The river wasn't deep, even those who couldn't swim could participate in the excavation.
Lynn was only concerned that Red might get swept away by the river.
As Red stood up repeatedly to gasp for air, he placed piece after piece of clay into the basket resting at the riverbed.
Half an hour passed.
A basket filled with clay chunks was pushed to the shore by Red.
Lynn took a glance.
[Clay]: Fine texture, strong adhesion, high plasticity, can be used for construction, firing ceramic products, etc.
Nearby, Kuisi quickly picked up and moved aside, handing another basket filled with a few stones forward.
Red took several deep breaths and dove back into the river.
The weight of the clay far exceeded that of decayed soil.
While both baskets weighed the same, after removing the stones at the bottom, it was still at least fifty to sixty pounds.
With the vine rope tied around a wooden stake of a tree, Kuisi lifted the basket and headed towards the slope.
Watching Kuisi's somewhat difficult and slow strides.
Lynn lent a hand, and the two carried it to the slope where branches and sticks were piled.
This clearing was at a certain distance from both the wooden house and the forest.
There was no worry about setting the entire forest or wooden house ablaze.
Pouring the clay onto the ground, allowing Kuisi to continue transporting, Lynn crouched down to start building a charcoal kiln.
Constructing the earthen kiln charcoal kiln, only fragmented memories lingered in Lynn's mind.
Kiln cave, flue...
However, this posed no difficulty for Lynn...
He picked up the cross pickaxe and began digging vigorously.
After Kuisi transported twice, a circular earthen kiln cave, one meter deep and two meters in diameter, was dug out by him.
[Construction Experience +1]
[Construction Experience +1]
Once he got into the groove, knowledge started flooding in.
A confident smile spread across Lynn's face.
After digging the kiln cave, he continued to excavate the earthen kiln's flue, meant for releasing the smoke formed when burning in the kiln cave.
To prevent the flue from collapsing due to the heat of the smoke, Lynn crafted a stone-clay flue using clay and stones!
With the cross pickaxe in hand, Lynn dug out a not-too-deep but not-too-shallow water channel in the middle of the kiln cave.
Moist branches would seep resin under the flame's heat, requiring the water channel to guide it away.
Gripping the cross pickaxe tightly, Lynn continued excavating the fire port.
This was the most crucial step in firing charcoal using an earthen kiln.
The reason Lynn chose the location of the earthen kiln on the slope was because the flame burns upward, meaning the fire port must be lower than the kiln cave.
The slope naturally offered an advantage.
When Lynn used branches to connect the fire port and the kiln cave.
Red and Kuisi, dressed in their cloaks, carried the final basket of clay and arrived beside Lynn.
Watching Master Lynn busy in the earthen pit, Red spoke up, "Master Lynn, we've dug out six baskets of clay already."
Lynn glanced at the two and said, "You arrived just in time; the charcoal kiln is all built."
"Next, we just need to stand these branches upright neatly inside the kiln cave, then use a heap of weeds and clay to build a kiln shed to cover the opening, and fire it from this fire port!"
Looking at the rather odd shape of the earthen pits on the slope, Kuisi and Red couldn't help but exchange glances.
Without any hesitation, they started following Lynn's instructions.
After placing over two hundred pounds of arm-thick branches, the entire kiln cave was crammed full.
It even piled up the branches higher than the ground, forming a mound.
After Lynn's confirmation, Kuisi and Red started sealing the mouth.
Grass was padded atop the timber laid over the kiln cave, though all the grass was damp, it would eventually turn to ash under the flame's roasting.
The grass padding aptly provided support for the clay.
Kuisi and Red continually poured clay onto the grass, smoothing it with their hands.
Layer upon layer of mixed soil was poured into it, and Lynn instructed them to stand on the mound.
By moving about, they made the charcoal kiln's seal tighter.
By noon.
Kuisi and Red finally completed their work.
The entire kiln cave was completely sealed.
Kuisi jogged back to the wooden house, bringing a few pieces of red charcoal, and started a fire in front of the charcoal kiln's fire port.
Smoke rose, and the flame lit up.
Kuisi expertly began adding finer twigs, branches, as well as some dry firewood.
Billows of thick smoke continuously spewed forth from the charcoal kiln's flue.
Ensuring it wouldn't extinguish, Kuisi looked towards Lynn, asking, "Master Lynn, is this how we can produce charcoal?"
Lynn nodded, "Keep the fire burning continuously for three hours, and then we can seal the kiln."
With the fired branches weighing over two hundred pounds, a maximum yield would produce about one hundred and fifty pounds of charcoal.
Then, using the one hundred and fifty pounds of charcoal, some ceramic cooking and dining products can be fired.
Lynn continued, "One person can stay here to continue burning, and the other can follow me to build the second earthen kiln."
Kuisi nodded knowingly.
During the charcoal-burning process, another earthen kiln for firing ceramic products could be built.
This too required the use of clay.
Lynn and Red walked to the other side of the slope, to a mound several meters away from the charcoal kiln.
Lynn said, "For the most part, it's similar to the earthen kiln you just saw. Excavate a circular shape that's one meter deep and one and a half meters in diameter."
Without hesitation, Red replied, "Alright, Master Lynn."
Raising the iron hoe, Red vigorously began digging.
One hoe after another struck, and as he pushed forward, chunks of clay were turned up.
The outline of a square loam pit gradually emerged.
Generally speaking, building an earthen kiln to fire cooking and dining ceramic products doesn't require it to be this large.
But Lynn thought to himself, since they had started firing, why not fire all needed ceramic products?
Pottery pot, pottery jar, pottery bowl, pottery plate, etc.
An hour later.
A square kiln cave one meter deep and one and a half meters in diameter appeared.
Lynn instructed Red to evenly lay the gathered stones at the base of the kiln cave.
This, to increase kiln cave stability.
Next was constructing the main structure of the kiln cave.
Mixing clay with stones, first building an ash layer at the bottom, then building a charcoal combustion layer on the ash layer.
Finally, construct a kiln chamber and chimney.
A complete earthen kiln for firing ceramic products was assembled.
Once the desired ceramic products are molded, dried of moisture, and loaded into the kiln, they can be fired by sealing the top!
Looking at the earthen kiln before him, Lynn nodded contentedly...
The charcoal kiln's time had also reached three hours.
Lynn picked up two prepared cubical clay blocks, covering the charcoal kiln's fire port and flue port.
Now was the time to wait for the wood's incomplete combustion.
Lynn called Kuisi over, "Take a look at some ceramic cooking products needed, and meanwhile, fetch Lex, and check what his brewing workshop needs fired."
Seeing the completed earthen kiln, Kuisi's eyes lit up.
Being someone frequently involved in cooking and kitchen work, she highly needed tableware and utensils!
Kuisi responded, "Yes, Master Lynn."
Immediately, she quickly ran towards the nearby brewing workshop.
In less than half a minute, Kuisi and Lex returned.
Lex, who had been selecting barley, was greatly shocked to see the charcoal kiln and earthen kiln.
Lex said, "Master Lynn, I indeed need a soaking trough, I had originally considered using wood... but if there's a ceramic one, it would be even better!"
Lynn nodded, "Sure, then craft it with clay, and once the charcoal from tomorrow's firing is ready, we'll fire it together."
[Production Experience +1]
As night fell.
The four of Lynn finally returned to the wooden house from the clay pile.
On the clearing.
Rows of simple ceramic products were resting in the air...