HSK 4 · Story · 544 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/the-wrong-number-chinese-story

打错的电话

The wrong number: a Sunday phone call in Chinese

Name: ________________ Date: ________

我wǒ独自dúzì在zài上海shànghǎi工作gōngzuò，几乎jīhū每天měitiān都dōu加班jiābān到dào深夜shēnyè。周末zhōumò除了chúle点diǎn外卖wàimài，我wǒ很hěn少shǎo跟gēn别人biéren说话shuōhuà，甚至shènzhì觉得juéde连lián自己zìjǐ的de声音shēngyīn都dōu有点儿yóudiǎnr陌生mòshēng。一个yígè星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，手机shǒujī忽然hūrán响xiǎng了le，屏幕píngmù上shàng是shì一个yígè陌生mòshēng的de号码hàomǎ。

“喂wèi，是shì阿明āmíng吗ma？”电话diànhuà里是shì一yí位wèi老奶奶láonǎinai的de声音shēngyīn，听起来tīngqǐlai很hěn亲切qīnqiè，“吃饭chīfàn了le没有méiyǒu？这几天zhèjǐtiān降温jiàngwēn了le，你nǐ那边nàbiān冷不冷lěngbulěng？”

“奶奶nǎinai，您nín打dǎ错cuò电话diànhuà了le。”我wǒ礼貌lǐmào地de说shuō。她tā愣lèng了le一下yíxià，连lián说shuō了le好几háojǐ次cì“不好意思bùhǎoyìsi”，才cái把bǎ电话diànhuà挂guà了le。

没想到méixiǎngdào，下xià个gè星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，电话diànhuà又yòu准时zhǔnshí响xiǎng了le。还是háishi她tā，还是háishi那nà几jǐ句jù话huà。我wǒ只好zhíhǎo耐心nàixīn地de再zài解释jiěshì一遍yíbiàn。第dì三sān个gè星期天xīngqītiān，我wǒ刚gāng要yào开口kāikǒu，她tā却què抢先qiǎngxiān说shuō：“我wǒ知道zhīdào这zhè个gè号码hàomǎ不bú对duì。可是kěshì……你nǐ能néng陪péi我wǒ聊liáo几jǐ分钟fēnzhōng吗ma？就jiù几jǐ分钟fēnzhōng。”我wǒ犹豫yóuyù了le一下yíxià，没有méiyǒu挂guà电话diànhuà。

就jiù这样zhèyàng，我们wǒmen开始kāishǐ了le每个měigè星期天xīngqītiān的de电话diànhuà。她tā告诉gàosù我wǒ，她tā姓xìng陈chén，今年jīnnián七十八qīshíbā岁suì，老伴儿lǎobànr去世qùshì了le，儿子érzi在zài国外guówài工作gōngzuò，一yì年nián才cái回huí一次yícì家jiā。她tā总是zǒngshì关心guānxīn我wǒ工作gōngzuò累不累lèibulèi，提醒tíxǐng我wǒ降温jiàngwēn了le要yào多duō穿chuān衣服yīfu，还hái在zài电话diànhuà里一yí步bù一yí步bù地de教jiāo我wǒ怎么zěnme做zuò红烧肉hóngshāoròu。我wǒ呢ne，就jiù跟gēn她tā说shuō上海shànghǎi哪里nálǐ开花kāihuā了le，地铁dìtiě上shàng遇到yùdào了le什么shénme有趣yǒuqù的de人rén。渐渐jiànjiàn地de，我wǒ竟然jìngrán开始kāishǐ期待qīdài星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn。

有yǒu一个yígè星期天xīngqītiān，八bā点diǎn过guò了le，手机shǒujī一直yìzhí没有méiyǒu动静dòngjing。九jiǔ点diǎn，还是háishi没有méiyǒu。我wǒ坐立不安zuòlì-bù’ān，终于zhōngyú第一次dìyīcì主动zhǔdòng打dǎ了le过去guòqu。电话diànhuà响xiǎng了le很hěn久jiǔ，才cái有人yǒurén接jiē，是shì一个yígè中年zhōngnián男人nánrén。

“你好níhǎo，我wǒ是shì她tā儿子érzi。我wǒ妈mā前几天qiánjǐtiān突然tūrán住院zhùyuàn了le，不过búguò别bié担心dānxīn，手术shǒushù很hěn顺利shùnlì，已经yǐjīng没事méishì了le。”他tā停tíng了le一会儿yíhuìr，又yòu说shuō，“其实qíshí，我wǒ就是jiùshì阿明āmíng。我wǒ刚刚gānggāng才cái发现fāxiàn，我wǒ妈mā的de手机shǒujī里，你nǐ的de名字míngzi叫jiào‘星期天xīngqītiān’。”

我wǒ握wò着zhe手机shǒujī，半天bàntiān说不出shuōbuchū话huà来lái。

下xià一个yígè星期天xīngqītiān晚上wǎnshang八bā点diǎn，手机shǒujī准时zhǔnshí响xiǎng了le。我wǒ还hái没méi开口kāikǒu，电话diànhuà里就jiù传来chuánlái了le笑声xiàoshēng：“星期天xīngqītiān，吃饭chīfàn了le没有méiyǒu？”

Key words

Word	Pinyin	Meaning
周末	zhōumò	weekend
除了	chúle	except; besides; apart from
外卖	wàimài	takeout; food delivery
别人	biéren	other people; others; someone else
声音	shēngyīn	sound; voice
加班	jiābān	to work overtime
忽然	hūrán	suddenly; all of a sudden
响	xiǎng	to sound; to ring; sound; noise
礼貌	lǐmào	courtesy; manners; polite; courteous
挂	guà	to hang; to put up
准时	zhǔnshí	on time; punctual
只好	zhíhǎo	to have no choice but to; to be forced to

English (for the teacher)

I work alone in Shanghai and stay late at the office almost every night. At weekends, apart from ordering takeaway, I hardly talk to anyone; even my own voice sounds a bit strange to me. One Sunday at 8 pm my phone suddenly rang, and an unknown number came up on the screen.

“Hello, is that Aming?” It was an old woman’s voice, warm and kind: “Have you eaten? It’s turned cold these days; is it cold where you are?”

“Granny, you’ve got the wrong number.” I said it politely. She paused, said “Sorry” several times over, and only then hung up.

To my surprise, the next Sunday at 8 pm the phone rang again, right on time. Same woman, same few lines. I had no choice but to patiently explain again. The third Sunday, before I could say a word, she got in first: “I know this isn’t the right number. But… could you chat with me for a few minutes? Just a few minutes.” I hesitated, and didn’t hang up.

And so our Sunday calls began. She told me her surname was Chen, she was seventy-eight, her husband had died, and her son worked abroad and came home only once a year. She always asked whether work was wearing me out, reminded me to wrap up when it got cold, and talked me through making red-braised pork, step by step. As for me, I told her where the flowers were out in Shanghai and about the funny people I’d met on the metro. Little by little, to my own surprise, I started looking forward to Sunday at 8 pm.

Then one Sunday, eight o’clock came and went, and the phone stayed silent. Nine o’clock, still nothing. I couldn’t sit still, and for the first time I called her. It rang for a long time, and then a middle-aged man answered.

“Hello, I’m her son. Mum was suddenly taken into hospital a few days ago, but don’t worry, the operation went well and she’s fine now.” He paused for a moment and went on: “Actually, I’m Aming. I only just noticed that in Mum’s phone, your name is ‘Sunday’.”

I held the phone and couldn’t say anything for a long time.

The next Sunday at 8 pm, the phone rang right on time. Before I could speak, I heard laughter on the line: “Sunday, have you eaten?”