Minh Vũ then took three stones and a little broth, putting them in a bowl before handing it to Vu.
Vu's hands trembled as he held the bowl, his eyes shining as he observed. He took a deep breath, feeling the warmth and aroma intertwining.
Similar to Orc, Vu devoured the food in one gulp. A warm sensation spread through his body, and his eyes widened.
"Delicious! So delicious! Is this the food of the spirits? Vu asked.
Minh Vũ's face darkened slightly, but he still nodded.
Immediately, Vu played the ritual, prohibiting everyone from eating directly and requiring them to use the clay pot for their own ritual before indulging.
Minh Vũ didn't mind; he let Vu handle it. It was a cultural norm, and it was challenging to change it in just a day or two.
While Vu performed the ritual, Minh Vũ had three large pots and four small ones left.
He began preparing dinner for everyone.
Orc once again volunteered to fetch water, while others assisted Minh Vũ in peeling the stone shells, some were responsible for grinding the small Stones.
Seeing a considerable amount of starch in the stones, Minh Vũ realized that these stones could be used to make porridge.
This way, they could maximize the potential of this resource.
About an hour later, the entire Stone Tribe had finished dinner. People were eager, both hungry and anticipating the divine food.
Due to the limited number of bowls, they had to take turns eating, each person having their own bowl, accompanied by dried fish.
It was a unique and delightful taste they had never experienced before.
Until now, they had only eaten two types of food: grilled and raw.
Young men could still eat well, but elders like Vu, Blu, and Xin had almost lost their teeth. Each meal seemed like torture for them.
After the satisfying meal, Minh Vũ asked Blu and Xin to light the pottery kiln.
At this point, they realized the significant role those objects played, and everyone worked diligently without any objections.
With the experience from the previous day, the kiln-burning process went smoothly.
Blu and Xin took turns watching over the kiln.
Everyone else returned to the cave to sleep.
For Minh Vũ, it was indeed an exhausting day. He quickly sank into a deep sleep.
Nothing eventful happened during the night.
From the early morning before the sun rose, the Stone Tribe woke up.
They no longer rushed to catch fish as they did the previous day. Instead, they gathered to peel the stone shells and cook porridge together.
When Minh Vũ woke up, everyone had already eaten their fill, leaving him with a large bowl.
"It seems my tribe is quite fond of eating!" Minh Vũ thought to himself.
Vu did not go outside at this time but watched Minh Vũ attentively.
"Vu! Wake up! What should our tribe do today? Everyone is waiting for your instructions!" Minh Vũ asked.
"Klu is outside by the stream catching fish. He's been very enthusiastic these days. Also, there are wolves with sharp fangs these days, so going into the forest is dangerous!" Vu explained.
"We've caught a lot of fish these days, and the storage is running out!" Vu said.
Hearing Vu's words, Minh Vũ glanced at the storage area, and indeed, it was quite full.
Every basket was filled with stones and dried fish. At the current extraction rate, the storage would be full in the next 2-3 days.
The cave was relatively small, and accommodating 70 tribe members was a challenge.
The decision to build houses outside had been made, but currently, there wasn't enough manpower for that.
During this phase, they didn't have time for that task, so renovating the storage was the best immediate solution.
The storage was a large stone cavity about 3m long, 2m wide, and 2m high, with a total volume of about 12m³. However, due to the chaotic arrangement of items, it was messy.
Currently, everyone in the tribe had their tasks, with only Vu and Minh Vũ available.
So, Minh Vũ sighed and started cleaning up the storage.
First, he cleaned the area around the storage, then began sorting items.
There were various things inside, mostly dried fish and stones, along with animal hides, some dried fruits, and even stones.
Once he removed everything, he cleaned the interior of the storage once again.
He used animal hides to line the bottom, then divided the storage into two compartments: one for stones and one for dried fish.
This time, the items were not placed in baskets anymore but were spread out in the storage area.
Because of the compartmentalization, there was no worry about mixing them up.
Other items were left outside the baskets.
It took almost the entire afternoon to organize the messy storage, and it solved a considerable amount of space issues.
While cleaning, Minh Vũ found many things that made him ecstatic.
As he cleared the area, Minh Vũ discovered a bag made of animal hide. Inside were small fruits, only the size of half a fingertip.
Although dried, their colors were vibrant and pleasing.
These were the special ingredients that enhanced the flavor of grilled dishes - chili peppers, something Minh Vũ had been searching for for a long time.
Although there were over 20 pieces in the bag, he could take the seeds and plant them for the next season, ensuring a variety of delicious flavors for the tribe.
Preparing for winter was progressing smoothly.
They had food, pots, and the two most critical issues were seemingly resolved.
However, winter wasn't just about those; nobody knew what might happen, so the most reliable way was to be prepared.
Currently, four new issues had arisen.
First was salt - the best solution was to find a salt mine or salt deposits.
Second was the issue of warmth. Looking at the Stone Tribe, there was a severe shortage of animal hides.
According to Vu, after the first snowfall, they would use food to exchange for animal hides.
However, Minh Vũ found this method impractical, so he considered alternative materials.
The third issue was about mobility in the snow.
During winter, the extremities, especially hands, were vulnerable to injury due to frostbite. It was unavoidable when exposed to snow for an extended period.
Mild frostbite caused inconvenience, while severe cases could lead to tissue damage and the loss of body parts.
The fourth and most critical issue was the safety of the tribe during winter.
In the harsh winter, food would be scarce, and wild animals would become more aggressive and abnormal.
Wolves, in particular, would be willing to attack any living creature if it meant getting food.
However, what was even more terrifying was the interaction with other tribes.
Larger tribes would often raid smaller ones during the winter if they ran out of food.
This was highly likely to happen this winter.
Due to the prolonged dry season, the reserve food supply would be very limited, and the winter was expected to be lengthy.