HSK 3 · Chapter 7 · 408 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-7-the-old-key

七楼 · 第七天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 7: The Old Key

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang十二shí’èr点diǎn,乔安一yí个gè人rén坐zuò在zài快递kuàidì站zhàn里,没有méiyǒu开kāi灯dēng。她tā听见tīngjiàn有人yǒurén在zài外面wàimiàn用yòng钥匙yàoshi开门kāimén。

门mén开kāi了le。一yí个gè人rén走zǒu了le进来jìnlai。他tā也yě没有méiyǒu开kāi灯dēng,可是kěshì好像hǎoxiàng知道zhīdào东西dōngxī都dōu在zài哪儿nǎr。

他tā慢慢mànmàn地de走zǒu到dào她tā的de桌子zhuōzi前面qiánmiàn,拿起náqǐ了le那个nàge小xiǎo快递kuàidì。它tā在zài他tā手里shǒuli响xiǎng了le一下yíxià。

她tā很hěn害怕hàipà,但dàn还是háishi站zhàn起来qǐlai,开kāi了le灯dēng。

灯dēng一yì开kāi,那nà个gè人rén站住zhànzhù了le。头发tóufa是shì白bái的de,个子gèzi不bù高gāo,脚jiǎo上shàng还是háishi那nà双shuāng旧jiù鞋xié。

是shì邹爷爷。

“爷爷yéye?”她tā看kàn着zhe他tā,“您nín怎么zěnme有yǒu这儿zhèr的de钥匙yàoshi?”

他tā没méi说话shuōhuà。他tā手里shǒuli有yǒu一把yìbǎ黄色huángsè的de钥匙yàoshi,比bǐ她tā的de那nà把bǎ旧jiù得de多duō。

“这个zhège门mén一共yígòng就jiù两liǎng把bǎ钥匙yàoshi,”她tā说shuō,“我wǒ这儿zhèr有yǒu一把yìbǎ,罗luó师傅shīfu那儿nàr有yǒu一把yìbǎ。”

他tā还是háishi不bù说话shuōhuà。

“以前yǐqián七qī楼lóu的de快递kuàidì,都dōu是shì您nín拿走názǒu的de?”

他tā点diǎn了le点头diǎntóu。

“桌子zhuōzi上shàng的de叶子yèzi,也yě是shì您nín放fàng的de?”

他tā又yòu点diǎn了le点头diǎntóu,从cóng衣服yīfu里拿出náchū一yí片piàn叶子yèzi,放fàng在zài了le桌子zhuōzi上shàng。和hé上次shàngcì的de一样yíyàng,也yě是shì干gān的de。

“爷爷yéye,这些zhèxiē东西dōngxī是shì谁shéi寄jì给gěi您nín的de?”

邹爷爷拿ná着zhe那个nàge小xiǎo东西dōngxī走zǒu到dào门口ménkǒu,站zhàn了le一会儿yíhuìr。他tā没有méiyǒu看kàn她tā,只zhǐ小声xiǎoshēng说shuō了le一yí句jù:

“她tā一直yìzhí都dōu给gěi我wǒ留liú着zhe。”

说shuō完wán,他tā就jiù走zǒu了le。外面wàimiàn又yòu安静ānjìng了le,只能zhǐnéng听见tīngjiàn风fēng的de声音shēngyīn。

她tā站zhàn在zài那儿nàr,很hěn久jiǔ没méi动dòng。“她tā”是shì谁shéi?是shì谁shéi每个měigè月yuè给gěi他tā寄jì这些zhèxiē东西dōngxī?他tā为什么wèishénme有yǒu这儿zhèr的de钥匙yàoshi?

她tā拿出náchū手机shǒujī,给gěi罗luó师傅shīfu写xiě了le一yí句jù话huà:“明天míngtiān早上zǎoshang,您nín能néng帮bāng我wǒ看看kànkan,七qī楼lóu的de快递kuàidì是shì从cóng哪儿nǎr寄jì来lái的de吗ma?”

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
站zhànstation; stop
外面wàimiànoutside; out
门méndoor; gate
进来jìnlaito come in; to enter
走zǒuto go; to leave
前面qiánmiànin front; ahead
但dànbut; yet
灯dēnglamp; light
用yòngto use; use; usefulness
害怕hàipàto be afraid; to be scared
头发tóufahair (on the head)
脚jiǎofoot

English (for the teacher)

At twelve last night, Qiao An was sitting alone in the parcel station with the light off. She heard someone outside opening the door with a key.

The door opened. Someone walked in. He didn't turn on the light either, but he seemed to know where everything was.

He walked slowly to her desk and picked up the little parcel. It rattled in his hand.

She was scared, but she still stood up and switched on the light.

As the light came on, the man stood still. White hair, not very tall, and on his feet the same old shoes.

It was Grandpa Zou.

"Grandpa?" She looked at him. "How do you have a key to this place?"

He said nothing. He had a yellow key in his hand, much older than hers.

"This door has only two keys in all," she said. "I have one, and Mr Luo has one."

He still said nothing.

"All the seventh-floor parcels before, you took them?"

He nodded.

"And the leaf on the desk, you left that too?"

He nodded again, took a leaf out of his clothes and put it on the desk. Just like the last one, it was dry too.

"Grandpa, who sends you these things?"

Grandpa Zou carried the little parcel to the door and stood there for a moment. He didn't look at her, and only said one thing, quietly:

"She always kept them for me."

With that, he left. It was quiet outside again; all she could hear was the wind.

She stood there and didn't move for a long time. Who was "she"? Who sent him these things every month? And why did he have a key to this place?

She took out her phone and wrote a line to Mr Luo: "Tomorrow morning, could you help me check where the seventh-floor parcels are sent from?"