Ming Dynasty and New Rome and Infinite Magic Machine

Chapter 1545 Making a Dragon
"Finally arrived." Shang Luo breathed a sigh of relief. Even for him, this was the first time raising a creature like this. It was quite tiring.

It's hard to imagine how Zhu Ling takes care of so many pandas every day. Xiao Hong is just a little lazy; compared to the pandas, she's not lazy at all.

"Um, Shangluo, this bucket is a bit high. Can you give me a hug?"

"Okay." He lifted Xiaohong up, raising her a little higher, his arm touching her cold body once again.

He convinced himself that it was similar to the baby holding a fish in a New Year's painting.

It looks similar to a New Year's picture doll.

It looks similar to a New Year's picture doll.

"What are you muttering? Oh dear!"

"Okay, let's go in."

Soaked to the bone, Shangluo flipped her over and placed her in the tub. The tub had a seat inside, so she could sit and soak in it.

After she entered the water, water overflowed. A great deal of water spilled out, covering the ground. Clearly, she appeared larger in the water than on land—after all, she was a dragon.

"Ah, that feels so good." Little Red sank a little deeper, with only her head sticking out. "And then? Is that all? It feels pretty much the same as when I'm at home."

"If you're just soaking in water, that's not a bath. A bath requires boiling water."

"Huh???" Xiaohong stood up from the metal bucket. "So it was hot water? Then I won't wash."

"You don't have to wash, but you can leave."

"..." Silently, Xiaohong sat back down. "Okay, but it can't be too hot. I'm afraid of the heat."

"Oh, so you're sensitive to heat. What happens if it gets too hot?"

"Don't ask anymore. If you ask again, I won't wash it."

"Okay, I won't ask anymore. So, have I gotten warmer?"

"Okay, sure. It really can't be too hot! It can't be too hot!"

"Okay." Shang Luo said expressionlessly as he began adding firewood to the pot.

These days, buying firewood isn't difficult. Shangluo's bathing supplies were in another pocket.

This is already chopped firewood, bought from a department store. It was originally intended for grilling meat, and it's made of peach wood. Because it's rich in oil, peach wood is easy to ignite and has a subtle fragrance.

After neatly stacking the firewood, Shangluo lit a fire with a match.

Little Red was inside the big pot, and the fire was already burning.

"How's it going? Not bad, right?"

"Hmm," Xiao Hong mumbled, her head submerged in the water. She was no longer as lively as before. If Shang Luo hadn't said that she couldn't stay without taking a bath, she wouldn't have wanted to.

Just as the ground beneath his feet began to warm up, Shang Luo appeared out of nowhere, carrying a stool. He stood on the stool, unpacking a bottle of wine.

"Huh? What are you doing?" Before Shang Luo could reply, a whole bottle of cooking wine was poured over her head.

"Wow! What is this? It smells so good!"

"It should smell nice. When taking a bath, you need some bath salts. You've surfed the internet, right? There are many kinds. Some are imitations of hot springs, and there are milk baths, petal baths, and so on."

"Then what is this and why do you put alcohol in it?"

"Wine pools and meat forests! You really don't know how to enjoy life. As for bathing, there is nothing more luxurious than bathing with wine."

"Oh, I see. Thank you. It's my first time taking a bath, and it's so luxurious! Really!"

Before he finished speaking, something else came down.

This time it's star anise, fennel, ginger, and spices.

"what is this?"

"You need spices when you take a bath. It smells better with spices."

Why does it need to smell fragrant?

“You don’t understand. Bathing is a ritual, and all rituals must be heard by the heavens. The heavens love fragrance, so it must be infused with spices.” “Oh,” Xiao Hong said, the water getting hotter and hotter, and she didn’t really want to talk anymore.

As the water temperature rose, Xiao Hong sank slightly.

"Oh? So you really like taking baths?"

"My clothes are starting to melt! Don't look. This is a mirage, it melted because the water is too hot."

"Oh~~ So that's how it is."

"Shangluo, I'm getting hot. Does it have to be this hot?"

Shangluo didn't say anything, but instead threw in a rice dumpling:

"Eat up, shouldn't you eat some zongzi while taking a bath?"

Why do you eat zongzi while taking a bath? I'm not hungry.

Although she wasn't hungry, she could eat regardless of whether she was hungry or not. This was also one of her favorite foods, so she unwrapped the zongzi herself.

"Wow, what a luxurious zongzi!"

The zongzi contains five grains: rice, millet, sorghum, wheat, and beans. As a vegetarian, she still prefers these to the meat-filled zongzi.

"Having zongzi is nice. Do you have anything else?"

Without saying a word, Shangluo threw in a large string of zongzi (sticky rice dumplings) from outside, and they all landed next to Xiaohong, sinking into the water with her.

The green bamboo leaves wrapped around the grains sank into the water.

However, out of Xiao Hong's sight, Shang Luo had already set up an incense table outside the tall iron barrel.

"I guess I should be considered a boy. Yeah, I guess so."

According to custom, a young boy is required to pray for rain, as determined by the season and location. At this particular time of year, a young boy is needed, and he happens to be the one to perform the prayer.

"Shangluo, it's getting hotter and hotter in here."

"Oh, is that so?" Shangluo replied, setting up the incense table.

"Shangluo! It's so hot in here!"

"Do you still want to eat zongzi?"

"No, I don't want to eat anymore, it's so hot!" Xiao Hong was about to peek out, but Shang Luo threw the remaining grains into the water, then lifted her hand and covered the pot with the lid. She then took the sandbag that Fu Yuanshan had given her earlier and placed it on the lid. Even if a dragon were thrashing around inside, she wouldn't be able to open the lid.

"Aaaaaah! Shangluo! What are you doing! It's so hot in here! So hot!"

However, Shangluo no longer cared about her.

He held a sword in his hand, pointing it to the sky:
"Alas! If it doesn't rain for ten days, the fields will be barren. If it doesn't rain for a month, the rivers will be still. If it doesn't rain for a month, the people will be afflicted with illness. If it doesn't rain for another month, what will become of the people?"

The smoke rose into the sky, the water temperature increased, and the dragon in the pot struggled more and more violently.

Shangluo seized the opportunity and added fuel to the fire!
"Clouds rise spontaneously, rain falls upon the earth! Those who have committed crimes and are in distress, I grieve for this poor and suffering!"

Clouds rise spontaneously, and rain falls upon the earth!

Clouds rise spontaneously, and rain falls upon the earth!

A thunderclap descended from the sky, striking the pot lid squarely and shattering the seal. The bubbling contents of the pot, accompanied by a dragon's roar, soared into the sky, rising high into the heavens.

A torrential downpour immediately followed, extinguishing the flames under the pot.

A crimson dragon danced and tumbled in the clouds, a sight Shangluo had never seen before.

After a while, the flying dragon descended straight down, landing in front of her. At this moment, Xiao Hong was radiating heat, burning hot, and the raindrops that had fallen on her shoulders had turned into steam. The steam released a fragrant aroma of cooking wine. Her previous languor vanished as her body temperature rose.

"Your turn, Shangluo. You go in too. This time I'll give you a bath. What flavor do you like?"

She became stronger, but she also got angry.

(End of this chapter)