18: Searching for clay

Lu Fan woke up in the Shelter, sunlight spilling across his face through the gaps in the leaves, bringing a hint of warmth.

He stretched, climbed out of his bed of leaves, packed up simply, and shouldered his backpack, ready to set out and explore new territory.

His backpack contained dry rations, water, his newly crafted bow and arrows, and a special expectation—finding clay to make Pottery.

"With clay, I can make proper pots and won't have to worry about cooking anymore."

Lu Fan mused to himself, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

He set off along the path near the Shelter, humming a little tune he had composed, his steps light.

As he walked, he suddenly saw a gray shadow moving in the bushes ahead; he immediately stopped, held his breath, and crept closer.

[A Wild Chicken with low alertness discovered ahead]

A colorful Wild Chicken was bowing its head to forage in the grass, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

"Could it be the one I let go before? This time, get into my stomach!" At this thought, Lu Fan couldn't help but lick his lips.

Lu Fan took the bow and arrow from his back, nocked the arrow, drew the bow, and aimed in one smooth motion. With a "whoosh," the arrow shot out like a bolt from a string, hitting the Wild Chicken squarely in the head.

The Wild Chicken flapped its wings a few times and fell to the ground.

【Wilderness Survival Announcement】

【Huaguo Player Lu Fan triggered ten thousand times rebate】

【Healthy Wild Chicken * 10,000】

Seeing this scene, the audience in the livestream room flooded the chat: "Wow, Lu Fan's archery is amazing!"

"A hit with one shot; this Wild Chicken is definitely going to be a fine meal tonight."

"I like Wild Chicken too?"

"Why? Because it's cheap?"

Wang Tao also said excitedly: "Contestant Lu Fan's archery is very impressive; having a bow and arrow really makes a difference, the hunting efficiency has greatly improved."

Zhao Hangjun analyzed: "Using a bow and arrow not only saves physical strength but also allows for hunting from a safe distance, which is a very practical skill for survival in the wild."

Lu Fan stepped forward, picked up the Wild Chicken, skillfully plucked the feathers, cleaned the internal organs, then hung the chicken from the rope at his waist and continued forward.

clay usually grows in places with water, so Lu Fan decided to look near a water source.

Just as he was carefully observing the soil.

[clay is buried about ten centimeters underground two meters ahead]

Lu Fan's eyes lit up, thinking: "Great, the prompts are really helpful; I didn't expect to find it so quickly."

He squatted down and used his knife to dig into the earth.

The audience in the livestream room, however, was bewildered.

"Is there something there?"

"But I can't see anything, just dirt."

"Could he have found iron ore again?"

After digging about ten centimeters, the clay was revealed.

Lu Fan scraped some out with his hand; the soil was fine-textured, sticky, red and white in color, and somewhat moist after the rain.

"It really is clay."

Seeing Lu Fan find the clay, the audience in the livestream room flooded the chat: "Lu Fan found clay, that's awesome!"

"He's like a Treasure-hunting Rat; he can even find this."

"As expected, a master is a master."

"With clay, he can make pots; I'm looking forward to Lu Fan's craftsmanship."

It wasn't easy to dig by hand, so Lu Fan used his dagger.

The moist clay was particularly heavy; Lu Fan wrapped it in large leaves and put it into his basket, packing a full ten-plus kilograms.

With the clay on his back, Lu Fan decided to check his trap on the way.

He walked from the downstream part of the stream to the upstream part.

[Edible Wild Celery discovered]

Sure enough, a cluster of green plants appeared by the stream ahead, with large leaves and a somewhat peculiar shape. He stepped forward and observed carefully.

"What is this? Is it edible?"

The audience in the livestream room was also a bit confused, guessing the function of the Wild Celery.

Wang Tao looked at Zhao Hangjun, who immediately began to explain: "This is Wild Celery; it has effects like lowering blood pressure and protecting blood vessels, and it can clear heat and detoxify the body."

"I've heard celery kills sperm; I wonder if it's true," Lu Fan couldn't help but mutter.

But then he thought: "In this remote wilderness, what the hell am I afraid of?"

After saying that, Lu Fan used his dagger to cut a batch and threw it into his basket.

Finally, he reached the small pool.

The trap hadn't been triggered, but Lu Fan wasn't discouraged; as long as the Wild Boar was still in the vicinity, it would show up sooner or later.

After gathering some more water with his Bamboo Tube, Lu Fan returned to the Shelter.

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan immediately got busy, preparing to make a special delicacy—Beggar's Chicken.

He first washed the Wild Chicken clean and marinated it with wild ginger, Wild Green Onions, and some collected herbs, letting the chicken meat fully absorb the flavor of the spices.

Once marinated, he wrapped the Wild Chicken tightly with several large leaves, then sealed it with mud, leaving only a small hole for ventilation.

Next, he placed the wrapped Wild Chicken into a pit, then covered it with some charcoal and slowly roasted it with the embers.

The livestream room was also discussing the delicacy Lu Fan was making.

"Can chicken be made like this?"

"So magical, I've never seen it before."

At this time, Wang Tao explained: "The name of this dish is 'Beggar's Chicken.' It has a long history in our country; legend has it that Zhu Yuanzhang once ate this dish as well."

As time passed, the mud gradually hardened, and the aroma of chicken wafted from inside.

Lu Fan waited patiently, knowing this would be a delicious dinner.

Seeing that the time was about right and the aroma was getting stronger, Lu Fan dug out the Beggar's Chicken.

He cracked open the outer layer of earth with a stone, and the aroma immediately filled the air.

Lu Fan carefully peeled back the leaves, revealing the golden, oily chicken meat.

He used his dagger to cut off a small piece and put it in his mouth; the chicken was tender and juicy, and the fresh scent of the leaves blended perfectly with the deliciousness of the chicken, making him nod repeatedly in praise.

This meal was on another level.

In the livestream room.

"Wow, I'm drooling; it looks so tender."

"I want to eat chicken too."

"The one above, log in."

Yu Rui couldn't help but lean closer to the screen: "I really envy Lu Fan being able to eat so much delicious food, and it's all natural."

After finishing his meal, Lu Fan didn't stay idle; he decided to start making Pottery.

He first placed the clay on a flat stone and kneaded it repeatedly by hand to squeeze out the air bubbles, making the clay more uniform and fine.

Then, he used his fingers to mold the clay into the shape of a bowl, then carefully trimmed the edges of the bowl with the edge of a shell to make the shape more regular.