HSK 3 · Chapter 8 · 475 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-8-paid-from-the-south

七楼 · 第八天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 8: Paid From the South

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang十二shí’èr点diǎn，邹爷爷用yòng一把yìbǎ旧jiù钥匙yàoshi开kāi了le快递kuàidì站zhàn的de门mén，拿走názǒu了le七qī楼lóu的de快递kuàidì。他tā只zhǐ说shuō了le一yí句jù：“她tā一直yìzhí都dōu给gěi我wǒ留liú着zhe。”

今天jīntiān早上zǎoshang七qī点diǎn，罗luó师傅shīfu的de车chē刚gāng到dào门口ménkǒu，乔安就jiù出去chūqù了le。

“您nín帮bāng我wǒ看kàn了le吗ma？”

“看kàn了le。”他tā拿出náchū手机shǒujī，“你nǐ自己zìjǐ看kàn。”

手机shǒujī上shàng有yǒu很hěn多duō快递kuàidì，他tā找到zhǎodào了le七qī楼lóu的de那些nàxiē。今年jīnnián每个měigè月yuè都dōu有yǒu一个yígè，只有zhíyǒu这个zhège月yuè有yǒu两liǎng个gè。它们tāmen都dōu是shì从cóng一个yígè地方dìfang寄jì来lái的de：广州guǎngzhōu。

“广州guǎngzhōu？”她tā看kàn着zhe他tā，“那么nàme远yuǎn！”

“对duì，离lí我们wǒmen这儿zhèr很hěn远yuǎn很hěn远yuǎn，在zài南方nánfāng。”

“钱qián呢？钱qián是shì谁shéi付fù的de？”

“也yě是shì在zài广州guǎngzhōu付fù的de。”他tā又yòu说shuō：“我wǒ做zuò快递kuàidì十几shíjǐ年nián了le，没méi见jiàn过guò这样zhèyàng的de。每个měigè月yuè从cóng那么nàme远yuǎn的de地方dìfang寄jì来lái，可是kěshì上面shàngmiàn不bù写xiě名字míngzi，也yě不bù写xiě电话diànhuà。”

她tā想xiǎng了le想xiǎng：“邹爷爷说shuō‘她tā一直yìzhí都dōu给gěi我wǒ留liú着zhe’。那个nàge‘她tā’，会不会huìbúhuì就jiù在zài广州guǎngzhōu？”

他tā没méi回答huídá。

七点半qīdiǎnbàn，宁宁níngníng来lái了le。“我wǒ说shuō过guò，你nǐ得děi第一dìyī个gè告诉gàosù我wǒ！”

她tā笑xiào了le：“对不起duìbuqǐ，罗luó师傅shīfu比bǐ你nǐ早zǎo到dào了le。”

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang的de事shì，她tā都dōu告诉gàosù了le宁宁níngníng。他tā的de眼睛yǎnjing越来越yuèláiyuè亮liàng：“是shì邹爷爷！我wǒ就jiù知道zhīdào！里面lǐmiàn是shì种子zhǒngzi吗ma？”

“不bù知道zhīdào，他tā没méi打开dǎkāi。”

“那nà我wǒ的de面包miànbāo呢？”

“等děng我们wǒmen知道zhīdào了le再说zàishuō。”

宁宁níngníng想xiǎng了le想xiǎng，又yòu问wèn：“可是kěshì，邹爷爷为什么wèishénme有yǒu这儿zhèr的de钥匙yàoshi？”

罗luó师傅shīfu已经yǐjīng走zǒu到dào了le门口ménkǒu。他tā停tíng下来xiàlai，说shuō：“因为yīnwèi这儿zhèr以前yǐqián不是búshì快递kuàidì站zhàn。”

“那nà是shì什么shénme？”

这时候zhèshíhou，他tā的de手机shǒujī响xiǎng了le。他tā看kàn了le看kàn手机shǒujī：“我wǒ得děi走zǒu了le。你nǐ回家huíjiā问问wènwen你nǐ妈妈māma吧ba，她tā在zài这zhè个gè小区xiǎoqū住zhù得de比bǐ我wǒ久jiǔ。”

那天nàtiān晚上wǎnshang，乔安一yì回家huíjiā就jiù问wèn：“妈妈māma，快递kuàidì站zhàn那儿nàr，以前yǐqián是shì做zuò什么shénme的de？”

妈妈māma拿ná着zhe碗wǎn的de手shǒu一下子yíxiàzi不bú动dòng了le。

她tā看kàn着zhe女儿nǚ’ér，过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr才cái说shuō：“你nǐ还hái记得jìde邹奶奶吗ma？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
站	zhàn	station; stop
门	mén	door; gate
楼	lóu	building (with more than one story)
门口	ménkǒu	doorway; entrance; gate
帮	bāng	to help; to assist
远	yuǎn	far; distant
离	lí	to leave; to part from
过	guò	(particle) marks a past experience: have ever
上面	shàngmiàn	above; on top of; on the surface of
告诉	gàosù	to tell; to inform
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
眼睛	yǎnjing	eye

English (for the teacher)

Last night at midnight, Zou Yeye opened the parcel station door with an old key and took the seventh-floor parcel. He said only one thing: "She always kept them for me."

At seven this morning, Mr Luo's van had only just reached the door when Qiao An went out.

"Did you check for me?"

"I did." He took out his phone. "See for yourself."

There were lots of parcels on the phone, and he found the seventh-floor ones. This year there had been one every month, and only this month were there two. They were all sent from the same place: Guangzhou.

"Guangzhou?" She looked at him. "That's so far!"

"Yes, it's very, very far from here, down in the south."

"And the money? Who paid for them?"

"They were paid for in Guangzhou too." He went on, "I've been a courier for over ten years, and I've never seen anything like this. Every month they come all that way, but there's no name on them and no phone number."

She thought for a moment. "Zou Yeye said 'she always kept them for me.' Could that 'she' be in Guangzhou?"

He didn't answer.

At half past seven, Ningning arrived. "I told you, you had to tell me first!"

She laughed. "Sorry, Mr Luo got here before you."

She told Ningning everything about last night. His eyes grew brighter and brighter. "It was Zou Yeye! I knew it! Were there seeds inside?"

"I don't know, he didn't open it."

"Then what about my bread?"

"We'll talk about that once we know."

Ningning thought about it, then asked, "But why does Zou Yeye have a key to this place?"

Mr Luo had already reached the door. He stopped and said, "Because this place wasn't always a parcel station."

"Then what was it?"

Just then, his phone rang. He glanced at it. "I have to go. Go home and ask your mum, she's lived in this compound longer than I have."

That evening, as soon as Qiao An got home, she asked, "Mum, what used to be there, where the parcel station is?"

Her mother's hand, holding a bowl, suddenly went still.

She looked at her daughter, and after a moment she said, "Do you remember Zou Nainai?"