HSK 5 · Chapter 1 · 603 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-first-night-shift

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The first night shift

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ失眠shīmián半年bànnián了le。宿舍sùshè里，室友shìyǒu们men一个yígè比bǐ一个yígè睡shuì得de香xiāng，就jiù我wǒ一yí个gè人rén睁zhēng着zhe眼睛yǎnjing，听tīng着zhe别人biéren的de呼噜hūlu声shēng，一直yìzhí等到děngdào天亮tiānliàng。后来hòulái我wǒ想通xiǎngtōng了le：反正fǎnzhèng睡不着shuìbuzháo，不如bùrú去qù便利店biànlìdiàn上shàng夜班yèbān。同样tóngyàng是shì睡不着shuìbuzháo，至少zhìshǎo还hái能néng赚钱zhuànqián。

大学dàxué后门hòumén有yǒu一家yìjiā二十四èrshísì小时xiǎoshí便利店biànlìdiàn，名字míngzi有点yóudiǎn怪guài，叫做jiàozuò“一直yìzhí在zài”。它tā左边zuǒbiān是shì医院yīyuàn，对面duìmiàn是shì一yì所suǒ小学xiǎoxué。半夜bànyè，整zhěng条tiáo街jiē都黑hēi了le，只zhǐ剩shèng它tā还hái亮liàng着zhe，像xiàng一yì盏zhǎn不bù肯kěn关guān的de台灯táidēng。

老板láobǎn黄姐四十多岁sìshí-duōsuì，说话shuōhuà又yòu快kuài又yòu准zhǔn，像xiàng一yì台tái收银机shōuyínjī。第一dìyī天tiān晚上wǎnshang十一点钟shíyī-diǎnzhōng，她tā把bǎ钥匙yàoshi交给jiāogěi我wǒ：“夜班yèbān就jiù三sān条tiáo规矩guīju。第一dìyī，谁shéi要yào热水rèshuǐ都dōu给gěi，不bù收钱shōuqián。第二dì’èr，三sān点diǎn送货sònghuò车chē到dào，你nǐ去qù后门hòumén卸货xièhuò，别bié让ràng司机sījī在zài外面wàimiàn等děng着zhe。第三dìsān，门mén说shuō‘欢迎huānyíng光临guānglín’，你nǐ也yě得děi说shuō。”

“门mén已经yǐjīng说shuō过guo了le，我wǒ还hái得děi说shuō吗ma？”

“门mén是shì机器jīqì，你nǐ是shì人rén，不bù一样yíyàng。”说shuō完wán，她tā就jiù下班xiàbān了le。

店门diànmén是shì自动门zìdòngmén，有人yǒurén一yí进来jìnlái，它tā就jiù用yòng甜甜tiántián的de声音shēngyīn喊hǎn：“欢迎huānyíng光临guānglín！”我wǒ每次měicì都dōu比bǐ它tā慢màn一yì秒miǎo，听起来tīngqǐlai像xiàng回声huíshēng。

我wǒ在zài收银台shōuyíntái后面hòumiàn坐下zuòxià，打开dǎkāi带来dàilái的de课本kèběn。一yí页yè书shū，我wǒ看kàn了le一yí个gè小时xiǎoshí，还hái停tíng在zài第一dìyī句jù。

第一dìyī个gè晚上wǎnshang，客人kèren不bù多duō。十二shí’èr点diǎn，一个yígè喝醉hēzuì的de小伙子xiáohuǒzi买mǎi了le三sān瓶píng水shuǐ，说shuō了le五wǔ次cì谢谢xièxie。一点钟yìdiǎnzhōng，一个yígè穿chuān旧jiù军jūn大衣dàyī的de老人lǎorén买mǎi了le两liǎng个gè饭团fàntuán。两liǎng点diǎn，一yí对duì情侣qínglǚ进来jìnlái吵架chǎojià，吵chǎo完wán又yòu手拉手shǒulāshǒu走zǒu了le。两liǎng点diǎn以后yǐhòu，店diàn里安静ānjìng得de只能zhǐnéng听见tīngjiàn关东guāndōng煮zhǔ在zài锅guō里冒泡màopào。

三sān点diǎn，送sòng货huò车chē准时zhǔnshí到dào了le。我wǒ在zài后门hòumén卸xiè了le一刻钟yíkèzhōng的de货huò，忽然hūrán听见tīngjiàn前面qiánmiàn的de门mén喊hǎn：“欢迎huānyíng光临guānglín！”

我wǒ喊hǎn了le一声yìshēng“马上mǎshàng来lái”，但dàn司机sījī还hái在zài等děng着zhe，我wǒ只好zhíhǎo先xiān把bǎ最后zuìhòu几jǐ箱xiāng搬bān完wán，才cái跑pǎo到dào前面qiánmiàn。可是kěshì店diàn里一yí个gè人rén也yě没有méiyǒu，只有zhíyǒu热水rèshuǐ机jī还hái在zài冒mào着zhe热气rèqì。收银台shōuyíntái上shàng却què放fàng着zhe一yì张zhāng小xiǎo纸条zhǐtiáo，压yā在zài零钱língqián盒hé下面xiàmiàn。字zì很hěn大dà，一yì笔bǐ一yí画huà，像xiàng小学生xiǎoxuéshēng在zài写xiě作业zuòyè：

“新xīn来lái的de？你nǐ的de‘欢迎光临huānyíng-guānglín’，比bǐ门mén慢màn了le一yì秒miǎo。明天见míngtiānjiàn。”

我wǒ跑pǎo到dào门口ménkǒu往外wǎngwài看kàn。左边zuǒbiān，医院yīyuàn的de大楼dàlóu黑hēi着zhe；对面duìmiàn，小学xiǎoxué的de大门dàmén关guān着zhe。街jiē上shàng一yí个gè人rén也yě没有méiyǒu。

我wǒ回头huítóu看看kànkan那nà扇shàn门mén。它tā一动不动yídòngbúdòng，一yí句jù话huà也yě不bù说shuō。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
等到	děngdào	to wait until
同样	tóngyàng	equally; likewise; same; similar
至少	zhìshǎo	at least
整	zhěng	exactly; sharp (as in 十点整)
剩	shèng	to remain; to be left over
亮	liàng	bright; shiny; to shine; to light up
准	zhǔn	accurate; exact
台	tái	station (radio, TV)
钥匙	yàoshi	key
喊	hǎn	to shout; to yell
秒	miǎo	second (unit of time or angle)
停	tíng	to stop; to halt

English (for the teacher)

I haven’t slept properly for six months. In the dorm, my roommates each sleep more soundly than the next, while I lie there alone with my eyes open, listening to everyone snore, until it gets light. Then it came to me: if I can’t sleep anyway, I might as well work nights at a convenience store. I’d still be awake, but at least I’d be earning money.

By the university’s back gate there’s a twenty-four-hour convenience store with a slightly odd name: “Always Here”. There’s a hospital on its left and a primary school across the road. In the middle of the night the whole street goes dark, and only the shop stays lit, like a desk lamp that refuses to be switched off.

The owner, Sister Huang, is in her forties and talks fast and exact, like a till. At eleven o’clock on my first night she handed me the keys: “There are just three rules on nights. One: anyone who wants hot water gets it, free. Two: the van comes at three, so go out the back and unload it, and don’t keep the driver waiting. Three: when the door says ‘welcome’, you say it too.”

“If the door’s already said it, do I really have to?”

“The door’s a machine. You’re a person. It’s not the same.” And with that, she went home.

The shop has an automatic door, and whenever someone walks in it calls out in a sweet voice: “Welcome!” I’m always a second behind it, like an echo.

I sat down behind the till and opened the textbook I’d brought. I spent an hour on one page and was still on the first sentence.

There weren’t many customers that first night. At twelve, a drunk young guy bought three bottles of water and said thank you five times. At one o’clock, an old man in a worn army greatcoat bought two rice balls. At two, a couple came in arguing, finished arguing, and left hand in hand. After two the shop was so quiet that all I could hear was the oden bubbling in its pot.

At three the van arrived on time. I’d spent a quarter of an hour unloading out the back when I heard the door at the front call out: “Welcome!”

I shouted “Coming!”, but the driver was still waiting, so I had to finish the last few crates before I could run to the front. But there was nobody in the shop, only the hot-water machine, still steaming. Instead there was a little note on the counter, tucked under the coin tray. The characters were big, every stroke careful, like a schoolchild doing homework:

“New here? Your ‘welcome’ was a second slower than the door’s. See you tomorrow.”

I ran to the door and looked out. On the left, the hospital was dark; across the road, the school gate was shut. There wasn’t a soul on the street.

I turned round and looked at the door. It didn’t move, and it didn’t say a word.