold air from entering the kiln during the process of exhausting smoke. As to whether it is effective... it depends on actual practice.

The opening for sending and taking out the pottery was in the lower abdomen of the kiln. In order to make this opening, Xiao Yun persuaded the patriarch to let all the tribe, including the warriors on patrol and hunting, and the grazing grazing men, help, and retrieve a square slab of unequal sides... Use this stone slab to block the opening during the burning of the kiln, seal it with mud, and then dig the mud seal when the kiln is opened.

The kiln project consisting of the firewood room (fuel replenishment room), the combustion pit and the kiln dwelling took five days. During this period, Xiao Yun consumed more physical energy than building a mud-brick house...what he didn't understand groping things is indeed a toss, no wonder investors frown when they mention R&D funds in any field.

During this period, the tribesmen began to move to the tribe for the cattle and sheep to spend the winter with fodder—that is, the work that the tribesmen have been doing after the fall, harvesting fresh pastures, drying them in bundles and stacking them in the wild, and moving them back before the winter. More than 2,000 cattle and sheep grazing by werewolves rely on these fodder for the winter.

The built kiln can't be burned right away. At least it has to wait for it to dry naturally before burning it on a small fire. Xiao Yun first takes Qingcao and Dahe to play in the mud... No, it's squeezing the mud adobe.

The loess retrieved from the river is removed from the mixed gravel and finely ground into a powder, mixed with water and marsh silt, and placed for about a day, and then rubbed, trampled, and squeezed out the air in the soil. Process until the soil is soft and hard enough and has sufficient ductility; first take a piece of mud and squash it, spread it out, and stand upright at the edge to make the bottom of the pot, and then divide the other mud into small pieces and rub them into fine pieces. Go up the long strips and circle the ground, smooth the junctions and ensure a smooth one... This is the easiest way to make mud adobe without the aid of a pottery tool.

Qingcao and Dahe were particularly surprised when Xiao Yun made the masses of clay into the shape of a clay pot, and then they came up to imitate this way. Then...they are dexterous among the snow werewolves with their sharp claws on their ten fingers, still can't always get what they want, either by accidentally puncturing the mud adobe or scratching on the mud adobe...

"Use your fingertips, don't use your claws, especially when you knead the mud sticks, your claws shouldn't be too strong. Yes, that's it. Use your fingertips. This place is the fingertips."

Xiao Yun took the trouble to teach, without feeling at all. Irritability-He is still very satisfied to be able to squeeze out the green grass and Dahe. Unlike the funny Oxhorn, he always shows him an innocent face every time. It's not easy to squeeze the big guy up there. It's not hard to squeeze a water cup or pottery bowl.

Xiao Yun took the two to squeeze out a few clay pottery bowls and put them in the shade for a day before stuffing them into the place where the large stove is connected to the heatable bed test firing; Qingcao and Dahe can't believe that the mud they play can turn into practical pottery. Xiao Yun felt relieved about this. Even a pile of wood on the flat ground can burn the most primitive pottery. Relatively speaking, it has more heat. What can't be burnt inside the heated bed with better concentrated temperature... just the quality will be a little problematic.

After burning for a day and a half, take out the pottery bowl, um... put in the six pottery bowls, four out of them, and the other two don't know where the problem was either cracked or deformed. One of the four that was successfully burned was also I didn't get it right when I pinched it, and it broke when I took it with a little force.　　

But there are three pottery bowls that can be used. This is enough to make the snow werewolf happy. Qingcao and Dahe are ecstatic, and one person holds a pottery bowl and shows off in the tribe... Uh, share the joy with the people.　　

Xiao Yun took the last pottery bowl that only three succeeded, and looked around, knocked on the wall of the bowl, and sighed: "It's really not good if the temperature is not enough. The quality is really poor..."

Oxhorn looked at Xiao Yun and then looked at the bowl in his hand curiously, said: "A Yun, is there anything wrong with this pottery bowl?" 　　

"Take a look." Xiao Yun handed the pottery bowl over.　　

Oxhorn happily took the pottery bowl. Just when he held it, the wall of the bowl cracked where he pressed his fingers.　　

Oxhorn: "?!" 　　

"Look, it's watery, right." Xiao Yun said without any conscience.　　

Oxhorn... he don't know whether to be frightened or relieved.

In any case, the two pottery bowls burnt near the big stove are indeed pottery bowls. Although the quality is very weak... But the snow werewolves who have been exchanging pottery with the human caravan really burned their own pottery by themselves. The news is separated to the pasture very fast, when it reached the pasture, the patriarch personally ran back to see what the tribe's homemade pottery bowl was crushed by Oxhorn...　　

When the kiln was almost dried, Xiao Yun squatted in the firewood room (fuel replenishment room) and burned it on a small fire. After a long time, the kiln burning can officially begin.

Making pottery by himself in the tribe for the first time was a major event. The patriarch once again left his work in the pasture and ran back to participate in person. He stared at Xiao Yun eagerly, hoping that Xiao Yun would arrange work for him again; Xiao Yun scratched his scalp and told the patriarch and Oxhorn make bricks. He himself was not confident that the pottery would be successful this time, so he planned to build the bricks for the next rebuilding of the kiln.

Even if Xiao Yun is a complete kiln, he also knows that stone kilns are stronger and heat-resistant than mud (brick) kilns. The problem is that the environment on the grassland is different from his hometown, where there are mountains and stones everywhere, and Oxhorn is still refusing the cub Xiao Yun enter the primitive jungle with mountains and rocks... Xiao Yun sighed...

Put the dry mud adobe into the kiln, seal the kiln with stone slabs, paste the mud seal, Xiao Yun went into the wood fire room and started to burn-put the charcoal burnt in advance, stuffed the wood cow dung into the pit, and it burned quickly It started to burn, and the temperature in the room where Xiao Yun was located also began to rise.

"Well... the temperature seems to be a bit wasteful, gosh, It can't manage that much. The temperature loss should slow down when the room heats up." Xiao Yun turned his head and glanced at the room full of firewood and cow dung, Xiao Yun thought for a while, and went out to find people to move the extra slates that the tribe had found back before, and put the slab on the upper of the fuel hole, and the two ends of the slab were erected with mud bricks.

Firewood and cow dung are not burned like coal. Someone must add firewood at any time. After all, it is the first time to burn a kiln. Xiao Yun was worried about others. He took a piece of animal skin and sat in the room while watching the fire.

The clanmen knew that Xiao Yun was doing something very important to the tribe: burning pottery, and they tried to control himself without disturbing him. I wish I could watch the patriarchs who succeeded in burning pottery honestly build bricks by the river with the horns. Qingcao and Dahe worked hard to learn how to squeeze the mud, Fleece dared not even approach the kiln, for fear that it would affect Ayun, and Xiao Yun's side was rare and quiet.　　

It probably knew that Xiao Yun had "dropped the order" at this moment, and his uncle Ashan, who hadn't spoken to Ayun for many days, quietly returned to the tribe, silently entered the firewood room, and sat down beside Xiao Yun.

"Uncle?" Xiao Yun was surprised when he saw the people coming. Ashan was a more diligent tribal warrior than anyone else, and he had never seen him finish patrolling early.　　

Ashan looked at Xiao Yun silently, his mouth moved and closed, as if he wanted to say something but didn't know how to speak.　　

"What's the matter, uncle, what do you want to say to me?" 　　

Ashan hesitated, and saying: "Ayun, you...have you encountered anything when you left the tribe before?"

Xiao Yun was stunned. As soon as he turned his mind, he understood what Ashan meant. A layer of sweat immediately broke out on his back... Many days of busyness made him feel paralyzed about his identity and origin. As a relative of the original owner, Uncle Ashan Perhaps for a while, I couldn't think of what the change of Ayun before and after the two would mean, but it took a long time?

Snow werewolves are indeed born with crude nerves and atheists. Whether it is from the memory of the original owner or Xiao Yun's life in the tribe these days, he has never seen any signs of snow werewolves engaging in sacrificial activities like human beings. This is not Xiao Yun. Worry about the confidence that you will be set up and burnt to death-but what if the original owner's uncle thinks that he killed the original owner and robbed the original owner? Will Ashan still think that he is his nephew, unconditionally protect and bless him?

For a moment, Xiao Yun thought a lot. Before the cold sweat on his forehead came out, Xiao Yun made up his mind that... he certainly can't tell Ashan that the original owner has died. Who knows if Ashan will go crazy with grief, then the most appropriate and correct, the most secure way to protect his own personal safety... he still have to fool Ashan and don't tell him the truth.

"...Yes." Xiao Yun showed off his best performing skills and made a painful expression: "Actually...on the day I left the tribe, I could feel that I was dead."

Ashan's eyes widened at once. "I'm lying in the grass, thinking of my mother, tired, hungry, and powerless. I saw my mother beckoning at me in the sky, and I feel my soul rising in the sky, getting closer and closer... "　　

Xiao Yun showed a painful look: "But I didn't touch my mother's hand. I seemed to be sucked in by something. I felt cold all over, and there was darkness all around..."

Ashan showed a sad expression, he stretched out his hand to gently embrace Xiao Yun's shoulder, and slowly patted.　　

Thanks to Ashan who likes to sleep on the heatable bed now, he doesn't smell so bad after taking a few baths, otherwise Xiao Yun's play would really not be able to sing... At least he couldn't be so full of emotions.

"I don't know if this is a dream, uncle, I forgot about you and the people... I was born in a strange world, and I also have a mother in that world. She looks exactly like her mother... …That mother took my hand, took care of me, and taught me a lot of knowledge..."　　

"I feel very happy, that mother has been with me, just like my mother...Suddenly, the mother said to me,

Ayun, you should go back. You are not a useless person. The clansman needs you..." 　　

Xiao Yun pinched his thighs to bring out his crying, Ashan was greatly shaken, and both hands hugged him.

"I held my mother's hand and didn't want to leave her. She was very sad, but she threw my hand away..."

"When I woke up, I remembered you and the people again, but my mother was gone... "　　

Xiao Yun felt that it was time to cry bitterly, but his grief was still brewing, and the howling sound exploded in his ears.

Xiao Yun was dumbfounded, and slowly raised his head to see...Well, very good, it was indeed a snow werewolf, his emotions were not hidden, Ashan was crying like a child...　　

"Uh... my conscience seems to be a bit stabbing pain, I am really still a good person, although I was forced to tell an innocent lie and made my uncle crying, I still feel sad..." this cub thought...