HSK 3 · Chapter 9 · 488 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-seventh-floor-episode-9-grandma-zous-shop

七楼 · 第九天

The Seventh Floor, Episode 9: Grandma Zou's Shop

Name: ________________ Date: ________

昨天晚上zuótiān-wǎnshang，乔安问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过guò了le一会儿yíhuìr才cái问wèn她tā：“你nǐ还hái记得jìde邹奶奶吗ma？”

乔安想xiǎng了le想xiǎng。“有一点儿yǒuyìdiǎnr。是不是shìbúshì一个yígè很hěn爱ài笑xiào的de奶奶nǎinai？”

“对duì。”妈妈māma把bǎ碗wǎn放下fàngxià，坐zuò了le下来xiàlai。“快递kuàidì站zhàn那儿nàr，以前yǐqián是shì邹奶奶的de小xiǎo商店shāngdiàn。商店shāngdiàn不bú大dà，可是kěshì什么shénme都dōu有yǒu。你nǐ小时候xiǎoshíhou，天天tiāntiān拉lā着zhe我wǒ去qù。”

“我wǒ去qù那儿nàr买mǎi什么shénme？”

妈妈māma笑xiào了le：“什么shénme也yě不bù买mǎi。你nǐ就jiù喜欢xǐhuān看kàn她tā的de花huā。”

“花huā？”

“邹zōu奶奶nǎinai最zuì喜欢xǐhuān花huā。六liù号hào楼lóu上面shàngmiàn有yǒu一个yígè小xiǎo房间fángjiān，房间fángjiān外面wàimiàn还有háiyǒu一点儿yìdiǎnr地方dìfang。她tā在zài那儿nàr种zhòng了le很hěn多duō花huā，什么shénme颜色yánsè的de都dōu有yǒu。春天chūntiān的de时候shíhou，从cóng楼下lóuxià就jiù能néng看见kànjiàn。”

乔安的de心跳xīntiào得de越来越yuèláiyuè快kuài。“六liù楼lóu上面shàngmiàn……”

“对duì，大家dàjiā都dōu叫jiào那儿nàr‘七qī楼lóu’。邻居línjū们men见面jiànmiàn常常chángcháng说shuō：‘走zǒu，去qù七qī楼lóu看kàn花huā！’”

“那nà邹zōu爷爷yéye也yě常cháng去qù商店shāngdiàn吗ma？”

“邹爷爷那nà时候shíhou也yě不bú爱ài说话shuōhuà，可是kěshì每天měitiān下班xiàbān都dōu去qù商店shāngdiàn帮bāng她tā。他tā也yě有yǒu商店shāngdiàn的de钥匙yàoshi。”

乔安一下子yíxiàzi明白míngbai了le。她tā每天měitiān开kāi的de那个nàge门mén，以前yǐqián是shì商店shāngdiàn的de门mén。门mén没méi换huàn，锁suǒ也yě没méi换huàn。

“妈妈māma，邹zōu奶奶nǎinai现在xiànzài在zài哪儿nǎr？”

妈妈māma很hěn久jiǔ没méi说话shuōhuà。“她tā已经yǐjīng不bú在zài了le。她tā走zǒu了le以后yǐhòu，商店shāngdiàn关guān了le，七qī楼lóu的de花huā也yě慢慢mànmàn没méi了le。七qī楼lóu的de那个nàge门mén，从cóng那nà以后yǐhòu就jiù一直yìzhí关guān着zhe。”

乔安想起xiángqǐ了le桌子zhuōzi上shàng的de那nà片piàn叶子yèzi，也yě想起xiángqǐ了le邹爷爷说shuō的de那nà句jù话huà：“她tā一直yìzhí都dōu给gěi我wǒ留liú着zhe。”

“还有háiyǒu一yí件jiàn事shì，”妈妈māma说shuō，“快递kuàidì站zhàn那nà张zhāng旧jiù桌子zhuōzi，你nǐ知道zhīdào是shì谁shéi的de吗ma？”

“我wǒ每天měitiān用yòng的de那nà张zhāng？”

“对duì，那nà是shì邹奶奶的de。以前yǐqián，她tā天天tiāntiān坐zuò在zài那nà张zhāng桌子zhuōzi后面hòumiàn。”

乔安听tīng了le，马上mǎshàng站zhàn起来qǐlai。那nà张zhāng桌子zhuōzi有yǒu三sān个gè抽屉chōuti。上面shàngmiàn的de两liǎng个gè抽屉chōuti，她tā每天měitiān都dōu用yòng。最zuì下面xiàmiàn的de那个nàge，从cóng她tā上班shàngbān的de第一dìyī天tiān到dào现在xiànzài，一次yícì也yě没méi打开dǎkāi过guò。

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
站	zhàn	station; stop
一会儿	yíhuìr	a moment; a while
记得	jìde	to remember
笑	xiào	to laugh; to smile
奶奶	nǎinai	grandmother (father's mother); grandma
小时候	xiǎoshíhou	in one's childhood; when one was little
花	huā	flower; blossom
上面	shàngmiàn	above; on top of; on the surface of
外面	wàimiàn	outside; out
颜色	yánsè	color
快	kuài	fast; quick
以前	yǐqián	before; previously; formerly

English (for the teacher)

Last night, Qiao An asked her mum what the parcel station used to be. After a moment, Mum asked her: “Do you still remember Grandma Zou?”

Qiao An thought about it. “A little. Was she a grandma who smiled a lot?”

“Yes.” Mum put down her bowl and sat down. “Where the parcel station is now, that used to be Grandma Zou's little shop. It wasn't big, but it had everything. When you were little, you pulled me there every day.”

“What did I go there to buy?”

Mum laughed: “Nothing at all. You just loved looking at her flowers.”

“Flowers?”

“Grandma Zou loved flowers more than anything. On top of Building Six there's a little room, and outside it there's a bit of space. She grew lots of flowers up there, in every colour you can think of. In spring you could see them from the ground.”

Qiao An's heart beat faster and faster. “Above the sixth floor...”

“That's right, everyone called it ‘the seventh floor’. When neighbours met, they'd often say: ‘Come on, let's go and see the flowers on the seventh floor!’”

“So did Grandpa Zou go to the shop a lot too?”

“Grandpa Zou didn't like to talk much back then either, but every day after work he went to the shop to help her. He had a key to the shop too.”

Suddenly Qiao An understood. The door she opened every day used to be the shop's door. The door had never been changed, and neither had the lock.

“Mum, where is Grandma Zou now?”

Mum was silent for a long time. “She's no longer with us. After she passed away, the shop closed, and the flowers on the seventh floor slowly disappeared. And the door to the seventh floor has stayed shut ever since.”

Qiao An thought of the leaf on her desk, and of what Grandpa Zou had said: “She always kept them for me.”

“There's one more thing,” Mum said, “that old desk in the parcel station, do you know whose it is?”

“The one I use every day?”

“Yes, it was Grandma Zou's. She used to sit behind that desk every day.”

Hearing this, Qiao An stood up at once. That desk had three drawers. She used the top two drawers every day. She had never once opened the bottom one, from her first day at work until now.