HSK 3 · Chapter 11 · 496 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-11-the-iron-door-opens

七楼 · 第十一天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 11: The Iron Door Opens

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天zuótiān，快递kuàidì站zhàn那nà张zhāng旧jiù桌子zhuōzi最zuì下面xiàmiàn的de抽屉chōuti终于zhōngyú打开dǎkāi了le。里面lǐmiàn有yǒu一yì张zhāng旧jiù照片zhàopiàn：一yí个gè奶奶nǎinai站zhàn在zài六liù号hào楼lóu上面shàngmiàn，旁边pángbiān都dōu是shì花huā，她tā笑xiào得de像xiàng太阳tàiyáng一样yíyàng。

今天jīntiān一yí下班xiàbān，乔安就jiù把bǎ照片zhàopiàn放进fàngjìn包bāo里，一yí个gè人rén来到láidào了le六liù号hào楼lóu。楼lóu里没有méiyǒu电梯diàntī，她tā一yì层céng一yì层céng往wǎng上shàng走zǒu。楼梯lóutī很hěn黑hēi，她tā的de心跳xīntiào得de很hěn快kuài。

到dào了le六liù楼lóu，她tā看kàn了le看kàn旁边pángbiān的de旧jiù铁门tiěmén，门mén上shàng的de新xīn锁suǒ还hái在zài。然后ránhòu，她tā敲qiāo了le敲qiāo邹爷爷的de门mén。

门mén开kāi了le。邹爷爷一yí看见kànjiàn她tā，脸liǎn就jiù黑hēi了le：“又yòu是shì你nǐ？我wǒ说shuō过guo了le，这儿zhèr没有méiyǒu七qī楼lóu。”

“爷爷yéye，我wǒ不是búshì来lái问wèn快递kuàidì的de。”她tā从cóng包bāo里拿出náchū那nà张zhāng照片zhàopiàn，“这zhè是shì在zài快递kuàidì站zhàn的de旧jiù桌子zhuōzi里找到zhǎodào的de。我wǒ想xiǎng，它tā应该yīnggāi是shì您nín的de。”

他tā看kàn了le看kàn照片zhàopiàn，就jiù不bù说话shuōhuà了le。

他tā慢慢mànmàn地de拿起náqǐ照片zhàopiàn，看kàn了le很hěn久jiǔ很hěn久jiǔ。楼lóu里很hěn安静ānjìng，只能zhǐnéng听见tīngjiàn楼下lóuxià有人yǒurén在zài做饭zuòfàn。

乔安从来没cóngláiméi见jiàn过guò他tā这样zhèyàng。他tā没有méiyǒu大声dàshēng说话shuōhuà，也yě没有méiyǒu关门guānmén。

过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，他tā小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“这zhè是shì她tā最后zuìhòu一yí个gè春天chūntiān。那年nànián，七qī楼lóu的de花huā开kāi得de最好zuìhǎo。”

“我wǒ妈妈māma说shuō，我wǒ小时候xiǎoshíhou常cháng去qù邹奶奶的de商店shāngdiàn看kàn花huā。”

他tā看kàn着zhe她tā，好像hǎoxiàng这zhè是shì第一次dìyīcì好好háohǎo地de看kàn她tā。“那个nàge每天měitiān都dōu来lái看kàn花huā的de小女孩xiáonǚhái，是shì你nǐ吗ma？”

乔安点diǎn了le点头diǎntóu。

“她tā以前yǐqián常cháng说shuō，那个nàge小女孩xiáonǚhái比bǐ别人biéren都dōu喜欢xǐhuān花huā。”

他tā回到huídào了le房间fángjiān里，乔安在zài门口ménkǒu等děng着zhe，不bù知道zhīdào他tā要yào做zuò什么shénme。过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr，他tā出来chūlái了le，手里shǒuli拿ná着zhe一把yìbǎ小xiǎo钥匙yàoshi，很hěn新xīn，也yě很hěn干净gānjìng。

他tā走zǒu到dào铁门tiěmén前面qiánmiàn，把bǎ钥匙yàoshi放进fàngjìn了le门锁ménsuǒ。

锁suǒ很hěn快kuài就jiù开kāi了le。

他tā推开tuīkāi铁门tiěmén，旧jiù门mén响xiǎng了le很hěn久jiǔ。门mén后面hòumiàn是shì一个yígè很hěn小xiǎo的de楼梯lóutī，很hěn黑hēi。楼梯lóutī上面shàngmiàn好像hǎoxiàng有yǒu一点儿yìdiǎnr亮liàng，还有háiyǒu风fēng从cóng那儿nàr进来jìnlái。

他tā站zhàn在zài楼梯lóutī下面xiàmiàn，看kàn着zhe她tā。“来lái吧ba，”他tā说shuō，“我wǒ带dài你nǐ去qù七qī楼lóu。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
站zhànstation; stop
下面xiàmiànnext; following
打开dǎkāito open
里面lǐmiàninside; interior
奶奶nǎinaigrandmother (father's mother); grandma
上面shàngmiànabove; on top of; on the surface of
旁边pángbiānbeside; next to; nearby
花huāflower; blossom
笑xiàoto laugh; to smile
张zhāngsurname Zhang
旧jiùold; used; worn
照片zhàopiànphoto; picture

English (for the teacher)

Yesterday, the bottom drawer of the old desk in the parcel station was finally opened. Inside was an old photo: a grandma standing on top of Building Six, flowers all around her, smiling like the sun.

As soon as she finished work today, Qiao An put the photo in her bag and went to Building Six on her own. There was no lift in the building, so she climbed floor by floor. The stairs were dark, and her heart was beating fast.

When she reached the sixth floor, she glanced at the old iron door beside her; the new lock was still on it. Then she knocked on Zou Yeye's door.

The door opened. The moment Zou Yeye saw her, his face darkened: "You again? I told you, there's no seventh floor here."

"Grandpa, I'm not here to ask about parcels." She took the photo out of her bag. "I found this in the old desk at the parcel station. I think it must be yours."

He looked at the photo and fell silent.

He slowly picked it up and looked at it for a long, long time. The building was very quiet; all she could hear was someone cooking downstairs.

Qiao An had never seen him like this. He didn't raise his voice, and he didn't shut the door.

After a while, he said softly, "This was her last spring. That year, the flowers on the seventh floor bloomed their best."

"My mum says that when I was little, I often went to Zou Nainai's shop to look at the flowers."

He looked at her, as if he were really looking at her for the first time. "That little girl who came to see the flowers every day — was that you?"

Qiao An nodded.

"She used to say that little girl loved flowers more than anyone."

He went back inside, and Qiao An waited at the door, not knowing what he was going to do. A moment later he came out holding a small key, new and clean.

He walked up to the iron door and put the key in the lock.

The lock opened right away.

He pushed the iron door open, and the old door creaked for a long time. Behind it was a tiny staircase, all in darkness. There seemed to be a little light at the top, and a breeze was coming in from up there.

He stood at the foot of the stairs and looked at her. "Come on," he said. "I'll take you to the seventh floor."