七楼 · 第十二天
The Seventh Floor, Episode 12: The Roof Room
Name: ________________ Date: ________
昨天晚上，乔安把一张旧照片给邹爷爷看。照片上是邹奶奶和她种的花。他终于打开了六楼的旧铁门，说：“来吧，我带你去七楼。”
门后面的楼梯很小，也没有灯。他走在前面，走得很慢。她跟在后面，心里有一点儿害怕。
楼梯上面是一个小房间。房间里有一张旧桌子、一把椅子，桌子上放着一个灯。他开了灯，灯是黄色的。
她看了看旁边的窗户，一下子明白了。第一天晚上，她在楼下看见的那个灯，就在这儿。
小房间外面还有一点儿地方，能看见天，也能看见小区里的树。那儿放着很多花盆，从这边一直放到那边，一共几十个。可是里面只有土，没有花。
邹爷爷说：“这些花盆，都是她的。她走了以后，这儿的花越来越少。后来，就都没了。”
乔安又往里面走了几步，看见最里面有五个花盆不一样。土里长出了小小的绿叶，很新，很干净，在风里轻轻地动。
“这些是您种的？”
邹爷爷看着它们，小声说：“对。种子都是快递里的。我每天晚上都上来，给它们一点儿水。我种得不好，不像她。”
乔安想起了他鞋上的新土，也想起了快递站桌子上的干叶子。
“那快递站的干叶子呢？”
他说：“那是她的花上的。你用的那张桌子，是她的。每拿走一个快递，我就在她的桌子上放一片，想告诉她：东西，我拿到了。”
外面的风大了。楼下，邻居家的灯一个一个亮了。
她看着那些小绿叶，说：“广州的那个人，每个月都给您寄东西，一定也很想让七楼再有很多花吧。”
邹爷爷听了，看着她，好像不明白她在说什么。
他说：“广州？我在那儿一个人也不认识。这些快递，不是我买的。”
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 张 | zhāng | surname Zhang |
| 旧 | jiù | old; used; worn |
| 照片 | zhàopiàn | photo; picture |
| 种 | zhòng | to plant; to grow |
| 带 | dài | belt; band; ribbon |
| 楼梯 | lóutī | stairs; staircase |
| 灯 | dēng | lamp; light |
| 心里 | xīnli | in one's heart; in one's mind |
| 害怕 | hàipà | to be afraid; to be scared |
| 放 | fàng | to put; to place |
| 黄色 | huángsè | yellow |
| 明白 | míngbai | to understand; to realize |
English (for the teacher)
Last night, Qiao An showed Zou Yeye an old photo. In it were Zou Nainai and the flowers she grew. At last he opened the old iron door on the sixth floor and said, “Come on, I'll take you to the seventh floor.”
The stairs behind the door were narrow, with no light. He went first, walking very slowly. She followed behind, a little scared.
At the top of the stairs was a small room. In the room there was an old table and a chair, and on the table stood a lamp. He switched on the lamp, and its light was yellow.
She looked at the window nearby and suddenly understood. The light she had seen from below on that first night was right here.
Outside the little room there was a bit of open space, where you could see the sky and the trees of the compound. Lots of flower pots stood there, all the way from one side to the other, several dozen in all. But they held only soil, no flowers.
Zou Yeye said, “These flower pots were all hers.” “After she was gone, there were fewer and fewer flowers here.” “Later, they were all gone.”
Qiao An walked a few more steps in and saw that five pots at the very back were different. Tiny green leaves had come up out of the soil, very new and very clean, moving softly in the wind.
“Did you plant these?”
Zou Yeye looked at them and said quietly, “Yes.” “The seeds all came from the parcels.” “I come up every night and give them a little water.” “I'm not good at it, not like her.”
Qiao An remembered the fresh soil on his shoes, and the dry leaves on the desk at the parcel station.
“And the dry leaves at the parcel station?”
He said, “They came from her flowers.” “The desk you use was hers.” “Every time I take a parcel, I leave one on her desk, to tell her: I got it.”
Outside, the wind grew stronger. Down below, the lights in the neighbours' homes came on one by one.
She looked at the little green leaves and said, “The person in Guangzhou who sends you things every month must want the seventh floor full of flowers again too.”
Zou Yeye listened and looked at her as if he didn't understand what she was saying.
He said, “Guangzhou?” “I don't know a single person there.” “I didn't buy these parcels.”