HSK 4 · Chapter 6 · 566 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-biscuit-tin-full-of-notes

饼干盒

The biscuit tin full of notes

Name: ________________ Date: ________

第二天dì’èrtiān晚上wǎnshang十二shí’èr点diǎn，黄姐忽然hūrán来lái了le。她tā夜里yèlǐ一般yìbān不bù来lái店diàn里，今天jīntiān手里shǒuli还hái拿ná着zhe一yí个gè文件wénjiàn袋dài。

我wǒ把bǎ那nà张zhāng“十二shí’èr年nián”的de纸条zhǐtiáo拿ná给gěi她tā看kàn。她tā盯dīng着zhe纸条zhǐtiáo看kàn了le很hěn久jiǔ，一yí句jù话huà也yě没méi说shuō，然后ránhòu带dài我wǒ走进zǒujìn后面hòumiàn的de小xiǎo办公室bàngōngshì，从cóng柜子guìzi最zuì上面shàngmiàn拿下náxià一个yígè旧jiù饼干bǐnggān盒hé。

盒子hézi里lǐ全quán是shì纸条zhǐtiáo，几百jíbǎi张zhāng，一yì张zhāng一yì张zhāng叠dié得de整整齐齐zhéngzhěng-qíqí，很hěn多duō已经yǐjīng发黄fāhuáng了le。字zì很hěn大dà，一yì笔bǐ一yí画huà，跟gēn我wǒ收到shōudào的de一模一样yìmú-yíyàng。我wǒ随便suíbiàn拿起náqǐ几jǐ张zhāng：有的yǒude提醒tíxǐng夜班yèbān别bié忘wàng了le锁suǒ后门hòumén，有的yǒude说shuō今天jīntiān的de关东guāndōng煮zhǔ太tài咸xián，还有háiyǒu一yì张zhāng只zhǐ写xiě了le两liǎng个gè字zì：辛苦xīnkǔ。这么zhème多年duōnián，黄姐一yì张zhāng也yě舍不得shěbude扔rēng。

“十二shí’èr年nián前qián，我wǒ就jiù在zài这儿zhèr上shàng夜班yèbān。那nà时候shíhou店diàn里还hái不是búshì这zhè个gè名字míngzi，门mén也yě不会búhuì说话shuōhuà。”黄姐说shuō，“那年nànián我wǒ二十六èrshíliù岁suì，一yí个gè人rén来lái这zhè个gè城市chéngshì打工dǎgōng。工资gōngzī少shǎo，房子fángzi小xiǎo，给gěi家里jiālǐ打电话dǎdiànhuà，又yòu不bù敢gǎn说实话shuōshíhuà。有yǒu一天yìtiān晚上wǎnshang，我wǒ躲duǒ在zài收银台shōuyíntái后面hòumiàn，偷偷tōutōu哭kū了le很hěn久jiǔ。三sān点diǎn从cóng后门hòumén回来huílái，就jiù看见kànjiàn了le第一dìyī张zhāng。”

她tā从cóng盒子hézi最zuì下面xiàmiàn拿出náchū一yì张zhāng。纸zhǐ已经yǐjīng软ruǎn了le，上面shàngmiàn只有zhíyǒu几jǐ个gè字zì：

“别bié哭kū了le。谢谢xièxie你nǐ一直yìzhí在zài。”

“后来hòulái老板láobǎn不想bùxiǎng干gàn了le，我wǒ借钱jièqián把bǎ店diàn接jiē了le下来xiàlai。”她tā笑xiào了le笑xiào，“店diàn名míng就是jiùshì这么zhème来lái的de。”

我wǒ一直yìzhí觉得juéde这zhè是shì个gè傻shǎ名字míngzi。现在xiànzài再zài看kàn，一点yìdiǎn也yě不bù傻shǎ。

我wǒ又yòu翻fān了le翻fān，很hěn多duō纸条zhǐtiáo上shàng都dōu有yǒu分数fēnshù。有yǒu一yì张zhāng写xiě着zhe：“‘欢迎光临huānyíng-guānglín’说shuō得de太tài凶xiōng。六十liùshí分fēn。”黄姐一把yìbǎ抢qiǎng了le过去guòqu，脸liǎn都dōu红hóng了le：“那nà时候shíhou我wǒ脾气píqi不好bùhǎo。”

她tā把bǎ盒子hézi盖gài上shàng，打开dǎkāi那nà个gè文件wénjiàn袋dài。里面lǐmiàn是shì房东fángdōng寄jì来lái的de新xīn合同hétong。她tā的de声音shēngyīn低dī了le下来xiàlai：“其实qíshí我wǒ今天jīntiān来lái，是shì想xiǎng告诉gàosù你nǐ：明年míngnián房租fángzū要yào涨zhǎng一yí倍bèi，斜对面xiéduìmiàn还hái要yào开kāi一家yìjiā无人wúrén便利店biànlìdiàn。我wǒ算来算去suànlái-suànqù，怎么zěnme算suàn都dōu撑不下去chēngbu-xiàqù。十二月shí’èryuè三十一sānshíyī号hào，‘一直yìzhí在zài’就jiù不bú在zài了le。”

我wǒ想xiǎng说shuō点diǎn什么shénme，却què一yí句jù也yě想不出来xiǎngbu-chūlái。过guò了le很hěn久jiǔ，我wǒ才cái问wèn：“那nà写xiě纸条zhǐtiáo的de人rén呢ne？”

黄姐把bǎ盒子hézi放回fànghuí柜子guìzi上shàng：“我wǒ找zhǎo了le十二shí’èr年nián，都dōu没méi找到zhǎodào。你nǐ还有háiyǒu一个yígè月yuè。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
张	zhāng	surname Zhang
忽然	hūrán	suddenly; all of a sudden
饼干	bǐnggān	cookie; cracker; biscuit
盒子	hézi	box; case
全	quán	whole; all; entire; complete; completely; entirely
提醒	tíxǐng	to remind; to warn; to alert; reminder
咸	xián	salty
打工	dǎgōng	to work for someone; to have a job; to do odd jobs
工资	gōngzī	wages; salary; pay
分数	fēnshù	score; grade; mark
脾气	píqi	temper; temperament
房东	fángdōng	landlord; landlady

English (for the teacher)

At midnight the next night, Sister Huang suddenly turned up. She hardly ever comes in at night, and today she was carrying a document folder too.

I showed her the “twelve years” note. She stared at it for a long time without a word, then took me into the little office at the back and lifted an old biscuit tin down from the top of the cupboard.

The tin was full of notes, hundreds of them, each one folded neatly, many already yellowed. Big characters, every stroke careful, exactly like the ones I’d been getting. I picked out a few at random: some reminded the night clerk not to forget to lock the back door, some said the oden was too salty today, and one just said: thank you for your hard work. In all those years, Sister Huang hadn’t been able to bring herself to throw a single one away.

“Twelve years ago, I worked nights here. Back then the shop had a different name, and the door didn’t talk.” Sister Huang said, “I was twenty-six that year and had come to this city alone to work. The pay was low, my room was tiny, and when I phoned home I didn’t dare tell them the truth. One night I hid behind the till and cried for a long time. When I came back from the back door at three, I saw the first one.”

She took one from the very bottom of the tin. The paper had gone soft, and there were only a few words on it:

“Stop crying. Thank you for always being here.”

“Later the owner wanted to give up, and I borrowed money to take the shop over.” She smiled. “That’s where the name comes from.”

I’d always thought it was a silly name. Looking at it now, it wasn’t silly at all.

I leafed through a few more; lots of the notes had marks on them. One said: “Your ‘welcome’ is too fierce. Sixty.” Sister Huang snatched it away, blushing: “I had a temper back then.”

She put the lid on the tin and opened the folder. Inside was a new contract from the landlord. Her voice dropped: “Actually, I came tonight to tell you: next year the rent is doubling, and an unstaffed convenience store is opening across the road. I’ve done the sums over and over, and however I do them, we can’t keep going. On the thirty-first of December, ‘Always Here’ won’t be here any more.”

I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t think of a thing. After a long time I asked: “And the person who writes the notes?”

Sister Huang put the tin back on the cupboard: “I’ve been looking for twelve years and never found them. You’ve got one month.”