HSK 5 · Story · 461 characters · Listen: mandarinthewild.com/library/read/tomorrows-shopping-list

明天的购物单

Tomorrow’s Shopping List

Name: ________________ Date: ________

许然在zài公交车gōngjiāochē上shàng捡jiǎn到dào一个yígè黑色hēisè的de小xiǎo本子běnzi。她tā正要zhèngyào交给jiāogěi司机sījī，封面fēngmiàn上shàng忽然hūrán出现chūxiàn了le两liǎng个gè字zì：许然。

是shì她tā的de名字míngzi。

她tā翻开fānkāi本子běnzi。第一dìyī页yè写xiě着zhe明天míngtiān的de日期rìqī，下面xiàmiàn有yǒu三sān样yàng东西dōngxī：一个yígè大碗dàwǎn，一yì盒hé创可贴chuāngkětiē，一yí袋dài猫māo粮liáng。

她tā不bù养yǎng猫māo。

许然把bǎ本子běnzi带dài到dào失物招领shīwù-zhāolǐng处chù。工作人员gōngzuò-rényuán翻fān了le几jǐ页yè，说shuō：“这zhè不是búshì空kōng的de吗ma？”

字zì还hái在zài，只有zhíyǒu她tā能néng看见kànjiàn。

第二天dì’èrtiān早上zǎoshang，她tā去qù超市chāoshì，只zhǐ买mǎi了le牛奶niúnǎi和hé面包miànbāo。经过jīngguò卖mài碗wǎn的de地方dìfang时shí，她tā故意gùyì走zǒu远yuǎn了le一点yìdiǎn。

回到huídào家jiā，旧jiù碗wǎn还hái放fàng在zài桌zhuō上shàng。她tā对duì本子běnzi说shuō：“你nǐ看kàn，猜cāi错cuò了le。”

下午xiàwǔ，楼道lóudào里传来chuánlái一声yìshēng轻轻qīngqīng的de叫声jiàoshēng。她tā开门kāimén，看见kànjiàn一yì只zhī小猫xiǎomāo坐zuò在zài墙qiáng边biān。脖子bózi上shàng没有méiyǒu项圈xiàngquān，身上shēnshang的de毛máo湿shī了le一半yíbàn。

许然蹲下dūnxià，伸出shēnchū手shǒu。小猫xiǎomāo往后wǎnghòu一yì缩suō，躲duǒ进jìn了le门边ménbiān的de空纸箱zhǐxiāng。

她tā没有méiyǒu追zhuī，进屋jìnwū拿ná了le毛巾máojīn。她tā搬bān着zhe箱子xiāngzi，走zǒu到dào不bù淋雨línyǔ的de地方dìfang。搬bān箱子xiāngzi时shí，硬yìng纸板zhíbǎn的de边缘biānyuán划破huápò了le她tā的de手背shǒubèi。

她tā低头dītóu看kàn了le一眼yìyǎn手背shǒubèi，突然tūrán想起xiángqǐ购物gòuwù单dān上shàng的de第二dì’èr样yàng东西dōngxī。

半小时bànxiǎoshí后hòu，许然又yòu站zhàn在zài超市chāoshì里。篮子lánzi里有yǒu创可贴chuāngkětiē和hé猫māo粮liáng。最后zuìhòu，她tā走zǒu到dào卖mài碗wǎn的de地方dìfang，选xuǎn了le一个yígè又yòu大dà又yòu浅qiǎn的de。

晚上wǎnshang，她tā给gěi小猫xiǎomāo拍pāi了le照zhào，发fā到dào小区xiǎoqū群qún里问wèn有没有yǒuméiyǒu人rén认识rènshi它tā。等děng消息xiāoxi的de时候shíhou，小猫xiǎomāo已经yǐjīng在zài她tā的de拖鞋tuōxié旁边pángbiān睡着shuìzháo了le。

她tā翻fān到dào本子běnzi的de下xià一yí页yè。明天míngtiān的de日期rìqī下面xiàmiàn，一yí片piàn空白kòngbái。

许然等děng了le一会儿yíhuìr，自己zìjǐ拿起náqǐ笔bǐ，写下xiěxià两liǎng个gè字zì：猫砂māoshā。

下面xiàmiàn慢慢mànmàn浮出fúchū一行小字xiǎozì：不要búyào有yǒu香味xiāngwèi的de。

她tā低头dītóu看kàn猫māo。小猫xiǎomāo不知bùzhī什么shénme时候shíhou醒xǐng了le，正zhèng看kàn着zhe那nà本běn黑色hēisè的de本子běnzi。

Key words

WordPinyinMeaning
忽然hūránsuddenly; all of a sudden
出现chūxiànto appear; to emerge; to arise
日期rìqīdate
空kōngempty; hollow
故意gùyìdeliberately; on purpose
猜cāito guess
毛巾máojīntowel
购物gòuwùto shop; shopping
拍pāito take (a photo); to shoot (a film)
消息xiāoxinews; word; information; message
片piànfilm; movie (as in 影片)
醒xǐngto wake up

English (for the teacher)

Xu Ran found a little black notebook on the bus. She was about to hand it to the driver when two characters suddenly appeared on the cover: Xu Ran.

It was her name.

She opened the notebook. The first page showed tomorrow’s date, with three things below it: a large bowl, a box of plasters and a bag of cat food.

She didn’t have a cat.

Xu Ran took the notebook to the lost property office. A member of staff flipped through a few pages and said, ‘Isn’t this empty?’

The writing was still there. Only she could see it.

The next morning, she went to the supermarket and bought only milk and bread. When she passed the bowls, she deliberately walked a little further away.

Back home, her old bowl was still on the table. She said to the notebook, ‘See? You guessed wrong.’

That afternoon, a soft cry came from the corridor. She opened the door and saw a kitten sitting by the wall. It had no collar, and half its fur was wet.

Xu Ran crouched down and held out her hand. The kitten drew back and hid in an empty cardboard box by the door.

She didn’t chase it, but went inside to get a towel. She carried the box to somewhere out of the rain. As she carried it, the edge of the stiff cardboard cut the back of her hand.

She looked down at the back of her hand and suddenly remembered the second item on the shopping list.

Half an hour later, Xu Ran was back in the supermarket. There were plasters and cat food in her basket. Finally, she went to the bowls and chose a large, shallow one.

That evening, she took a photo of the kitten and posted it in the neighbourhood group, asking whether anyone recognised it. While she waited for replies, the kitten fell asleep beside her slippers.

She turned to the next page of the notebook. Below tomorrow’s date, it was completely blank.

Xu Ran waited a while, then picked up a pen herself and wrote two characters: cat litter.

A line of small writing slowly appeared below: nothing scented.

She looked down at the cat. It had woken up without her noticing and was staring at the little black notebook.