又一個忙收割的日子。綠油油的菜田,在村民的默默耕耘下,漸漸變得光禿禿的,清楚現出整齊有序的阡陌。閒時欣賞著這般光景,一大快事。但看在包大嬸眼內,卻是一幕嘲諷至極的畫面。人家收成了,而自己,今天尚未發巿!她又輕嘆一口氣。望向大路,平日吵吵鬧鬧的小孩子也不見蹤影。收割日子,連沒啥生產力的小孩子,亦獲家人分派輕便的工作。人家的開心事,卻害苦了她的生意。657Please respect copyright.PENANAmvnrX7Ylhd
657Please respect copyright.PENANAidAgjHJCKl
包大嬸,長得像個白饅頭,臉形方方長長的,皮膚白晳。眼小小,鼻圓圓,狀甚滑稽。身形圓鼓鼓的,但全身盡是鬆弛的肌肉,毫不結實,和她賣的餡包一樣,皮厚餡少。身上盡是灰調土調的粗糙棉質衣褲,鞋子用料比較好一點,比較柔軟,不會刮腳,夠她穿上十年八載。花白蓬鬆的旱髮盤成一隻大髻,用一隻木筷子固定在腦後。她老眼昏花,沒發現到筷子已然受潮、發霉。657Please respect copyright.PENANAorVW9qzcwV
657Please respect copyright.PENANA0c7pHNp0o4
記得,棧娘曾送她一支髮簪,但她拒絕了。總覺得,做生意的人不會如此慷慨,背後許是有甚麼陰謀。後來才發現,棧娘只是慷他人之慨,將客人不要的小物送給有需要的村民。包大嬸十分後悔。那髮簪雖沒啥款式,但至少不是筷子。若果當時棧娘堅持一點,強把髮簪塞到她手心,或許她真的會逼於無奈收下啊!對!都是棧娘的錯,不夠堅持,令她只能用木筷子,看來惹笑。657Please respect copyright.PENANAzQPjaqN9FM
657Please respect copyright.PENANAJuLIIy0Z8p
越想越氣,包大嬸最後忍不住提早打烊,到客棧那邊去。去幹啥?她不知道,就是想去。或許,光是坐在店裡,已能沾一點旺氣,帶到包攤去。對!搶走她旺氣!657Please respect copyright.PENANABn1XgSlyfZ
657Please respect copyright.PENANAQWkrOdAd35
客棧開業五年,這是包大嬸頭一遍踏入客棧,對裝潢甚為驚訝。棧娘竟會如此捨得花錢!磚瓦樑柱都用上中等料子,能抵禦數年一次的暴風雨;店內裝飾沒有統一風格。風格迴異的裝飾品湊搭起來,卻沒有違和感。富有民族色彩的彩色圖案布氈、十字型的擺設、猴子頭骨、西域的琉璃燈罩、以動物內臟製成的水袋、色彩斑斕的油畫…包羅萬有,感覺奇妙。657Please respect copyright.PENANAuv8EwFcDgf
657Please respect copyright.PENANA6DLscylCfa
甫坐下,店小二立即奉上清水一杯,有禮地問包大嬸想要甚麼小菜。她支支吾吾,答不出來:她沒想過要在這兒花一分一毫。幸好,她及時想出一個很不賴的借口,立即換上豪客該有的氣派:「我的朋友到來後,才喚你來下單。」店小二沒法子,皺了皺眉,走開。657Please respect copyright.PENANAiYg2Diybnu
657Please respect copyright.PENANAc6RT1b3hUC
包大嬸假裝喝水,暗中觀察某枱旅客和棧娘的互動。說笑聊天,不亦樂乎。興起之時,旅客們甚至邀棧娘同坐一枱,邊吃小菜,邊分享旅途上的奇聞。不知不覺間,包大嬸竟忘了滿腔怒氣,聽得著迷。657Please respect copyright.PENANASnKKIhA493
657Please respect copyright.PENANAyOVXNKHxQf
後來,他們談及駱駝。這種動物,包大嬸一早聽遠住北部地區的遠房親戚講過。駱駝是一種背部腫起兩大塊的長毛馬,喝很多水,但尿液濃稠,糞便乾硬得可以作生火燃料…她自問對駱駝的認識比一般人多。657Please respect copyright.PENANA8RR4icpngD
657Please respect copyright.PENANARRrLuG0f95
聽著聽著,有點兒不對勁。怎麼他們講的駱駝是「腫一塊」的?哈!她明白了!他們都是一知半解的門外漢!657Please respect copyright.PENANADCaRpvutcN
657Please respect copyright.PENANAFGbkFdrNsY
包大嬸馬上招搖地大步走向他們那一桌,清清嗓子,指著他們,朗聲道:「你們定是未親眼見過駱駝!」全場鴉雀無聲。店小二和附近幾枱食客的目光,不約而同聚在她身上。感覺良好,就像採藥的林老頭一樣見多識廣,可以教訓這群不懂裝懂的傢伙。「駱駝的背,都是腫起兩大塊的!」然後繪聲繪影,指手劃腳,將她所知道的駱駝描述出來。657Please respect copyright.PENANAUen1NV0mMu
657Please respect copyright.PENANAWafHeN4wfC
不知道駱駝的食客,可輕易憑她生動的形容,想像出駱駝的模樣,驚訝面前這村姑如此有見識;知道駱駝的人,不難從她的說話中找出破綻,知道她只是個幸運的道聽途說之徒。有幸聽到頗為準確的資料,有幸遇到不打算戳破她的人。657Please respect copyright.PENANAbGL664rgyj
657Please respect copyright.PENANAWhNOms4TCD
漸漸地,大家的焦點,由有關駱駝的事情,轉移至包大嬸本人。高漲情緒使然,包大嬸的臉越發通紅,聲線越見急促,雙手的比劃動作亦越見誇張。望著她,是一種娛樂。眾人臉上不自已露出由心而發的笑容。657Please respect copyright.PENANA82WwIkMlCa
657Please respect copyright.PENANAX8AG53wBxK
講完,掌聲雷動。見勢頭大好,氣喘不已的包大嬸為免失威,明明早已緊張得手腳無力,也還強撐下去,露出一個神氣笑容,大搖大擺回到自己那一桌。坐下,待大家沒再留意她時,馬上命店小二拿水來解渴。657Please respect copyright.PENANAF8pRE97jiy
657Please respect copyright.PENANAnCqkDlI3fQ
待了一會,端水來的不是店小二,而是棧娘。除了水,她還拿來一小包東西。「剛才的旅客說,這包東西是送給我們的,希望我們能一起分掉。」包大嬸很興奮,二話不說,搶先動手解開小包上的繩結。657Please respect copyright.PENANAQFJZpC4tUn
657Please respect copyright.PENANA812X2MQOvy
率先映入眼簾的,是兩張用木相框裱起了的照片,一張是影有單峰駱駝,另一張則是雙峰駱駝。棧娘雙眼發亮。照片是近年在大城富戶間流行起來的西洋玩意,少在平民間流傳。雖不時有旅客拿出照片給她欣賞,但多是人像攝影,少有影動物牲畜的。這兩張照片,難得。657Please respect copyright.PENANASrejBGgYLi
657Please respect copyright.PENANAbus4EOBNsY
包大嬸沒望過棧娘手中的鬼東西半眼,一眼看上小包內的髮簪。「我要這個!」她不客氣地拿起那廉價的髮簪,插在大髻上,哈哈大笑起來。笑棧娘手腳慢,留不住好東西。做人,千萬不能吃虧。
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門外芸芸眾生說-短篇小說系列
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門外芸芸眾生說-短篇小說系列
Author:
天洛卡
ISSUE #7
包大嬸/棧娘
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