HSK 3 · Chapter 12 · 519 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-12-the-roof-room

七楼 · 第十二天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 12: The Roof Room

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang，乔安把bǎ一yì张zhāng旧jiù照片zhàopiàn给gěi邹爷爷看kàn。照片zhàopiàn上shàng是shì邹奶奶和hé她tā种zhòng的de花huā。他tā终于zhōngyú打开dǎkāi了le六liù楼lóu的de旧jiù铁门tiěmén，说shuō：“来lái吧ba，我wǒ带dài你nǐ去qù七qī楼lóu。”

门mén后面hòumiàn的de楼梯lóutī很hěn小xiǎo，也yě没有méiyǒu灯dēng。他tā走zǒu在zài前面qiánmiàn，走zǒu得de很hěn慢màn。她tā跟gēn在zài后面hòumiàn，心里xīnli有一点儿yǒuyìdiǎnr害怕hàipà。

楼梯lóutī上面shàngmiàn是shì一个yígè小xiǎo房间fángjiān。房间fángjiān里有yǒu一yì张zhāng旧jiù桌子zhuōzi、一yì把bǎ椅子yǐzi，桌子zhuōzi上shàng放fàng着zhe一个yígè灯dēng。他tā开kāi了le灯dēng，灯dēng是shì黄色huángsè的de。

她tā看kàn了le看kàn旁边pángbiān的de窗户chuānghu，一下子yíxiàzi明白míngbai了le。第一dìyī天tiān晚上wǎnshang，她tā在zài楼下lóuxià看见kànjiàn的de那个nàge灯dēng，就jiù在zài这儿zhèr。

小xiǎo房间fángjiān外面wàimiàn还有háiyǒu一点儿yìdiǎnr地方dìfang，能néng看见kànjiàn天tiān，也yě能néng看见kànjiàn小区xiǎoqū里的de树shù。那儿nàr放fàng着zhe很hěn多duō花盆huāpén，从cóng这边zhèbiān一直yìzhí放fàng到dào那边nàbiān，一共yígòng几十jǐshí个gè。可是kěshì里面lǐmiàn只有zhíyǒu土tǔ，没有méiyǒu花huā。

邹爷爷说shuō：“这些zhèxiē花盆huāpén，都dōu是shì她tā的de。她tā走zǒu了le以后yǐhòu，这儿zhèr的de花huā越来越yuèláiyuè少shǎo。后来hòulái，就jiù都dōu没了le。”

乔安又yòu往wǎng里面lǐmiàn走zǒu了le几jǐ步bù，看见kànjiàn最zuì里面lǐmiàn有yǒu五wǔ个gè花盆huāpén不bù一样yíyàng。土tǔ里长zhǎng出chū了le小小xiáoxiǎo的de绿叶lǜyè，很hěn新xīn，很hěn干净gānjìng，在zài风fēng里轻轻qīngqīng地de动dòng。

“这些zhèxiē是shì您nín种zhòng的de？”

邹爷爷看kàn着zhe它们tāmen，小声xiǎoshēng说shuō：“对duì。种子zhǒngzi都dōu是shì快递kuàidì里的de。我wǒ每天měitiān晚上wǎnshang都dōu上来shànglai，给gěi它们tāmen一点儿yìdiǎnr水shuǐ。我wǒ种zhòng得de不好bùhǎo，不bú像xiàng她tā。”

乔安想起xiángqǐ了le他tā鞋xié上shàng的de新xīn土tǔ，也yě想起xiángqǐ了le快递kuàidì站zhàn桌子zhuōzi上shàng的de干gān叶子yèzi。

“那nà快递kuàidì站zhàn的de干gān叶子yèzi呢ne？”

他tā说shuō：“那nà是shì她tā的de花huā上shàng的de。你nǐ用yòng的de那nà张zhāng桌子zhuōzi，是shì她tā的de。每měi拿走názǒu一yí个gè快递kuàidì，我wǒ就jiù在zài她tā的de桌子zhuōzi上shàng放fàng一片yípiàn，想xiǎng告诉gàosù她tā：东西dōngxī，我wǒ拿到nádào了le。”

外面wàimiàn的de风fēng大dà了le。楼下lóuxià，邻居línjū家jiā的de灯dēng一个yígè一个yígè亮liàng了le。

她tā看kàn着zhe那些nàxiē小xiǎo绿叶lǜyè，说shuō：“广州guǎngzhōu的de那nà个gè人rén，每个měigè月yuè都dōu给gěi您nín寄jì东西dōngxī，一定yídìng也yě很hěn想xiǎng让ràng七qī楼lóu再zài有yǒu很hěn多duō花huā吧ba。”

邹爷爷听tīng了le，看kàn着zhe她tā，好像hǎoxiàng不bù明白míngbai她tā在zài说shuō什么shénme。

他tā说shuō：“广州guǎngzhōu？我wǒ在zài那儿nàr一yí个gè人rén也yě不bú认识rènshi。这些zhèxiē快递kuàidì，不是búshì我wǒ买mǎi的de。”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
张zhāngsurname Zhang
旧jiùold; used; worn
照片zhàopiànphoto; picture
种zhòngto plant; to grow
带dàibelt; band; ribbon
楼梯lóutīstairs; staircase
灯dēnglamp; light
心里xīnliin one's heart; in one's mind
害怕hàipàto be afraid; to be scared
放fàngto put; to place
黄色huángsèyellow
明白míngbaito 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.”