阳台上的菜

我wǒ在zài阳台yáng tái上shàng种zhòng了le小xiǎo葱cōng和hé辣椒là jiāo，用yòng旧jiù塑料sù liào盒hé当dāng花盆huā pén。

On my balcony I grow scallions and chilies in old plastic boxes.

朋友péng you笑xiào我wǒ：这zhè几jǐ根gēn葱cōng够gòu炒chǎo一yí个gè菜cài吗ma？

Friends laugh: enough for one stir-fry?

我wǒ说shuō：不够bú gòu，但是dàn shì每měi天tiān早上zǎo shang看kàn它们tā men一眼yì yǎn，一yì天tiān心情xīn qíng都dōu好hǎo。

Not quite, I say, but a morning glance at them sets the day right.

辣椒là jiāo红hóng的de那nà天tiān，我wǒ拍pāi了le二èr十shí张zhāng照片zhào piàn。

The day the first chili turned red, I took twenty photos.

剪jiǎn下xià第dì一yī把bǎ葱cōng的de时候shí hou，我wǒ居然jū rán有点yǒu diǎn舍不得shě bu de。

Cutting the first handful of scallions, I hesitated, oddly sentimental.