陽春三月三,蘇杭街頭巷尾有清風送爽,乃至出遊的車馬亦少了往日的急躁。
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而早時鐘鼓已過,午陽灑落湖面,自見柔和的粼粼波光。岸邊有孩童把著紙鳶奔跑玩耍,百姓家的千金們臨水結笄,始綻美好年華。
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「嗯,可以了。」「哇——!好美啊、謝謝阿綰娘!」
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清澈的湖水倒映出一張可愛的少女輪廓,新綰的半髻飾了一梳粉嫩的桃花。小霜一臉依戀地看著自己於水中的麗映,笑靨如花。
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「真好看啊。」195Please respect copyright.PENANATRAuABq3OS
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雅香間清茶回甘,璋桃攏起紫袖,看著將屆及笄的少女不禁會心微笑。三月三日女兒節,正好為她情同姐妹的小侍女行個簡單的成年禮;小霜的生辰是冬至、寒暖交錯之時,恰好與今日一脈相承,倒算彌補了她無法為小霜親施笄禮的遺憾。195Please respect copyright.PENANADNITjQG0iL
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到底緣無圓滿,左右將就吧。
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「璋桃,妳可真要讓小霜隨我?」
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這邊廂小霜受召而去了領命,溫和的問話就起於身旁。她低眉飲茶,及後又漾起抹淺笑回應:195Please respect copyright.PENANAYwutYQMbfy
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「要是綰小姐不欲讓小霜侍奉在側,我真不知道該許她一個怎樣的人生了。講到底,珏羅館不是個能寄餘生懿好的地方。」
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此刻有香寧神,姑娘們安坐湖畔燃香、品茗嚐甜,自是心中有數。有幾多人能幸運似璋桃、覓得良人為正妻?遑論這正妻之位還有幾分是看在她原來家世不錯、幾番印證從未以色侍人才得。可世人膚淺,怎會細究每位菩薩的來歷?195Please respect copyright.PENANAyPCFgPqEq5
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畢竟煙花之地,畢竟受人白眼,畢竟……善惡難分。
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「……我去向無從、注定尺軀隨遇,難許小霜一個世人眼中的安懿呢。」
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幾許清風過柳,阿綰邊用茶邊眺望著水中央的古亭:幔幔輕紗藏去了多少雙人脈脈的悸動、也許又見證了多少雙人靜靜的離散,日久以致泛黃。195Please respect copyright.PENANAMZBYCNNMcR
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尚是但願人長久的純真年歲,她不希望讓少女這樣早就受世間種種折磨至成熟——留於珏羅館當然不佳,可隨她四處飄泊、又怎談得上懿好呢?她雖出身滇西可尋,亦已經無法回去了。
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「可若然小霜樂意呢?」
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茶盡擱杯,璋桃緩緩問道。她看著身邊的滇西女子,如花似玉的容顏掛著脆弱的微笑,自識趣的打住了勸說。
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「即使那丫頭樂意……」195Please respect copyright.PENANAZl4N5Z2lIR
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阿綰扭首,遙看那不遠處湖畔曲水亭邊,少女頂著一絨桃花、穿著一身嫩粉衣裙,不由得放柔了琥珀色的目光。195Please respect copyright.PENANAaljdR3NueN
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適時少女看來,一笑嬌美可人,彷若初綻的桃花。
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「若真如此,愚娘、亦無從拒絕呢。」
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未幾茶冷,她攏收綠袖、莞爾笑說,稍斂的美眸有未聞名的心思流轉。195Please respect copyright.PENANAja5ITdh2ig
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還是、捨不得罷。
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「萬分是福,崔氏璋桃、拜謝相懿娘救命之恩。」
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湖光柳影,紫裳加身的妙齡女子覆掌肅拜,受拜的綠衫少婦只微笑扶人、輕拍那疊覆的雙手。
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世態炎涼,許些力所能及的溫暖吧。
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「來啊、阿拿們喝兩杯——!」「來,在下敬幾位!」
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幾聲朗笑自身後不遠處傳來,兩位女子因而回首,只見五六個男子聚於水邊亭上。當中三數人頭纏靛青布帕、頸上一圈明亮的銀環,顯然並非漢家中人;再細聽那豪氣的稱謂,自然不難猜出來客何鄉。
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舉杯叮噹響,是迎苗家客。
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「欵呢阿拿尤我說、代阿效好酒量!」「來!跟阿拿叔來一砸!」「欵欵欵小弟向來氣虛,怕是浪費了這一杆好煙了啦!」
195Please respect copyright.PENANAxCWoqHmsss
「虛到盡頭自然就會充實,子效你放心的用吧。話說槐兄,你就打算一直看戲?」
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「早在暹羅慣了用煙,余怕是不宜置喙。」195Please respect copyright.PENANAkJIc1oCjt8
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白煙間有著熟悉的香嗆,戌槐呼盡了煙息回了貴公子的話,轉而才向著曲水對岸的苗家俊小子笑說:「這煙醇厚,謝烏君分享。」
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「阿拿槐比代阿烏我所想的來得客氣多了。」「不過福緣所幸,有一大家相授以誠罷了。」
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「哦?今日那位阿雅(註一)亦有來?」195Please respect copyright.PENANAAZwdoiGZ6a
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眼見那身邊的香爐消散了煙息,阿烏自口袋裏翻出了數錐赭黃的檀香,放進香爐以火熠子燃點之。明明不涉人事,他的雙眼卻直盯著亭台的出口,像在守候著什麽客人。
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「有,她有來。」
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香息飄渺間,戌槐越說越輕,字句隨墨褐的目光飄遠到那樹白槐下,於那芳蹤已逝的湖畔流浪。未幾像是知道自己的注目失禮,他重吸了口煙後斂眸笑說:195Please respect copyright.PENANAYurPJnkBCX
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「姑娘自得其樂,余亦無謂打擾。余向來沒分寸慣了,煙酒過癮、姑娘多半不喜。」
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「那看來中原的酒不怎樣啊。」
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「缺了因緣可使暢飲,鳥兄自然覺得酒不怎樣啊。」195Please respect copyright.PENANAyqyMQ1LQ0L
195Please respect copyright.PENANAuilNpMMVLp
貫著損友的作派,蕭燊琪擱下煙斗,饒有興味地笑說:「正好上巳遇曲水,不如、流觴耍樂?」
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「咳—!蛤?!!!」「蛤?」「蛤?」
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那邊廂阿拿尤、阿拿叔聞言隨著子效的驚叫也一起蛤了起來。接著只見一雙上白下黑的足履離地數分,兩個苗家男子負著一臉懵的漢族男子,同走到那似蛇的曲水圈邊坐下,獨留一缺口方便眾人進出此亭。眼看同族男人淡定地笑著吸煙,暹羅男人笑著吐霧遞酒予漢族貴公子,他們也只有聳肩坐候。
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反正人在異鄉,有事先乾杯先蛤為敬就對了。
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「玩法十分簡單。」
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曲水中央的炙爐無物,貴公子往之放上煙斗,使勁一轉撥,趁因緣挑人間笑著解說:195Please respect copyright.PENANAyCDamS7ZBc
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「煙嘴向誰、誰先敬杯後出題,再斟而入水。杯落誰跟前,誰就應題或自罰三杯。所以槐兄,請吧。」
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乍暖還寒的天時,五個男人玩什麼才不掃興失禮?
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戌槐幾許沉思,眼前一杯佳釀未聞名,提之細聞、才知是甜甜的桃花。他不禁苦笑:「余出題,怕是有失各位男兒寄望……」
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下一刻有三位女子悠悠入席,填上了那聚會的缺口。一如幾日前的月夜,阿綰仍披著那身墨綠長衫,於西湖的春風間紋絲不動。
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「欵阿拿槐,趕緊出題啊……」
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「簡單。余引詩一段,中獎之人接下去。各位請聽。」195Please respect copyright.PENANAAY6yAKvMxq
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男人執杯、敬後而盡,接著不緩不急的溫聲頌吟起來:「知否用心如日月,許事則誓同生死?」
195Please respect copyright.PENANAAm8SNohxEt
詩詞兩句共十四字,座上眾人的目光隨酒杯於曲水間飄流。瓷杯隨水流輕轉,幾種眸色映於青白的瓷面。少女茫然、貴公子訕笑,苗家來客與漢家侍衛一起懵然搔頭,似乎只有他們在認真思索自己有否從哪裡聽過後兩句詩詞。
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「戌槐君、好文采。」195Please respect copyright.PENANAyiW0Mq5Klj
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曲水流觴多雅緻,阿綰用著暖茶,是以惟一未注目酒杯飄流之人。她聽進了那有所篡改的詩句,除了欣賞這順口改意的口才,只有無話。
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「多得可綰娘教導有方,余不敢忘卻絲毫。」
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驀地那茶杯一震,曲水上的酒杯轉進了最後的彎角。各種異樣的注視間他總算感覺到些許希望的溫暖,目光漸見灼灼;他多渴望能得她親覆、重新收留他的心……
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飄流驟止,那觴白瓷卻佇落一裳薰紫前。
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「真可惜戌槐君一番苦心美意,還請恕妾身大膽、順水領了。」
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璋桃淺笑,拱手微微一揖。接杯離水之際她悄悄看向了身邊的綠衫少婦,那身姿大氣,阿綰端坐著就像尊不受煙火的菩薩。195Please respect copyright.PENANAMPyDaQw8yX
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偏偏那釧遮傷的白玉早道盡了一切,她抬眸正視彼方那滿眼隱忍渴望的暹羅男人,莞爾吟道:195Please respect copyright.PENANAEznGP6ZlAY
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「感君美玉雙眸垂,惜不相逢、未約時。」
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午後靜好無聲。
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「……蛤?」「……蛤?」
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「到底在說什麼蛤……少、少夫人字字珠璣,在下都沒能想出來啦哈哈哈!」
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「早叫子效你平日好好讀書,好歹不用丟人啊。」蕭燊琪不住搖扇,扭頭再勾起道意味不明的笑:「槐兄,你說對嗎?」
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「機緣而已,余倒認為沒什麼丟不丟人。」195Please respect copyright.PENANA05ycOjlVlf
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只能對那十四字一笑置之,暹羅男人施一抱拳禮,亦不管是否於禮不合:「謝璋桃姑娘賜教,余、深受教誨。」
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「都到底發生什麼了呀……」
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「沒事,別擔心。」
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阿綰淺淺勾唇,入鼻的檀香澀苦,她仍不忘安撫身邊的少女小霜。真是無事,可亦只有她知道自己草率避過了。
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過往注定只可無事,不然該怎麽活下去呢?只好翻篇罷。
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「幾位興致在頭,妾身就無謂耽擱了。下回天選之人來出題罷,諸君公正請看——」
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戲局似已翻篇,璋桃優雅地斟上一酌,將那酌重新放到曲水間。同時那腕一轉,煙嘴又在選人了……
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「唉喲,現眼報啊。在下倒真沒什麼好點子啊——」
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煙口直指玉鯉,蕭燊琪邊笑邊執酒一盡。五指繞玩著酒杯,幾許他才再開口:195Please respect copyright.PENANAzt3h0ksTOf
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「蘇杭美人多彩聞名,那就請中選者許在下長長見識、看一回美人畫皮罷。」
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待續。
註一:阿雅:苗語「姊姊」之意。
ns 15.158.61.40da2