HSK 4 · Chapter 9 · 249 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/somewhere-warm-and-quiet

又暖和又安静的地方

Somewhere warm and quiet

Name: ________________ Date: ________

下午xiàwǔ，大家dàjiā都dōu来lái了le：阿亮āliàng、阳阳yángyáng、钱阿姨、赵zhào老师lǎoshī，还有háiyǒu爷爷yéye和hé乐乐lèlè。

阿亮āliàng说shuō：“我wǒ的de保安bǎo’ān亭tíng最zuì暖和nuǎnhuo！”

可是kěshì保安bǎo’ān亭tíng一点儿yìdiǎnr也yě不bù安静ānjìng，阿亮āliàng的de手机shǒujī一直yìzhí在zài唱歌chànggē。桌子zhuōzi下面xiàmiàn，也yě只有zhíyǒu火腿肠huótuǐcháng的de皮pí。

阳阳yángyáng说shuō：“车chē下面xiàmiàn！刚gāng开kāi回来huílai的de车chē，下面xiàmiàn很hěn暖和nuǎnhuo。”

爷爷yéye趴pā在zài地上dìshang，一yí辆liàng一yí辆liàng地de看kàn。看kàn了le二十èrshí辆liàng车chē，只zhǐ找到zhǎodào了le一yì只zhī手套shǒutào。

乐乐lèlè想起xiángqǐ阿亮āliàng说shuō过guò：星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang，豆腐dòufu往wǎng小区xiǎoqū后面hòumiàn走zǒu了le。

小区xiǎoqū后面hòumiàn，只有zhíyǒu一个yígè车棚chēpéng。冬天dōngtiān很hěn冷lěng，没有méiyǒu人rén骑qí自行车zìxíngchē，车棚chēpéng里又yòu黑hēi又yòu安静ānjìng。

大家dàjiā走zǒu进去jìnqu，小声xiǎoshēng叫jiào：“豆腐dòufu？豆腐dòufu？”没有méiyǒu声音shēngyīn。

爷爷yéye看见kànjiàn了le角落jiǎoluò里的de旧jiù箱子xiāngzi。“我wǒ的de帽子màozi就jiù在zài那nà个gè箱子xiāngzi里……”他tā往wǎng那边nàbiān走zǒu去qù。

“爷爷yéye！”乐乐lèlè拉lā住zhù他tā，“先xiān找zhǎo猫māo！”

他们tāmen从cóng车棚chēpéng出来chūlái的de时候shíhou，天tiān已经yǐjīng黑hēi了le。一yí片piàn雪花xuěhuā，掉diào在zài了le乐乐lèlè的de本子běnzi上shàng。

下雪xiàxuě了le。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
安静	ānjìng	quiet; peaceful; calm
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
只有	zhíyǒu	only; only if; unless
辆	liàng	classifier for vehicles
小区	xiǎoqū	residential compound; housing estate
冬天	dōngtiān	winter
骑	qí	to ride (a horse, bike, etc.)
自行车	zìxíngchē	bicycle
声音	shēngyīn	sound; voice
旧	jiù	old; used; worn
箱子	xiāngzi	box; chest; suitcase
先	xiān	first; in advance

That afternoon everyone came: A-Liang, Yangyang, Auntie Qian, Teacher Zhao, and Grandpa and Lele.

A-Liang said, “My guard booth is the warmest place!”

But the guard booth wasn’t quiet at all: A-Liang’s phone never stopped singing. And under the desk there were only sausage wrappers.

Yangyang said, “Under the cars! A car that’s just been driven is warm underneath.”

Grandpa got down on the ground and checked them one by one. After twenty cars, all he had found was a glove.

Lele remembered what A-Liang had said: on Sunday night, Tofu had walked off towards the back of the compound.

At the back of the compound there was only a bike shed. It was winter and cold, nobody was riding a bike, and the shed was dark and quiet.

Everyone went in and called softly, “Tofu? Tofu?” Not a sound.

Grandpa spotted the old box in the corner. “My hat’s in that box…” He started towards it.

“Grandpa!” Lele grabbed his arm. “Cat first!”

By the time they came out of the shed, it was already dark. A snowflake landed on Lele’s notebook.

It was snowing.