Chapter 270 - 120: October, November_3
When he was in school, he learned a saying: "To learn without thinking is labor lost; to think without learning is perilous."
Thinking is always correct, since one can never guarantee not to make mistakes, and careful thinking can prevent many basic errors.
He fired batch after batch of pottery, recording in detail on white clay boards each time how much fuel was used, the ratio of clay mix, the thickness of the pottery, the size, the different shapes, and even the variations in weather and temperature, and then compared and summarized them.
These data, obtained with the consumption of large amounts of fuel and white clay, were transferred onto paper and turned into accurate patterns and hypothesized principles—
The newly acquired pen and ink were part of this process.
It must be said that using a pen worth tens of thousands is indeed different, writing with it is smooth.
It took nearly a month altogether.
By November 23, before the twenty-eighth mysterious reward arrived, Chen Zhou's pottery-making skill finally achieved a breakthrough—
He successfully fired a batch of genuinely mid-large-sized pottery!
The reason for using 'batch' instead of 'individual' is that the kiln held a total of three pots, each sixty centimeters high, all successfully fired without damage or cracking.
This represents his continuous thinking, summarizing, and improvement, eventually leading from quantitative to qualitative change.
Starting from the brief teachings of forum friends, through prolonged practice, he achieved a preliminary perfection of pottery-making skills.
The preparation work before firing these pots, from shaping on the wheel, drying post-shaping, to final firing in the kiln, all matched the correct processes Chen Zhou had deduced and summarized.
Even the most difficult aspect of controlling the kiln temperature was managed through his assessment of the changes in flame color.
From the initial step of clay mixing to the pottery emerging from the kiln, there were no errors, resulting in the successful firing of three complete pots without deformation or cracking.
These three larger, aesthetically pleasing pots mean that Chen Zhou will no longer lack containers for storing water.
It also signifies that he can independently make tableware, flowerpots, basins, and other necessary containers for daily life, achieving self-sufficiency without outside support.
Moreover, he can also make small pots for catching octopuses to add new dishes to his table—he learned about this clever octopus trapping tool while watching sea gathering videos.
The octopus-catching pots are a little smaller than a fist, with very narrow openings, drilled with holes, and strung together to sink to the sea floor.
Octopuses love to dive into holes, and upon seeing these small pots they often crawl inside; once the fisherman pulls the string, they can't escape quickly and are hauled up to become ingredients.
Apart from these small pottery pots, Chen Zhou's long-desired "pottery chimney" also found a solution.
As long as he can successfully fire a batch of suitable pottery chimneys, the kitchen stove's smoke discharge issue will be resolved.
The feasibility of firewalls and planned fireplaces also exists.
There's also the pressure water well brought down from the boat; Chen Zhou hasn't started digging the well not only because he's unsure of the water source and fears wasting several days' efforts, but also because he lacks a pipe to insert downward.
A well without a pipe can hardly draw drinkable water; it would be mixed with mud and sediment, affecting the taste, and might clog the pressure water well.
And the benefits of successful pottery-making go far beyond this.
From the tableware needed in daily life, to decorative items like vases and incense burners, to vessels like flowerpots and fish tanks, to artistic products like ceramic sculptures and toys, and practical items like ceramic bricks, tiles, pickle jars, and wine jugs.
A skill that can be mastered and gradually becomes proficient brings so much convenience to life.
No wonder Chen Zhou happily took a swig of half a bottle of alcohol after extracting the three pots, excitedly grabbed his fishing rod, and went to the riverside to fish for an entire afternoon.