HSK 3 · Chapter 1 · 387 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-1-a-parcel-for-nobody

七楼 · 第一天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 1: A Parcel for Nobody

Name: ________________ Date: ________

晚上wǎnshang七qī点diǎn，快递kuàidì站zhàn里只有zhíyǒu乔安一yí个gè人rén。今天jīntiān是shì她tā上班shàngbān的de第一dìyī天tiān。

门mén开kāi了le，罗luó师傅shīfu送sòng来lái了le三sān个gè大dà箱子xiāngzi。“今天jīntiān的de快递kuàidì就jiù这些zhèxiē了le。”

她tā把bǎ快递kuàidì拿ná出来chūlái，一个yígè一个yígè看看kànkan是shì几jǐ号hào楼lóu的de。一号yīhào楼lóu的de、三sān号hào楼lóu的de，都dōu没méi问题wèntí。

最zuì下面xiàmiàn还有háiyǒu一个yígè小xiǎo快递kuàidì，很hěn轻qīng。上面shàngmiàn写xiě着zhe：“六liù号hào楼lóu，七qī楼lóu。”没有méiyǒu名字míngzi，也yě没有méiyǒu电话diànhuà。

乔安一yí看kàn就jiù笑xiào了le。她tā从小cóngxiǎo住zhù在zài这zhè个gè小区xiǎoqū，六liù号hào楼lóu是shì老lǎo楼lóu，一共yígòng只有zhíyǒu六liù层céng。“罗luó师傅shīfu，这个zhège写xiě错cuò了le吧ba？”

他tā看kàn了le看kàn，没有méiyǒu笑xiào。“没méi写xiě错cuò。每个měigè月yuè都dōu有yǒu一个yígè。”

“那nà它们tāmen后来hòulái去qù哪儿nǎr了le？是shì谁shéi拿ná的de？”

“不bù知道zhīdào。第二天dì’èrtiān早上zǎoshang，它们tāmen就jiù不bú在zài这儿zhèr了le。”他tā说shuō完wán就jiù走zǒu了le。

快递kuàidì站zhàn里又yòu安静ānjìng了le。乔安看kàn着zhe这个zhège小xiǎo快递kuàidì，想xiǎng：七qī楼lóu在zài哪儿nǎr呢ne？

“我wǒ知道zhīdào七qī楼lóu在zài哪儿nǎr！”门口ménkǒu有人yǒurén大声dàshēng说shuō。是shì宁宁níngníng，住zhù在zài三sān号hào楼lóu的de男孩nánhái，今年jīnnián九jiǔ岁suì，每天měitiān放学fàngxué都dōu来lái快递kuàidì站zhàn玩wán。

她tā问wèn：“在zài哪儿nǎr？”

“就jiù在zài六liù楼lóu上面shàngmiàn，”宁宁níngníng说shuō，“可是kěshì没有méiyǒu路lù能néng上去shàngqu。我wǒ试shì过guò。”

她tā把bǎ这个zhège小xiǎo快递kuàidì放fàng在zài自己zìjǐ的de桌子zhuōzi上shàng。“今天jīntiān晚上wǎnshang，它tā就jiù在zài这儿zhèr。明天míngtiān早上zǎoshang，我wǒ看kàn谁shéi来lái拿ná。”

她tā关上guānshàng了le灯dēng和hé门mén，走zǒu到dào六liù号hào楼lóu下面xiàmiàn，一yì层céng一yì层céng往wǎng上shàng看kàn：一yī、二èr、三sān、四sì、五wǔ、六liù。对duì，六liù层céng。

可是kěshì，在zài六liù楼lóu上面shàngmiàn，还有háiyǒu一个yígè小小xiáoxiǎo的de窗户chuānghu。里面lǐmiàn的de灯dēng亮liàng着zhe。

窗户chuānghu后面hòumiàn，好像hǎoxiàng站zhàn着zhe一yí个gè人rén，也yě在zài看kàn着zhe她tā。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
站zhànstation; stop
门méndoor; gate
送sòngto give (as a present)
拿náto take; to hold; to carry
出来chūláito come out; to emerge
楼lóubuilding (with more than one story)
下面xiàmiànnext; following
上面shàngmiànabove; on top of; on the surface of
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
从小cóngxiǎosince childhood; from a young age
错cuòwrong; mistaken; mistake; fault
走zǒuto go; to leave

English (for the teacher)

At seven in the evening, Qiao An was alone in the parcel station. It was her first day at work.

The door opened, and Mr Luo brought in three big boxes. "That's all of today's parcels."

She took the parcels out and checked them one by one to see which building each was for. Building One, Building Three: no problem.

At the very bottom there was one more small parcel, very light. On it was written: "Building Six, seventh floor." No name, and no phone number either.

Qiao An took one look and laughed. She had lived in this compound since she was little, and Building Six was an old block with only six floors. "Mr Luo, this one's written wrong, isn't it?"

He looked at it and didn't laugh. "It's not wrong." "One comes every month."

"So where did they go?" "Who took them?"

"No idea." "By the next morning, they're gone." With that, he left.

The parcel station was quiet again. Qiao An looked at the little parcel and thought: where is the seventh floor?

"I know where the seventh floor is!" Someone at the door said it loudly. It was Ningning, the nine-year-old boy from Building Three, who came to play at the parcel station every day after school.

"Where?" she asked.

"Right above the sixth floor," said Ningning, "but there's no way up." "I've tried."

She put the little parcel on her own desk. "Tonight it stays right here." "Tomorrow morning, I'll see who comes for it."

She switched off the light, shut the door, walked to the foot of Building Six and looked up floor by floor: one, two, three, four, five, six. Yes: six floors.

But above the sixth floor there was one more tiny window. The light inside was on.

Behind the window, someone seemed to be standing, looking back at her.