This Is My Primitive Tribe-Chapter 492 - 296: New Ship and Black Pottery

After the drought ended, the Vine Tribe took the opportunity to open up wasteland on a large scale and planted fast-growing grains and vegetables.

If all goes well, these vegetables will mature before the snow in spring, adding some food for the Vine Tribe to use over the winter.

After eliminating the Locust Tribe, the strength and prestige of the Vine Tribe reached its peak.

Including the captives and newborns, the population of the Vine Tribe is now close to ten thousand, which is an incredibly astonishing number.

It should be noted that one of the hallmarks of becoming a large tribe is surpassing a population of ten thousand.

Of course, Jiang Xuan did not become complacent because he knew very well that a true large tribe has deep foundations, and the Vine Tribe has been established for too short a time, with too shallow roots, and there is still a long way to go to become a true large tribe.

On the first day of September, the Vine Tribe fleet set off once again on the Feiyu River.

"Swoosh..."

On the river surface, nine large wooden ships lined up in order, the totem banners on the masts fluttering and snapping in the wind.

Of these nine wooden ships, three are new ships produced by the shipyard this year, and the other six were made last year and have already sailed for some time.

The new ships are larger than the old ones, 15 meters long, equipped with four sails, a rudder, an anchor, and sealed compartments, and have been improved based on issues encountered during navigation, with greater loading capacity and more stable performance than the old ships.

"Finally, we can sail again!"

On the new ship, Jing Jie stroked the bronze-made rudder, looked at the waves on the river, and then looked up at the totem banners above, feeling his heart surge with excitement, eager to set sail immediately.

As the leader of the Fishing Team and the fleet, the three-month drought was the toughest time for Jing Jie.

The drought caused the river's water level to drop significantly, making it impossible for the fleet to voyage far, forcing them to stay close by.

Now, after several days of heavy rain, the water level of the Feiyu River has risen back to a normal level, and the fleet has added new ships that have been test sailed, allowing him to lead the fleet on voyages to distant places once more.

Jiang Xuan also stood on the deck and said to Jing Jie, "This time, set sail first to the Beaver Tribe, find out the waterway they took when migrating from the Great Swamp, and then follow it to enter the Great Swamp."

"The Great Swamp is vast, teeming with countless prey and various resources. I hope you can return fully loaded."

Jing Jie nodded heavily and said, "Rest assured, leader, we will surely return fully loaded!"

Jiang Xuan continued, "Though the Great Swamp is bountiful, it also harbors considerable dangers, so I've arranged for someone to accompany you on this journey."

"Who is it?" Jing Jie asked curiously.

Jiang Xuan turned around and looked at the hunched figure walking towards them from the shore, saying, "It's him."

Jing Jie glanced over and saw the Old Witch leaning on a bamboo staff, walking slowly towards them with a giant eagle beside him.

"The Old Witch is coming with us?" Jing Jie asked in astonishment.

Jiang Xuan smiled and nodded, "That's right, the Old Witch wants to find some new medicinal materials in the Great Swamp, so he'll be traveling with you. With the Old Witch there, the giant eagle can guide you from the sky and provide warnings, making your route much safer."

Jing Jie hesitated for a moment and then whispered, "But the Old Witch is too old, can he endure the jolts on the ship?"

Sailing isn't as idyllic as one might imagine—the ship is continuously swaying on the water, and if there's strong wind or heavy rain, there's even the risk of capsizing.

Jing Jie was quite concerned that the Old Witch might not withstand life on the ship due to his advanced age.

"Underestimating this old man?"

Just then, the Old Witch, who had just reached the side of the ship, glared at Jing Jie and continued, "I've ridden the giant eagle through the south and the north, faced all kinds of hardships, and I'm supposed to be afraid of a ship?"

Jing Jie was taken aback by the Old Witch's surprisingly sharp hearing and gave an embarrassed smile, not daring to retort.

The Old Witch slowly boarded the ship, greeted Jiang Xuan, then went into the cabin on his own, found a good spot to sit, and arranged his luggage.

On the deck, Jiang Xuan said to Jing Jie, "There are too many affairs in the tribe, so I won't be going with you this time. Remember to be cautious in everything, and if you encounter serious trouble, immediately pray for the Vine God's protection!"

Jing Jie solemnly nodded and glanced up at the largest totem flag on the mast.

Within that totem flag is a branch of the Divine Vine, the lifeline of the fleet.

After finishing the instructions, Jiang Xuan patted Jing Jie's shoulder, then disembarked and waved farewell to the fleet.

"Woooo..."

A warrior on the large ship blew the horn made from a Rock Sheep Horn, and the loud and melodious sound echoed over the river.

"Weigh anchor!"

Jing Jie shouted and personally went to the bow to use the capstan to raise the anchor.

"Swoosh..."

As the capstan turned, the bronze chain made a crisp clashing sound, and the heavy bronze anchor slowly rose from the riverbed mud, freeing the large ship.

"Hoist the sails!"

After raising both the fore and aft anchors, Jing Jie shouted again, then joined the warriors on the fleet to raise the sails.

Once the sails were hoisted, their angles needed to be adjusted to harness the wind and propel the ship forward. This required experience and was handled by the most seasoned warriors.

As all the sails rose, Jing Jie stood on the ship, shouting excitedly, "Set sail!"

"Woooo..."

The horn sounded again, and the nine large ships moved forward slowly under the combined force of wind and water, presenting a magnificent scene.

"Screech!"

A giant eagle took to the sky, slowly circling around the fleet to escort it safely.

On the riverbank, Jiang Xuan watched as the fleet gradually drifted away, then turned back to the tribe.

Today, the Vine Tribe has grown immensely, and with more people, there are more tasks. As the leader, Jiang Xuan is extremely busy.

He first went to the second residential area on the other side of the river to inspect various handcrafts of the Vine Tribe.

Bronze smelting, clothing manufacturing, shipbuilding, coin casting, stone tools, woodcraft, pottery, and salt production workshops all continued to operate normally as before.

Apart from the Vine Tribe, very few tribes on this continent possess such rich and complete handicrafts.

These handcrafted products not only meet the needs of the Vine Tribe's people, but the surplus can also be traded in the trading area, earning substantial profits for the Vine Tribe.

Inside the pottery workshop, the Workshop Master Shi Gen stared at a black pottery jar for a very long time, not even noticing Jiang Xuan's arrival.

On the table, there were jars in various imperfect shapes; they were all somewhat black but none quite matched the true black pottery, looking rather out of place.

"Still experimenting with black pottery, huh?"

Jiang Xuan's voice pulled Shi Gen out of his deep contemplation.

Shi Gen put down the black pottery jar and smiled bitterly, "Leader, we've tried many methods but can't produce real black pottery."

This black pottery jar was something Jiang Xuan traded back from the Black Teeth Tribe during his trip to the central region. According to Wu Yu from the Black Teeth Tribe, the black pottery came from the Southern Wilderness's Rhino Tribe.

Black pottery is an exquisite kind of pottery, even considered the pinnacle of pottery craftsmanship.

It is as black as lacquer, as resonant as a bell, as thin as paper, as bright as a mirror, and as hard as porcelain, contrasting sharply with other rough pottery.

Jiang Xuan stared at the black pottery jar, recalling vaguely that he had once read about black pottery in his previous life, but his memory wasn't very clear; he only remembered that black pottery seemed to use some kind of carbon penetration technique.

Carbon is understandable, just charcoal or carbon ash, carbon element.

The key is how to infiltrate the carbon into the pottery to form an even glossy black color?

After a moment, Jiang Xuan said, "Next time, try adding a large amount of twigs and grass into the kiln halfway through the firing, then close the kiln door and chimney to see if the pottery can be smoked black."

"Okay, I'll try immediately!"

Shi Gen had immense trust in Jiang Xuan, even blind admiration, because Jiang Xuan's guidance was crucial for the Vine Tribe's pottery to become as exquisite as it was today.

Shi Gen didn't hesitate any further and immediately found a kiln being fired, then gathered a large amount of firewood and grass.

This kiln had been burning for several hours, and the temperature inside had reached the point where the clay pottery blanks were transforming into hardened pottery.

"Open the kiln door!"

Shi Gen ordered, and although the workers in the pottery workshop were puzzled, they obeyed.

When the sealed kiln door was opened, they could see the red-hot pottery blanks inside, with waves of heat surging out, making it hard to breathe.

Shi Gen personally rode the heatwave and added a large amount of firewood and grass inside the kiln, then sealed the kiln door and chimney.

"Master, if the chimney is sealed, the firewood won't burn vigorously."

The kiln worker couldn't help but remind.

"Don't worry about it; just do as I say."

Shi Gen was very confident because this method was suggested by the leader, and he believed it would succeed.

Jiang Xuan stood by, observing his actions, but he felt uneasy inside because he himself was just guessing, unsure if this method would work.

Jiang Xuan thought for a moment and then said to Shi Gen, "If the chimney is sealed, the fire inside indeed won't burn vigorously, but don't rush to open the kiln. Let it burn for a long time and wait for the kiln to naturally cool before opening it."

"Yes!"

Shi Gen always followed Jiang Xuan's words to the letter; since Jiang Xuan said so, he would do so.

With the firewood added and the kiln door and chimney sealed, all that was left was to rely on time and luck.

Jiang Xuan didn't linger there but went to inspect other places.

Time flew by, and three days later in the afternoon, Jiang Xuan was picking bell peppers in the courtyard when he heard excited voices coming from outside.

"Leader, we did it, we succeeded!"

"What succeeded?"

Jiang Xuan straightened up and looked towards the courtyard gate, seeing Shi Gen running in excitedly.

"Leader, we successfully fired black pottery, look!"

Shi Gen handed a pottery basin he was cradling over to Jiang Xuan, his eyes full of admiration for Jiang Xuan.

Jiang Xuan took the pottery basin and saw that it was as black as ink and glossy. Although not as thin or as translucent as the Rhino Tribe's pottery, it was indeed black pottery.

Could a blind shot really succeed?

Even Jiang Xuan couldn't believe it, but facing Shi Gen's admiring gaze, he had to feign calmness, commend Shi Gen, and rewarded him with some copper coins.

From this day on, the Vine Tribe began to grasp the basic black pottery manufacturing techniques and continued to improve. Eventually, it was introduced to the Vine Tribe Trading Area, causing a stir and became sought after by various tribes.