第二日，雨水驟停，天空放晴。
院中花朵經過數日風雨洗禮，不免凋殘。卻有更多蒼翠綠葉冒出頭來，綠葉中間頂著一個個小小的尚未長大的花骨朵兒，看那光景，用不了三五天，又是滿樹繁花。
沈清軒坐在院子裡，聞著空氣裡的泥土芳香遙望遠處，數日不見，整座山林被雨水洗刷成一種幽幽的綠色，泛著寶石般的光潤。
坐到晌午，日頭毒辣起來，照得人渾身上下都冒出了汗，仿佛要將醞釀多日的溫度一齊爆發出來似的，熱得林中鳥兒都開始蔫頭耷腦。
沈清軒眯著眼朝天上那輪金燦燦的太陽望去，只消刹那，眼前一片白茫茫。
連忙閉上眼讓眼睛休息，沈清軒不免心中煩悶，只無奈地想，這老妖走了，太陽且敢出來了。
這念頭一轉，又自覺好笑，仰頭靠在椅子上，無聲輕歎。
他坐在那裡，一直坐到下午。
陽光將他獨坐輪椅的影子，拉得悠長悠長。
伊墨這一去，轉眼便是月餘，其間毫無音訊傳來。
沈清軒只當自己不曾知曉他離去之事，不去想。只偶爾轉側間，腦中會閃現出來，思量著他那蛇蛻究竟尋著沒有，離他回山還有多久。念頭剛一出現，又強行抑下去，絕不要自尋煩惱，大不了他真去焚香請幾個魑魅魍魎，也不要自作多情去掛念他。
如此，這一月也算過的安穩。
第二月，剛過初七，沈清軒翻了翻黃曆，墨筆勾出的痕跡顯在眼前，想到母親的生辰將近。思量著不知該送些什麼做壽禮，又暗自煩惱。
身邊小廝見他神情鬱鬱，猜到他心中所想，也陪他煩悶幾日，後出主意，說少爺不如將這山中野貨備上些，再親自下廚，做碗長壽麵給老夫人送去，權當賀禮。
沈清軒想了想，欣然同意。
沈老夫人信佛，不沾葷腥。山中各種菌類俱是新鮮，更有雨後鮮筍只稍低頭，滿眼皆是。
沈清軒差人採摘了一大簍，分別撿開儲存，又進廚房揉面擀面。
忙活了幾日，方才擀出一根長長的不曾斷的面來。沈老夫人的生辰也就到了。
將煮開的鮮菌湯裝好，又將鮮筍切絲淋上澆頭，沈清軒裝在食盒裡打發人送下山，囑咐長壽麵須得入了府再煮，澆上菌湯即可。
小廝領命，擔了食盒及一筐山野鮮貨，下山去了。
沈清軒送他到門口，望著小廝背影，久久回不了神。
身旁婢女見他那樣，心中頗為淒涼，站了一會，低聲道：“少爺既想念老夫人，何不下山親自送去？老夫人見了少爺，也歡喜些。”
沈清軒回了神，聽了這話臉上也並無表情，微搖了搖頭，做了手勢叫她推著自己回房。
那小廝擔了食盒等物快步下山，日頭剛剛偏落就趕到了沈府。沈母聞訊前來，見那盒中湯食頓時流下淚，忙取出手帕拭淚，自言自語道：“我兒孝順。”
小廝伶俐，弓著腰說了幾句吉祥話，又道：“這面是少爺親手擀的，遣小人送來，臨行時囑咐須進了家再煮，夫人可要現在進食？”
沈母頷首，進了廚房，看著廚娘燒沸了水，將那根長長的麵條入了鍋，待撈出來時放入碗裡，澆上恰好溫熱的菌湯，燙熱的麵條經溫湯一淋，恰好入口，不涼不燙。
食了面，沈老夫人喚來那小廝打了賞，交代道：“你且回去轉告軒兒，娘親知道他的心思。往年他返家一回我哭一回，他心中本來就苦，見我如此更添難過。如今他不下山，我自是不怪他。且讓他在山上好好靜養，做娘的不求他行商入仕，但求安安穩穩。”說到此合手道了聲佛祖庇佑，灑淚離去。
小廝得了不少賞銀，揣進懷中，回到山上將沈母的話一字不漏轉述給沈清軒。又得了賞，方才歡歡喜喜地退去。
山中日子過得極慢，且又是夏季。晝長夜短。
沈清軒也覺得日子過的慢極了，白天坐在樹下，渾渾噩噩許久，再睜開眼，依舊是郎朗日頭。
也不知這光陰是怎麼蹉跎過去的，這一日他推開窗，鼻尖忽而嗅得桂花飄香，卻又一驚。已經是八月了麼？
八月中秋，正是菊黃、蟹肥、桂花香。
沈清軒來了興致，叫人清水洗院，細沙鋪地，待得夜間涼爽，招來眾小廝婢女，廚娘老僕，擺開三四桌酒席，煮得幾十隻大肥蟹擺在中間，又燙了熱酒，叫眾人賞月吃喝。
這山院中僕人原就不是府中管束來的，性子頗野，得了主人允許又見主家興致難得高昂，當下就吃談起來。
沈清軒與幾個貼身小廝坐在一席，聽他們說的笑話也展露笑意。小廝們見主子開懷，也跟著高興，當下笑話頑話一個跟著一個說出來，有些甚是粗野，沈清軒也笑得失態，笑完了賞他酒吃。
三杯黃湯下肚，小廝甚是得意，頑笑話也沒了約束，一時天南海北的胡侃，越說越荒誕不經，後也不知怎的，扯出了神神鬼鬼來，說那刑天如何如何，伏羲又是如何如何，更有花鬼狐仙的故事，一個接著一個的往外冒，就更不提他們最喜愛談論的那落魄書生和有情有義的妖怪鬼仙，花前月下海誓山盟了。此類故事，一小廝開了個頭，其餘人就往下敘，一個比一個悱惻，一個比一個纏綿。
院中一時熱鬧無比。
這夜鬧至三更，院中諸人醉態盡顯，沈清軒心中高興，也多吃了幾杯，有些昏沉。貼身伺候他的婢女還清醒，送他回屋歇息，沈清軒躺在床上，又遣她去院中與眾人繼續吃酒，自己一人休息。
婢女掩門離去，沈清軒才覺酒力上頭，頗是難受，也恢復了些清明。聞得屋外的熱鬧聲絲絲縷縷般從窗櫺門縫處溜進來，似近又遠，如真似幻，頓感些許淒涼。
不由得想起伊墨，自忖也不知他現在何處，忙些什麼，是否已尋到蛇蛻，中秋時有沒有喝上酒……可曾念起自己，燭下筆墨清談的時光。
正胡思亂想著，忽聽一道清脆女聲，嬌嬌弱弱地在耳旁喚了一聲：“公子。”
沈清軒猛地睜開眼，周圍並無一人。他幾乎以為自己聽錯，頓了一下，突然掀開床帷。
只見不遠處，亭亭站著一紅衣女子，雲髻高聳，面色酡紅，眉目如畫，說不出的嬌豔如花。
正含情脈脈地望著自己。
沈清軒愣愣看了她半晌工夫，女子被瞅的粉腮更紅，風情綺麗。
以為自己在夢中，沈清軒忙伸手在身上擰了一把，卻是極痛。
頓時醒悟過來，這女子非仙即妖。心中警惕。
那女子蓮步輕移，走到他床邊來，低頭羞澀道：“如公子所思，奴家正是這山中花魅，多年承公子恩德悉心澆灌，修得人形。适才院中公子飲醉，往奴家身上傾了杯酒，公子可還記得？”
沈清軒愣愣聽著，愣愣回想，突而想起剛剛似有這回事，卻是一簇鳳球花。
女子粉頸低垂，道：“那正是奴家。”
沈清軒至此才回過神，只是不解她來意，狐疑地看著她。
“奴家得公子恩澤，方有今日……”說著，臉上突然透紅，更是美豔不可方物，聲如蚊呐道：“今夜前來報答公子。”
她說得極輕，羞得眉眼都不敢抬起，沈清軒本是極聰慧的人，悟了她的意思，頓時也羞得不行，耳根紅透，不知該如何作答。
兩人一時俱是羞澀難當，燭影搖晃著，氣氛旖旎起來。
那女子見狀，仍是紅著臉不敢抬頭，卻伸出手輕解了大紅羅衫，緩緩躺下偎進他懷裡。
溫香軟玉在懷，豈有不動心之理。
沈清軒自是情動，卻也躊躇。男女之事非比尋常，他雖出生商賈之家，卻也三歲啟蒙，經名師指點，習的詩文禮數，至今不曾有輕薄言行。雖也想過男女之事，因身體之故，早已絕了這個念想。
今夜此女貌美如花，雖是異類，卻清白可愛。因此沈清軒不敢妄動。
一番思量下來，沈清軒逐漸冷靜，女子卻不依，被褥中柔軟肢體糾纏上來。
沈清軒口不能言只得推開，剛推開一些，她又怯怯纏上，再推，又纏。
反復幾次，床上兩人本就是風華正茂的一雙男女，乾柴烈火，終是轟的一聲，燃了。
沈清軒神志已匱，只迷迷糊糊行至緊要關頭，突感懷中溫香軟玉火熱身子倏然變冷，更有一隻冰涼手掌撫上自己額頭，那些低吟軟語都不知何處去了，只聽一道聲音，低低沉沉地在耳邊私語：“沈公子果是清古冶豔，秀潤天成。”
沈清軒大驚。腰身哆嗦了一下，倏然睜開眼。
卻見周圍空無一人，那床榻卻在離自己十來步遠的地方，榻上被枕整整齊齊，並無任何翻動的痕跡。
沈清軒只覺額頭滴下汗來，渾身卻冰冷刺骨，仿佛依舊被夢裡冰涼身子纏著。
低頭一看，卻見自己泡在浴桶裡，水已涼透。
原來是沐浴卻睡著，造了春夢一場。
松了口氣，沈清軒好笑地搖頭，抬臂準備搖鈴喚人。
只這一瞬，他眼角瞟到水底，伸出去的手突然如僵化般凝滯在半空中，面如白紙的傻傻望著水底那絲絲白濁，浮到眼前。
如此荒唐！
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The next day, the rain suddenly stopped and the sky cleared up.
After several days of wind and rain, the flowers in the courtyard inevitably withered, but more lush green leaves emerged, with small, immature flower buds in the middle of the leaves. It looked like the tree would be full of flowers in just three or five days.
Shen Qingxuan sat in the yard, smelling the fragrance of soil in the air and gazing into the distance. After not seeing it for a few days, the entire mountain forest was washed by the rain into a faint green, glowing like a gem.
We sat there until noon. The sun became scorching and made us sweat all over. It seemed as if the heat that had been brewing for many days was about to burst out. It was so hot that even the birds in the forest began to droop their heads.
Shen Qingxuan squinted his eyes and looked at the golden sun in the sky. In just a moment, everything in front of him was white.
He quickly closed his eyes to rest. Shen Qingxuan couldn’t help feeling depressed. He thought helplessly that the old monster had left and the sun dared to come out.
As the thought came to his mind, he found it funny again. He leaned back in his chair and sighed silently.
He sat there until the afternoon.
The sunlight stretched the shadow of him sitting alone in the wheelchair into a long one .
It had been more than a month since Yi Mo left, and there had been no news from him.
Shen Qingxuan just pretended that he had never known about his departure and didn’t think about it. Only occasionally, when he turned to one side, the thought would flash through his mind, wondering whether he had found the snake skin and how long it would take for him to return to the mountain. As soon as the thought came up, he forced himself to suppress it . He must not trouble himself. At most, he would burn incense and invite some ghosts and monsters, but he should not be sentimental and miss him.
In this way, this month can be considered peaceful.
In the second month, just after the seventh day of the first lunar month, Shen Qingxuan flipped through the almanac, and the traces of ink pen appeared in front of him. Thinking of his mother’s birthday, he wondered what to give as a birthday gift, and was secretly troubled.
Seeing that he looked depressed, the servant beside him guessed what he was thinking and accompanied him in his boredom for a few days. Later, he suggested that the young master should prepare some wild goods from the mountains and cook a bowl of longevity noodles himself to send to the old lady as a gift.
Shen Qingxuan thought about it and readily agreed.
Old Madam Shen believed in Buddhism and did not eat meat. All kinds of mushrooms in the mountains were fresh, and there were fresh bamboo shoots after the rain, which were everywhere.
Shen Qingxuan asked someone to pick a large basket of dough, sorted them out and stored them separately , and then went into the kitchen to knead and roll the dough.
After working for several days, they finally rolled out a long, unbroken dough. Then came Old Madam Shen’s birthday.
After the boiled mushroom soup was prepared, shredded fresh bamboo shoots were cut and poured on top as a topping. Shen Qingxuan put it in a food box and sent someone down the mountain, instructing that the longevity noodles must be cooked after entering the mansion and then poured with the mushroom soup .
The servant boy took the order, carried the food box and a basket of fresh wild produce, and went down the mountain.
Shen Qingxuan sent him to the door and stared at the servant’s back, unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
The maidservant beside him felt quite sad when she saw him like that. She stood there for a while and whispered, “Since the young master misses the old lady, why don’t you go down the mountain and send her off in person? The old lady will be happier when she sees the young master."
Shen Qingxuan came back to his senses. After hearing this, his face showed no expression. He shook his head slightly and gestured for her to push him back to the room.
The boy carried the food box and other things and hurried down the mountain. He arrived at the Shen residence just as the sun was setting . Upon hearing the news, Shen’s mother came and burst into tears when she saw the soup in the box. She quickly took out her handkerchief to wipe her tears and said to herself, “My son is filial."
The servant was clever. He bowed and said a few auspicious words, and then said, “This noodle was rolled by the young master himself. He sent me to deliver it. Before he left, he told me to cook it when I got home. Madam, do you want to eat it now?"
Mother Shen nodded and went into the kitchen. She watched the cook boil water and put the long noodle into the pot. When it was taken out , she put it in a bowl and poured the warm mushroom soup on it. The hot noodles were just right to eat after being poured with the warm soup , neither too cold nor too hot.
After eating the noodles, Old Madam Shen called the servant over, gave him a reward, and instructed him: “Go back and tell Xuan’er that mother knows what he is thinking. I cried every time he came home in previous years. He was already miserable in his heart, and seeing me like this made him even sadder. Now that he doesn’t want to come down the mountain, I don’t blame him. Let him recuperate well in the mountain. As a mother, I don’t ask him to do business or get a job as an official , but I ask that he live in peace and stability." Having said this, she clasped her hands together , prayed for Buddha’s blessing, and left with tears.
The servant received a lot of reward silver, put it in his arms, and returned to the mountain to relay Shen Qingxuan’s mother’s words word for word. After receiving another reward, he left happily.
The days passed very slowly in the mountains, and it was summer, so the days were long and the nights were short.
Shen Qingxuan also felt that the days were passing very slowly. He sat under a tree during the day, in a daze for a long time. When he opened his eyes, the sun was still shining brightly .
He didn’t know how the time had passed. One day, he opened the window and suddenly smelled the sweet fragrance of osmanthus. He was surprised. Is it already August?
Mid-Autumn Festival in August is the time when chrysanthemums are yellow, crabs are fat, and osmanthus flowers are fragrant.
Shen Qingxuan was in a good mood, so he asked people to wash the courtyard with clean water and spread fine sand on the ground. When it was cool at night, he called all the servants, maids, cooks and old servants, set up three or four tables for banquets, cooked dozens of big fat crabs and placed them in the middle, and heated up some hot wine, and asked everyone to enjoy the moon and eat and drink.
The servants in this mountain courtyard were not originally under the supervision of the mansion and had quite wild temperaments. With the permission of their master and seeing that their master was in a rare high spirit, they immediately started to eat and talk.
Shen Qingxuan sat at a table with several of his personal servants, and laughed at their jokes. Seeing their master happy, the servants also became happy, and told jokes one after another , some of which were very rude, and Shen Qingxuan also laughed so hard that he lost his composure. After laughing, he rewarded him with wine.
After three cups of wine, the servants were very proud and had no restraint in their jokes. They talked about all sorts of things, and the more they talked, the more absurd they became. Somehow, they started talking about gods and ghosts , talking about Xing Tian , Fu Xi , and stories about flowers, ghosts, and foxes, one after another. Not to mention their favorite talk about the down-and-out scholar and the affectionate monsters and ghosts, who made a vow of eternal love under the moonlight. One servant started the story, and the others continued, each one more sad and lingering than the other.
The courtyard was suddenly bustling with activity.
That night, everyone in the courtyard was drunk. Shen Qingxuan was happy and drank a few more cups, feeling a little drowsy. The maid who served him was still sober and sent him back to his room to rest. Shen Qingxuan lay on the bed and sent her to the courtyard to continue drinking with everyone, while he rested alone.
After the maid closed the door and left, Shen Qingxuan felt the alcohol was taking its toll on him, and he felt quite uncomfortable, but he regained some clarity. He could hear the noises from outside the house slipping in through the cracks in the window and door, which seemed close yet far away, real yet illusory, and he suddenly felt a little desolate.
I couldn’t help but think of Yi Mo. I wondered where he was now, what he was busy with, whether he had found the snake skin, whether he had had some wine during the Mid-Autumn Festival… or whether he had ever thought of me, the time when we talked with each other under the candlelight.
Just as I was daydreaming, I suddenly heard a clear female voice , calling softly in my ear, “Young Master."
Shen Qingxuan suddenly opened his eyes, and there was no one around. He almost thought he had heard wrongly, and after a pause, he suddenly opened the bed curtain .
Not far away, there stood a graceful woman in red. She had a high bun, a rosy face, picturesque eyebrows and eyes, and was indescribably beautiful like a flower.
Looking at herself lovingly.
Shen Qingxuan stared at her blankly for a long while. The woman ‘s cheeks turned even redder and she looked more charming and beautiful.
Thinking he was dreaming, Shen Qingxuan quickly reached out and twisted his body, but it was extremely painful.
Suddenly, he realized that this woman was either a fairy or a demon . He became alert.
The woman walked to his bedside with lotus steps, lowered her head and said shyly: “As you think, I am the flower spirit in the mountain . I have been nurtured by you for many years and have become a human. Just now, you got drunk in the courtyard and poured a glass of wine on me. Do you still remember?"
Shen Qingxuan listened blankly, recalled blankly, and suddenly remembered that something like this happened just now, but it was a cluster of phoenix balls.
The woman lowered her head and said, “That’s me."
Shen Qingxuan came to his senses at this point, but he didn’t understand why she came and looked at her suspiciously.
“I am blessed by your kindness, and I am where I am today…" As she spoke, her face suddenly turned red, and she became even more beautiful. She whispered in a mosquito-like voice , “I came to repay you tonight."
She spoke very softly, and was so shy that she didn’t dare to raise her eyebrows. Shen Qingxuan was a very intelligent man, and when he understood what she meant, he became extremely embarrassed, his ears turned red, and he didn’t know how to answer.
Both of them were very shy for a moment, the candlelight was swaying, and the atmosphere became charming.
Seeing this, the woman still blushed and did not dare to look up, but she reached out her hand and gently unbuttoned her red shirt, then slowly lay down and snuggled into his arms.
How can I not be moved when I hold such a beautiful girl in my arms?
Shen Qingxuan was naturally moved, but hesitant. Matters between men and women were unusual. Although he was born in a merchant family, he had been enlightened at the age of three, and had been taught poetry and etiquette by a famous teacher. He had never said or done anything frivolous. Although he had thought about sex, he had given up the idea long ago because of his physical condition.
Tonight this woman is as beautiful as a flower. Although she is a different species, she is innocent and lovely. Therefore, Shen Qingxuan dare not act rashly.
After some thought, Shen Qingxuan gradually calmed down, but the woman refused and entangled her soft body in the quilt.
Shen Qingxuan was speechless and could only push her away. Just as he pushed her away a little, she timidly clung to him again. He pushed her away again, but she clung to him again.
After several repetitions, the two people on the bed were a young and handsome couple, and they were so passionate that they finally ignited with a bang.
Shen Qingxuan was already unconscious , and was only half-dazed when he reached the critical moment. Suddenly, he felt the warm and soft body in his arms suddenly turn cold, and a cold hand touched his forehead. Those whispered words disappeared, and he only heard a voice whispering in his ear: “Mr. Shen is indeed pure, ancient, charming, and beautiful."
Shen Qingxuan was shocked. His waist trembled and he suddenly opened his eyes.
However, he found that there was no one around, and the bed was about ten steps away from him. The pillow on the bed was neatly laid out, with no signs of being turned over.
Shen Qingxuan only felt sweat dripping from his forehead, but his whole body was freezing cold, as if he was still haunted by the cold body in his dream.
When I looked down, I found myself in the bathtub and the water was cold.
It turned out that he fell asleep while taking a bath and had a wet dream.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Shen Qingxuan shook his head in amusement and raised his arm to ring the bell to call someone.
At that moment, he glanced at the bottom of the water, and his outstretched hand suddenly froze in mid-air as if frozen. His face was as pale as paper, staring stupidly at the white turbidity at the bottom of the water floating up in front of his eyes.
How ridiculous!
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