Hei Wa placed the tile mold on a flat stone scattered with fine, dry soil. He pulled a fist-sized piece of well-prepared clay from the nearby pile.
After kneading it in his hands, he placed it in the mold and pressed it with his palm to fill the entire mold with clay. Next, he scraped off the excess clay using a similarly split wooden stick, making the tile look more even and symmetrical.
Hei Wa smoothed the surface further by running his hand over the stick, scraping off clay that returned to the pile, and moistening his hands from a water-filled pottery jar. He began to rub and smooth the surface, transforming the initially rough appearance into a sleek finish.
Hei Wa lifted the mold, bringing the clay tile along with it. Due to the dry soil scattered underneath, there was no issue with the clay sticking to the stone, making it easy to lift the mold.
After removing the mold, he used his hands to moisten the other side of the clay tile. Without standing up, an assistant standing by carefully took the mold with the clay tile and placed it next to a row of logs about five meters away.
After waiting a while, allowing the outer layer of water on the clay tile to dry, Hei Wa lifted the mold, tilted it, and tapped it. The clay tile would come out of the mold and fall into his waiting palm.
The resulting clay tile was a flat piece, which became individual small pottery tiles when ignored, dried, and fired in the kiln. However, these differed significantly from the curved tiles that Han Cheng needed.
Han Cheng and Hei Wa spent considerable effort experimenting and failed attempts to figure out how to turn these flat tiles into curved ones. After numerous cycles of trial and error, they finally found a solution.
After applying a bit of dry mud to the branches, the assistant carefully placed the clay tiles vertically onto them. After ensuring that the previously placed clay tiles had hardened and would not deform when picked up, the assistant took them down.
The tiles were leaned against the logs, facing the sun.
After completing these tasks, Hei Wa took back the mold. To increase efficiency, ten molds were made for tile production. This way, the assistant can remove the mold with the clay tiles, and Hei Wa's time is not wasted.
Since Han Cheng had already made a ruler, there was no need to worry about different mold sizes.
After working on the tiles for a while, Hei Wa noticed that the fire beneath the kiln had dimmed. He stood up, walked to the kiln, and added thick, arm-sized logs from a nearby woodpile.
The wood underneath the kiln was not directly piled on the ground but placed about half a meter above the kiln's bottom. It was supported by wooden sticks covered with a thick layer of clay, preventing the logs from falling.
Initially, there was no such structure when attempting to build the kiln, and the wood was directly piled on the ground. However, the flames could not reach the required intensity.
Recalling the structure of his earthen stove, Han Cheng redesigned the kiln.
After adding wood to the kiln, Hei Wa circled to one side, using a wooden stick to pry one of the two large ceramic plates, creating a slight opening. Through the crack, he peered into the kiln.
The intense heat rushed out through the gap, hitting his face. The temperature inside the kiln was somewhat intimidating.
Inside, a vibrant red glow enveloped the surroundings. The clay tiles, initially in their raw state, transformed into a dazzling bright yellow under the continuous and intense heat of the fire.
Squinting slightly, Hei Wa nodded in approval. He used a wooden stick to close the opened ceramic plate, completely covering the top of the earthen kiln.
With the kiln now fired up, there was no need for further concern. The wood below would burn out naturally, and the kiln would cool down.
Han Cheng approached, observing the smoking earthen kiln. He glanced at Hei Wa, making clay tiles, the various clay molds nearby, and over a thousand tiles not far away. A smile appeared on his face.
The heightening of the walls was almost complete, and soon, they could start building houses. It wasn't unrealistic to move into a large-tiled house before winter arrived.
Initially considering building thatched houses similar to the deer pen, Han Cheng changed his mind. Seeing that Hei Wa could produce such large ceramic plates used by the shamans for recording, creating smaller tiles shouldn't be a problem.
Tiled houses were undoubtedly sturdier and more aesthetically pleasing than thatched houses.
However, due to manual production, the tile output was not high. Hei Wa and his assistant could only produce a little over a hundred tiles daily, including the clay preparation.
However, over time, many tiles could still be obtained.
Hei Wa casually raised his head to find that Han Cheng had come over at some point. He stood up and respectfully greeted him.
Han Cheng waved, indicating Hei Wa to take a break before continuing his work.
Hei Wa obediently walked over.
Turning around, Han Cheng looked into the distance. A tall wall was being built not too far away, with someone vigorously pounding it with a wooden stick.
Due to the distance, the person's face was unclear, but a highly aesthetic silhouette was visible.
Tie Tou cut the last batch of rapeseed with a stone sickle, placing them neatly on a pile in the rapeseed field west of the courtyard wall. With the stone sickle in one hand and the other on his waist, he stood straight, looking at the empty rapeseed field with a smile.
The setting sun dipped half the sky in red.
Returning from grazing, the Deer Lord led its herd as if stepping out of the radiance. It stretched its neck and made a melodious call, adding a serene atmosphere.
Not far away, only the remaining embers of the kiln emitted faint blue smoke.
Han Cheng placed the two clay tile blanks he held in a nearby shed, stood upright, and gazed at the tribe gradually becoming more lively, a tranquil joy enveloping his heart.