杭州靈隱禪寺東側(cè)北高峰下，茶園連片，有百畝之多，其間單門(mén)獨(dú)戶(hù)突兀起一座樸素淡雅的小院落。院墻內(nèi)外有幾樹(shù)綠蔭，掩映如孤島。橫過(guò)茶園，有條名叫白樂(lè)橋、古代馬車(chē)般寬的路，盡頭處是靈隱寺后門(mén)和上北高峰的山道。小院正門(mén)時(shí)常緊閉，偶爾打開(kāi)就合上。門(mén)前路過(guò)的人多是茶農(nóng)、僧人和當(dāng)?shù)叵憧停麄冎肋@里不對(duì)外開(kāi)放，只有初來(lái)乍到的游客對(duì)它好奇，透過(guò)院墻上的花窗，見(jiàn)到里面粉墻黑瓦，屋檐三重四疊，玻璃窗欞和墻壁爬滿(mǎn)綠藤，屋頂上樹(shù)冠如傘，有座寧?kù)o的二層小樓，再走近門(mén)前，望門(mén)頭“孟莊”二字的匾額，又瞧門(mén)左側(cè)立著的石頭上刻著的字時(shí)，才“噢”的一聲走開(kāi)。

八月的絲絲雨霧里我們拖著行囊來(lái)到時(shí)，見(jiàn)兩扇黑漆小木門(mén)如普通人家，很是親切，回家一樣高興地又按門(mén)鈴又拍打銅門(mén)環(huán)。旁邊的團(tuán)團(tuán)桂樹(shù)無(wú)聲無(wú)息。門(mén)里一陣響動(dòng)，傳來(lái)應(yīng)答聲和取木門(mén)栓聲，一會(huì)兒門(mén)“嘎吱吱”打開(kāi)來(lái)。十天后我們離別時(shí)，桂花初開(kāi)的香氣在暮色中若有若無(wú)，從車(chē)窗伸頭往回一望，見(jiàn)大門(mén)口路燈暖暖的橘黃色光暈里，主人相送的身形立在桂樹(shù)下，心窩一熱，眼前立即閃現(xiàn)一幕幕在“家”數(shù)日的情景，耳畔仿佛飄來(lái)巴金生前給這創(chuàng)作之家的一句留言：“這真是我的家?！?/p>

孟莊的正門(mén)不常開(kāi)，一扇圓形側(cè)門(mén)卻天明開(kāi)到夜里，人出人進(jìn)的。門(mén)里無(wú)外人，一年四季住著工作人員和流云般一批批帶家人來(lái)休養(yǎng)的全國(guó)各地作家。我揣通知書(shū)攜夫而來(lái)，與來(lái)自天南地北、只聞名未謀面的9位作家和其家眷20余人同一屋檐下生活了十天，如歸的感覺(jué)，與過(guò)去20年間住過(guò)的千余名作家在留言簿中所記下的，與貼在棋室兩邊墻上的三四十位大名鼎鼎作家的留言，不相上下。我們是今年第八批入住者，初見(jiàn)面孔新，一兩天就相處成一家：共同在餐廳吃飯，洗衣房洗衣，花廳觀魚(yú)，棋室下棋，書(shū)房閱讀，客廳聊天，陽(yáng)臺(tái)聽(tīng)蟬，看過(guò)道上入住者們的留影照片，出門(mén)游玩結(jié)隊(duì)成群彼此照應(yīng)，一人有難題十人出手相助。在俗塵喧囂的當(dāng)今，有這樣一個(gè)地方讓人把高低之心先放一放，以家常之態(tài)共處，無(wú)憂(yōu)無(wú)慮，輕松舒服地生活幾天，實(shí)在難得。我就是在這里初次感受到什么叫杭州人間天堂的，同時(shí)禁不住對(duì)創(chuàng)作之家感慨起來(lái)：住過(guò)這里的作家們，包括文學(xué)巨匠巴金，有“家”的感言，20余年后的我等無(wú)名之輩，竟然也同感，可見(jiàn)治理這個(gè)“家”的功夫非一朝一夕可得，也非三言?xún)烧Z(yǔ)可道。

這個(gè)小小的“家”很惹人喜愛(ài)。進(jìn)門(mén)后處處精致清雅，簡(jiǎn)潔明亮，一塵不染，一看就想住下，并且住出它宜居宜室的妙處。比如盡管房間、過(guò)道有落地玻璃窗、玻璃門(mén)，室內(nèi)每個(gè)角落都能被天光照亮，但還是留出兩個(gè)小天井，一個(gè)在大門(mén)與二門(mén)之間，方方兩步寬，墻上爬滿(mǎn)青藤；一個(gè)在客廳外，置假山，有錦鯉游來(lái)游去的魚(yú)池，四面的瓦溝水都淌在池子里。這兩個(gè)承天接露之地，小得如同兩個(gè)鼻孔，讓人感覺(jué)到小樓均勻的一呼一吸。再比如書(shū)房門(mén)外十步見(jiàn)方的小庭院和幾臺(tái)石階下去的半畝地左右的綠草坪，一小一大抵圍墻，由于墻體被藤木遮蔽得不見(jiàn)影子，宛如小樹(shù)林，讓人有延伸到戶(hù)外一樣的原野感，很暢快。

我對(duì)小庭院印象尤佳，這里讓我找到不只是一般意義上的如歸，而是內(nèi)心深處歸于文學(xué)創(chuàng)作這個(gè)家。這里原本是個(gè)在書(shū)房呆久了出來(lái)信步的地方，由于它太小，除我之外不見(jiàn)別人來(lái)此轉(zhuǎn)悠。別人都是一家人兩口三口地出門(mén)散步，門(mén)外茶園一覽無(wú)余，靈隱寺古木夾道，溪流相行。我與丈夫每晚也到寺旁散步聽(tīng)水聲，直到樹(shù)叢黑得令人發(fā)毛才回頭。而只想獨(dú)自一人踱步時(shí)，我不由自主就往小庭院來(lái)了，這里地上鋪著小石子，沿院墻有叢叢紫竹和芭蕉。我每在庭院中央的樟樹(shù)下一坐，眼前似乎夢(mèng)幻般出現(xiàn)我最喜愛(ài)的幾位唐宋詞人的影子，在翠竹碧葉間若有若無(wú)地低吟淺唱起一句兩句唐宋小令來(lái)。我不明白為何在這里理解蘇東坡、李易安等人的詩(shī)詞，比別處容易得多？起身走走，抬頭瞥見(jiàn)黑黝黝瓦頂上的苔蘚；或在庭院邊上憑欄，望近處草坪上立著的一塊青藤披發(fā)般的石頭，辨認(rèn)其上刻著的密密麻麻的字跡。這種時(shí)候，眼前會(huì)晃動(dòng)曾在此住過(guò)而自己不曾見(jiàn)過(guò)的作家們的身影，其中以巴金的身影最為清晰，大概是客廳墻壁顯著位置上掛著他住這里的留影，小庭院里的立石上刻著他的留言的緣故吧。我問(wèn)創(chuàng)作之家負(fù)責(zé)人柯朗曦那塊立石的事，他說(shuō)巴老過(guò)世后，創(chuàng)作之家無(wú)比懷念，因此刻石。我從石頭背面刻文上讀到巴金耄耋之年幾次來(lái)此居住的具體時(shí)間，知道那幾年正是《隨想錄》熱銷(xiāo)、中國(guó)學(xué)界文壇無(wú)不談?wù)撨@本懺悔錄之時(shí)。那時(shí)還是文學(xué)青年的我去新華書(shū)店購(gòu)回《隨想錄》，一本接一本囫圇吞棗地捧讀，根本沒(méi)想到此地有個(gè)巴老的“家”。

創(chuàng)作之家的石刻有三塊，鎮(zhèn)“家”石正面刻著巴老手書(shū)的留言，全文是：“這真是我的家。我忘不了在這里過(guò)的愉快的兩個(gè)星期。謝謝你們。巴金 一九九○年十月十四日在杭州創(chuàng)作之家”。與這立石相對(duì)，中間隔了小庭院，橫坐在草坪上的，是刻滿(mǎn)作家簽名的石頭。還有就是佇立正門(mén)旁邊的那塊，上面刻著的“中國(guó)作家協(xié)會(huì)杭州創(chuàng)作之家”幾個(gè)字，是套用魯迅的手跡。

靈隱景區(qū)是杭州西湖風(fēng)景名勝區(qū)的核心地，上世紀(jì)末本世紀(jì)初景區(qū)內(nèi)居民和單位全部搬遷，唯一留下了創(chuàng)作之家。這里原本是杭州一位商人的別業(yè)，人們稱(chēng)“孟莊”，總共一畝一分一厘地，中國(guó)作家協(xié)會(huì)1955年購(gòu)得，1988年推倒重來(lái)，建起“中國(guó)作家協(xié)會(huì)杭州創(chuàng)作之家”。創(chuàng)作之家的工作人員大多是建“家”的元老，從青年再到中年，年齡最大的快退休了。“家”里做的杭幫菜非?？煽?，尤其是西湖醋魚(yú)和東坡肉，讓我們吃得忍不住問(wèn)這問(wèn)那的。大廚章師傅是“家”里的年長(zhǎng)者，我問(wèn)起孟莊建成的年代，他帶我徑直到小庭院，指著蔭蔽了半個(gè)院子的幾株樟楓老樹(shù)說(shuō)，這是孟莊遺物，已經(jīng)彎腰搭背靠墻支撐了。我說(shuō)這有江南園林的韻味。章師傅笑了，說(shuō)臺(tái)風(fēng)一來(lái)很麻煩，樹(shù)搖晃得把瓦片都閃了裂，每年花氣力翻修瓦頂。

在這個(gè)20余年中接待過(guò)那么多中國(guó)作家協(xié)會(huì)會(huì)員，日后不斷有作家來(lái)休息，百年后不知要住過(guò)多少作家的“家”里，我要么在自己的房間里慢慢呷著龍井茶，與它默對(duì)；要么在廳堂間愜意地到處走來(lái)走去，與它神交；要么在庭院里小憩，與它融為一體，仿佛這樣才不負(fù)了這個(gè)人間天堂里的“家”。

（本文攝影：黃豆米）

Home to Authors in Paradise-like Hangzhou

By Huang Doumi

Authors Home is one of the names for a freestanding residential courtyard at the foot of North Tall Peak and paces away from the prestigious Lingyin Temple. The courtyard stands adjacent to a large tea plantation spread all the way to the foot of wooded mountains in the north. The front gate of the courtyard usually stays closed. Tea farmers， monks and local pilgrims know that the courtyard is not a tourist destination， but tourists are often curious about the residence that looks traditional， mysterious， cozy and attractive. On their way to the majestic temple or to the towering peak， they often stop and try to peer into the courtyard through the open windows on the wall.

Traditionally it is called “The Mengs House”， a residence built and owned by a wealthy businessman surnamed Meng several generations ago. Now it serves as a guesthouse where authors from all over China come to spend a certain period as guests of China Writers Association.

Inside the courtyard stands a two-storied house， with overturned eaves， black roof tiles， walls covered by green vines， largely covered by trees spreading overhead.

My husband and I came to the guesthouse on a rainy day in late August 2012. We were in Hangzhou for a ten-day vacation. So were nine other authors and their family members. The guesthouse was where we stayed. When we left ten days later， sweet osmanthus was beginning to bloom and the aroma was wafting.

My husband and I called it home. So did the other nine authors and their family members. So did about 1，000 authors from all over the country who have stayed there， as testified by messages in visitors books. The best-known guest in the history of the guesthouse is probably Ba Jin （1904-2005）， a Shanghai-based novelist of the 20th century China and former president of China Writers Association. A stone stele in the courtyard manifests an inscription by Ba Jin： “This is my home. The two pleasant weeks I spent here is unforgettable. Ba Jin on October 14， 1990.” Another stone stele stands in the center of the lawn and carries the names of some authors who have stayed there.

I was impressed by the beauty of the West Lake and I was impressed by the guesthouse where everyone feels at home. We were the eighth batch of guests staying at the residence in 2012. Within a day or two， we mixed and felt like a family. We shared a dining room， a laundry， a fish pond， a chess/poker room， a library， a sitting room， and a balcony. The walls in the corridors were covered by photos of the visitors of the past. The casual and carefree ambience at the guesthouse is relaxing. It was at this guesthouse that I first came to understand why Hangzhou is widely known as “paradise on earth.”

I was not surprised to find that almost all the guests who had stayed at the guesthouse described it as homelike.

The courtyard is a lovely affair， small， homey， tidy， well lit， and dustless. This is a house where I would want to live in with all the conveniences for home. Things here are of small proportions. The small courtyard has two small patios. One connects the front gate and the door of the house and the other sits beyond the living room， with a rockery and a fishpond， all miniaturized. There is a 10-pace x 10-pace garden outside the door of the library and a lawn， both reaching the courtyard wall， covered thickly by vines.

A stream zigzags past the guesthouse. In the evening， my husband and I often strolled to the nearby Buddhist sanctuary and sat there listening to the stream. We would stay there until the woods became dark.

The guesthouse used to be part of a residential area near the temple. Toward the end of the 20th century， all the residents and institutions there relocated except the Mengs Residence. China Writers Association bought the 750-m2 residence in 1955 and， in 1988， the old house was leveled and a new courtyard was built on the site. Most employees at the guesthouse have been working there since 1988.

Chef Zhang cooks in Hangzhou style. He is the oldest employee at the guesthouse. We found his dishes were pleasant and yummy. We had so many questions to ask about his secrets to turn such ordinary food into delicious memories. I asked him how old the Mengs Residence was and he showed me several old trees whose shades cover almost half of the lawn. The trees are so old that they lean on the wall for support. I commented that the trees add a lovely touch to the garden in traditional architecture style， common to the south of the Yangtze River Delta. He laughed and said the trees made trouble when typhoons hit Hangzhou in summer. The trees shake and sway in typhoons so much that roof has to be refurbished every year.

During the ten days and nights I was Hangzhou， I enjoyed every minute of the home： sipping Dragon Well Tea in my room， wandering through the house， the garden， the lawn， and the patios， sitting quietly somewhere in the courtyard， merging myself with the home away from home， thinking of ancient poetry that stays in minute details of the residence. That was my way to enjoy the home in the paradise on earth.