16 Making Potteries like a Boss

Hana wake up the next day feeling super exhausted, tired and sticky all over. She could feel her drool drenching half her face. As quickly as possible, she wiped the residue off haphazardly so that no one could see. After a moment of clarity, she finally realized there is no one else here.

If only Shiro and Kuro could talk, she would've knew how much noise she made after she fall asleep last night. It was like a primordial savage beast bellowing non-stop from inside the cave. Shiro and Kuro shot each other a knowing glance.

In their heart, they complained why this being is not cute at all while sleeping. At least during the day this being looked quite decent especially when she was cooking like last night. Both of them smacked their lips as they remember their last dinner (Do snakes even have lips?).

All the noise has attracted several wild beasts but had been disposed by both of them using grisly means.

Well, at least they filled their stomach over the night. The food this being makes was delicious, but too little.

They didn't know that Hana had been quite generous with them since in her eyes, these strays should've just eaten kibbles a.k.a. dry pet food. She treated them like children, with children's stomachs. Hence, the portion of half of an adult per pet was given.

It can't be helped, as Hana don't have experience raising magical pets. And the sizes of both Kuro and Shiro did not help; they just looked like any ordinary little snake and dog she'd seen.

Hana drank a few gulps of water and used only a handful to lather her face to make herself felt fresher. The sourish bitter taste inside her mouth was purposely ignored. She sorely missed her mouthwash.

[So much dried saliva. I must've make quite a scene last night...]

Hana blushed.

Thank god they were just animals. If not, she won't know where to hide her face. All her dignity will go down the drain. She didn't realize her pets' intelligence level were quite high.

Oh dear..

After finish refreshing herself, Hana reviewed her goals from her notebook first and amended the date.

Short term goals (Day 3)

1. Scout surroundings for information and geographical location - half done

2. Find water source - done!

3. Find tinders, twigs and logs for fire making - done!

4. Find things for defense - done (sharpened burned shaft)

5. Make a chisel – done!

6. Make water container

7. Make a cooking pot with clay

8. Forage rattans to make baskets

9. Make fish trap at river

Today's goal (ehem! Yesterday's goal ok)

Eat soup for dinner! – Success!

She happily crossed the succeeded goal of yesterday and wrote today's chores based on her goals while eating two bananas.

What to do today (Day 3)

1. Make water filters using bamboo canisters

2. Make a fish trap

3. Forage some lianas/rattans

4. Find clay sand for pottery making

5. Forage for tinders/twigs/logs

After another swig of water from her water bottle, she immediately moved out from the caves.

Hana brought along with her another two bananas, one tausa biscuit, and the last twiggies she had in her inventory. She also brought along one empty water bottle which she transferred half of the water from the last bottle.

Right now, she was left with a quarter bottle of clean water. She felt an impending crisis coming.

Although water shortage was not an issue, clean water free from pathogens for consumption was her first concern. She was scared to get sick in this forest since she didn't have any basic medication.

Her GIT (1) was quite delicate since she was young as she could easily gotten stomach problems when eating random unhygienic food as compared to others.

She filled all her provisions of the day into one shopping bag and suddenly remembered she needed to bring along some charcoal. She scooped out all the coarsecharcoal she could find from the fireplace she made for two nights consecutively and filled them inside one opened bamboo canister to the brim. The charcoal will be an important component in making a water filter. It can absorb impurities and germs easily.

She didn't forget to bring one uncooked sausage. After a short contemplation, Hana threw in the whole roll of clingwrap together as well.She intended to use the sausage as bait if she had the time to make a fishtrap. As for the clingwrap, she was not sure of its usage, but she had a haunch she might need it to wrap the completed bamboo canisters to prevent all of the filter material from falling out later. Well, better be safe than sorry right?

Hana walked out briskly towards the stream with a sure gait this time; on her left shoulder, a shopping bag full of things, on her left hand, the supposed homemade 'spear' for self-defense, and on her right, the newly made chisel with a function of a hoe. This time, she had so much to do and she needed to double up! As she sighed, she really wishes that she could have something that can help her carry all of these items, a shopping trolley would be a heavenly item here.

...

Hana glanced at her smartphone. It was already 8.30 am. Kuro the snake who silently followed her all this while disappeared into the trees as usual. Hana knew that the little guy might need a little time to do some personal stuff. She just shrugged it off.

She immediately started to look for a suitable location to make a fish trap. She walked along the stream to find a strategic location and started digging when she reached just beside the stream a little bit upstream. She started digging the soil about one feet deep and use her hands to smoothen the clay-like sand, making into a v-shaped channel.

Hana's heart pained as she teared the sausage and sprinkle the meat pieces inside the hole, and some on the mini channel itself. She had no choice; this was the only meat in hand which she could use as bait. The water from the stream did not enter the hole, but just touched the edge a bit. The channel has a slight inward slope towards the hole. She then plucked some tree branches and camouflaged the hole from the sides. She prayed silently for the fish to be stupid enough to enter the tiny hole.

...

After two hours of setting up the fish trap, she walked downstream for ten minutes and reached a location with smooth clay-like sand beside the stream.

Yes, it took two whole hours. You've seen it right. Others would need less than 30 minutes for that.

Hana was in fact, weaker than the average Joe. This was because, she always found ways to skip PE when she was young, and skip exercising when she got older with a myriad of excuses. Slowpoke was her middle name.

Now, she had no choice but to step out and performed muscle work to survive. Probably she need to change her middle name now that she works so hard to survive (Lol, the Author just joking