Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess · chapter 3 of 4
The Feast and the Answer
一顿好饭
The princess is home, and Liu Yi is the guest of honor. But a loud uncle has a demand, and Liu Yi has to give an answer nobody expects.
Read what you hear
- The Dragon Princess 爸爸！我回来了！
Bàba! Wǒ huílái le!
Father! I'm home!
- Dragon King of Dongting 我的孩子！你瘦了。快让爸爸看看。
Wǒ de háizi! Nǐ shòu le. Kuài ràng bàba kànkan.
My child! You've gotten thin. Let me look at you.
- The Dragon Princess 爸爸，叔叔，是柳先生带信来的。柳先生，谢谢您！
Bàba, shūshu, shì Liǔ xiānsheng dài xìn lái de. Liǔ xiānsheng, xièxie nín!
Father, Uncle, it was Mr. Liu who brought the letter. Mr. Liu, thank you!
Chapter 3 is part of SayMei Stories ($2.99 a month) and SayMei Premium. Chapter 1 of Liu Yi and the Dragon Princess 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.
- Liu Yi 不用谢。我只是走了几天路，一点儿也不累。
Búyòng xiè. Wǒ zhǐshì zǒu le jǐ tiān lù, yìdiǎnr yě bú lèi.
No need to thank me. I only walked for a few days, and I'm not tired at all.
- The Dragon Princess 他走了那么远的路，一定很累了。
Tā zǒu le nàme yuǎn de lù, yídìng hěn lèi le.
He walked such a long way. He must be so tired.
- Dragon King of Dongting 今天晚上，我们要好好吃一顿。柳毅是我们全家的大朋友！
Jīntiān wǎnshang, wǒmen yào hǎohǎo chī yí dùn. Liǔ Yì shì wǒmen quán jiā de dà péngyou!
Tonight we'll have a proper feast. Liu Yi is a great friend of our whole family!
- Narrator 晚上，水晶房子里点了很多灯，桌子上有很多好吃的。
Wǎnshang, shuǐjīng fángzi lǐ diǎn le hěn duō dēng, zhuōzi shang yǒu hěn duō hǎochī de.
That night the crystal house was full of lamps, and the table was full of good food.
- Lord Qiantang 柳先生，你看！泾河那个欺负公主的人，现在还在河里发抖呢！
Liǔ xiānsheng, nǐ kàn! Jīng Hé nà ge qīfu gōngzhǔ de rén, xiànzài hái zài hé lǐ fādǒu ne!
Mr. Liu, look! The man who bullied the princess is still shivering in the river!
- Liu Yi 我相信。我一点儿也不想去看。
Wǒ xiāngxìn. Wǒ yìdiǎnr yě bù xiǎng qù kàn.
I believe you. I don't want to go and see at all.
- Lord Qiantang 哈哈！你这个人，我喜欢！我有什么就说什么。
Hāhā! Nǐ zhège rén, wǒ xǐhuan! Wǒ yǒu shénme jiù shuō shénme.
Ha ha! I like you! I say whatever is on my mind.
- Lord Qiantang 你救了我的侄女，她又那么好。你娶她吧！
Nǐ jiù le wǒ de zhínǚ, tā yòu nàme hǎo. Nǐ qǔ tā ba!
You saved my niece, and she's such a good girl. Marry her!
- Liu Yi 什么？娶……娶公主？
Shénme? Qǔ… qǔ gōngzhǔ?
What? Marry… marry the princess?
- Lord Qiantang 对！你不同意，我就不高兴！
Duì! Nǐ bù tóngyì, wǒ jiù bù gāoxìng!
Yes! If you don't agree, I won't be happy!
- Liu Yi 钱塘君，我帮公主，是因为她哭得很苦。不是为了娶她。
Qiántáng Jūn, wǒ bāng gōngzhǔ, shì yīnwèi tā kū de hěn kǔ. Bú shì wèile qǔ tā.
Lord Qiantang, I helped the princess because she was crying so bitterly. Not to marry her.
- Liu Yi 今天要是我说“好”，就像是拿东西换东西。我不能这样做。
Jīntiān yàoshi wǒ shuō “hǎo”, jiù xiàng shì ná dōngxi huàn dōngxi. Wǒ bù néng zhèyàng zuò.
If I said “yes” today, it would be like trading one thing for another. I can't do that.
- Lord Qiantang 你……敢对我说“不”？
Nǐ… gǎn duì wǒ shuō “bù”?
You… dare say “no” to me?
- Liu Yi 我敢。您生气，我也是这句话。
Wǒ gǎn. Nín shēngqì, wǒ yě shì zhè jù huà.
I dare. Even if you're angry, my answer is the same.
- Lord Qiantang 哈哈哈！好一个读书人！是我错了，我更喜欢你了！
Hāhāhā! Hǎo yí gè dúshūrén! Shì wǒ cuò le, wǒ gèng xǐhuan nǐ le!
Ha ha ha! What a scholar! I was wrong, and now I like you even more!
- Dragon King of Dongting 柳毅，你是一个很好的人。请带一些礼物回家吧。
Liǔ Yì, nǐ shì yí gè hěn hǎo de rén. Qǐng dài yìxiē lǐwù huíjiā ba.
Liu Yi, you are a very good man. Please take some gifts home.
- Liu Yi 谢谢，可是我不要东西。我只想回家看妈妈。
Xièxie, kěshì wǒ bú yào dōngxi. Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng huíjiā kàn māma.
Thank you, but I don't want anything. I just want to go home and see my mom.
- The Dragon Princess 柳先生，您要走了吗？
Liǔ xiānsheng, nín yào zǒu le ma?
Mr. Liu, are you leaving?
- Liu Yi 是的。天亮了，我妈妈还在家里等我。
Shì de. Tiān liàng le, wǒ māma hái zài jiālǐ děng wǒ.
Yes. It's morning, and my mom is waiting for me at home.
- The Dragon Princess 我……我有一句话，一直想说。
Wǒ… wǒ yǒu yí jù huà, yìzhí xiǎng shuō.
I… there's something I've wanted to say.
- Liu Yi 什么话？请说吧。
Shénme huà? Qǐng shuō ba.
What is it? Please say it.
- The Dragon Princess 谢谢你。我会一直记得你。
Xièxie nǐ. Wǒ huì yìzhí jìde nǐ.
Thank you. I will always remember you.
- Liu Yi 公主，你要好好过日子。再见。
Gōngzhǔ, nǐ yào hǎohǎo guò rìzi. Zàijiàn.
Princess, live well and be happy. Goodbye.
- The Dragon Princess 他说“再见”……我们真的会再见吗？
Tā shuō “zàijiàn”… wǒmen zhēn de huì zàijiàn ma?
He said “goodbye”… will we really meet again?
- The Dragon Princess 他不想娶我……可是我要再见到他。我一定有办法！
Tā bù xiǎng qǔ wǒ… kěshì wǒ yào zài jiàndào tā. Wǒ yídìng yǒu bànfǎ!
He doesn't want to marry me… but I want to see him again. I will find a way!
Hear the chapter
What changed in the story?
- What does Qiantang say about the man who bullied the princess?
“泾河那个欺负公主的人，现在还在河里发抖呢！”
- What does Qiantang want Liu Yi to do?
“你救了我的侄女，她又那么好。你娶她吧！”
- Why does Liu Yi say no?
“我帮公主，是因为她哭得很苦。不是为了娶她。”
- How does Qiantang react to the answer?
“是我错了，我更喜欢你了！”
- What does the princess decide at the end?
“可是我要再见到他。我一定有办法！”