枝丫2：02 第二章: 茶壶, 茶杯, 沙漏, 本子, 笔
Zhang Laoban has a memory of fire as he sets up for a meeting.
Twig 枝丫 Zhīyā is a fantasy series written in Simplified Chinese characters for intermediate level adult readers.
Reviewing the word list prior to reading the chapter may help with enjoyment and comprehension.
几天前，当太阳落山时，张老板从胡同书店前窗向外看最后的光明，同时他又把新书放在书架上。他看到书架上有空的地方，看起来有点儿乱，觉得不安，直到放满书。关于这些，他还是可以做点什么的。像他一贯的做法一样， 他把新书一本一本地放在书架上，小心地把书的边缘对齐。然后，张老板觉得安心了，因为书架上的书放得很有条理。
快关门了，张老板还在等最后一个顾客离开。他想，顾客是买书的人，还是只是看看书的人？这两种人他都喜欢。都欢迎。
“再见，慢走，”张老板对要走的顾客说。顾客点点头离开了。
张老板想，只是看看书。没问题。
顾客走后，张老板走向书店的前门。他伸手握住门把手。门把手摸起来凉凉的。他打开门，向胡同里望去。胡同里几乎是空的，只有走得很快的几个人。张老板明白，一天中的这个时候人们往往是想找一家好饭馆儿吃饭，而不是找一本好书买下它。
再过一会儿，张老板就要开始准备会议了。他想好要拿出来的东西：茶壶、茶杯、沙漏、本子、笔。
但就在那一刻，张老板停住了。他们即将失去最后的光明。烈日已经照了好多天了。他闻到空气里有雨的味道。大家都需要雨。在对面的四合院屋顶下，他可以看到最后一刻落山的太阳。太阳照在他和书店的前面。连最后一束光，都是那么热！太热了！
张老板转身走向书店前门。他再次伸手握住了门把手。门把手的温度几乎和铁匠炉里的火一样烫。突然，一段记忆像火一样在张老板的脑海中着起来了：铁匠的叫声，他的衣服着火了，他的嘴，像一个痛苦的黑色的圆圈。
接着，张老板又看到了红色：红色的木头，红色的火，红色的皮肤。但是他对此无能为力。
张老板胸口里面剩下的像树一样的生物说：你怎么回事？过去的事还是忘不了吗？
张老板把手放在胸前。剩下的一部分树留在了胸口，不能切掉，太危险了。张老板用一贯的做法，有目的地先吸气，然后呼气。慢慢地，张老板平静下来了。他想：我现在就在这里。那是过去的事了。现在就是现在。
Word List
茶壶 cháhú teapot
茶杯 chábēi teacup
沙漏 shālòu sand timer, hourglass
本子 běnzi notepad, notebook
笔 bǐ pen
太阳落山 tàiyáng luòshān the sun sets
张老板 Zhāng Lǎobǎn Boss Zhang
胡同 hútòng alley
窗 chuāng window
书架 shūjià bookshelf
空的地方 kōng de dìfāng empty space
不安 bù'ān uneasy
直到 zhídào until
放满 fàng mǎn fill up
关于这些，他是可以做点什么的。
Guānyú zhèxiē, tā shì kěyǐ zuò diǎn shénme de.
He can do something about this.
一贯 yīguàn usual, consistent
做法 zuòfǎ way, way of doing things
一本一本 yī běn yī běn one by one
小心地 xiǎoxīn de carefully
齐 qí even
对齐 duìqí align
边 biān edge
缘 yuán edge, margin, hem; cause, reason, karma, fate, predestined affinity
边缘 biānyuán edge
小心地对齐边缘 xiǎoxīn de duìqí biānyuán carefully align the edges
安心 ān xīn at ease, relieved, peaceful in mind
放得 fàng de put
条理 tiáolǐ order
顾客 gùkè customer
伸 shēn extend
握 wò grasp
住 zhù live, stay, reside, dwell
握住 wòzhù grasp firmly
门把手 ménbǎshǒu door handle
摸 mō touch
摸起来 mōqǐlái feel (when touched)
凉 liáng cool
望 wàng look/gaze
望去 wàngqù look toward
几乎 jǐhū almost
往 wǎng towards
往往 wǎngwǎng usually, in many cases, more often than not
家 jiā measure word for establishments, in this case 一家饭店
会议 huìyì meeting
但就在那一刻 dàn jiù zài nà yīkè but just for a moment
即将 jíjiāng just about to, on the verge of, soon going to
失去 shīqù lose
烈 liè fierce
照 zhào shine
好多天 hǎoduō tiān many days
闻到 wéndào to smell
味道 wèidào scent, aroma, flavor, smell
对面 duìmiàn opposite side
合 hé combine
院 yuàn courtyard
四合院 sìhéyuàn courtyard house
屋 wū house, room
顶 dǐng top
屋顶 wūdǐng roof
最后一刻 zuìhòu yīkè last moment
落 luò fall
落山 luòshān set
连...都 lián…dōu even
一束光 yī shù guāng a beam of light
转 zhuǎn turn
转向 zhuǎnxiàng turn toward
再次 zàicì again
温度 wēndù temperature
铁 tiě iron
匠 jiàng craftsman
铁匠 tiějiàng blacksmith
铁匠炉 tiě jiàng lú blacksmith’s furnace
门把手的温度几乎和铁匠炉里的火一样烫。
Mén bǎshǒu de wēndù jīhū hé tiějiàng lú lǐ de huǒ yīyàng tàng.
The temperature of the door handle was almost as hot as the fire in a blacksmith's furnace.
段 duàn measure word for segments, parts, or sections of something that unfolds over time or space
记忆 jìyì n. a memory; memory as mental storage or capacity to remember
着 zháo to successfully do something, to be affected by something
着火了zháohuǒle caught fire and is actively burning
着起来了 zháo qǐ lái le starts to catch fire, begins to burn
嘴 zuǐ mouth
苦难 kǔnàn suffering
圆圈 yuánquān circle
接 jiē to connect, to receive, to take over
着 zhe particle indicating ongoing action or state
接着 jiēzhe then
皮 pí leather, skin, fur
肤 fū skin
皮肤 pífū skin
无能为力 wúnéngwéilì powerless
他对此无能为力。
Tā duì cǐ wúnéngwéilì.
There was nothing he could do about it.
胸口 xiōngkǒu chest
生物 shēngwù organism, creature
剩 shèng remaining
危险 wēixiǎn dangerous
切掉 qiēdiào cut out
吸气 xī qì inhale
呼气 hū qì exhale
平静 píng jìng calm, quiet
Notes
1. Thanks to Mary, our editor, we learn that, in this sentence:
他还是可以做点什么的。
Tā hái shì kěyǐ zuò diǎn shénme de.
He (has some hope) that he can still do something about it.
还 hái doesn’t mean “still” but softens the tone and conveys things are not so serious, not hopeless.
2. In these two sentences, I’m trying to convey the troubling tension between what people can control and what they’re helpless and powerless to control.
关于这些，他还是可以做点什么的。
Guānyú zhèxiē, tā háishì kěyǐ zuò diǎn shénme de.
He can do something about this.
他对此无能为力。
Tā duì cǐ wúnéngwéilì.
There was nothing he could do about it.
3. 铁匠炉 tiě jiàng lú blacksmith’s furnace is a shortened version of 铁匠小高炉 tiě jiàng xiǎo gāo lú blacksmith’s small blast furnace. I imagine the fictional character Zhang Laoban worked for a blacksmith in the countryside as a Beijing youth. The reference is also inspired by the character of the blacksmith, Old Li, in 一句顶一万句, a novel by Liu Zhenyun which won the Mao Dun Literary Prize in 2011.
Image source: ChatGPT. (2025, April 13). A watercolor painting of a round doorknob on a partly open door [Digital image]. OpenAI. https://chat.openai.com/
更多
枝丫1：《枝丫》第一部
枝丫1：Table of contents | 枝丫1：Chapter 1 | Complete 枝丫1 story, just 汉字
枝丫2：《枝丫》第二部
枝丫2：Table of contents | 枝丫2：Chapter 1 | 枝丫2 so far, just 汉字
微故事 Wēigùshì, a series of occasional vignettes featuring objects in the 胡同 and in the lives of 枝丫’s denizens.
Word lists for review in Hack Chinese.
Main page: Twig 枝丫: A fantasy novel