血緣的重建與家園的回歸

成向陽

《石燕》是重慶作家強雯2021年11月出版的一部新著，由《石燕》《百萬風景》《功德碗》《清潔》《水彩課》《單行道》《旗袍》七個中短篇小說構成。在我看來，這本小說就像一面奇異的鏡子，它抵近生活，放大并映照出時代生活中日漸變異的人際關系，以及從種種變異關系中出走的人的心靈。

強雯在16萬字的篇幅中，用7個完全不同質的故事，從不同職業、不同階層、不同時間背景中的人物所經歷的生活中，抽取并呈現出一種令人觸目驚心的疏離感。這種不同生活洪流中幾乎同質的疏離感，緊緊把住了時代生活中人際關系的脈搏，也構成了這部小說集呼之欲出的靈魂與真正質量。

Shi Yan is a new book published by Chongqing writer Qiang Wen in November 2021， consisting of seven short stories： Shi Yan， Million Scenery， Merit Bowl， Cleanliness， Watercolor Class， One-way Street and Cheongsam. To me， this novel is like a strange mirror， close to life， magnifying and reflecting the changing relationships in the life of the times and the hearts and minds of people who have gone out from all kinds of changing relationships.

In 160，000 words and with seven stories of a completely different nature， Qiang Wen extracts and presents a striking sense of alienation from the lives experienced by characters in different professions， classes and time settings. This almost homogeneous detachment in the flood of different lives keeps the pulse of human relations in the life of the times， and also constitutes the soul and true quality of this novel collection.

于當代生活中的大多數人而言，關鍵時刻真正可以依靠的已只剩下家庭與親人。但是，被疏離感深深滲透的人際關系，其實早已侵入家庭，浸入血緣，割裂自我，使親人之間甚至自己與自己之間的關系也變得那樣陌生與岌岌可危。你看，《石燕》里的父子關系，《百萬風景》與《水彩課》中的父女母女關系，《清潔》中的情侶關系，《單行道》與《功德碗》中的夫妻關系，以及《旗袍》中自己與“另一個自己”的關系，這些傳統觀念中血濃于水的牢不可破的打斷骨頭連著筋的親人關系，在強雯筆下一下子就撕開臉皮，斷了筋骨，懸在了半空。

“他避免看父親的臉、眼神，他害怕那種親情的探詢，害怕自己突然就手足無措，他們要互相客氣，才不會彼此傷害。”這是《石燕》中高級技工華小超與考古學家父親華綿的關系。而在父親華綿那里，“這世界沒什么可安慰的，親人都是討債的”，“都是給自己添麻煩的人”。父子關系如此，父女母女關系亦然。“艾云麗也不和母親說話了，每次碰上關鍵問題，母親總會向著父親。她走到廚房里，拾掇起自己的鹵菜，想，這一家人真是自私，不僅克扣別人的生活，還克扣自己的生活。現在害得一家人還在這陰暗、耗子成堆的破屋子里住著。” 這是《百萬風景》中賣鹵菜的年輕女孩艾云麗的內心苦楚。

在這些形形色色的人生故事中，傳統意識中至為親近、可靠的家庭-血緣關系被撕裂，被瓦解，如失手砸碎的杯盤碎屑，沾淚帶血，無法直視。隨著家庭-血緣關系的瓦解與破碎，我們透過小說就能看到時代社會生活中人際關系的某種真相。這真相令人隱隱不安，卻又因真實而具有充分的說服力。

For most people in contemporary life， the only people left to rely on in critical moments are family and relatives. However， the interpersonal relationship deeply penetrated by the sense of alienation has actually invaded the family， dipped into the blood， and cut the self， making the relationship between relatives and even between oneself and oneself become so strange and precarious. See， the father-son relationship in Shi Yan， The relationship between father and daughter and mother and daughter in Million Scenery and Watercolor Class， The relationship between lovers in Cleanliness， the relationship between husband and wife in One-way Street and Merit Bowl， and the relationship between self and “another self” in Cheongsam， are all unbreakable relationships that are traditionally considered as blood and water， but under Qiang Wen’s writing， the skin is torn off， the bones are broken， and the relationship is suspended in midair.

“He avoids looking at his father’s face， his eyes， he is afraid of that kind of affectionate inquiry， afraid that he will suddenly be at his wits’ end， that they will have to be polite to each other so as not to hurt each other.” This is the relationship between Hua Xiaochao， a senior mechanic， and Hua Mian， his archaeologist father， in Shi Yan. And according to his father， Hua Mian， “there is nothing comforting in this world， loved ones are debt collectors and people who give me trouble”. This is true for fatherson relationships， as well as father-daughter and motherdaughter relationships. “Ai Yunli also does not talk to her mother. Whenever there is a critical issue， her mother always takes her father’s side. She goes to the kitchen， picks up her braised food and thinks， “This family is so selfish， not only withholding life from others， but also from ourselves， causing our family still living in this dank， ratty， broken house.” This is the inner suffering of Ai Yunli， a young girl selling braised food in Million Scenery.

In these various life stories， the traditionally close and reliable family ties are torn apart and disintegrated， like the crumbs of a broken cup or plate， stained with tears and blood， which is unbearable to look at. With the disintegration and breaking of family blood ties， we can see through the novel a certain truth about human relations in the social life of this era， a truth that is vaguely disturbing， yet fully convincing because it is true.

但強雯的筆卻并不到此為止。作為閱讀者，我認為瓦解并非她的目的。面冷心熱，她在呈現一種瓦解與土崩的同時，亦在塑造一種新的“生長”。畢竟，人是頑強的，耐活的，春風吹又生的，尤其是女人，以及那些有著女人心的男人們。在已然變異或跌至谷底的家庭-血緣關系中，我們看到了那些依然沒有被打倒被毀滅、依然在倔強中保持傲然、決然、毅然的人們。她們更為清醒，更為篤定，也更為頑強，就像因接種了疫苗迎風生出了抗體。

我尤其喜歡《百萬風景》中的艾云麗，這個賣鹵菜的24歲女孩，獨立、堅強、心思細膩而敏銳，在困頓的底層生活與日益疏離的家庭關系中，她努力營建、維護著一種最低質量的家庭親情，并在與百萬高檔小區保安隊長的一點曖昧關系中始終保持自己身為女性的高傲與自尊。何況她還另有打算，有存款，有對未來生活的新希望。小說的結尾，“她要回家，和父親回家，然后把那兩張票藏在抽屜里，信封中的游泳票遞給父親，她知道父親未必會收下。可是，她還是要遞給他。”我相信，讀到這里的大多數讀者都會多少動容，因為女兒堅持要遞給父親的并不只是兩張高檔小區的游泳票，而是一種“征服”困頓生活的雄心，是一個女兒在疏離的血緣關系中向著父親的單方面靠攏與接近。

與此相似的，是《水彩課》里我對“前畫家”父親的凝視，“他大概是微醉了，想要睡會兒。我扶他在沙發上躺下時，他提出想抱抱自己的女兒。我僵硬地把身體迎了過去，肩頭上落下一個軟弱的父親。‘你是我此生最親的人。’他低聲道。”而這個被父親忽視半生的女兒，在父親睡下之后，“坐在他對面的椅子上，目不轉睛地看著這個絕好的模特，沙發上的老者疲憊、渾然、堅持、隱忍，一動不動。我想，我應該可以把他畫下來，只需要好好地觀察下，再觀察下。”這種抵近觀察、再觀察的意愿，既是一個女兒對暮年老父的垂憐，同時更是一種血緣關系破碎之后意欲重圓的沖動。這里面，有一個女兒突然涌現的柔情，更有一個女性在洞悉生活的無所依靠后內心突然生長出來的新擔當。

But Qiang Wen’s writing doesn’t end there. As a reader， I don’t think disintegration is the purpose of her writing. With a cold face but a warm heart， she is also shaping a new “growth” while presenting a kind of disintegration and collapse. After all， people are tenacious and resistant to live， especially women， and those men who have a woman’s heart. In the midst of family ties that have mutated or hit rock bottom， we see people who are still not beaten or destroyed， who remain proud， determined and resolute in their stubbornness， who are more awake， more certain and more resilient， as if they have been vaccinated and have developed antibodies to the wind.

I especially like Ai Yunli in Million Scenery， a 24-year-old girl who sells braised food， independent， strong， delicate and sharp-minded. In the troubled bottom life and increasingly distant family relations， she tries to build and maintain a minimum quality of family affection， and in a little ambiguous relationship with the security chief of the million dollar upscale community， she always maintains her pride and self-respect as a woman， not to mention that she also has other plans， savings， and new hopes for her future life. The novel ends with the words，“She is going home， going home with her father， and then handing him the two swimming tickets in the envelope hidden in the drawer， knowing that he might not take them， but， nevertheless， she is handing them to him.” I believe that， when reading this， most readers will be more or less moved， because what the daughter insists on handing to her father is not simply two swimming tickets to a highend neighborhood， but an ambition to “conquer” a difficult life， a daughter’s unilateral approach and proximity to her father in an estranged blood relationship.

Similar to this is the gaze of “I” on my “ex-painter”father in Watercolor Class. “He is probably slightly drunk and wants to take a nap. As I help him lie down on the couch， he offers to hug his daughter. I stiffen my body to meet it， and a limp father falls on my shoulder. ‘You’re the closest thing I have in this life.’ He whispered.” And the daughter， who has been neglected by her father for half her life， “sits in the chair opposite him after he has fallen asleep， staring unblinkingly at the superb model， the old man on the sofa， tired， muddled， insistent， stoic， motionless. I think I should be able to draw him down and just observe him well and again.” This willingness to observe and re-observe closely is both a daughter’s pity for her elderly father in his twilight years， and at the same time an impulse to reunite after a broken blood relationship. Here is a daughter’s sudden emergence of tenderness， but also a woman’s sudden growth of new responsibilities in her heart after realizing that there is nothing to rely on in life.

這種坦然擔當，《功德碗》里的女仆白桂有，《單行道》里首婚被棄二婚喪夫的陶玉丹也有。當然，還有《清潔》中的小海，以及《石燕》中的華綿，他們雖然都是男人，年齡和職業也都不同，但卻都有一顆女人心。前者謄抄碑文，性好一塵不染的清潔拂拭，后者癡迷修補文物，喜歡在幽暗的燈光下“把暮塵緩緩地吸入鼻內”。在時代生活中，他們同樣遭遇家庭-血緣關系的破碎，同樣遭遇時代生活里的漩渦與謎團，但亦不放棄，不隨波逐流，而是以不同的方式選擇了回歸——華綿在生命的盡頭與珍藏的石燕同歸歌樂山。而小海，則“看見一塊巖石向著朝陽的方向，巋然不動”，他因而一夜夢醒，找到了木塔下的北方老家。

“夜晚清淺，銀河落在河里，流水湯湯，殘露滴落在松梢。”那些因早年失去親情失去家園而流離于人世艱辛中的人們，在這個星輝燦爛、松露輕響的良夜，重新找到了回家的依稀之路。這是一部小說帶來的熱力，亦如勸世功德。伴隨閱讀，這股暖流緩緩植入我對時代生活、對血緣親情的體驗庫存，并在我心里抽出了一棵新苗。我為此感謝這部小說的作者強雯女士，她的經驗與書寫，不但為當代文學提供了女性視野中家庭-血緣關系的嶄新鏡像，更面向著未來，為血緣親情之外的無數孤魂游子荒草野人，以微光照亮回家之路。

除此之外，《石燕》亦是一部值得珍視的文化小說。書中，作者圍繞歷史場景呈現的重慶地域文化風景令人驚艷。《石燕》故事中的西南考古、《百萬風景》中曾經的灣云村自然生態、《功德碗》中的武陵山區古建與鄉俗、《清潔》中的南北佛寺建筑與碑拓文化、《水彩課》中的美術之鄉烏雅鎮風情，以及《旗袍》中的古典生活情趣，都貼著時代生活的表面寫出了地域文化的熠熠光彩，而強雯小說家之外的地域文化學者身份亦因此而展現。這進一步增強了《石燕》這部小說的文化認識價值，使其真正成為近年來中國女性小說領域值得深入研究的一部力作。

This kind of frank commitment is found in Bai Guiyou， the maid in the Merit Bowl， and in Tao Yudan， who is abandoned in her first marriage and loses her husband in her second marriage in the One-way Street. Of course， there is also Xiao Hai in Cleanliness and Hua Mian in Shi Yan， both of whom are men and of different ages and occupations， but both of whom have a woman’s heart. The former is keen on transcribing inscriptions， clean and spotless， while the latter is obsessed with repairing relics and likes to “breathe the twilight dust slowly into his nose”in the dim light. In the life of the times， they also suffer the same broken family blood ties， and are also caught in the whirlpool and mystery of the life of the times， but do not give up， do not go with the flow， but choose to return in a different way - Hua Mian returns to Mount Gele with the treasured Shi Yan at the end of his life； while Xiao Hai，“sees a rock standing firm towards the direction of the rising sun”， he thus wakes up from a dream overnight and finds his old home in the north under the wooden pagoda.

“The night is clear and shallow， the Milky Way falls in the river， the flowing water is soupy， the remnants of dew drip down on the pine tips.” Those who are displaced in the hardships of the world due to the loss of family and home in their early years， find their way home again vaguely on this fine night of brilliant starlight and soft sound of truffles. This is the heat brought by a novel， which is also like the merit of persuasion. Along with the reading， this warm current is slowly flowing into my inventory of the life of the times， of the experience of blood and kinship， and is pulling out a new seedling from my heart. I am grateful to Ms. Qiang Wen， the author of this novel， for her experience and writing， which not only provides a new mirror image of family ties in contemporary literature from a woman’s perspective， but also looks toward the future， illuminating the way home for the countless lonely souls beyond blood ties.

Besides， Shi Yan is also a cherished cultural novel in which the author presents a stunning cultural landscape of Chongqing around historical scenes. Southwest archaeology in Shi Yan story， the once the natural ecology of Wan Yun Village in Million Scenery， ancient buildings and local customs in Wuling Mountain area in Merit Bowl， Buddhist temple architecture and tablet calligraphy culture in Cleanliness， and customs of Wuya Town style， the home of fine arts in Watercolor Class， as well as the taste of classical life in Cheongsam， are all written against the surface of the life of the times and reveal the glory of regional culture， and Qiang Wen’s identity as a scholar of regional culture beyond the novelist is thus revealed， further enhancing the cultural awareness value of Shi Yan， making it truly a masterpiece worthy of in-depth study in the field of Chinese women’s fiction in recent years.