Chapter 4 Chapter 3 An Altar in the Moonlight

The moonlight was shining on a tent in the mountains, where Liu Sheng and Professor Xu had fallen asleep.Outside the tent was a pile of fires that had been extinguished, and there were wisps of smoke from unburned branches, like an altar under the moonlight.Hu Laoer sleeps in a hammock suspended in the air. Between two trees, this rope net woven with thick ropes has been with Hu Laoer for three years. He used it to sleep in the mountains where he hunted and killed black bears. The three men who had climbed the mountains all day from Windmoving now slept in the folds of the mountains, their ambitions and longings soothed by the moonlight.This is Tianji Mountain. It places Fengdong Town at the bottom of the valley, but it rises infinitely. Above 5,000 meters above sea level, it is the top of the mountain covered with snow all the year round.Due to the harsh climate, no human footprints have been left on these ice and snow.If there is a god standing on the top of the mountain and looking down, he will find that below the snow line, the trees gradually change from coniferous to broad-leaved, and halfway down the mountain, it is now summer, and the two men sleeping in the tent are coming out. They were sweating because they sealed the tent too tightly for fear of snakes sneaking in.

Liu Sheng smelled the smell of blood in the sweltering heat. He probed his head and saw the wreckage of a car at the foot of the cliff, beside the bloody Ai Nan.She died, and Liu Sheng wanted to cry out in grief, but his throat was blocked and he couldn't make a sound.At this time, he saw an old woman with a cane appearing at the bottom of the cliff. The old woman walked up to Ai Nan, lightly helped Ai Nan up, carried Ai Nan on her back, and walked towards a dense forest step by step. ... "Ah——" A loud cry finally erupted from Liu Sheng's throat. He woke up, and Professor Xu who was sleeping in the tent was startled and sat up.He told the professor about the nightmare he just had. Both of them had sweat on their foreheads. Professor Xu suggested to stay outside the tent for a while.

It's much cooler outside.The moonlight was hazy, except for the surrounding trees and rocks, the entire Tianji Mountain seemed to be evaporated by the moonlight. "You love your wife very much." Professor Xu explained Liu Sheng's dream. "That's why you are always worried about her safety, that's why you have such a dream. This kind of dream releases your inner tension." "Really?" Liu Sheng glanced at the elder who was over 60 years old, "The scene of the car accident is the impression I left on the way here, but what does it mean that the old woman appeared in the dream? She is like a ghost. It's like carrying Ai Nan away."

"It's not clear yet." Professor Xu took out a cigarette, handed Liu Sheng one, and said, "That old woman in Fengdong Town scared you and Ai Nan into yelling in the room last night." Liu Sheng felt chills down his spine: "From this dream, will Ai Nan be hurt?" "Don't be superstitious." Professor Xu took a puff of cigarette, and the smoke disturbed the moonlight on his face, "Although you accidentally broke into the old woman's house and took some of her hair, nothing bad will happen Yes, don't listen to what the locals say, saying that outsiders will get into trouble if they offend a dead old woman."

"However, why did this old woman die without rot after three years of death?" Liu Sheng glanced at the hammock not far away after speaking, as if he wanted to wake up Hu Lao Er who was sleeping in the shadows and also come to participate in the discussion, so he felt at ease. .Hu Lao Er told Liu Sheng last night when he delivered the hair that he burned a stick of incense in the main room after entering the old woman's house, and he said that the old woman might not blame him for taking some of her hair. At this moment, Hu Lao Er, who was sleeping in the hammock, was not awakened by their voices.The vengeful man is gathering his strength to challenge the black bear who killed his wife at any time.For three years, he closed the blacksmith shop, and except for planting some corn on the slopes, the rest of the time was spent in the search for revenge.

Professor Xu is a professor after all. His explanation for the old woman's death is that firstly, the old woman's stomach and intestines are very clean. It is said that she didn't eat much a month before her death; secondly, her house is on a dry and sunny slope. .Under such conditions, it is not mysterious that she gradually became a mummy after death.It's like a fossil. It's been hundreds of millions of years. Why do you say that those fish and bees are still preserved in the rock? There are many factors involved. People are most concerned about their own affairs. Professor Xu never stopped talking about fossils, completely forgetting that Liu Sheng under the moonlight was worried about Ai Nan's safety.Ai Nan hadn't gotten up when he set out yesterday morning, so he just asked him how long it would take to go to the mountain. He said that no matter whether he could find fossils of paleontology, he would only go for two days, because the idiot would send her father off after two days. When the tombstone comes, he must rush back.Thinking of the nightmare just now, Liu Sheng began to regret leaving Ai Nan alone in Fengdong Town.

After dawn, the three men who were submerged in the mountains continued on their way.Liu Sheng walked last with the folded tent and dry food on his back. In front of him was Professor Xu, who was carrying a water bottle and a satchel, which contained a small hammer and chisel, which were tools for beating rocks.In front is Hu Laoer, who is carrying a spear like a native from a certain tribe. They didn't go up any further, but started to detour around the mountainside, because Liu Sheng asked to go back to Fengdong Town before dark today.Professor Xu was not satisfied. He said that he had never walked so far up the mountain alone before, and he thought that if he walked up the mountain again, he might be able to find ancient fossils.

Professor Xu's physical strength surprised Liu Sheng. He is 62 years old, his hair has started to grey, but his body is very strong. Sometimes he pats Liu Sheng's stomach with his hands and says, when you are middle-aged, you have to exercise more to make your already protruding belly Just keep practicing.Look at you, out of breath, not as good as an old man like me. Although Professor Xu is a literati, he became obsessed with Taijiquan when he was exploring classical culture. For more than 20 years, he must practice this kind of mysterious boxing every day——rise up, inhale deeply at the dantian, bend his legs, and do it with both hands. Holding a ball, turning around, swiping both arms, wild horses parting their manes, white cranes spreading their wings, with every move, there is a sudden sense of wind and water in the world.Last night outside the tent, Liu Sheng saw his performance, and for the first time, he had a strong interest in this kind of ancient boxing that he didn't care about.He thought that after working for another ten years and saving money to buy an independent villa, it would be very enjoyable to play Tai Chi in the garden.Of course, if we can find paleontological fossils this time, then the villa can come earlier. It is not easy to get a few more pieces of ancient fossils that are priceless and exchange them for a villa. Thinking of this, Liu Sheng's heart beat a few times. , Ai Nan doesn't have to think about clients all day long, it would be great to be a gentle housewife in the villa.When entertaining guests on weekends, she is radiant in a noble long dress, reflecting the dignity of the villa's host.

Liu Sheng was wandering on the mountain road, and Professor Xu's shout brought him back to his senses. "We have to go there!" Professor Xu pointed to the rock wall not far away.It was a blue-gray rock wall. Professor Xu said that this kind of rock wall is very likely to contain ancient fossils.It is a kind of stratified rock with a structure like a thousand-layer cake. It is commonly known as "thousand volumes book" among the people.There is no need to use hammers and chisels for this kind of rock, as long as you pick it with your hands, it will fall off one layer.And the ancient creatures embedded in it are on this stone slice, which has been integrated with the stone.

Liu Sheng felt his eyes brighten. The rock wall shining brightly from the sun was not far above his head.But how to get there?Hu Er Er, you have to show me the way. Hu Lao Er was naked from the upper body, his skin was as black and shiny as if he had oiled it on.He glanced at the direction of the mountain and the bushes, and only uttered three words from his two thick lips: "Follow me." There was no way to get close to the rock wall. They grabbed the roots and grass leaves and climbed slowly. Fortunately, there was still a place to stand when they climbed the rock wall.Professor Xu tapped on the rock wall with a small hammer like a woodpecker, put his face close to the rock for a long time, and finally shook his head in disappointment.

They continued to go down the mountain, but instead of returning from the same way they went up the mountain yesterday, they chose another direction to go down the mountain.In this way, whether it is for the discovery of ancient fossils or the discovery of black bears, there is an additional opportunity. However, Liu Sheng has noticed that Professor Xu and Hu Laoer often have disputes when choosing the mountain path.Professor Xu likes to go to places with steep rock walls; while Hu Laoer tends to go to places that are gentler and have woods, because there are more likely to be black bears.The same situation is that Professor Xu's eyes are always gliding around on the exposed rocks; while Hu Laoer is often hunched over, looking for the footprints or feces of black bears on the grassy slope path.Professor Xu muttered to Liu Sheng that next time he went up the mountain, he didn't need to be led by Mr. Hu.People have their own aspirations, so it is very awkward to go the same way.The professor said that as long as they have Liu Sheng as their companion, they can go a long way. Unexpectedly, the professor's wish to separate from Hu Lao Er immediately became a reality.Hu Laoer found black bear feces on a slope. He bent down to identify it carefully for a while, his eyes sparkled with excitement.It's the poop left by black bears!He said that the black bear had just passed by here not long ago, and he judged that the black bear was going up the mountain.In this way, they broke up, and Mr. Hu walked up another narrow path up the mountain with his spear on his shoulder.When we parted, Liu Sheng threw the dry food bag to him, and he reached out to catch it, and smiled at Liu Sheng and Professor Xu, with the look of a warrior about to enter the arena. "That black bear is going to be unlucky." Professor Xu said to Liu Sheng, "He has been looking for it for three years, just to end its life." It is said that when Hu Lao Er found the body of his wife who was bitten to death by a black bear on the mountain three years ago, he stabbed himself on the arm on the spot and swore to the mountain that he would kill the black bear.There is only this notorious black bear in this area. Many mountain people have been frightened by it. Even the herbal pickers who go up the mountain carry an iron rod, saying that there is a soft fur paw from the back to your shoulder. Don't look back when you're on it, as soon as you look back, it will bite your throat.The method at this time is, when you feel something warm from your back on your shoulders, hit your back with an iron rod without even looking at it, and then quickly run away from the black bear.It's a pity that Hu Laoer's wife doesn't understand these things. This mountain girl has only been married to Fengdong Town for more than 10 days, and she went to the mountain to collect herbs before the newlywed bed was warm.She was too virtuous and wanted to share some of Hu Lao Er's life. She died so pitifully.Therefore, when Professor Xu reminded Mr. Hu that hunting black bears was illegal, Mr. Hu stiffened his neck and said, life for life is justified! After breaking up with Hu Lao Er, Liu Sheng followed Professor Xu down the mountain.The so-called mountain roads are actually some traces stepped on by the herb pickers, faintly emerging among the weeds and bushes. "Can you find the way down the mountain?" Liu Sheng was a little worried. Professor Xu said that he had gone up the mountain many times and had already gained experience, so Liu Sheng could just rest assured that there would be no problem in rushing back to Fengdong Town before dark. The sun had already disappeared into the dark clouds, and the light in the mountains where the climate had changed suddenly dimmed. In the afternoon, a few groups of dark clouds flew over Fengdong Town, but it didn't rain. It was like a passerby holding a black umbrella in the sky. After overlooking Fengdong Town, he hurried up the mountain.The photographer told Ai Nan that the rain was falling into the mountainside.Boss Wan said that if the black cloud fell to Fengdong Town, it would be rain, but if it fell to the mountain, it would be a ghost.Ai Nan wanted to laugh, this medicinal herb dealer is really a bit evil, maybe because he has heard too many strange rumors brought by the medicine diggers from the mountains. At that time, Ai Nan, the photographer and Boss Wan were standing on the slope outside the nursing home. When they looked up, they saw a few groups of dark clouds flying.Boss Wan was just buying some top-quality cordyceps. He hurriedly asked a photographer to take pictures—put the caterpillar fungus on the stone, and took the photo with Tianji Mountain as the background.Boss Wan said that this kind of caterpillar fungus is more expensive than gold, so he took a photo as a souvenir.However, Boss Wan quickly said that this was nothing. When he bought the century-old ginseng, he would not only take pictures of it, but also entertain everyone in Fengdong Town.He said that he has been waiting here for seven or eight years, and his dream will definitely come true. The photographer patted Boss Wan, a skinny old man, on the shoulder and said that if he could find a century-old ginseng, even if he left Fengdong Town, he would rush back from anywhere to celebrate.He also said that he had made such a commitment to Professor Xu, and the fossils he found would also become his still life photography works. "It's time for them to come back." Ai Nan looked at the dark clouds that were mysteriously wandering away, and worried for Liu Sheng and Professor Xu who had been in the mountain for two days. However, until dark, there was no sound of returnees' footsteps in the silent courtyard of the nursing home.Sitting under the eaves, the photographer looked at the weeds and plantains in the yard and said to Ai Nan in the house: "Don't worry, they have Hu Lao Er to lead the way, and nothing will happen." At the moment, the photographer is a little distracted.While comforting Ai Nan, he conceived his own photography works.This will be a shocking work. Its inspiration came from last night. When a perfect female body appeared in the water, he suddenly thought of the dead but not 80-year-old old woman. He thought that if time goes back Sixty years ago, isn't that dry old woman exactly the plump appearance in the pond now?The creative inspiration at this moment is a kind of calcium carbide fire. The photographer saw a vivid young female body lying side by side with the mummy. This painting is enough to shock people's vision and soul. This will be an immortal photography work .However, how did he achieve this work? Is it okay to find the woman in the pond to collaborate on the filming?The photographer immediately denied it.Last night, when he and Ai Nan saw the woman bathing in the pond from the bushes, he quickly recognized that this person was Miss Fern, who came back from the railway on the other side of the mountain with the group of men who specialize in picking up trains. up.The photographer hurriedly pulled Ai Nan who was in the bushes back.If Sister Fern found out that he was peeking at her taking a bath, she would not only kill his head but also cut off his eyes.Asking her to be a model to shoot with a dead old woman is simply a desperate idea. Now, the ecstasy-like quadrangle in the nursing home is entering the night, and Sister Fern and the group of men must be drinking and having fun again in the southernmost courtyard.They clapped their hands and sang with the noise of the mountain people, and the fern girl danced like a fire, the mountain girl who had run away from the circus back to Windmoving and loved to dance when she drank. "What are you thinking about?" Ai Nan came out of the house and asked the photographer sitting under the eaves.Liu Sheng and Professor Xu hadn't come back after dark, so the photographer had no choice but to accompany the frightened Ai Nan.He sits outside to conceive his work. "I was thinking, Fengdong Town is really a magical place. The landslide buried the road out of the mountain. It is God's will that we stay here for a while." The photographer sat in the shadows under the porch, his face was darkened by the His beard was blurred in the night, and only his eyes glowed with some passion.He looked at Ai Nan who came out of the light in the room. He seemed to know this woman from Shanghai—similar to those white-collar women he met in Beijing. , Also secretly proud of his status in the crowd.She and her husband Liu Sheng are the same kind of people, and from an artistic point of view, photographers have no interest in this kind of people.However, Ai Nan is an exception. There is always some kind of magnetic field in her that attracts photographers.But the photographer thought again, maybe it was because he had stayed in the mountains for a long time, and it was the breath of civilization that touched him. There was a noise coming from a corner of the nursing home, it was Sister Fern and the group of carjackers drinking and having fun.They must gain a lot from this attack.Liu Sheng and Professor Xu haven't come back yet, have they gained anything?Paleontological fossils!Ai Nan recalled that when Liu Sheng mentioned it, there was a light in Liu Sheng's eyes when he was in love with her, as if he could rule something if he had this treasure. But the fact is that Liu Sheng and Professor Xu came back empty-handed at 10 o'clock at night.Hu Lao Er went to hunt down the black bear alone, and they lost their way when they went down the mountain, and they were thankful to be able to come back in the dark.This is also thanks to Professor Xu's sense of direction. If Liu Sheng is alone, he won't be trapped on the mountain and be eaten by wild beasts. "It's a big cloud that made us dizzy." Liu Sheng said to Ai Nan while sitting by the bed after taking a bath in the pond. Liu Sheng said that when the dark clouds covered, the light in the mountains dimmed, and the air was filled with the smell of rain.Suddenly, both he and Professor Xu saw a house appearing under the cliff.Professor Xu said that the rain is no small matter, let's go to the ordinary people's house to hide.They went around down the cliff, and in front of them was a courtyard wall covered with grass, with the wooden door half-closed.When they went into the yard, they saw an old woman spinning under the eaves, using an old hand spinning wheel.They explained their purpose, and the old woman brought out bamboo chairs for them to sit under the eaves.At this time, the heavy rain really came down, and the surrounding forests turned into a big "booming" loudspeaker, and people had to raise their voices to speak. The old woman couldn't understand their purpose of going into the mountains, so she said to herself that they went into the mountains to dig the caterpillar fungus, and then said that they were businessmen who bought mountain products.Travel, travel, Liu Sheng explained repeatedly, but the old lady couldn't understand this word at all.She said that her son went to the top of the mountain to dig Cordyceps a few days ago, and it will take ten and a half months to come back. At this time, a clear and clear child's voice came from the corner of the steps: "Grandma, I'm hungry." "It's not dark yet, why are you hungry? You died from starvation, didn't you?" the old woman cursed viciously. Liu Sheng turned his head and saw a little girl over 3 years old sitting on the threshold. She was wearing a red floral dress. Isn't this wheat? "Is this your little granddaughter?" Liu Sheng asked in surprise. The old woman said coldly: "This is the doll my son picked up on the road. A few days ago, my son went shopping in Wushanping, and on the way back, he picked up this lost money. What are you doing when you come back? My son said that she is so pitiful. Let’s save some cornbread and feed her. My son is soft-hearted and there is nothing he can do.” Liu Sheng walked up to the little girl, knelt down and called, "Maizi, do you still know me?" The little girl shook her head, then suddenly got up from the threshold, turned and ran into the dark room. "Did you see Maizi?" Ai Nan shouted after hearing Liu Sheng's speech, "Why didn't you bring her here?" Liu Sheng was puzzled by Ai Nan's attitude: "She doesn't know me. Or, she is not the little girl we met." "How could she not know you? She hates you!" Ai Nan panted, "You ignored her after she got into our car. You are so annoying!" Liu Sheng was puzzled by Ai Nan's eagerness and anger.He said don't worry, the child may really be a ghost, and the old woman who spins the thread is also a ghost, and her yard and house don't exist at all! Liu Sheng said that the rain in the mountains is like someone pouring a basin of water from a high place, and it stops as soon as it stops.He and Professor Xu left the hospital and continued on their way. Not long after they left, Professor Xu found that his kettle had been left by the old woman.Originally, it was fine to lose a kettle, but the professor said no, he had to go back and find it.It turned out that his wife gave him the water bottle. His wife is a Buddhist believer. The first pot of water he took with him before leaving was his wife who went to the temple and asked a monk to consecrate it, saying that it would keep him safe.The professor and his wife have been married for nearly forty years, and they have a very good relationship, as evidenced by the professor's insistence on getting the kettle back. Liu Sheng had no choice but to accompany the professor to look for the kettle. However, a terrible thing happened. They walked back the same way and turned around a few times. There was no yard or house at all.The sun has come out again. Apart from rocks, weeds, snakes and bright fungi, not even a single corn can be planted in this mountain range. How can there be people living there? "Hurry up, did you find the kettle?" Ai Nan couldn't bear it anymore, her heart was tightening, and goose bumps appeared on her arms. Liu Sheng shook his head.He pulled Ai Nan to the side of the bed and sat down, hugged her tightly and said, "Ai Nan, forget about this little girl. I know, since you had the induced labor three years ago, you have been a little nervous when thinking about and seeing the baby. In a trance. Remember the night when you came home from the induced labor three years ago, the doll sitting on the sofa in the living room almost made you nervous. Although I later remembered that I forgot to turn off the light in the living room after going to the bathroom, But you always say that this is not true, our child has come home. Ai Nan, you have to be more sober, the child who took our car on the road is really scary, you can't think about her anymore..." "Go to sleep." Ai Nan said noncommittally.She fell on the bed, looking exhausted. "Have you sent me Dad's tombstone?" Liu Sheng suddenly remembered the agreement with Boss Wan. "What tombstone, is it okay not to talk about it now?" Ai Nan roared, then covered her face and began to cry. After dark, the cemetery ignited the fire of burning money.Liu Sheng is a dutiful son, he strictly followed the instructions of his old mother when he left the house.My mother said that it is best to burn Mingqian after dark. When the night wind blows, you will see paper dust flying higher and higher, which means that the dead have come to receive Mingqian.If it is during the day, there is no such effect.Of course Liu Sheng didn't believe this kind of statement. Burning money was just a way to pay homage to the dead, but since his mother ordered it, he should naturally follow it. The burning flames of Mingqian licked the tombstone, and one could see the words engraved on it—the tomb of loving father Liu Quanmiao.The father lacks water in the five elements, so he has the name of the combination of the three waters.The tombstone was delivered by Erlianzi at noon that day, and he walked dozens of miles from the mountains to carry the tombstone back.Liu Sheng gave him two bars of soap brought from the city as an extra thank you.But the thick-lipped boy took the soap in his hand, looked at it, and returned it to Liu Sheng, because he really didn't think it was useful. Ai Nan didn't come to play Mingqian with Liu Sheng.She is ill and is resting in her room at the moment.Since last night, Ai Nan had a fever, and talked in her sleep when she fell asleep.Liu Sheng asked her to take some cold medicine, but the effect was not great.Liu Sheng knew that it was the child who tortured her again, and he didn't know what to do. When he went to the small restaurant for dinner just now, he told Boss Wan about the flickering child he met. He is a medicine merchant, maybe he can give some medicine to Ai Nan's illness.Unexpectedly, Boss Wan used this to talk about the ginseng he wanted to buy.He said, do you know that ginseng can walk underground, so if drug diggers find it, they must tie it to its stems and leaves with a red thread.Otherwise, ginseng will run away from the ground.So we also call ginseng a ginseng doll, it has spirituality, and it will run away from the ground when it is seen by people.Of course, after it is tied with a red thread, it cannot escape. Boss Wan’s use of ginseng was actually an analogy for Liu Sheng. He said that the little girl Liu Sheng and Ai Nan met was probably an elf. If they meet her again next time, they must tie a red thread to her hand. Come on, in this way, the little girl won't flicker.After hearing this, Liu Sheng nodded noncommittally. He thought to himself, who asked you to tell me how to tie up this child, I just want to never see her again.But Ai Nan was listening very seriously, she was right, the embryo specimen bottle in the hospital seemed to be tied with a red thread, and a label was hanging under the red thread.Liu Sheng knew that she must have made a mistake, but it was inconvenient to refute. After dinner and back to the nursing home room, Liu Sheng said that he was going to burn paper on the grave, Ai Nan showed a frightened look and said that she couldn't go, because she had a severe headache.In this way, Liu Sheng arrived at his father's grave alone. As expected, the ashes of paper were continuously lifted by the flames and flew into the night sky like black butterflies.While burning the paper, Liu Sheng said silently in his heart, Dad, you can rest in peace, I have sent you back to Fengdong Town according to your wish, all the employees of mailbox 903 are buried in this cemetery, it is you mate, you won't be alone anymore. In fact, Liu Sheng has always had a certain strangeness towards his father.When he was a child, when he saw the name "Liu Quanmiao" in the remitter grid on the remittance slip, he tried hard to connect this name with the concept of father.Because Liu Sheng was just over one year old when his father left his home in Shanghai to go to the third-line construction site, and his mother took him to stay at home. This separation has lasted for more than 30 years.Among them, apart from my father coming back to visit relatives every other year for a period of time, the most frequent contact is the monthly remittance slip.The mother is a housewife, and the father supports the whole family.However, Liu Sheng's childhood was happy, because as family members of military industry employees, their social status and economic status were envied by their neighbors.This good fortune ended in the 1980s. Before he knew it, Liu Sheng mentioned that his father, who was far away in the mountains, no longer felt proud. At that time, Liu Sheng was studying in college, and his mother began to worry about family expenses. The envious eyes of the neighbors began to turn to those who dared to do business.In his sophomore year, his mother suffered from a serious illness that wiped out the family's savings. Liu Sheng gritted his teeth and began to work part-time while studying to earn money.Looking back on that time now, Liu Sheng still feels desolate in his heart. The fire in front of the tombstone became brighter and brighter, it was already very dark, and the house in the nursing home not far away became pitch black.Liu Sheng put the last few pieces of paper money into the fire, then stood up and stretched his waist.At this time, he saw a figure walking towards him. "Hey, what a filial son, you have to kowtow a few more times." A woman's voice sounded in the darkness. It wasn't until I got closer that I realized that this was Sister Fern.I heard from Boss Wan before, but I saw it for the first time today when I was eating in a small restaurant.She wore calico trousers in her 20s.White shirt, typical mountain girl dress.At that time, she was carrying beer out of a small restaurant with a few men from the mountains. There were seven or eight cases in total. She said that the road was blocked by a landslide and the delivery truck could not come for a while, so she bought all the beer and took them back to the room. Go lest you get drunk by someone else.She glanced at Liu Sheng and the others arrogantly, which meant very clearly that Liu Sheng, the photographer and Professor Xu could not compete with her.Actually, who competed with her?Except for the photographers, Liu Sheng and the others are all non-drinking people.Fortunately, the photographer and the fern girl seemed very familiar, he wiped his cheeks and said nonsense, all the beer can be taken away, and two bottles of baijiu can be reserved for me.Sister Fern smiled, and said that she would come to our room for a drink, free entertainment, we like to be lively. At this time, the fire in the cemetery must have aroused the interest of the fern girl. What is she doing here?Liu Sheng looked into her bright eyes in the dark and said, "What are you doing here? This cemetery is not fun." Liu Sheng originally wanted to ask them how they got out of the train picking up the mountain this time. He swallowed it again, he was afraid that asking such a question would reveal that he knew their details. "Ah, what's scary in front of the cemetery." The fern girl's voice was crisp, "I'm here to tell you, be careful of grave robbers, what did you bury in Dad's grave?" "Someone robbed the tomb?" Liu Sheng asked in surprise. "That goes without saying." Fern girl glanced at the burning pile of paper money, "My mother's grave was once stolen, and a silver bracelet on her wrist was taken away." "But what I buried was my father's ashes." Liu Sheng said, "There is nothing in the grave except the urn." "Oh, then you can rest assured." Fern sister said that her mother died when she was 16 years old, and she has been dead for seven years.When her mother died, she was wandering thousands of miles away with the circus, and when she returned home, she only saw her mother's grave, and the grave had been stolen, and a silver bracelet on her mother's wrist was stolen.This bracelet was familiar to her since she was a child. Her mother always wore it when she went to plant corn on the hillside, which made her look like an ancient woman.People say that her mother is very beautiful. Although she doesn't have good clothes to wear, her mother looks good in anything.Her mother was less than 40 years old when she died, and that summer was extremely hot. One night, there was a strong wind, and many trees were blown down on the mountain. Her mother got up at night to look at the cornfields, and she contracted fever at dawn. , The mountain people said that if a fever is combined with an evil wind, people will be hopeless.Fern sister also said that her mother is not her own mother, she is a picked child.Her mother was a girl at the time, her surname was Jin, and she was known as Jin Meizi.Seeing that she was pitiful, Jin Meizi took her home from the side of the road and raised her.However, when she was 16 years old, when she was about to leave with the circus, her mother told her again that she was an illegitimate child and she was her real mother.But she didn't talk about her father's situation, which made Sister Fern very confused.Her mother said it was true. When she was born, it was the old lady Ding in the east of the town who gave birth to her. "Old lady Ding?" Liu Sheng's eyes widened, "That old woman who has been dead for three years and hasn't rotted?" Fern sister said it was this person.She asked her later, but the old lady Ding didn't give her a clear answer, she just said, your mother is a hard-working person, you should often go to the grave to burn some paper and offer some incense.However, the old woman must be a good person. She died without decay. People here say that she is a Bodhisattva, and they cannot touch her, let alone bury her.She sleeps in the house and can bless the people in this area to be safe. Liu Sheng suddenly thought that he had obtained the old woman's hair. Would this offend the Bodhisattva?Although he doesn't believe that the old woman is a god, it's better not to offend what the people believe in.Fortunately, it was Hu Laoer who did it. Liu Sheng thought that if he was punished, Hu Laoer should be the first. If he was bitten to death by a black bear one day, or fell off a cliff in the mountains, it would be fulfilled.Then he himself quickly sent the hair back to the old woman's bedside, burned some incense, and kowtowed a few times to forgive the sin.This thought disturbed Liu Sheng until midnight when he thought that old lady Ding was a kind and helpful person, so she would not be blamed for using her hair to cure Hu's eldest son's dementia.Thinking of this, Liu Sheng felt at ease. But in the cemetery at that time, sister fern must have seen his uneasiness.Fern girl asked, are you cold?You seem to be shaking a bit.You look tall and big, but you are not in good health, are you?Look at us mountain people, no matter how skinny we are, we can climb several hurdles without panting. Liu Sheng and Fei Meizi walked back to the nursing home together, and met Professor Xu who was looking at the starry sky by the collapsed wall.Seeing this pair of men and women walking from the cemetery, Professor Xu was a little surprised. "Professor, are you looking to see if any asteroids will hit the earth again?" Fern girl asked first, with a playful tone in her voice.It seems that Professor Xu and sister fern are already acquainted. Miss fern must have heard him tell about the accident that after the asteroid hit the earth, landslides buried all living things and formed fossils. Professor Xu laughed, the silver hair on his head was faintly discernible under the starlight.He said that the asteroid will definitely hit again, but our life is as short as light, and I'm afraid we won't see this kind of magnificence. Ai Nan was talking in her sleep, but she was just muttering in her throat. Liu Sheng couldn't hear what she said, so naturally he couldn't guess what dream she had.He reached out his hand to touch her forehead in the dark, and she still had a little fever, which made Liu Sheng feel guilty. He thought that Ai Nan caught a cold because he had been in the mountains for two days and stayed alone in Fengdong Town.Maybe she didn't go to the pond to take a bath until late at night, the wind here is indeed a bit sinister, no matter how hot it is during the day, the wind at night can sometimes chill people's bones.Liu Sheng thought that he could not go into the mountains to look for fossils for the time being, and after Ai Nan got better from the cold, he could take her into the mountains with her next time.In short, we have to wait for the road to be cleared here, and this rare leisure time must be spent well. Ai Nan fell asleep on the inside, and Liu Sheng hugged her from behind.After five years of marriage, they rarely had enough time to make out together.There is no problem with the relationship, it's just because both of them are too busy and tired at work.Sometimes the two of them happily went to bed after taking a shower, and there was a faint fragrance on Ai Nan's body.At this time, her cell phone rang.There are dozens of salesmen under her, and someone will always call late at night, or talk about obstacles in the work, or ask about tomorrow's things.After putting down the phone, Ai Nan would yawn deeply, making Liu Sheng feel sleepy too.So, I fell asleep quickly, and after turning off the lights, Ai Nan would ask if the alarm clock was set, Liu Sheng said it was set, 6:00 in the morning, no problem.Sometimes, Ai Nan is in a good mood, but Liu Sheng just happens to be finalizing a project for the company. He sits at the desk and works until late at night with a large stack of materials. When he opens the bedroom door, he sees that Ai Nan is already fast asleep. This is the enviable life of white-collar workers in the company. Liu Sheng sometimes thinks that they are more wronged than ordinary migrant workers. After they leave the company, they can ignore everything. But he and Ai Nan became the company's machines running day and night.Fortunately, Ai Nan was promoted to the position of regional manager, and he has held the position of a department director for five years without changing it. The deputy general manager has changed twice but failed to replace him. Nan's half is really shameless. Thankfully, their toil has brought back a loft home and two cars to top the list at old school reunions.However, being at the top of the list in terms of position and income does not guarantee that it will remain the same in the future. Ai Nan said nervously that we must not relax at all. Life is like a marathon, and it is uncertain when others will catch up up. Liu Sheng was distracted by his thoughts, and heard Ai Nan talking in his sleep, and called out softly.Afraid of her nightmare, he patted her on the back to wake her up. 艾楠醒了，惊恐地翻过身说：“麦子进屋来了，她还吃我的奶。” 刘盛开了灯，看着艾楠睡意惺忪的眼睛说：“你做的什么梦呀？” 艾楠说她梦见一个小女孩从门外的芭蕉树下走进屋来，仰着脸叫她“妈妈”，她认出这个小女孩正是麦子。她看出麦子饿极了，便解开衣服给她喂奶，麦子贪婪地吸吮着，突然用牙齿咬了她一下，她觉得刺痛，便叫出了声。 absurd.刘盛说她做的这个梦很荒唐。况且3岁多的小女孩也不用吃奶的。艾楠说麦子在路上搭上他们的车后，坐在她的怀里时，就用小手在她胸前的衣扣上拨弄着，不知不觉还解开了她的一颗扣子。艾楠说可能是这个印象留下后才会做今晚这个梦。 “不过，这里还真有点痛呢。”艾楠说着说着突然用手摸着胸部，她怔住了，她的胸部真的有了感觉。 艾楠扒开睡衣，两个丰满的乳房暴露在灯光下。“你看，这里怎么有个牙印？”艾楠的声音有点发抖。 刘盛凑过脸去细看，左边的乳头旁边，真的有一个牙印。 “我在梦中都感觉到痛了。”艾楠惊恐地说，“她吸着吸着就咬了我一口！” This is impossible.刘盛坚定地说不可能，你睡着了我可是醒着的，我从背后抱着你的，没有什么小女孩进屋来。也许，这不是牙印，是你洗澡时自己的指甲划伤了它。 “是吗？”艾楠仿佛更愿意相信刘盛的说法，这样她才能够脱离恐惧。“真是我的指甲划伤的吗？”艾楠低下头，再次看着乳头旁边那个小小的红印。 刘盛肯定的回答让艾楠释然，不过她要刘盛去检查一下房门，因为她梦中看见麦子是从院子里的芭蕉树后面闪出来，径直走来推开房门来到她身边的。刘盛为了让她放心，下床去检查了一遍房门，反锁得死死的，没有任何问题。艾楠舒了一口气，他们关灯继续睡觉。 也许是为了避免噩梦吧，艾楠主动地拥着刘盛入眠。刘盛的手放在她的乳房上，用手指轻轻抚弄着她的乳头说：“你一定是想我了，所以做梦时这里才会有感觉。”艾楠笑了，说你别自作多情。听见艾楠轻松的声音，刘盛的心情也好了起来，他俯下头去，将脸贴在艾楠的胸部。 艾楠在黑暗中闭上眼睛，感觉到刘盛的嘴唇和舌头搞得她的胸部痒痒的。她嘘了一口气，轻轻地抱住他的头。她记起了第一次和刘盛做爱时，就是这样开始的。当时，她大学毕业后不久，还在保险公司作推销员，认识刘盛之后，两人很快坠入情网。刘盛当时已拥有了一处小户型的单身公寓，第一次做爱就发生在那里。结婚后刘盛常常回忆起那次做爱，他说艾楠的疯狂让他吃惊。艾楠心里明白，刘盛回忆那事是想指责她婚后就冷淡了，其实，不是她不想，真的是工作太忙了。有女伴给她出主意说，到夜里就将手机关闭，座机摘掉，这样才有两个人的空间，可艾楠不能那样做，毕竟，影响了工作也就影响了自己的业绩。一年二十多万的收入呀，不辛苦一点行吗？已有她认识的朋友住进了别墅，她得尽快赶上去才行。趁着年轻，累一点没什么，要是现在不努力，被别人抛下之后，再想赶上去就很难了。 此时，刘盛的手已经在爱抚她的敏感处，她轻轻呻吟了一声，将刘盛埋在她胸前的头抱得更紧了。就在刘盛要压到她的身体上来时，一股气味突然飘进了她鼻孔，这气味是从他的头发里散发出来的。 “你没洗头吗？”艾楠说，“怎么有种气味？” “我每天都去水塘洗头洗澡，怎么会有气味？”刘盛说，“也许，我天黑后去给老爸烧了纸钱，你心里犯疑吧。” “不，真是有种气味，像是进医院后闻到的那种。” “你又来了。”刘盛不高兴地翻身仰躺着，“什么医院，我不过就是在那里打过工嘛，还守过太平间，这没有什么羞耻的。你听说过吗，去日本的留学生还背过死人挣钱的。我知道了，你就是忘不了我的那段经历。” 那是刘盛读大二时发生的事。时代变了，父亲寄回家的钱一下子显得微不足道，母亲又患了一场重病，刘盛只得边读书边打工。一个在医院工作的亲戚介绍他进医院作零工，搬药箱推病人什么都干。后来，守太平间的老头回老家奔丧，他便去临时守了两个月太平间。他本来是绝对不愿意干这事的，可报酬太高了，是干零工的两倍，他狠了狠心接下这活。和艾楠结婚后，他有一次偶然谈起了这段经历，没想到给她心里留下了病根，夜里同床时有时会突然说他身上或者头发上有气味，一边说一边还显出很害怕的样子。 “你这是洁癖，变态！”刘盛突然发了火，跳下床在屋里跺着脚，“你嫌弃我就明说，你认为我没能力撑起这个家也可以明说，别老念什么气味不气味的。” “谁嫌弃你了。”艾楠被他的发火吓坏了，“我从没有那个意思，我要闻到那个气味，自己也没有办法。” “好，我离你远一点不就行了。”刘盛已经无法控制自己的情绪，他拉开房门，端了一把椅子坐到了门外去。 半夜时分，四合院里黑乎乎的，两棵芭蕉树像张牙舞爪的巨人立在院子里。奇怪的是，人在愤怒时什么也不怕了。直到一阵夜风吹来，芭蕉树发出一阵奇怪的响声才使刘盛清醒过来。他开始以为是树叶碰撞的声音，但越听越不对头，分明是有人在走动。 刘盛进屋拿到了手电筒，一道强光射向了芭蕉树。树叶在光中动荡着，没见什么异样。也许是自己的幻觉吧，毕竟艾楠讲了她梦中看见小女孩从芭蕉树后走出来，自己也就疑神疑鬼了。为了让心里彻底踏实，刘盛打着手电一直走到了芭蕉树下。突然，一个红色的东西在地上出现，刘盛弯腰一看，是一只小孩的鞋子，一只用手工做成的红布鞋，谁将这鞋子丢在这里呢？ 刘盛突然感到心里发紧，他转身跑进屋里，“砰”地一声关上房门，对着满脸惶恐的艾楠说，你的梦没做错，真有小女孩出现过。说完便坐到床边和艾楠紧紧地拥在一起，仿佛这样才能对抗住夜半的幽灵。 艾楠又看见了那间做引产术的手术室，吊在半空中的灯和屋顶在旋转，酒精味和血腥味呛在她的鼻孔中。我的孩子，她要走了，她在我的身体中血肉相连已经一百二十多天，她等待着来到这个世界，她要吸着我的奶汁一天天长大，我的乳房已经有胀感了……这孩子，怎么说消失就消失了呢？我的腹部扁平下去，我开着车上班，风吹着我的头发，没人知道我是个有罪恶的女人。今夜，这孩子来找我了，谁给她取了“麦子”这个名字呢？她恨我，她咬痛了我的乳房，如果我不醒来，她会将小嘴往上移动，一口咬住我的咽喉吗？ 这是一个时间和空间都轰然崩溃的恐怖之夜。没有房间，没有疗养院的四合院，没有风动镇，它的空荡如断臂人的衣袖，艾楠一走进这衣袖中便从此无路可逃。此刻，她倒在床上将头埋在刘盛的怀中，她感觉如躺在旷野中一样孤独无助。 “刘盛，我怕。”艾楠呜咽着说，“我们的孩子，她为什么要把鞋子脱在外边的树下呢？她要赤着脚才能走进我的梦中吗？” 刘盛紧紧地抱着艾楠，他感到她的身子在发抖，他无法安慰她，他从不知道鬼魂是什么东西，守在太平间时他看过死人僵硬的面容也从未想过这是否就是鬼魂的形象。而一个尚未出生的孩子，她有魂灵吗？他轻轻拍着艾楠的背，无法用语言劝说或解释刚刚发生的一切。 “她为什么要咬我呀？”艾楠头发散乱地坐了起来，一把脱掉睡衣，仔细地辨认着左边乳头旁边的那个红印。“刘盛，我们该怎么办呀？”艾楠将脸贴在刘盛的胸脯上，刘盛的皮肤感到了她的泪水。 刘盛是第一次看见艾楠这副可怜无助的样子，他的心动了一下，他看见一个强壮的丈夫正将一个眼泪汪汪柔弱无骨的妻子抱在怀中，而她全身赤裸，两个红枣似的乳头楚楚动人。 刘盛开始疯狂地抚摸她，嘴里说着自己也不相信的话：“艾楠，别怕，别怕，梦都是假的，没有什么孩子来过……” “她来过，她光着脚走进来的，我们的孩子……”艾楠闭着眼梦呓似的喃喃道，像一条半死的鱼在水中吐着气泡。 刘盛已进入了她的身体。夜半的房间有如魔鬼设下的山洞，身体的碰撞声和艾楠的喃喃声属于现实和梦幻两个不同的空间。当艾楠清醒过来欲推开他时，刘盛有些粗暴地压住了她的手，急促地说：“别动，别动。” 出乎刘盛的意外，艾楠果然不动了。也许是她因恐惧而有气无力，也许是她沉入虚幻的水中还未爬上陆地，也许是她因放弃了孩子后突然想放弃一切，……总之，她试图挣扎了一下后便不再动弹。 “孩子，我们的孩子……”艾楠闭着眼自言自语，“损失太大了，这是为什么呀？” “你实在想要，回家后去医院将环取出来不就行了。”刘盛停下了身体动作，望着艾楠的脸说。三年前引产之后，艾楠便在子宫里放了节育环，她说在没决定要孩子之前，这样可以绝对避免出事而影响上班。 “不，我们已经有孩子了，她咬痛了我的乳头……”艾楠用手轻抚着乳头。刘盛望着她的手，一阵冲动使他恢复了身体动作。这是一场毫无抵抗的进攻，刘盛趁势将她的身体翻了一个面，让她屈腿趴在床上。艾楠试图想直起腰来，刘盛伸手压住了她的后脑勺，让她将脸贴在床单上。这种进攻方式让刘盛热血沸腾，他一边要着她，一边看着她的臂部想，这就是那个骄傲的白领丽人吗？这就是那个在夜里打着电话对躺在床上的他视而不见的女人吗？眼前这个又大又白的屁股和任何下贱女人没有什么两样，和那个穿着花布裤子臂部丰满的蕨妹子也没有什么两样。天刚黑的时候，这个山妹子到坟地里来看他烧冥钱，他们在黑暗中一同走回疗养院时，他的手无意中碰到了她的臂部。他回到房间后睡在了艾楠身边，他的手伸向了她的身体，她拨开他的手时显得有些烦躁，这一刻，刘盛深深感到作为丈夫和男人的失败。 艾楠呻吟了一声，好像有疼痛的感觉，刘盛的兴奋度一下子提高了许多，他一边抚摸着她的腰背和臂部，一边猛烈地进攻着她的身体，他想像着奴隶受鞭打时是否也有某种快感。他的眼前还闪过了他所在公司的董事长办公室，那个胖老头儿在沙发上干他的女秘书，是否也是要显示他对这个世界的完胜？ 这个夜晚的刘盛变成了一头野兽，因回到山林而欢欣鼓舞。在他眼里，那个穿着西服套裙手捧文件夹的艾楠消失了，她的职业装休闲装等等表示社会身份的服饰仿佛被撕成了条条碎片抛向夜空，只剩下一个屈辱的裸体；她的优雅姿态消失了，包括打电话关车门时呈现出的好看的动作，到此刻都变成了床上这个丑陋的姿势；她的那些乱七八糟的客户，保险单也消失了，她其实是一个只能侍候丈夫的俗女人。与此同时，包围着刘盛自己的众多不快也消失了，包括进出公司的打卡计时、面对董事长总经理的毕恭毕敬，以及对外争取咨询客户时的奴颜婢膝。他其实是一个牛高马大的男人，他已38岁了，早就该是一个成功的征服者而不是一个对内对外唯唯诺诺的小男人。 “啊———”刘盛像狼一样叫着在艾楠体内达到了高潮。结婚五年来，他从没有像今夜这样满意过。他甚至希望被山体滑坡堵住了的公路永不疏通，留在山中就这样过日子未必是件坏事。或者，等他和徐教授一起找到了古生物化石后公路再疏通，这样回去后他和艾楠都可以不再像工蜂一样辛劳了，如果那些化石真能换几百万元的话。 艾楠光着身子侧躺着一动不动像是极度虚弱的样子。刘盛突然莫名地想到，她会死吗？他想起了自己做过的梦，艾楠躺在车祸现场的死人堆里。如果这样的话，他将独自驾着车回到家中，那座跃式住宅会显得特别的空荡。还有，艾楠买下的150万元保险赔偿怎样安排呢？刘盛心里一惊，为这莫名其妙的一闪念思绪吓住了，你这个狼心狗肺的家伙，怎么能这样想呢？有这种想法的人不得好死！他爱艾楠，七年多前见到她时便一见钟情，她的那身优雅的职业装衬出的身段和气质让他夜不能寐。 “艾楠。”刘盛伏过身去叫道。 艾楠转过身来，脸色绯红，有点羞怯的样子。“你从没这样好过。”她说，同时用手摸了摸他的脸，“你累了吗？”她的声音充满爱意。 刘盛被她的反响惊呆了。天哪，她没觉察到他的粗暴和敌意吗？人幸好看不见相互的心思，夫妻也这样，要是看见了内心里出现过的东西，非得有杀人或者自杀出现不可。 “我爱你。”刘盛伸手抱住艾楠。他说这句话是真的，并且为刚才的状态自责得想哭。 “你以前不这样。”艾楠柔声说道。 是的，这样疯狂地做爱还是在婚前有过。结婚后不但做爱的次数越来越少，偶尔亲热时也是例行公事般的草草了事。这怪他刘盛吗？早晨6点钟闹钟的铃声就会无情地响起，双方能放得开吗？每周的双休日对艾楠来说几乎就不存在，这样的日子正是她登门拜访客户联络感情的时候，要做出她那样的业绩，很多人首先吃不了她那种苦。 “我爱你。”刘盛再次答非所问地说道，“快睡吧，天就要亮了。” 刘盛自己很快迷迷糊糊地睡去，但很快就被艾楠推醒了。 “你不要睡着，我怕。”艾楠说，“如果我们都睡着了，那个孩子还会来咬我的乳头的。我觉得她再来还会咬我的咽喉。如果那样，我还未醒来便已经死了。” “你别瞎想了。”刘盛困倦地说，“没听说过做梦会死人的。至于外面树下的那只鞋子，说不定明早起来它已经不见了，这就证明是我的幻觉。” “但愿如此。”艾楠说，“你把我抱紧点，贴着我的胸脯，不让那孩子钻进来。” 两人不再出声。夜色在疗养院迷宫式的四合院里渐渐变淡，风动镇上的屋檐也在黎明中显出了狰狞的轮廓。 将近中午，刘盛和艾楠醒来后走出房门，刺眼的阳光已经从树叶中落在院子里，那只让人心惊肉跳的小红鞋赫然在目，它匍匐在芭蕉树下，像是一件秘而不宣的遗物。 摄影家蓝墨收到了蕨妹子请他今晚过去喝酒的邀请，这意味着疗养院南面的院子里又有一场酒气熏天的盛会了，这伙人每次从铁路上满载而归后总要搞一次聚会。蕨妹子是闯荡过江湖的人了，对摄影家、徐教授这样的外来人不但不拒斥，并且一见如故，喝酒时总要请他们凑热闹。当然，在风动镇这样的地方，要请人喝酒除了他们也没有人可请了。村东头有十多户老实巴交的老人，妇女和儿童，这些人将视这种聚会为罪恶。唯一的一个汉子是胡老二，但他年复一年地在追踪那头咬死过他妻子的黑熊，对这种中了邪的人蕨妹子认为离他远一点为好。药材商万老板和他的侄儿二愣子倒是酒会上的常客，但万老板关于寻找百年人参的故事蕨妹子他们已经听腻了，要他讲出新鲜一点的事情恐怕已是奢望。这样，在风动镇已呆了好几个月的摄影家和徐教授成了酒会上最受欢迎的人，他们讲出的新鲜事和蕨妹子讲马戏团或者扒火车的事一样，都令对方瞠目结舌。 蕨妹子是让她手下的小伙计石头来通知摄影家的，还说一定要请新来的刘盛和艾楠一同过去。石头是一个16岁的山中少年，还未发育得太好，身体单调得像根豆芽。他还怕生人，语言也少得像一个哑巴。他站在摄影家的房间门口，费了好大的劲才将蕨妹子的意思转达清楚。 本来，在风动镇这样人迹罕至的地方，摄影家认为离开了酒和人的聚会，呆在这里会让荒凉伤了你的心。然而，奇怪的是，摄影家这次对聚会的反响并不热烈。这是因为他正在构思着一幅足以惊世的摄影作品，艺术创造的火焰正烧着他的内心，他做梦都看见那幅将要完成的作品———一个八十多岁的老太婆躺在床上，她已死去三年而不腐。揭开盖着她的大红被子，脱掉她身上那些已经像树叶般枯朽的衣裳，一具新鲜的木乃伊出现在画面上。这是一具难得的女性遗体，80多年的时光将她压塌成骷髅模样，她的眼睛已成为黑洞，里面收藏着她母亲和外婆的影子。据说她外婆死于120年前风动镇的那场大风，天上的马队踩塌了镇上的房子，外婆被埋在了废墟中。现在，她眼中的这些影子都藏到了任何人看不见的黑暗中，但是，摄影镜头会抓出这些东西来，她深陷的眼眶，发黑的额头，失去光泽的白发和因嘴唇萎缩后露出的牙齿，这幅画面正是人生的真相。她的四肢已经干枯如柴棍，生育过子女的腹部已经蒸发掉了全部的血和水分，像塌陷的沙漠，周围是岩石般突起的骨盆……这可是神赐的创作素材，他想到拍摄这幅作品便夜不能寝。并且，摄影家更大的创造性在于，他将安排一个年轻的，鲜活的裸女与这个老太婆并排睡在一起，这幅暂定名叫的摄影作品有可能使摄影家攀上与神对话的阶梯。这种时候，喝酒聚会对他来说已是消耗夜晚的俗事。 但是，摄影家还是将聚会的消息告诉了住在隔壁的徐教授。这个六十多岁的老人正在拿着放大镜看他的宝贝化石，他聚精会神地看着化石中的那尾小鱼，仿佛要看出上亿年前海水的颜色。 接下来，摄影家去隔壁院子里通知刘盛和艾楠，想来他们第一次参加与蕨妹子的聚会会很新鲜而刺激。他来到这个荒凉的四合院里，举手敲门时心里有点发跳，这都是因为艾楠的原因。本来，对这对从上海远道而来的年轻夫妇，他是可以从容相处的，他们知书识礼，优雅不俗，并且有很高的薪金收入维持着体面的生活，这使他们与人相处时显得大度而从容。但是，自从摄影家在心里选定艾楠作他惊世作品的模特儿后，见到这对夫妇时他就显得不自在。试想，如果刘盛知道了摄影家要艾楠脱衣服睡到那死而不腐的老太婆身边去，不将他的数码相机尼康相机及各式各样镜头统统砸扁才怪。再说，他怎么开口邀请艾楠参加这一艰巨的创作呢？她会接受吗？摄影家完全没有把握，他首先得增加和她单独相处的机会并多作沟通才行。 摄影家之所以选定艾楠为合作对象，除了在风动镇这个地方她是唯一一个来自文明世界的女人外，还因为她的身形特别适合镜头表现。30岁的女人没有青春少女的单薄，她丰盈的生命力能鲜明地表现出画面的主题。虽说她的瓜子脸型略显文雅了一点，但性感的嘴唇却暗含着某种野性。她的曲线对画面动感的形成没有问题，胸部和臀部都异常丰满，腰肢柔韧，双腿修长，这些特征在她穿T恤衫牛仔裤时都显露无遗。 摄影家敲了敲刘盛和艾楠的房门，没人应答。他推门一看，原来这两人都出去了，只有一只小红布鞋在屋角。就是这只鞋子吓得这对夫妇魂不守舍，摄影家和徐教授今天上午被他们叫过来时，共同对着这只鞋子在芭蕉树下分析了许久。最后徐教授说，先把这鞋子保存下来，等再次发现那个叫麦子的小女孩后，看她是否还有另一只同样的鞋子事情就清楚了。徐教授说他和刘盛在山中遇见过这个小女孩，坐在门槛上不说话，给人有点灵异的感觉。但徐教授否认了鬼魂之说，虽然对小女孩忽隐忽现和艾楠在梦中被咬的怪事他也无法解释，但要承认灵异的存在对一个学者来说也是无法接受的事。