Cheng-sı̂n pı̄ⁿ-lâng chin chù-sı̂n teh siá phoe. Pa̍t-ê pı̄ⁿ-lâng hò͘ⁿ-kı̂ kā mn̄g: “Lí teh chhòng siáⁿ ?”
“Mài kiáu-jiáu goá, goá teh siá chı̍t-tiuⁿ chin tiōng-iàu ê phoe.”
“Siá hō͘ siáⁿ-lâng ?”
“Tong-jiân sı̄ siá hō͘ goá ka-tı̄ ah.”
“Tàu-té sı̄ siá siáⁿ ?”
“Goá ná ē chai ? Phoe bı̂n-á-chài chiah ē siu--tio̍h ah.”
Chı̍t-ê á-tah á-tah ê lâng chē kè-thêng-chhia. Kàu-ūi ê sı̂, su-ki kóng: “75 kho͘.”
“Hāi ah,” Á-tah--ê kóng: “Goá kan-nā ū 70 kho͘, chhiáⁿ lí kā goá chài tńg-khı̀ pió thiàu 70 kho͘ hia.”
Keng-koè tn̂g-kı̂ ê tı̄-liâu, cheng-sı̂n-kho ê i-seng mn̄g cha-bó͘ pı̄ⁿ-lâng: “Lí chit-má kám iáu ē siūⁿ kóng lí sı̄ Chiúⁿ hu-jı̂n ?”
“Oh! Boē ah lah.”
“Hó, án-ni lí ē-sài chhut-ı̄ⁿ ah.”
“To-siā, chhiáⁿ lí chiong siàu-toaⁿ kià hō͘ Chiúⁿ chóng-thóng.”
“Oé! Lí toà chhiū-á-téng chhòng-siáⁿ ? Kín lo̍h-lâi ah! Beh tân lûi ah neh!”
“Tō-sı̄ án-ni goá m̄ chiah peh khí-lâi chhiū-á-téng. Liân saⁿ-hoè gín-á mā chai-iáⁿ tân-lûi-kong ê sı̂ boē-sái khiā toà chhiū-á-kha.”
“Lín sio-tı̄ sı̄ án-choáⁿ ? Phoà-pı̄ⁿ hio͘h ?”
“Koh khah giâm-tiōng.”
“Sí--khı̀ hio͘h ?”
“Koh khah giâm-tiōng. Sı̄ thâu-khak pháiⁿ--khı̀.”
“Kám ē án-ni ? I tú chiah chiong khiàm--goá ê chı̂ⁿ hêng liáu niā neh.”
“Só͘-í m̄ chiah kóng i thâu-khak pháiⁿ--khı̀ ah.”
Chı̍t-ê bōng-sióng ka-tı̄ sı̄ niáu-chhí ê cheng-sı̂n pı̄ⁿ-lâng, keng-koè kú-nı̂ ê tı̄-liâu, í-keng ē-sái chhut-ı̄ⁿ. I-seng sàng i kàu pı̄ⁿ-ı̄ⁿ mn̂g-kháu. Pı̄ⁿ-lâng hui-siông kín-tiuⁿ mn̄g i-seng:
“Goá chin-chiàⁿ ē-sái chhut-ı̄ⁿ ah hio͘h ?”
“Sı̄ án-choáⁿ leh ?”
“Lí khoàⁿ, mn̂g-kháu ū chı̍t-chiah niau.”
“Lí í-keng m̄-sı̄ niau-chhí ah. Teh kiaⁿ siáⁿ ?”
“Goá chai-iáⁿ goá m̄-sı̄ niau-chhí lah. Tān-sı̄, niau-á kám chai ?”
Cheng-sı̂n pı̄ⁿ-lâng chhiú gia̍h tiò-koaⁿ tı̄ e̍k-tı̂ teh tiò-hı̂, i-seng kiâⁿ--koè-lâi, ēng un-jiû ê siaⁿ mn̄g i: “kin-á-jı̍t tiò boē-chió ho͘hN ?”
Pēⁿ-lâng ı̀n-kóng: “Cheng-sı̂n-pēⁿ! E̍k-tı̂ nah ū hı̂ thang tiò!”
Ū chı̍t-ê lâng chhiam Tá-chia-ló, chhiam it-lio̍k (16), kó-jiân hō͘ i chhiam--tio̍h.
Pêng-iú mn̄g i: “Lí ná ē chai-iáⁿ sı̄ 16, sı̄ tùi tó-ūi the̍h--lâi ê bêng-pâi ?”
I ı̀n kóng: “Goá chò-bāng bāng--tio̍h-ê. Goá bāng-kı̀ⁿ chı̍t-chiah káu-á teh peh chhiū-á, só͘-í sı̄ káu (9) peh (8). 9 ka 8 soah m̄-sı̄ 16 ?”
(Hong-hiòng Tē 18 kı̂, 1992 nı̂ 9 goe̍h)
