Chapter 6 Dragon Crystal
"Ah, perhaps this question is a bit presumptuous," Jiang You said tentatively, "but can you tell me what dragon crystal is? Is it a mineral? Or some part of a dragon's body? It can't be an eggshell, right?"
"No, no." Leodore waved his hands repeatedly. He thought for a moment. "Well, it's okay to tell you. Just let me think of an explanation... You know how lightning strikes the beach and sometimes melts the sand, forming a glass-like substance. And it was because of this phenomenon that magicians developed glass, right?"
Jiang You nodded: "I know!"
“It’s a similar situation with dragon crystal.” He scooped another scoop of vanilla ice cream, wrapped it in a half-soft piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed it contentedly and said vaguely, “When we dragons use dragon language magic and release pressure, it will have a certain impact on the surrounding environment.
"The dragon's magic seeps into the nearby sand and minerals, causing them to gradually transform into crystal-like magical substances, or even into something like a mineral vein. People consider these crystals very valuable, but for us dragons, they're actually quite annoying."
"Annoying?" Jiang You tilted his head, somewhat puzzled.
"Yes, who doesn't want to sleep on a soft, silky bed?" Leodo said with a hint of complaint in his tone. "But as soon as we dragons sleep on these ordinary beds, we wake up the next morning to find that they have turned into hard crystal! They are not soft and comfortable at all!"
"Huh?" Jiang You was shocked. "This sounds like some kind of Midas curse that can turn anything into gold!"
She told the bewildered Xiaolong the Greek myth of King Midas and the Midas Touch. Xiaolong nodded sympathetically, "Yes, I understand that pain all too well! Whether it's furniture, objects, or even collectible dolls we love, they will turn into dragon crystal if we keep touching them! And the more we love something, the more likely it is to mutate!"
"It hurts, it hurts so much." Jiang You murmured.
"The few materials that remain unaffected and will never change are gold and gemstones," Leodore said. "That's why many of our tribesmen choose to collect gold to make their beds. After all, gold coins are always more comfortable to sleep on than crystal."
Jiang You: "..." It seemed as if he inexplicably understood the origin of Long's obsession with gold and gems!
"So, quite a few dragons have started trading dragon crystal for gold," Leodore said. "However, although I also like gold, after all, for me, who's traveling, gold isn't as important as delicious food. If I had a choice, I'd rather have the opportunity to savor delicious food."
Jiang You's pupils lit up. "That's perfect! I need dragon crystals, and you need delicious food. The easiest way is for you to move into the vacant lot next door and live there for a few days!"
If that entire dilapidated house next door were to be transformed into sparkling dragon crystals, wouldn't she be making a killing? This was a great opportunity to recycle local materials and waste materials!
"Hey, wait," she thought of something else. "I need to confirm this. If something is already very worn and worn out, will its quality still be poor after it becomes dragon crystal?"
Leodore shook his head. "Not really. Although I can't explain the principle, I've heard from my elders that this is some kind of displacement change that occurs at the microscopic level of matter, probably at the molecular, atomic... or something..."
He scratched his head and tried very hard to recall it, but in the end he gave up like a poor student.
He gestured with a spoon. "Anyway, no matter if it was wood, sand, or some scrap metal, as long as I sleep on it for a night, it will melt into part of a large dragon crystal mine. I can also help you with the subsequent mining work. As for the construction, let those trolls take care of it!"
"Ahh! I see!" Jiang You finally understood. "That's great! Well, I'll let you stay here for a few days, until the entire dilapidated house next door is turned into a dragon crystal mine... What price do I have to pay?"
Leodore licked his lips and said, "A thousand of these breads?"
"No, no. A thousand is too many, and I'm afraid I don't have that much ingredients." Jiang You calmly refused.
While trading a thousand loaves of bread for a dragon crystal mine was definitely a good deal based on cost, in an age without bread machines or ice cream makers, manual labor was still a tiring task. Jiangyou didn't want to be a slave, kneading bread and churning ice cream day and night.
"Besides, I can make so many dishes and desserts," Takumi said, trying to avoid ruining the deal. "Don't you want to try something else? Eating the same dessert over and over again will dramatically reduce its flavor."
After all, no matter how delicious the food is, if you keep eating the same flavor, your taste buds and other senses will become dull due to repeated stimulation, and you will gradually feel that the dishes are becoming increasingly unpalatable and greasy, and no longer have the wonderful taste in your memory.
But if you eat different delicacies every day, and then switch back to your favorite dish after a long time, the joy and freshness of encountering it again will arise naturally, and you will actually gain more happiness.
Leodore thought thoughtfully: "That makes sense, it makes a lot of sense."
"Salty, sweet, fragrant, spicy, grilled, boiled, braised, fried..." Jiangyou coaxed, "Don't you want to try them all?"
"think!"
"How about this: if you help me find a dragon crystal mine, you can eat for free every day at my restaurant. You can even order from the beginning to the end of the menu, but you can only order three of each dish." Jiang You smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm a small business. If there's no limit on quantity, I'm afraid even if I eat my restaurant to bankruptcy, I still won't be able to satisfy the dragon's appetite. Please forgive me."
Leodo was a very easygoing little dragon. "I understand, I understand. But what if I bring my own food?"
Jiang You thought for a moment and said, "If it doesn't interfere with the store's business, I'll make it for you for free! I won't charge you for common, cheap seasonings and side dishes, but if it's something that requires some special ingredients or seasonings to make it delicious, I'll give you a discount based on the cost price."
Xiaolong thought about it and thought this deal was pretty good: "Okay! It's settled! I'll move in tonight!"
He licked the corner of his mouth and glanced at the empty plate: "Now, can I have a meat dish? I think I saw a brown chicken outside just now..."
"Okay, one serving of soy sauce chicken, right here!"
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