HSK 4 · Story · 570 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-delivery-rider

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A day in the life of a delivery rider

Name: ________________ Date: ________

周磊每天měitiān早上zǎoshang八bā点diǎn打开dǎkāi手机shǒujī，开始kāishǐ接单jiēdān。他tā是shì一个yígè外卖员wàimàiyuán，在zài这个zhège城市chéngshì已经yǐjīng送sòng了le三sān年nián外卖wàimài。

上午shàngwǔ还hái算suàn轻松qīngsōng。到dào了le十一点半shíyī-diǎnbàn，手机shǒujī就jiù开始kāishǐ响xiǎng个ge不停bùtíng：一yí份fèn炒饭chǎofàn、两liǎng杯bēi奶茶nǎichá、三sān碗wǎn牛肉面niúròumiàn……每měi一yì单dān都dōu有yǒu时间shíjiān要求yāoqiú，晚wǎn了le几jǐ分钟fēnzhōng，就jiù可能kěnéng被bèi扣kòu钱qián。他tā骑qí着zhe电动车diàndòngchē在zài大街小巷dàjiē-xiǎoxiàng里来来回回láilái-huíhuí，红灯hóngdēng一yí变biàn绿lǜ，他tā总是zǒngshì第一dìyī个gè出发chūfā。

他tā最zuì怕pà的de是shì电梯diàntī。有yǒu一次yícì，他tā提tí着zhe一yí大dà袋dài饭菜fàncài在zài一楼yìlóu等děng了le五wǔ分钟fēnzhōng，电梯diàntī一yì层céng一yì层céng地de停tíng，就是jiùshì不bú下来xiàlai。他tā只好zhíhǎo自己zìjǐ爬pá到dào十八shíbā楼lóu。到dào了le门口ménkǒu，客人kèren接过jiēguò饭fàn，只zhǐ说shuō了le一yí句jù：“怎么zěnme这么zhème慢màn？”

下午xiàwǔ下xià起qǐ了le大雨dàyǔ。他tā把bǎ外卖wàimài放fàng在zài雨衣yǔyī里面lǐmiàn，自己zìjǐ的de衣服yīfu却què湿shī了le一yí大半dàbàn。一yí位wèi老奶奶láonǎinai开门kāimén看见kànjiàn他tā，一定yídìng要yào给gěi他tā一yì条tiáo毛巾máojīn。他tā笑xiào着zhe说shuō不用búyòng了le，心里xīnli却què暖暖nuánnuǎn的de。

晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn，他tā准备zhǔnbèi再zài接jiē最后zuìhòu一yì单dān。手机shǒujī上shàng跳tiào出来chūlái一个yígè新xīn订单dìngdān：两liǎng份fèn饺子jiǎozi，一yí份fèn韭菜jiǔcài鸡蛋jīdàn的de，一yí份fèn猪肉zhūròu白菜báicài的de。地址dìzhǐ是shì：幸福xìngfú小区xiǎoqū，三sān号hào楼lóu，401。

周磊看kàn着zhe这zhè个gè地址dìzhǐ，一下子yíxiàzi愣lèng住zhù了le。那nà是shì他tā家。其实qíshí家jiā离lí这儿zhèr不bù远yuǎn，骑车qíchē只要zhǐyào二十èrshí分钟fēnzhōng，可是kěshì他tā已经yǐjīng三sān个gè月yuè没méi回去huíqù了le。不是búshì不想bùxiǎng回huí，是shì太tài忙máng了le：每天měitiān回到huídào租zū的de房子fángzi里，他tā只zhǐ想xiǎng倒头dǎotóu就jiù睡shuì。

订单dìngdān的de备注bèizhù里还hái写xiě着zhe一句话yíjùhuà：“饺子jiǎozi不bù急jí，慢慢mànmàn送sòng，路上lùshang注意zhùyì安全ānquán。”

他tā去qù饺子馆jiǎoziguǎn取qǔ了le饺子jiǎozi，骑qí到dào楼下lóuxià，上楼shànglóu，敲门qiāomén。门mén一yì开kāi，妈妈māma站zhàn在zài那里nàlǐ，身上shēnshang还hái穿chuān着zhe做饭zuòfàn的de围裙wéiqún。桌zhuō上shàng已经yǐjīng放fàng好hǎo了le两liǎng个gè碗wǎn，两liǎng双shuāng筷子kuàizi。

他tā问wèn：“妈mā，这zhè是shì你nǐ点diǎn的de外卖wàimài？”

“我wǒ知道zhīdào你nǐ每天měitiān都dōu在zài这zhè附近fùjìn工作gōngzuò。我wǒ想xiǎng，我wǒ点diǎn一yí份fèn，说不定shuōbudìng就jiù派pài给gěi你nǐ了le。”妈妈māma笑xiào了le，“前两天qiánliǎngtiān我wǒ也yě点diǎn了le，送sòng来lái的de人rén都dōu不是búshì你nǐ。”

周磊站zhàn在zài门口ménkǒu，不bù知道zhīdào说shuō什么shénme好hǎo。手机shǒujī又yòu响xiǎng了le，他tā又yòu收到shōudào了le一个yígè新xīn订单dìngdān。他tā看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn，第一次dìyīcì在zài晚上wǎnshang九jiǔ点diǎn把bǎ“接单jiēdān”关guān了le。

“快kuài进来jìnlái吃chī吧ba。”妈妈māma接过jiēguò饺子jiǎozi，“吃chī完wán了le，妈mā给gěi你nǐ一个yígè五星wǔxīng好评hǎopíng。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
城市	chéngshì	city; town
外卖	wàimài	takeout; food delivery
碗	wǎn	bowl
要求	yāoqiú	requirement; request; demand; to require; to demand; to ask
骑	qí	to ride (a horse, bike, etc.)
变	biàn	to change; to become; change; transformation
出发	chūfā	to set off; to start out
怕	pà	to fear; to be afraid of
电梯	diàntī	elevator; lift
层	céng	layer; stratum
爬	pá	to climb
客人	kèren	guest; visitor

English (for the teacher)

Every morning at eight, Zhou Lei switches on his phone and starts taking orders. He's a delivery rider, and he's been delivering food in this city for three years.

The mornings are fairly easy. Then at half past eleven his phone starts ringing non-stop: a fried rice, two bubble teas, three bowls of beef noodles… Every order comes with a time limit, and a few minutes late can mean money taken off his pay. He rides his e-bike back and forth through the streets and alleys, and when a red light turns green, he's always first away.

What he dreads most is lifts. Once he stood on the ground floor with a big bag of food for five minutes while the lift stopped at floor after floor and just wouldn't come down. In the end he climbed to the eighteenth floor himself. At the door, the customer took the food and said just one thing: “Why so slow?”

In the afternoon it started pouring. He kept the food inside his raincoat, but more than half of his own clothes got soaked. An old lady opened her door, saw him and insisted on giving him a towel. He smiled and said there was no need, but inside he felt warm.

At nine in the evening he decided to take one last order. A new order popped up on his phone: two portions of dumplings, one chive and egg, one pork and cabbage. The address: Xingfu Estate, Building 3, flat 401.

Zhou Lei stared at the address and froze. It was his home. It wasn't far, only twenty minutes by bike, but he hadn't been back in three months. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he was just too busy: every night he got back to his rented room and fell straight into bed.

The order had a note too: “No hurry with the dumplings, take your time, ride safely.”

He picked up the dumplings at the restaurant, rode to the building, went upstairs and knocked. The door opened, and there was his mum, still in her cooking apron. On the table two bowls and two pairs of chopsticks were already laid out.

He asked: “Mum, you ordered this?”

“I know you work round here every day. I thought if I ordered something, maybe it would go to you.” His mum laughed. “I ordered the last two days as well, and it was never you.”

Zhou Lei stood in the doorway, not knowing what to say. His phone rang again: another new order. He glanced at it, and for the first time ever at nine o'clock at night, he switched off “accept orders”.

“Come in and eat, quick.” His mum took the dumplings. “When you've finished, Mum will give you a five-star review.”