The New Year Gift

HSK 3 · 506 characters · Twist Endings

A poor young couple in old Shanghai each have one treasure — and one New Year's wish for the other.

很hěn多年duō nián以前yǐ qián的de上海shàng hǎi，冬天dōng tiān特别tè bié冷lěng。Many years ago in Shanghai, the winters were especially cold.阿ā俊jùn和hé小xiǎo兰lán是shì一对yī duì年轻nián qīng的de夫妻fū qī，住zhù在zài一yī间jiān很hěn小的xiǎo de房子fáng zi里lǐ。Ah Jun and Xiaolan were a young married couple who lived in a tiny room.他们tā men很hěn穷qióng，但是dàn shì他们tā men非常fēi cháng相爱xiāng ài。They were poor, but they loved each other very much.

明天míng tiān就是jiù shì新年xīn nián了le，小xiǎo兰lán把bǎ手里shǒu lǐ的de钱qián数shǔ了le一遍yī biàn又yòu一遍yī biàn。Tomorrow was New Year's Day, and Xiaolan counted the money in her hand again and again.钱qián太tài少了shǎo le，连lián一件yī jiàn小小的xiǎo xiǎo de礼物lǐ wù都dōu买不起mǎi bù qǐ。It was too little — not enough to buy even a small gift.她tā坐在zuò zài窗chuāng前qián，看着kàn zhe外面的wài miàn de雪xuě，慢慢地màn màn de哭kū了le。She sat by the window, watching the snow outside, and slowly began to cry.

小xiǎo兰lán有yǒu一样yī yàng宝贝bǎo bèi：一头yī tóu又yòu长cháng又yòu亮liàng的de黑hēi头发tóu fa。Xiaolan had one treasure: long, shining black hair.头发tóu fa放下fàng xià来lái的de时候shí hou，就像jiù xiàng一条yī tiáo黑色hēi sè的de河hé。When she let it down, it flowed like a black river.阿ā俊jùn也有yě yǒu一样yī yàng宝贝bǎo bèi：父亲fù qīn留给liú gěi他的tā de一块yī kuài旧jiù手表shǒu biǎo。Ah Jun also had one treasure: an old watch his father had left him.手表shǒu biǎo很好hěn hǎo，可是kě shì没有méi yǒu链子liàn zi，他tā只能zhǐ néng用yòng一块yī kuài旧jiù布bù包bāo着zhe它tā。It was a fine watch, but it had no chain, so he kept it wrapped in an old cloth.

小xiǎo兰lán早就zǎo jiù想xiǎng好了hǎo le：她tā要yào送sòng阿ā俊jùn一条yī tiáo漂亮piào liang的de表biǎo链liàn。Xiaolan had long since made up her mind: she would give Ah Jun a beautiful watch chain.可是kě shì，钱qián从cóng哪里nǎ lǐ来lái呢ne？But where would the money come from?她tā站起来zhàn qǐ lai，看着kàn zhe镜子jìng zi里lǐ自己的zì jǐ de长cháng头发tóu fa，做了zuò le一个yī ge决定jué dìng。She stood up, looked at her long hair in the mirror, and made a decision.

下午xià wǔ，小xiǎo兰lán走进zǒu jìn一家yī jiā买mǎi头发tóu fa的de小店xiǎo diàn。That afternoon, Xiaolan walked into a little shop that bought hair.“你的nǐ de头发tóu fa真zhēn漂亮piào liang，”老板娘lǎo bǎn niáng说shuō，“我wǒ给gěi你nǐ一个yī ge好hǎo价钱jià qian。”"Your hair is truly beautiful," said the shopkeeper. "I'll give you a good price."剪头发jiǎn tóu fa的de时候shí hou，小xiǎo兰lán闭上bì shang眼睛yǎn jing，没有méi yǒu让ràng自己zì jǐ哭kū。As her hair was cut, Xiaolan closed her eyes and did not let herself cry.拿ná着zhe钱qián，她tā跑pǎo了le好几hǎo jǐ条tiáo街jiē，最后zuì hòu找到zhǎo dào了le一条yī tiáo最zuì漂亮piào liang的de银yín链子liàn zi。With the money, she ran down street after street, and at last found the most beautiful silver chain.

晚上wǎn shang，阿ā俊jùn回家huí jiā了le，一yī开门kāi mén就jiù站住zhàn zhù了le。That evening Ah Jun came home, opened the door — and stopped still.他tā看着kàn zhe小xiǎo兰lán的de短duǎn头发tóu fa，一句话yī jù huà也yě说不出shuō bù chū来lái。He stared at Xiaolan's short hair, unable to say a word.“别bié这样zhè yàng看kàn我wǒ，”小xiǎo兰lán说shuō，“头发tóu fa还hái会huì长zhǎng出来chū lái的de。”"Don't look at me like that," Xiaolan said. "Hair grows back."“我wǒ把bǎ头发tóu fa卖mài了le，给gěi你nǐ买mǎi了le新年xīn nián礼物lǐ wù。”"I sold my hair to buy you a New Year gift."

阿ā俊jùn慢慢地màn màn de笑了xiào le，从cóng口袋kǒu dài里lǐ拿出ná chū一个yī ge小包xiǎo bāo。Ah Jun slowly smiled and took a small package from his pocket.“先xiān看看kàn kan我的wǒ de礼物lǐ wù吧ba。”他tā轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō。"Open my gift first," he said softly.小xiǎo兰lán打开dǎ kāi一看yī kàn，是shì一对yī duì漂亮piào liang的de发夹fà jiā。Xiaolan opened it — inside was a pair of beautiful hairpins.就是jiù shì她tā在zài商店shāng diàn窗chuāng前qián看kàn过guò很hěn多次duō cì的de那nà一对yī duì。The very pair she had admired so many times in the shop window.她tā拿ná着zhe发夹fà jiā，又yòu哭kū又yòu笑xiào：“可是kě shì我的wǒ de头发tóu fa没有méi yǒu了le！”Holding the hairpins, she laughed and cried at once: "But my hair is gone!"

小xiǎo兰lán忽然hū rán想起xiǎng qǐ什么shén me，问wèn：“你的nǐ de钱qián是shì从cóng哪里nǎ lǐ来lái的de？”Then suddenly a thought struck her, and she asked: "Where did your money come from?"阿ā俊jùn拿出ná chū那nà块kuài空空kōng kōng的de旧jiù布bù，轻轻地qīng qīng de说shuō：“我wǒ把bǎ手表shǒu biǎo卖mài了le，给gěi你nǐ买mǎi发夹fà jiā。”Ah Jun took out the old cloth, now empty, and said softly: "I sold the watch to buy your hairpins."两liǎng个人gè rén抱bào在一起zài yī qǐ，又yòu哭kū又yòu笑xiào。The two of them held each other, laughing and crying.其实qí shí，最好zuì hǎo的de礼物lǐ wù，他们tā men早就zǎo jiù收到shōu dào了le。In truth, the best gift had been theirs all along.