On the third day of leaving Malacca, we arrived at the last stop in the South Seas, Ah Zhen Port, which is the northwestern tip of what is now known as Sumatra. In modern times, it is mainly used as an outpost for ocean-going trade, and it is a typical type of port that is like a city and out of the port is deserted.

There isn't much to deal with, and the goods we bring don't sell for a good price here. And local raw products such as cardamom and cotton do not seem to be worth shipping overseas. So we just sent to the port, docked at the port and rested overnight, visited the blade sea employees stationed here, and the next morning we lifted anchor again and rushed to the Indian Ocean.

The first stop in the Indian Ocean was Ceylon, where the Sea of Blades also had a stronghold, and most of the ruby sapphires that were previously sold in the Jade Pavilion of the Ming Dynasty were mined here. Although a large number of gems were mined in the Ming Dynasty, perhaps due to the location of the ground, or perhaps due to the quality of the soil, the gems produced in Ceylon seem to be on average a little better in quality, and the cost is much lower, much lower.

This is also the fundamental reason why we have come here thousands of miles to find raw materials - profit. The great proletarian teacher MAX has a classic argument in "Capital": Capitalists will take risks when they have 50 percent profits, dare to trample on all the laws of the world when they have 100 percent profits, and dare to risk the gallows if they have 300 percent profits.

We import gemstones from Ceylon, the profit can reach more than 400 percent, even after deducting a series of costs such as freight, labor, wear and tear, and then taking into account the risk cost, the profit is also more than 300 percent, and this is a normal trade, there is no need to risk killing the head or going to the gallows, why not?

Of course, objectively speaking, it is precisely because of such a high-quality trade route, coupled with the fact that we do not sell in bulk, but in boutique retail, and increase the added value of gemstone products, so that we can accumulate a lot of wealth in just a few years, and have the basis for realizing many ideas.

After all, money is not everything, and no money is everything. Isn't it?

From the port of Malacca to Ah Zhen, and then to Ceylon, there is little change in dimension, probably from 2 degrees north latitude to about 6 degrees north latitude, and the dimension has increased by four degrees. It stands to reason that it is far from the equator, but the temperature has risen!

Since crossing the Andaman Sea, bypassing the Nicobar Islands and entering the Indian Ocean, we have been detached from the humid air. The boat sailed on the sea of the Bay of Bengal, but people seemed to be walking in the desert, and the sun was so hot that people almost broke their skin, and my lips broke three times a day, and I couldn't drink water!

According to preliminary estimates, the sea surface temperature in the Bay of Bengal is around 40 degrees, and it is estimated that the temperature on land can reach 45 or 6 degrees, and the surface temperature will even exceed 70 degrees!

I can't help but sigh that Ah San's vitality is really tenacious! In such a hot weather, Ah San is still in the impression that he is always wrapped in a robe - of course, those who can afford to be wrapped in a robe are generally from the higher caste classes, and the untouchables are estimated to find a few decent clothes all year round......

At sea, what I look forward to most is the arrival of night, when sailing on the sea, no matter how hot it is during the day, it will become cool at night. The air heats up quickly and cools down quickly, while the sea heats up slowly and cools down slowly. So the temperature at night will drop rapidly, and when it gets to the deepest, you even have to put on a cloak when you go to the deck!

I enjoyed the rare coolness. So every night, I would come out of the cabin, go out on deck, sit on the side of the boat facing the moon, and look at the moon in the sky and the moon in the water. At night, the sea is very quiet and beautiful, during the day, the sun is shining, the fish dive to the bottom of the water to escape the heat, and at night, they also jump out of the water to breathe fresh air, just like me!

Kite and Arashi sat beside me on the left and right, watching the beautiful scenery below. The kite was even barefoot, sticking its feet out of the boat from under the railing, swaying back and forth. I looked at her comfortable appearance and felt as if it was very comfortable, so I took off my shoes and stretched my feet out.

It's really refreshing! So the outboard feet of the boat quickly changed from one pair to three pairs.

The kite suddenly pointed to the distance and shouted, "Sir, what do you see those?" ”

I followed the direction of her finger and saw the sparkling waves on the surface of the sea about a few hundred meters away, as if something big had jumped out of the sea and fell back into the water, causing a wave of spray. And these guys come in groups of three or five, which is such a big group! When jumping in the air, it will also emit "Yo! Yo! The cry feels very familiar!

Before I could speak, Arashi smiled and said, "Silly girl, that's a sea pig!" When I was in Sakai Port before, I saw one at the market, but it was stranded, have you forgotten? ”

The kite was ignorant and tried to recall. When I heard the name sea pig, I immediately laughed out loud. Lan looked at me strangely and said aggrievedly, "Sir, did I say something wrong?" Aren't these sea pigs? ”

I shook my head and smiled, "No! They're sea pigs, but in my hometown, they're called dolphins! ”

The kite muttered, "Dolphins?" This name seems to be better than sea pigs! ”

I laughed twice and said, "Dolphin means pig, but it's a different name." In fact, it's better to change the soup but not the medicine! ”

Lan frowned and said, "Oops! Hearing what Mr. said, I suddenly felt that my sea pig's name was vulgar! Let's call them dolphins in the future! ”

I smiled and said, "Actually, it doesn't matter what it's called, the dolphin is still the same dolphin." These guys are said to be so smart that they can even understand human speech! ”

The kite was very happy and asked in surprise, "Is it true?" I'll give it a try! After speaking, he shouted in the direction of the dolphin: "Hey! Dolphin-kun, can you understand? Hello! ”

In the distance, a burst of dolphins was heard, "Yo! Yo! The cry seemed to be in response to the call of the kite.

The kite let out a long breath and smiled, "They understand!" Mr. ”

I rubbed my kite's hair, looked back at Arashi again, and said with a smile, "There are two old stories about dolphins!" ”

Kite and Arashi asked together, "What's the story?" Sir's stories are always novel, I want to listen! ”

I smiled, looked up at the sky, pointed to the stars in the sky and said, "In the Western Ocean, there is a place called Greece, where they divide the stars in the sky into constellations and give them names. For example, you see, those seven stars, we call them the Big Dipper, the Greeks don't know what the Big Dipper is, but they think they are connected like a walking bear, so they named them the Cuba Constellation! ”

The kite giggled and said, "Ursa Less, it feels so silly!" ”

I patted her on the head and said, "You're stupid!" Another example is Lyra, Perseus, and Leo, where we always see meteor showers, all of which are constellations in Greek mythology. The first story I'm going to tell is about the dolphin constellation. ”

Two pairs of big sparkling eyes suddenly stared at me tightly, which made me feel quite accomplished!

"In Greek mythology, Orps, the son of the god Zeus, was an outstanding musical genius. There was also a musical genius named Arion who lived in the Aegean coastal city of Corinth. The music he played conquered the people of the city, including the king, all of whom became his loyal fans. I spoke leisurely.

The kite dragged her chin with both hands and suddenly asked, "What is a fan?" Sir, is it the kind that can be eaten? ”

I smacked my lips and said with a smile: "No, fan is the Chinese way of writing English fans, which means admirer." ”

The kite asked, "Why haven't I heard of this reading?" ”

I didn't know how to answer, so I tapped her on the head and said, "That's because you're stupid!" Don't interrupt! ”

The kite rubbed her head, oh oh a few times, and then stopped talking, the expression that forced her not to speak made Lan hide her mouth and snicker.

I took a sip of rum and continued with the bottle in my hand: "One day, Arion heard that there was going to be a music festival in Sicily, Italy, and musicians from all over the world were going to the festival, and they were going to compete with each other, and they cried and shouted that they were going too!" ”

This time, it was Lan who interjected: "Since it is an ancient story, it must be an old-timer, how can Mr. call him a buddy, it's too disrespectful!" ”

I deliberately put on a straight face and feigned anger: "I tell a story, and if he says that he is a buddy, he is a buddy!" Comments? That's not to say! ”

Lan immediately shook my arm and said, "It's buddy!" It's a buddy! Keep talking, sir! ”

I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Okay! Don't interrupt! Lan also covered her mouth with a whimper, looking like a good baby.

So I continued: "All in all, this old iron – well, another way of calling it buddy – overcame all the dangers and sailed his boat to Sicily, and after the race, he won everyone's approval! He won the crown! ”

Kite and Lan let out a "wow" together, and Kite said again, "And then?" After speaking, he glanced at me and added, "This is not a problem!" Sir continue! After saying that, he covered his mouth again.

I smiled and continued: "Winning the laurels naturally has many rewards, and this guy went home with the rewards. But at sea, the ship's sailors coveted his treasure and forced him to jump into the sea, so that the robbers could divide his property! When I talked about the latter verse, my voice was still cold, which made Kite and Lan suddenly nervous, but they didn't dare to speak.

So I smiled and continued to speak in a slower tone: "Arion is calm, and he has only one request, which is to play the last piece on his own instrument. The robbers agreed, and it turned out that Arion's song was really heart-wrenching and shocking! I couldn't help but move the gods in the sky, and I also touched the dolphins in the sea! ”

As I spoke, I gestured with my hand to make a person jump into the sea and said, "Plop! This dude jumped into the sea! As a result, he found that he seemed to be holding up something! When I looked down, I saw that it was the dolphin who was infected by his music! This guy carried Arion all the way back to Corinth! The heavenly Orps felt that this dolphin had saved a great fortune in the world, so he told Zeus to promote this brave dolphin to the sky, so he became the constellation of dolphins in the sky! ”

By the end of the day, my hand was pointing to the sky. Actually, I don't know where the dolphin constellation is, anyway, there are countless stars in the sky, so I mean where it is!

Kite and Lan looked at the sky wistfully and didn't speak for a long time. After a long time, the kite asked, "What about another story?" Mr? Aren't there two stories? ”

I smiled and said, "The other one, also about Dolphinus." The legendary son of the god ......"

Arashi asked, "Isn't that the musician from just now?" ”

I shook my head and said, "No, another son!" ”

Lan sighed, "There are so many sons of the gods! ”

I was speechless, what is this concern, so I said nonsense: "Or people are gods?" In short, a son! ”

Arashi nodded and said, "Son! That's right! Sir continue! ”

I don't even know where to talk about it. The kite hurriedly handed over the wine bottle, and I took it and took a sip before continuing: "This kid is not honest and has fallen in love with a mortal woman, and this is against the rules of heaven!" So the two eloped, ran around, couldn't escape the pursuit, and ran all the way to the beach. ”

Girls just like to listen to love stories, and when it comes to this, the two are much more focused.

Later, the elven queen gave the two a pair of elven rings, which could protect them from the sea and cross the sea safely. As a result, after the two went to the sea, the ring was stolen by the god of jealousy and thrown into the depths of the sea. A couple was just washed apart. I slowed down my tone again, and the mood of the two of them began to be led astray by me again!

So I suddenly said impassionedly: "At this time, I saw a brave dolphin appear!" It sympathized with the pair of outlaw mandarin ducks, so it ran to the depths of the sea, found the elf rings, returned them to the couple, and the little couple reunited! After completing this great event, this magical dolphin heard the call of the heavenly realm, soared into the sky, and became a dolphin constellation - the dolphin constellation that guards love! It is said that Dolphin will emit a pink light that shines on love! ”

As soon as I finished speaking, the first rays of dawn appeared in the direction of the stern of the boat, and the morning dawn was rising, and the whole eastern sky was red!

The kite said excitedly: "Sir, is that the light of love you are talking about?" ”

I knew it wasn't, but I couldn't bear to let her down, so I smiled and said, "Yes! That's the light of love! The one who is illuminated will be together! ”

Arashi heard that I was joking, so she smiled silently, but she also looked at the sun with longing. The kite murmured: "I hope that the people who love each other will always be together and not separated!" ”

Hearing this, my heart warmed, and I reached out to hold the kite in my arms. She was as supple as a kitten, but she gently poked me in the back with her fingers.

I understood what she meant, and turned around again, and gently took Arashi into my arms......

Three days later, in the afternoon, we arrived at our first stop in the Indian Ocean: Ceylon.