HSK 4 · Chapter 7 · 526 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-goodbye-book

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The goodbye book

Name: ________________ Date: ________

十二shí’èr年nián。这zhè条tiáo街jiē上shàng，谁shéi夜里yèlǐ来lái了le十二shí’èr年nián？

我wǒ像xiàng电视diànshì里的de侦探zhēntàn一样yíyàng，拿ná了le一yì张zhāng纸zhǐ，把bǎ每个měigè熟客shúkè都dōu写xiě了le上去shàngqu，再zài去qù问wèn黄姐，一个yígè一个yígè排除páichú。我wǒ甚至shènzhì给gěi每měi个gè人rén都dōu写xiě上shàng了le“作案zuò’àn时间shíjiān”。

小梅xiǎoméi来lái了le三sān年nián，小田xiǎotián来lái了le两liǎng年nián，都dōu不bú对duì。饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye倒是dàoshì来lái了le十几shíjǐ年nián，可kě他tā连lián饭团fàntuán上shàng的de字zì都dōu看不清kànbuqīng，怎么zěnme写xiě？那nà就jiù只zhǐ剩shèng一yí个gè人rén了le。白bái师傅shīfu夜里yèlǐ开kāi了le二十èrshí年nián出租车chūzūchē，每天měitiān都dōu从cóng这zhè条tiáo街jiē经过jīngguò。

我wǒ有yǒu了le一yí个gè办法bànfǎ。我wǒ在zài收银台shōuyíntái上shàng放fàng了le一yí个gè本子běnzi，第一dìyī页yè写xiě着zhe：“‘一直yìzhí在zài’，月底yuèdǐ就jiù关门guānmén了le。给gěi它tā写xiě句jù话huà吧ba。”这样zhèyàng，谁shéi的de字zì我wǒ都dōu能néng看见kànjiàn。

一点钟yìdiǎnzhōng，饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye第一dìyī个gè来lái。我wǒ把bǎ本子běnzi和hé笔bǐ推tuī过去guòqu。他tā伸直shēnzhí了le胳膊gēbo，把bǎ本子běnzi拿ná得de很hěn远yuǎn，眯mī着zhe眼睛yǎnjing看kàn了le看kàn，又yòu推tuī了le回来huílai：“眼睛yǎnjing不好bùhǎo，不bù写xiě了le。”我wǒ点diǎn点头diǎntóu。果然guǒrán，他tā连lián本子běnzi上shàng的de字zì都dōu看不清kànbuqīng。

一点半yìdiǎnbàn，小田xiǎotián来lái了le。她tā摘下zhāixià手套shǒutào，飞快fēikuài地de写xiě了le三sān个gè字zì：“马上mǎshàng到dào。”写xiě完wán她tā才cái发现fāxiàn不bú对duì，又yòu在zài后面hòumiàn加jiā了le一yí句jù：“我wǒ会huì想念xiǎngniàn你们nǐmen的de。”

两liǎng点diǎn，白bái师傅shīfu来lái了le。他tā握wò笔bǐ的de样子yàngzi，像xiàng握wò着zhe方向盘fāngxiàngpán。他tā对duì着zhe本子běnzi看kàn了le半天bàntiān，最后zuìhòu写xiě了le四sì个gè字zì：“萝卜luóbo很hěn软ruǎn。”字zì写xiě得de歪歪扭扭wāiwāi-niúniǔ，像xiàng四sì根gēn萝卜luóbo躺tǎng在zài纸zhǐ上shàng。

不是búshì他tā。我wǒ有点yóudiǎn失望shīwàng，又yòu有点yóudiǎn放心fàngxīn：白bái师傅shīfu要是yàoshì能néng写出xiěchū那么nàme工整gōngzhěng的de字zì，那nà才cái奇怪qíguài呢ne。

白bái师傅shīfu见jiàn我wǒ一直yìzhí盯dīng着zhe他tā的de字zì，突然tūrán笑xiào了le：“你nǐ在zài找zhǎo写xiě纸条zhǐtiáo的de人rén吧ba？”

“您nín知道zhīdào是shì谁shéi？”

“知道zhīdào又yòu怎么样zěnmeyàng？”他tā端duān起qǐ萝卜luóbo往外wǎngwài走zǒu，“人家写xiě了le十二shí’èr年nián都dōu没méi说shuō，我wǒ说shuō出来chūlái，就jiù没意思méiyìsi了le。”

两点五十liángdián-wǔshí，小梅xiǎoméi在zài本子běnzi上shàng写xiě：“床位chuángwèi费fèi，以后yǐhòu交给jiāogěi谁shéi？”写xiě完wán，她tā就jiù趴pā在zài本子běnzi旁边pángbiān睡着shuìzháo了le。

那天nàtiān三sān点diǎn，纸条zhǐtiáo照样zhàoyàng来lái了le：“办法bànfǎ不错búcuò，可惜kěxī我wǒ不bù写xiě。九十jiǔshí分fēn。”

我wǒ又yòu生气shēngqì又yòu想xiǎng笑xiào。九十jiǔshí分fēn，是shì我wǒ到dào现在xiànzài拿ná过guò的de最高zuìgāo分fēn。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
街	jiē	street
张	zhāng	surname Zhang
纸	zhǐ	paper
可	kě	but; however
经过	jīngguò	to pass; to go through
办法	bànfǎ	way; method; means
放	fàng	to put; to place
一直	yìzhí	always; all along; continuously
剩	shèng	to remain; to be left over
师傅	shīfu	(polite) form of address for a driver or tradesman
推	tuī	to recommend (as in 推荐)
胳膊	gēbo	arm

English (for the teacher)

Twelve years. Who on this street had been coming at night for twelve years?

Like a TV detective, I took a sheet of paper, wrote down every regular, then asked Sister Huang and ruled them out one by one. I even wrote each person’s “time of the crime”.

Xiaomei has been coming for three years and Xiaotian for two, so neither of them. Rice Ball Grandpa has been coming for more than ten, but he can’t even read the labels on his rice balls, so how could he write? That left just one person. Master Bai has driven a taxi at night for twenty years and comes down this street every night.

I had an idea. I put a notebook on the counter, and on the first page I wrote: “‘Always Here’ closes at the end of the month. Leave it a few words.” That way, I’d get to see everyone’s handwriting.

At one o’clock, Rice Ball Grandpa was the first to come. I pushed the notebook and pen across to him. He held the book out at arm’s length, squinted at it, then pushed it back: “Bad eyes. I won’t.” I nodded. Sure enough, he couldn’t even read what was in the notebook.

At half past one, Xiaotian came. She pulled off her gloves and quickly wrote three words: “On my way.” Then she realised it wasn’t right and added a line after it: “I’ll miss you all.”

At two, Master Bai came. He held the pen like a steering wheel. He looked at the notebook for ages and finally wrote four characters: “Radishes very soft.” The writing was crooked and wobbly, like four radishes lying on the page.

It wasn’t him. I was a bit disappointed and a bit relieved: it would have been strange if Master Bai could write that neatly.

Master Bai saw me staring at his writing and suddenly grinned: “You’re looking for the person who writes the notes, aren’t you?”

“You know who it is?”

“So what if I do?” He picked up his radishes and headed out. “They’ve been writing for twelve years and never said. If I tell you, where’s the fun in that?”

At ten to three, Xiaomei wrote in the notebook: “Who do I pay my bed fee to now?” Then she slumped down beside the notebook and fell asleep.

At three that night, the note came as usual: “Good idea, but I’m not writing in it. Ninety.”

I didn’t know whether to be cross or laugh. Ninety was the highest mark I’d had so far.