HSK 5 · Story · 632 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-letter-from-grandpa-chinese-short-story

1985年的信

The letter from grandpa: a Chinese short story

Name: ________________ Date: ________

上个星期shànggè-xīngqī，奶奶nǎinai收到shōudào了le一yì封fēng信xìn。信封xìnfēng已经yǐjīng发黄fāhuáng了le，上面shàngmiàn贴tiē的de邮票yóupiào是shì1985年nián的de。寄jì信xìn人rén写xiě着zhe：周志远。收shōu信xìn人rén写xiě着zhe：林淑芬。

周志远是shì我wǒ爷爷yéye。他tā两liǎng年nián前qián就jiù去世qùshì了le。

后来hòulái，邮局yóujú的de工作人员gōngzuò-rényuán打dǎ来lái电话diànhuà，向xiàng我们wǒmen解释jiěshì：老lǎo邮局yóujú的de房子fángzi要yào拆chāi了le，工人gōngrén在zài一个yígè旧jiù柜子guìzi后面hòumiàn，意外yìwài地de发现fāxiàn了le一yí袋dài当年dāngnián没有méiyǒu送sòng出去chūqu的de信xìn。他们tāmen只好zhíhǎo按照ànzhào信封xìnfēng上shàng的de地址dìzhǐ，去qù找zhǎo当年dāngnián的de收shōu信xìn人rén。奶奶nǎinai这辈子zhèbèizi从来没cóngláiméi搬bān过guò家jiā，所以suóyǐ这zhè封fēng信xìn虽然suīrán晚wǎn了le四十多sìshíduō年nián，最后zuìhòu还是háishi找到zhǎodào了le她tā。

奶奶nǎinai的de眼睛yǎnjing不好bùhǎo，就jiù让ràng我wǒ念niàn给gěi她tā听tīng。我wǒ小心xiǎoxīn地de打开dǎkāi信纸xìnzhǐ。爷爷yéye的de字zì很hěn大dà，每měi个gè字zì都dōu写xiě得de特别tèbié认真rènzhēn。

淑芬：下个月xiàgèyuè我wǒ就要jiùyào去qù南方nánfāng工作gōngzuò了le，恐怕kǒngpà要yào走zǒu好几háojǐ年nián。有yǒu一句话yíjùhuà，我wǒ一直yìzhí没有méiyǒu勇气yǒngqì当面dāngmiàn告诉gàosù你nǐ：我wǒ喜欢xǐhuān你nǐ，将来jiānglái想xiǎng娶qǔ你nǐ。如果rúguǒ你nǐ愿意yuànyì等děng我wǒ，五月wǔyuè三sān号hào那天nàtiān，请qǐng你nǐ戴dài着zhe那nà条tiáo红hóng围巾wéijīn，来lái火车站huǒchēzhàn给gěi我wǒ送行sòngxíng。如果rúguǒ你nǐ没méi来lái，我wǒ也yě能néng理解líjiě，以后yǐhòu绝不juébú再zài打扰dárǎo你nǐ。志远。

我wǒ念niàn完wán以后yǐhòu，屋子wūzi里安静ānjìng了le很hěn久jiǔ。我wǒ以为yǐwéi奶奶nǎinai会huì难过nánguò，没想到méixiǎngdào她tā突然tūrán笑xiào了le起来qǐlai，笑xiào得de眼泪yǎnlèi都dōu流liú出来chūlái了le。

“我wǒ根本gēnběn就jiù没méi收到shōudào过guò这zhè封fēng信xìn啊a！”

“那么nàme，五月wǔyuè三sān号hào那天nàtiān，你nǐ到底dàodǐ去qù火车站huǒchēzhàn了le没有méiyǒu？”我wǒ好奇hàoqí地de问wèn。

“去qù了le。”奶奶nǎinai擦掉cādiào眼泪yǎnlèi，“不过búguò我wǒ是shì去qù送sòng我wǒ表哥biǎogē的de，他tā正好zhènghǎo也yě坐zuò那nà趟tàng车chē。那天nàtiān风fēng特别tèbié大dà，我wǒ妈mā非fēi让ràng我wǒ戴dài上shàng围巾wéijīn不可bùkě。”

那nà条tiáo围巾wéijīn，刚好gānghǎo是shì红色hóngsè的de。

奶奶nǎinai说shuō，那天nàtiān在zài站台zhàntái上shàng，爷爷yéye一yí看见kànjiàn她tā，脸liǎn一下子yíxiàzi就jiù红hóng了le。他tā激动jīdòng地de走zǒu过来guòlai，拉lā着zhe她tā的de手shǒu说shuō：“我wǒ明白míngbai了le，谢谢xièxie你nǐ！你nǐ放心fàngxīn，我wǒ一定yídìng会huì回来huílái！”说shuō完wán就jiù上shàng了le火车huǒchē。奶奶nǎinai站zhàn在zài原地yuándì，完全wánquán糊涂hútu了le，还hái以为yǐwéi这zhè个gè人rén疯fēng了le。

三sān年nián以后yǐhòu，爷爷yéye果然guǒrán回来huílái了le。他tā做zuò的de第一dìyī件jiàn事shì，是shì去qù她tā家jiā。又yòu过guò了le一yì年nián，奶奶nǎinai真的zhēnde嫁jià给gěi了le他tā。

“他tā一直yìzhí到dào最后zuìhòu，都dōu以为yǐwéi我wǒ那天nàtiān是shì专门zhuānmén为wèi他tā去qù的de。”奶奶nǎinai说shuō。

她tā仔细zǐxì地de把bǎ信xìn放回fànghuí信封xìnfēng，又yòu从cóng抽屉chōuti里拿出náchū那nà条tiáo红hóng围巾wéijīn。围巾wéijīn已经yǐjīng很hěn旧jiù了le，颜色yánsè也yě没有méiyǒu以前yǐqián那么nàme鲜艳xiānyàn了le。她tā把bǎ信xìn轻轻qīngqīng地de放fàng在zài围巾wéijīn上shàng，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“好hǎo了le，志远，这次zhècì我wǒ真的zhēnde收到shōudào了le。我wǒ答应dāying你nǐ。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
寄jìto send; to mail
解释jiěshìto explain; to interpret; explanation
工人gōngrénworker; laborer
只好zhíhǎoto have no choice but to; to be forced to
按照ànzhàoaccording to; in accordance with
地址dìzhǐaddress
恐怕kǒngpàI'm afraid; probably; perhaps
将来jiāngláifuture; in the future
戴dàito wear (a hat, glasses, jewelry, etc.)
理解líjiěto understand; to comprehend; understanding
流liúto flow; current; stream
正好zhènghǎohappen to; as it happens

English (for the teacher)

Last week, Grandma got a letter. The envelope had gone yellow, and the stamp on it was from 1985. The sender said: Zhou Zhiyuan. The addressee said: Lin Shufen.

Zhou Zhiyuan was my grandpa. He died two years ago.

Later, someone from the post office phoned to explain: the old post office building was being knocked down, and behind an old cabinet the workers had unexpectedly found a sack of letters that were never delivered back then. So they were looking for the people the letters were addressed to back then, using the addresses on the envelopes. Grandma had never once moved house in her life, so although this letter was more than forty years late, it found her in the end.

Grandma's eyes aren't good, so she had me read it out to her. I carefully unfolded the letter. Grandpa's handwriting was big, and every character was written with great care.

Shufen: Next month I'm going south for work, and I'm afraid I'll be gone for years. There's something I've never had the courage to tell you to your face: I like you, and one day I want to marry you. If you're willing to wait for me, then on the third of May, please wear that red scarf and come to the station to see me off. If you don't come, I'll understand, and I'll never bother you again. Zhiyuan.

When I finished reading, the room was quiet for a long time. I thought Grandma would be sad, but to my surprise she suddenly started laughing, laughing until the tears ran down.

“I never even got this letter!”

“So, on the third of May, did you go to the station or not?” I asked, curious.

“I did.” Grandma wiped away her tears. “But I went to see off my cousin; he just happened to be on that train too. It was terribly windy that day, and my mum insisted I put on a scarf.”

That scarf just happened to be red.

Grandma said that on the platform that day, the moment Grandpa saw her, he went bright red. He came over, all worked up, took her hand and said: “I understand, thank you! Don't worry, I'll definitely come back!” And with that he got on the train. Grandma stood rooted to the spot, completely baffled, thinking this man must be mad.

Three years later, sure enough, Grandpa came back. The first thing he did was go to her house. A year after that, Grandma really did marry him.

“Right to the very end, he thought I'd gone there that day just for him.” That's what Grandma said.

She carefully put the letter back in its envelope, then took the red scarf out of the drawer. The scarf was very old now, and its colour wasn't as bright as it used to be. She laid the letter gently on the scarf and said quietly: “There, Zhiyuan, this time I really got it. My answer is yes.”