瓶隐巷奇谈

五、结尾

第二日时近正午，地方巡检司领着官差衙役来到禹门坊，押走了崔林中与崔文氏。

巡检司看到点娘时，讶异道：“你就是那个扮成女鬼，吓得崔文氏说出真相的跳月人？”

点娘微笑颔首：“是，大人。”

她已经重新束起头发，穿着干净的布衣裙，脸也白皙干净，街坊们站得远远的，想到她昨夜披头散发、满目血泪的样子都心有余悸。

“我姓徐，你别怕。今晨来的路上，我们就说禹门坊当真奇事不断，这一路回衙门，你倒是说说具体如何？”巡检司对点娘充满好奇，“等开堂审案时，你的话也是最有用的口供。”

点娘走时，不忘向禹门坊的街坊一抱拳，朗声道：“各位街坊，小女打扰大家了，抱歉！”

点娘其实不是她的真名，她在“跳月人”戏班中，艺名长玉，是西江上游藤县人，只因当年家贫，家中起先把大女儿小梅卖给崔文氏的娘家，也就是给崔文氏做了丫环，崔文氏出嫁后也就把她带到崔家。

谁知小梅没两年就死去，尸首送回时，家人发现她的脸上竟像牢里的犯人一般黥面，身上新伤旧患亦不计其数，但崔家给了一笔不小银两私了，小梅的父母也就认了，而这长玉当时被送入“跳月人”戏班学技，知道其姐死有冤屈，又因在戏班中生存，自有一身江湖儿女气概，当年竟立志要为姐报仇，只是等待时机。倏忽十年过去，直到前些日子，因为跳月戏班到崇天塔进行数日的演技，她随班期间，便在禹门坊一带顺势摸熟地形，又闲聊式的从一些街坊口中，探听到许多关于崔家的事：崔文氏与崔老爷感情不和，却性情乖僻善妒，经常怀疑家中丫环勾引老爷，因此常施以谩骂虐待， 尤其是三年前在崔家做短工的阿辛，忽然病死，长玉直觉她死得蹊跷，怀疑是被崔文氏虐待而死，于是她另寻时间告假回乡，实际是悄悄回到禹门坊，阿辛旧宅处潜伏下来。

其后，又仗着身为“跳月人”的如燕功夫，夜里翻墙到老太太房中，盗取她的几件不值钱的木簪银环首饰，便点灯静候在阿辛家宅中，只待遇到探看的街坊或甚人，就以女魂口吻将簪环给人，并请人去代领生前月薪云云。

当崔家人看到这些莫名失踪的首饰，听说是女鬼请人来讨债的，必然会有所反应。同时，打探期间，听说崔家老太太身边正想买人帮佣，她立刻找到李冰人，给了些银两请她帮忙引荐，顺利地进入崔家做工。

最后说什么装鬼吓人，那对于“跳月人”来说，实在是容易不过的技巧了。“跳月技”本身就擅用攀爬，凭一段特制绳索或白练，即可飞檐走壁，加上障眼特效放几把磷火，或趁人不备，抹些妆面的红色油彩，就是血泪模样，一切驾轻就熟。

只是……点娘长玉，也万万没想到两点：原本担当崔家前门小厮的巧汉，会在当晚尾随崔林中和崔贵的行踪，进而发现他们将荆货郎杀人灭口的事实，而那长期被欺负压迫的香巧，更是在当晚出现，和她哥哥一道，力主大家把崔家夫妇告上官府，也算长期受害而终于愤激起来报仇雪恨了吧。

然而，崔家里竟还有更大的案件——

阿辛真是个苦命人！

禹门坊人都在议论，那瓶隐巷的周家，是城里开丝绸行的掌柜，原本跟崔家老爷要好，阿辛的男人就是在周家做事。

那一年崔林中也在外省参与绸缎买卖，却被外人坑走一大笔钱，正好遇到周家掌柜同在外地办货，价值近万两的上等绸缎竟使得崔林中生出邪心，毕竟没人知道他们两家曾一道同路，于是崔林中在偕同归途中，居然将周家掌柜及几个同行随从都杀害了，只是没想到阿辛的男人在被害前几日，曾请人写过一封家书给阿辛，当中提到路上与崔家相遇之事，等崔林中回到禹门坊家中，阿辛不见丈夫回来，便找崔林中询问，崔林中这才惊觉。为防阿辛寻根究底，几番软硬宽慰恐吓不成，崔林中就让心腹管家崔贵几次出外，少量买来乌头砒霜一类的毒药，分次下在阿辛的饭食里，使得她一月之间，断续出现头昏、泻痢等病症，起初不能做活只得回家静养，但很快也就死在家中。

又因身边没有亲人帮扶，崔林中假装拿出一些银两买副薄棺，将她停殡于宅中，待丈夫回来下葬，不曾想一停也就三年过去，若不是长玉装鬼引起崔林中惊慌，又把传话的荆货郎暗地里杀死，此次罪当无可出脱，州府县衙立即将崔林中定了个斩立决，崔文氏则因多年前虐待婢女小梅致死，暂判了绞监候。

长玉后来还回来过，帮忙运送荆货郎的尸首回南岸草埠村下葬。

她到底是个有情义的江湖儿女，说若不是自己将荆货郎拉下这淌浑水，他也不会死于非命，然而荆货郎兄弟几个，就他还未成立家室，于是她将自己生辰、名字另刻一块牌位，与荆货郎一道下葬，并当着众人面发誓说，自己要嫁给荆货郎为妻，此生绝不二嫁，以后将跳月卖艺所得钱数，也会交给荆货郎父母晚年生活。

荆家起初对她不假颜色，但后来看她坚持以未亡人的身份披麻戴孝，灵前下跪三天三夜痛哭，渐渐也就由着她去了。

禹门坊人都说，百年禹门坊皆是淳庞质朴的风气，有富贵不欺贫贱的良声，不曾想竟出了崔家这一门的祸害，还好天道昭昭，看顾孤寒，歹人总有被天理收去的一刻，方圆一带人可引以为戒，将这段公案流传后人，劝毋再重蹈覆辙。

Introduce:One, ghost curtilage Jing Xiaochuan is pushing board car to walk along a street to string together alley, shake rouse the itinerant peddler that sells sundry goods, the thing that sells at ordinary times, nothing more than the rouge soaked noodles made from beans or sweet potatoes that the areca that the pill that hits bug to eat, man chews, woman uses or the sundries such as odds and ends needed for sewing, because be originally on the west person of village of careless port of Changjiang Delta bank, so his business, be in only commonly one belt of river south bank ambulates on the west. However today, like a curious coincidence, one have the person that is the same as a village early to employ a boat to should arrive opposite the river greatly go handling affairs, see he is in roadside, blurt out accost, he also promised to go up with respect to muddleheaded ground boat. Alley of concealed of the Chong Tianda on the river, bottle is taken, originally signs of human habitation is dense, jing Xiaochuan expects raw sense is good, which know to take eventide state power along the street in the morning, also do not have make it a few only businesses, when just hurrying to dock, boat however in advance gave water to arrive in the river, soon by accident time, be afraid of tonight is to answer did not go, this locality does not have kin friend again, the place to go that rests even constellation unexpectedly also does not have assured source, jing Xiaochuan can'ts help depressed rise. Retrace one li many, the bottle concealed alley that has been to to white daytime, he wants to taking the advantage of the Yu Xia of the dusk, look it is OK to have the other people of stay overnight at sb else's place. In bottle concealed alley, every family shined the lamp, but mostly high fence is airtight, chaste tree itinerant peddler went knocking few points knocker, connect however come out to answer the person of the door is done not have. "It is head head is being touched really black! " gas of chaste tree itinerant peddler must be before family door spit a few phlegmy, be obliged to search again additionally. See ha-ha of a fence eventually, plank of door door leaf very show pallet, but the faint light that also gives lonely lonely fully, should be the family that this locality compares poverty-stricken. Poverty-stricken other people is normally good get along with a few, he rouses vigorously go up again knock at the door. "Who ah? " those who come out to be greeted is female voice, lying between few and far between a crack between a door and its frame, chaste tree itinerant peddler looks clear is a commoners young married woman, answer: "I am south bank is careless on the river port village person, come river north sells goods by accident interim time, come bottle concealed alley thinks …… of stay overnight at sb else's place seeking the home perhaps gives bowl water to drink also become. " " oh, tian Yulu slips, if be not cold-shouldered,take house stop on the way for a rest please. " the request that young married woman opens the door actually and promised itinerant peddler willingly, "Board car stops in the door please, this locality is long without the incident that break pilfer, can set his mind at please. " chaste tree itinerant peddler looks this young married woman up and down, talking voice is extremely young, life must cut a shoulder fine waist is very thin, countenance is more ghastly and gaunt, resembling is a body very weak, at once 1000 Enmoxiede did according to her word, it is a bit strange to just feel she talks again, weather still calculates now fine, why can you say Tian Yulu slips? Young married woman brings itinerant peddler to enter room: "My home man goes far door to did not return, you but optional, I this pours water to you. " itinerant peddler has some of atrophic follow-up inside hall, never want to transmit after one's death " clang clang " underwater acoustic, look later questioningly unceasingly, be in outside flashy fall really unexpectedly