HSK 4 · Story · 578 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/an-old-photo-a-family-secret

照片上的秀兰

An old photo and a family secret

Name: ________________ Date: ________

春节chūnjié前qián，我wǒ帮bāng奶奶nǎinai整理zhénglǐ房间fángjiān，在zài抽屉chōuti最zuì里面lǐmiàn发现fāxiàn了le一个yígè旧jiù信封xìnfēng。信封xìnfēng里有yǒu一yì张zhāng黑白hēibái照片zhàopiàn，边上biānshang已经yǐjīng有点儿yóudiǎnr发黄fāhuáng了le。

照片zhàopiàn上shàng是shì年轻niánqīng的de爷爷yéye，穿chuān着zhe白bái衬衫chènshān，笑xiào得de有点儿yóudiǎnr傻shǎ。他tā旁边pángbiān站zhàn着zhe一yí个gè姑娘gūniang，留liú着zhe两liǎng条tiáo长cháng辫子biànzi。这个zhège姑娘gūniang很hěn像xiàng奶奶nǎinai，可是kěshì仔细zǐxì一yí看kàn，又yòu不太bútài像xiàng：她tā比bǐ奶奶nǎinai瘦shòu，眼睛yǎnjing也yě更gèng大dà。

我wǒ把bǎ照片zhàopiàn翻过来fānguòlai，背面bèimiàn写xiě着zhe一yì行háng字zì：“一九六三年yījiǔliùsānnián春chūn，和秀兰在zài公园gōngyuán。”

秀兰？可是kěshì奶奶nǎinai的de名字míngzi是shì秀梅啊a。

我wǒ拿ná着zhe照片zhàopiàn，偷偷tōutōu去qù问wèn妈妈māma。妈妈māma看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn，脸色liǎnsè马上mǎshàng变biàn了le，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“秀兰是shì你nǐ奶奶nǎinai的de姐姐jiějie。这zhè件jiàn事shì，你nǐ千万qiānwàn别bié在zài奶奶nǎinai面前miànqián提tí。”

我wǒ心里xīnli一下子yíxiàzi乱luàn了le。难道nándào爷爷yéye年轻niánqīng的de时候shíhou，先xiān爱上àishàng的de是shì奶奶nǎinai的de姐姐jiějie？他们tāmen后来hòulái为什么wèishénme没有méiyǒu结婚jiéhūn？奶奶nǎinai知道zhīdào这zhè个gè秘密mìmì吗ma？爷爷yéye已经yǐjīng去世qùshì五wǔ年nián了le，我wǒ没法méifǎ问wèn他tā；去qù问wèn奶奶nǎinai，我wǒ又yòu不bù敢gǎn。

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang吃饭chīfàn，我wǒ一直yìzhí偷偷tōutōu观察guānchá奶奶nǎinai，饭fàn也yě吃不下chībuxià。奶奶nǎinai放下fàngxià筷子kuàizi：“你nǐ今天jīntiān怎么zěnme了le？有yǒu话huà就jiù说shuō。”

我wǒ犹豫yóuyù了le半天bàntiān，最后zuìhòu还是háishi把bǎ照片zhàopiàn拿ná了le出来chūlái。

奶奶nǎinai看kàn着zhe照片zhàopiàn，先是xiānshì愣lèng了le一下yíxià，然后ránhòu竟然jìngrán笑xiào了le起来qǐlai，笑xiào得de眼泪yǎnlèi都dōu出来chūlái了le。“傻shǎ孩子háizi，这zhè就是jiùshì我wǒ啊a！”

原来yuánlái，那nà一yì年nián，有人yǒurén给gěi奶奶nǎinai的de姐姐jiějie介绍jièshào了le一yí个gè对象duìxiàng，就是jiùshì爷爷yéye。可是kěshì姐姐jiějie已经yǐjīng有yǒu喜欢xǐhuān的de人rén了le，不bú愿意yuànyì去qù相亲xiāngqīn，就jiù让ràng妹妹mèimei穿chuān上shàng她tā的de衣服yīfu，替tì她tā去qù。奶奶nǎinai本来běnlái只zhǐ打算dǎsuàn去qù一次yícì，跟gēn对方duìfāng解释jiěshì清楚qīngchu就jiù回家huíjiā。没想到méixiǎngdào，两liǎng个gè人rén在zài公园gōngyuán里聊liáo了le整整zhéngzhěng一yí个gè下午xiàwǔ。

“你nǐ爷爷yéye那nà时候shíhou以为yǐwéi我wǒ就是jiùshì秀兰。”奶奶nǎinai说shuō，“他tā叫jiào了le我wǒ三sān个gè月yuè秀兰，我wǒ一直yìzhí不好意思bùhǎoyìsi告诉gàosù他tā真相zhēnxiàng。”

“那nà后来hòulái呢ne？”

“后来hòulái他tā知道zhīdào了le，气qì了le整整zhéngzhěng一yí个gè星期xīngqī。”奶奶nǎinai把bǎ照片zhàopiàn放回fànghuí信封xìnfēng里，“然后ránhòu就jiù来lái我家wǒjiā提亲tíqīn了le。他tā说shuō，名字míngzi叫jiào错cuò了le可以kéyǐ改gǎi，人rén没méi找zhǎo错cuò就jiù行xíng。”

妈妈māma在zài旁边pángbiān听tīng完wán，也yě愣lèng住zhù了le：“妈mā，这zhè件jiàn事shì您nín怎么zěnme从来没cóngláiméi跟gēn我wǒ说shuō过guò？”

奶奶nǎinai看kàn了le她tā一眼yìyǎn：“你nǐ也yě从来没cóngláiméi问wèn过guò我wǒ啊a。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
发现fāxiànto discover; to find; discovery
旧jiùold; used; worn
张zhāngsurname Zhang
照片zhàopiànphoto; picture
年轻niánqīngyoung
衬衫chènshānshirt; blouse
像xiànglike; as
瘦shòuthin; skinny
整理zhénglǐto sort out; to put in order; to tidy up
姑娘gūnianggirl; young woman
仔细zǐxìcareful; attentive; carefully
千万qiānwànten million

English (for the teacher)

Before Spring Festival I was helping Grandma tidy her room, and at the very back of a drawer I found an old envelope. Inside was a black-and-white photo, already a little yellow at the edges.

In the photo was Grandpa as a young man, in a white shirt, grinning a bit foolishly. Next to him stood a girl with two long braids. She looked a lot like Grandma, but when I looked closely, not quite: she was thinner than Grandma, and her eyes were bigger.

I turned the photo over, and on the back was a line of writing: “Spring 1963, with Xiulan in the park.”

Xiulan? But Grandma's name is Xiumei.

I took the photo to ask Mum. Mum glanced at it, her face changed at once, and she whispered: “Xiulan is your grandma's older sister. Whatever you do, don't bring this up in front of Grandma.”

My head was suddenly in a whirl. Could it be that when Grandpa was young, the one he fell for first was Grandma's sister? Why didn't they get married in the end? Did Grandma know this secret? Grandpa had died five years ago, so I couldn't ask him, and I didn't dare ask Grandma.

At dinner that night I kept sneaking looks at Grandma and couldn't eat a thing. Grandma put down her chopsticks: “What's the matter with you today? If you've got something to say, say it.”

I hesitated for ages, but in the end I brought out the photo.

Grandma looked at it, froze for a second, and then, of all things, burst out laughing until tears ran down her face. “Silly child, that's me!”

It turned out that, that year, someone had introduced a young man to Grandma's older sister as a match, and that man was Grandpa. But her sister already liked someone else and didn't want to go on the blind date, so she had her younger sister put on her clothes and go in her place. Grandma had only meant to go once, explain things clearly and go home. Instead, the two of them talked in the park for an entire afternoon.

“Your grandpa thought I really was Xiulan,” Grandma said. “He called me Xiulan for three months, and I never dared tell him.”

“And then what?”

“Then he found out, and he was cross for a whole week.” Grandma put the photo back in the envelope. “Then he came to my family to ask for my hand. He said a wrong name can be changed, as long as you've found the right person.”

Mum, who had been listening beside us, was stunned too: “Mum, how come you never told me any of this?”

Grandma gave her a look: “You never asked me, either.”