HSK 5 · Chapter 9 · 553 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-last-night

最后一夜

The last night

Name: ________________ Date: ________

十二月shí’èryuè三十一sānshíyī号hào，“一直yìzhí在zài”的de最后zuìhòu一夜yíyè。货架huòjià上shàng的de东西dōngxī只zhǐ剩shèng一半yíbàn，门mén上shàng贴tiē着zhe黄姐写xiě的de字zì：全场quánchǎng五折wǔzhé，谢谢xièxie大家dàjiā十二shí’èr年nián的de照顾zhàogu。

十二shí’èr点diǎn，手机shǒujī里全quán是shì“新年快乐xīnnián-kuàilè”。外面wàimiàn有人yǒurén在zài倒计时dàojìshí，店diàn里只zhǐ剩shèng我wǒ和hé关东煮guāndōngzhǔ。

一点钟yìdiǎnzhōng，饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye照常zhàocháng来lái了le，买mǎi了le两liǎng个gè饭团fàntuán，一个yígè金枪鱼jīnqiāngyú的de，一个yígè鸡肉jīròu的de。我wǒ念niàn给gěi他tā听tīng的de时候shíhou，声音shēngyīn有点yóudiǎn抖dǒu。他tā在zài窗chuāng前qián坐zuò了le很hěn久jiǔ，走zǒu的de时候shíhou，站zhàn在zài门口ménkǒu说shuō了le一yí句jù：“明天míngtiān开始kāishǐ，这zhè条tiáo街jiē就jiù黑hēi了le。”

一点半yìdiǎnbàn，小田xiǎotián来lái充电chōngdiàn。我wǒ朝cháo马路mǎlù对面duìmiàn那nà盏zhǎn黄灯huángdēng看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn，问wèn她tā：“你nǐ知道zhīdào那个nàge小屋xiǎowū里，夜里yèlǐ坐zuò的de是shì谁shéi吗ma？”

“就是jiùshì天天tiāntiān买mǎi饭团fàntuán的de那个nàge爷爷yéye啊a！”她tā一边yìbiān吃chī面包miànbāo一边yìbiān说shuō，“他tā以前yǐqián是shì那个nàge小学xiǎoxué的de语文yǔwén老师lǎoshī，退休tuìxiū了le舍不得shěbude走zǒu，晚上wǎnshang就jiù在zài那儿nàr看kàn大门dàmén，一yí看kàn就是jiùshì十二shí’èr年nián。”

我wǒ愣lèng住zhù了le，把bǎ这zhè一个yígè多duō月yuè的de纸条zhǐtiáo全quán拿ná出来chūlái，一yì张zhāng一yì张zhāng排pái在zài收银台shōuyíntái上shàng。

语文yǔwén老师lǎoshī，打分dǎfēn。三sān点diǎn吃chī的de第二dì’èr个gè饭团fàntuán。一yì笔bǐ一yí画huà的de大字dàzì。老花眼lǎohuāyǎn看不清kànbuqīng近处jìnchù的de小字xiǎozì，却què看得清kàndeqīng远处yuǎnchù。从cóng那nà间jiān小屋xiǎowū，正好zhènghǎo能néng看见kànjiàn我们wǒmen的de收银台shōuyíntái，也yě能néng看见kànjiàn送货sònghuò车chē什么shénme时候shíhou到dào。

我wǒ拔腿bátuǐ就jiù往外wǎngwài跑pǎo，却què被bèi一把yìbǎ拉lā住zhù了le。

小田xiǎotián说shuō：“你nǐ现在xiànzài去qù，人家rénjia十二shí’èr年nián就jiù白bái写xiě了le。等到děngdào三sān点diǎn吧ba。”

她tā的de电话diànhuà又yòu响xiǎng了le。“马上mǎshàng到dào！”她tā一边yìbiān说shuō，一边yìbiān跑pǎo进jìn了le夜里yèlǐ。

两liǎng点diǎn，白bái师傅shīfu来lái了le，买mǎi走zǒu了le最后zuìhòu三sān个gè萝卜luóbo。他tā看kàn了le看kàn收银台shōuyíntái上shàng的de纸条zhǐtiáo，又yòu看kàn了le看kàn我wǒ的de脸liǎn，笑xiào了le：“找到zhǎodào了le？我wǒ跟gēn他tā下xià了le十shí年nián象棋xiàngqí，家里jiālǐ的de春联chūnlián每年měinián都dōu找zhǎo他tā写xiě，他tā的de字zì，我wǒ闭bì着zhe眼睛yǎnjing都dōu认得rènde。”说shuō完wán，他tā没méi走zǒu，在zài窗chuāng前qián坐zuò了le下来xiàlai。

两点半liángdiǎnbàn，黄姐也yě来lái了le，怀里huáilǐ抱bào着zhe那个nàge旧jiù饼干bǐnggān盒hé。两点五十liángdián-wǔshí，小梅xiǎoméi也yě来lái了le，今天jīntiān她tā没有méiyǒu睡shuì。我们wǒmen谁shéi都dōu没méi说话shuōhuà，一起yìqǐ看kàn着zhe马路mǎlù对面duìmiàn。

两点五十九分liángdiánwǔshíjiǔfēn，送货sònghuò车chē没有méiyǒu来lái，以后yǐhòu也yě不会búhuì来lái了le。

对面duìmiàn那nà盏zhǎn黄灯huángdēng，熄灭xīmiè了le。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
剩	shèng	to remain; to be left over
全	quán	whole; all; entire; complete; completely; entirely
窗	chuāng	window
排	pái	to arrange; to line up
正好	zhènghǎo	happen to; as it happens
拉	lā	to empty one's bowels; to have (diarrhea)
等到	děngdào	to wait until
饼干	bǐnggān	cookie; cracker; biscuit
贴	tiē	to stick; to paste
念	niàn	to read aloud
黑	hēi	black; dark
充电	chōngdiàn	to charge (a battery)

English (for the teacher)

The thirty-first of December: the last night of “Always Here”. The shelves were half empty, and on the door was a sign in Sister Huang’s writing: everything half price, thank you all for twelve years.

At midnight my phone was full of “Happy New Year”. Outside, people were counting down; in the shop it was just me and the oden.

At one o’clock, Rice Ball Grandpa came as usual and bought two rice balls, one tuna, one chicken. When I read them out to him, my voice shook a little. He sat by the window for a long time, and when he left, he stopped in the doorway and said: “From tomorrow, this street will be dark.”

At half past one, Xiaotian came to charge her phone. I glanced at the yellow light across the road and asked her: “Do you know who sits in that hut at night?”

“The grandpa who buys rice balls every night, of course!” She said between bites of bread, “He used to teach Chinese at that school. When he retired he couldn’t bear to leave, so he guards the gate at night. He’s been doing it twelve years.”

I stood there stunned, then took out every note from the past month and more and laid them out on the counter, one by one.

A Chinese teacher: marks. A second rice ball eaten at three. Big characters, every stroke careful. Long sight can’t read small print up close, but sees far away just fine. From that hut, you can see right into our till, and see when the van arrives.

I made a dash for the door, but someone grabbed me.

Xiaotian said: “If you go now, he’ll have written for twelve years for nothing. Wait till three.”

Her phone rang again. “On my way!” She said it as she ran off into the night.

At two, Master Bai came and bought the last three radishes. He looked at the notes on the counter, then at my face, and smiled: “Found him? We’ve played chess for ten years, and he writes my New Year couplets every year. I’d know his writing with my eyes shut.” Then, instead of leaving, he sat down by the window.

At half past two, Sister Huang came too, holding the old biscuit tin in her arms. At ten to three, Xiaomei came as well, and tonight she didn’t sleep. None of us said a word; we all watched the far side of the road.

At one minute to three, the van didn’t come, and it never would again.

Across the road, the yellow light went out.