HSK 5 · Chapter 10 · 507 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/full-marks

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三sān点diǎn整zhěng，对面duìmiàn小屋xiǎowū的de门mén开kāi了le。一个yígè穿chuān军jūn大衣dàyī的de人rén拿ná着zhe保温杯bǎowēnbēi，慢慢mànmàn走过zǒuguò空空kōngkōng的de马路mǎlù，嘴zuǐ里呼出hūchū一yì团tuán一yì团tuán的de白bái气qì。

自动门zìdòngmén开kāi了le。“欢迎huānyíng光临guānglín！”这zhè一次yícì，我wǒ比bǐ门mén早zǎo了le一yì秒miǎo。

饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye看见kànjiàn我wǒ，一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù吃惊chījīng：“今天jīntiān没有méiyǒu送货车，我wǒ知道zhīdào。”他tā看kàn了le看kàn窗chuāng前qián的de白bái师傅shīfu，白bái师傅shīfu朝cháo他tā眨zhǎ了le眨眼zháyǎn。

黄姐站zhàn起来qǐlai，打开dǎkāi饼干bǐnggān盒hé，眼睛yǎnjing一下子yíxiàzi红hóng了le：“十二shí’èr年nián，原来yuánlái是shì您nín。”

爷爷yéye看kàn着zhe那nà一yì盒hé纸条zhǐtiáo，好像hǎoxiàng在zài看kàn一大堆yídàduī学生xuéshēng的de作业zuòyè。他tā走zǒu到dào热水rèshuǐ机jī前qián，像xiàng平时píngshí一样yíyàng，把bǎ保温杯bǎowēnbēi倒dào满mǎn热水rèshuǐ，才cái慢慢mànmàn开口kāikǒu：

“那年nànián我wǒ刚gāng退休tuìxiū，舍不得shěbude学校xuéxiào，就jiù留下来liúxialai看kàn大门dàmén。一yí个gè人rén坐zuò在zài小屋xiǎowū里，一夜yíyè一夜yíyè睡不着shuìbuzháo。整zhěng条tiáo街jiē都黑hēi了le，只zhǐ剩shèng你们nǐmen这儿zhèr还hái亮liàng着zhe。我wǒ就jiù想xiǎng，对面duìmiàn还有háiyǒu人rén醒xǐng着zhe，这zhè一夜yíyè就jiù不算búsuàn太tài长cháng。”

他tā从cóng口袋kǒudai里拿出náchū一yì支zhī笔bǐ，在zài收银台shōuyíntái上shàng找zhǎo了le一yì张zhāng小票xiǎopiào，翻过来fānguòlai，用yòng很hěn大dà的de字zì写xiě了le三sān个gè字zì，压yā在zài零钱língqián盒hé下面xiàmiàn：

“一百yìbǎi分fēn。”

我wǒ问wèn他tā，这zhè一百yìbǎi分fēn是shì给gěi谁shéi的de。他tā看看kànkan我wǒ，又yòu看看kànkan黄姐：“给gěi你们nǐmen俩liǎ。她tā让ràng这儿zhèr亮liàng了le十二shí’èr年nián，你nǐ今天jīntiān终于zhōngyú比bǐ门mén早zǎo了le。”

黄姐愣lèng了le一下yíxià，接着jiēzhe叫jiào了le起来qǐlai：“我wǒ当年dāngnián最高zuìgāo才cái六十liùshí分fēn！”大家dàjiā都dōu笑xiào了le，连lián小梅xiǎoméi也yě笑xiào出chū了le声shēng。黄姐一边yìbiān笑xiào一边yìbiān擦cā眼泪yǎnlèi。

早上zǎoshang七qī点diǎn，天亮tiānliàng了le。白bái师傅shīfu开车kāichē把bǎ爷爷yéye送回sònghuí了le对面duìmiàn，虽然suīrán一共yígòng才cái二十èrshí米mǐ。我们wǒmen关guān了le灯dēng，锁suǒ好hǎo门mén，摘下zhāixià了le“一直yìzhí在zài”的de招牌zhāopái。

一yī月yuè的de一个yígè凌晨língchén，我wǒ又yòu睡不着shuìbuzháo了le。我wǒ去qù斜对面xiéduìmiàn的de无人wúrén便利店biànlìdiàn，买mǎi了le两liǎng个gè饭团fàntuán，第二dì’èr个gè半价bànjià。门mén很hěn客气kèqi地de说shuō：“欢迎huānyíng光临guānglín。”店diàn里没有méiyǒu人rén，我wǒ也yě就jiù没méi说话shuōhuà。

我wǒ穿chuān过马路guòmǎlù，敲qiāo了le敲qiāo小屋xiǎowū的de窗户chuānghu。爷爷yéye拉lā开门kāimén，看kàn了le看kàn我wǒ手里shǒuli的de饭团fàntuán，笑xiào了le。

他tā说shuō：“欢迎光临huānyíng-guānglín。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
秒miǎosecond (unit of time or angle)
吃惊chījīngto be surprised; to be startled
窗chuāngwindow
师傅shīfu(polite) form of address for a driver or tradesman
饼干bǐnggāncookie; cracker; biscuit
满mǎnfull; filled
整zhěngexactly; sharp (as in 十点整)
剩shèngto remain; to be left over
亮liàngbright; shiny; to shine; to light up
对面duìmiànthe other side; opponent
醒xǐngto wake up
压yāto press; to push down; pressure (as in 压力)

English (for the teacher)

At three on the dot, the door of the hut across the road opened. A man in an army greatcoat, holding a thermos, walked slowly across the empty road, breathing out puff after puff of white.

The automatic door opened. “Welcome!” This time, I beat the door by a second.

Rice Ball Grandpa saw me and wasn’t the least bit surprised: “No van tonight. I know.” He looked at Master Bai by the window, and Master Bai winked at him.

Sister Huang stood up and opened the biscuit tin, and her eyes went red: “Twelve years. So it was you.”

Grandpa looked at the tin of notes as if it were a great pile of pupils’ homework. He went over to the hot-water machine, filled his thermos as he always did, and only then began, slowly:

“The year I retired, I couldn’t bear to leave the school, so I stayed on to guard the gate. I sat alone in that hut, night after night, unable to sleep. The whole street was dark, and only your place was still lit. I thought, there’s someone awake over the road, so the night won’t be so long.”

He took a pen from his pocket, found a receipt on the counter, turned it over, wrote three big characters on it and tucked it under the coin tray:

“A hundred.”

I asked him who the hundred was for. He looked at me, then at Sister Huang: “For both of you. She kept this place lit for twelve years, and tonight you finally beat the door.”

Sister Huang froze for a moment, then cried out: “The most I ever got was sixty!” Everyone laughed, even Xiaomei laughed out loud. Sister Huang laughed and wiped her eyes at the same time.

At seven in the morning, it got light. Master Bai drove Grandpa back across the road, even though it was only twenty metres. We turned off the lights, locked the door, and took down the “Always Here” sign.

Early one morning in January, I couldn’t sleep again. I went to the unstaffed shop across the road and bought two rice balls, second one half price. The door said very politely: “Welcome.” There was nobody in the shop, so I didn’t say anything.

I crossed the road and knocked on the window of the hut. Grandpa opened the door, looked at the rice balls in my hand, and smiled.

He said: “Welcome.”