夜市摆摊人

傍晚bàng wǎn六lìu点diǎn，夜市yè shì的de灯dēng一yī盏zhǎn一yī盏zhǎn亮liàng起来qǐ lai。卖mài炒chǎo粉fěn的de、卖mài烤kǎo串chuàn的de、卖mài小xiǎo饰shì品pǐn的de，各自gè zì占zhàn好hào位置wèi zhi，一yī天tiān的de生意shēng yi开始kāi shǐ了liǎo。

At six in the evening the night market lights come on one by one. Fried-noodle stalls, kebab stalls, trinket stalls claim their spots, the day's business begins.

陈chén姐jiě的de摊位tān wèi在zài最zuì里面lǐ miàn，卖mài手机shǒu jī贴tiē膜mó和hé小xiǎo配件pèi jiàn。三sān年前nián qián她tā下岗xià gǎng以后yǐ hòu，就jìu在zài这里zhè lǐ摆bǎi了liǎo摊tān，一yī摆bǎi就是jìu shì三sān年nián。

Sister Chen's stall sits at the far end, selling screen protectors and accessories. Laid off three years ago, she has set up here ever since.

白天bái tiān她tā在家zài jiā做zuò手工shǒu gōng活huó，晚上wǎn shang出来chū lái摆bǎi摊tān。她tā说shuō：两liǎng份fèn活儿huó r加jiā起来qǐ lai，一yī个gè月yuè能néng有yǒu六lìu千qiān多duō，够gòu孩子hái zi上学shàng xué了liǎo。

By day she does handicraft work at home; at night she runs the stall. Together they bring in over six thousand a month, enough for her child's schooling.

夜市yè shì里lǐ什么shén me人rén都dōu有yǒu。刚gāng下班xià bān的de年轻nián qīng人rén来lái买mǎi晚饭wǎn fàn，情侣qíng lǚ手shǒu拉lā手shǒu慢慢màn màn逛guàng，还有hái yǒu睡shuì不bù着zhuó觉jiào的de老人lǎo rén来lái凑còu热闹rè nao。

The market draws everyone: young people buying dinner after work, couples strolling hand in hand, sleepless old folks joining the buzz.

九jǐu点diǎn钟zhōng是shì最zuì忙máng的de时候shí hou。陈chén姐jiě一边yī biān贴tiē膜mó一边yī biān招呼zhāo hu客人kè rén，手shǒu上shàng的de动作dòng zuò快kuài得děi像xiàng变biàn魔术mó shù，贴tiē一yī张zhāng膜mó只要zhǐ yào两liǎng分钟fēn zhōng。

Nine o'clock is the rush. Chen applies screen protectors while greeting customers, hands quick as magic, two minutes per phone.

城chéng管guǎn来lái的de时候shí hou，大家dà jiā也yě不bù慌huāng。这zhè条tiáo街jiē是shì正规zhèng guī的de夜市yè shì，按时àn shí交jiāo摊位tān wèi费fèi，卫生wèi shēng弄nòng好hào就jìu行háng。

When inspectors come nobody panics. This is a licensed market; pay the stall fee on time, keep things clean.

十shí二èr点diǎn，人rén流líu慢慢màn màn少shǎo了liǎo。陈chén姐jiě数shǔ了liǎo数shǔ今天jīn tiān的de收入shōu rù，三sān百bǎi多duō块kuài，比bǐ平时píng shí好hào一yī点diǎn。她tā笑xiào着zhuó收shōu摊tān。

At midnight the crowds thin. Chen counts the day's take, over three hundred, better than usual, and packs up smiling.

回家huí jiā的de路上lù shang，她tā路过lù guò关guān门mén的de商场shāng chǎng，橱chú窗chuāng里lǐ都dōu是shì新款xīn kuǎn手机shǒu jī。她tā想xiǎng：什么shén me时候shí hou，我wǒ也yě能néng开kāi个gè小xiǎo店diàn呢ne。

On the way home she passes a closed mall with new phones in the window. When could I open a little shop of my own, she wonders.

隔壁gé bì摊位tān wèi是shì个gè卖mài烤kǎo冷lěng面miàn的de小伙子xiǎo huǒ zi，和hé陈chén姐jiě同年tóng nián下岗xià gǎng。两liǎng个人gè rén忙máng的de时候shí hou互相hù xiāng帮忙bāng máng收shōu钱qián找钱zhǎo qián。

The next stall is a young man selling grilled cold noodles, laid off the same year as Chen. In the rush they cover each other's till.

周末zhōu mò的de夜市yè shì人rén最多zuì duō，一yī晚上wǎn shang能néng翻fān三sān倍bèi。陈chén姐jiě最zuì怕pà的de是shì下雨xià yǔ：雨yǔ一yī来lái，客人kè rén全quán跑pǎo光guāng，一yī天tiān就jìu白bái干gàn了liǎo。

Weekends triple the crowd. What Chen fears is rain, one shower and the customers scatter, the whole night lost.

有yǒu回头huí tóu客kè专门zhuān mén找zhǎo她tā贴tiē膜mó，说shuō她tā贴tiē的de膜mó没有méi yǒu气泡qì pào。陈chén姐jiě笑xiào着zhuó说shuō：贴tiē了liǎo一yī万wàn张zhāng膜mó，手艺shǒu yì能néng不bù好hào吗ma。

Regulars seek her out for bubble-free protectors. Chen laughs: after ten thousand screens, how could the craft be bad?

夜里yè li收shōu摊tān，她tā要yào把bǎ剩下shèng xià的de货huò清qīng点diǎn一yī遍biàn，记jì账zhàng的de小xiǎo本子běn zi写xiě得děi密mì密mì麻má麻má：今天jīn tiān卖mài了liǎo几jǐ张贴zhāng tiē膜mó，几jǐ个gè手机shǒu jī壳qiào。

Packing up at night she counts the leftover stock, the little ledger dense with entries: so many protectors, so many cases.

冬天dōng tiān夜市yè shì最zuì冷lěng，她tā的de手shǒu冻dòng裂liè了liǎo口子kǒu zi，就jìu缠chán上shàng胶jiāo布bù接着jiē zhe贴tiē。客人kè rén递dì过来guò lái热rè奶茶nǎi chá的de时候shí hou，她tā总zǒng要yào愣lèng一yī下xià才cái接jiē。

Winter nights are coldest; her hands crack and she tapes them up and keeps applying. When a customer hands her hot milk tea she always pauses before taking it.

夜市yè shì是shì一yī座zuò城市chéng shì的de另lìng一面yī miàn。白天bái tiān看起来kàn qǐ lai安ān安静ān jìng静jìng的de城市chéng shì，到dào了liǎo夜里yè li，有yǒu这么zhè me多duō人rén在zài努力nǔ lì地dì生活shēng huó。

The night market is a city's other face. The city that looks quiet by day holds, at night, so many people working hard at life.