徐雪娟

西塘有一百二十二條弄堂，即使是最幽深的弄堂，它的一頭總是通向筑有石河埠的河港。

誰也說不清那是多少年前的事了，一條名叫烏涇塘的河，另一條名叫六斜塘的大河，斜直流到這里匯合了。于是，在這江南水鄉(xiāng)，有了一個小鎮(zhèn)，有了一個美麗的名字：斜塘。

有人說，兩千多年前，吳國大將伍子胥帶兵來到這里，開鑿市河，河名就叫胥塘，鎮(zhèn)也叫胥塘。

也有人說，因為西北面的幾條河都匯集到南北貫穿的市河胥塘里，故鎮(zhèn)名為西塘。

從胥塘、斜塘到西塘，穿越了歷朝歷代，百年千年的時光，都因為水而得名。西塘的水，莫非就是孕育西塘的文化之源？

一

在西塘，寬不足一丈的街道上，時時可見遮陽擋雨、古趣橫生的廊棚，廊棚的一側(cè)，是清粼粼的河水。西塘有122條弄堂，即使是最幽深的弄堂，它的一頭總是通向筑有石河埠的河港。

西塘，水網(wǎng)交織，河流縱橫，有9條河在鎮(zhèn)區(qū)交匯，把鎮(zhèn)區(qū)劃分成8個板塊，而眾多的橋梁又把古鎮(zhèn)連成一體。家家戶戶，青瓦白墻，木柵花窗，門前是街，門后是河，河埠頭就建在自家后門口，清粼粼的河水血脈般滋潤著西塘。沿河望去，一個個石砌的河埠縮進(jìn)凸出，高低寬窄錯落有致，就像一架架鋼琴，在河的兩側(cè)次第排開，彈奏出一河清音。

搖一條小船，莫問去處，任木櫓吱呀作響，蕩漾在西塘的市河里。抬頭看，那圓圓的是橋洞，那斑駁的是山墻，那原色的木格小窗，垂掛著青青的藤蔓。低頭看，小河里映著的是橋和兩岸民宅的倒影，倒影又被多情的水揉得影影綽綽。

那河邊的石駁岸里，每隔三五丈，鑲嵌著攬船石，有的雕成如意，有的鑿成怪獸，有的像朝天的牛鼻，有的似騰躍的鯉魚……這些維系著西塘人家命運(yùn)的攬船石，是水鄉(xiāng)人在祈禱吉祥如意。

舟船，一代代在西塘市河里搖過;歲月，一年年在西塘市河里流去。

西塘的美食是水養(yǎng)的。

傳說晉代那位張翰先生，他從洛陽棄官歸來，回到魂牽夢繞的家園，悠閑地享受著菰菜、莼羹、鱸魚膾。在一個欲雨未雨、煙雨迷蒙的傍晚，他坐著一條小漁船，來到西塘，看到潺潺碧水間，一條條晚歸的漁舟，船頭上掛兩條印有龍鳳圖樣的紅布條，船尾上掛一只竹簍般的鴨籠子，養(yǎng)一兩只鴨子，這叫“壓（鴨）后”或“壓（鴨）尾”，象征漁民后代香火不斷。張翰先生在西塘住下，日日與魚鷹作伴，餐餐莼菜鱸魚。而今，那鱸魚與竹筍做的湯，成了西塘的一道名菜。

西塘的水，養(yǎng)的魚鮮，做的酒醇，產(chǎn)的菱嫩，沏的茶香。

每天清晨，當(dāng)晨光熹微，河面上的氤氳之氣，尚未褪去，西塘就在河水的淺唱低吟中醒了。

有人挑著水豆腐擔(dān)子，挑著餛飩擔(dān)，從幽深狹窄的長弄里走出來，走在西塘的石板街上;有人拔開自家的排門板，在長廊下擺出熱氣騰騰的糕點團(tuán)子，清明時節(jié)是青團(tuán)子、立夏時節(jié)是塌餅、過年時是燒賣……

喝一碗用西塘水做的，放著蔥花、開洋、榨菜的豆腐花吧，又鮮又嫩的豆腐花是西塘人價廉物美的早點。

“篤篤篤，賣糖粥”，那聲聲竹梆打擊聲從石板小街的深處傳來，仿佛刺激你的食欲，你的回憶。香噴噴、甜津津的紅糖扁豆桂花粥只要喝一碗，讓你不想西塘，也要想西塘。

鮮美的雞肉餛飩、甜糯的酒釀、香糯的麻團(tuán)都是西塘人精美的點心。

西塘，最有特色的糕點，要數(shù)八珍糕。那是根據(jù)明代陳實宗《外科正宗》的處方，用西塘水培養(yǎng)的優(yōu)質(zhì)糯米和山楂、茯苓、芡實、薏苡仁、白扁豆、麥芽、山藥八味研制而成的，名曰“八珍”，具有祛暑、消食、開胃、健脾等作用，老幼皆宜，每年小暑至立秋為供應(yīng)季節(jié)。

西塘的風(fēng)情也是水做的。

西塘鎮(zhèn)上的老人們，清晨有上茶館吃茶的習(xí)慣。小小的茶館，有的門前靠街，門后是河;有的分樓上樓下。一張張八仙桌旁，圍坐著幾個幾乎是天天見面的茶客，欣賞著茶博士那把長嘴的銅茶壺，一高一低連續(xù)三次，稱為“鳳凰三點頭”式的灑茶，回報以手指在桌上叩擊的謝意;欣賞著一枚枚茶葉，在水里冉冉綻放，飄溢出沁人心脾的清香。茶客們細(xì)細(xì)品味，慢慢交談，今年的年景，市場的信息，東家西家的傳聞，一壺茶裝著西塘水，關(guān)系三百六十行。

二

西塘人在杜鵑花叢中度過一個又一個美好的黃昏。那幽深的小弄內(nèi)，那石皮的天井里，那木格的花窗下，杜鵑花流光溢彩，樹樁盆景古樸蒼勁。提一把水壺，澆下那清澈的河水，西塘成了名聞遐邇的“杜鵑之鄉(xiāng)”。

到了每年的“七巧節(jié)”，家家戶戶齋星星，舀一碗清清的西塘水，放幾朵鳳仙花。傳說抹一抹鳳仙花水，眼目就會清亮，前程就會光明。

西塘的歷史底蘊(yùn)也離不開水。

數(shù)百年前，一支運(yùn)送軍糧的船隊路過西塘，由于久旱不雨，西塘的小河干涸，農(nóng)田顆粒無收，饑餓的災(zāi)民圍著糧船苦苦哀求，久久不散，希望能借糧救災(zāi)。一位金姓的運(yùn)糧官被打動了，毅然決定讓災(zāi)民把皇糧取去。災(zāi)民得救了，運(yùn)糧官為了西塘百姓免遭追究的劫難，跳進(jìn)了西塘的市河。

為了念著這位運(yùn)糧的小官，西塘人在他遇難的河畔建了座廟，封他為“護(hù)國隨糧王”。因為他排行第七，又叫七老爺，每年四月初三，當(dāng)?shù)厝藭e行廟會慶祝他的生日。

那一天，在爆竹聲里，一支支自發(fā)組織的鑼鼓隊、舞龍隊、蓮湘隊、蕩湖船隊、高蹺隊、江南絲竹隊行進(jìn)在全鎮(zhèn)主要的街道上，表演著自己最喜愛的民俗技藝，連續(xù)三日三夜演戲酬神。

在廟會期間，還要舉行“踏白船”或“搖快船”比賽。那個站在橫出船外、接近水面的跳板外端把櫓往外拉的人，身似懸空，十分驚險。船頭上的劃槳者坐在一袋礱（lóng）糠（稻谷經(jīng)過礱磨脫下的殼）上，隨著船頭起伏，一上一下快速坐起，臀部撞出去“踏白踏白”的聲音，“踏白船”由此得名。

七月三十夜里的放水燈，是西塘鎮(zhèn)人表達(dá)美好信仰的又一種習(xí)俗。

水燈很小，一只只由稻草編成的草鞋里，插著幾支點燃的蠟燭，漂浮在西塘的市河里。在夜色的籠罩下，在河水的映襯下，點點閃閃，仿佛是銀河的勝景降臨西塘。夜深了，古鎮(zhèn)靜靜的，成了一幅黑白水墨畫，白灰的是河水，灰白的是墻，淺黑的是樹，深黑的是瓦……遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)近近濃濃淡淡深深淺淺，變幻無窮，只有那河水不知疲倦地在流淌。

西塘人的信仰，就在這碧波清流里。西塘人的愿望，就在這綠水細(xì)浪中。每一道西塘的水紋，都深深地疊印著漫長而幽深的歲月。

Xitang：Still Water Runs Deep

By Xu Xuejuan

Provenance of Xitang is a mystery. Some say that a long， long time ago， two waterways converged into one， creating a bustling town that came to be known as “Xietang”.

No historical documentation has been found to give the picturesque town an exact birth date. Some more speculative sources claim that Wu Zixu， a high minister of the state of Wu during the late Spring and Autumn period （770-476BC）， took his troops to present-day Xitang where he ordered a canal be built and named “Xutang”. The town where the river was originally sited took the same name.

Still other sources attribute the name “Xitang” to the fact that several rivers to the northwest of Xutang merged into one when they reached the waterway.

Whatever the explanation goes， Xitang was born from “water”， and “water” is the cultural soul of Xitang.

The fact that the alley maze of the “water town” is designed to make sure each of the 122 lanes leads to a quay adds to the mystery and overall appeal of Xitang. Here， nine rivers converge and divide the town into eight zones. The towns intricate layout also includes numerous bridges that have long been the pride and joy of locals who amble over ancient stone arches each and every day. The intricate carvings on the rocks used to fasten the boats are also a joy to behold.

Wherever you turn， you feel the soulful allure of water. It seems that all the local delicacies on offer at the low-slung shopfronts smell as sweet as the morning dews， although the locals busy themselves with daily tasks without realizing the company of the stoic and resolute waterways.

Nearing the end of one of the alleyways， the air is filled with lovely scents of brown sugar and osmanthus fragrance. For local customers and curious visitors alike， Xitangs signature “sweet porridge” is a must-have for a snack in any lazy afternoon. Ones culinary indulgence in the town must also include a taste of many other unique delicacies such as chicken wonton， home-brewed rice wine， “matuan” （fried glutinous rice balls”）， tofu pudding， and “” – the jewel in Xitangs cakes and pastries crown.

It is believed that “bazhengao”， literally “pastry made of eight treasures”， is a reinvention of a prescription written into a TCM masterpiece by Chen Shigong in the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）. The locals believe the combination of the eight Chinese medicinal materials used in the recipe is highly nutritious and effectively therapeutic when consumed in the right season of the year. It is also believed that this good-for-all supplement has magic power to counteract intestinal problems of children.

For the oldies in the town， a new day starts from the breakfast tea at one of those riverside teahouses where regular customers join the revelry of waiters filling the cups skillfully and choreographically and engage in chitchatting and gossiping. For them， the immense solace brought by the morning routines is the ultimate enjoyment of life.

The locals are also fascinated by flowers， and flowers thrive on water. Xitang enjoys the reputation as “the azalea town”. It is a long-time tradition of appreciating balsamina blossoms at the yearly Qiqiao Festival on the 7th of July on the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. It is believed that the extracts of the flowers can enhance the eyesight and promise a bright future.

Behind the yearly temple fair celebrated by the locals on the third day of April is a surprisingly forthright and bittersweet story of a Jin-surnamed grain transport supervisor who saved the starving Xitang people at the cost of his own. A temple was built where the man drowned himself. The temple fair， created by the locals to say thank you， includes various hilarious activities that run from sunrise to sunset for three days.

Behind the tradition of releasing lanterns onto the rivers on the night of the second last day of July is also a quirky backstory about Zhang Shicheng， one of the leaders of the peasants uprising in the late years of the Ming Dynasty （1368-1644）. Straw sandals carrying brightly lit candles are released onto the towns main waterways， presenting a glittering nocturnal scene that cleanses the soul of everyone. The sound of running waters only adds to the overwhelming silence， in which the faith of all Xitang people is as charming as the towns historical beginnings. Some things never change， and there is comfort to be taken from that fact.