冬日,藍天,小雪。315Please respect copyright.PENANAKkV0pEfsqY
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空氣乾冷,每次呼吸都會令肺部生起輕微灼痛之感。315Please respect copyright.PENANAuxFdczKEzJ
315Please respect copyright.PENANAZKkpPTOTuu
帶娣不期然騰出手來,將掩鼻布巾稍稍拉整,以保存溫熱濕潤的鼻息。315Please respect copyright.PENANAcstk7OqRuq
315Please respect copyright.PENANABXN8y7iNQ4
「若有快馬一匹,那該多好!」她心想。雖說不是弱質纖纖大家閨秀,但背負整整一籃子大蘿蔔在寒冬雪地上陡步行走於她亦是一件苦事。315Please respect copyright.PENANAZSPfMEZDK4
315Please respect copyright.PENANAqeNlmVMFe9
「小姐。」忽爾有道男聲叫住帶娣:「有興趣占卦嗎?」315Please respect copyright.PENANAfgco3yBOTT
315Please respect copyright.PENANAFyL1kgxgjw
帶娣循聲望去,只見不遠處梅樹下有一老者正在向她點首微笑。沒有回應的必要,但帶娣自然而然地回了句:「不了。沒錢。」315Please respect copyright.PENANAPQNs3TfHHZ
315Please respect copyright.PENANAKLrVNKl7IO
「免費的。」老者沒有絲毫不悅,掏扇撥涼。315Please respect copyright.PENANAAV5W5ndTpp
315Please respect copyright.PENANAGThcDGxc8l
「那麼好?」帶娣生起戒心——世上哪可能有這麼便宜的事情?315Please respect copyright.PENANAGS31roJABO
315Please respect copyright.PENANA8MhmCNJwCd
「占卦師乃天界人間之橋樑,工作不外乎『為凡人找答案』和『為天界傳遞訊息』。」光頭紅頰白長鬚的老者笑意盈盈,遠看活像寺廟神像。315Please respect copyright.PENANAKKlWIodm1g
315Please respect copyright.PENANA0261KcnB9e
「我沒需要找答案。」帶娣斷言拒絕,再次開步。315Please respect copyright.PENANAunSnNjW4XS
315Please respect copyright.PENANAseJwmKivgH
「但天界託我傳訊息給你。」老者不急不躁,語速不徐不疾:「關於你的終身大事。」315Please respect copyright.PENANA0KR7HdI7GV
315Please respect copyright.PENANA1VABhiNaYV
這話正中帶娣下懷——終身大事!315Please respect copyright.PENANACL2NNEDWiM
315Please respect copyright.PENANAAJ7qvdSWjF
農村女大多十三、十四歲時出嫁,以早日生孩子,為夫家提供更多工作人口。而且農村人自知身份卑微,對成親對象沒多要求,只消四肢健全、頭腦正常、能夠正常工作,再醜再窮亦不會乏人問津。315Please respect copyright.PENANAuSGGWD2vGA
315Please respect copyright.PENANAXTm2BZk3DW
但單身的帶娣下個月將要踏入十九歲!315Please respect copyright.PENANAWVJFyPvUUk
315Please respect copyright.PENANAOUd8JpTGiT
怎麼會無人提親?不知有多少鄉里背著她議論紛紛,甚至有人已認定帶娣是個不祥人,有意無意疏遠她、孤立她……315Please respect copyright.PENANA8XAcbp0RGv
315Please respect copyright.PENANAtmqpJMTYwD
帶娣神色緊張,急步走向老者,恭敬奉上三條大蘿蔔:「請你為我占卦吧。」315Please respect copyright.PENANA6rxkvIZlWv
往大城路上,帶娣不斷思索手中籤文之意。老者不予解釋,只給她一張籤文,奈何她目不識丁,村內又無人識字,那可怎麼辦?苦惱之際,她驀地發覺自己已到達目的地——大城市集。315Please respect copyright.PENANATWTRKUFHp2
315Please respect copyright.PENANAp23eWfrfbi
她千里迢迢到大城來就是為了賣出大蘿蔔。老爹種蘿蔔很有一手,尺寸大、水份足、味清甜,每年都能賣得好價錢,賺來的錢足夠買下過冬糧食和一條肥豬肉。她努力叫賣。蘿蔔的好有目共睹,可惜今年經濟不景氣,人人都想年末多留一分錢在口袋,不停雞蛋裡挑骨頭,務求低價買蘿蔔。帶娣見怪不怪,沒有退讓,確保了收入,卻增加了賣蘿蔔所需時間。315Please respect copyright.PENANAOQRNBy8aBy
315Please respect copyright.PENANAieXO0fpy9u
蘿蔔賣清光時,天色已黑,大多店鋪已打烊。帶娣苦苦掙扎於該否連夜冒險趕路回家,翌日再來大城買東西,抑或花點小錢到客棧投宿,翌日買糧食後踏上歸途……忽爾靈機一觸,決定到寺廟借宿。315Please respect copyright.PENANAoZnnOjKA5T
315Please respect copyright.PENANA2NVvVx7Vme
天氣極寒,寺廟擠滿前來借宿的無家可歸者。寺廟住持命人為大家生火取暖,還提供一頓免費齋菜給大家充飢。帶娣留意到角落有一位看似讀書人的小伙子,連忙厚著臉皮上前請他解籤。315Please respect copyright.PENANADC1Xf8NCvB
315Please respect copyright.PENANA7G5DkROHcw
讀書人聽原委、接籤文,先是一呆,繼而一笑:「籤文說,小寒當日,你的真命天子會出現在梅花樹下。」315Please respect copyright.PENANAiIFMMjxJkC
315Please respect copyright.PENANAJSgCGN4kt5
「哪棵梅花樹?甚麼時辰?他是誰?甚麼樣子?我們是否會馬上成婚?」帶娣求嫁之心洋溢於表,忘形緊扯著讀書人衣袖不放手。315Please respect copyright.PENANAwjpVr4ZjZh
315Please respect copyright.PENANAj8SYYP9h9x
「籤文沒有提及。不然你試想想有沒有哪棵梅花樹於你有特別意義。」讀書人眉頭輕皺,擔心帶娣會扯破他的衣服。315Please respect copyright.PENANAzUftOZg7J6
315Please respect copyright.PENANADj5A2j1EoH
占卦老者不就是站於梅花樹下麼?難道是那棵樹?一定是!315Please respect copyright.PENANAs1D30ZvVgP
315Please respect copyright.PENANA2wtXSEfE7z
帶娣大喜,連聲謝過讀書人。315Please respect copyright.PENANAT7EIPCITZR
回家以後,帶娣一直心心念念小寒當日將會出現的那抹身影。神不守舍,工作頻頻犯錯,招致金錢損失。老爹問清緣故後悖然大怒:「你這笨蛋!怎麼會相信占卦這回事?動動腦筋吧!」315Please respect copyright.PENANAsgb6bu7BwY
315Please respect copyright.PENANAZUaxu2kJq8
罵聲震天,吵得鄰居們清楚聽到對話內容。帶娣成為村中笑柄,人人皆拿她當笑料。自尊受損,帶娣提不起勁工作,乾脆窩在家裡呆等小寒到來。315Please respect copyright.PENANAeZU6YwCpDG
315Please respect copyright.PENANAqy57GNdM1l
顏面受損,加上帶娣不願工作,老爹對帶娣更是沒甚麼好臉色。某夜,老爹再次因瑣碎小事對帶娣大發脾氣。盛怒之下,他失控暴打帶娣。帶娣咬緊牙關,不吭一聲,雙臂抱頭護著臉蛋,心中只求不要被打得臉青鼻腫,以免在真命天子心中留下不好印象。315Please respect copyright.PENANAFYSj8xIp9w
315Please respect copyright.PENANAdqLg1P8HIJ
踏入亥時,帶娣所有家人已倒頭大睡。她抵著劇痛起床,匆匆梳洗打扮,披上厚衣離家,趕在子時之前到達梅花樹下。315Please respect copyright.PENANAMjMTlmCJxo
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寒。315Please respect copyright.PENANAnQILYTKT8V
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「小寒」標誌著開始進入一年中最寒冷的日子,奈何身寒不及心寒。315Please respect copyright.PENANA2VMf8W4BTw
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對方會出現嗎?315Please respect copyright.PENANA40gDlJ7594
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「會。」她再三告訴自己,強要自己堅持下去。315Please respect copyright.PENANAnlVop1eprZ
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對方會嫌棄她是窮困潦倒的大齡農家女嗎?315Please respect copyright.PENANAeX2nSiHNRT
315Please respect copyright.PENANARCgYoswb6H
「不會。」她不停催眠自己,未來夫君定會待她如珠如寶。315Please respect copyright.PENANAChbJGo5xKH
315Please respect copyright.PENANAz3OWFe3DVU
身體的痛、環境的寒和內心對幸福愛情的憧憬形成強烈對比,她的思緒於希望與失望之間來回跳躍。忐忑、不安、未知將她情緒推向極致。不可以!她誓要把眼淚強忍下來——總不能甫見面就哭得一塌糊塗。315Please respect copyright.PENANA10t2Mt9dQo
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痛。315Please respect copyright.PENANAliCYCdLZFp
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頭痛欲裂。後腦剛才被老爹重擊過,加上此刻寒風吹襲,受傷位置彷如被巨石擠壓,思緒漸見不清。315Please respect copyright.PENANA56QP3p8cYx
315Please respect copyright.PENANACqQDd5vAwP
這棵樹?那棵樹?哪棵才是籤文所講的梅花樹?315Please respect copyright.PENANAoblheSKPQ4
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有可能趕在子時(一天中第一個時辰)前去到嗎?315Please respect copyright.PENANAZTb3odyXIE
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若果遲到,對方會否離開,不再出現?315Please respect copyright.PENANAauJmlzhvRi
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絕望。315Please respect copyright.PENANA5Gx7O9Djpa
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帶娣意識到自己沒可能在一片樹林中找到那棵樹。315Please respect copyright.PENANAEKd5ZKIOyO
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跌坐地上,哭。315Please respect copyright.PENANAdbJ2zK8SDM
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撕心裂肺。315Please respect copyright.PENANANFCMwj9rJP
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颯颯風中,倏忽聽見杳杳嗓音:「你在找我嗎?」315Please respect copyright.PENANATaxekCdwP9
315Please respect copyright.PENANAR7Sr7nikFR
帶娣抬頭,驚見不遠處聳立一棵參天梅花樹。她連忙止住哭聲,撐起身子往梅花樹跑去。315Please respect copyright.PENANA9xOxIDYl3x
315Please respect copyright.PENANAKj3IHgvWLX
樹下有人影。對方面朝前方、背對她。帶娣不假思索,衝前從後環抱對方。對方沒有掙扎,轉過身來將她擁入懷裡。帶娣哭,哭中帶笑,笑容裡滿是幸福快樂:「是真的!真的有人會愛我!」315Please respect copyright.PENANAxakJ5axtnM
315Please respect copyright.PENANA7xEF57bu39
她抬起頭,想要看看真命天子的臉。誰料天上繁星突然變亮,星光耀眼得她再也睜不開眼……315Please respect copyright.PENANA9EcgdirXy6
日。眾人在樹林中找到她的遺體。315Please respect copyright.PENANAW6y8Z7fCHh
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老爹呼天搶地,自責對帶娣動粗。315Please respect copyright.PENANACUPAXMpWL6
315Please respect copyright.PENANA83J4WBGQQB
村民口頭上紛表惋措,說帶娣其實是個很不錯的女生。315Please respect copyright.PENANAiU4heaeYTY
315Please respect copyright.PENANAB8q4A6P3G2
讀書人從寺廟住持口中聽見帶娣死訊,暗忖:「那農婦真笨,竟會相信鬼神之說!」315Please respect copyright.PENANAxdM399MyNX
315Please respect copyright.PENANAf9TknoFmmC
老者從路人口中聽見帶娣遭遇,心裡發笑:「她真笨!我為了騙幾個大蘿蔔而亂寫一通,怎麼她會相信?」315Please respect copyright.PENANAY1dB22MW7I