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Society · HSK 5

A Red Envelope on the Screen

On New Year's Eve, an old woman stops a young delivery rider at the gate and asks him for a favor that has nothing to do with the order he just dropped off.

Scene 1: At the Gate on New Year's Eve

夜,小赵送完最后一单,正想骑车回家,被楼下一位老太太拦住了。

chúxīyè,xiǎozhàosòngwánzuìhòuyìdān,zhèngxiǎngqíchēhuíjiā,bèilóuxiàyíwèilǎotàitàilánzhùle。

On New Year's Eve, Xiao Zhao finished his last delivery and was about to ride home when an old woman downstairs stopped him.

Old woman

小伙子,你天天用手机送东西,肯定会发吧?能不能教教我?

xiǎohuǒzi,nǐtiāntiānyòngshǒujīsòngdōngxī,kěndìnghuìfāhóngbāoba?néngbunéngjiàojiàowǒ?

Young man, you use your phone to deliver things every day, so you must know how to send a red envelope, right? Could you teach me?

Xiao Zhao

阿姨,您这是要给谁发呀?

āyí,nínzhèshìyàogěishuífāya?

Ma'am, who are you trying to send it to?

Old woman

我孙子在外地打工,今年不回来了。往年我都塞钱给他,今年只能发到这小屏幕上。

wǒsūnzizàiwàidìdǎgōng,jīnniánbùhuíláile。wǎngniánwǒdōusāiqiángěitā,jīnniánzhǐnéngfādàozhèxiǎopíngmùshàng。

My grandson works far away and isn't coming home this year. Other years I'd press the money into his hand, but this year all I can do is send it through this little screen.

Scene 2: Fumbling with the Screen

小赵接过手机,发现里面连的都还没设好。

xiǎozhàojiēguòshǒujī,fāxiànlǐmiànliánzhīfùdemìmǎdōuháiméishèhǎo。

Xiao Zhao took the phone and found that she hadn't even set up a payment password yet.

Old woman

我,那些小字看不清,按了半天也搞不明白,怕一不小心把钱按没了。

wǒyǎnjīnghuā,nàxiēxiǎozìkànbùqīng,ànlebàntiānyěgǎobùmíngbái,pàyíbùxiǎoxīnbǎqiánànméile。

My eyes are bad and I can't make out those tiny letters. I tapped at it forever and still couldn't figure it out — I'm afraid one wrong tap will make the money disappear.

Xiao Zhao

您别担心,钱不会乱跑的。来,我把字调大,您跟着我一步一步点。

nínbiédānxīn,qiánbúhuìluànpǎode。lái,wǒbǎzìtiáodà,níngēnzhewǒyíbùyibùdiǎn。

Don't worry, the money isn't going anywhere. Here, let me make the text bigger, and you tap along with me one step at a time.

他蹲在路灯下,握着老太太的手,一个按钮一个按钮地教。

tādūnzàilùdēngxià,wòzhelǎotàitàideshǒu,yígèànniǔyígèànniǔdìjiào。

He crouched under the streetlight, held the old woman's hand, and walked her through it one button at a time.

Scene 3: A Hesitant Question

Old woman

对了,这能不能写句话?我想跟他说点儿什么。

duìle,zhèhóngbāonéngbunéngxiějùhuà?wǒxiǎnggēntāshuōdiǎnrshénme。

Oh, right — can I add a note to this red envelope? There's something I want to say to him.

Xiao Zhao

当然能。您说,我帮您打。

dāngránnéng。nínshuō,wǒbāngníndǎ。

Of course you can. Just say it, and I'll type it for you.

老太太想了想,声音忽然有点儿抖。

lǎotàitàixiǎnglexiǎng,shēngyīnhūrányǒudiǎnrdǒu。

The old woman thought for a moment, and her voice suddenly trembled a little.

Old woman

就写——奶奶都好,外面冷,别花钱。

jiùxiě——nǎinaidōuhǎo,wàimiànlěng,biéshèbùdéhuāqián。

Just write — Grandma's doing fine. It's cold out there, so don't be afraid to spend money on yourself.

Scene 4: A Ring in the Night

发出去没几秒,手机就响了,是孙子打来的。

hóngbāofāchūqùméijǐmiǎo,shǒujījiùxiǎngle,shìsūnzidǎláideshìpíndiànhuà。

Seconds after the red envelope went out, the phone rang — it was a video call from her grandson.

Grandson

奶奶!您居然会发了?谁教您的呀!

nǎinai!nínjūránhuìfāhóngbāole?shuíjiàoníndeya!

Grandma! You actually know how to send a red envelope now? Who taught you?

Old woman

一个送货的好心小伙子。快谢谢人家!

yígèsònghuòdehǎoxīnxiǎohuǒzi。kuàixièxièrénjiā!

A kind young delivery man. Hurry up and thank him!

小赵摆摆手,骑上车,远处的声里,他听见屏幕那头喊了声新年好。

xiǎozhàobǎibǎishǒu,qíshàngchē,yuǎnchùdebiānpàoshēnglǐ,tātīngjiànpíngmùnàtóuhǎnleshēngxīnniánhǎo。

Xiao Zhao waved it off and got on his bike, and amid the distant crackle of firecrackers, he heard the voice on the other end of the screen call out a Happy New Year.

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