HSK 4 · Story · 497 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/mid-autumn-festival-story-in-chinese

中秋夜班

A Mid-Autumn night at the office: mooncakes for the security guard

Name: ________________ Date: ________

中秋节zhōngqiūjié那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，整zhěng座zuò写字楼xiězìlóu里只有zhíyǒu我wǒ一yí个gè人rén。项目xiàngmù明天míngtiān早上zǎoshang就要jiùyào交jiāo，我wǒ只好zhíhǎo留下来liúxialai加班jiābān。同事tóngshì们men下午xiàwǔ就jiù纷纷fēnfēn回家huíjiā了le，走zǒu之前zhīqián还hái把bǎ公司gōngsī送sòng的de月饼yuèbǐng分fēn完wán了le：蛋黄dànhuáng的de、巧克力qiǎokèlì的de，全quán被bèi拿走názǒu了le。桌子zhuōzi上shàng只有zhíyǒu一yì盒hé五仁月饼wǔrén-yuèbǐng，安安静静ān’ān-jìngjìng地de放fàng在zài那儿nàr。

大家dàjiā都dōu知道zhīdào，五仁月饼wǔrén-yuèbǐng在zài网上wǎngshàng是shì有名yǒumíng的de“没méi人rén要yào”。有人yǒurén开玩笑kāiwánxiào说shuō，它tā根本gēnběn不bù应该yīnggāi算suàn月饼yuèbǐng。

快kuài十一shíyī点diǎn的de时候shíhou，我wǒ终于zhōngyú做zuò完wán了le工作gōngzuò。下楼xiàlóu的de时候shíhou，我wǒ看见kànjiàn保安bǎo’ān老周坐zuò在zài大门口dàménkǒu，身边shēnbiān没有méiyǒu别人biéren。他tā举jǔ着zhe手机shǒujī，对duì着zhe外面wàimiàn的de月亮yuèliang，正在zhèngzài和hé谁shéi视频shìpín。“看见kànjiàn了le吗ma？今天jīntiān的de月亮yuèliang特别tèbié圆yuán。”手机shǒujī里传来chuánlái一个yígè小女孩xiáonǚhái的de声音shēngyīn：“爸爸bàba，你nǐ什么shénme时候shíhou回家huíjiā？”

老周笑xiào了le笑xiào，说shuō：“快kuài了le，快kuài了le。”挂guà了le电话diànhuà，他tā看kàn着zhe月亮yuèliang，半天bàntiān没méi说话shuōhuà。

我wǒ有点儿yóudiǎnr不好意思bùhǎoyìsi，把bǎ那nà盒hé五仁月饼wǔrén-yuèbǐng递dì给gěi他tā：“周叔叔，中秋zhōngqiū快乐kuàilè。只zhǐ剩shèng这种zhèzhǒng了le，您nín别bié嫌弃xiánqì。”

没想到méixiǎngdào，他tā的de眼睛yǎnjing马上mǎshàng亮liàng了le：“五仁wǔrén的de？这zhè可是kěshì好hǎo东西dōngxī！现在xiànzài的de年轻人niánqīngrén都dōu不bù懂dǒng。”他tā立刻lìkè打开dǎkāi盒子hézi，拿出náchū一块yíkuài，咬yǎo了le一yí大口dàkǒu，一边yìbiān吃chī一边yìbiān点头diǎntóu。然后ránhòu，他tā从cóng包bāo里拿出náchū一yí个gè塑料袋sùliàodài，里面lǐmiàn装zhuāng着zhe两liǎng块kuài圆圆yuányuán的de月饼yuèbǐng，样子yàngzi不太bútài好看hǎokàn。“这zhè是shì我wǒ老婆lǎopo自己zìjǐ做zuò的de，从cóng老家lǎojiā寄jì过来guòlai的de。你nǐ也yě试试shìshi。”

我们wǒmen就jiù坐zuò在zài门口ménkǒu的de台阶táijiē上shàng吃chī月饼yuèbǐng。他tā告诉gàosù我wǒ，他tā已经yǐjīng三sān年nián没méi回家huíjiā过guò中秋zhōngqiū了le。我wǒ咬yǎo了le一口yìkǒu他tā老婆lǎopo做zuò的de月饼yuèbǐng，很hěn甜tián，甜tián得de我wǒ突然tūrán很hěn想家xiǎngjiā。

“你nǐ给gěi家里jiālǐ打电话dǎdiànhuà了le吗ma？”他tā问wèn。

我wǒ摇摇yáoyáo头tóu，拿出náchū了le手机shǒujī。妈妈māma很hěn快kuài就jiù接jiē了le，第一dìyī句jù就jiù问wèn：“你nǐ那边nàbiān的de月亮yuèliang圆不圆yuánbuyuán？”

我wǒ看kàn了le看kàn天上tiānshàng。月亮yuèliang又yòu大dà又yòu圆yuán。老周看得见kàndejiàn，我wǒ看得见kàndejiàn，妈妈māma也yě看得见kàndejiàn。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
只有	zhíyǒu	only; only if; unless
同事	tóngshì	colleague; coworker
有名	yǒumíng	famous; well-known
身边	shēnbiān	at one's side; nearby
别人	biéren	other people; others; someone else
月亮	yuèliang	the moon
整	zhěng	exactly; sharp (as in 十点整)
座	zuò	constellation; zodiac sign (as in 巨蟹座)
交	jiāo	to hand over; to hand in
只好	zhíhǎo	to have no choice but to; to be forced to
加班	jiābān	to work overtime
之前	zhīqián	before; prior to; ago

English (for the teacher)

On Mid-Autumn night I was the only person left in the whole office tower. The project was due first thing tomorrow, so I had no choice but to stay late. My colleagues had drifted home one after another in the afternoon, and before they left they’d divided up the company’s mooncakes: egg yolk, chocolate, all taken. On the desk there was just one box of five-kernel mooncakes, sitting there quietly.

Everyone knows the five-kernel mooncake is famous online as the one “nobody wants”. People joke that it shouldn’t even count as a mooncake.

It was nearly eleven when I finally finished. As I came downstairs, I saw Lao Zhou, the security guard, sitting by the main door with no one around him. He was holding up his phone toward the moon outside, on a video call with someone. “Can you see it? The moon’s really round tonight.” A little girl’s voice came from the phone: “Daddy, when are you coming home?”

Lao Zhou smiled and said: “Soon, soon.” After he hung up, he looked at the moon and said nothing for a long time.

A bit embarrassed, I handed him the box of five-kernel mooncakes: “Uncle Zhou, happy Mid-Autumn. This kind was all that was left; I hope you don’t mind.”

To my surprise, his eyes lit up at once: “Five-kernel? Now that’s the good stuff! Young people today just don’t get it.” He opened the box straight away, took one out, bit off a big mouthful, and nodded as he ate. Then he took a plastic bag out of his own bag, with two round mooncakes inside that didn’t look very pretty. “My wife made these herself and sent them from back home. You try one too.”

So we sat on the steps by the door and ate mooncakes. He told me he hadn’t been home for Mid-Autumn in three years. I took a bite of his wife’s mooncake; it was sweet, so sweet that I suddenly missed home.

“Have you called your family?” he asked.

I shook my head and took out my phone. Mum answered right away, and the first thing she asked was: “Is the moon round where you are?”

I looked up at the sky. The moon was big and round. Lao Zhou could see it, I could see it, and Mum could see it too.