HSK 5 · Chapter 1 · 419 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/blue-thread

把手上的蓝线

The blue thread

Name: ________________ Date: ________

小林xiǎolín走出zǒuchū公司gōngsī时shí，雨yǔ正zhèng下xià得de大dà。地铁站dìtiězhàn就jiù在zài对面duìmiàn，可kě他tā不想bùxiǎng挤进jǐjìn那nà一片yípiàn伞sǎn里。他tā拐guǎi进jìn街角jiējiǎo的de咖啡店kāfēidiàn，点diǎn了le一yì杯bēi茶chá，打算dǎsuàn等děng雨yǔ小xiǎo一点yìdiǎn再zài走zǒu。

门边ménbiān的de伞sǎn桶tǒng里，几jǐ把bǎ黑hēi伞sǎn挤jǐ在zài一起yìqǐ。他tā把bǎ自己zìjǐ的de伞sǎn放fàng进去jìnqu，坐zuò到dào窗chuāng边biān。隔壁gébì桌zhuō的de男人nánrén正在zhèngzài打电话dǎdiànhuà，一yì只zhī手shǒu翻fān着zhe包bāo，另lìng一yì只zhī手shǒu在zài桌zhuō上shàng找zhǎo东西dōngxī。小林xiǎolín帮bāng他tā捡起jiánqǐ掉diào在zài地上dìshang的de手套shǒutào，男人nánrén连声liánshēng说shuō谢谢xièxie。

茶chá喝hē到dào一半yíbàn，手机shǒujī响xiǎng了le。是shì快递员kuàidìyuán打dǎ来lái的de：他tā买mǎi的de小xiǎo桌子zhuōzi到dào了le，楼下lóuxià没人rén收shōu。小林xiǎolín看kàn了le看kàn窗外chuāngwài，雨yǔ一点yìdiǎn也yě没小xiǎo。他tā赶紧gánjǐn结账jiézhàng，从cóng伞sǎn桶tǒng里抽出chōuchū一把yìbǎ黑hēi伞sǎn，跑pǎo了le出去chūqu。

回到huídào家jiā，他tā先xiān把bǎ桌子zhuōzi搬bān进jìn屋wū，再zài把bǎ湿shī伞sǎn放fàng到dào阳台yángtái上shàng。正要zhèngyào松手sōngshǒu时shí，他tā发现fāxiàn伞sǎn把上shàng缠chán着zhe一yì条tiáo蓝线。自己zìjǐ的de伞sǎn上shàng没有méiyǒu这zhè条tiáo线xiàn。

他tā把bǎ伞sǎn重新chóngxīn打开dǎkāi。伞sǎn面miàn很hěn新xīn，右边yòubiān的de伞sǎn骨gǔ也yě完好无损wánhǎo-wúsǔn。可kě他tā那nà把bǎ伞sǎn的de右边yòubiān早就zǎojiù歪wāi了le，风fēng一yí大dà就jiù翻fān。他tā刚才gāngcái竟然jìngrán一路yílù都dōu没méi发现fāxiàn。

蓝lán线xiàn下面xiàmiàn还hái挂guà着zhe一个yígè小xiǎo布袋bùdài。袋dài口kǒu没méi拉lā上shàng，露出lùchū半bàn把bǎ钥匙yàoshi。小林xiǎolín没méi把bǎ它tā拿ná出来chūlái，只zhǐ看kàn了le看kàn袋子dàizi外面wàimiàn的de小xiǎo标签biāoqiān：周zhōu。

他tā想起xiángqǐ咖啡店kāfēidiàn里打电话dǎdiànhuà的de男人nánrén，立刻lìkè给gěi店diàn里打dǎ了le电话diànhuà。店员diànyuán听tīng完wán笑xiào了le：“刚才gāngcái也yě有人yǒurén来lái找zhǎo伞sǎn。他tā说shuō，谁shéi拿ná错cuò了le，就jiù请qǐng谁shéi先xiān别bié走zǒu远yuǎn。”

“我wǒ马上mǎshàng回去huíqù。”小林xiǎolín说shuō。

出门chūmén前qián，他tā看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn还hái没méi拆开chāikāi的de桌子zhuōzi。等děng雨yǔ停tíng的de计划jìhuà没méi实现shíxiàn，回家huíjiā的de路lù倒dào要yào再zài走zǒu一遍yíbiàn。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
桶	tǒng	bucket; pail; barrel
窗	chuāng	window
另	lìng	other; another
响	xiǎng	to sound; to ring; sound; noise
结账	jiézhàng	to pay the bill; to check out
重新	chóngxīn	again; anew; afresh
挂	guà	to hang; to put up
拉	lā	to empty one's bowels; to have (diarrhea)
钥匙	yàoshi	key
袋子	dàizi	bag; sack
计划	jìhuà	plan; project; program; to plan; to map out
黑	hēi	black; dark

English (for the teacher)

When Xiaolin walked out of the office, it was pouring. The subway station was just across the street, but he didn’t want to squeeze into that sea of umbrellas. He turned into the café on the corner, ordered a cup of tea, and planned to wait until the rain eased before going.

In the umbrella stand by the door, a few black umbrellas were crowded together. He put his own umbrella in and sat down by the window. The man at the next table was on the phone, digging through his bag with one hand and feeling around the table with the other. Xiaolin picked up the glove the man had dropped on the floor, and the man thanked him again and again.

Halfway through his tea, his phone rang. It was the delivery man: the little table he had bought had arrived, and there was no one downstairs to take it. Xiaolin looked out of the window; the rain hadn’t eased at all. He paid in a hurry, pulled a black umbrella out of the stand and ran out.

Back home, he first carried the table inside, then put the wet umbrella out on the balcony. Just as he was about to let go of it, he noticed a blue thread wound around the handle. His own umbrella didn’t have that thread.

He opened the umbrella again. The canopy was new, and the ribs on the right side were perfectly fine. But the right side of his umbrella had been bent for ages, and it turned inside out whenever the wind picked up. And he hadn’t noticed the whole way home.

Under the blue thread hung a small cloth pouch. Its zip was open, and half a key was showing. Xiaolin didn’t take it out; he only looked at the little label on the outside of the pouch: Zhou.

He thought of the man on the phone in the café, and called the café at once. The waiter laughed when he heard: “Someone just came in looking for an umbrella too. He said whoever took the wrong one should please not go far.”

“I’ll come right back.” Xiaolin said.

Before he left, he glanced at the table he still hadn’t unpacked. His plan to wait for the rain to stop hadn’t worked out, and now he had to walk the way home all over again.