The morning air was still quite damp, and the late autumn cold grew increasingly intense. In such weather, Minh Vu had no appetite for food; what he needed was a hot cup of tea. Yet, hot tea required hot water, and thankfully, he had that at his disposal.
Without receiving breakfast from Vu, he went to the kiln, using his hand to feel the temperature on its surface.
The temperature outside the kiln was warm, around 35-40 degrees, and it was likely much higher inside, around 50-60 degrees. If he were to open the kiln at this time, all the pottery inside would shatter due to the thermal shock.
His heart raced a bit, but he had to suppress it. Minh Vu went to a water source for personal hygiene and then joined Vu to eat some grilled fish that were placed next to the fireplace.
He observed the entire tribe working diligently, and the burden on Minh Vu's shoulders became increasingly apparent.
After chatting with Vu for a while, he, along with Ivan, Blu, Kor, Alcan, and Akum, continued their tasks from the previous day. Regardless of the potential success or failure, they had to continue because it affected the Stone Tribe.
This time, the items created by everyone were numerous and diverse, including large pots, ladles, bowls, cups, large spoons, small spoons, totaling over a hundred pieces.
By late afternoon, with everyone's help, everything was gathered near the cave. Five more kilns were built to ensure a sufficient supply of pottery.
Under the concentrated gaze of the entire Stone Tribe, Minh Vu began the kiln firing as he did the day before.
Minh Vu was quite nervous at this moment.
Although he knew the likelihood of failure was high, he was still hopeful.
The outdoor temperature was only about 15 degrees, and the inner temperature was likely a bit higher.
The temperature difference was not too significant.
Focusing on the kiln door, Minh Vu opened it, and the items inside were revealed under the roaring flames.
Inside the kiln were brightly colored pottery items. Minh Vu's hands couldn't help but tremble.
He gently lifted the top item, a small pot about 15 cm wide.
At first glance, the pottery looked smooth without any flaws.
He tapped his finger on the pot, and it emitted a deep sound.
Indeed, it is truly primitive.
In the early days, everything was believed to be bestowed by the spirits, and even natural phenomena were considered as punishments or blessings from the divine.
Minh Vũ had no words to dispute this.
Ignoring the groans, Minh Vũ used a small knife to check if the potatoes were cooked.
This type of tuber was quite challenging to cook; he silently thought that he had to wait for about 10 more minutes for them to be fully cooked.
Seeing Minh Vũ's actions, the tribal people did not bow their heads or look sideways, fearing divine punishment. Indeed, nothing happened.
They only saw their leader focusing on that thing that angered the spirits.
In a short while, the potatoes were cooked, and the fragrance filled the cave.
The hungry stomachs could no longer hold back their growls.
"Orc, come here! Eat something delicious!" Minh Vũ laughed, a smile full of mystery.
Orc, with his huge build and gluttonous nature, was a bit foolish but very honest.
He eagerly followed the leader's command, willing to live or die for food.
Minh Vũ put the cooked potatoes into a small bowl, then poured some of the starchy broth inside, rich with the essence of the tubers. It would be a waste to discard it.
Orc received the bowl from the leader's hand, his eyes shining as he stared at the promised delicacy.
Smelling the enticing aroma, he couldn't resist and immediately emptied the contents into his mouth.
A warm sensation spread down his throat to his stomach, an indescribable and delightful feeling he had never experienced before.
It was enchanting and beyond words.
He seemed to freeze for a moment, then shouted loudly,
"Delicious! So delicious! Leader, more! I want more!"
"Orc, sit down!" Klu yelled.
Normally, Orc would be afraid of Klu's scolding, but not at this moment.
His eyes sparkled, staring at Minh Vũ like a little cat asking for more food.
Minh Vũ chuckled, then gave Orc another cooked potato.
Orc was overjoyed, then glanced at Klu with a taunting expression, as if saying, "From now on, I'll only listen to the leader! The leader has delicious food, you don't!"
Internally, he relaxed a bit.
"It seems successful. Next time, I need to make the clay a bit thinner to make the items smoother," Minh Vu thought to himself.
He successively took out all the items from the kiln.
There were a total of 20 finished items, with 16 intact and 4 damaged, all of which were the ones he made because the clay pots were too large.
Furthermore, to press the bottom caused the firing temperature to be too high, leading to cracks.
Nevertheless, it was okay. This time, he gained experience, and it was best to place large items in the middle of the kiln.
For thicker items, they should be placed at the bottom, making the process much more efficient.
Moreover, they could adjust the firing time, finishing half an hour earlier.
All the Stone Tribe members looked intently at the finished pottery items that Minh Vu had placed on the ground.
"Vu! How is it? Success?" Vu was the first to speak, and his mood was no less excited than Minh Vu's.
"Good! Successful! Let's go back and celebrate!" Minh Vu smiled brightly.
Afterward, he assigned tribe members to put the pottery items into the kiln for the next firing.
Returning to the cave, 16 pottery items were spread out on the ground. Vu and everyone looked at them with puzzled eyes.
"What is this? Stone basin?" Vu said.
"Yes, but not a stone basin. This is a pot, and this is a cup, a ladle..." Minh Vu continuously pointed to the items on the ground, and the tribe members followed his pronunciation.
"Orc! Fetch water!" Minh Vu ordered Orc.
"Quickly go, and today you will have a delicious meal," Minh Vu tantalized without any prior arrangement.
Then he took out the largest pot, using three stones as a stove.
After everything was prepared, Orc eagerly brought back water, his eyes shining in anticipation of a good meal.
Minh Vu didn't bother to remember the glutton's name and poured water into the pot, starting to boil it.
Under the surprised eyes of the entire tribe, Minh Vu then took out the Stone Beads wrapped in animal hide.
He used a bone knife to peel off the tough outer shell, revealing the soft, starchy inner part.
Having examined it beforehand, Minh Vu knew that Stone Beads had a very high starch content. When baked, they had a sweet taste, with a chewy and enjoyable texture. That's why he chose Stone Beads as the experimental subject.
Seeing their leader doing so, the tribe members found it perplexing.
Akam couldn't help but remind him.
"Don't eat it right away! Itchy! Eating will cause stomachache!"
"No problem! Follow me!" Minh Vu smiled.
With the help of the tribe members, nearly 30 Stone Beads were peeled and placed in the pot.
Under the expectant gaze of the tribe members, their eyes fixed on the small pot, they forgot about hunger, their bright eyes never leaving it.
After about 20 minutes, the final moment arrived.
The water in the pot began to boil, with bubbles rising.
A mystical scene unfolded, first with Vu and then with the entire Stone Tribe members continuously kneeling down and bowing their heads.
"The spirits are angry! The spirits are angry! Quickly bow your heads!"