Charles Dickens famously said, "Go and suffer to be a superior man."

Zhao Xiang doesn't know if this sentence is really what Dickens said, because he hasn't finished reading "David Copperfield", maybe this sentence is just a product of the Internet era like "The Furthest Distance" under Tagore's name.

He felt that this sentence made a lot of sense, but it missed a premise: it did not take into account the human horizon.

From the countryside to the city, from the country to the foreign country, and even from modern times to ancient times, people's situation may not necessarily become better, but people's horizons and experiences are changing, and their hearts are also changing.

Zhao Xiang chose to spend more time and energy in the Southern Song Dynasty, and he couldn't remember what the initial reason was, but fortunately, thanks to the "price difference" in time and space, he got a territory that belonged completely to himself. The emir, who traveled thousands of miles from Dashi to the Great Song Dynasty along the Maritime Silk Road to the Great Song Dynasty, was not so lucky.

The emir waited for Zhao Xiang to appear on the boat by the dock at the south gate, and in the last ten days, not even a single mouse could be found on the ship. So when he woke up early this morning, he finally couldn't help but walk towards Xiaozhi Mountain, he wanted to ask how the trade materials that Zhao Xiang had promised were prepared.

If he drags on any longer and misses the monsoon, his return will be extremely difficult.

Wutian Village was building new houses on the wasteland under the river embankment, and Zhao Xiang had divided the plots for them to move out of the old woods. First, the wasteland by the river embankment is more abundant and convenient, and second, Zhao Xiang doesn't want there to be too many outsiders around Shifeng.

He Defang received the emir, and then Hei Niu and Sandezi put down their work and took this bearded merchant to the foot of Xiaozhi Mountain.

The elevator embedded in the stone wall has been built, and five special steel rails that go straight to the top are fixed to the stone wall by thick nails. The half of the cylindrical surface of the ladder shaft is installed with a thickness of ten centimeters of special glass, which does not affect the scenery, but also ensures that the elevator is not disturbed by the outside world.

Hei Niu stood in front of the big steel door and stood a button, and after a while, a voice came from inside: "Brother Hei Niu, are you in trouble?" ”

"This emir said that he had agreed with Brother Xiang'er, and said that there was something important to discuss."

"Brother Black Bull, wait a minute."

After a while, a woman's voice came from the loudspeaker: "Brother Hei Niu, the three of you come up together." ”

Then, Black Bull and Santokuko looked up at the top of the glass tube together, and Emir looked too. The emir was startled when a huge object fell down quickly, but he was not alarmed when he saw the two people leading the way, so he had to stand still with his composure.

The steel door opened, and inside was a glass tube, and Black Bull and Sandezi walked in, and Emir followed in.

The black bull pressed a button, and the glass tube led the three of them up, at first a little slower, and the faster they went up, the more they went up, and the emir only felt that his heart was about to jump out of his throat.

Sandezi smiled: "How is it, haven't you ever sat on this?" ”

The glossy steel pipe handle attached to the elevator wall was clung to by the emir, and his face was so pale that he could not answer.

Fortunately, Shi Feng was only more than twenty zhang high, and the glass tube quickly reached the top, and the door on the other side was opened, and the three of them walked out.

Many years later, when the emir, who had already taken the elevator countless times, recalled this scene, he still felt that he had ascended directly from the human world to heaven at that time, because when the steel door behind him opened, when he looked back and saw the dazzling crystal building, he decided that Zhao Xiang was a god-like existence.

Li Qijin came out to greet him, this young emir was acquainted, and it was he who bought the only piece of green jade at the price of 200 copper coins before. But now he's changed, with well-fitting clothes, meticulously combed hair, and even shoes on his feet! Only from his bright eyes and dark but clean and fresh skin can you vaguely see what he looked like three months ago.

The garden at the top of the hill has not yet been completed, and in many places the excavated soil has revealed a blue-black stone color. Hei Niu asked, "Is Brother Xiang still doing this yard by himself?" ”

Li Qijin replied: "It's mainly him doing it, and sometimes we also help a little bit." ”

"It must be beautiful when it's finished." Black Bull sighed. Of course, it's not beautiful in front of you, except for the main building.

On the edge of the main building, a long corridor extends out, connected with the original wooden house, Li Qijin pointed to the wooden house: "I live in this house with the sixth brother and Zhang Wen and their sister and brother, Brother Hei Niu Sande, after meeting Mr., go to my house to have a look." As he spoke, his expression became solemn.

Hei Niu patted him on the shoulder: "Follow Brother Xiang to learn skills, keep the land in the village for you, and when you move out, the whole village will build a new house for you." ”

Qijin nodded heavily: "Hmm! ”

The emir entered the gate and came to the hall. In the eight-meter-high hall, everything is exquisite and spotless. It is also the luxury of the hall, and the door just now is not at all atmospheric.

Zhao Xiang walked out of the back of the hall barefoot, his clothes stained with a lot of mud, and greeted the three of them with a smile.

Hei Niu and Sandezi left with a sense of humor, and only Zhao Xiang and Emir were left in the hall.

"Zhao Xiang, you're here to open my eyes!"

Zhao Xiang smiled, thinking where is this, politely said, poured him a cup of tea, and went straight to the topic: "I'm too busy this time, I'm really sorry to forget you, but I have prepared everything you want, do you want to go and see it now?" ”

Of course the emir was willing, but when he heard that the things were placed under the mountain, he hesitated: "Zhao Xiang, can you take me to visit your house, I have seen countless rich and noble families in my life, and even entered the palaces of some countries in the west, but I have never seen such a house......"

I thought that Zhao Xiang would happily agree to him, but I didn't expect Zhao Xiang to smile and shake his head: "I'm sorry, this is a private residence, it's not very convenient." ”

Of course, it's inconvenient, it's already very face-saving to be able to let him in, now more often Zhao Xiang only receives visitors in the living room of the wooden house, and in the living room of the wooden house, except for electric lights, all other modern items have been put away by Zhao Xiang and replaced with something that the ancients could understand. For example, the kettle was replaced with a charcoal stove, the glass coffee table was replaced by a wooden table, and the TV was replaced with a bonsai.

All this just to prevent the ancients from seeing too many modern objects again. As for this large house, it is entirely private territory. In addition to herself, only Zhao Di can walk freely here. Zhang Wen and the other three teenagers, who were called their apprentices by the villagers, were only on the first floor.

Emir didn't feel embarrassed, after all, it was an excessive request to visit someone else's house. He smiled: "Zhao Xiang, you don't have to apologize, I can understand, why don't you take me to see those goods, I can't wait to know!" ”