Granny Liu Visits the Grand View Garden · chapter 4 of 6
The Ten-Chicken Eggplant
十只鸡的茄子
A boat ride on the lotus pond, a dish that tastes like nothing Granny Liu has ever eaten, and one cup of wine too many.
Read what you hear
- Narrator 午饭后，老太太带着刘姥姥来到池塘边，一条漂亮的小船正在等她们。
Wǔfàn hòu, lǎotàitai dài zhe Liú lǎolao láidào chítáng biān, yì tiáo piàoliang de xiǎochuán zhèngzài děng tāmen.
After lunch, the old lady led Granny Liu to the edge of the pond, where a pretty little boat was waiting for them.
- Grandmother Jia 刘姥姥，快上船！荷花开得正好，我们去水里看看。
Liú lǎolao, kuài shàngchuán! Héhuā kāi dé zhènghǎo, wǒmen qù shuǐlǐ kànkan.
Granny Liu, hurry onto the boat! The lotus flowers are in full bloom, let's go and see them on the water.
- Granny Liu 老太太，我……我怕水。我们乡下人的脚，一辈子都是踩在地上的。
Lǎotàitai, wǒ… Wǒ pàshuǐ. Wǒmen xiāngxiàrén de jiǎo, yí bèizi dōu shì cǎi zài dìshàng de.
Old lady, I... I'm afraid of water. We country folk keep our feet on the ground all our lives.
Chapter 4 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Granny Liu Visits the Grand View Garden is free, and so are The Second Cup of Tea, Mulan, The Butterfly Lovers, Journey to the West: The Monkey King, Cinderella, The Night of the Nian, Chang'e and the Moon, The Great Race: The Twelve Animals, Aesop's Fables, Little Red Riding Hood, The Three Little Pigs, The Ugly Duckling, Pangu and Nüwa: How the World Began, Beauty and the Beast, The Magic Lotus Lantern, Alice in Wonderland, Zhong Kui the Demon Queller, The Odyssey, Robin Hood, Jiang Ziya Goes Fishing, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Kitchen God from start to finish.
- Grandmother Jia 别怕，船夫划得很稳。我坐了几十年，从来没有掉进过水里。
Biépà, chuánfū huàdé hěn wěn. Wǒ zuò le jǐshínián, cónglái méiyǒu diào jìnguò shuǐlǐ.
Don't be scared, the boatman rows steadily. I've sat in it for decades and never fallen in.
- Granny Liu 船在摇！它在摇！我的心也在摇！
Chuán zài yáo! Tā zài yáo! Wǒ de xīn yě zài yáo!
The boat is rocking! It's rocking! And my heart is rocking too!
- Grandmother Jia 坐稳，别看水，看花。你看，那边的荷花多漂亮。
Zuòwěn, bié kànshuǐ, kànhuā. Nǐ kàn, nàbiān de héhuā duō piàoliang.
Sit still, don't look at the water, look at the flowers. See how beautiful the lotus is over there.
- Granny Liu 哇……荷叶比我家的大锅还大，荷花像姑娘的脸，红一点，白一点。
Wa… Héyè bǐ wǒjiā de dàguō hái dà, héhuā xiàng gūniáng de liǎn, hóng yìdiǎn, bái yìdiǎn.
Wow... the lotus leaves are bigger than my big pot, and the flowers look like girls' faces, a little red, a little white.
- Granny Liu 老太太，我要是掉下去，您可别先救那个篮子，先救我呀！
Lǎotàitai, wǒ yàoshi diàoxiàqù, nín kěbié xiānjiù nàge lánzi, xiānjiù wǒ ya!
Old lady, if I fall in, please save me first, not my basket!
- Grandmother Jia 放心，船夫会先救你，篮子放在最后。刘姥姥，你是我见过最有意思的客人。
Fàngxīn, chuánfū huì xiānjiù nǐ, lánzi fàngzài zuìhòu. Liú lǎolao, nǐ shì wǒ jiàn guò zuì yǒuyìsi de kèrén.
Don't worry, the boatman will save you first and the basket last. Granny Liu, you're the most entertaining guest I've ever had.
- Grandmother Jia 这座园子是我孙子孙女们最喜欢的地方，他们在这儿读书、写诗，也玩游戏。
Zhèzuò yuánzi shì wǒ sūnzi sūnnǚ men zuì xǐhuan de dìfang, tāmen zài zhèr dúshū, xiěshī, yě wányóuxì.
This garden is my grandchildren's favorite place. They read here, write poems, and play games.
- Granny Liu 老太太，您有这样的福气，这辈子真是一点儿遗憾也没有了。
Lǎotàitai, nín yǒu zhèyàng de fúqì, zhèbèizi zhēnshì yìdiǎnr yíhàn yě méiyǒu le.
Old lady, with blessings like yours, your life has no regrets at all.
- Grandmother Jia 遗憾还是有的。人老了，最怕家里太安静，所以我喜欢你来。你一来，我们的笑声就多了。
Yíhàn háishi yǒu de. Rén lǎo le, zuì pà jiālǐ tài'ānjìng, suǒyǐ wǒ xǐhuan nǐ lái. Nǐ yìlái, wǒmen de xiàoshēng jiù duō le.
There are a few. When you grow old, you fear a quiet house most. That's why I like you coming. When you come, we laugh more.
- Narrator 晚上，大家在水边的亭子里吃饭，红灯笼一个一个亮了起来。
Wǎnshang, dàjiā zài shuǐbiān de tíngzi lǐ chīfàn, hóngdēnglóng yí gè yī gè liàng le qǐlái.
In the evening they ate in a pavilion by the water, and the red lanterns lit up one by one.
- Xifeng 刘姥姥，这道菜是老太太特别为您留的，快尝尝。
Liú lǎolao, zhè dàocài shì lǎotàitai tèbié wèi nín liú de, kuài chángcháng.
Granny Liu, the old lady saved this dish especially for you. Do try it.
- Granny Liu 这是茄子吗？我们乡下的茄子又大又黑，可没这么漂亮。
Zhèshì qiézi ma? Wǒmen xiāngxià de qiézi yòu dà yòu hēi, kě méi zhème piàoliang.
Is this eggplant? Ours are big and black, and not nearly this pretty.
- Granny Liu 咦……好香，好特别，有一点儿肉味，又不像肉，这到底是什么茄子？
Yí… Hǎoxiāng, hǎo tèbié, yǒu yìdiǎnr ròuwèi, yòu bú xiàng ròu, zhè dàodǐ shì shénme qiézi?
Hey... so fragrant, so special, a little like meat but not quite. What kind of eggplant is this?
- Xifeng 这是我们厨房的一道名菜。先把茄子的皮去掉，再用十只鸡的汤和鸡肉，慢慢配着做。
Zhèshì wǒmen chúfáng de yídào míngcài. Xiān bǎ qiézi de pí qùdiào, zàiyòng shízhǐ jī de tāng hé jīròu, mànmàn pèizhe zuò.
It's a famous dish from our kitchen. First we peel the eggplant, then slowly prepare it with the broth and meat of ten chickens.
- Granny Liu 十只鸡？！天哪，我吃的不是茄子，是一院子的鸡！
Shízhǐ jī?! Tiān nǎ, wǒ chī de búshì qiézi, shì yí yuànzi de jī!
Ten chickens?! Heavens, what I'm eating isn't eggplant, it's a whole yard of chickens!
- Xifeng 刘姥姥，这道菜只是开始，后面还有很多好东西，您别吃得太饱。
Liú lǎolao, zhè dàocài zhǐshì kāishǐ, hòumiàn háiyǒu hěnduō hǎo dōngxi, nín bié chī dé tàibǎo.
Granny Liu, this dish is only the beginning. There's plenty more to come, so don't fill up too much.
- Grandmother Jia 你这么一说，我也觉得太浪费了。刘姥姥，再多吃一口，别浪费。
Nǐ zhème yìshuō, wǒ yě juéde tài làngfèi le. Liú lǎolao, zài duō chī yì kǒu, bié làngfèi.
When you put it that way, I think it's wasteful too. Granny Liu, take one more bite so nothing goes to waste.
- Granny Liu 好，我一定吃干净，不能让那十只鸡白忙一场！
Hǎo, wǒ yídìng chī gānjìng, bù néng ràng nà shízhǐ jī báimáng yìcháng!
All right, I'll finish every bite. I can't let those ten chickens work for nothing!
- Xifeng 刘姥姥，我敬您一杯酒，谢谢您带来的大瓜。
Liú lǎolao, wǒjìng nín yì bēijiǔ, xièxienín dàilái de dàguā.
Granny Liu, I'll toast you with a cup of wine to thank you for the big melons.
- Granny Liu 我不太会喝酒，喝多了会说傻话，还会做傻事……
Wǒ bú tàihuì hējiǔ, hēduō le huì shuō shǎhuà, háihuì zuò shǎshì…
I'm not much of a drinker. When I've had too much, I say silly things and do silly things...
- Grandmother Jia 说傻话有什么关系？在这儿，只要你开心，大家就开心。
Shuō shǎhuà yǒu shénme guānxi? Zài zhèr, zhǐyào nǐ kāixīn, dàjiā jiù kāixīn.
What does silly talk matter? Here, if you're happy, we're all happy.
- Granny Liu 那好，老太太发话了！我先干为敬！
Nàhǎo, lǎotàitai fāhuà le! Wǒxiān gànwèi jìng!
Well, the old lady has spoken! I'll drink it all as a sign of respect!
- Xifeng 哎呀，刘姥姥的脸红得像苹果，再喝两杯，就要变成大红苹果了！
Āiyā, Liú lǎolao de liǎnhóng dé xiàng píngguǒ, zài hē liǎngbēi, jiùyào biànchéng dàhóng píngguǒ le!
Goodness, Granny Liu's face is red as an apple. Two more cups and she'll be a big red apple!
- Granny Liu 我……嗝……我觉得脚下软软的，好像又坐上了那条船。
Wǒ… Gé… Wǒ juéde jiǎoxià ruǎnruǎn de, hǎoxiàng yòu zuò shàng le nàtiáo chuán.
I... hic... my feet feel soft, as if I'm back on that boat.
- Grandmother Jia 刘姥姥，你是不是喝多了？要不要歇一歇？
Liú lǎolao, nǐ shìbúshì hēduō le? Yào bù yào xiē yìxiē?
Granny Liu, have you had too much? Would you like to rest?
- Granny Liu 不用不用！我想出去走一走，吹吹风。老太太，让我一个人逛逛您的园子，好不好？
Búyòng búyòng! Wǒ xiǎng chūqù zǒu yī zǒu, chuī chuīfēng. Lǎotàitai, ràng wǒ yī gè rén guàngguàng nín de yuánzi, hǎobùhǎo?
No need, no need! I'd like to go out and get some fresh air. Old lady, may I wander through your garden by myself?
- Xifeng 刘姥姥，这座园子可大了，路又多，您一个人别走丢了。
Liú lǎolao, zhèzuò yuánzi kědà le, lù yòu duō, nín yí gè rénbié zǒu diū le.
Granny Liu, this garden is huge and has so many paths, so don't get lost on your own.
- Granny Liu 走丢？我这一辈子从来没迷过路！你们等着，我马上就回来！
Zǒu diū? Wǒ zhè yí bèizi cónglái méimí guòlù! Nǐmen děng zhe, wǒ mǎshàng jiù huílái!
Get lost? I've never been lost in my whole life! Just wait, I'll be right back!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- How does Granny Liu feel when she gets on the boat?
“我怕水”
- What does Granny Liu say the lotus leaves are bigger than?
“荷叶比我家的大锅还大”
- What is special about the eggplant dish?
“用十只鸡的汤和鸡肉”
- Why does Granny Liu hesitate to drink the wine?
“喝多了会说傻话，还会做傻事”
- What does Granny Liu do at the end of the chapter?
“我这一辈子从来没迷过路”