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Translator: Silavin
The Sun was scorching hot, causing the leaves to curl up and lose their fresh green lustre. There was not even a hint of wind. This made anyone walking in the Tribe sweat profusely.
Su Bai took a sip of cooled water, wiping the sweat from his forehead, and sighed. “It’s too hot…”
Yu Ying fanned herself with a large leaf, softly saying, “The hotter it gets during this period, the closer we are to the rainy season.”
“En, the rainy season is indeed approaching. Time to hurry.” Su Bai solemnly said.
They would not be able to stay in this place for long. The rainy season would flood this area in no time, so they needed to quickly return to the Ancestral Land.
“In two more days, Uncle Mai Mang and the others will return from the Spotted Deer Tribe. Then the Chieftain of the Spotted Deer Tribe will come to see you, Shaman.” Yu Ying said.
“When they arrive, we can start discussing about cooperation,” Su Bai’s irritation from the hot weather somewhat dissipated.
“Shaman, have some Ocean Lily Fruit Juice. When the weather is hot, drinking something sweet and sour can improve your mood.” Yu Ying poured a full wooden cup of juice.
Su Bai took a big gulp and stood up, saying, “Let’s go do something else. We shouldn’t waste this weather.”
Yu Ying looked at the scorching sunlight penetrating through the Teepee’s door flap and mumbled. “Shaman, what can we do in such strong sunlight?”
“Glazing and firing the kiln. The last two steps in making ceramics. We can complete them today!” Su Bai smiled.
He picked up a jar of glaze from the edge of the wooden table and a soft brush he had made a couple of days ago, then stepped out of the Teepee. The soft brush was made from Ferocious Beast Fur, all evenly tied to a wooden stick.
“Shaman, wait for me.” Yu Ying followed behind with light steps, exiting the Teepee.
*Tap tap tap…* Su Bai and Yu Ying arrived at the open space behind the classroom, where several wooden poles were laid on the ground with seven or eight ceramic pieces drying on them.
These ceramic pieces were all made by Ru yesterday. They all looked quite good, mostly bowls and a few jars.
“Shaman, these were all made by Uncle Ru yesterday.” Yan Hua walked out of the classroom and said.
After a day of practice, Ru had made about a dozen ceramic pieces in one day, though only a few were actually up to standard and placed out to dry.
“Why were you inside?” Su Bai curiously asked.
Yan Hua blinked her red eyes, embarrassedly saying , “I wanted to try making ceramics.”
“Oh?” Su Bai raised an eyebrow, asking with interest, “And then?”
“I clearly remember learning it the day before yesterday, but…” Yan Hua did not continue to explain.
“What you made turned out awful, right?” Su Bai was amused by her reaction and asked, “How could you possibly know what you’ve truly learnt if you haven’t even tried to apply it?”
Yan Hua seemed certain as she stated, “I really learned very carefully at the time, I really remembered all the steps.”
The sheep horned girl’s confident look, not realising where she went wrong, was adorable.
“Haha… You need to try it with your own hands. I think it will take you many days to learn.” Su Bai heartily laughed.
“Shaman, I… I won’t need that much time. A great warrior like me can learn very quickly,” Yan Hua puffed out her chest.
“Then, great warrior, help me with the glazing.” Su Bai said, shaking his head and smiling, truly envying the girl’s innocence.
Yan Hua’s interest was drawn to this glazing process. She curiously asked, “Shaman, what is glazing?”
Su Bai held up the jar of glaze and softly replied, “Want to know? Then you’ll have to learn seriously.”
Yan Hua nodded repeatedly, standing on her tiptoes, and smiled, “This time, I’ll definitely prove it to you, Shaman.”
“Xiao Yu, go tell Ru to stop making ceramics for now and come watch how I glaze.” Su Bai instructed.
“Yes,” Yu Ying nodded.
Su Bai had people move the dried ceramic bodies to a shaded area. He did not want to glaze under the scorching Sun, as they could get heatstroke in minutes.
One by one, the earth-yellow bowls and jars were placed under the shade of a tree. Without the direct sunlight, these earthen bowls and jars looked even darker in colour.
Su Bai used a bone knife to pry open the lid of the glaze jar, then dipped his homemade soft brush into a bit of glaze.
The glaze in the jar was milky white, looking very snow-white, much like milk.
Yan Hua squatted to the side, her red eyes fixed on this operation. To not miss any step, she did not dare blink.
Ru saw the Shaman applying glaze to the earthen bowl and asked, confused, “Shaman, aren’t these ‘bowls’ already finished? Why do we need to apply this layer of material?”
“We apply this layer to make the ceramics more watertight.” Su Bai said as he brushed a layer of glaze on the outside of an earthen bowl. He continued, “This layer will make the bowl look smoother and more beautiful, and it will also be more durable and easier to clean.”
Ru nodded, seeming to half-understand while he asked, “Shaman, can I try?”
“Of course. Remember to apply it evenly. It can’t be too thick in some places and too thin in others.” Su Bai cautioned. If the glaze was not applied evenly, the fired ceramics would not only be unattractive but would also have bumps on the surface when touched.
If these ceramics were on Earth, they would be considered substandard products.
“Understood.” Ru took the brush very carefully, afraid of making any mistakes.
Following the steps he had just learned, he dipped a bit of glaze and brushed it evenly on the surface of the earthen bowl.
In less than a minute, the originally earth-yellow bowl was covered with a layer of milky white glaze.
Ru, feeling a bit unsure, lifted his head and asked, holding the glazed bowl, “Shaman, how did I do?”
“Don’t apply too much glaze at once. It’s always better to apply less, but multiple times. You applied too much at once. Doesn’t the bowl look strange now?” Su Bai immediately pointed out a major issue.
“I understand. Shaman, is there a way to fix this bowl?” Ru was worried about ruining a bowl due to his mistake.
“Don’t dip the brush in the glaze again. Just brush the excess on the outside into the bowl. The inside of the bowl also needs to be glazed too.” Su Bai instructed.
“Yes,” Ru nodded repeatedly and began to brush the excess glaze from the outside into the bowl, following Su Bai’s instructions.
This step looked quite messy, as he was afraid of making another mistake and was being very careful with each move.
Su Bai carefully observed the glazed earthen bowl and nodded with satisfaction, “Well done. Glaze two more for me to see. If they’re good, next time, you can glaze them right after drying.”
“Understood.” Ru gained confidence after the affirmation and was no longer afraid.
This time he picked up a jar, dipped the brush in a little glaze, and began to brush.
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