末班车/蓝海琼珍(赵金基译）

程思良

末班车/蓝海琼珍
　　
　　开花店的胖子马六年已三十还没对象，好朋友周成出了个主意：“我表妹王慧秀外慧中，因为挑剔还没对象。她每个月有一天做账回家晚，得坐22路末班车，你跟她些日子，瞅机会献献殷勤，没准让你赚个大美女。”
　　反正晚上没事干，马六开始坐22路的末班车。两周过去，没见王慧，却见一个拄拐的残疾孩子非常吃力地上下车，马六就主动帮他，天天如此。孩子亲亲地喊他叔叔。一月过去，哪有王慧？马六问周成：“你骗我？”
　　“瞎说！只有22路车路过她家。”周成给王慧打电话，原来换单位了。马六气恼，罚周成酒。觥筹间马六又想起残疾孩子，匆匆走了。马六问孩子：“你为什么天天要坐末班车？”
　　“我在一个老中医家学按摩，他只有晚上有时间。”
　　“学多久？”
　　“半年。”
　　马六险些从座位上栽下来。他犹豫，为帮残疾孩子天天拉晚儿跑道儿值不值？这时，周成来电话，说王慧现在改坐23路车了。
　　明晚去22路还是去23路？
　　马六一咬牙去了22路。见了孩子他眼含热泪：“为了你，我把物件舍了！”孩子邀请他去家里一趟，说爸爸想见他。他说改日。孩子力邀。他跟着去了以后，孩子拉出一个美丽女子说：“这就是我姨王慧。”王慧说：“马六，你如果今晚去了23路，你就永远别想见我了。”
　　
　　Romance
　　
　　By Lan Hai Qiong Zhen
　　
　　Ma Liu, boss of a flower shop, was still single in his thirties. Zhou Cheng, Ma’s best friend, suggested, “My cousin, by the name of Wang Hui, who is a pretty and intelligent girl, remains equally single; every month, she has a busiest day with her accounts and gets back home late at night by the last bus of No. 22. Will you escort her? With your gallantries, chances are that you will win a beauty’s heart.”
　　With nothing to do at night, Ma Liu developed his habit of taking the last bus of No. 22. For two weeks Ma Liu hadn’t run across Wang Hui, but a disabled boy with crutches instead. Seeing the boy get on and off the bus with much effort, Ma Liu voluntarily offered to help. So it happened every day. The boy addressed him “Uncle” lovingly. One month passed by, but Wang Hui had never shown up. “Were you kidding me?” Ma Liu asked Zhou Cheng.
　　“Nonsense! Only No.22 bus passes by her home.” Zhou Cheng called Wang Hui, only to be informed that she had transferred to a new unit. Annoyed, Ma Liu demanded that Zhou Cheng treat him to wine as a punishment. While drinking, the disabled boy was still on his mind. When he hastily got on the bus, Ma Liu asked the boy, “Why do you take the last bus every day?”
　　“I’m learning massage from an old doctor of Chinese medicine; he is free only at night.”
　　“For how long?”
　　“Half a year.”
　　Almost falling down from his seat, Ma Liu hesitated, “Is it worthwhile that I spend every night helping a disabled boy on the bus?” At that moment Zhou Cheng called, saying Wang Hui had changed to take No. 23 bus.
　　“Am I to take No. 22 or No. 23 tomorrow night?”
　　Gritting his teeth, Ma Liu got on No. 22. “For your sake, I’ve given up a beauty!” said Ma Liu to the boy, with tears. Then the boy invited Ma Liu to home, saying his father was expecting him. “Some other day?” said Ma Liu. “No.” The boy insisted. When they arrived, the boy introduced a pretty lady, “This is Wang Hui, my aunt.”
　　“Ma Liu, if you had got on No. 23 tonight, you would never meet me again.”

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