七楼 · 第五天
The Seventh Floor, Episode 5: The Rattling Parcel
Name: ________________ Date: ________
昨天下午，乔安在邹爷爷的旧鞋上看见了新土。这时候，罗师傅打电话告诉她：又有七楼的快递了，这个月已经是第二个。
今天早上六点半，她就到了快递站。罗师傅已经在门口等她了。
他从车上拿下来一个小快递，放在她的桌子上：“又有一个七楼的。”
上面还是那几个字：“六号楼，七楼。”没有名字，也没有电话。
她把它拿起来。它很轻，好像里面什么都没有。可是她的手一动，里面就响了起来，像有很多小小的东西在跳。
“这是从哪儿来的？”
“我也不知道，上面没写。”他看了看手表，“我还有很多要送，先走了。”
七点半，宁宁来了，手里还拿着早饭。
他听她说完，马上把耳朵放在快递上。她轻轻地动了动快递，里面又响了。
“我知道了！”宁宁说，“是种子！”
“种子？”
“对！我奶奶常常买花的种子。买来的时候也是这样，很轻，一动就响。”
她想起了那片干叶子，又想起了那双旧鞋上的新土。叶子，土，现在又是种子。六楼上面，真的有人在种花吗？
“一定是种子！”宁宁说，“如果我说对了，你给我买一个面包！”
她笑了：“好。可是别人的东西，我们不能打开。”
“那怎么知道是谁在种花？”
她看着这个小快递，很久没说话。“今天晚上，我不回家了。”
“那你睡在这儿？”
“不睡。我关上灯，坐在这儿等。我要看看，是谁来拿七楼的种子。”
宁宁看着门，小声说：“可是那天晚上，门一直是关着的啊。”
Key words
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 告诉 | gàosù | to tell; to inform |
| 楼 | lóu | building (with more than one story) |
| 站 | zhàn | station; stop |
| 门口 | ménkǒu | doorway; entrance; gate |
| 等 | děng | etc.; and so on |
| 拿 | ná | to take; to hold; to carry |
| 上面 | shàngmiàn | above; on top of; on the surface of |
| 里面 | lǐmiàn | inside; interior |
| 手 | shǒu | hand |
| 动 | dòng | to move |
| 手表 | shóubiǎo | wristwatch |
| 走 | zǒu | to go; to leave |
English (for the teacher)
Yesterday afternoon, Qiao An saw fresh soil on Zou Yeye's old shoes. Just then, Mr Luo phoned to tell her there was another seventh-floor parcel, already the second one this month.
This morning she was at the parcel station by half past six. Mr Luo was already waiting for her at the door.
He took a small parcel down from his van and put it on her desk: "Another one for the seventh floor."
It had the same words as before: "Building Six, seventh floor." No name, and no phone number.
She picked it up. It was very light, as if there were nothing inside. But as soon as her hand moved, something inside began to rattle, as if lots of tiny things were jumping about.
"Where did this come from?"
"I don't know either; it doesn't say." He looked at his watch. "I've still got lots to deliver. I'm off."
At half past seven, Ningning came in, still holding his breakfast.
When she had told him everything, he put his ear to the parcel at once. She gently shook the parcel, and it rattled again.
"I know!" Ningning said, "It's seeds!"
"Seeds?"
"Yes!" "My grandma often buys flower seeds." "When they arrive they're like this too: very light, and they rattle when you move them."
She thought of the dry leaf, and of the fresh soil on those old shoes. A leaf, soil, and now seeds. Above the sixth floor, was someone really growing flowers?
"It's seeds for sure!" Ningning said, "If I'm right, you buy me a bun!"
She laughed. "Deal." "But we can't open other people's things."
"Then how do we find out who's growing flowers?"
She looked at the little parcel and said nothing for a long time. "Tonight, I'm not going home."
"So you'll sleep here?"
"I won't sleep." "I'll turn off the light, sit here and wait." "I want to see who comes for the seventh-floor seeds."
Ningning looked at the door and said quietly, "But that night, the door stayed shut the whole time."