HSK 5 · Chapter 4 · 545 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-old-man-who-buys-two-rice-balls

两个饭团

The old man who buys two rice balls

Name: ________________ Date: ________

饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye是shì我wǒ给gěi他tā起qǐ的de外号wàihào。他tā就是jiùshì第一dìyī天tiān晚上wǎnshang那个nàge穿chuān旧jiù军jūn大衣dàyī的de老人lǎorén。他tā满头mǎntóu白发báifà，说话shuōhuà慢màn，走路zǒulù也yě慢màn，可是kěshì每天měitiān一点钟yìdiǎnzhōng，一yì分钟fēnzhōng都dōu不会búhuì晚wǎn。他tā每次měicì都dōu买mǎi两liǎng个gè饭团fàntuán。

他tā有yǒu老花眼lǎohuāyǎn，看不清kànbuqīng包装bāozhuāng上shàng的de小字xiǎozì，每次měicì都dōu要yào问wèn我wǒ：“这个zhège是shì什么shénme味wèi的de？”

“金枪鱼jīnqiāngyú的de。这个zhège是shì鸡肉jīròu的de。”

我wǒ念niàn给gěi他tā听tīng，他tā就jiù点diǎn点头diǎntóu，好像hǎoxiàng老师lǎoshī在zài听tīng学生xuéshēng背bèi课文kèwén。

他tā坐zuò在zài窗chuāng前qián，望wàng着zhe马路mǎlù对面duìmiàn，一口yìkǒu一口yìkǒu慢慢mànmàn吃chī完wán一个yígè。吃chī的de时候shíhou，他tā一yí句jù话huà也yě不bù说shuō，好像hǎoxiàng对面duìmiàn有yǒu什么shénme特别tèbié好看hǎokàn的de东西dōngxī。另lìng一个yígè，他tā放进fàngjìn大衣dàyī口袋kǒudai，从来不cóngláibú在zài店diàn里吃chī。

我wǒ在zài心里xīnli给gěi他tā编biān了le一yí个gè故事gùshi：奶奶nǎinai去世qùshì了le。以前yǐqián每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang，两liǎng个gè人rén一yì人rén一yí个gè饭团fàntuán，奶奶nǎinai最zuì喜欢xǐhuān鸡肉jīròu的de。现在xiànzài只zhǐ剩shèng他tā一yí个gè人rén，可kě他tā还是háishi习惯xíguàn买mǎi两liǎng个gè。我wǒ越yuè想xiǎng越yuè难过nánguò，差点chàdiǎn把bǎ自己zìjǐ感动gǎndòng哭kū了le。

那天nàtiān，我wǒ端duān了le一yì杯bēi热rè豆浆dòujiāng给gěi他tā：“爷爷yéye，外面wàimiàn冷lěng，这zhè杯bēi我wǒ请qǐng您nín。”

“为什么wèishénme请qǐng我wǒ？”

我wǒ看kàn了le看kàn他tā的de口袋kǒudai，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“另lìng一yí个gè饭团fàntuán，是shì给gěi奶奶nǎinai留liú的de吧ba？”

爷爷yéye愣lèng了le一下yíxià，接着jiēzhe笑xiào得de直zhí咳嗽késou：“傻shǎ孩子háizi，饭团fàntuán第二dì’èr个gè半价bànjià！”他tā拍拍pāipāi口袋kǒudai，“这个zhège，我wǒ三sān点diǎn再zài吃chī。我wǒ老伴lǎobàn在家zàijiā睡shuì得de好好háohǎo的de，她tā要是yàoshì听见tīngjiàn你nǐ这么zhème说shuō，非fēi骂mà你nǐ不可bùkě。”

原来yuánlái，根本gēnběn没有méiyǒu什么shénme悲伤bēishāng的de故事gùshi，只有zhíyǒu一个yígè会huì算账suànzhàng的de老头lǎotóu。我wǒ的de脸liǎn一下子yíxiàzi红hóng到dào了le耳朵ěrduo。爷爷yéye喝hē完wán豆浆dòujiāng，把bǎ杯子bēizi扔rēng进jìn垃圾桶lājītǒng，又yòu加jiā了le一yí句jù：“你们nǐmen年轻人niánqīngrén啊a，就是jiùshì想xiǎng得de太tài多duō。”

两点五十liángdián-wǔshí，我wǒ把bǎ这zhè件jiàn事shì讲jiǎng给gěi小梅xiǎoméi听tīng，她tā笑xiào得de差点chàdiǎn把bǎ面条miàntiáo吃chī进jìn鼻子bízi里。

三sān点diǎn，纸条zhǐtiáo照样zhàoyàng来lái了le：“今天jīntiān的de‘欢迎光临huānyíng-guānglín’只zhǐ慢màn了le半bàn秒miǎo。可是kěshì故事gùshi编biān得de不好bùhǎo。七十qīshí分fēn。”

我wǒ盯dīng着zhe纸条zhǐtiáo想xiǎng了le很hěn久jiǔ。这zhè件jiàn事shì，只有zhíyǒu两liǎng个gè人rén知道zhīdào：饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye和hé小梅xiǎoméi。饭团fàntuán爷爷yéye连lián饭团fàntuán上shàng的de字zì都dōu看不清kànbuqīng，怎么zěnme可能kěnéng写xiě纸条zhǐtiáo？那nà就jiù只能zhǐnéng是shì小梅xiǎoméi了le。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
点头	diǎntóu	to nod
背	bèi	back (of the body)
窗	chuāng	window
另	lìng	other; another
剩	shèng	to remain; to be left over
感动	gǎndòng	moved; touched; to move; to touch (emotionally)
留	liú	to keep; to retain
接着	jiēzhe	next; then; after that
咳嗽	késou	to cough; cough
好好	háohǎo	perfectly good; in good condition
要是	yàoshì	if; in case
扔	rēng	to throw; to toss

English (for the teacher)

Rice Ball Grandpa is my nickname for him. He’s the old man in the army greatcoat from my first night. His hair is completely white, and he talks slowly and walks slowly, but at one o’clock every night he isn’t a minute late. He always buys two rice balls.

He’s long-sighted and can’t read the small print on the packets, so every time he asks me: “What flavour is this one?”

“Tuna. And this one’s chicken.”

When I read them out to him, he nods, like a teacher listening to a pupil recite.

He sits by the window gazing across the road and slowly eats one of them, bite by bite. He doesn’t say a word while he eats, as if there’s something especially lovely to look at over there. The other one goes into his coat pocket; he never eats it in the shop.

In my head, I made up a story about him: his wife had died. Every evening they used to have one rice ball each, and chicken was her favourite. Now he’s on his own, but he still buys two out of habit. The more I thought about it, the sadder I got, until I nearly moved myself to tears.

That night I took him a cup of hot soy milk: “It’s cold out, Grandpa. This one’s on me.”

“Why are you treating me?”

I glanced at his pocket and said quietly: “The other rice ball is for Grandma, isn’t it?”

Grandpa froze for a moment, then laughed so hard he started coughing: “Silly boy, the second rice ball is half price!” He patted his pocket. “I’m having this one at three. My wife’s at home sound asleep, and if she heard you say that, she’d give you a piece of her mind.”

So there was no sad story at all, just an old man who knows a bargain. I blushed right up to my ears. Grandpa finished his soy milk, threw the cup in the bin and added: “You young people, you just think too much.”

At ten to three I told Xiaomei the story, and she laughed so hard she nearly got noodles up her nose.

At three, the note came as usual: “Today’s ‘welcome’ was only half a second slow. But the story was badly made up. Seventy.”

I stared at the note for a long time. Only two people knew about this: Rice Ball Grandpa and Xiaomei. Rice Ball Grandpa can’t even read the labels on rice balls, so how could he write notes? So it could only be Xiaomei.