HSK 3 · Chapter 4 · 403 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-4-the-neighbour-with-muddy-shoes

七楼 · 第四天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 4: The Man on the Sixth Floor

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天zuótiān下午xiàwǔ，乔安和hé宁宁níngníng在zài六liù号hào楼lóu的de最zuì上面shàngmiàn看见kànjiàn了le一个yígè旧jiù铁门tiěmén，门mén上shàng有yǒu一把yìbǎ新xīn锁suǒ。就jiù在zài这时候zhèshíhou，六liù楼lóu的de一个yígè门mén开kāi了le。

门口ménkǒu站zhàn着zhe一yí个gè老人lǎorén。他tā的de头发tóufa都dōu是shì白色báisè的de，个子gèzi不bù高gāo，脸liǎn上shàng一点儿yìdiǎnr笑xiào也yě没有méiyǒu。

宁宁níngníng很hěn小声xiǎoshēng地de说shuō：“他tā是shì邹爷爷，一yí个gè人rén住zhù在zài这儿zhèr。”

她tā对duì老人lǎorén笑xiào了le笑xiào：“爷爷yéye好hǎo！我wǒ在zài小区xiǎoqū的de快递kuàidì站zhàn上班shàngbān。我wǒ想xiǎng问问wènwen您nín，七qī楼lóu的de快递kuàidì是shì谁shéi的de？”

“七qī楼lóu？”老人lǎorén的de声音shēngyīn一下子yíxiàzi大dà了le，“这个zhège楼lóu只有zhíyǒu六liù层céng，哪儿nǎr有yǒu七qī楼lóu？”

“那nà这个zhège门mén呢ne？”宁宁níngníng问wèn。

“这个zhège门mén很hěn多年duōnián没méi开kāi过guò了le，上面shàngmiàn什么shénme都dōu没有méiyǒu。”他tā看kàn了le看kàn他们tāmen两liǎng个gè，“别bié在zài这儿zhèr玩wán，快kuài回家huíjiā吧ba。”

说shuō完wán，他tā就jiù关上guānshàng了le门mén，声音shēngyīn很hěn大dà。

六liù楼lóu又yòu安静ānjìng了le。宁宁níngníng说shuō：“他tā一直yìzhí都dōu这样zhèyàng，对duì谁shéi都dōu不bú笑xiào。”

乔安没méi说话shuōhuà。她tā一直yìzhí看kàn着zhe他tā家jiā门口ménkǒu的de一双yìshuāng旧jiù鞋xié。

鞋xié上shàng都dōu是shì土tǔ。土tǔ里还有háiyǒu一点儿yìdiǎnr水shuǐ，一yí看kàn就jiù知道zhīdào是shì新xīn的de。

“宁宁níngníng，这几天zhèjǐtiān下xià过guò雨yǔ吗ma？”

“没有méiyǒu啊a，天天tiāntiān都dōu是shì大dà太阳tàiyáng。”

“楼下lóuxià的de路上lùshang一点儿yìdiǎnr水shuǐ也yě没有méiyǒu，楼lóu里也yě很hěn干净gānjìng。那nà这些zhèxiē土tǔ是shì从cóng哪儿nǎr来lái的de？”

宁宁níngníng看看kànkan铁门tiěmén，又yòu看看kànkan那nà双shuāng鞋xié，眼睛yǎnjing一下子yíxiàzi亮liàng了le：“你nǐ是shì说shuō……”

“对duì，”她tā小声xiǎoshēng说shuō，“他tā去qù过guò七qī楼lóu。可能kěnéng就jiù在zài今天jīntiān。”

这时候zhèshíhou，有人yǒurén给gěi她tā打dǎ来lái了le电话diànhuà。是shì罗luó师傅shīfu。

“乔安，明天míngtiān早上zǎoshang早zǎo一点儿yìdiǎnr来lái。”电话diànhuà那边nàbiān安静ānjìng了le一会儿yíhuìr，“又yòu有yǒu七qī楼lóu的de快递kuàidì了le。这个zhège月yuè，这zhè是shì第二dì’èr个gè。”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
上面	shàngmiàn	above; on top of; on the surface of
门	mén	door; gate
楼	lóu	building (with more than one story)
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
站	zhàn	station; stop
白色	báisè	white
个子	gèzi	height; stature; build
高	gāo	high; tall
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
过	guò	(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
快	kuài	fast; quick
这样	zhèyàng	like this; this way

English (for the teacher)

Yesterday afternoon, at the very top of Building Six, Qiao An and Ningning found an old iron door with a new lock on it. Just then, a door on the sixth floor opened.

An old man stood in the doorway. His hair was all white, he wasn't tall, and there wasn't a trace of a smile on his face.

Ningning said very quietly, "That's Grandpa Zou. He lives here on his own."

She smiled at the old man. "Hello, Grandpa! I work at the compound's parcel station. I'd like to ask you: who do the seventh-floor parcels belong to?"

"The seventh floor?" The old man's voice suddenly got loud. "This building only has six storeys. What seventh floor?"

"Then what about this door?" Ningning asked.

"That door hasn't been opened in years. There's nothing up there." He looked the two of them over. "Don't play here. Hurry on home."

With that, he shut his door with a bang.

The sixth floor went quiet again. Ningning said, "He's always like that. He never smiles at anyone."

Qiao An didn't say anything. She kept looking at a pair of old shoes outside his door.

The shoes were covered in soil. The soil was still a little wet; you could tell at a glance it was fresh.

"Ningning, has it rained these past few days?"

"No, it's been bright sunshine every day."

"There isn't a drop of water on the paths downstairs, and the building is clean too. So where did this soil come from?"

Ningning looked at the iron door, then at the shoes, and his eyes suddenly lit up. "You mean..."

"Yes," Qiao An whispered. "He's been to the seventh floor. Maybe even today."

Just then, someone called her. It was Mr Luo.

"Qiao An, come in a bit early tomorrow morning." The line went quiet for a moment. "There's another seventh-floor parcel. That's the second one this month."