卖东西的地方

Story

今jīn天tiān是shì星xīng期qī六liù。早zǎo上shàng，我wǒ去qù买mǎi东dōng西xī。卖mài东dōng西xī的de地dì方fāng有yǒu很hěn多duō人rén，大dà家jiā都dōu在zài买mǎi，都dōu在zài卖mài。我wǒ想xiǎng买mǎi一yì些xiē吃chī的de，给gěi家jiā里lǐ的de孩hái子zi。

It was Saturday today. In the morning, I went out to do some shopping. The place where people sell things was busy, everyone buying and selling. I wanted some food for the children at home.

我wǒ走zǒu到dào一yí个gè卖mài东dōng西xī的de人rén面miàn前qián。这zhè个ge时shí候hòu，我wǒ看kàn见jiàn了liǎo一yí个gè男nán人rén。他tā也yě看kàn见jiàn了liǎo我wǒ。我wǒ们men都dōu没méi有yǒu说shuō话huà。我wǒ看kàn着zhe他tā的de脸liǎn，他tā看kàn着zhe我wǒ的de脸liǎn。我wǒ想xiǎng：这zhè个ge人rén，我wǒ好hǎo像xiàng认rèn识shi。

I walked up to one of the sellers. Just then, I saw a man. He saw me too. Neither of us said anything. I looked at his face, he looked at mine. I thought: this person, I think I know him.

突tū然rán，他tā笑xiào了liǎo。他tā说shuō："小xiǎo美měi？是shì你nǐ吗ma？" 我wǒ也yě笑xiào了liǎo。我wǒ说shuō："阿ā明míng！真zhēn的de是shì你nǐ！"

Then suddenly he smiled. He said, "Xiao Mei? Is that you?" I smiled too. I said, "A Ming! It really is you!"

我wǒ们men以yǐ前qián是shì好hǎo朋péng友yǒu。那nà是shì很hěn多duō年nián以yǐ前qián的de事shì情qíng了liǎo。他tā去qù别bié的de地dì方fāng工gōng作zuò了liǎo，我wǒ也yě离lí开kāi了liǎo。我wǒ们men就jiù没méi有yǒu再zài见jiàn过guò。

We had been good friends once. That was many years ago now. He had gone away to work somewhere else, and I had left too. We had not seen each other since.

"你nǐ怎zěn么me在zài这zhè里lǐ？" 我wǒ问wèn他tā。"你nǐ现xiàn在zài住zhù在zài这zhè里lǐ吗ma？" 他tā说shuō："是shì啊a，我wǒ和hé我wǒ老lǎo婆pó住zhù在zài这zhè里lǐ。已yǐ经jīng一yì年nián了liǎo。你nǐ呢ne？"

"How come you're here?" I asked. "Do you live here now?" He said, "Yes, my wife and I live here. A year already. And you?"

我wǒ告gào诉sù他tā，我wǒ也yě住zhù在zài这zhè里lǐ。我wǒ的de家jiā就jiù在zài这zhè里lǐ。每měi个gè星xīng期qī六liù早zǎo上shàng，我wǒ都dōu来lái这zhè里lǐ买mǎi东dōng西xī。可kě是shì我wǒ从cóng来lái没méi有yǒu看kàn见jiàn过guò他tā。

I told him I lived here too. My home is right here. Every Saturday morning, I come here to shop. But I had never seen him before.

"你nǐ和hé以yǐ前qián一yí样yàng，" 他tā说shuō。"你nǐ的de眼yǎn睛jīng，你nǐ笑xiào的de样yàng子zi，都dōu一yí样yàng。" 我wǒ说shuō："你nǐ不bù一yí样yàng了liǎo。你nǐ看kàn起qǐ来lái比bǐ以yǐ前qián老lǎo了liǎo一yì点diǎn。" 他tā笑xiào了liǎo。

"You're the same as before," he said. "Your eyes, the way you smile, all the same." I said, "You're different. You look a little older than before." He laughed.

"我wǒ们men都dōu不bù年nián轻qīng了liǎo，" 他tā说shuō。"我wǒ已yǐ经jīng有yǒu两liǎng个gè孩hái子zi了liǎo。一yí个gè男nán孩hái，一yí个gè女nǚ孩hái。" 我wǒ说shuō："真zhēn的de吗ma？我wǒ也yě有yǒu一yí个gè儿ér子zi。"

"We're not young any more," he said. "I have two kids now. A boy and a girl." I said, "Really? I have a son too."

我wǒ们men在zài那nà里lǐ说shuō话huà，说shuō了liǎo很hěn久jiǔ。他tā告gào诉sù我wǒ，他tā现xiàn在zài在zài一yí个gè不bù大dà的de地dì方fāng工gōng作zuò。他tā喜xǐ欢huan这zhè个ge工gōng作zuò。我wǒ告gào诉sù他tā，我wǒ也yě在zài工gōng作zuò，可kě是shì我wǒ的de工gōng作zuò没méi有yǒu他tā的de好hǎo。

We stood there talking for a long time. He told me he was working at a small place now. He liked his job. I told him I was working too, but my job was not as good as his.

"我wǒ们men要yào一yì起qǐ吃chī饭fàn，" 他tā说shuō。"和hé孩hái子zi，和hé我wǒ老lǎo婆pó一yì起qǐ。你nǐ也yě要yào来lái。" 我wǒ说shuō："好hǎo。" 他tā给gěi我wǒ他tā的de手shǒu机jī的de号hào。我wǒ也yě给gěi他tā我wǒ的de。

"We should eat together," he said. "With the kids, with my wife. You come too." I said, "Yes." He gave me his phone number. I gave him mine too.

然rán后hòu，他tā要yào走zǒu了liǎo。他tā说shuō："今jīn天tiān太tài好hǎo了le。我wǒ没méi有yǒu想xiǎng到dào，会huì在zài这zhè里lǐ看kàn见jiàn你nǐ。" 我wǒ说shuō："我wǒ也yě没méi有yǒu想xiǎng到dào。" 他tā对duì我wǒ说shuō再zài见jiàn，就jiù走zǒu了liǎo。

Then he had to go. He said, "Today has been so good. I never thought I'd see you here." I said, "I never thought I would either." He said goodbye to me and left.

我wǒ也yě买mǎi完wán了liǎo东dōng西xī，走zǒu回huí家jiā。我wǒ想xiǎng，有yǒu的de事shì情qíng会huì改gǎi变biàn。人rén会huì老lǎo，会huì去qù别bié的de地dì方fāng，会huì有yǒu自zì己jǐ的de孩hái子zi。可kě是shì有yǒu的de事shì情qíng不bú会huì改gǎi变biàn。一yí个gè老lǎo朋péng友yǒu，很hěn多duō年nián以yǐ后hòu，还hái是shì一yí个gè老lǎo朋péng友yǒu。

I finished my shopping too and walked home. I thought, some things change. People grow old, they move away, they have their own children. But some things do not change. An old friend, many years on, is still an old friend.