Searching for Orchid

Author: daughter of Ganjiang

(1) it is a good time in early spring, when weeping willows brush the dike and the green grass gradually weaves. In the five warm and three cold days, a few strands of bamboo, hidden in the water fog of the city of Gusu, gradually became a background, as if to make an elegant note for the old city. The dormant winter is coming to an end, and the whole of Suzhou slowly wakes up in the spring breeze and rain, as if the little lady who had just changed her jacket into a light shirt, a lazy waist showed all her vitality. On both sides of the canal, restaurants and brothels are lined with each other, Qinggu flutters, wine flags follow the wind, and the fine and mischievous rain and fog can no longer stop pedestrians on the street. It was the Yuan Festival again, so although it was drizzling, it was much more lively than usual. Among the hustle and bustle of people was a boy in a green shirt, who was in a hurry. He did not linger in the early spring scenery, but bowed his head and walked. In a moment, the long street was coming to an end, then turned right and followed the straight bluestone slate road to a big house. The house is old but very elegant, with green brick ink tiles, painted beams, and a plaque hanging above the door with the words "Suzhou flower cellar" written on it. The scholar was about to enter the door, but when he saw that the left side of the gate was full of people, he hesitated a little. When I turned around, I saw that the two middle-aged scholars seemed to be fighting for something and wrestled with each other. Next to the ground was a broken mud basin with a cluster of Reed heads torn open at the mouth of the basin. Seeing that the flower was in full bloom, plum petal, silkworm moth holding, bangs and light red spots on the tongue, I knew that I was late and that the flower had been bought by others. It's just that why are those two fighting? It turned out that at this time during the Qing Dynasty, the world had a good orchid, and every good species came down the mountain, and the literati in the rich areas of Jiangsu and Zhejiang competed for it. The blue shirt son surnamed Lu, a single name of a cloud word, upright, sincere nature, only crazy love orchids. Early in the morning, I learned that there was a plum petal new flower for sale in Suzhou flower cellar, but I came in a hurry, only to be preempted by the twin brother Cheng Dahu, who was wrestling. But the two men, ignoring the feeling of Brotherhood, began to fight in the street. Lu Yun, who already knew them, took a few steps forward, first protecting the orchids, and then separated them, and advised: "the two eldest brothers of the Cheng family, if you continue to fight, this flower will be mistakenly damaged by you. Now that the seedling has been torn apart by you, it is better to split it in half and plant it in a big pot for several years. Why fight against the baht and fight, hurting the brothers?" That Cheng Dahu listened to the advice of Prince Lu, and when he saw that the flowers were indeed torn in half, he knew that they could no longer be monopolized, and there were crowds around him, so he was no longer determined to seize them. I picked up the big clump and gave the small clump to my brother. Seeing that the dispute had been resolved, Lu Yun began to talk to them and asked, "I heard that the flower was dug up by the old farmer surnamed Liu. I just don't know why he can always find something wonderful." . Cheng Erhu replied, "Don't Brother Lu know? The old man's flowers were all dug up on the cliff of Lingshan to the west of Taihu Lake. Lingshan has a steep terrain and dangerous peaks, so most people dare not go there. Last year, the old man Liu almost broke his leg. " Having said that, he slightly finished his skirt and embraced the orchid, which dispersed with the crowd. After hearing this, Lu Yun stood still for a long time and thought to himself: although Lingshan is more than a hundred miles away from Suzhou, it would not be very difficult for the ferry to cross Taihu Lake. Why don't I go and see for myself, maybe I can meet Zhibao? In this way, he made up his mind to wait for the sky to clear up the mountain to find the orchid.

(2) A few days later, it was rainy and sunny. Seeing the light in the sky, Lu Yun went to Taihu Lake early in the morning and hired a small boat. Boarding the ship, but coincidentally and smoothly, standing in the bow for a short time, the towering green hills and green woods in the distance came into view. After a while, he went to the shore. After paying for the boat, he went ashore and went up the hill excitedly. At this time, the sunshine is green moss, the birds singing mountains are quiet, the mountain road is narrow and rugged, the rocks are rolling together, the grass is luxuriant and Jing is deep, and there is no one to walk. After walking for three or four miles, the mountain road was flooded in the mountains and forests, without a trace. Fortunately, there was another stream, which was made by melting snow on the mountain and converging to the mountain stream. Lu Yun picked up the spring water and ate a few mouthfuls. The entrance was clear and sweet. After a short rest and then up the stream, the more dangerous the terrain is. The vegetation in the mountains is green, the wild flowers are swaying, and the sun shines through the dense woods and turns into countless golden arrows, dyed the forest fog into gold, just like a fairyland. At this time, Lu Yun's clothes were scratched by thorns, and there were a lot of blood stains on his body. However, in the face of this spectacle of creation, I was dumbfounded and refreshed, and the clothes and skin did not care about it any more. Three or four miles up, the stream became thinner and thinner, unwittingly came to the bottom of a valley, surrounded by cliffs, there was no way out. The valleys are full of pines, where the mountain breeze passes, the pines sound like waves. There seems to be no sign of orchids all the way, and the sun is on the west side, thinking about returning to the original road, but in a trance, I seem to smell a delicate fragrance. I turned to see a boulder more than a foot high in the depths of the pine forest. Between the cliffs to the west of the boulder are two fine-leaf grasses, graceful and unexpectedly like orchids. Lu Yunxi could not help himself, managed to grab the pine branch and climb to the bottom of the boulder, and saw that the two beautiful orchids were proudly blooming in the air! One of the flowers is huge, the petals are short and thick, and the tongue is inlaid with muddy round erythema. The other flower is also pure and broad in color, with bright red dots on the tongue, but the difference is that the outer petal is floating slightly, but it adds another smart and elegant! Lu Yun was immediately delighted and amazed, but the hard rock was so steep and smooth that he was determined not to climb it. He made a circle along the boulder and saw that there was a cliff in the distance that was not standing, and after trying to climb it, he might climb along the shrubs between the cliffs to the boulder. Without the slightest hesitation, regardless of the danger, he slowly moved there, and when he climbed the cliff, he firmly grasped the short branches of the shrubs and stuck to the rocks, so that he could find a place to climb reluctantly. I did not know how long he had climbed, and finally he was at a steady pace, knowing that he had stepped on the boulder. I was frightened and turned around. Unexpectedly, I was stunned again when I turned around. I saw two stunning women sitting opposite each other on the boulder. there was a big stone between them, and there was a chessboard on the stone, just as if there was no other person's game. One is wearing a concubine palace dress with goose fat on his face, with cherry lips and ink-painted eyebrows, and a god like autumn water, he is simply a fairy concubine from the world; the other is wearing a long water-blue dress with a slender shoulder and a long figure, and he is also handsome, looking forward to Shenfei and forgetting vulgarity. Lu Yun stood by for a moment, but the two men did not pay any attention to themselves. only then did they find that the two orchids had disappeared, only that they had come too late, and that the orchids were taken first by them. They could not help feeling embarrassed and were about to return. The woman in the concubine dress said, "the girl is absent-minded. why don't we fight another day?" The younger sister smiled and nodded and threw down the chess pieces, but turned to Lu Yun and said, "the mountain road is difficult and dangerous. It is not suitable to travel at night. Why don't you come home with us and return home tomorrow?" Then I see that the Childe is quite familiar with the way of Zilan. Although our courtyard is simple, we also have a collection of good varieties. Would you like to go ahead and enjoy one or two? " Lu Yun first suspected where they came from, and then wondered how she knew her way to orchid, but as soon as she heard that the two sisters had good food, he could not pay attention to this doubt and wanted to see what kind of fairy grass and strange flowers they had. He gave his name, bowed and thanked him and gladly followed it. Seeing Lu Yun talking openly, the woman said with a smile, "our surname is Shen, and our home is just behind the mountain." Then they followed the two. Unexpectedly, on the thin cracks behind the boulder, there was a line of hidden stone steps. The three could easily go down to the bottom of the valley and through the pine forest. Under the shadow of the trees, they bypassed a cliff along the stone wall and came to a bamboo grove. At the end of the bamboo forest, there was a small river with white walls and black tiles, and there stood seven or eight houses with silk willows in front of them and peach blossoms in full bloom. After entering, the twilight gradually thickened, only vaguely discernible white stone masonry road in the door, flat and wide, the two sisters led Lu Yun to the guest room in the west wing, where the furnishings were quite elegant and clean. After being set up, the two sisters covered the door. Lu Yun walked across mountains and rivers all day. He was so tired that he fell into bed and fell into a deep sleep.

(3) at the dawn of the next day, Lu Yun woke up, used the snacks sent by the servant girl, and pushed the door to the courtyard. at this time, the garden was full of spring, and Lu Yun felt very relaxed and comfortable, so he wandered casually. When I came to the porch, I met her sisters who were carefully working on a begonia and a rose. The crabapple was in full bloom and the rose was in bud. Lu Yun came forward and said, "good morning, ladies!" People around the world say that begonia has no fragrance, and the rose is too flirtatious, and they are all flowers that are difficult to enter the hall of great elegance. I did not expect that under the irrigation and maintenance of the two of you, they will be able to emerge so elegant and elegant. " The elder sister replied, "Prince Lu is overpraised. Everything is born with a spirit. How can there be a difference between high and low?" This flower has been affected by the rain and dew in the mountains, and it is naturally beautiful and beautiful, and it is not the work of the two of us! " Before the words were finished, my sister nudged her sister: "doesn't he want to see our orchids?" Let's take him there! " The elder sister nodded and smiled and said, "Sir, this way, please." Lu Yun followed through the veranda and around to the back of the house, and saw that the back garden was also very large. Except for a few ancient locust trees in the courtyard, the edge of the pond on the stone was all orchid, at least hundreds of species. Lu Yun thought that even the orchid nursery in Suzhou flower cellar did not have such momentum! A faint fragrance smelled to his nostrils, and he couldn't help praising, "Confucius said well, Lan Zhen should be the king of incense!" Unexpectedly, my sister giggled and said, "the Childe is really a nerd, open mouth king incense, shut up king incense!" Pedantic! What else did Confucius say to you? " Lu Yun hurriedly replied, "the Master also said that Zhilan was born in the deep forest, not because there is no one but not fragrant. A gentleman practices morality, not poverty." But when he heard his sister laugh even more, she joked, "I said," it turns out that Confucius is the most pedantic person in the world. It is said that Zhilan is not unfragrant because there is no one. Has Confucius ever seen other flowers that are not fragrant when they are fragrant? Besides, is it really an orchid he sees? Isn't he irrelevant? If you can't tell the difference, how can you know Lan Hui? I think there are few gentlemen in the world, and there are many elegant villains. I don't know what kind of Prince Lu is. Lu Yun was immediately speechless and full of shyness when asked like this. Fortunately, her sister stopped and said, "Sister must not be rude. Don't disturb the Childe's interest in enjoying flowers!" Then he turned to Lu Yun and smiled apologetically, but he didn't take it seriously and continued to enjoy the flowers. At this time, it was the flowering period of orchids, and these were varieties that Lu Yun had never seen before. he held his breath and tasted each pot carefully: there was an extraordinarily strange pot of orchids beside Qingxi: Shulang's green leaves were short and broad. Two green flowers bloomed together, oddly enough, they were lotus petals, and each had more than a dozen petals! It is as round and lovely as a small lotus carved out of emerald! Also see a pot under the locust tree, is a vegetarian spring orchid, leaf posture beautiful, flower pavilion slender, petals fresh and round, green crystal clear as jade, white tongue, elegant, elegant, noble and incomparable, people forget the vulgar view. Also see a basin, blue leaves green flourishing, dozens of flowers in the leaves blooming, flowers and colors as clear as red jade, shining brightly in the light of the morning glow, smelling intoxicating fragrance a little before. In addition, there are countless plum petals, lotus petals, strange flowers, colored flowers, each with its own characteristics, all of which are beautiful, which can not be described here. Lu Yunxin was focused and selfless. Every time he saw a flower, he could not help but comment and praise it with the two sisters, or directly express their views, or quote the words on the orchid spectrum, but although the sister raised orchids a lot, she did not understand the petal shape. I don't seem to have read any orchid. I don't know the years in the mountains, and these hours passed in an instant. Lu Yun finally saw the open Chunlan in the garden and felt extremely satisfied and said happily, "Xiaosheng originally came to the mountain to look for orchids. Although I didn't get anything on this trip, I met two young ladies. I was able to generously invite me to appreciate the orchid. Thank you very much, girls, and please accept my worship, "he said with a deep bow to the two. When my sister saw that Lu Yun did not ask for gifts, knowing that he was modest and courteous, she said, "since the Childe is so sincere, I will send a pot to you." she picked up the pot of lotus petals and handed them to Lu Yun's hand, and said, "you can't tell the truth. My sisters and sisters are not mortal, but they are nourished by rain and dew in the mountains, and they are illusory in human form. In recent years, it is popular in the world to raise orchids, and there are many people who go to the mountains to dig for orchid grass. Although they all have a love of beauty, those orchids that go down the mountain will be abandoned and discarded at will if their flowers are unsatisfactory. Flower growers and peddlers hurt me a lot of innocent people! The prince travels to Liling Mountain and loves orchids, which is the fate of you and me. If you are really a person who cares for incense and cherish jade, please be kind to it. " Lu Yun was surprised and thought carefully that the sister was the result of the two orchids on the cliff. So he became more pious and respectful. Thank you again and again. Seeing that it's getting late, it's time to go home. The two men took him to the valley where they met the day before yesterday and found the stream that showed him the way. Lu Yun went home by himself.