HSK 3 · Chapter 10 · 533 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-10-the-bottom-drawer

七楼 · 第十天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 10: The Bottom Drawer

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang，妈妈māma告诉gàosù乔安，快递kuàidì站zhàn那nà张zhāng旧jiù桌子zhuōzi是shì邹奶奶的de。桌子zhuōzi最zuì下面xiàmiàn的de那nà个gè抽屉chōuti，她tā一次yícì也yě没méi打开dǎkāi过guò。

今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang六点半liùdiǎnbàn，她tā就jiù来lái上班shàngbān了le。她tā坐zuò在zài桌子zhuōzi前面qiánmiàn，拉lā了le一下yíxià最zuì下面xiàmiàn的de抽屉chōuti。抽屉chōuti没méi动dòng。她tā又yòu用yòng了le两liǎng只zhī手shǒu，可是kěshì它tā还是háishi不bú动dòng。

七点半qīdiǎnbàn，宁宁níngníng来lái了le。听tīng她tā说shuō完wán，他tā马上mǎshàng走zǒu到dào桌子zhuōzi旁边pángbiān。

“我wǒ奶奶nǎinai家jiā也yě有yǒu这样zhèyàng的de旧jiù桌子zhuōzi，”他tā说shuō，“得děi先xiān往wǎng上shàng推tuī一下yíxià，才cái能néng打开dǎkāi。”

他tā把bǎ手shǒu放fàng在zài抽屉chōuti下面xiàmiàn，往wǎng上shàng推tuī了le推tuī，再zài一yì拉lā，抽屉chōuti就jiù打开dǎkāi了le。

里面lǐmiàn的de东西dōngxī不bù多duō，只有zhíyǒu一个yígè旧jiù本子běnzi和hé几jǐ个gè小xiǎo纸袋zhǐdài。宁宁níngníng拿起náqǐ一个yígè，轻轻qīngqīng动dòng了le动dòng，里面lǐmiàn马上mǎshàng响xiǎng了le。

“种子zhǒngzi！”他tā大声dàshēng说shuō，“和hé七qī楼lóu的de快递kuàidì一样yíyàng！我wǒ说shuō对duì了le，你nǐ得děi给gěi我wǒ买mǎi面包miànbāo！”

她tā笑xiào了le：“好hǎo，今天jīntiān就jiù给gěi你nǐ买mǎi。”

宁宁níngníng又yòu把bǎ一yì只zhī手shǒu放进fàngjìn抽屉chōuti最zuì里面lǐmiàn，找zhǎo了le找zhǎo，拿ná出来chūlái一yì张zhāng旧jiù照片zhàopiàn。

照片zhàopiàn上shàng有yǒu一yí个gè女人nǚrén，四五十sìwǔshí岁suì，笑xiào得de很hěn开心kāixīn。她tā站zhàn在zài很hěn多duō很hěn多duō花huā中间zhōngjiān，什么shénme颜色yánsè的de都dōu有yǒu。她tā后面hòumiàn是shì一个yígè小xiǎo房间fángjiān，房间fángjiān有yǒu一个yígè小小xiáoxiǎo的de窗户chuānghu。

那个nàge窗户chuānghu，乔安认识rènshi。第一dìyī天tiān晚上wǎnshang，她tā就jiù在zài那儿nàr看见kànjiàn了le灯dēng，也yě看见kànjiàn了le一yí个gè人rén。

宁宁níngníng说shuō：“这zhè是shì七qī楼lóu！”

她tā看kàn着zhe照片zhàopiàn，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“这zhè是shì邹奶奶。”她tā记得jìde，小时候xiǎoshíhou，她tā见jiàn过guò这样zhèyàng的de笑xiào。

宁宁níngníng又yòu看kàn了le看kàn照片zhàopiàn，手shǒu一下子yíxiàzi不bú动dòng了le。“你nǐ看kàn这儿zhèr。”

照片zhàopiàn的de最zuì右边yòubiān，还hái站zhàn着zhe一yí个gè男人nánrén，只能zhǐnéng看见kànjiàn他tā的de一半yíbàn。他tā那nà时候shíhou头发tóufa还是háishi黑hēi的de，正zhèng看kàn着zhe那些nàxiē花huā。可是kěshì乔安一yí看kàn就jiù知道zhīdào他tā是shì谁shéi。是shì邹爷爷。他tā也yě在zài笑xiào。

宁宁níngníng说shuō：“我wǒ一次yícì也yě没méi见jiàn过guò他tā笑xiào。”

她tā把bǎ照片zhàopiàn小心xiǎoxīn地de放fàng好hǎo了le。“今天jīntiān晚上wǎnshang，我们wǒmen去qù六liù楼lóu，给gěi他tā看看kànkan这zhè张zhāng照片zhàopiàn。”

宁宁níngníng想起xiángqǐ了le那天nàtiān的de事shì，心里xīnli有一点儿yǒuyìdiǎnr害怕hàipà。“如果rúguǒ他tā还是háishi不bú让ràng我们wǒmen进去jìnqu呢ne？”

乔安说shuō：“他tā会huì开门kāimén的de。”可是kěshì说shuō完wán，她tā自己zìjǐ也yě不太bútài相信xiāngxìn。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
告诉gàosùto tell; to inform
站zhànstation; stop
下面xiàmiànnext; following
打开dǎkāito open
过guò(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
前面qiánmiànin front; ahead
动dòngto move
手shǒuhand
走zǒuto go; to leave
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
奶奶nǎinaigrandmother (father's mother); grandma
张zhāngsurname Zhang

English (for the teacher)

Last night, Mum told Qiao An that the old desk in the parcel station had belonged to Zou Nainai. She had never once opened the bottom drawer of that desk.

This morning she came in to work at half past six. She sat down at the desk and gave the bottom drawer a tug. The drawer didn't move. She tried with both hands, but it still wouldn't budge.

At half past seven, Ningning came in. As soon as she finished telling him, he went straight over to the desk.

“My grandma has an old desk like this too,” he said. “You have to push it up a bit first, then it opens.”

He put his hand under the drawer, pushed it up a little, then pulled, and the drawer opened.

There wasn't much inside, only an old notebook and a few small paper packets. Ningning picked one up and gave it a gentle shake, and it rattled at once.

“Seeds!” He shouted, “Just like the seventh-floor parcels!” “I was right, so you owe me a bread roll!”

She laughed: “All right, I'll buy you one today.”

Ningning reached into the very back of the drawer again, felt around, and pulled out an old photo.

In the photo was a woman of about forty or fifty, smiling happily. She was standing among lots and lots of flowers, in every colour you could think of. Behind her was a small room with a tiny window.

Qiao An knew that window. On her first evening, that was where she had seen the light, and someone there too.

Ningning said, “This is the seventh floor!”

She looked at the photo and said softly, “This is Zou Nainai.” She remembered seeing that smile when she was little.

Ningning looked at the photo again, and his hand suddenly went still. “Look here.”

At the far right edge of the photo stood a man; you could only see half of him. His hair was still black then, and he was looking at the flowers. But Qiao An knew at once who he was. It was Zou Yeye. He was smiling too.

Ningning said, “I've never once seen him smile.”

She put the photo away carefully. “Tonight we'll go up to the sixth floor and show him this photo.”

Ningning remembered what had happened that day, and he felt a little scared. “What if he still won't let us in?”

Qiao An said, “He'll open the door.” But as soon as she said it, she didn't quite believe it herself.