《拉薩情書》

第十四、鄒族的嘉年華盛會：生命豆祭
01
晚餐後的庭院裡，湯家一家人泡茶聊著，安妮依偎在格桑身旁，喝著香濃的湯家咖啡。
安妮發出讚嘆說：「這咖啡果然香醇濃郁，口感很特別！」
湯愛玉意有所指說：「安妮，妳要牢牢記住這杯咖啡的滋味喔！」
安妮點頭一臉認真說：「我會牢牢記住的！這是湯家自產的咖啡豆，懷民親自沖泡的。」
湯愛玉接著說：「生命豆祭是我們鄒族重要的慶典，許多情侶都會在祭典裡一起完成婚禮，接受族人的祝福。大哥、安妮，你們想要什麼結婚賀禮？就開出清單來吧！要我給得起的喔！」
「咳、咳咳」一旁的湯美蘭聽了愛玉突如其來的這番話，連忙以咳嗽聲向愛玉示意，要她先別提這些。
不料直性子的愛玉不但沒閉嘴，反而挑明說：「媽，昨晚哥跟我把他的心事聊開了，妳就尊重他的決定吧！」
湯美蘭被愛玉搶白，表情幾分尷尬。發現老公正在對她使眼色，趕緊顧左右言他說：「剛才被茶湯給嗆著，沒事兒，沒事兒。」
安妮微笑說：「不用那麼急吧？我們就先見識一下祭典。」
湯美蘭連忙說：「對啊！結婚是終身大事，要慎重啊！」
湯懷民想一下說：「那，妳就縫兩套傳統服飾給安妮，參加祭典用吧。」
湯愛玉微笑說：「這肯定沒問題，我這就去拿布尺來。」
湯愛玉起身，走進屋裡。
懷民對著安妮微笑說：「我妹就是急性子，不過她裁縫的本事在村子裡可不含糊。」湯愛玉手裡拿著布尺和筆記本，一陣風似地飄回來。
「安妮，妳起來讓我量一下尺寸。」
安妮起身，讓愛玉量身長手長和胸腰尺寸。愛玉邊量邊在筆記本裡記載。
湯愛玉一派瀟灑說：「好了！一套皮衣褲和兩套外出服，三天搞定。」
安妮甜笑說：「愛玉，謝謝囉。」
「應該的，妳是我們湯家未來的女主人，小姑我當然得先巴結一下，不然以後回娘家沒人理我，那可悽慘囉！」
懷民咧嘴笑著說：「哈！怎麼會嘞？誰會不理小雲雀？」
湯家兩老也笑了。
羅桑說：「從明天起，妳就採上下班制，週休二日，加班費另計。
湯愛玉雙手合十，深深一鞠躬說：「謝皇阿瑪隆恩！」
安妮跟著湯家人被愛玉此舉逗樂，都笑了。

02
「生命豆祭」祭場設在達邦國小，吸引許多外來觀光客參與。湯懷民、安妮、愛玉跟著族裡的青年，一起佈置會場。安妮的紅髮碧眼珠和外國人臉孔，引起幾個一樣紅頭髮碧眼珠的男女青年好奇，安妮同樣對他們的紅髮碧眼珠感到好奇。
甲女問：「安妮，妳來自荷蘭嗎？」
「我來自美國加州，我媽的祖先來自荷蘭，19世紀末移民到美國東岸。」
乙男親切說：「那我們擁有共同的血源，我的祖先也來自荷蘭，在十七世紀中葉，他們被鄭成功打敗，逃到我們鄒族部落來。」
安妮微笑說：「原來，你們的祖先裡也有荷蘭人。」
丙女問：「妳跟妳男朋友在哪兒認識的？」
「在西藏拉薩認識的，我祖母的老家在拉薩。」
丙女又問：「西藏拉薩？好遙遠的國度呢！那裡還很落後吧？藏民出門不是都騎牛馬嗎？」
安妮解釋說：「妳誤會了！西藏現在建設得很進步，拉薩市區有公車網路、百貨大樓，就像台中市區那樣。只有牧民隊伍還騎馬，因為草場遼闊，騎馬較方便。」
乙男說：「這麼進步啊？我看電影節目，說藏民還在撿牛糞當燃料，還以為藏民生活相當艱苦呢！」
安妮說：「牧民撿牛糞當燃料由來已久，遊牧生活方便就好。其實許多藏民已習慣在城市定居，而有牛羊家產的牧民，日常生活也大幅度改善了。」
湯懷民補充說：「兩岸持續交流，就能縮短彼此認知上的差距。如果你有機會去趟上海，你會發現那裡的城市建設，遠比台北市還要先進，已跟上東京、紐約的腳步了！」
乙男說：「的確，這些大城市，除了東京，其他的我都沒去過。」
甲女說：「安妮，阿里山不錯喔！歡迎妳回來定居。」
安妮說：「短期內可能不會回來定居，我跟懷民決定留在西藏一陣子。」

03
夜幕降臨，熱鬧的祭典上場，廣場上堆著熊熊柴火，由穿著傳統服務的鄒族山美部落男女青年歌舞團跳著迎賓舞蹈，女青年藍襯衫配黑短裙，男青年穿獵人長筒皮褲赤裸上身，舞動出青春氣息。
接著，一對對穿著傳統服飾的男女青年，在司儀唱名介紹時，逐一攜手進到會場，排列出隊伍。頭目唸一段主婚文，接著是族裡巫師唸祝禱文，隨即在樂曲裡跳起浪漫的雙人舞蹈。舞曲進到尾聲，新郎單膝跪地，手持竹筒向新娘求婚，兩人共飲交杯酒，然後新郎揹起新娘，接受親友歡呼。場邊，懷民摟著安妮，兩人望著場內舉行的傳統婚禮。
一旁的愛玉敲邊鼓說：「大哥、安妮，等你們想結婚時，就回來阿里山喔！」
懷民笑著說：「妳若找到男友，不用等我們喔！」
愛玉扮了個鬼臉說：「男友還寄養在不知名的婆婆家裡呢！」
接下來，觀光客和鄒族人一起進到廣場，圍成兩個大圈載歌載舞。穿著傳統服飾的安妮，跟著懷民和愛玉踩著鼓點，很快就進入狀況。
廣場邊緣，擺設幾十個攤位，提供各種傳統鄒族零食，有香蕉麻薯、獵人飯包、小米竹筒飯、石板山豬肉、刺蔥馬告涼拌檳榔花等等。湯美蘭和羅桑夫妻，忙著以月桃葉包裹長條形獵人飯包，舞蹈空檔，懷民和安妮、愛玉也過來幫忙。在美蘭和愛玉細心調教下，安妮跟著學習包裹獵人飯包。

04
湯懷民、愛玉和安妮三人各自揹著竹簍，懷民腰間插著一把開山刀，一手扛著一跟七、八米長的竹竿，尾端掛上一只Y字型刀刃，用來剪斷樹梢間的愛玉藤蔓。湯懷民穿著牛皮短衣短褲，打綁腿腳下套著長筒雨鞋，手上提著一雙釘鞋，一副「武行打仔」裝扮，兩女穿長衣長褲，腳下同樣套著長筒雨鞋。懷民領著兩女，往茶園後山保留林區。進到林區裡，懷民抽出開山刀，揮動開山刀砍出一條通道，兩女尾隨在後。
來到一株大樹底下，樹幹直徑目測約三人合抱。
「先採收這一株囉！」懷民說完，愛玉把那根長竹竿傳給懷民，懷民手持長竹竿，割下大樹梢下緣的一束愛玉果實，那束愛玉應聲落地，湯愛玉湊上去挑了一枚愛玉，以鐮刀劃開，微笑說：「成熟了，哥。」
安妮靠近來，好奇問：「種子變成黃褐色，就是熟果嗎？」
愛玉說：「是啊！愛玉果實有公的和母的」
安妮微笑說：「原來愛玉果實，還有公母分別。」
愛玉說：「不止果實，愛玉藤本身就有公母分別，這株雲杉上攀生的愛玉藤有公有母，經常會誤割到公愛玉，公愛玉藤結出的雄果，是洗不出愛玉子的。」
安妮追問：「那怎麼判斷果實的公母呢？」
愛玉說：「妳等一下，我去撿一枚公的來。」
湯愛玉把手上握著的竹竿就近靠在樹幹上，在草叢裡翻找，很快找到兩枚掉落的雄果，拿來比對安妮手上那枚雌果。
湯愛玉手指來回指著說：「安妮，妳注意看，妳手上那枚我和手上這兩枚果實，外皮上的斑點。」
安妮說：「妳的那兩枚斑點較密也較大。」
「沒錯，母的斑點較稀疏也較小。接著我剖開給妳看。」愛玉拿鐮刀把手上那枚雄果割開：「妳看，裡面有花粉和紅色花藥，這枚是沒被愛玉小蜂寄生過的雄果。」
愛玉割開另一枚果實：「被愛玉小蜂寄生的雄果，可以看見右半部的花藥，左半部的雄瘿花因小蜂寄生而發育成一粒粒飽滿的圓形種子狀的蟲癭，每一個蟲癭裡面都住著一隻愛玉小蜂 。妳注意看喔！雄果的蟲癭近似圓形，很可愛吧？」
安妮驚呼說：「My God！It 's amazing!」
一旁的懷民說；「愛玉的獨特在於它的結果過程是由植物轉化動物，再轉回植物的歷程。」
安妮聽得一頭霧水問：「植物轉化動物，再轉回植物？愛玉不就是蔓藤類植物嗎？」
懷民微笑說：「一株公株可配五至十株母愛玉，而公株結實後會產生愛玉小蜂，學名叫蟲癭，小蜂長成後再進入母愛玉果實內完成授粉，才會結出有愛玉子的果實。這樣的生態是不是很奇妙呢？」
安妮聽懂了，笑說：「原來就是藉由小蜂傳授花粉啦！被你給說得那麼玄。」
懷民分別從兩女手裡各拿起一枚果實，細心解說：「愛玉屬於隱花植物，花器藏在膨大的花托裡面，也就是這個看起來很像果實的隱花果。那公花花粉和母花花粉要如何相交呢？妳看！」懷民把雄果果實倒過來：「在隱花果的屁股，其實有一個很小的洞，裡面是一個螺旋狀的彎道，只有一種特定的愛玉小蜂適合進去。小蜂也不只是進去沾沾花粉出來傳遞而已喔，小蜂是進去雄花裡面產卵，然後孵化出公的小蜂，再跟接續孵化出的母小蜂交配，等到交配完了之後，母小蜂就會從公愛玉花的屁股那個小洞飛出來，同時也沾滿了雄花的花粉，接著，母的小蜂有兩個可能的途徑，一個是直接飛到公的愛玉花裡面去產卵，繼續繁衍後代，因為她們一定要在公花裡面才能產卵孵化小蜂，另一可能就是飛到母愛玉裡面，將雄花花粉帶給母花的花粉，兩者順利授粉後，才會產生小小果實，這些充滿了果膠的小果實，被採收人拿來搓揉洗滌之後，就是我們吃到的愛玉。」
安妮再次驚呼說：「哇！真是偉大又奇妙的過程！」
懷民說：「上課告一段落，接著看我表演囉！」
湯懷民換上釘鞋，手腳並用，拉著樹幹上的樹藤往上爬，動作敏捷如獼猴似地。
安妮望著長滿青苔的樹幹不安地問：「妳哥爬越爬越高，樹幹上面長著青苔，感覺潮濕滑溜，你哥會不會有危險啊？」
愛玉笑著說：「不會啦！我哥從中學時，就跟我舅舅一起爬樹幹採收愛玉，以前他們都是穿膠鞋爬呢！後來我哥參加學校田徑隊，發現換上釘鞋爬得更穩。」
爬到約八、九米高的樹幹分叉點，懷民跨坐樹幹往下喊：「妹，竹竿傳給我。」
愛玉和安妮一起架起竹竿，高舉過頭，傳給懷民。懷民接過長竿，像似掄金箍棒似地，連藤帶葉一束一束割落串串愛玉，樹下的兩女忙不迭地撿起一串串愛玉。湯愛玉把愛玉母果一串串挑出來，割下來丟進竹簍裡。

05
湯懷民三人各自揹著一竹簍的愛玉果實回來。
庭院裡湯美蘭和羅桑已經準備好削皮刀，架起十幾面大圓竹籮。
懷民三人把竹簍裡的愛玉果實倒出來，堆在厚紙板上成一堆小山。五人分工，懷民負責把削切後的愛玉果平鋪在大圓竹籮上，安妮的工作相對輕鬆，只需將削過皮的果實逐個割一刀，開一道缺口，丟進塑膠水桶裡，其餘三人手持削皮刀，把一枚枚果實厚外皮削下來。
安妮拾起果皮湊近鼻子聞：「有一種果香耶！」
湯美蘭說：「這削下的果皮收集起來，可以燉雞湯魚湯，味道不錯喔！」
安妮微笑說：「愛玉果真是裡外都寶貝呢！」
羅桑說：「等這幾天曬乾後剝籽，裝罐讓你們帶去美國，讓懷民洗給妳吃。這東西在美國，恐怕不容易吃得到。」
安妮說：「是啊！愛玉這種美味甜點，我還是來這裡才有機會嚐到呢！」
懷民說：「其實，愛玉凍很平民化，在島上任何超市都買得到，不過在平地，不太可能看到整顆愛玉，因為台灣愛玉絕大多數是野生的，很難進行人工栽培。」
安妮說：「有個問題我一直想問呢！你妹為什麼取名叫愛玉啊？」
湯美蘭微笑說：「愛玉出生時，我就像現在這樣，手裡忙著給愛玉削皮啊！」
安妮微笑說：「原來如此！」

Chapter 14: The Tsou Carnival – Life Bean Festival
01
After dinner in the courtyard, the Tang family sipped tea and chatted. Annie snuggled close to Gesang, drinking the rich Tang family coffee.
“This coffee is really fragrant and strong, with a unique taste!” Annie exclaimed.
Tang Aiyu hinted playfully, “Annie, you must remember the taste of this coffee!”
Annie nodded seriously. “I will! This is brewed from the Tang family’s own coffee beans, personally prepared by Huaimin.”
Aiyu continued, “The Life Bean Festival is an important Tsou celebration. Many couples hold weddings during the festival and receive blessings from the tribe. Big brother, Annie, what wedding gifts would you like? Make a list—only what I can afford!”
Tang Meilan, coughing, tried to signal Aiyu to stop speaking so suddenly about weddings.
But Aiyu, true to her nature, blurted out, “Mom, last night brother confided in me about his heart. You should respect his decision!”
Meilan, slightly embarrassed, noticed her husband signaling her, and said, “I just got choked on the tea, nothing happened.”
Annie smiled. “No rush. Let’s just see the festival first.”
Meilan quickly added, “Yes, marriage is a lifelong matter, it must be taken seriously.”
Huaimin thought for a moment and said, “Then, Aiyu, sew two sets of traditional outfits for Annie to wear at the festival.”
Aiyu smiled. “No problem! I’ll go get the measuring tape.”
She hurried inside. Huaimin smiled at Annie. “My sister is impatient, but her sewing skills are excellent.”
Aiyu returned like a whirlwind with tape and notebook. “Annie, come, let me take your measurements.”
Annie stood while Aiyu measured her height, arm length, and chest and waist dimensions, recording everything.
Aiyu said confidently, “All done! One leather outfit and two casual outfits—three days and it’s finished.”
Annie smiled sweetly. “Thanks, Aiyu.”
“You’re welcome. As the future lady of the Tang family, I have to get in good with you, or no one will care about me when I visit my family!”
Huaimin grinned. “Ha! Who would ignore the little lark?”
The Tang elders laughed too.
Rosang said, “From tomorrow, you’ll have regular working hours, weekends off, and overtime pay extra.”
Aiyu folded her hands and bowed deeply. “Thank you, Supreme Ancestor!”
Annie and the family laughed at her playful gesture.
________________________________________
02
The Life Bean Festival was held at Dabong Elementary, attracting many tourists. Huaimin, Annie, and Aiyu helped the youth set up the venue.
Annie’s red hair and blue eyes, and foreign features, drew the curiosity of several similarly-featured local youths, and she was equally curious about them.
A girl asked, “Annie, are you from the Netherlands?”
“No, I’m from California, USA. My mother’s ancestors came from the Netherlands and immigrated to the US East Coast in the late 19th century.”
A boy said kindly, “Then we share the same ancestry. My ancestors also came from the Netherlands, fleeing to our Tsou tribe after being defeated by Zheng Chenggong in the mid-17th century.”
Annie smiled. “So your ancestors included Dutch people too.”
Another girl asked, “Where did you meet your boyfriend?”
“In Lhasa, Tibet. My grandmother’s old home is there.”
“Lhasa? That’s so far away! Isn’t it backward there? Don’t Tibetans travel by horse or ox?”
Annie explained, “You’re mistaken. Tibet has developed a lot. Lhasa has bus networks and shopping centers, like Taichung. Only herders still ride horses because it’s convenient for the vast pastures.”
The boy added, “Wow, so advanced? I thought Tibetans still lived very hard lives, using cow dung as fuel.”
Annie replied, “Herders have always used cow dung, convenient for nomadic life. Many Tibetans now live in cities, and herders with livestock have significantly improved daily lives.”
Huaimin added, “Continuous exchanges shorten knowledge gaps. If you visit Shanghai, you’ll see it’s more advanced than Taipei, keeping pace with Tokyo and New York.”
The boy said, “Indeed. Except for Tokyo, I haven’t visited other major cities.”
The girl said, “Annie, Alishan is wonderful! Welcome back to settle here.”
Annie said, “I probably won’t settle here soon. Huaimin and I plan to stay in Tibet for a while.”
03
Night fell, and the lively festival began. The square was stacked with blazing bonfires, as young men and women from the Shanmei Tribe of the Tsou people, dressed in traditional attire, performed welcoming dances. The young women wore blue blouses with short black skirts, while the young men wore hunter-style long leather pants, bare-chested, dancing with the vigor of youth.
Next, pairs of young men and women in traditional clothing entered the hall hand in hand as their names were announced by the master of ceremonies, forming lines. The tribe’s chief recited a marriage proclamation, followed by a blessing from the tribal shaman, and then a romantic couple’s dance began to the music. At the climax, the groom knelt on one knee, holding a bamboo cylinder as he proposed to the bride. They drank from a shared cup, after which the groom carried the bride in his arms, receiving cheers from friends and family. On the sidelines, Huaimin embraced Annie as they watched the traditional wedding unfold.
Beside them, Aiyu tapped a drum and said, “Big brother, Annie, when you decide to get married, come back to Alishan!”
Huaimin smiled: “If you find a boyfriend, no need to wait for us!”
Aiyu made a funny face: “My boyfriend is still staying at some unknown grandma’s place!”
Soon, tourists and Tsou tribe members joined together in the square, forming two large circles of singing and dancing. Dressed in traditional attire, Annie followed Huaimin and Aiyu, keeping rhythm with the drums, quickly getting into the spirit of the festival.
Around the edges of the square, dozens of stalls offered traditional Tsou snacks: banana mochi, hunter’s rice parcels, millet bamboo rice, stone-grilled wild boar, and salad made from betel flowers and mountain herbs. Tang Meilan and her husband Luosang busily wrapped long hunter’s rice parcels in shell ginger leaves. During breaks in the dancing, Huaimin, Annie, and Aiyu joined to help. Under Meilan and Aiyu’s careful guidance, Annie learned to wrap the hunter’s rice parcels herself.
________________________________________
04
Huaimin, Aiyu, and Annie each carried bamboo baskets. Huaimin had a mountain-cutting knife at his waist and carried a 7–8 meter-long bamboo pole with a Y-shaped blade at the end, used to cut the Aiyu vines high in the trees. Huaimin wore short cowhide pants and a matching short top, with long rain boots strapped on, holding a pair of spiked shoes—a complete “mountain laborer” outfit. The two women wore long-sleeved tops and pants, also with rain boots. Huaimin led the women into the forested area behind the tea plantation.
Once inside, Huaimin drew the mountain-cutting knife, swinging it to clear a path as the women followed behind.
They arrived at a large tree with a trunk roughly wide enough for three people to embrace.
“Let’s harvest this one first,” Huaimin said. Aiyu handed him the long bamboo pole. Huaimin used it to cut down a bunch of Aiyu fruits hanging at the lower edge of the tree. The fruits fell to the ground, and Aiyu picked one up, slicing it open with a sickle, smiling: “Ripe, brother.”
Annie stepped closer, curiously asking, “So the seeds turning yellow-brown means the fruit is ripe?”
Aiyu nodded: “Yes! Aiyu fruits have male and female plants.”
Annie smiled: “So even Aiyu fruits have genders?”
Aiyu explained: “Not just the fruit; the Aiyu vine itself has male and female plants. This vine climbing the spruce tree has both male and female, and sometimes people accidentally cut the male. The male fruits produce pollen but not the jelly we eat.”
Annie asked, “How do you tell the difference?”
“Wait a moment, I’ll find a male fruit for comparison,” Aiyu said. She placed the bamboo pole against the tree trunk and searched the grass, quickly finding two male fruits. She compared them to the female fruit in Annie’s hand.
“Annie, notice the spots on the skin,” Aiyu said, pointing back and forth.
Annie observed: “The male fruits have denser, larger spots.”
“Exactly. Female fruits have sparser, smaller spots. Let me cut them open for you.” Aiyu sliced a male fruit: “See? Inside are pollen and red anthers. This one wasn’t parasitized by the tiny Aiyu wasp.”
She cut another male fruit: “If parasitized, the right half shows anthers, the left half has round galls created by the wasp larvae, each containing a tiny Aiyu wasp. Look how cute they are!”
Annie gasped: “My God! It’s amazing!”
Huaimin added: “What’s unique about Aiyu is its fruiting process: the plant transforms the insect, then back to the plant.”
Annie, confused, asked: “Plants transform insects and back? Isn’t Aiyu just a vine?”
Huaimin smiled: “A male plant can fertilize 5–10 female plants. After fruiting, it produces Aiyu wasps (scientifically called galls). The adult wasps enter female fruits to pollinate them, creating jelly-producing fruits. Isn’t that fascinating?”
Annie laughed: “Oh, so it’s just pollination via tiny wasps! You made it sound mystical.”
Huaimin then showed the fruits in detail, explaining the plant’s hidden flowers and pollination process, including how the wasps lay eggs in male flowers, mate, then pollinate female fruits, ultimately producing the jelly we eat.
Annie exclaimed: “Wow! What an incredible process!”
Huaimin said: “Class is over, now watch me perform!”
Huaimin put on spiked shoes, using his hands and feet to climb the vine-covered tree trunk like a nimble monkey.
Annie looked at the mossy trunk worriedly: “You’re climbing higher; it’s mossy and slippery. Isn’t it dangerous?”
Aiyu laughed: “Nope! He’s been doing this since middle school with our uncle. Later, he joined the track team and discovered the spikes made climbing more stable.”
At about 8–9 meters high, Huaimin sat astride a forked trunk and shouted down: “Sisters, pass me the pole!”
Aiyu and Annie lifted the bamboo pole overhead and handed it up. Huaimin used it like a staff, cutting bunches of Aiyu fruits, which the women collected below, separating female fruits and placing them in bamboo baskets.
________________________________________
05
Huaimin, Aiyu, and Annie returned, each carrying a bamboo basket of Aiyu fruits.
In the courtyard, Tang Meilan and Luosang were ready with peelers and large round bamboo sieves.
The fruits were emptied onto thick cardboard, forming small hills. The five worked together: Huaimin laid peeled fruits on the sieves, Annie made small cuts in each, tossing them into plastic buckets, while the others peeled the thick skins.
Annie smelled a peel: “It has a fruity aroma!”
Meilan said: “These peels can be collected for chicken or fish soup—it tastes good.”
Annie smiled: “Every part of Aiyu is precious!”
Luosang said: “After drying and removing the seeds, you can take them to the U.S. for Huaimin to make jelly. It’s hard to find there.”
Annie: “Yes! I wouldn’t get to taste this delicious dessert except here!”
Huaimin explained: “Aiyu jelly is common on the island and in supermarkets, but seeing whole fruits elsewhere is rare; most Aiyu in Taiwan is wild and hard to cultivate.”
Annie asked: “Why is your sister named Aiyu?”
Meilan smiled: “When she was born, I was busy peeling Aiyu fruits, just like now.”
Annie smiled: “Ah, I see!”